Chapter 365: The Celestial Pattern
Chapter 365: The Celestial Pattern
The grand array crumbled, and the mighty demon perished.
Feng Yi, born within Hei Shan Zhai, met his end atop the same mountain where the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Grand Array was forged. With the collapse of the array, both were annihilated together.
Peace gradually returned to Tongxian City.
The forge and the alchemy shops remained intact, along with the furnaces for artifact and pill refining. The rest of the city's businesses were also unaffected.
While the depths of the mountain were almost completely destroyed, the outer and inner regions were largely unharmed.
Demon hunters could still venture into the mountains in search of their prey.
Life returned to its usual rhythm—demon hunters hunting, artifact refiners crafting, alchemists concocting elixirs, and merchants trading…
Before long, everything was back in full swing.
Moreover, a wide and convenient mountain path had been carved into Da Hei Mountain.
This path was a collaborative effort by all the cultivators during the construction of the grand array.
The new path not only facilitated the cultivators of Tongxian City in their travels but also made it easier for merchants to visit the city for trade.
Gradually, Tongxian City regained its vibrancy.
The streets buzzed with activity, and the number of cultivators coming and going increased day by day.
Perhaps, in the near future, it would become even more prosperous…
…
Elder Yu was busy overseeing the reconstruction of Tongxian City, revitalizing the cultivation and production, and dealing with the aftermath of the Feng Yi incident.
There were places within the city that required the use of arrays, and since Mo Hua's spiritual sense had been damaged, he was temporarily unable to utilize his spiritual power or draw arrays.
Thus, other array masters stepped in to help, with Mo Hua guiding them from the sidelines.
He would point out their mistakes and correct their strokes as they worked.
If they encountered any difficulties, he would offer his insights and guidance.
The other array masters addressed Mo Hua as "Little Master," showing him half-disciple courtesy and treating him with utmost respect, their hearts filled with awe.
They knew that the grand array that had just been unleashed was the creation of the young man before them.
And despite the array's self-destruction, the Little Master remained unscathed—a level of mastery that seemed inconceivable to them.
Mo Hua was approachable and humble, answering their questions without airs.
His concise guidance often brought them sudden enlightenment.
This was the gratitude born of being "taught and enlightened."
Their hearts were filled with gratitude toward him.
Mo Hua stood with his hands clasped behind his back, "supervising" as everyone drew the arrays. However, these arrays were too simple and failed to hold his interest.
He yearned to draw something more challenging and profound.
A few days later, Mo Hua's spiritual sense had mostly healed.
While he couldn't overuse it for a short period, he could now begin to attempt more complex arrays, as long as he controlled his spiritual power expenditure.
During the day, Mo Hua practiced by drawing a few reverse spirit arrays, refreshing his skills.
But when night fell, at the stroke of midnight, Mo Hua eagerly submerged his spiritual sense into his sea of consciousness, arriving before the stele.
Upon this stele was a celestial pattern that Mo Hua had been yearning to decipher—the celestial pattern he had glimpsed within the tribulation lightning, part of the grand array of the Heavenly Dao!
Mo Hua wanted to try and see if he could learn this celestial pattern.
The grand array of the Heavenly Dao was too profound and vast for his current level to comprehend, but he could start by attempting to understand just this one stroke of the pattern.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
From a single stroke to a pattern, from a pattern to an array, and from an array to a grand formation—he would progress step by step, eventually unraveling the mysteries of the entire grand array…
Mo Hua's plan sounded good, but reality soon poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
Not only did he fail to comprehend the pattern, but he couldn't even look at it directly.
Although he had imprinted this celestial pattern onto the stele, just a brief attempt to sense it caused his spiritual power to gush out uncontrollably, rapidly depleting his reserves.
Mo Hua was stunned and couldn't help but complain:
"I haven't even started looking at it, and it's already draining my spiritual power. How stingy!"
Then he sighed, realizing that even a single stroke of a celestial pattern was beyond his current capabilities.
It contained the mysteries of the heavens and the earth, and he, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, had no hope of comprehending it.
If he tried to force himself to understand it, his sea of consciousness would likely be damaged again.
While the protection of the stele would prevent it from collapsing, it would still sustain injuries. Over time, there might even be residual effects.
The sea of consciousness of a Qi Refining cultivator was just too fragile.
The path of grand arrays that array masters sought was right before his eyes, yet he couldn't learn it, nor could he even look at it directly.
Mo Hua heaved a helpless sigh.
It seemed that he could only set this endeavor aside for now and wait until his cultivation improved before attempting to understand it.
