Chapter 606: Rudeness

Chapter 606: Rudeness

"Qian Dao Zong... Elder Yu Hua..."

Mo Hua was taken aback, feeling a bit disappointed.

If it had been an elder from another sect, he might have had the chance to visit them in the future, build a relationship, chat, and casually inquire about the Eight Trigrams Thunder Array.

The authentic Thunder Array was exclusively passed down through the Zheng family, so he estimated that he wouldn't be able to learn it.

However, if he could approach the topic indirectly and ask about knowledge related to the Thunder Array, he might still gain some insights.

Mo Hua was very curious about the Eight Trigrams Thunder Array. He wondered how it compared to the "Thunder Pattern" he had obtained from the Celestial Phenomenon Array, which contained crimson tribulation thunder.

If the two arrays shared the same origin and underlying principles...

Perhaps he could make a breakthrough and, by understanding the principles of the Eight Trigrams Thunder Pattern, take a giant leap forward and directly study the Heaven-Tribulation Thunder Pattern!

But it was a pity...

The Qian Dao Sect had extremely high standards, and its elders were probably haughty and unapproachable.

Even if he went to ask, he would most likely be rejected.

"Never mind..."

Mo Hua temporarily put the Thunder Pattern to the back of his mind and shifted his focus to the secondary thunder patterns, which encompassed the "Electric Pattern" and the "Magnetic Pattern," as well as the crucial matter of the messenger talisman.

"Old gentleman, does the array used in the messenger talisman incorporate the 'secondary thunder pattern' of the primordial magnetic array?"

Xun, the elderly gentleman, glanced at Mo Hua silently, pondered for a moment, and then slowly nodded. "The ancient array masters comprehended the nine heavens' thunder and manifested it as the thunder pattern."

"However, the thunder pattern is too powerful. It embodies the might of the heavens and is brilliant and majestic, making it difficult to control. Hence, from within the thunder pattern, a weaker 'secondary thunder pattern' was derived through weakening, decomposition, and derivation."

"The secondary thunder pattern is generated from electricity and magnetism, with each giving rise to the other. They interact with each other, attracting and repelling, and are essentially a special form of spiritual power."

"This principle of spiritual power, through the 'secondary thunder pattern,' forms an array."

"This type of array is called the 'Thunder-Magnetic Array.'"

"But the term 'thunder-magnetic' is not entirely accurate. Since this array is a derivative of heavenly thunder and does not contain the true 'thunder,' later array masters generally refer to it as the 'primordial magnetic array,' 'spirit magnetic array,' or 'electromagnetic array'..."

Xun, the elderly gentleman, sighed, feeling a sense of emotion.

"With the unification of the Dao Court and the peace within the cultivation world for over 20,000 years, the path of arrays has also made significant progress."

"However, the development of array theory is quite complex."

"Some ancient arrays are indeed obscure and profound, and they have been lost..."

"But there are also arrays that have been diligently researched and improved by generations of cultivators, eventually achieving a level far surpassing that of ancient cultivators..."

Xun, the elderly gentleman, glanced at Mo Hua. "I've already told you about the lost ancient arrays..."

Mo Hua nodded immediately. "The Chaos Two-Yi arrays!"

Xun, the elderly gentleman, nodded. "Indeed. Those arrays are extremely concise and profound, making them obscure, so most of them have been lost..."

"The orthodox thunder pattern is too dangerous, and much of its heritage has been lost as well..."

"The other type of array that has made significant progress is the 'Thunder-Magnetic Pattern.'"

"Today's cultivators have a level of mastery over the 'Thunder-Magnetic Pattern' that far surpasses that of ancient cultivators. It's not an exaggeration to say that the difference is like that between heaven and earth..."

"Take the messenger talisman, for example. The underlying array at its core relies on the 'secondary thunder pattern' and utilizes the principles of 'thunder-magnetic' to form a primordial magnetic array..."

"But this is just a basic thunder-magnetic array."

