Chapter 734: The Manual of Array Streams
Chapter 734: The Manual of Array Streams
The next day, after Mo Hua finished his lesson in the teaching hall, he was packing up his jade slips and books to return to his disciple's residence when he looked up and saw a young daoist disciple waving at him from the doorway.
"Mo Hua, Elder Xuan is calling for you."
Mo Hua was slightly startled but nodded in response, "Alright."
As he walked along the lengthy mountain path of Tai Xu Mountain, Mo Hua had a nagging feeling that something was amiss. He asked the young disciple in a soft voice, "What is it this time?"
The young disciple shook his head honestly, "I don't know."
"So, is Elder Xuan angry this time?"
"He's angry..." The young disciple frowned, then shook his head again, "But it doesn't seem like it. His expression is very serious, as if something major has happened. Even Elder Xuan looks apprehensive."
"Elder Xuan?"
"Elder Xuanyu, he's the great-grandson of the Old Patriarch, and he serves as an elder within the Inner Sect."
Mo Hua nodded slightly, committing the name to memory.
The young disciple gave Mo Hua a worried glance, "Just be careful, and don't anger the Old Patriarch."
Mo Hua was perplexed, "I haven't done anything, has it? Why would the Elder's anger have anything to do with me?"
"Who knows..." The young disciple walked ahead, then turned back and whispered, "Mo Hua, the little tiger I gave you, I broke it again..."
"What did you do this time?" Mo Hua stared at him silently.
The young disciple scratched his head, feeling embarrassed, "I was playing puppet beast fighting with Qingfeng Mingyue and the others. The tiger won, but it broke..."
Mo Hua sighed.
The young disciple looked a little guilty.
Mo Hua said, "When I have time, I'll make another one for you. If you want to fight beasts, I'll make a fiercer one, but you'll have to provide the puppet materials, and I'll draw the array."
The young disciple's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously, "I've obtained some top-quality gold and jade. When I have time to refine them into puppets, I'll give them to you to draw the arrays."
Mo Hua nodded, "Sure."
The young disciple was delighted, "Mo Hua, you're the best! Next time something comes up, I'll let you know."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the elders' residence.
The young disciple immediately put on a solemn expression and respectfully led Mo Hua to Elder Xuan. After bowing, he retreated.
Mo Hua secretly observed Elder Xuan and noticed that although the elder's expression was complex, he didn't seem overly angry, which finally put Mo Hua at ease.
"Greetings, Elder," Mo Hua said politely.
Elder Xuan nodded slightly, "I didn't call you here for anything else. I just suddenly remembered that I have some collected insights into array techniques, which might be of some help to your studies. Take them and have a look..."
Mo Hua was surprised. He had thought that Elder Xuan had discovered him doing something "wrong" again and was going to reprimand him.
But this turned out to be good news.
Mo Hua's face lit up, "Thank you, Elder!"
Elder Xuan took out some dark-colored jade slips and an old manual, handing them to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua respectfully accepted them and flipped through the pages.
Indeed, the jade slips and manual contained insights into arrays, some pertaining to array eyes, others to array pivots, and there were also discussions on array pattern variations.
As Mo Hua's gaze swept the pages, he suddenly froze.
He saw two unexpected words:
Array Streams!
Mo Hua's heart trembled, and he quickly picked up the manual, his eyes scanning the pages. Indeed, the manual recorded some insights and understandings of "Array Streams":
"Array Streams are the source of all heavenly arrays, unifying all arrays, and understanding one leads to understanding a hundred."
"Those who achieve greatness in arrays will comprehend the arrays of the heavens and can independently trace their source, summarizing the origins of all arrays."
"Those who understand Array Streams can also transform one into many, grasping the essence and governing all paths of arrays..."
...
Mo Hua's heart shook.
These words... they were very familiar. This wasn't the first time he had heard them...
Mo Hua looked at Elder Xuan in a daze, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Elder, whose manual is this?"
Elder Xuan replied, "It belonged to an old friend."
"An old friend?"
"Mhm." Elder Xuan nodded slightly, his eyes carrying a hint of melancholy, "Years ago, this old friend visited our Tai Xu Sect as a guest. We discussed arrays, and this manual contains some insights and understandings from those conversations..."
"This old friend..." Elder Xuan's expression was calm, his eyes solemn as he slowly continued, "... his surname was Zhuang."
Zhuang...
Mo Hua's mind went blank, and he stood there, his heart filled with a mix of emotions.
"Master..."
Elder Xuan saw the emotions playing out on Mo Hua's face—first the daze, then the pain, followed by a surge of affectionate reverence in his eyes, which finally turned into deep dejection.
Elder Xuan also sighed softly.
There was no doubt that he was the disciple of that man.
