Chapter 350: Changing Destiny
Chapter 350: Changing Destiny
"You lied to him?"
"I didn't lie." Mr. Zhuang defended himself, "I only said that the grand array starts from a first-grade ten-line array, but I never specified that the array I gave him was a ten-line one."
"An eleven-line grand array is still considered a ten-line foundation!"
Mr. Zhuang argued his case.
Old Gui's face twitched, feeling that Mr. Zhuang's actions were outrageous and even more unbelievable:
"So, what he drew wasn't the array core of a first-grade ten-line grand array, but... a first-grade eleven-line array instead?"
Mr. Zhuang sighed, "That's why I was surprised."
"You're surprised even though you gave him the grand array jade slip?"
"Precisely because I gave it to him that I'm surprised." Mr. Zhuang sighed, "It's extremely difficult to draw. Even a second-rate array master might not be able to learn it."
Yet Mo Hua had accomplished it in just a month...
And from the looks of it, his brushwork was extremely skilled, as if he had practiced it countless times...
"Why didn't you tell me from the start?" Old Gui asked.
"What difference would it have made if I had?" Mr. Zhuang said indifferently.
Mr. Zhuang turned his head to look at the distant mountains shrouded in blood-red hues under the night sky, his eyes deep and profound as he spoke:
"This beast is no ordinary one. A first-grade ten-line array won't be enough to trap and kill it, so we can only use an eleven-line array."
"Whether it's ten or eleven lines, since Mo Hua has made up his mind, he will definitely learn it. So, in the end, the type of grand array doesn't really matter."
"If he can master it and construct the eleven-line grand array, he can trap and kill the beast. But if he can't learn it, he will naturally give up, and we won't waste manpower and resources on this futile struggle."
Old Gui frowned, "Can the eleven-line array kill it?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, "Is there anything certain in this world? Even when an array collapses, there is still a glimmer of hope for survival. How could there truly be a situation where death is absolute?"
"The eleven-line Five Elements Beast Slaughter Grand Array, in terms of destructive power alone, is sufficient to trap and kill the beast. But that beast is a calamity, an anomaly in the heavens. Until the very end, no one can predict what might happen..."
"What if it doesn't die?" Old Gui asked again.
"Rest assured." Mr. Zhuang said, "As long as the grand array is successfully constructed, even if it doesn't kill the beast in the end, it will still deplete most of its vital energy and severely injure it."
"No one dares to provoke a beast in its prime, but there will be plenty of people interested in a badly injured one."
"The Daotin Court, the various aristocratic families, and sects will all find a way to take action. After all, this is a living... heavenly calamity."
"If all else fails." Mr. Zhuang looked at Old Gui, a faint smile on his face, "You can also make a move, though it would mean dying once."
"Trading one shell for a heavenly calamity is still worth it."
Old Gui lowered his gaze, his sleeves hiding his hands as he stood there. A sharp glint flashed in his lowered eyes.
Mr. Zhuang muttered softly, "At your age, why are you still so untrustworthy, pretending to be so profound..."
Old Gui paused, then sighed and asked him, "Don't you really want to take on a personal disciple?"
This time, it was Mr. Zhuang's turn to be stumped. He hesitated for a long time before sighing, "I've said it before, I won't take on any more disciples in this lifetime."
Old Gui said indifferently, "I've lost count of how many times you've gone back on your word. Why pretend to be so resolute now..."
Mr. Zhuang paused, then sighed, "Talking to you is so boring. It's too easy for you to expose my flaws."
Old Gui didn't pay him any mind.
Mr. Zhuang thought of Mo Hua, and his heart felt a little dazed.
If it were in the past, he would have taken this disciple without hesitation, but now, things were different...
Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a moment, then sighed to himself, "Having him as a registered disciple is fine, but taking him on as a personal disciple will only bring him harm and cause trouble for me..."
Mr. Zhuang stood amidst the boundless night, enveloped in darkness. The desolate moonlight shone on the ground but failed to illuminate his face.
"After all, the number of people who want to kill me is countless..."
...
After returning home, Mo Hua began to seriously consider the construction of the grand array.
He first sought out Elder Yu and said, "Elder, I want to slaughter that pig!"
Elder Yu was stunned, "Which pig?"
Mo Hua extended his small hand and pointed in the direction of the distant mountains, towards the blood-red aura that soared into the sky and filled one's heart with dread.
