Chapter 264: The Concealment Array
Chapter 264: The Concealment Array
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, feeling that having multiple identities could be beneficial.
The cultivation world of Jiuzhou was vast and boundless. If he ever ventured out and encountered any difficulties, having multiple identities could provide him with more options.
"Thank you, Uncle Zhang!" Mo Hua expressed his gratitude sincerely.
"You should also thank the Chief Disciple. Without his approval, you wouldn't have gotten this token," Zhang Lan said.
"Then please thank him on my behalf. I'll be happy to help out next time," Mo Hua replied, eager at the prospect of gaining more resources.
Zhang Lan smiled and said, "Alright, I'll let him know."
Soon, Jiang Yun served them with five or six dishes, including meat, vegetables, and fine wine.
Zhang Lan's eyebrows rose in appreciation, "Not bad, quite generous now."
Mo Hua chuckled, "Go ahead and eat to your heart's content. It's on me."
With over a thousand spirit stones to his name, Mo Hua could afford to treat Zhang Lan for a month without any worries.
"In that case, I won't hold back," Zhang Lan said, ready to indulge after his tiring journey and outdoor stays.
As Zhang Lan ate, Mo Hua also took a small bowl and picked out the dishes he liked. They chatted as they ate, and once they were both satisfied, Zhang Lan bid farewell and returned to his quarters.
Mo Hua contemplated the matter of the map for a while but still couldn't come up with any clues, so he decided to put it aside for the time being.
Perhaps Zhang Lan would be able to get some information out of One-Eye.
For now, Mo Hua turned his attention back to the concealment technique. He was very keen on mastering it.
The concealment technique offered the abilities to hide, scout, protect oneself, and even ambush others.
On the surface, concealment might not seem like a powerful ability, but when used skillfully, it could be a versatile tool for both offense and defense.
It provided the option to attack by surprise or retreat and hide when necessary.
Even if his concealment was discovered, he still had the Flowing Water Steps as a backup, ensuring he wouldn't end up in a dire situation like Diao Laosan, trapped with no way out.
With this technique, he could even navigate chaotic battles between cultivators with ease.
Mo Hua recalled the teachings of Puppet Lao, "There are countless techniques, each with its own merits, but the true skill lies in the practitioner's heart."
The concealment technique certainly fit Puppet Lao's words.
However, Mo Hua's spiritual root wasn't quite suitable, resulting in him only partially mastering the technique.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows in thought. Cultivators had different spiritual roots and abilities, and with strengths came weaknesses.
Since his concealment technique was incomplete, he wondered if there was another way to make up for its shortcomings. After much contemplation, the only solution he could think of was arrays.
This was, after all, his specialty.
He took out the Thousand Array Records that Mr. Zhuang had given him from his storage bag and flipped through it for a long time, his eyes straining, but he still couldn't find any arrays related to concealment.
Mo Hua scratched his head and decided to consult Bai Zisheng first.
"Concealment array?" Bai Zisheng was a little surprised. He looked around and lowered his voice, "Are you planning to become a thief?"
Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him and emphasized, "I'm a proper cultivator!"
"Then why do you want to learn this array?" Bai Zisheng asked.
"Of course, it's for self-protection," Mo Hua replied.
And also for ambushing...
Mo Hua didn't voice this latter reason as it didn't sound very respectable.
Bai Zisheng was straightforward and took his words at face value, nodding, "Indeed, the concealment technique is excellent for self-protection."
"Do you know the array diagram for the concealment array?" Mo Hua asked.
Bai Zisheng shook his head and turned to ask Bai Zixi, "Zixi, do you know?"
Bai Zixi also shook her head, "It's a rare array. The Bai family's library probably has it, but I didn't bring it with me."
Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed. It seemed like he would have to bother Mr. Zhuang again.
Then, a thought occurred to him, and he asked curiously, "Why is the concealment array considered rare? Is it because the concealment technique itself is rare?"
"Yes," Bai Zixi replied with a crisp voice, nodding.
Seeing Mo Hua's confusion, she patiently explained, "The spiritual root required for this technique is unique, and its legacy is scarce. It's challenging to learn, and as a result, arrays that can achieve similar effects are also rare."
Mo Hua understood.
The legacy of the concealment technique was hard to come by, and it had strict requirements for the spiritual root, requiring a pure water spiritual root to learn.
If the spiritual root was mixed with other attributes, like in Mo Hua's case, one would only partially master the technique, achieving a water-shaped body but not true invisibility.
Therefore, cultivators who could use the concealment technique were scarce, and arrays with similar effects were also precious.
