Chapter 441: The Spirit Pivot Array
Chapter 441: The Spirit Pivot Array
"Instructor Yan, what exactly is the Spirit Pivot Array?"
Mo Hua couldn't help but ask.
Instructor Yan was just about to answer when he paused and asked, "How do you know about the Spirit Pivot Array?"
Instructor Yan was puzzled. The Spirit Pivot Array was supposed to be an exclusive secret of the Little Spirit Seclusion Sect. How did Mo Hua find out about it?
"Director Mo told me!" Mo Hua quickly shifted the blame to Director Mo.
Instructor Yan twitched his lips, making a mental note about Director Mo. That plump junior disciple had loose lips, sharing such important information with Mo Hua so casually.
"Instructor Yan, can you tell me about it?" Mo Hua asked eagerly, her big eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Instructor Yan initially hesitated to speak, but seeing the anticipation in Mo Hua's eyes, he found himself unable to refuse. After a moment of deliberation, he sighed deeply. With the Little Spirit Seclusion Sect in ruins, there was no point in keeping these secrets anymore.
"Alright." Instructor Yan nodded and began to explain the origins of the Spirit Pivot Array. "When I was studying in the sect, my master favored me greatly. During our casual chats, I learned some of the sect's secrets..."
"The Little Spirit Seclusion Sect's lineage can be traced back to the ancient Great Spirit Seclusion Sect."
"Most of the sect's teachings are fragments of our ancestors' legacy and are not complete. They are not particularly rare..."
"The only exception is the Spirit Pivot Array, an extremely profound and intricate formation. It is a true sect-guarding formation."
"However, the Spirit Pivot Array is too profound and complex. For hundreds of years, no cultivator from the Little Spirit Seclusion Sect has been able to comprehend it."
Instructor Yan sighed, "A first-rate formation should have nine patterns at most, but the Spirit Pivot Array has twelve!"
"Twelve threads of spiritual sense are required. Only a Foundation Establishment cultivator with such spiritual sense could possibly understand it, and even then, it would require the skills of a second-rate formation master!"
Mo Hua, who had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining and possessed twelve threads of spiritual sense, remained silent.
After a moment of thought, she asked, "Has the Little Spirit Seclusion Sect ever produced a second-rate formation master?"
"Yes." Instructor Yan nodded. "Two hundred years ago, there was a senior ancestor who had reached the mid Foundation Establishment stage and possessed the skills of a second-rate formation master at the initial stage."
"Didn't he learn the Spirit Pivot Array either?" Mo Hua inquired.
Instructor Yan shook his head regretfully. "No."
Mo Hua furrowed her brows, confused. "A cultivator at the mid Foundation Establishment stage should have around fourteen threads of spiritual sense. Even with that, he couldn't learn the Spirit Pivot Array? Is it that difficult to master?"
"It's not that simple..." Instructor Yan organized his thoughts and explained, "For a formation master, spiritual sense is crucial, it is their foundation. But it is not enough."
"Without sufficient spiritual sense, one cannot learn formations."
"Having spiritual sense only gives you the qualification to study formations. It doesn't guarantee that you will be able to comprehend them."
"You must also study diligently, practice constantly, think deeply, and strive for enlightenment..."
"If you don't put in the effort, even with exceptional spiritual sense, you will only waste your potential and talent, never becoming an extraordinary formation master."
Mo Hua nodded in agreement. This was exactly what Mr. Zhuang had taught her.
Instructor Yan's gaze turned stern as he continued, "The Spirit Pivot Array is one of those formations that is incredibly difficult to comprehend, even with sufficient spiritual sense."
"Is it because it involves understanding the Dao and the essence of spiritual power?" Mo Hua asked.
Instructor Yan's expression turned surprised, and he nodded. "Yes."
He then sighed, "Mr. Zhuang is indeed a remarkable person. For Mo Hua to understand such profound insights about formations at such a young age..."
It seems my decision back then was correct. Otherwise, such a talented formation master would have been wasted.
"Then, did the second-rate formation master ancestor of the Little Spirit Seclusion Sect fail to learn the Spirit Pivot Array because he couldn't comprehend its fundamental principles?" Mo Hua asked.