Elder Yu was shocked, "What nonsense are you spouting!"
That was Feng Hui, a legendary beast rumored to devour an entire city of immortals. How could it be killed?
Even if it could be killed, it wouldn't be their turn as loose cultivators to do so.
They simply didn't have the background or strength for it.
"It can be killed!" Mo Hua insisted.
Elder Yu wanted to say something, but when he looked at Mo Hua, he suddenly fell silent.
He knew in his heart that Mo Hua didn't want to leave Tongxian City, nor did he want them to uproot their homes.
They didn't want to leave either, but they had no choice.
With the impending disaster, they, as loose cultivators, had no options left but to go with the flow. They had to leave their homeland and find another path.
Speaking of which, Elder Yu suddenly felt a bit reluctant.
Once the city was relocated, he didn't know if he would ever see Mo Hua again.
He valued Mo Hua because he was an array master, but he also genuinely liked the child.
Elder Yu's heart felt bitter, and he patted Mo Hua's shoulder, saying solemnly, "Take these spirit stones and find a good path in the nearby states. Settle down and build your foundation peacefully. With your abilities, you will surely become a grand array master who commands respect in the future."
"As for the loose cultivators of Tongxian City, leave them to me. Don't worry."
"Moving to the south will be difficult, but as long as we can stand on our own two feet, we'll endure the hardships. Loose cultivators are used to hardship, so there's nothing to fear."
Elder Yu tried to comfort Mo Hua.
However, Mo Hua shook his head and said seriously, "Elder, I really do have a way to kill the beast!"
Elder Yu was taken aback and furrowed his brows as he carefully examined Mo Hua's expression.
Mo Hua's expression was calm and steady, his confidence evident. He didn't seem to be joking or speaking out of wishful thinking.
Elder Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "You... you really have a way?"
Mo Hua nodded and said directly, "We can build a grand array to kill Feng Hui!"
Elder Yu's expression was one of astonishment, "Grand array..."
This wasn't the first time he had heard of grand arrays, but it was the first time in his life that he had heard someone say they would "build a grand array."
He had heard others mention grand arrays before, talking about how some states, sects, or clans with deep roots had built powerful protective grand arrays that had stood for a thousand years...
But he had only heard about them and didn't pay much attention to it.
As loose cultivators, they couldn't even afford to use regular arrays, let alone grand ones.
Even the people who told him about grand arrays had only heard of them and had never seen one with their own eyes.
"The Five Elements Beast Slaughter Grand Array!" Mo Hua declared boldly.
The name of the grand formation alone filled Elder Yu with awe, its very mention seeming to bring forth a murderous aura. Moreover, it sounded like it could subdue and kill powerful demons.
However, Elder Yu still had his doubts. "Can it really kill?"
"There's a high probability that it can, barring any unforeseen circumstances," Mo Hua replied seriously.
Since Mr. Zhuang had given him the formation, he believed that the Five Elements Beast Slaughter Grand Array could subdue and kill the demonic beast. Even if it couldn't kill it, it should at least be able to hold its own against the beast. Otherwise, Mr. Zhuang wouldn't have let him learn it.
Having spent a lot of time with Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua had absorbed his teachings, including the understanding that nothing in this world was absolutely certain. Thus, he chose his words carefully, leaving some room for uncertainty.
Even so, his statement was enough to astonish Elder Yu.
"A high probability of killing..." Elder Yu trailed off, his eyes widening at the thought that they were talking about a powerful demon that had been recorded in Tongxian City's history as an unstoppable calamity, and yet Mo Hua spoke of a "high probability" of success.
Elder Yu hesitated, his mind in turmoil. He placed his hands behind his back and began pacing in the hall, deep in thought. After a while, he stopped and asked, "Who will draw this grand formation?"
"Me!" Mo Hua proudly patted his small chest.
Elder Yu's heart sank as he feared it was true. "You... know how to draw a grand formation?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Mo Hua didn't try to hide the truth from Elder Yu. "I know the key parts, and I can learn the rest gradually. However, we must start preparing for the grand formation as soon as possible; otherwise, we won't have enough time."
"What do we need to prepare for the grand formation?" Elder Yu asked. He knew that constructing a grand formation was extremely challenging, but he didn't know the specifics.
Mo Hua proceeded to list the requirements, giving Elder Yu a sense of the scale of the endeavor: "Constructing a grand formation requires a lot of manpower and resources."
