Chapter 673: Divine Array Techniques
Chapter 673: Divine Array Techniques
Oops, I might have said too much just now.
Mo Hua's eyes, innocent yet profound, shone like stars and saw right through Huang Shanjun.
Huang Shanjun felt his heart race under that gaze.
"Cough, it's...just that I've lived a little...longer, that's all."
Huang Shanjun quickly gathered his thoughts. "The lifespan of a deity is quite long. This desolate mountain and abandoned temple are secluded, and as a minor mountain god dwelling here undisturbed, I've idled away quite a bit of time."
"Later on, sigh...if I hadn't made a wrong turn and had my foundation severed by your senior from the Taiji Sect, I wouldn't have fallen to such a state..."
Huang Shanjun sighed and put on a dispirited look.
Mo Hua suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
Although he wasn't the one who severed Huang Shanjun's foundation, it was indeed a senior from his sect who did it.
Having cut off Huang Shanjun's connection to the divine path, he was more or less implicated in the cause and effect.
However, Mo Hua still wanted to justify the actions of his sect's senior. He raised a finger and corrected, "It was because you strayed onto the wrong path that the sword cultivator senior cut off your foundation. It wasn't his fault."
"Yes, yes," Huang Shanjun nodded repeatedly, agreeing, "It was indeed my fault."
Only then did Mo Hua nod in satisfaction.
Huang Shanjun quietly steered the conversation in another direction and calmly said, "What else did you want to ask?"
Mo Hua was indeed distracted by Huang Shanjun's words and no longer dwelled on the topic of how long he had lived.
What else did he want to ask? Mo Hua blinked and thought for a moment.
There were many things he wanted to inquire about, and they were all over the place. Some of them Huang Shanjun might not even be able to answer.
Since that was the case, he might as well start with the most crucial question at hand.
"What if...I encounter an evil god..."
Huang Shanjun's hand trembled, and he took a sharp breath, his voice changing, "Have you encountered an evil god?!”
Mo Hua emphasized, “I’m just saying ‘what if’!”
Only then did Huang Shanjun heave a long sigh of relief. “You kid, don’t scare me like that…”
Mo Hua was puzzled. “I was just casually mentioning it. Is it that scary?”
Huang Shanjun shook his head. “That’s because you don’t understand just how terrifying evil gods are…”
“Ordinary evil gods are often bloodthirsty and vengeful…”
“Some ancient evil gods are even more inscrutably terrifying. Their malevolent thoughts are overwhelming, and once you’ve caught their attention, not only will regular cultivators have no chance of escape, but even proper deities often won’t fare well…”
“If you really encounter an evil god, it’s best to get as far away as possible.”
“Once you’re entangled with them, becoming a pawn, a sacrifice, or a puppet of the evil god, it’s not just your flesh and blood that will be polluted. Your divine sense will be eroded, your Daoist heart will degenerate, and you will truly become neither human nor ghost, unable to live or die…”
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
That was easier said than done, unfortunately...
Cultivating the Tian Yan Manual was like boarding a pirate ship.
Even if the evil gods didn't come looking for him, he would probably have to go looking for them...
If he didn't "consume" them, how could he break through his bottlenecks, improve his cultivation, and transcend his realm?
Huang Shanjun was about to say something when he paused suddenly, eyeing Mo Hua warily. "You haven't...really encountered an evil god, have you?"
Mo Hua's eyebrows lifted slightly. "If I had really encountered an evil god, do you think I'd be sitting here chatting with you so calmly?"
Huang Shanjun thought about it and nodded. "That's true..."
Even if this little ancestor was extraordinarily talented, there was no way he could have escaped the grasp of an evil god.
If he hadn't had his flesh and blood polluted and had merely been "eaten alive," it would have been a miracle for him to be sitting here chatting casually.
Huang Shanjun nodded silently, but then frowned, "Why are you so interested in evil gods?"
Mo Hua sighed. "The cultivation world is so dangerous. As a weak and frail little cultivator, I tread carefully and live my life on thin ice. Naturally, I want to know more..."
"Knowing a little more can reduce the danger by a fraction."
"Especially when it comes to something as 'terrifying' as evil gods, it's best to learn about them beforehand so that you know yourself and know your enemy. Then, if you ever encounter one, you can be prepared and not be devoured by them due to a moment's carelessness..."
Huang Shanjun pondered for a moment, then believed Mo Hua's story.
