Chapter 388: Thick Earth
Chapter 388: Thick Earth
In the following days, Mo Hua spent his time poring over the field maps, studying the evolution of the Spirit Fields, and comparing them to the current situation to deduce the structure of the array.
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also helping out.
The three of them each took a portion of the field maps and worked on reconstructing them individually.
Once they had finished, they compared their results and Mo Hua made the final verification.
This method saved them a lot of time.
In the spacious main hall, the three of them set up a table and worked on drawing and calculating simultaneously.
After five to six days of hard work, they finally managed to initially organize and deduce the array diagram of this array.
And indeed, this array contained eleven array patterns.
It was a genuine and unparalleled first-rate array with eleven patterns!
The array patterns were primarily earth-based, and the brushwork differed from that of conventional standardized array patterns, giving them an ancient and profound feel.
The array core structure was also far more complex than that of a typical first-rate array.
Bai Zisheng looked on in awe, exclaiming:
"So this is an unparalleled array..."
Bai Zixi was also engrossed, her fair fingers unconsciously tracing the patterns, but as she continued to stare, she felt a dizzy spell coming on, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly as her body slowly slumped.
Mo Hua quickly caught her and asked with concern:
"Little Senior Sister, are you alright?"
Bai Zisheng also asked anxiously:
"Zixi, what's wrong?"
Bai Zixi regained her senses, her face slightly flushed as she replied softly:
"I overexerted my spiritual sense..."
She had never seen an unparalleled array before, and Elder Zhuang had never taught her about them, so she was curious and tried to imagine it in her mind.
But she had not expected that an unparalleled array would consume so much spiritual sense.
She had only comprehended up to the ninth array pattern and halfway through the next one when her spiritual sense was almost completely depleted.
Bai Zixi's beautiful eyes shifted to Mo Hua, and she asked curiously:
"This array... can you learn it?"
Mo Hua blinked, "I can't learn it either..."
Bai Zixi looked at him silently, "Be honest."
Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed as he said:
"Well... I might be able to learn a little bit of it..."
So he could learn it...
Bai Zixi sighed softly in her heart.
This little junior brother of hers had a spiritual sense that was already deeply profound to the point of being a little frightening.
He also had a good aptitude for arrays, being able to deduce this unparalleled array from the clues they had.
No wonder Master valued him so much.
Seeing the concern in Mo Hua's eyes, Bai Zixi felt a warmth in her heart.
In her life, apart from her brother and Xue'ayi, this was the first time someone had looked at her with such clear and caring eyes.
Mo Hua was her only junior brother disciple.
And the first person to call her "Senior Sister".
She felt that she had to live up to her role as a senior sister.
Bai Zixi hesitated for a moment, then extended her tender hand and patted Mo Hua's shoulder, her voice filled with earnestness:
"You must study arrays diligently."
Mo Hua had become a disciple and learned alongside Bai Zixi, so they had spent a considerable amount of time together.
As a result, Bai Zixi was quite familiar with him.
She knew that in other cultivation methods, even if this junior brother of hers applied himself and spent time researching, he wouldn't make much progress.
But arrays were different.
Perhaps in the future, Mo Hua could truly rely on arrays to stand on his own in the cultivation world, where geniuses were as common as the clouds.
With his own abilities, he could continue his cultivation and seek the path to longevity.
Bai Zixi's appearance had changed, and although she was no longer as stunningly beautiful as before, her eyes remained just as captivating.
Within those ethereal eyes, Mo Hua's reflection could be seen, containing a mix of concern and expectation.
It was the gaze of a senior sister looking after her junior brother.
Mo Hua was at a loss for words.
Bai Zisheng also joined in on the fun, "Listen to your senior sister, she's right!"
Mo Hua gave him a disdainful look.
Bai Zisheng remained unfazed.
He glanced at the array diagram again and immediately felt a headache coming on.
Just looking at the eleven array patterns made him feel like his spiritual sense was being taxed to the level of a second-rate array, and he wondered why anyone would bother learning it.
Bai Zisheng frowned as he realized something, and he asked Mo Hua:
"Is the Sun family's old ancestor a second-rate array master?"
"Yes." Mo Hua nodded.
"Then why didn't he draw a second-rate array in the Spirit Field? Shouldn't a second-rate array be more powerful?" Bai Zisheng asked.
Mo Hua thought about it and explained, "A second-rate array is more powerful, but it requires more spiritual power to operate and consumes more spirit stones, which is something an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator can't afford."
"Moreover, this array has a unique effect. A typical second-rate array doesn't have this kind of function."
"Even if there is, it would have to be a second-rate unparalleled array, and the difficulty of that would be even greater..."
Bai Zisheng understood and nodded, "Then hurry up and learn it to see if this array is useful."
