Chapter 541: Foundation
Chapter 541: Foundation
The chief elder had already hastily stood up, his expression solemn as he hurried towards the fourth floor.
Mr. Zhuang's gaze sank, his pupils revealing intricate and mysterious calculation marks. Simultaneously, he performed a hand seal and flicked his sleeve, seemingly erasing something out of thin air...
With the disruption of fate, cause and effect were obliterated.
The sect leaders and elders of the Five Phases Sect suddenly froze.
The chief elder also abruptly stopped in his tracks, dazed and lost in thought. After a moment, he shook his head in confusion, murmuring, "What's going on?"
"Did I just... forget something?"
"I forgot something..."
The chief elder's mind went blank, and no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't figure it out.
It was as if something extremely shocking had just happened.
But then again, perhaps it was all just his imagination?
Like waking up from an afternoon nap, feeling as if the events that transpired were nothing but a fading dream upon awakening.
There were no traces left, only a vague and blurry memory.
The chief elder looked at Mr. Zhuang with suspicion.
Mr. Zhuang continued to sip his tea, his posture relaxed and graceful, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance as if nothing had happened.
Sensing the chief elder's gaze, Mr. Zhuang lifted his eyes and asked in a casual tone, "What is it?"
The chief elder was taken aback and began to doubt himself.
Did Mr. Zhuang do something? But it didn't seem like it...
What could he have possibly done?
The chief elder looked around, and everything—the scenery, the furnishings, the tables, the chairs, the teacups, the screens, and the array towers—was exactly as he remembered, without any changes. There were no signs of external influence.
The chief elder shook his head slightly. "Must be my imagination..."
These past few days had been stressful, dealing with Mr. Zhuang, being cautious of the wooden-like old man, and worrying about someone stealing the Five Phases Sect's inheritance.
The weight of his worries had likely given rise to his illusion.
Someone had learned their inheritance...
As this thought crossed his mind, the chief elder's heart trembled.
He wanted to go and check the shrine, but as he took a step forward, he stopped himself.
The chief elder turned his head and glanced at Mr. Zhuang, his displeasure evident as he said, "Mr. Zhuang, it has already been over an hour. I think that's enough, don't you?"
Mr. Zhuang pretended to be hesitant.
The chief elder glanced warily at the puppet elder, but he only dared to do so for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Mr. Zhuang. "It has been over an hour. Our Five Phases Sect has already made a concession. I hope you will know when to stop."
Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment before sighing, "Alright, whether they learn it or not is up to their own fate. It cannot be forced."
The chief elder cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Zhuang, you are truly understanding." Then, he gestured with his hand, inviting Mr. Zhuang to follow him. "Please, Mr. Zhuang, come with me to take a look."
Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Alright."
The chief elder led the way, guiding Mr. Zhuang to the fourth floor of the Array Pavilion. He opened the door with some trepidation and peered inside.
The meditation cushions hadn't moved, and at first glance, the shrine seemed normal.
The incense in the burner had long burned out, leaving only cold ash.
The three young disciples were inside.
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi seemed fine, but Mo Hua was covering his head, his brows furrowed as if in pain...
Had he overexerted his spiritual sense?
"Did he not learn it?" The chief elder asked, his tone hopeful.
Mo Hua lifted his head and saw Mr. Zhuang. He wanted to say something but stopped, unsure of what to say.
Mr. Zhuang sighed, "Forget it. If he didn't learn it, then he didn't."
Mo Hua was taken aback, and his expression turned to one of "disappointment." He hung his head and said, "Master, I... I've let you down..."
Mr. Zhuang's expression was filled with regret, but he remained silent.
Seeing Mr. Zhuang's reaction, the chief elder was stunned for a moment before heaving a long sigh of relief.
Then, he felt a surge of pride and joy, his aged face blooming like a chrysanthemum, unable to contain his smile.
The chief elder chuckled, "Hehe," feigning consolation. "The Five Phases Spirit Array is our sect's signature array, with thirteen patterns of the first grade, reaching the level of creation. To comprehend it is as difficult as ascending to the heavens..."
"Your three outstanding disciples, although endowed with exceptional talent and understanding, are still very young. It's normal that they couldn't grasp our sect's profound array techniques. There's no need to be too concerned about it."
"The path of cultivation is long, and their journey has just begun."
"Facing setbacks will temper their character."
The chief elder stroked his beard.