He felt that Mo Hua's words were quite reasonable.
Although his intuition as a mountain god told him that Mo Hua was an unknown big trouble, he couldn't help but like the little guy.
Mo Hua's aura was pure, and he was adorable.
Over the years, he had been the only human child to trek through the mountains and bring offerings for him to eat.
Although occasionally, amidst his innocence, there was a hint of malevolence.
Within his purity, there was a touch of strangeness.
But for a little child to be able to interact with a mountain god like himself, there was bound to be something extraordinary about him.
"Let's just call it a stroke of good fortune..."
Huang Shanjun took another bite of the chicken leg.
He didn't know how this chicken leg was made, but it was truly delicious.
One was obliged to reciprocate when receiving a favor, and he didn't want to appear petty in front of this little kid.
"There is a distinction between gods and humans. Normally, as a mountain god, I shouldn't be telling you these things..."
Huang Shanjun sighed, "But you're a bit special, and it's not impossible for you to encounter me, a mountain god, and an evil god in the future. Seeing as you've brought me these offerings, I'll tell you..."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he immediately scooted closer to Huang Shanjun.
Huang Shanjun coughed, cleared his throat, and slowly said, "The topic of evil gods is quite complex, and it's a long story. Since you don't have the relevant knowledge, I'll have to start from the beginning..."
"The divine sense of humans is divided into grades.
Huang Shanjun explained, "In other words, the myriad deities in this world are categorized by both their grade and the rank of their divine position."
"For example, I am a second-grade minor mountain god. 'Second-grade' refers to my cultivation realm, while 'mountain god' is my divine position, also known as my divine rank."
"A god's rank is determined by their 'divine marrow'..."
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat at the mention of "divine marrow."
Divine marrow! That very substance that transformed his divine sense after he devoured the sheep-horned enforcer and the golden evil-eyed being!
Huang Shanjun continued, "Divine marrow is the very essence of a deity, encompassing their origin and the manifestation of their enlightened divine sense. The higher the grade of their divine marrow, the higher their divine rank."
"Externally, it manifests as colors of the Grand Dao, such as silver, pale gold, pure gold, jade-white, and crystal..."
So many types of divine marrow!
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he unconsciously licked his lips.
Huang Shanjun stopped midway, a sudden unease gripping his heart as he looked at Mo Hua with a mixture of shock and uncertainty. The rest of his words caught in his throat.
Mo Hua couldn't help but prompt, "Mountain Lord, please continue. You were talking about divine marrow..."
Huang Shanjun hesitated, feeling that he should heed the warning from his divine sense and refrain from saying too much. "Divine marrow is something used by deities for their advancement. It has nothing to do with you, a human cultivator, so it doesn't matter if you don't know about it," he said vaguely.
Mo Hua looked a little unhappy.
Fearing that Mo Hua would press him further, Huang Shanjun quickly changed the topic. "A deity's realm, or grade, represents the quantity of their manifested divine sense, while their divine rank signifies the nobility of their divine marrow, the height of their divine position, and thus, the quality of their being."
"A deity's strength is determined by both their realm and their divine rank."
"A deity's realm dictates the ultimate extent of their physical manifestation. The higher the grade, the stronger the deity, and the more massive their physical form."
"However, their realm is also greatly influenced by their divine rank."
"For example, the lowest-ranking deities are roaming gods, and slightly higher are mountain gods like myself."
"A third-grade roaming god can suppress a second-grade roaming god, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can suppress a second-grade mountain god."
"While their realm is superior, their divine rank is inferior, so the outcome of a true power struggle between them could go either way..."
Mo Hua listened with a sense of strangeness, confusion evident in his voice. "This seems very different from the cultivation realms of mortals..."
Huang Shanjun nodded. "Of course. Cultivators are human, not gods."
"These are secrets known only to deities. Typically, deities would not share such information with human cultivators."
"Those with insufficient divine sense cannot perceive the existence of deities."
"Sometimes, two mountain gods might vie for dominion over a mountain, engaging in a life-and-death battle. Their invisible divine senses would clash, but passing cultivators, if their divine sense is weak, might be like 'blind' men, unable to see or sense anything amiss."
"Ohhh..."
Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, then personally poured a cup of wine for Huang Shanjun to express his gratitude for imparting this knowledge of divine theology.
Huang Shanjun felt much more at ease as he drank the wine that Mo Hua had poured for him.
