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Chapter 355: The Array Master
Chapter 355: The Array Master
As the freelance cultivators delayed for a moment, Commander Yang had caught up, his spear glowing with golden light as he pierced through the head of the Kong family.
The rest of the freelancers pounced on him, hacking and slashing relentlessly.
Thus, the head of the Kong family, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was hacked to death.
With the death of the head of the Kong family, the situation spiraled out of control.
Enraged freelancers stormed into the Kong family's residence, killing everyone in sight.
It took Commander Yang and his troops a long time to regain control of the situation.
By then, the Kong family's compound was reduced to rubble.
The young and middle-aged cultivators of the Kong family were almost all dead or injured, leaving only the elderly, women, and children, who were protected by the troops and thus spared their lives.
The freelancers who had slaughtered the Kong family cultivators gradually calmed down, but their faces were devoid of any sense of vengeance. Instead, they were filled with numbness and painful tears.
Blood stained the white walls, and corpses lay everywhere.
Commander Yang watched this scene, his heart shaken.
Just how many sins had the Kong family committed...
...
Mo Hua listened to all of this, feeling a mix of emotions.
"What will happen now?" Mo Hua asked, concerned about the fate of the freelance cultivators in Qingxuan City.
"What else can be done?" Commander Yang sighed. "The law doesn't blame the multitude, and in any case, this matter is understandable. The Kong family deserved their fate for their actions."
"Won't the Daotingsi make things difficult for them?" Mo Hua asked.
The Daotingsi (Path Tribunal)
in Qingxuan City had secretly colluded with the Kong family, enabling them to act so recklessly. Even though the Kong family was now gone, the Daotingsi might not let the matter rest.
"The Daotingsi?" Commander Yang coldly smiled. "They have their own problems to worry about now."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Will the Daomen (Path Sect)
pursue this?"
Commander Yang nodded. "With the Kong family's defiance, the riot of the freelance cultivators, and the collusion with Heishan Village... With so many messes happening under their watch, the Daotingsi of Qingxuan City will definitely face consequences."
"What will happen to them?" Mo Hua asked curiously, digging deeper.
Commander Yang explained, "Typically, when the higher-ups pursue this matter, the position of the Qingxuan City administrator is definitely at stake. If they dig up old accounts of corruption and abuse of power, he might not even be able to keep his life."
"The lower-level officials, the Dian Shi or Zhi Shi, will also be implicated. They will likely face imprisonment to varying degrees."
Mo Hua nodded, relieved to hear that justice would be served. He then asked, "Are there any survivors from the Kong family?"
Commander Yang shook his head. "All the young and middle-aged cultivators, as well as those with higher cultivation levels, are dead. The freelancers' anger was too intense, and the troops couldn't hold them back. Only the elderly, women, and children remain."
"These people won't be able to stay in Qingxuan City either. The troops will arrange for them to start anew elsewhere, but they will be stripped of their surname 'Kong.' The Kong family is truly finished..."
As Mo Hua listened, he felt a sense of unknown emotion, but he also believed that this was the inevitable consequence of their actions.
The heavier the oppression, the deeper the backlash.
A family that grew strong by sucking the blood of freelance cultivators would inevitably face its downfall in an instant.
...
Commander Yang's troops raided the Kong family's compound, and most of the spirit stones were transported to Tongxian City to be used for constructing the grand array.
The remaining spirit stones were distributed to the freelance cultivators in Qingxuan City to ease their hardships.
Mo Hua thought that this matter had come to an end, but two days later, Ji Qingbai, along with Ji Li and Fu Lan, paid him a visit.
Ji Qingbai expressed his gratitude, "On behalf of all the freelance cultivators in Qingxuan City, I want to thank you."
Mo Hua quickly waved his hands, "I didn't do much..."
Ji Qingbai shook his head and called out to Ji Li and Fu Lan. Together, they bowed deeply to Mo Hua to show their appreciation.
Fu Lan's eyes were red. Her father had died at the hands of the Kong family when she was young, and she and her mother had struggled to survive. Eventually, her mother was also driven to her death by the Kong family.
Now that the Kong family was destroyed, she had finally avenged her parents, although she regretted that she hadn't delivered the blow herself.
Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly.
He hoped that from now on, whether in Tongxian City or Qingxuan City, there would be no more such grievances and pain.
With the spirit stones gathered, there was only one last thing to do—find array masters to help draw the array formations.
Mo Hua could handle the core of the grand array, but the numerous individual arrays that were linked to the core would require the assistance of other array masters.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to complete the grand array within two months.
Thinking of this, Mo Hua sighed.
Constructing a grand array was truly troublesome.
Resource preparation, manpower recruitment, and various coordinations—it was all time-consuming, energy-draining, and mentally exhausting.
Nevertheless, they had to push forward step by step...
For the matter of array masters, Mo Hua sought out Master Luo, the most renowned first-grade array master in Tongxian City. He was well-connected and influential among the array masters in the city.
Mo Hua paid him a visit and briefly explained the situation.
Master Luo hesitated and, after some thought, finally said, "I will convey your request to all the array masters in Tongxian City, but whether they agree to help or not will depend on their own decision."
Master Luo's expression was apologetic as he continued, "Array masters hold a unique status and are not subject to jurisdiction. Although I have some reputation, I cannot force them."
Mo Hua understood this point and cupped his hands respectfully, "Then I thank Master Luo for your assistance."
It was already a great help that Master Luo was willing to mediate.
The most critical part of constructing the grand array was the core, while the individual arrays just needed to be drawn according to specifications, which wasn't overly difficult. The requirements for the array masters weren't exceptionally high.