Mo Hua followed Mr. Zhuang's lead and sighed, cupping his hands respectfully, "Your words are wise, elder."
The chief elder raised his eyebrows and glanced at Mo Hua.
This naturally gifted young man, who had arrogantly defeated the genius array masters of the Five Phases Sect, no, the entire Dalisanzhou, now looked dejected, having faced a setback with their sect's inheritance.
The chief elder's heart was filled with sweetness.
He had rarely felt so satisfied in his life.
The chief elder even added, "Mr. Zhuang, if you don't mind, please feel free to stay at our Five Phases Sect for a few more days. We would be honored to extend our hospitality further."
Mr. Zhuang seemed disinterested, "We'll see."
He waved his sleeve and turned to leave.
Mo Hua and the other two disciples bid a simple farewell to the chief elder and followed Mr. Zhuang out.
As he watched their retreating figures, the smile faded from the chief elder's face, and he snorted, chuckling to himself. "Tasted some bitterness, have you? Not everyone can learn our Five Phases Sect's inheritance."
...
On their way back, there was no one from the Five Phases Sect in sight.
Mo Hua's dejected expression vanished, and he couldn't help but break into a wide smile.
As he laughed, he frowned and rubbed the back of his head, puzzled, "Why does my head hurt a little?"
Bai Zixi paused, her cheeks reddening slightly, "I hit you..."
"Ah..."
Mo Hua was stunned.
Bai Zixi looked apologetic and whispered, "You woke up earlier, but something seemed off, so I knocked you out again..."
Mo Hua thought about it and understood.
Previously, when he was trapped in the shrine's training ground, the Five Phases Little Ghost had escaped into his sea of consciousness, trying to take advantage of the situation to escape.
But he still rubbed his head, muttering:
"Little Sister hits so hard..."
As she cultivated her magic, did she also cultivate her body?
Bai Zixi saw Ink Painting rubbing the back of his head and realized she might have hit him too hard. Feeling a bit guilty, she asked gently, "Does it still hurt?"
Ink Painting shook his head. "Not much..."
Bai Zixi thought for a moment and then suggested softly, "Let me rub it for you."
Ink Painting's face turned slightly red. "No need..."
But before he could finish his sentence, he felt Little Sister's fingers on his forehead, cool and soft, and the pain disappeared instantly.
Ink Painting's heart fluttered, and his face turned even redder.
After a moment, Ink Painting felt another hand on his head and turned to see Bai Zisheng also rubbing it.
Ink Painting was taken aback. "What are you doing?"
Bai Zisheng replied, "I want to rub it for you, too."
Ink Painting refused, "No need!"
Bai Zisheng was a bit agitated and ruffled Ink Painting's hair playfully.
Bai Zisheng pouted, "This is a senior brother's care for his junior brother!"
"No need..."
"You don't know a good thing when you have it! Are you actually rejecting my offer?"
"..."
The two bickered playfully.
Mr. Zhuang walked behind them, his eyes warm and a slight smile on his lips as he watched his three disciples.
A gentle breeze blew, and Mr. Zhuang looked up, glancing at the Five Phases Sect's mountain-protecting array. The smile in his eyes gradually faded.
After a moment, his gaze softened once more.
However, within this gentleness, there was a hint of regret and melancholy.
...
Upon returning to their guest room, the group rested briefly before Mr. Zhuang asked Ink Painting, "Have you learned the Five Phases Spirit Array?"
"Mm-hmm!"
With the chief elder absent, Ink Painting no longer hid the truth and nodded with a smile.
"Not only that, but I also saw something else in the shrine..."
Ink Painting proceeded to tell Mr. Zhuang everything he had seen and heard in the shrine, leaving out no detail.
Mr. Zhuang was also quite surprised:
"Source Pattern?"
"Yes." Ink Painting nodded and then asked, "Master, is this source pattern the same as the Five Phases Array Stream? Do all array streams have a 'source pattern'?"
Mr. Zhuang glanced at Ink Painting and sighed softly, "Technically, I shouldn't be telling you about array streams yet..."
"But since you've already seen it and learned the derivation technique, I'll give you a simple explanation..."
Ink Painting sat up straight, listening intently.
Mr. Zhuang explained, "Array streams, or 'array source streams' to be precise, seek to find the commonalities and essence of a particular type of array."
"Array streams can take various forms."