"On the other hand, the disciple tokens of major sects, such as the 'Tai Xu Token' of my Tai Xu Gate, are built upon an entire set of complex and efficient thunder-magnetic grand arrays. They represent the culmination of the secondary thunder pattern..."

Xun, the elderly gentleman, paused as his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't help but stop there.

Mo Hua's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and he couldn't help but interrupt.

"Old gentleman, please continue..."

Tai Xu Token, thunder-magnetic grand array...

He had only heard the beginning and was eager to hear the crucial parts...

Xun, the elderly gentleman, looked at Mo Hua, his heart palpitating slightly as if he felt that continuing would reveal a great secret...

Xun, the elderly gentleman, was slightly dazed, finding it hard to believe.

He felt that he hadn't said anything too revealing, so how could he have leaked a secret?

And to whom?

To Mo Hua?

That didn't seem likely. He was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator...

"Old gentleman?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

Xun, the elderly gentleman, snapped out of his thoughts and coughed. "Let's not talk about the Tai Xu Token for now. You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Instead, I'll tell you about the messenger talisman..."

Mo Hua still felt a bit unfulfilled, but since Xun, the elderly gentleman, didn't want to continue, he had no choice but to drop the subject.

At least he could learn about the array principles within the messenger talisman.

He wasn't picky!

"Yes, please tell me..." Mo Hua said with a sincere and eager expression.

Xun, the elderly gentleman, explained, "From an artificer's perspective, the messenger talisman combines arrays and is refined into a spiritual tool..."

"But from an array master's perspective, it uses a spiritual tool as a medium to construct an array..."

"The fundamental principle of the messenger talisman is the sensing of thunder-magnetic energy."

As Xun, the elderly gentleman, spoke, the feeling of "revealing heaven's secrets" that had been tugging at his heart gradually faded, and he continued with a calmer mind.

"The messenger talisman has a unique form. On the surface, it appears to be a jade slip that allows one to read the content through spiritual sense..."

"However, inscribed within it is a 'primordial magnetic' or 'spirit magnetic' array. In reality, it utilizes the principles of the thunder-magnetic array and the sensing of array patterns to transmit messages over long distances..."

"The distance of transmission is limited, and the higher the grade of the messenger talisman, the farther the transmission distance. However, it rarely exceeds the span of a large state..."

...

Xun, the elderly gentleman, narrated in a leisurely manner, while Mo Hua listened attentively.

After the incense stick had burned out, Xun, the elderly gentleman, finished his explanation and picked up his teacup to sip his tea.

Mo Hua pondered over the key points that Xun, the elderly gentleman, had mentioned, but he still felt somewhat unsatisfied.

The main reason was that Xun, the elderly gentleman, hadn't yet touched upon the "most important" part.

Mo Hua's eyes flickered, and he blinked as he asked, "Old gentleman, if I wanted to 'dismantle'... no, I mean, if I wanted to refine a messenger talisman anew, how would I go about doing it?"

Xun, the elderly gentleman's eyelids twitched at the word "dismantle."

Mo Hua quickly shook his head and corrected himself. "Refine!"

Xun, the elderly gentleman, looked at Mo Hua with suspicion and asked in a low voice, "You're not... planning to do something bad, are you?"

Mo Hua's expression turned serious as he clarified, "Old gentleman, I am a disciple of Tai Xu Gate. I am a law-abiding cultivator!"

Xun, the elderly gentleman, stared at Mo Hua, and upon seeing the clarity in his eyes and the uprightness in his demeanor, he felt reassured.

That made sense...

What kind of ill intentions could Mo Hua, with his young age, possibly have?

Even if he had any, what harm could a single messenger talisman do?

Furthermore, the arrays involved in the messenger talisman were extremely profound and complex. It wasn't as simple as him saying that Mo Hua could immediately "refine" one.

"I forgot... the Thunder-Magnetic Array is not something the sect teaches..."

"If you want to learn it, you'll have to earn merit points and exchange them for it yourself."

"Oh..."

Mo Hua's face fell slightly in disappointment. He had been so close.

Xun had almost taken out the array diagram...