But the sadness and dejection in Mo Hua's eyes lasted only a moment before they disappeared into the depths of his eyes, turning into a profound pool that hid his emotions from view.
Mo Hua's expression returned to normal, and he said admiringly,
"Elder, your old friend must have been an unparalleled master of arrays."
Elder Xuan nodded and sighed, "Yes, he was."
"This senior..." Mo Hua's voice paused, and he asked, "Where is he now?"
Elder Xuan was a little surprised. He silently observed Mo Hua for a moment, then shook his head, "In this life, I'm afraid we won't meet again."
Mo Hua lowered his head, silent.
Elder Xuan felt a pang of sympathy as he watched him.
He quietly studied the young man before him.
It had been three years since Mo Hua joined the sect. He had grown taller, but his temperament hadn't changed much.
Initially, he had only found the boy cute and diligent in his array studies, with a high level of comprehension. That was why he had taken a liking to him.
Later, when he learned that Mo Hua possessed an unfathomable innate talent for spiritual sense, he had started to treasure him even more.
But now, knowing that Mo Hua was the disciple of that man, Elder Xuan was shocked, and his feelings became much more complicated.
That man possessed the ultimate skill of heavenly machinations, and every move he made was laden with profound calculations and veiled secrets.
Now that man's heavenly machinations had been severed, and the Celestial Burial Ground had appeared, but he had secretly left behind a low-key and unnamed disciple. By chance, this disciple had joined the Tai Xu Sect...
Was there some hidden intention behind all of this?
Elder Xuan's thoughts raced.
After a moment, Mo Hua raised his head, his eyes shining with anticipation as he asked softly, "Elder, this manual..."
"Keep it," Elder Xuan said gently, "It was meant for you. Take good care of it and read it often."
Mo Hua tightly clutched the manual, his voice filled with gratitude, "Thank you, Elder!"
Elder Xuan smiled faintly and patted Mo Hua's shoulder, "Alright, you may go now. There's still class in the afternoon."
Elder Xun sighed.
This frail and slender body might be shouldering what could be called a terrifying amount of karma...
There were some things he didn't explicitly state, but he had a good idea of what was going on, and it was best to let things take their natural course.
There was only one important thing.
And that was Mo Hua.
Regardless of whatever karma he carried, he was currently wearing the Daoist robe of Tai Xu Gate, and so he was a disciple of Tai Xu Gate.
And from now on, he must always be a disciple of Tai Xu Gate!
Elder Xun's eyes narrowed, a glint of sharpness flashing in them as he called out, "Call Ziyu over."
After a while, Xun Ziyu came to see Elder Xun.
Elder Xun instructed, "Take good care of Mo Hua."
Xun Ziyu was taken aback. "But, didn't you already tell me...?"
"This time, it's different," Elder Xun said calmly. "Before, when I told you that you could break an arm but not a single hair of his must be harmed, it was to spur you on to do your job well."
"Now, it's different. Now, those words are the truth."
Xun Ziyu: "..."
He was stunned for a moment before furrowing his brows and asking weakly, "Ancestor, just who is this child, for you to value him so highly...?"
"Don't worry about that," Elder Xun said, his gaze fixed on Xun Ziyu as his voice deepened. "All you need to know is that he is of utmost importance to Tai Xu Gate, and he may even be related to..."
Elder Xun paused for a moment before continuing slowly, "...the orthodoxy of Tai Xu Gate!"
Xun Ziyu was stunned, his heart trembling.
Orthodoxy?!
Xun Ziyu's eyelids twitched, and he was just about to say, "Are you being too serious?" After all, he was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and no matter how talented or special his identity was, it seemed impossible for him to be related to the orthodoxy of Tai Xu Gate.
Tai Xu Gate was one of the Eight Great Gates of Qianzhou, with a deep heritage and a long history.
If one were to trace back to the time before the division of the three sects, Tai Xu Gate was even more of a formidable power in Qianzhou.
What did this orthodoxy have to do with a small cultivator like him?
Xun Ziyu was perplexed and couldn't understand no matter how hard he thought.
However, he knew that Ancestor was a serious person who never spoke falsehoods.
If he said it was related to the orthodoxy, then there must be some deep karma involved.
Xun Ziyu's expression turned solemn as he bowed and said, "Ancestor, I understand."
Elder Xun nodded slightly.
"But..." Xun Ziyu thought for a moment and added, "This child seems to have some grudges with Duan Jin Gate. Should I step in..."
"No need," Elder Xun shook his head. "When I asked you to take care of him, I didn't mean for you to blindly protect him."
"He must not be harmed, but aside from that, whether it's Duan Jin Gate or other sects, let the disciples handle their own matters, and there's no need to interfere too much."