"I must cultivate diligently and strive to reach the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible!" Mo Hua vowed to himself. But then, a thought occurred to him, and he furrowed his brows in confusion.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows, deep in thought. He had never considered this question before, and as he pondered it now, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
This celestial pattern was connected to the crimson tribulation lightning. If one could truly master it, would they be able to control the annihilating power of the tribulation and wield the force to erase all existence?
Tribulation lightning...
Mo Hua recalled the terrifying crimson flash that had brought deathly stillness, and he shuddered. At that time, his mind had been focused on the collapse of the grand array, and the tribulation lightning had come and gone so swiftly that he hadn't truly grasped the gravity of its power.
Now, however, he felt a belated sense of dread and lingering fear.
Mo Hua's thoughts took another turn, and he felt a surge of relief. "It's a good thing my realm is low and my cultivation is weak. Otherwise, I might have been directly struck by the tribulation lightning and lost my life..."
The horror of that tribulation lightning was not something Mo Hua wanted to experience again.
Of course, if he could summon and control such lightning himself, that would be an entirely different matter.
Mo Hua's heart suddenly stirred with anticipation...
However, when it came to celestial patterns, Mo Hua was still completely in the dark.
What made celestial patterns so extraordinary? Could they be learned, and if so, how?
Even if they were profoundly complex, with Master Zhuang's extensive knowledge, he should have some understanding of them.
But this matter involved the stele, and according to Master Zhuang, he shouldn't discuss it with anyone, including himself. As a result, Mo Hua felt it inappropriate to ask about it.
It wasn't just about celestial patterns; from now on, he wouldn't be able to seek Master Zhuang's guidance on any issue.
Mo Hua's mood sank at the thought.
Master Zhuang would be leaving soon.
He feared that one day, when he visited Master Zhuang's mountain residence, he would find it empty, and that he would never see Master Zhuang again for the rest of his cultivation journey.
Mo Hua felt a lingering sense of apprehension.
As a result, he had been visiting Master Zhuang every day these past few days.
Mo Shan and his wife also knew that Master Zhuang would be leaving soon, and they felt a sense of regret.
They had never met Master Zhuang, but they held a deep gratitude for him in their hearts.
Liu Ruhua said to Mo Hua, "Master Zhuang accepted you as a registered disciple and taught you array formations. He has bestowed a great favor upon our family. We must find a way to repay this debt of gratitude in the future."
Mo Hua nodded solemnly, "Mm!"
Liu Ruhua wanted to express her gratitude as well, but she knew that Master Zhuang lacked nothing when it came to spirit stones, and he surely wouldn't be interested in low-grade spiritual tools or pills. After much thought, she decided that the best way to show her appreciation was to cook delicious meals for him.
Liu Ruhua studied the recipes that Bai Zixi had given her and selected several dishes.
Mo Shan ventured into the mountains to hunt for demonic beasts, and he also asked his friends who were demon hunters to try and kill one of each type of beast they encountered. He would then choose the tenderest and most flavorful parts to bring home to his wife.
Liu Ruhua prepared a feast featuring a variety of demonic beasts from Da Hei Mountain.
There was chicken, duck, fish, beef, mutton, dog, and even meat from other edible demonic beasts, each with its own unique flavor.
Some were fresh, some were fragrant, some were numbing, and some were spicy... It was a feast for the senses.
Mo Hua was left speechless and mesmerized.
From then on, whenever he visited Master Zhuang, he would bring some of these dishes to share, expressing his gratitude.
Master Zhuang had initially wanted to decline, but he soon set his reservations aside and happily indulged in the delicious food.
Aside from Master Zhuang, the happiest person was undoubtedly Bai Zisheng.
In his long life, he had tasted many finer things, but he had never experienced such a diverse array of mouthwatering dishes.
The sheer variety of flavors, each unique and distinct, and the fact that they never repeated, left him in awe.
Bai Zisheng was so moved that he brought up an old topic again. He whispered to Mo Hua, "Mo Hua, go ask Aunt Liu if she needs an adopted son."
Mo Hua was speechless and rolled his eyes at him.
Bai Zixi's crystalline eyes narrowed slightly, and she glared at Bai Zisheng.
In the bamboo room of the mountain residence, Master Zhuang lay back in his bamboo chair, savoring the meat and wine while watching the sunset paint the mountains with ink and crimson hues. All the worries and troubles of the past few days seemed to melt away.
"Gu La'er, have you made your decision?" Gui Lao asked.
Master Zhuang nodded, "I've thought it through, but there's one problem..."
Gui Lao's eyes narrowed, and he asked, "What problem?"
"There's so much meat..." Master Zhuang looked at the table laden with food and stroked his face. "I think I've eaten too much... I might get fat."
Gui Lao: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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