But then, Mo Hua frowned, a hint of confusion on his face as he asked, "Old gentleman, isn't the Thunder-Magnetic Array something that the sect teaches?"

Xun shook his head. "This kind of secret array is usually not taught to outer sect disciples. Even for inner sect disciples, not many get to learn it..."

"And it's very difficult to learn..."

"Difficult?" Mo Hua asked, his confusion growing. "Does it require extremely strong spiritual sense?"

"It's not a matter of strength..." Xun explained, "As I said before, it's just too complex."

Mo Hua still didn't quite understand.

"This array involves a large number of 'secondary thunder patterns', which are variable patterns. Naturally, it requires a stronger spiritual sense to learn, but only slightly stronger than what's needed for a regular array."

"The most complex part is that this type of Thunder-Magnetic Array isn't useful for a single person to learn."

"This array is meant to be a system."

"Just like combination arrays and grand arrays, it requires multiple cultivators to work together to establish the array, with each playing a specific role..."

"It doesn't require a single array master with profound spiritual sense, but rather, it demands multiple array masters, each with their own task, working in harmony and complementing each other. Together, they contribute their spiritual sense and computational power to form a massive spiritual sense network, thus creating a Thunder-Magnetic Communication array system."

"In short..."

"It doesn't require the strength of a single spiritual sense, but rather the breadth of multiple spiritual senses working together..."

"So, usually, it's taught to a group of array masters from the same sect with the same teachings and background, who then work together to study and refine this type of Thunder-Magnetic Array."

"It's useless for a single person to learn it, unless..."

Xun smiled, teasingly, "Unless you can do the work of two people, three people, or even ten people all by yourself..."

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat as he pondered the old gentleman's words, but he didn't let his thoughts show on his face. Instead, he smiled and expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Old Gentleman Xun, for your guidance!"

After this enlightening conversation with Xun, Mo Hua now had a much clearer understanding of the Thunder-Magnetic Array.

Next, he just needed to find some similar arrays and start practicing.

Xun nodded slightly, then asked, "How's your progress with the sect's tasks?"

Mo Hua sighed. "I've started working on them, but it's not easy to take on tasks, and earning merit points is challenging..."

Xun offered some comforting words. "Don't worry. You've just joined the sect, and you're still young. Take your time..."

Geniuses like Mo Hua needed to temper their character.

It was best to start with the basic tasks and work their way up.

They needed to understand the value of the sect's teachings and the difficulty in earning merit points.

Once his character was tempered, his foundation solidified, and his array skills improved, he could work on higher-grade arrays that would earn him more merit points.

And all this could be achieved without the need for fighting and killing, making it a much safer path.

Xun thought to himself, then continued to encourage Mo Hua. "Take your time... You'll definitely accumulate more and more merit points..."

As the saying goes, many a little makes a mickle. The more arrays he crafted, the more merit points he would earn.

Mo Hua nodded in agreement. "That's right!"

And with a few more 'Bald Eagles' taken care of, he would surely earn even more merit points!

...

After his enlightening conversation with Old Gentleman Xun, Mo Hua returned to his disciple residence.

Bald Eagles, messenger talismans, human traffickers, Butcher Mr. Tu, and the Four Symbols Array...

To "crack" the messenger talisman, he would first need to master some "Thunder-Magnetic" arrays himself.

The Minor Spirit Magnetic Array that he had used before didn't count as it was too simple.

"Thunder-Magnetic Arrays..."

Mo Hua flipped through the Merit Manual for a long time but couldn't find any array diagrams that mentioned "Thunder-Magnetic."

Then he searched for "Spirit Magnetic" and "Prime Magnetic," and in less than a moment, he indeed found some array diagrams.

However, there weren't many of them.

It seemed that arrays utilizing the "Secondary Thunder Pattern" were extremely rare.

Most of these Prime Magnetic and Spirit Magnetic arrays were also high-tier second-grade or even third-grade and above.

There were hardly any low-grade ones.

He didn't know if it was because their legacy was scarce, or if the elders of the Tai Xu Gate had concerns and didn't want disciples to delve too deeply into this type of array.

