Chapter 73: Qi Refining Fourth Layer
Chapter 73: Qi Refining Fourth Layer
In the following days, Mo Hua continued to practice array formations in a practical manner, just as Mister Zhuang had advised.
Both Master Chen's artifact furnace and Old Man Feng's pill cauldron had been experimented on by Mo Hua.
There was nothing left in the neighborhood that could allow Mo Hua to truly "showcase her skills."
Mo Hua could only settle for less challenging arrays to practice on, such as the dual-lock array on doors, the earthen array on walls, and the bright fire array on lamps, among others.
Array formations were widely used in the cultivation world, from lethal spiritual artifacts to defensive shields, and even in the most mundane aspects of daily life, such as clothing, food, shelter, and transportation.
However, among the low-level wandering cultivators, the use of arrays was often crude and rudimentary; some even consisted of just a single simple array pattern, barely qualifying as a proper formation.
In comparison, Master Chen's artifact furnace and Old Man Feng's pill cauldron could be considered "high-end" items.
Especially Old Man Feng's pill cauldron, which utilized a composite array combining three different arrays to achieve a balance between wood and fire spiritual energies. There were probably not many array masters in all of Tongxian City who could create such a complex formation.
Mo Hua helped a few neighbors fix their doors, walls, and lamps, tasks that didn't really showcase her array mastery but were nonetheless appreciated by the local cultivators.
They didn't have an abundance of spirit stones, so they expressed their gratitude with fruits, vegetables, and spiritual herbs from their own gardens. The gifts were humble, but the sentiment was heartfelt.
Mo Hua's family wasn't particularly wealthy, and there were countless wandering cultivators in Tongxian City who were even poorer. Most cultivators tried to save wherever they could, continuing to use broken items and neglecting to repair their damaged arrays to save on spirit stones.
Sometimes, the cost of hiring an array master to fix an array could be more expensive than buying a new one.
Array masters were scarce, and most of them, after mastering their craft, would only work for prominent families, sects, or powerful cultivation forces. This was not only to earn more spirit stones but also to gain access to more advanced array knowledge.
"Those who master both civil and martial arts offer their services to the emperor." This was a saying from Mo Hua's past life.
Once one stepped into the threshold of an upper-class family or sect, they naturally wouldn't look back at those from humble backgrounds.
This was both human nature and the cruelty of the world.
With this in mind, Old Man Feng, a first-grade pill concoctor who still took the time to concoct pills for impoverished cultivators despite his status, became even more worthy of respect.
Mo Hua spent about a month repairing arrays for others in this manner.
Most of the arrays she fixed were low-level, consisting of only two or three array patterns, but it served as a good review, and her understanding of arrays deepened significantly.
Previously, she had practiced drawing arrays on paper, using the paper itself as the array medium. However, in practical applications, anything from bricks to wood could serve as an array medium.
While the arrays drawn on paper could function, they felt somewhat theoretical and impractical. Moreover, paper arrays usually became useless after a single use and couldn't be utilized long-term.
Only by truly inscribing arrays onto the very fabric of the world—onto earth, wood, bricks, stones, and various spiritual artifacts—and making them operate continuously could one truly comprehend the Dao and follow the path of heaven.
Drawing arrays on different mediums consumed more spiritual sense and spiritual power, required a higher level of brush control, and was generally more challenging.
However, with diligent practice, one's understanding of arrays would become more profound.
After practicing for some time, when Mo Hua looked at arrays, she felt a sense of enlightenment.
It was as if the array patterns were no longer obscure and abstract but instead vibrant and vivid, like the very pathways that heavenly spiritual energy flowed through.
When Mo Hua immersed her spiritual sense into her sea of consciousness and observed the mysterious array woven from spiritual energy within, she no longer felt as confused as before.
The flow of spiritual energy throughout the mysterious array had become much clearer, each thread distinct.
On this day, Mo Hua attempted to unravel the array following the rules of spiritual energy generation and suppression as taught by Mister Zhuang.