"Some are a set of versatile patterns. Learning these patterns is like learning the skeleton, and once mastered, it becomes much easier to draw similar arrays."
"Others are a type of enlightenment, and once you understand this enlightenment, you can easily understand similar arrays."
"There are also those that use physical objects as carriers: swords, paintings, sculptures, or even mountains and rivers..."
"Of course, there are also those like the one you mentioned, which is a single array pattern."
"Simplifying the complex, unifying the diverse, condensing countless arrays into a single 'source pattern.'"
"This type of array stream inheritance is more difficult and complex, and the derivation process consumes the most spiritual sense."
Mr. Zhuang shook his head as he spoke, his expression filled with emotion, "I never expected that the ancestors of the Five Phases Sect would have such great ambition, using the power of an entire sect to derive the 'source pattern,' creating an array stream, aiming to make the Five Phases Sect's arrays flourish and become a giant in the path of arrays..."
Ink Painting asked curiously,
"Master, is there a difference between the Five Phases Array Stream and the Immortal Array Stream?"
"Does our sect's Immortal Array Stream include the Five Phases Array Stream?"
Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment before slowly explaining, "Array stream implies the source stream of arrays."
"But this so-called 'source stream' may not be the true 'source stream.'"
Ink Painting frowned, confused, and then his eyes lit up, "The source stream is something people understand. Even if it's close to the Great Dao, it may not be the true Great Dao?"
Mr. Zhuang nodded with satisfaction, "Yes, so the so-called array source stream may not be the true source stream but rather the array master's understanding and summary of the 'source stream' of the array stream."
"The Immortal Array Stream is the same as the Five Phases Array Stream in this regard."
"In other words, the array stream formed by the Five Phases Sect's derivation of the Five Phases Array is called the 'Five Phases Array Stream.'"
"The understanding of the essence of the Five Phases Array by other sects can also be called the 'Five Phases Array Stream.'"
Mr. Zhuang looked at Ink Painting with profound meaning, "One day, if you understand the essence of the Five Phases on your own and create an array stream, it can also be called the 'Five Phases Array Stream.'"
Ink Painting suddenly realized:
"So, the Immortal Array Stream encompasses the array source streams of all heavens, and these source streams, even if they include the Five Phases Array, may still differ from the Five Phases Sect's Five Phases Array Stream, or they may even be completely different?"
Mr. Zhuang nodded,
"Array streams have their strengths and weaknesses, but they also have their drawbacks."
"The Immortal Array Stream contains extremely profound array insights and can even be regarded as a guideline by ordinary array masters."
"But no matter how profound, it is still just the opinion of one sect."
"It is better not to believe everything."
"That's why I didn't want you to rush into learning array streams. Instead, I wanted you to gradually understand and learn the arrays of the world, apply what you learn, and gain a thorough understanding. In the future, you will create your own array stream and use it to seek the true Great Dao."
Mr. Zhuang spoke with deep meaning,
"Borrow the law to attain the Dao."
"All methods are but rafts."
"Array streams are 'methods,' they are 'rafts,' not the 'Dao' itself."
Ink Painting felt that he understood a little, but not completely, so he carefully remembered Mr. Zhuang's words. He would use them for reference and gradually gain enlightenment.
However, after hearing Mr. Zhuang's explanation, Ink Painting had a basic understanding of "array streams."
"Hmm." Ink Painting paused, then continued, "It can propagate and spread on its own, capable of parasitizing and dominating. Although it can't speak, the array pattern is like an eye, possessing human-like emotions..."
Mr. Zhuang's expression turned grave, and he asked, "Are you talking about that 'Five Phases Source Pattern'?"
Ink Painting nodded.
Mr. Zhuang's face turned as still as water, his fingers tapping on the table as his thoughts fluctuated. After a long while, he spoke, "Normally, source patterns don't have wills..."
"A legacy is just that—a legacy. It is the cultivator's understanding and realization, a technique, and it does not possess will."
"It is the person controlling the legacy who has the will."
"'Source patterns' are unusual..."
Mr. Zhuang frowned, deep in thought. "Did something go wrong with the Five Phases Sect's calculations, leading to a deviation that caused the source pattern to mutate?"
"Or did they encounter some calamity or an invasion of evil influences?"
"Or perhaps they were schemed against, and something was nurtured within..."
"Could the decline of the Five Phases Sect be due to this 'source pattern'...?"
Ink Painting nodded vigorously.