Mo Hua pored over the Merit Manual, searching for a long time before finally finding an array that was closest to him in terms of cultivation and applied the principle of "Thunder-Magnetic Sensing:"

"Beacon Prime Magnetic Array."

Sixteen Patterns, mid-second grade, a Prime Magnetic system array derived from the Eight Trigrams Secondary Thunder Pattern.

Prime Magnetic Sensing, self-constructed system, is the underlying array for "message-sending" spiritual tools...

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

This was it!

"Beacon Prime Magnetic Array..."

Prime Magnetic Sensing, beacon signal transmission...

Unfortunately, this array required sixteen patterns, and the spiritual sense needed to master it was at the peak of the mid-Core Formation stage, which Mo Hua had not yet attained, as he was only at fifteen patterns.

However, it was only a difference of one pattern.

Mo Hua then checked the required merit points for exchange, and his face paled as he sucked in a cold breath.

"Eight hundred and sixty points..."

So much?!

He even considered going to the Dao Court to report that his sect was robbing him!

Eight hundred merit points for a mid-second-grade sixteen-pattern array?! Too despicable!

Mo Hua flipped through some other sixteen-pattern arrays and found that most of them only required about two hundred merit points, with slightly more complex ones needing around three hundred. Only then did he feel a little more at ease.

"Looks like this array is extremely rare..."

"Or perhaps it's too difficult, and no one can learn it, which is why it's so expensive..."

Mo Hua nodded, feeling that only an array of this "caliber" was worth his time.

Even so, eight hundred merit points were still too expensive...

Mo Hua sighed.

There was no other way; he would have to save up slowly.

After all, his spiritual sense had only reached fifteen patterns, and it would probably take some time before he could reach sixteen.

"First, I'll draw the array and train my spiritual sense to sixteen patterns. Then, I'll team up with Murong Jie to take on missions and accumulate merit points. A two-pronged approach..."

"Once my spiritual sense reaches sixteen patterns, I'll learn the Beacon Prime Magnetic Array and start 'cracking' the messenger talisman to see who those eagles have been communicating with, who their accomplices are, and if there are any clues to be found..."

"Then, I'll follow the trail and investigate further... This way, I can accumulate merit points, exchange them for array diagrams, learn arrays, and strengthen my spiritual sense simultaneously..."

"With a stronger spiritual sense, it will be easier to break through bottlenecks..."

"Once I reach the mid-Core Formation stage, I'll continue to accumulate merit points and learn more arrays..."

Mo Hua nodded, having laid out a clear plan for himself.

After that, he got to work.

Two days later, Murong Caiyun found Mo Hua and specifically told him, "In total, we earned 220 merit points. I've transferred them to you..."

220!

Mo Hua was thrilled.

They had initially agreed on "100 merit points and above," but he hadn't expected to receive so much more.

With this, he was one step closer to the sixteen-pattern Beacon Prime Magnetic Array!

"Thank you, Senior Murong!" Mo Hua said sincerely.

Seeing Mo Hua's happy expression, Murong Caiyun also smiled gently.

Mo Hua wanted to team up with Senior Murong to take on more missions, but such opportunities didn't arise often, and Senior Murong also needed time for her own cultivation.

Mo Hua could only continue to be patient and focus on drawing first-grade arrays, slowly accumulating merit points.

Even a small mosquito has flesh.

The following days were busy and fulfilling for Mo Hua.

During the day, he attended classes and also taught his fellow disciples.

In the evening, he returned to the disciple residence to cultivate, study arrays, and draw array diagrams.

At midnight, he entered his sea of consciousness and continued to practice arrays on the Dao Stele, tempering his spiritual sense.

His merit points gradually increased, and his spiritual sense also grew stronger bit by bit.

Soon, another ten-day break arrived.

Mo Hua missed Yu'er, so he went to find Shangguan Xu and expressed his desire to visit Qingzhou City to thank Wenren Wan and see Yu'er.

Shangguan Xu was also planning to return home, so he arranged for a carriage to take them both to Qingzhou City.