"Manpower includes formation catalysts, refiners, artisans, main formation masters, and other formation masters to help fill in the individual formations. Additionally, having more body cultivators to contribute their physical strength would be ideal..."
"As for resources, the primary need is for spirit stones, followed by various cultivation materials such as refining iron, construction stones and soil, spirit ink, and so on..."
The more Elder Yu heard, the more astonished he became.
The sheer magnitude of resources and the complexity of the process required to construct a grand formation explained why he had never witnessed the construction of one in his long life and why no one dared to attempt it.
When it came to formations, Elder Yu had absolute faith in Mo Hua. Whatever Mo Hua said about formations was the truth as far as he was concerned.
Although he believed that drawing a grand formation would be incredibly difficult, if Mo Hua said he could do it, then Elder Yu had no doubt that he could.
Now, the question was whether they were willing to commit the necessary manpower and resources to build the grand formation.
Elder Yu frowned as another concern crossed his mind. "Even if all the Demon Hunters contribute their strength and we use up all our spirit stones, it still might not be enough to complete the grand formation, right?"
Mo Hua nodded. "That's why we need to think of other ways to gather resources. But first, I need your approval so that I can approach others about this."
The Dao Court had great authority, the Dao Soldier Court was formidable in battle, but the Demon Hunter Court had the most members and Mo Hua was closest to them. Moreover, they were the ones most directly affected by this matter, with their very lives at stake.
Therefore, only with Elder Yu's consent could they even begin to consider constructing the grand formation.
Elder Yu's hesitation grew, and he resumed pacing in the hall, tugging at his beard as he walked, his mind filled with uncertainty.
This was a gamble.
If they won, they could live peaceful and prosperous lives in Tongxian City.
Their businesses, such as the Pill Refinery and the Talisman Refinery, would thrive, and their lives would improve.
But if they lost, they would be left with nothing.
In that case, they would still have to relocate, but they would be impoverished, facing a much harsher life.
If they didn't take this gamble, they would have to leave their homes and embark on a journey filled with unknown dangers.
The only consolation would be the spirit stones they possessed.
However, those spirit stones might not last long, and there was no guarantee they would be able to keep them during their arduous journey.
Elder Yu turned to look at Mo Hua, who stood with unwavering determination in his eyes, his body appearing thinner and more frail, a testament to the sleepless nights and relentless effort he had devoted to this endeavor.
Thinking about the grand formation, Elder Yu realized that Mo Hua must have spent every waking moment working on it.
Why was he doing all this?
He could have left, choosing an easier path by joining a prominent sect and enjoying a bright future in cultivation.
Yet, here he was, tirelessly working to change the fate of the loose cultivators.
Elder Yu's heart stirred, and he made a swift decision.
He wanted to take this gamble! For loose cultivators, struggling a little or struggling a lot didn't make much difference.
If they didn't strive for improvement, their current struggles would only worsen over time.
But if they won this gamble, they would truly alter the destiny of loose cultivators.
At the very least, they could change the fate of the loose cultivators in Tongxian City.
With a resolute nod, Elder Yu declared, "Alright, let's build the grand formation!"
Mo Hua's eyes lit up with joy, but then he hesitated, his expression turning concerned. "Are you sure you don't want to think about it some more?"
"Hesitation leads to chaos. When a decision needs to be made, it must be made with conviction!" Elder Yu asserted. "You've obviously given this a lot of thought beforehand, and you know more about grand formations than I do, so there's no need for me to overthink it."
Reassured, Mo Hua said, "In that case, I'll go and talk to the others."
Elder Yu nodded. "Bring them here, and we can discuss it together."
"Okay." Mo Hua nodded.
With Elder Yu's help in persuading the others, the task should be a little easier.
Mo Hua bid farewell and departed for the Demon Hunter Court.
Elder Yu watched Mo Hua's retreating figure, his eyes unfocused as he stood lost in thought. Finally, he let out a sigh.
Building a grand formation to counter a powerful demon was indeed a gamble.
He, himself, was willing to take the risk, but he wondered if the loose cultivators of the past had also dared to take such a gamble. Perhaps they simply never had the opportunity...
Never before had there been a young formation master like Mo Hua, capable of drawing a grand formation and willing to do so for the loose cultivators, going so far as to help them change their destiny.
(End of Chapter)
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