Mo Hua asked, "What about evil gods? What rank do they fall under? If a deity becomes an evil god, does their divine marrow also become polluted?"
Huang Shanjun's expression turned solemn. "When a deity falls and becomes an evil god, their divine rank remains unchanged, but their divine marrow does become polluted..."
Mo Hua froze.
Polluted...
So, the two portions of divine marrow he had consumed, one from the sheep-horned enforcer and the other from the golden evil-eyed being, were both polluted? Does that mean he has been polluted as well?
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat as he asked anxiously, "What does the divine marrow look like after it's been polluted?"
Huang Shanjun's face turned grim. "Once polluted, the degenerate thoughts of an evil god will linger within the divine marrow like a poisonous toxin, merging with it. As long as the divine marrow exists, the evil thoughts will persist..."
"Evil thoughts of an evil god?"
Mo Hua paused, remembering the golden, sheep-horned demonic figure that had been erased along with the golden evil-eyed being by the tribulation lightning.
Could that figure have been the degenerate thoughts of an evil god fused with its divine marrow?
Mo Hua slowly relaxed.
Fortunately, he had been wise enough to sense that the golden "eyeball" was amiss, possibly harboring some malicious intent, so he had used the tribulation lightning to "disinfect" it in advance.
Otherwise, he would have unknowingly consumed the divine marrow of an evil god.
His mind might have been corrupted by now.
If his divine heart had been polluted, his divine sense devoured, and his sea of consciousness turned into a breeding ground for evil thoughts, he would have eventually become a complete little evil god himself.
What's more, this danger was insidious and difficult to guard against. Without a theological heritage and knowledge about deities, one would be completely in the dark about how to defend against evil gods.
"That was close..."
Mo Hua secretly acknowledged his close call, his heart still pounding. "Evil gods truly are terrifying!"
He had almost consumed the eyeball of an evil god without 'disinfecting' it first.
Seeing the fear on Mo Hua's face, Huang Shanjun nodded, understanding that his words had instilled a healthy fear of evil gods in the young cultivator.
It's good to know fear...
Mo Hua quickly changed the subject. "Then how do I guard against evil gods?"
Huang Shanjun was taken aback. "Guard against?"
"No, I mean, be vigilant!" Mo Hua corrected himself.
"Oh." Huang Shanjun nodded, his expression turning solemn. "To be vigilant against evil gods, you must first understand how they spread their doctrine.
"Since even deities are restricted by the Heavenly Dao, a powerful evil god will often divide its divine body and transform it into numerous 'divine corpses' of first, second, or third-rate caliber, scattering them across the lower realms of the Nine Provinces to spread their heretical teachings over the widest possible area, feeding off the corrupt desires of mortals..."
"Proselytizing statues, parasitic on flesh and blood, nourishing desires, and devouring the hearts of humans..."
"Evil gods also require 'offerings', using human flesh and blood, as well as divine sense, as sacrifices."
"Especially the twisted desires rooted deep within the hearts of humans, the filthy sins of karma, and the bloody and fanatical faith—these are all considered exquisite offerings to evil gods."
Huang Shanjun thought for a moment before summarizing, "So, in the future, if you encounter bizarre statues, aberrant cultivators, demonic altars, flesh offerings, or twisted sins, there's a high probability that they are related to evil gods."
"...Don't hesitate, just run as far away as you can."
"Yes, yes!" Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, then blinked and asked humbly, "What if I can't escape?"
Huang Shanjun shook his head. "Then I'm afraid I can't help you."
"But you're a mountain god, can't you do something?" Mo Hua asked, sounding a little aggrieved.
"How can a mountain god fight an evil god?" Huang Shanjun complained.
Forget about evil gods, I probably can't even beat you, a little cultivator...
Huang Shanjun grumbled inwardly.
"Is there really nothing that can be done?" Mo Hua asked again.
Huang Shanjun glanced at him and, after a moment's thought, slowly said, "If you're lucky in the future and manage to learn an array that can restrain deities, then perhaps you'll stand a chance against them..."
Mo Hua was taken aback, but his eyes soon lit up with excitement.
"An array that can restrain deities?!
"Yes..." Huang Shanjun nodded, then suddenly looked wary. "Just don't use it against me..."
"Don't worry, you're not an evil god!" Mo Hua reassured him. "Besides, we're good friends now."
Although Huang Shanjun didn't fully agree with the 'good friends' part, he didn't dare to voice any objections.
Friends are better than enemies.