Qingzhou City wasn't far from the Tai Xu Gate, and it took less than half a day for the two of them to arrive and enter the Gu Residence.

The Shangguan and Gu families were closely related, so Yu'er stayed with the Gus, under Wenren Wan's care.

With Shangguan Xu leading the way, their journey was smooth.

After several months, Mo Hua met Wenren Wan again.

She had become much thinner, her face was pale, and her eyes held deep worry. Occasionally, a painful expression would flit across her features.

However, upon seeing Mo Hua, she mustered her spirits and smiled gently, asking him about his life in the sect, his cultivation progress, and whether anyone was bullying him...

Mo Hua assured her, "Aunt Wan, rest assured. The elders are kind, and my fellow disciples are friendly. No one bullies me!"

Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good..."

But before she could finish her sentence, her mind seemed to wander, and her eyes held a deep sorrow.

Mo Hua asked softly, "Aunt Wan, how is Yu'er doing?"

Wenren Wan paused, then forced a bitter smile. "Yu'er... He often has nightmares... He's afraid to sleep, and his spiritual sense is gradually weakening. I..."

Wenren Wan's voice faltered, and her eyes reddened as she struggled to continue.

Mo Hua asked with concern, "Can I see him?"

Wenren Wan thought for a moment and then nodded. "I'll take you to see him..."

Mo Hua followed Wenren Wan to a slightly secluded guest room in the southeast corner of the Gu Residence.

It was extremely quiet here, and there were no other cultivators nearby.

However, when Mo Hua extended his spiritual sense, he could sense some extremely subtle auras.

Subtle meant powerful.

Although it seemed secluded, the security was tight.

Because Wenren Wan was with him, these powerful cultivators only let their spiritual senses brush over Mo Hua briefly before moving away, without prying further.

But this was just Mo Hua's speculation.

With his current spiritual sense cultivation, he couldn't truly perceive the spiritual sense probing of these high-level cultivators.

Following Wenren Wan, Mo Hua walked through the quiet corridors, past a pond with jade-like water, and through a fresh and beautiful garden before arriving at a quiet side room.

Outside the room were intricate formations far beyond Mo Hua's current cultivation level to decipher.

These formations were of high rank and were obviously used to protect Yu'er.

The interior of the side room was simply furnished, but it burned with extremely expensive calming incense. The screen depicted a beautiful landscape of rivers and mountains, with mist and clouds drifting across it, and was clearly also a high-grade protective spiritual artifact.

Little Yu'er lay on the bed, his eyebrows furrowed, his face as pale as paper, looking extremely pitiful.

Upon seeing him, Wenren Wan's heart twisted with pain.

Mo Hua also felt a pang in his heart.

Not wanting to disturb Yu'er, Mo Hua sighed softly and turned to leave.

Just then, Yu'er, who had been asleep, slowly opened his eyes and looked over, his voice weak but with a hint of anticipation: "Brother Mo...?"

Mo Hua's heart twitched, and he turned to look at Wenren Wan.

She nodded, and Mo Hua walked to Yu'er's side, gently holding his hand, and said gently, "Still not sleeping..."

Yu'er nodded weakly, looking miserable. "I can't fall asleep..."

Then he added softly, "I'm afraid to sleep..."

Mo Hua sighed softly and stroked Yu'er's head. "It's alright now, go to sleep..."

"Mmm..."

Yu'er nodded slowly, but still kept his eyes open.

"What's wrong?" Mo Hua asked.

Yu'er hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Brother, if I close my eyes, will you leave?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "I'll stay here and wait for you to wake up."

A glimmer of light appeared in Yu'er's weak eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his pale face.

"Go to sleep..." Mo Hua said softly.

His voice was calm and soothing, with a hint of gentleness.

"Okay."

Yu'er nodded obediently and slowly closed his eyes.

Gradually, his breathing evened out, and the furrow between his eyebrows smoothed, and soon he seemed to be sleeping peacefully...

Wenren Wan covered her mouth, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, both shocked and relieved.

