Chapter 63: The Mystical Array
Chapter 63: The Mystical Array
"The spiritual veil of a formation?" Mr. Zhuang's expression turned slightly astonished.
Mo Hua recalled the veil in her mind and described it in detail: "The pale blue spiritual energy resembled spiritual ink, and the intertwining patterns formed array runes. The woven veil looked like an entire formation, but as the spiritual energy flowed, the array runes changed, and different formations were displayed on the veil."
"Interesting," Mr. Zhuang said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. He took out some paper and a brush, spreading it on the table before him. "Do you remember those array runes? Draw a few for me to see."
"I remember some of the array runes, but they keep changing..." Mo Hua admitted honestly.
"It doesn't matter," Mr. Zhuang reassured her. "Just draw what you saw."
Mo Hua held the brush with her small hand, dipping it into the ink. The tip of the brush danced across the paper, and soon several array runes appeared on the array paper.
Mr. Zhuang glanced at the paper briefly. "They seem like ordinary array runes, nothing particularly special about them."
"Have the previous seniors who cultivated this technique ever encountered such a situation?" Mo Hua asked.
Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment before replying, "Not that I've heard of. Even with the same technique, different cultivators may encounter different issues during their cultivation, especially with an obscure ancient technique like this. There are few successors, and even fewer cultivators, so when problems arise, it's challenging to find useful precedents to refer to."
Mr. Zhuang fell into deep thought. "The technique mentions a bottleneck in spiritual sense, and the previous cultivators probably faced issues related to their spiritual sense as well. However, their problems were likely different from yours, or else there would be some notes on the jade slip. The elders within the sect wouldn't withhold information regarding the sect's technique inheritance."
Mo Hua furrowed her little brow. "Then, sir, what should I do? It seems I can't cultivate for now."
Mr. Zhuang smiled nonchalantly. "As long as it's related to formations, it's not a big deal." He then instructed her, "Go back and record the array runes and formations that appear on the spiritual veil. Bring them to me tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!" Mo Hua heaved a sigh of relief. As she turned to leave, she thought about what Mr. Zhuang had said earlier.
'As long as it's related to formations, it's not a big deal?' Just how accomplished is Mr. Zhuang in the art of formations?
Could he already be a third-grade formation master...?
What kind of formations can a third-grade formation master create?
Mo Hua's heart fluttered with anticipation, but she quickly shook her head to dispel those thoughts. It's better not to get too far ahead of myself. Becoming a first-grade formation master still seems like a distant dream...
Mo Hua calmed her thoughts and remembered Mr. Zhuang's instructions. When she returned home, she immersed her spiritual sense into her sea of consciousness to observe the array runes and formations on the spiritual veil.
Mo Hua recognized many of the array runes on the veil, but most of the formations were unfamiliar. There were some obscure runes she hadn't encountered before, and it was impossible for her to memorize them all at once. She could only observe, practice the unfamiliar runes on the stone tablet, and then retreat from her sea of consciousness to record the runes on the array paper.
She continued this process until the hour of zi (midnight)
. Suddenly, Mo Hua felt dizzy, realizing she had overtaxed her spiritual sense. She decided to take a break.
As she relaxed, Mo Hua's stomach growled loudly, and she realized she had been so engrossed in recording the array runes that she had forgotten to eat dinner.
"At this hour, Father and Mother should already be asleep."
Mo Hua frowned slightly, wondering, "I wonder if there's anything left to eat at home."
She stood up to open the door and noticed a small table placed beside it. On the table were several bowls and dishes, with a large bowl inverted on top.
Mo Hua lifted the bowl and found a small pot of white porridge, a dish of assorted vegetables, two steamed buns, and a small dish of spiced beef.
The vegetables and meat had cooled, but the buns were still warm, and the porridge was hot.
"Mother must have been worried that I hadn't eaten, and she didn't want to disturb my formation studies, so she placed the food here. Before she went to sleep, she even reheated the porridge, otherwise, it would have turned cold by now." Mo Hua's heart warmed at the thought.
