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Chapter 67: Collection of Arrays
Chapter 67: Collection of Arrays
Ever since obtaining the Collection of a Thousand Arrays, Mo Hua had been poring over it tirelessly, and whenever he came across an intriguing array, he would head to Master Zhuang's library to delve deeper. He meticulously noted down any doubts and questions that arose.
During the mornings or evenings, he would seek out Master Zhuang to clarify these doubts.
For a solitary cultivator like Mo Hua, it was already challenging enough to obtain an array diagram. When copying the array diagrams for Mo Guan Shi, aside from the basic ones like the Bright Fire Array, any slightly more complex diagrams would require additional payment in spirit stones.
But now, Mo Hua had nearly a thousand array diagrams at his disposal. If he were to master all of these arrays, becoming a first-rate array master would be well within his grasp. The mere thought of it filled him with excitement.
Mo Hua studied arrays day and night, like a little mouse that had stumbled into a granary, eager to devour every last grain of rice.
During the day, he studied array books, drew array diagrams, and consulted Master Zhuang with any questions. At night, he practiced repeatedly on the fragmented stele within his sea of consciousness.
Having learned the Heavenly Deviation Technique, Mo Hua followed Master Zhuang's advice and approached the study of arrays with breadth rather than depth. Thus, he didn't strive for a profound understanding but focused on being able to draw the arrays accurately. Sometimes, he would forget the names of the arrays immediately after learning to draw them.
Over the past few months, Mo Hua's spiritual sense had been fluctuating between states of fullness and depletion, only to be replenished again for further use.
While Mo Hua's cultivation had not progressed, his spiritual sense had grown stronger. Even though his theoretical understanding of arrays hadn't improved significantly, he felt more at ease when studying and drawing arrays. The array patterns that once seemed abstruse and complex now appeared natural and familiar.
"What are you looking at?"
One day, as Mo Hua was engrossed in his book, Bai Zi Sheng poked his head over and asked.
Mo Hua had been so focused on studying arrays lately that he hadn't paid much attention to Bai Zi Sheng. Snow Auntie seemed to notice Bai Zi Sheng's lack of focus and became stricter with him. In addition to cultivation, she assigned him various tasks in array formation, pill refining, and artifact crafting, keeping him busy.
Although Master Zhuang was the teacher of the Bai siblings, he mostly left them to their own devices. It seemed that the siblings' goal was not to seek guidance in their cultivation from Master Zhuang, but to avoid causing any resentment, they maintained a routine of paying their respects and receiving instruction at regular intervals without disturbing him often.
As a result, Snow Auntie was the one overseeing the siblings' cultivation, adhering to the traditional training methods passed down through the direct lineage of the Bai family.
While this approach worked fine within the family, Bai Zi Sheng found it challenging to maintain his focus when exposed to novel and intriguing things outside. With Mo Hua as a companion he could talk to, he began to find their solitary cultivation rather dull.
Mo Hua, his eyes fixed on the book, merely lifted the cover to reveal the title to Bai Zi Sheng.
Bai Zi Sheng tilted his head and read aloud, "Collection... of... a Thousand... Arrays..."
"What's so interesting about that?" Mo Hua asked, "Do you have one too?"
Bai Zi Sheng shook his head. "The Bai family's library has it. It's a compilation of arrays collected from within the clan, meant to broaden the understanding of arrays for clan disciples and facilitate their learning. It's not a rare item; every disciple who focuses on studying arrays would have a copy."
A copy for every disciple, not rare...
Mo Hua, who came from a solitary cultivator background, had no interest in engaging with someone who clearly had no idea about the struggles of others. He merely responded with an indifferent "Oh."
Noticing Mo Hua's lack of interest, Bai Zi Sheng scratched his head and added, "How about you lend it to me for a look?"
"Didn't you say your family has it? Why do you need to borrow mine?" Mo Hua asked.
"Different clans and sects have varying traditions and array formations. I want to see what kinds of arrays Master Zhuang has included in his collection," Bai Zi Sheng explained.
Mo Hua hesitated.
"Just a quick look, I promise!" Bai Zi Sheng said persuasively.
"Alright then," Mo Hua relented and closed the thick Collection of a Thousand Arrays, handing it over to Bai Zi Sheng.
Bai Zi Sheng took the book and flipped through it briefly before his eyes widened in surprise. "There really are over a thousand arrays in here!"
Mo Hua rolled his eyes. "Doesn't it say Collection of a Thousand Arrays on the cover?"
"You don't understand," Bai Zi Sheng said. "The people who compile these collections often like to show off and exaggerate. If they collect ten arrays, they'll call it the Hundred Arrays Diagram. If they collect a thousand arrays, it becomes the Myriad Arrays Diagram. Some people like to give their martial arts techniques grandiose names, using terms like 'Opening Heaven,' 'Cleaving Earth,' 'Creating Life,' and 'Divine Skill,' but in reality, it's just a low-grade technique..."