"How are arrays that restrain deities any different from regular arrays?" Mo Hua asked eagerly.
He never expected that by coming to ask about deities, he would also learn about a new type of array.
Huang Shanjun nodded. "Of course, there are differences..."
It sighed and looked up through the broken roof of the temple at the sky. "The grand dao of the heavens and the earth gives birth to myriad phenomena, and myriad phenomena become laws."
"Arrays are one of these laws manifested from the myriad phenomena, but compared to other laws, arrays are closer to the source of the grand dao."
"Since there are myriad phenomena in the grand dao, there are naturally also myriad arrays, with countless categories and distinct rules."
Huang Shanjun turned to look at Mo Hua. "The arrays that you humans commonly use mostly rely on the power of the five elements and the eight trigrams, but their origin lies in the consumption of divine sense, the comprehension of the Heavenly Dao, the manipulation of laws, and the manifestation of natural forces such as the five elements and the eight trigrams..."
"Arrays contain both the power of divine thought and the power of the five elements and eight trigrams."
"Different arrays place varying degrees of emphasis on natural forces and the power of divine thought."
"When dealing with humans, arrays naturally rely mainly on the power of the five elements and eight trigrams."
"But when dealing with deities..."
Huang Shanjun paused and corrected himself. "When dealing with 'evil deities'..."
It placed special emphasis on the words 'evil deities', as if to say, 'I'm not an evil deity, so don't use it against me'.
Mo Hua nodded in understanding.
Huang Shanjun continued, "To deal with evil deities, you must focus on the 'power of divine thought' within arrays."
"The laws of the heavens and the earth use the tangible to harm the tangible, and the intangible to harm the intangible."
"Physical bodies and spiritual power are considered 'tangible'."
"Qi and spiritual power transformed into spells can harm the 'tangible' physical body, meridians, and sea of qi."
"Divine thought is 'intangible'."
"The true body of a deity is a certain type of divine thought condensed from the myriad spirits of the heavens and the earth. In the absence of knowledge about their original divine statue, one must use the power of divine thought to harm the 'intangible' deity."
"Therefore, in ancient times, some powerful cultivators, in order to restrain evil deities, manifested a portion of the laws of the heavens and the earth, creating arrays that could maximize the power of divine thought."
"These arrays emphasize the 'intangible' divine aspect while de-emphasizing 'tangible' power. They are highly effective at restraining deities and ghosts, but their lethality against ordinary cultivators is weak."
"Some ancient cultivators referred to these arrays collectively as..."
Huang Shanjun's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke with deep reverence.
"Divine Array Techniques!"
Divine Array Techniques...
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but hold his breath.
Just hearing the name made it sound powerful and awe-inspiring!
I want to learn it!
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled as he asked, "How do I learn Divine Array Techniques...?"
Huang Shanjun shook his head. "I'm just a minor mountain god. I'm neither human nor an array master, so how would I know..."
"Moreover, the cultivation world has existed for so many years, and most of the arrays created by ancient cultivators have been lost. Even if you want to find them, it won't be easy."
"And even if you do find them, they will be extremely difficult to learn."
"If they are sealed away by some major cultivation power and deemed 'forbidden', it will be even more impossible for you to learn them."
Mo Hua looked disappointed. "Something so important should be passed down from generation to generation and promoted, shouldn't it?"
Huang Shanjun said meaningfully, "In ancient times, humanity was weak, and the things that killed the most people were demons, sky demons, and evil deities.
Mo Hua was taken aback, his eyes reflecting a thoughtful expression.
"And..." Huang Shanjun continued, his eyebrows raised slightly, a hint of pride in his eyes, "since it's a 'divine' array, capable of harnessing the ultimate power of divine thought, how can it be something that any ordinary cultivator can learn, understand, or pass on if they wish to?"
"The power of the heavens and gods is overwhelming, and it's not something that can be easily restrained."
"If one's divine thought is not strong enough, and they dare to transgress and offend the gods, they will surely meet a terrible end with no chance of rebirth."
Mo Hua's heart stirred, and he looked at Huang Shanjun with a puzzled expression.
Huang Shanjun was startled by Mo Hua's innocent gaze and quickly tempered his proud expression, his tone becoming gentle and humble.
"Of course, these are just things I've heard. I'm just a minor and humble mountain god, and I don't know much..."
Mo Hua looked at Huang Shanjun with profound eyes.