After the arrays were drawn, the chief array master would still need to inspect and adjust them.
The most challenging parts would be handled by Mo Hua himself.
As long as there were array masters to help with the rest of the arrays, it would be sufficient.
After Mo Hua left, Master Luo gathered the array masters of Tongxian City for tea and briefly explained the grand array project.
The younger array masters were mostly excited and eager to participate in the construction of the grand array, as it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of them.
The older array masters, however, mostly remained silent. After returning home, they scoffed at the idea, deeming it a foolish endeavor.
At the same time, they couldn't help but feel jealous of Mo Hua.
These elderly array masters, after years of toil, had not only failed to attain the rank of first-grade array master but now found their skills inferior to a young man who had studied arrays for less than a decade.
They acknowledged Mo Hua's talent in array scripts but doubted his ability to create a grand formation. They wanted to witness his failure and secretly mocked him:
"Ignorant child, getting carried away with your success!"
"Taking such a big step will only lead to a hard fall..."
They dared not voice these thoughts, but their ridicule was evident in their minds.
In the end, about half of the array masters in Tongxian City were willing to stay and help.
This proportion was slightly higher than what Master Luo had expected.
With this number of array masters, they should barely have enough to build the grand formation, provided that the formation could indeed be created...
Master Luo then struggled with another question: Should he stay or leave? He had already prepared an alternative path for himself.
The third-grade Lanling State's Aranshan Sect was willing to hire him as an external elder. Although it was only a temporary title with corresponding remuneration, once he advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, he would be entitled to the full benefits of an elder.
This offer was, of course, not as attractive as the one Mo Hua had received.
After all, in terms of array skill, talent, and future prospects, he fell short of Mo Hua in more ways than one.
However, this alternative was still a good option.
With a powerful sect backing him, he could enjoy a comfortable life for the rest of his days, even if it didn't guarantee him a brilliant future.
But was that truly enough?
Did he not yearn to be part of creating a first-grade formation?
Master Luo asked himself these questions and found himself at a loss for an answer.
In the face of disaster, it was only natural for humans to seek benefits and avoid harm. He had secured a backup plan, which was understandable.
But this was a first-grade formation!
It might be the only opportunity in his lifetime to witness, or even participate in, the creation of such a grand formation.
Master Luo sighed.
Only array masters understood the immense challenges of building a grand formation.
The older array masters, with their extensive experience, were well aware of the difficulties, perhaps even more so than Master Luo, who was older than them.
Aside from the complexity of drawing the formation, finding a chief array master was another daunting task.
The sheer scale of the project was enormous.
Such large-scale cultivation construction projects were usually undertaken by the Path Tribunal or deeply rooted ancient families who invested significant time and effort.
Regardless, it had nothing to do with him, an ordinary first-grade array master.
He wouldn't even get a chance to be involved.
It was only because Mo Hua was initiating the project that he was invited to join.
If the Path Tribunal or an ancient family were behind this project, even if these array masters offered their services, they would be ignored. No one would give them a second glance.
Forget about helping with the formation, they wouldn't even be qualified to draw a single stroke on the formation.
Master Luo felt a sense of loss, but his heart suddenly raced with excitement.
Right now, he had an opportunity to be part of creating a first-grade formation!
If he missed this chance, he might never get another opportunity in his lifetime.
The pure aspirations and passion he had felt when he first became an array master slowly resurfaced within his numb heart.
Master Luo felt strange yet delighted.
However, he forced himself to calm down.
"Can this grand formation truly be built?"
Master Luo believed in Mo Hua's array skills, but he wasn't convinced that he could create the core formation.
After all, Mo Hua was too young.
Mo Hua wanted to build a grand formation, yet he couldn't even create one himself.
Perhaps this grand formation wasn't Mo Hua's work at all but that of the mysterious master behind him.
Master Luo breathed a sigh of relief and gradually felt more at ease.
If that was the case, then this endeavor was worth pursuing.
After some thought, Master Luo began to understand the situation.
That mysterious master, aside from his reluctance to reveal himself, might also want to boost his disciple's reputation.
He wanted Mo Hua, despite his young age, to be known for leading the creation of a first-grade formation, adding a glorious achievement to his resume.
This was a common tactic employed by influential families.
To elevate a favored member of the family, they would attribute accomplishments achieved by others to that individual, creating an image of a "prodigious child."
While there were indeed prodigies in influential families, there were also those whose reputations were purely fabricated, their names inflated despite their lack of actual ability.
Compared to them, Mo Hua was far superior.
At least, in Master Luo's opinion, Mo Hua's array skills had already reached the pinnacle of first-grade array masters.
Given time, he truly had the potential to create a first-grade formation on his own.
Adding some "gold plating" to his reputation now wasn't unreasonable.
After all, even fine wine could go unnoticed if hidden in an alley; an array master needed a renowned reputation to stand out.
Master Luo made up his mind after considering this.
He decided to stay and help build the grand formation.
Mo Hua was surprised when he learned of Master Luo's decision.
He had assumed that Master Luo, with his connections, would quietly slip away now that he had a backup plan. He didn't expect him to stay, taking such a risk.
"It seems I've underestimated Master Luo..."
Mo Hua nodded, his respect for Master Luo growing.
With Master Luo's decision, some of the indecisive array masters also chose to stay, resulting in a substantial number of helpers.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.
With sufficient manpower and resources, and the spirit stones gathered, everything was now in place.
The Five Elements Demon-Slaying Grand Formation could officially begin!
(End of Chapter)
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