As Mo Hua's small, tender hands moved, one array pattern after another solidified, and then, one by one, they began to dissipate, like silken threads being gently pulled apart, slowly unraveling and melting away into her sea of consciousness.
"Does this count as unraveling it?"
Mo Hua scratched her head, then attempted to mobilize her spiritual power, only to find her sea of consciousness suddenly trembling. It was like a stomach that had gone days without water, suddenly burning with hunger.
Mo Hua was startled and quickly took out a spirit stone, absorbing the spiritual energy within. It wasn't until she refined over a dozen spirit stones that her sea of consciousness gradually calmed.
With her inner sight, Mo Hua discovered that her spiritual power had increased significantly, and her spiritual sense had strengthened as well.
"Qi Refining Fourth Layer!"
Mo Hua was overjoyed and couldn't fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed.
She got up, lit a lamp, laid out paper and ink, and drew a Three Talents Formation.
The Three Talents Formation encompassed six first-grade formation patterns.
Previously, Mo Hua had been limited by her spiritual sense, and although she could draw it, it was somewhat strenuous. Now that her cultivation had broken through and her spiritual sense had grown, drawing this formation came much easier to her.
Only after finishing did Mo Hua remember that it was already past midnight, and she could start inscribing formations on the stele in her sea of consciousness. What a waste of good paper and ink!
Even a small mosquito is still meat.
Mo Hua felt a slight pang of pain in her heart, then sank her spiritual sense back into her sea of consciousness and began inscribing formations on the stele without restraint.
The formations that had felt strenuous before now became much easier due to her breakthrough and the growth of her spiritual sense. No wonder people often said that one's cultivation realm was the foundation of a cultivator's progress.
Mo Hua continued inscribing formations until dawn, and then she eagerly shared the good news with her parents.
Mo Shan had just returned from hunting in the mountains with his companions, having slain several wild bull demons. The couple was taking a few days off at home. Overjoyed by the news, they began preparing a banquet to invite the neighboring families and familiar friends.
Advancing from the third layer to the fourth layer of Qi Refining marked a transition from the early to the middle stage of Qi Refining, a breakthrough in a minor realm, and thus a celebration was in order. When the three brothers, Da Hu, Er Hu, and San Hu, had reached the fourth layer, they had also hosted a banquet, but Meng's family was not well-off, so the three children combined their celebrations into one.
The restaurant took a day off, and Mo Shan had someone carry an entire wild bull demon they had hunted a few days ago to their home. After butchering it for its meat, Liu Ruhua added spices and stewed it. Thus, the feast was held in the restaurant.
Master Chen, Da Zhu, and several of Master Chen's other disciples all attended, and of course, the three brothers were there as well. Some less familiar lone cultivators, who had received help from Mo Hua in the past, sent small gifts but did not stay for the meal, so Liu Ruhua returned the favor with packages of beef.
Although it was a banquet, the food was only slightly better than usual. There was no spiritual meat because it was too expensive, but there was plenty of wild beef, and with Liu Ruhua's renowned culinary skills, the simple food was delicious. Everyone ate and drank happily.
Zhuang Xian Sheng disliked crowds, and the Bai siblings had a special status, so Mo Hua did not invite them. However, she made extra delicious dishes and sent them to Zhuang Xian Sheng the next day.
Bai Zixi expressed his thanks, savoring the crispy pastries and sipping the sweet rice wine, his expression content.
Bai Zisheng, on the other hand, felt quite regretful. He also wanted to join in on the festivities, to drink and eat meat with abandon like others. But he knew it was just a fantasy, as Aunt Xue, despite her gentle temperament, was strict with them and would never agree to it.
Mo Hua had initially felt some sympathy for him, but it instantly vanished into thin air when Bai Zisheng asked in confusion, "Is it worth celebrating just for reaching the fourth layer of Qi Refining?"
In the world of rogue cultivators, the Qi Refining stage might be the endpoint of their cultivation journey, so advancing even a single step was not easy.
(End of Chapter)
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