Mo Hua nodded in understanding and gratitude. He asked Bai Zixi, "Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
Mo Hua glanced at it; it was called Reunion Under the Flowers and Moon and looked like a mooncake filled with flowers. It contained osmanthus, peach, locust, and crabapple blossoms, among others.
The fragrance of the flowers was enticing, but Mo Hua wondered if the combination of so many flowers would create a strange taste.
Mo Hua took the cookbook and placed it in his storage bag. "Alright, I'll ask my mother to try making it."
"Mmhmm." Bai Zixi's eyes shone with clarity and brilliance.
Mo Hua turned to leave to find Mr. Zhuang when he saw Bai Zisheng looking at him expectantly. Mo Hua sighed, "What do you want to eat now?"
Without hesitation, Bai Zisheng replied, "Rabbit meat!"
"That's quite troublesome."
"It's fine if it's not urgent. Just bring me some if you have any," Bai Zisheng said.
"Alright then."
Bai Zisheng expressed his gratitude. "I'll help you fight in the future."
"Sure," Mo Hua nodded. "I'll definitely call you when there's a fight."
Although whether or not Xue Yi would let him join was another matter.
Proper young masters from respectable families had heavier cultivation tasks and more restrictions, so they weren't necessarily free to do as they pleased.
Take Qian Xing and Kong Sheng, for example; while they had freedom, they also lacked discipline.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly and then went to pay his respects to Mr. Zhuang, asking about the concealment array.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhuang said, "You can't learn it yet."
Mo Hua asked weakly, "Is it very difficult to learn?"
"It is somewhat challenging," Mr. Zhuang admitted, then glanced at Mo Hua, "but it won't be difficult for you."
After all, you were able to replicate that extremely difficult array with such precision...
Mr. Zhuang thought to himself.
"So it's because of my spiritual sense?" Mo Hua guessed.
"Indeed." Mr. Zhuang nodded.
Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise, "This concealment array... it doesn't have ten array lines, does it?"
"How could any array with ten lines be so cheap?" Mr. Zhuang chuckled, shaking his head. "The concealment array only has nine lines, but they are unique and more taxing to draw. It requires more spiritual sense than a typical first-grade, nine-line array."
"Its spiritual sense requirement is above nine lines but below ten."
Mo Hua asked, "Then how much more is needed exactly?"
Above nine lines, but below ten.
It seemed like only a single line was missing, but the amount of spiritual sense required doubled.
As Mr. Zhuang mentioned before, nine lines were needed for Qi Refining, and ten lines for Foundation Establishment. The leap in spiritual sense from nine to ten lines was akin to crossing the gulf between the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, an enormous difference.
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, "Didn't I give you the Nine and a Half Line Reverse Spirit Array before?"
Mo Hua nodded.
"Once you master that, your spiritual sense will be sufficient to learn the concealment array," Mr. Zhuang explained.
"So the amount of spiritual sense needed for the concealment array is roughly nine and a half lines?"
"Nine and a half, but a bit less," Mr. Zhuang said precisely.
"I understand, thank you, Master," Mo Hua replied, feeling relieved now that he had a clear goal. Achieving nine and a half lines of spiritual sense seemed within reach.
After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brows in thought, deep in contemplation.
Inside the bamboo room, Puppet Lao's figure gradually appeared.
Mr. Zhuang said to him, "You were right. It is a bit difficult for someone at the Qi Refining stage to attain the spiritual sense of the Foundation Establishment stage."
"Mo Hua's spiritual sense is growing quite rapidly, isn't it?" Puppet Lao commented casually.
Mr. Zhuang's eyes deepened as he replied, "It is indeed fast, but not fast enough."
Puppet Lao's gaze turned wooden as he looked at him.
Mr. Zhuang continued, "Among all the cultivators I've seen, his spiritual sense growth is the fastest. However, if he wants to break through the limits of Qi Refining spiritual sense, it's still far from enough."
"How long will it take?" Puppet Lao asked.
Mr. Zhuang shook his head. "It's hard to say. At the current rate, it could be as soon as five years or as long as ten. Moreover, the growth of spiritual sense slows down over time. If something goes wrong, it could take several decades to reach Foundation Establishment."
Puppet Lao frowned, and silence filled the room for a moment.
"Is there a way to speed it up?" Puppet Lao inquired.
Mr. Zhuang tapped his fingers on the armrest of his bamboo chair, his eyes flickering with thoughts. After a long pause, he sighed, "Let me think about it."
(End of Chapter)
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