Xun Ziyu understood Ancestor's meaning and asked further, "Then, what if it's the higher-ups of Duan Jin Gate..."
"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Elder Xun assured him.
Xun Ziyu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With Ancestor's word, he felt much more confident.
"Go now," Elder Xun waved his hand. "Don't be careless or negligent. If something really happens..."
Elder Xun paused, then added a harsher statement to spur him on, "...I'll strike your name off the clan register..."
Xun Ziyu's scalp tingled, and he stood there dumbfounded.
Was this a joke to be taken lightly?!
"Ancestor, are you serious...?" Xun Ziyu asked, his expression serious.
Elder Xun looked at him silently.
Xun Ziyu understood the hint and said bitterly, as if resigned to his fate, "Yes."
After leaving the Elder's residence, Xun Ziyu let out a long sigh.
He had a premonition that his role as a temporary "bodyguard" would likely become permanent, and he would be stuck as a long-term bodyguard.
From now on, he probably wouldn't have any peaceful days...
...
After his afternoon class, Mo Hua returned to the disciple's residence with Yu'er after having lunch together.
As soon as he entered the house, Mo Hua took out all the manuscripts that Elder Xun had given him.
Especially the one regarding "Array Streams."
Mo Hua carefully examined this manuscript, reading it over and over, his expression somewhat dejected.
This was indeed Master's manuscript.
Although there were some discrepancies, the insights into "Array Streams" within were identical to what Master had taught him back in Li Shan City at the Five Elements Sect.
The image of Master Zhuang, with his immortal demeanor, free and unfettered, and his temperament as gentle as water, resurfaced in Mo Hua's mind.
Mo Hua stood there, lost in thought, before finally sighing deeply after a long while.
He read through the manuscript once more.
This was a treatise on the Dao.
The content regarding "Array Streams" was even more detailed, more factual, and more profound than what Master had initially told him.
As Mo Hua read, he realized that he couldn't fully understand it.
To be precise, he hadn't learned about Array Streams yet.
The orthodoxy of the Five Elements Sect, that "Source Pattern" which was a manifestation of the Five Elements Array Stream, was indeed in his possession. However, he didn't truly understand the nature of that eerie "Source Pattern," which resembled a demonic eye.
And those who could summarize Array Streams were undoubtedly grandmasters of arrays, having reached the pinnacle of mastery in a certain type of formation.
Thus, it was no surprise that he couldn't comprehend this Array Stream manuscript.
"I'll keep this for now, and study it in depth when my attainment in formations improves further..."
Mo Hua nodded slightly and carefully stored the Array Stream manuscript into his storage ring.
This was something that belonged to Master.
Mo Hua cherished it deeply.
And there was also Elder Xun...
Mo Hua never expected that Elder Xun would have discussed the Dao and formations with Master.
Now that he thought about it, was there perhaps another connection between Elder Xun and Master?
A thought suddenly occurred to Mo Hua.
"Array Streams" were clearly beyond what he could currently learn.
The fact that Elder Xun had given him Master's Array Stream manuscript and casually mentioned that it belonged to "an old friend with the surname Zhuang" seemed like a test.
"Has the old gentleman guessed that Master is my teacher?" Mo Hua wondered.
However, that didn't seem like a big deal...
There were quite a few people who knew about this.
His second master was an obvious one, and there was also Little Master's mother, his third master, as well as the senior from Xuanji Valley, and the Feathered Ascension cultivators who had briefly glanced at him during the Li Shan City incident.
They were all "grand cultivators," with profound cultivation and busy affairs.
He was just an insignificant little cultivator, and they would probably forget about him soon enough.
As his mother had told him, one should always reciprocate kindness, no matter how small.
Having figured this out, Mo Hua flipped through the formation books and studied for a while before it was midnight. Then, he immersed his spiritual sense into the stele again to continue practicing formations.
He had to find a way to practice formations and hone his spiritual sense further.
Since he couldn't go out for now, he could only rely on this tedious method to train his spiritual sense.
He hoped to break through the Heavenly Dao's restrictions soon and advance his spiritual sense to eighteen strands so that he could learn more powerful formations.
...
Time passed peacefully, and Mo Hua studied formations for several days.
As for the Refining Demon Mountain, he had gone there a few times to test the effects of the Five Elements Source Armor and formulate hunting strategies. He didn't visit the mountain again for the time being.
However, one day, while having a meal in the dining hall, Cheng Mo walked over with a bruised and swollen face.
Mo Hua was startled, "Cheng Mo, did a bear slap you again?"
"I'm not stupid enough to get slapped twice," Cheng Mo grumbled. "It was those scoundrels from the Duan Jin Gate."
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly, "The Duan Jin Gate?"