Huang Shanjun maintained a smile on his face, but his heart was filled with unease.
Fortunately, Mo Hua did not press further and instead asked another question: "If divine arrays can restrain the gods, then what about 'divine thought manifestation'?"
"Does divine thought manifestation also involve arrays?"
Huang Shanjun breathed a sigh of relief and explained, "That's a different matter."
"A different matter?"
"Yes," Huang Shanjun nodded, "not all cultivators in this world can use arrays."
"If one cannot learn arrays but still wants to slay evil gods or other powerful malevolent beings, then they must find another way."
"Divine thought manifestation is one such method."
"If you can't use arrays and your divine sense is insufficient, then you can use your sword instead, infusing your sword intent with divine thought to create a powerful force capable of slaying even the divine."
Huang Shanjun sighed, "Humans may be weak, but their wisdom is extraordinary."
"Then," Mo Hua asked, "what's the difference between divine thought manifestation and divine arrays?"
Huang Shanjun pondered for a moment before nodding, "Divine arrays are meant to restrain and suppress, and they can be considered a form of 'seal'."
"On the other hand, divine thought manifestation is purely for killing."
Mo Hua asked with confusion, "So, are you saying that divine arrays are not as powerful as divine thought manifestation?"
Huang Shanjun sighed, "How can you compare the two? Those who can use arrays will naturally prioritize learning divine arrays, while those who can't use arrays but are skilled in sword techniques will turn to divine thought manifestation."
"The two are completely different—one is for 'sealing', and the other is for 'killing'..."
"Humans' divine sense is inherently weaker and cannot compare to the divine thought of the gods."
"So, if one truly wants to slay an evil god, their divine sense must far surpass that of the god, and even then, they will likely suffer severe injuries in the process, assuming they emerge victorious at all."
"If they fail, they will meet a fate worse than death, with their spirit destroyed and their path obliterated."
"Divine thought manifestation is already difficult to master, and going up against an evil god head-on like that will surely result in countless deaths."
"Divine arrays are different. While they may not be able to kill evil gods or other powerful malevolent beings, they can be used to carefully set up a trap and successfully suppress them, bringing peace to the land. In this way, it is possible to 'overcome the strong with the weak' to a certain extent."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he understood, and he asked, "Can the gods use arrays?"
This was a question he had wanted to ask for a long time.
Back when he was fighting the golden eyeball in his sea of consciousness, at first, the eyeball couldn't distinguish whether he was a human or a god.
But as soon as he used an array, the eyeball immediately realized that he wasn't a "god."
This made Mo Hua suspect that perhaps the gods in this world couldn't use arrays.
Huang Shanjun confirmed his suspicion, "The gods cannot use arrays."
"Why?" Mo Hua was curious.
Huang Shanjun explained, "The gods are blessed by the heavens and earth, born with an understanding of the Great Dao. They inherently possess a portion of the special source of the Great Dao."
"And arrays are also a manifestation of the laws of the Great Dao."
"Arrays encompass countless laws of the Great Dao, and if the laws of a particular array happen to share the same source as the gods, then the gods will naturally understand it without needing to learn or use it."
"If the source is different, then the laws of the array will be incompatible with the gods' own source, and they won't be able to learn or use it."
"The strength of the gods lies in the 'purity' of their Dao."
"The more powerful a god is, the deeper their understanding of their innate source of the Dao. However, at the same time, they become more incompatible with other laws."
"Humans are different. Their innate understanding of the Dao is weak, so they can continuously learn and understand arrays, harnessing the power of countless arrays to control the forces of nature."
Mo Hua understood.
In simple terms, the gods already innately understood, so they didn't need to learn.
Cultivators were inherently deficient, so they had to understand arrays through learning.
In other words...
The gods were blessed by the heavens, innately possessing a portion of the Great Dao, so they couldn't learn other laws.
Cultivators, on the other hand, started with nothing, untouched by the Great Dao, so they could learn and control countless arrays, understanding the myriad laws of the heavens.
It was like...
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, and his eyes suddenly lit up, "Using what is available to your advantage and making use of what is at hand?"
Huang Shanjun's pupils shook violently, and he was left speechless. After a long while, he regained his composure and murmured, "That's the principle..."
However, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Mo Hua held a hint of subtle disbelief.
...
(Thank you, Your Highness Wan Shou Di Jun, the Great Immortal of Tai Shang Da Luo Tian, for your support!)
...
(End of Chapter)
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