Instructor Yan nodded bitterly. "Yes, he probably knew what the essence of the Spirit Pivot Array was, but he just couldn't grasp it. As a result, he was unable to draw the array..."
"And even if he managed to draw it, it would be nothing more than an empty shell, lacking the array's true power."
Mo Hua nodded, indicating her understanding. She recalled her own experience learning the Thick Earth Array. Without communicating with the Dao of the earth, the array she drew only had the superficial patterns without the array's inherent effects.
It was like a pattern devoid of its soul.
"Then, what exactly is the effect of the Spirit Pivot Array?" Mo Hua asked curiously.
Instructor Yan replied, "To be honest, since no one in the sect could master it, I don't know the specifics..."
"But according to the sect's ancestors who studied it, the core of this formation should be 'control'."
"Control?"
Instructor Yan nodded. "Control of spiritual power."
Mo Hua thought of Zhang Quan and his corpse manipulation.
It seemed her guess was correct. Zhang Quan must have first refined corpses and then used the Spirit Pivot Array to increase the number of corpses he could control.
However...
"This... doesn't seem that powerful," Mo Hua said weakly.
After all, it was just about controlling spiritual power.
While Zhang Quan's ability to control a large number of corpses was dangerous, it wasn't something to be overly fearful of. There were still many ways to counter it.
"No," Instructor Yan said gravely, his expression turning solemn. "The Spirit Pivot Array is, in fact, extremely powerful."
Mo Hua was taken aback.
Instructor Yan explained, "Control of spiritual power is of utmost importance. Corpse manipulation is just a minor application."
"In other areas of cultivation, from small wooden puppets to large mechanical beasts and even colossal cultivation soldiers, they all require formations like the Spirit Pivot Array for central control."
"Ordinary formations don't have such powerful spirit-controlling effects."
"While this formation may not seem impressive for a single cultivator, its significance grows with the size of the sect and the scope of their ambitions. The larger the sect, the more crucial the Spirit Pivot Array becomes, especially when dealing with intricate mechanisms, devices, and grand cultivation projects!"
Mo Hua's heart trembled at these words.
She realized how shallow her understanding had been. The cultivation world was vast and expansive, and there was still so much she didn't know.
The Spirit Pivot Array was truly formidable...
"Instructor Yan, do you know Zhang Quan?" Mo Hua asked.
Instructor Yan's expression turned stern. "You've met him?"
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded.
Instructor Yan frowned. "He's treacherous and ruthless. It's best to avoid any conflict with him."
"It's too late for that," Mo Hua whispered. "He's probably dreaming of killing me right now..."
Instructor Yan's eyes widened in shock. "What... what did you do to him?"
And yet, Zhang Quan only chose to hold a grudge against her, the softest target, instead of her senior martial siblings.
Mo Hua secretly criticized him in her mind.
Instructor Yan didn't know what to say.
Zhang Quan was a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a Corpse Refiner, constantly dealing with corpses and undoubtedly stained with the lives of countless people.
And now, he had taken a grudge against Mo Hua...
Instructor Yan was filled with worry.
Mo Hua, however, quietly asked, "Instructor Yan, is the Spirit Pivot Array on Zhang Quan's body?"
Instructor Yan paused, then slowly nodded. "That's my guess as well..."
Mo Hua nodded, then remembered something and asked, "Instructor Yan, how did you end up in the Zombie Village?"
Instructor Yan's expression turned melancholy as he thought for a moment before slowly answering, "Two years ago, I arrived at Nanyue City, intending to find that traitor who betrayed and destroyed our sect..."
"But there was no trace of that traitor in Nanyue City."
"I concealed my identity and discreetly inquired for a long time, but found no clues. Just as I was about to leave, I noticed something strange about the mines. Suspecting that the traitor was behind it, I rented a room near the mines to investigate the matter."
"One evening, I heard some noises and quietly went out. After some twists and turns, I discovered that there were several cultivators transporting coffins near the mines..."
"I was being extremely cautious, but I never expected that one of them would be a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"Was it Zhang Quan?" Mo Hua asked.
"Yes." Instructor Yan nodded, then added with some shame, "I was so focused on studying formations that my cultivation was lacking. I was no match for them, and there was no way to escape, so I fell into their hands."
"Zhang Quan searched my storage bag and found out that I was a formation master, so he forced me to work for them."