She took a sip of the porridge, feeling warmth spread throughout her body. Soon, she devoured the rest of the food, and the previous fatigue vanished, leaving her feeling refreshed.
, when her spiritual sense was exhausted once more. Only then did she put away the array paper and finally get some restful sleep.
The next day, Mr. Zhuang examined the array paper that Mo Hua had transcribed. His eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "It's a puzzle array."
"A puzzle array?" Mo Hua had never heard of it.
Mr. Zhuang patiently explained, "You know about riddles, right?"
Mo Hua nodded.
"This puzzle array is similar to those riddles, except it uses array runes as clues and array formations as the puzzle. If you don't understand the method, you won't be able to unravel the truth within."
"Oh." Mo Hua nodded again.
"This used to be a pastime for disciples in ancient sects and noble clans, but it's not commonly seen nowadays."
Mo Hua thought of the intricate and complex array runes that gave her a headache just looking at them, and her expression turned complicated.
Was this really meant for leisure and intellectual stimulation?
"So, if I can't solve it, does that mean I'm dumb?" Mo Hua asked cautiously.
Mr. Zhuang saw right through her thoughts and said with a hint of a smile, "Not necessarily. This one is a bit more challenging, and not everyone can solve it."
Mo Hua felt that Mr. Zhuang was trying to comfort her, but it didn't quite hit the mark.
If not everyone could solve it, then it probably meant that quite a few people could. Being one of the few who couldn't felt even worse.
And she was one of those who couldn't...
Since it was meant for intellectual stimulation, she had to solve it herself. She couldn't lose face like this!
Mo Hua asked, "Then, how do I go about solving this puzzle array?"
Mr. Zhuang tapped his fingers on the bamboo chair as he usually did and said, "Your situation is different from others. If others can't solve it, it's no big deal; they might just feel a bit frustrated. But for you, since it's related to your cultivation, if you can't solve it, your progress will stagnate, and that could be a serious problem."
"As for methods, there are two: one is for you to learn how to solve it yourself, and the other is for you to memorize and transcribe all the array runes, and I'll help you solve it."
"The second method is the fastest and most direct. After all, cultivation is the foundation of a cultivator. Without cultivation, everything else is meaningless, let alone becoming an array master. The first method requires you to learn it yourself, and while it will benefit your understanding of array formations, it will take a long time, and your cultivation will lag behind accordingly. The choice is yours."
Mr. Zhuang finished speaking and looked at Mo Hua with keen interest.
Mo Hua was conflicted.
For a cultivator, the consequences of stagnated cultivation were severe. Her cultivation level was naturally inferior to that of the Bai siblings and the young masters from prominent clans, but among the rogue cultivators of the same age in Tongxian City, she was considered one of the better ones—though it was like being the best among a group of weaklings.
If she spent too much time overcoming this bottleneck in her cultivation method, her progress would surely fall behind.
After some thought, Mo Hua made her decision. "Teacher, I choose the first method."
It was best to solve problems on her own whenever possible.
She would just have to accept being behind in her cultivation for now. Her spiritual root and cultivation method were already inferior to others, and the gap would only widen over time. Whether she fell behind now or later didn't make much difference.
One shouldn't be greedy for temporary superiority.
Moreover, if she relied on Mr. Zhuang to solve even this early bottleneck in the Qi Refining stage, what would she do in the future during the middle and late stages of Qi Refining? Mr. Zhuang wouldn't always be by her side, and as his registered disciple, she couldn't trouble him with every little thing.
There was also one last reason—the phrase "intellectual stimulation" kept nagging at her.
"Oh? Have you thought it through?" Mr. Zhuang asked with a meaningful look.
Mo Hua nodded. "I have, Teacher."
Mr. Zhuang inclined his head. "I have some books and jade slips here that explain the basics of puzzle arrays. Take them and read through them first. Come back to me when you're done, and I'll teach you how to solve arrays."
Mo Hua took the items solemnly and said, "Disciple takes her leave."
As Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang's casual expression faded, and his face turned slightly solemn.
(End of Chapter)
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