"Are there cultivators in the cultivation world who like to do this too?"
Mo Hua thought of the cultivation technique he practiced, the Heavenly Deviation Technique, which also bore the character "Heaven" in its name, and wondered if it was also meant to sound impressive, especially since its grade wasn't particularly high. Perhaps it was an ancient technique created by ancient cultivators, and they tended to be more honest...
Mo Hua sincerely hoped so.
Bai Zi Sheng continued flipping through the collection, his eyes widening in surprise as he discovered more and more unfamiliar arrays. He eagerly waved over to Bai Zi Xi, "Zi Xi, come and take a look! There are so many arrays here that I've never seen before!"
Bai Zi Xi, who had been quietly cultivating on the side, poked her head over, her curiosity piqued.
Mo Hua asked in confusion, "The Bai family is a prominent clan, right? But it seems that Master Zhuang's collection of arrays is even more extensive than what your family has."
Bai Zi Sheng, unwilling to concede, corrected him, "That's only for first-grade arrays and below. It's hard to say for higher-grade arrays."
"While the Bai family has a tradition of array formation, it's not their specialty. It's not surprising if their collection pales in comparison to Master Zhuang's," Bai Zi Xi calmly explained.
"Hmph!" Bai Zi Sheng grunted, but he dared not take out his frustration on his sister. Unable to refute her, he could only sulk silently.
Bai Zi Xi continued browsing through the collection, her eyes sparkling with interest. A moment later, she lifted her head, her clear eyes, like autumn water, fixed on Mo Hua.
Though she said nothing, Mo Hua could easily guess her thoughts.
Mo Hua hesitated for a moment before sighing, "I can only lend it to you for an afternoon, though."
After all, they were fellow disciples, and Master Zhuang probably wouldn't blame him for sharing with his fellow disciples.
A faint smile graced Bai Zi Xi's flawless face, like the morning glow on a lotus flower, clear and bright.
She took out a book without a cover from her storage bag and handed it to Mo Hua. "This is the Bai family's collection of first-grade and below arrays. Take a look, and if there's anything you want to learn, I can teach you."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he happily accepted the book, flipping through its pages.
While it didn't have as many arrays as Master Zhuang's collection, it provided more detailed and beginner-friendly explanations for some basic arrays. It was likely meant for new disciples, and many sections had handwritten notes in elegant calligraphy, which Mo Hua suspected were written by Bai Zi Xi herself.
"Won't this go against your clan's rules?" Mo Hua asked, concerned about the strict rules some clans had regarding their array formation traditions.
"Probably..." Bai Zi Sheng nodded.
"No, it won't!" Bai Zi Xi denied.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm the one giving it to you!"
Bai Zi Xi's reply was casual yet firm.
Though Mo Hua didn't understand why, he felt that Bai Zi Xi exuded a certain charm in that moment.
In the following days, Mo Hua not only studied arrays on his own but also sought guidance from Bai Zi Xi from time to time. He soon realized that her understanding of arrays far surpassed his own, and he reminded himself not to become complacent in his pursuit of the path of arrays.
While learning from Bai Zi Xi, she would occasionally have questions of her own, which Mo Hua would note down and ask Master Zhuang about. Once he received clarification, he would share the answers with Bai Zi Xi. This led to Mo Hua seeking Master Zhuang's guidance more frequently than ever.
One day, after Mo Hua had finished asking his questions and left, Master Zhuang furrowed his brows and said, "This isn't good."
"What's not good?" Gui Lao, sitting by his side, asked nonchalantly.
"Mo Hua keeps coming to ask me questions, and I haven't had a moment's peace to meditate!" Master Zhuang complained.
"You mean sleep, don't you..." Gui Lao bluntly pointed out.
Master Zhuang pretended not to hear and sank into thought. "What should I do?"
"Just don't answer his questions," Gui Lao suggested.
Master Zhuang recalled Mo Hua's clear and curious eyes, sometimes filled with admiration, and shook his head. "I can't do that. A good teacher shouldn't keep their student's questions unanswered."
"Since when did you start caring about that?" Gui Lao asked.
"Since just now," Master Zhuang replied.
Gui Lao, uninterested in the conversation, focused on the piece of wood in his hands, carefully carving it with a knife. Wood shavings fell silently to the ground.
Master Zhuang lounged on his chair mountain, gazing at the wooden beams of the pavilion above. His eyes unfocused as he drifted into a reverie. It was only after a while that he returned to his senses.
"I need to find an excuse to sleep in," Master Zhuang mused.
(End of Chapter)
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