"Okay."
In the following days, Mo Hua began to study this unparalleled array.
But this array seemed to be a bit special.
Mo Hua practiced it several times during the day, but his progress was minimal.
However, during the day, when he tried to commit it to paper, the array seemed to lose its essence.
He had indeed exhausted his spiritual sense, and the array patterns were all correctly drawn.
Yet, the array on paper seemed to possess only a shell, devoid of its spirit, and he couldn't sense the flow of spiritual energy.
The three of them were perplexed.
Bai Zisheng scratched his chin and speculated, "Could it be that we made a mistake in our calculations of the array?"
Bai Zixi shook her head, "No, the calculations are correct."
"Then did I draw it incorrectly?" Bai Zisheng guessed, only to refute himself, "No, there are no errors in the drawing."
Mo Hua's arrays were always precise, leaving no room for mistakes.
Furthermore, the three of them had checked the drawing multiple times and found no issues.
They looked at each other, baffled.
Mo Hua sighed, "It seems we'll have to ask Master about this."
...
Zhuang Xianzi was sitting in the courtyard, basking in the sunlight on his bamboo chair, the very same one he often used back at Zuowang Residence. He was a sentimental man, and so he brought the chair along on their journey.
In the spacious courtyard, Master Zhuang sat with his eyes closed, either resting or contemplating the Dao.
Mo Hua didn't want to disturb him, so he stood by quietly, waiting.
Before long, Master Zhuang opened his eyes and gently beckoned to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he immediately presented the unparalleled array he had drawn to his master.
Master Zhuang took it, glanced at it, and his expression turned slightly surprised as he praised,
"Not bad."
"Master, is this the array?" Mo Hua asked.
"It is," Master Zhuang nodded.
Mo Hua was delighted to hear that confirmation, as it meant his calculations were correct.
"But why doesn't the array seem to work when I've clearly drawn it correctly?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.
"That's because..." Master Zhuang smiled faintly, "...you don't yet know the name of this array."
Mo Hua was taken aback, "The name?"
The Sun family's legacy made no mention of it, or perhaps, the Sun family simply didn't possess the legacy of this unparalleled array, and thus, they wouldn't know its name. There were no related records to be found in Qianjiatown either.
"Master, what is the name of this array?" Mo Hua asked curiously.
Master Zhuang didn't keep him in suspense and slowly answered,
"This array is called... the Thick Earth Array."
"Thick Earth?"
Master Zhuang nodded slightly.
Mo Hua was perplexed, "Why is it called that?"
Master Zhuang's gaze turned solemn as he said meaningfully, "The array contains the ultimate truth of heaven and earth."
"'Heaven moves vigorously, constantly striving upward; Earth moves gently, constantly yielding.'
"This array is named Thick Earth, taking the 'thick' from 'thick virtue bears all things.'"
Master Zhuang gazed at the vast spiritual fields and the ripening spiritual rice, and sighed,
"Heaven creates all things, and Earth nurtures all things."
"Heaven is the Dao, and so is Earth."
"This Thick Earth Array embodies the Dao of Earth, which nurtures all things, making the land fertile and nourishing all creation."
Mo Hua's eyes widened as he finally understood, but then he frowned again,
"But what does that have to do with the array not taking effect?"
"Think about it some more," Master Zhuang said without directly answering.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "Thick Earth Array... so it must use 'Earth' as its medium, right?"
Master Zhuang nodded, "To be precise, it uses 'Earth' as its array medium."
"The array medium is often the most overlooked aspect of an array, even by array masters. They tend to think that the medium is merely a carrier for the array..."
"...but the array is a cohesive whole, and the medium is an integral part of it, containing its own array principles."
"Especially when using 'Earth' as the medium, it represents an understanding of the Dao itself, something not all array masters can comprehend."
"Heaven covers all, and Earth carries all."
"Cultivators live in this world, with heaven above their heads and earth beneath their feet."
"If you can master the Thick Earth Array and understand the principle of 'thick virtue bears all things', knowing how to use 'Earth' as your array medium, then from now on, you will have a carrier for any array you draw."
"The array medium will no longer restrict you."
Master Zhuang looked at him expectantly.
Mo Hua's eyes shone with realization, and he was deeply moved.
He had thought that the array in the spiritual fields was merely a way to nourish the land, but he never expected that the principles contained within it would be so profound.
Things contained arrays, and arrays, in turn, contained the Dao.
'Earth moves gently, constantly yielding.'
The vast earth carries all things and can also carry arrays.
By understanding the Thick Earth Array and grasping its principles, one could use the boundless earth as an array medium.
Anywhere heaven covers and earth reaches, an array can be drawn!
(End of Chapter)
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