That was what he thought as well.
No wonder he was his master's disciple; they thought alike!
Mr. Zhuang's eyes narrowed as he asked Ink Painting, "And where is that source pattern now?"
"It's in my painting."
"Your painting?"
Ink Painting took out the visualization painting.
Previously, this painting had been of the Zhang family's zombie ancestor, but now, without the zombie and with the addition of the source pattern, it had become imprinted with the array legacy, thus becoming the "Five Phases Array Stream Painting."
Mr. Zhuang took out several copper coins and arranged them on the table in an array that Ink Painting couldn't understand. He then placed the painting in the middle of the array and slowly opened it.
On the painting, there was a five-colored array pattern.
The array pattern was restrained, its luster subdued, but its aura was ancient.
"Be careful, Master. It will open its eyes," Ink Painting whispered.
Open its eyes?
Mr. Zhuang was taken aback and glanced at the Five Phases Array Stream Painting, but the array pattern remained still, showing no signs of "opening its eyes." It was very quiet, and one might even say...
well-behaved?
Mr. Zhuang asked in puzzlement, "What's wrong with it?"
"I guess it's tired out from moving from the shrine, so it's not daring to show itself," Ink Painting replied.
How did it get tired out? It had something to do with the stele, but Ink Painting didn't elaborate.
Mr. Zhuang also seemed to understand and didn't probe further, but he silently glanced at Ink Painting, thinking that his little disciple might look harmless, but when it came to dealing with "people," he seemed to show no mercy...
That put him at ease.
Mr. Zhuang examined the "Five Phases Array Stream Painting" again, his thoughts stirring. After a moment, he arranged the copper coins in a different array pattern and began to deduce something, his expression growing more astonished as he calculated, as if he couldn't believe what he was discovering:
"This really is... the Five Phases Sect's foundation..."
"Foundation?" Ink Painting asked, puzzled.
Mr. Zhuang's expression was complex as he looked at Ink Painting, and he sighed, "A foundation of several thousand years... how can that not be a foundation?"
Ink Painting opened his mouth, astonished.
A foundation of several thousand years...
He pointed to the Five Phases source pattern, unable to comprehend, "You mean, this thing?"
The Five Phases source pattern trembled with anger but still didn't dare to "open its eyes."
Mr. Zhuang nodded, "By unifying and deducing the source pattern, the Five Phases Sect compiled all of its array techniques into this source pattern..."
"In other words, this source pattern contains the Five Phases Sect's entire legacy of array techniques accumulated over thousands of years..."
Ink Painting was flabbergasted.
He knew that this source pattern, as a derived array stream, should be extraordinary, but he never imagined that it would be extraordinary to this extent!
"But..." Ink Painting was perplexed, "How can this 'source pattern' be used?"
He was clueless about array streams.
He wasn't sure what use this source pattern had.
Surely it couldn't be used to infect others' seas of consciousness, could it?
Mr. Zhuang said, "There are two situations..."
"First, if you can't suppress the will of the source pattern, don't look at it or try to learn it. Otherwise, if you're parasitized by the source pattern and your sea of consciousness is taken over, the consequences will be unimaginable..."
"Second..."
Mr. Zhuang looked at Ink Painting, "If you have a way to suppress this 'source pattern,' then you can try to deduce it in reverse and dismantle the 'source pattern'..."
"Dismantle the source pattern by deducing it in reverse?"
Ink Painting was taken aback.
Mr. Zhuang nodded and continued, "You've learned the Five Phases Sect's deduction technique, which allows you to generalize array patterns, simplifying the complex. Conversely, you can also do the opposite, taking a simplified pattern and deducing it back into its complex form..."
Mr. Zhuang sighed, "This source pattern contains all of the Five Phases Sect's array legacies. Once you dismantle it, you'll be able to obtain the array diagrams for those techniques..."
The Five Phases Sect... all of their array legacies...
Ink Painting nodded, then suddenly thought of something, his heart trembling as he realized, "Then, doesn't that mean..."
Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly and nodded, "Indeed, it includes... the legacy of the Five Phases Spirit Array!"
"And not just any legacy..."
Mr. Zhuang's tone was filled with awe, "It's very likely a complete and incredibly precious ancient legacy, almost lost to time, ranging from first-grade to second-grade, and even third-grade or above!"
"This is the true foundation of the Five Phases Sect!"
(End of Chapter)
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