"I didn't want to aid their evil deeds, but I had to avenge my sect's grievance, so I could only..."
Instructor Yan's expression turned ashamed, "...only compromise and enter the Zombie Village, creating formations for them."
Mo Hua asked, "Have you seen the Spirit Pivot Array on Zhang Quan's body?"
Instructor Yan replied helplessly, "No, I haven't..."
"I suspect that the corpses he refines are marked with the Spirit Pivot Array, but Zhang Quan never lets me draw formations on the zombies or come into contact with the walking corpses..."
Mo Hua said, "Is he afraid that some secret will be exposed?"
Instructor Yan nodded, "That's very likely."
Mo Hua propped her chin with her hand, deep in thought.
This Zhang Quan had quite a few secrets. She needed to find a way to uncover them.
The Spirit Pivot Array was extremely important, and she had to find a way to obtain it.
This Zombie Village, where they killed and refined corpses, also had to be dealt with.
Mo Hua plotted her next moves, then said, "Instructor Yan, stay here for a few more days. I'll come back for you in a few days."
Instructor Yan was taken aback, "How... how will you get me out of here?"
This was the Zombie Village, filled with bandits, Corpse Refiners, walking corpses, iron corpses, and Zhang Quan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, could return at any time.
"Rest assured," Mo Hua assured him.
In fact, he wanted to take Instructor Yan out immediately.
The Zombie Village was not a pleasant place to be.
However, he had sneaked in while invisible, and he didn't yet have the strength to wreak havoc openly. Even with the help of his junior martial siblings, he couldn't guarantee Instructor Yan's safety during a conflict.
So it was better to plan carefully and prepare thoroughly before making a move.
After all, with his identity as a formation master, these Corpse Refiners probably wouldn't harm Instructor Yan.
Having made up his mind, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and spoke to Instructor Yan in a solemn tone, "Teacher, Little Lingyin Sect is no more. You shouldn't dwell on revenge all the time. Think more about yourself, live well, find a companion, and start a family..."
"Why does this sound so familiar?" Instructor Yan frowned.
Mo Hua replied crisply, "Mr. Mo asked me to say this to you."
Instructor Yan's expression became complex as he mentally noted this debt to Mr. Mo.
Not only did he nag, but he also made Mo Hua nag him.
He would settle the score with Mr. Mo later.
After some more reminders, Mo Hua bid farewell, "Instructor Yan, I'll be leaving now. I'll come back to visit you in a few days."
Mo Hua's tone was casual, leaving Instructor Yan in a daze.
It was as if they were in an inn in Nanyue City, and Mo Hua was just popping by for a visit in a few days...
Then, right before Instructor Yan's eyes, Mo Hua disappeared.
Instructor Yan's pupils contracted.
Although he had expected it, knowing that Mo Hua had a means of concealment, he was still shocked.
When Mo Hua had arrived, he had sensed nothing, and when she left, there was not a trace of her presence.
This concealment technique was extremely skillful.
Who had taught him? Could it be Mr. Zhuang...?
Instructor Yan stood there in a daze for a moment, then suddenly realized something. He thought of a question: Why did Mo Hua want the Spirit Pivot Array? This child was always full of questions, constantly asking about things back at Tongxian Gate.
As an instructor, it was his habit to answer Mo Hua's questions.
So, he would answer whatever Mo Hua asked.
But only now did he suddenly realize something.
Why did Mo Hua go through so much trouble to find this formation? A bizarre thought suddenly popped into his mind.
Could it be that this child actually wanted to learn it?
Impossible...
A first-rate formation with twelve patterns required spiritual sense...
Instructor Yan was stunned.
He realized that when Mo Hua had entered the room, he had not detected her presence at all, and when she left, she did so without a sound.
Moreover, her aura was obscure and unfathomable.
This was a sign of powerful spiritual sense.
Could it be...
Instructor Yan looked at the empty space where Mo Hua had just disappeared, and his heart trembled.
"The Spirit Pivot Array..."
Instructor Yan murmured, and a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.
He, too, wanted to see if anyone could truly master this Spirit Pivot Array, a first-rate formation with twelve patterns that no one in the Little Lingyin Sect had been able to comprehend for hundreds of years!
(End of Chapter)
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