"Yes." Cheng Mo sat down and followed Mo Hua's example by taking a bite out of a chicken leg. He mumbled, "Little Senior Brother, you haven't been to the mountain lately, so you don't know. The Duan Jin Gate has been causing trouble for us..."
"Those little brats keep picking fights with us every few days."
"They don't dare to fight us head-on, so they lurk around and wait for us to kill a demonic beast before swarming in to steal it."
"If we don't kill any demonic beasts, they stick to us like flies."
Mo Hua frowned, "There are rules in the Refining Demon Mountain, aren't there? Why are they so arrogant? Don't the elders do anything about it?"
"They do try to manage the situation, but it's useless," Cheng Mo said. "Those bastards from the Duan Jin Gate are experts at quibbling and have no shame."
"They always claim that they killed the demonic beast first and that we started the fight, portraying themselves as innocent victims..."
"The elders of the Duan Jin Gate also turn a blind eye to their disciples' misdeeds."
"If their disciples gain an advantage, they play it down, saying that it's just children playing and fighting, and it's not a big deal."
"But if their disciples are at a disadvantage, they accuse us of being poorly disciplined and lacking in education..."
"Our elders from the Tai Xu Gate aren't good at arguing, so they get frustrated by them."
"Even after all the back and forth, the disciples of the Duan Jin Gate still do as they please and continue their despicable actions..."
Cheng Mo sighed, "So, rules only work for those with a conscience. If someone has no shame, rules are useless."
As Cheng Mo spoke, he let out a cold laugh, but the movement caused pain in his injured face, making him wince.
However, it wasn't a big deal since he was a body cultivator with thick skin and robust health.
Cheng Mo took another bite of meat and continued, "I got these injuries this morning while hunting demonic beasts. Those Duan Jin Gate disciples were tailing us again, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I fought with them."
"Don't be fooled by my miserable appearance. They're in even worse shape."
"I broke a few of their legs."
"But I guess it won't help. They'll probably dare to do it again next time."
Mo Hua's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he said to Cheng Mo, "Next time during the break, I'll also go to the mountain to take a look."
"No need." Cheng Mo immediately rejected the idea. "You should focus on drawing formations. You're our senior brother, so there's no need for you to deal with these brats personally."
Cheng Mo knew that Mo Hua had been busy studying formations every day lately, so he didn't want to bother him.
Moreover, the disciples from the Duan Jin Gate who were causing trouble were all at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, the same level as them.
There was no need for Mo Hua to get involved.
Mo Hua thought about it and nodded, "Alright."
Indeed, he had been quite busy lately.
He felt that the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao seemed to have loosened significantly, perhaps because his realm had improved and was no longer too far from the norm.
Or maybe the Heavenly Dao had "eaten its fill" and was gradually fading away.
Mo Hua had a feeling that his spiritual sense might reach eighteen strands soon.
As for the Refining Demon Mountain, he would leave it to Cheng Mo and the others to handle.
Although Cheng Mo seemed reckless, he actually had a good head on his shoulders. Moreover, after spending so much time with Mo Hua, he had gained plenty of experience and learned many "underhanded" methods.
Dealing with the arrogant and bullying disciples of the Duan Jin Gate was well within their capabilities.
Thus, Cheng Mo led the disciples of the Tai Xu Gate as they clashed with their peers from the Duan Jin Gate in the Refining Demon Mountain, engaging in both overt and covert battles.
A month passed, and Cheng Mo paid Mo Hua another visit, looking somewhat dejected.
It wasn't that they hadn't fought back.
They had, but it didn't work.
"Those bastards from the Duan Jin Gate are truly despicable. They do nothing but stalk us in the Refining Demon Mountain. They don't hunt demonic beasts; they just wait to snatch ours."
"At first, they fought us head-on a few times, but after realizing that they couldn't beat us with our Golden Armor, they stopped trying."
"They're like flies, harassing us while we hunt."
"If we fight back, they run away."
Cheng Mo was disgusted by their behavior.
"The entrance fee to the Refining Demon Mountain is a hundred merit points. Those guys would rather waste a day doing nothing but harassing us, spending those points on such despicable acts."
"Although we're not afraid of them, we can't hunt demonic beasts with them pestering us, so we can't earn merit points either. You could say that we haven't really won...""
Cheng Mo sighed, feeling frustrated.
Mo Hua's eyes turned slightly cold.
This Duan Jin Gate was truly shameless.
"It's fine..." Mo Hua took a sip of his fruit wine and said calmly after a moment of thought, "They're being obnoxious because they haven't been taught a proper lesson yet."
"We need to beat them up badly, injure their bones, and make them feel the pain. Then, they won't dare to act so shamelessly again..."
Mo Hua's eyes turned cold.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