But she didn't dare say anything, afraid of disturbing Yu'er.

Mo Hua nodded to Wenren Wan and whispered, "Aunt Wan, why don't you get some rest?"

He could see that her complexion was poor, and his senses told him that her emotions were turbulent and her divine sense was very unstable.

It was obvious that she had been worried and anxious for too long.

Wenren Wan hesitated for a long time, her voice anxious as she asked, "But what about Yu'er..."

Mo Hua said in a low voice, "I'll stay here and watch over him. This is the Gu Residence, and there are so many formations here. It's very safe..."

Wenren Wan hesitated for a long time, seeing the clarity in Mo Hua's eyes and the gentleness in his demeanor, and she felt somewhat reassured.

Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes filled with apology: "Then, thank you..."

Mo Hua shook his head.

He owed Aunt Wan a debt of gratitude for helping him enter the Tai Xu Gate, going back and forth and using a lot of connections.

He always kept this gratitude in his heart.

Wenren Wan looked at Yu'er again, seeing that he was indeed sleeping peacefully, and reluctantly left the room, going to the neighboring room to meditate and rest.

But she still couldn't let go of her worries, so she left a strand of her divine sense to keep an eye on Mo Hua.

Mo Hua stayed to watch over Yu'er.

And she would watch over Mo Hua.

Seeing that Yu'er was sleeping soundly, Mo Hua relaxed and took out a meditation cushion, sitting down to the side and taking out a book on formations, studying it intently.

He had promised Yu'er, so he naturally intended to stay by his side until he woke up.

Time passed slowly.

Yu'er slept peacefully, and Mo Hua kept watch.

Everything remained calm, without any abnormalities.

Before he knew it, the sun had set, and the evening sky turned dark and cold.

The side room was quiet and pitch-black.

Mo Hua did not light a lamp but closed his book and began to meditate.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat, and he opened his eyes, his gaze focused as he turned his head.

He saw that Yu'er, who had been sleeping peacefully, suddenly turned pale, his body curling up as he shivered uncontrollably, his eyebrows furrowed in pain, and his expression filled with fear, as if he was facing something terrifying.

Mo Hua frowned and looked around.

But in the empty side room, there was nothing but the cold night.

Mo Hua's thoughts raced, and he began to activate his divine sense, using the heavenly secrets of cause and effect to perceive the surrounding qi flow.

In an instant, Mo Hua's expression changed.

He saw that in the originally empty side room, some mysterious and elusive cause-and-effect patterns had suddenly appeared, patterns that were difficult to detect.

These patterns resembled chains, as if they had emerged from the void.

And along these chains of cause and effect, strange and bizarre creatures emerged from the chaos and nothingness, crawling down from the ceiling and the walls...

These creatures were covered in bloody filth and a putrid stench.

Their bodies were coated in black, viscous fluid.

Some had horse faces, some had donkey heads, and some had dog bodies with human faces...

They seemed to be monstrous demons born from the fusion of sins, hatching from the amniotic fluid of sinful embryos, exuding a sinister and terrifying aura...

Ignoring the room's defenses, they crawled along the chains of cause and effect, emerging from the void and approaching the terrified Yu'er...

Yu'er's eyes were wide with fear, his small body trembling uncontrollably in the face of his boundless terror.

The atmosphere in the side room became increasingly oppressive and deathly silent.

Just then, a crisp voice rang out.

"Hey!"

The tense atmosphere froze for a moment.

The group of demons and monsters, with their horse heads, human faces, and donkey heads, all turned, realizing that there was someone else in the room.

And this "person" seemed to be able to see them...

Mo Hua looked at the group of "demons" and said flatly, "No knocking when entering a room?"

The demons were taken aback, and their hideous faces twisted further, their eyes turning vicious and bloodthirsty, as if they wanted to devour this annoying human child alive.

The atmosphere in the room became terrifying...

Amidst the chaos, Mo Hua remained calm, slowly standing up.

His gaze was cold, and he smiled faintly, unconsciously licking his lips.

"Intruding evil spirits are very rude..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end