Chapter 780: The Divine Array
Chapter 780: The Divine Array
Master Tu?!
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.
Although he didn't know who this Master Tu was, based on the past events, this "Master Tu" was most likely the number one "lapdog" of the Great Wilderness Evil God within the Qian Xuezhou realm.
If that was the case, his cultivation level would definitely not be low.
He would surely be well-versed in arrays and possess a strong divine sense.
Mo Hua might not be able to hide from him!
"This is bad!"
Mo Hua panicked a little, feeling a chill in his heart.
Just then, the blood-colored figure attached to the black-robed leader also suddenly started and turned his head sharply to look in Mo Hua's direction.
However, his gaze was blocked by the huge ram-horned demon statue.
Mo Hua immediately retracted his head, suppressed his aura, and sat still on the ram's skull, not daring to make the slightest sound.
The blood-colored figure's gaze fixed on the direction of Mo Hua.
The black-robed leader, possessed by the figure, was perplexed and asked, "Sir, what is it?"
The blood-colored figure hesitated for a moment, then frowned.
Since it was borrowing the black-robed leader's body, it could only speak through his mouth, sounding like it was talking to itself, but its demeanor and tone were completely different:
"There's a trace of a 'divine' presence on the statue."
The black-robed leader was startled and said with trepidation,
"Could it be... that the 'divine master' has descended?"
The voice of the blood-colored figure was somewhat distorted, carrying an odd hoarseness and a hint of confusion:
"No... To avoid being pushed into causality by those old things, this altar has never been used. Why is there a trace of the 'divine master's' presence?"
The black-robed leader frowned and asked,
"Sir, should we go and take a look at the altar?"
"How dare you!" The blood-colored figure's voice suddenly turned severe. "The divine master must not be blasphemed! The altar is a sacred place, the supreme seat of the divine master. How can it be touched by our mortal bodies?"
The black-robed leader bowed immediately, saying,
"Please forgive me, sir. It was my ignorance that offended the mighty divine master. I deserve to die."
The blood-colored figure's expression eased slightly.
"But... where does this trace of divine presence come from?"
The black-robed leader fell into deep thought again, then suddenly realized something and said with a trembling voice,
"Sir, could it be that... our long-planned scheme is about to succeed, and the divine master is gradually awakening?"
"The mighty power of the divine master is gradually awakening, so even though the altar was originally empty, it now bears the presence of the divine master?"
The blood-colored figure paused, then its eyes shone, and it said,
"Kneel!"
The black-robed leader immediately knelt down and touched his head to the ground. Together with the blood-colored figure on his body, he bowed respectfully to the ram-horned demon statue—and unknowingly, to Mo Hua hiding behind it—three times, while exclaiming,
"Our master is immortal and eternal."
Mo Hua's feelings were somewhat complicated.
After the bowing, the black-robed leader lowered his head and dared not look directly at the ram-horned demon statue, fearing that he would offend the will of the "divine master" that had descended here.
Afterward, the black-robed leader walked back to the main hall respectfully.
He dared not look at the statue again.
At the same time, he dared not go near the altar behind the statue.
Mo Hua slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
He had prepared himself that if he were discovered, he would immediately act, using his divine sense to activate an array with his ink painting, blowing up the statue and the altar together, and then taking the chance to escape.
Fortunately, the believers of the Great Wilderness Evil God were still quite devout.
And it was precisely because of their devotion that they preserved the altar of their divine master.
Mo Hua glanced at the white-boned broken sword in his hand.
There was not the slightest trace of aura in the sword.
The sword bone inside might have sensed the danger and was "playing dead."
Mo Hua shook his head, then secretly poked his head out again to look at the blood-colored figure on the black-robed leader's body.
This blood-colored figure was undoubtedly Master Tu.
The figure was filled with a strange aura, a mix of rationality and violence.
But strangely, this aura wasn't particularly strong.
"Not the true body?"
Mo Hua wondered.
It looked more like a lingering remnant soul, and it was only at the Foundation Establishment level, at most the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Probably because it was attached to this black-robed leader, who was at the peak of Foundation Establishment. If the remnant soul's cultivation level was too high, exceeding the Foundation Establishment level, the burden on the black-robed leader would be too heavy, and he might not be able to bear it.
"Just a remnant soul..."
Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.
But at the same time, he also felt relieved.
If it had been Master Tu's true body, he would have been finished.
However, thinking about it the other way around, if Master Tu's true body were really in the Myriad Demon Valley, then the result of his copper coin divination would likely have been "great misfortune."
Not bad... My divination was still quite accurate.
Mo Hua thought to himself.
On the other side, the black-robed leader, whose name was Jin Yixuan, walked to the center of the main hall, sat upright, and then bowed to the opposite side, saying respectfully,
"Disciple Jin Yixuan, please teach me the array."
Jin Yixuan?
Mo Hua was taken aback.
So, it really was someone from the Jin family, with a name that differed from Jin Yicai by only one character. They were probably of the same generation and had a close blood relationship.
And...
Teaching an array?
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.
Inviting Master Tu to teach an array, could it be that they wanted to learn...
Mo Hua held his breath and listened intently.
Sure enough, after a moment, the blood-colored remnant soul of Master Tu said in a solemn voice,
"The Dao is not to be asked about lightly, nor are the techniques to be transmitted lightly. Do you know what kind of inheritance I am about to impart to you?"
Jin Yixuan, as the black-robed leader, bowed and said,
"Disciple knows. Sir is about to impart the supreme array technique of sensing the grace of the divine with the mortal consciousness—the Divine Array!"
"The Divine Array!"
Mo Hua's heart jumped.
It's finally here!
In the main hall, Master Tu's blood-colored remnant soul nodded slightly and said solemnly,
"The Divine Array is a technique to steal the path of the divine."
"The essence of the Divine Array is to use the array patterns manifested by the path of the divine to transform one's mental power, thus enabling one to rival the divine."
"This is a heretical array!"
"It is a deviant path used by insignificant ants like cultivators to offend the dignity of the divine and blaspheme against them!"
"This kind of array is not tolerated by the divine master!"
Master Tu's tone was filled with anger.
He paused for a moment, calming his anger, and then continued,
"However, in this world, everything has its counter. There is the positive and the negative, the obedient and the rebellious..."
"The Divine Array, while being a heretical technique that goes against the divine, is also a technique to serve the divine master without the need for an array."
Upon hearing this, Mo Hua, who was hidden behind the statue, finally understood.
No wonder this "seal the evil god" divine array was now being used by the evil god's minions to further their agenda.
Mo Hua scoffed.
Some use a rope to tie up a dog.
While others use it to hang themselves, willingly becoming a dog.
And they're not even ashamed of it; instead, they're proud.
How despicable...
On the other side, Master Tu continued, "However, since it's an array that steals the power of the divine, it means that it's not something that an ordinary cultivator can learn."
"Only those with extraordinary innate talent, like divine fetuses, oracles who can communicate with the divine through their thoughts, or servants who have been possessed by the divine..."
"...common cultivators cannot comprehend divine arrays."
"I've told you these things before..." Master Tu said.
Jin Yixuan cupped his hands and replied, "Yes."
"So," Master Tu said, "you are neither a divine fetus nor an oracle, and your thoughts cannot reach the divine. You've also never been possessed by the Divine Master. If you want to learn this divine array, there's only one way..."
"Borrow!" exclaimed Master Tu.
Jin Yixuan was taken aback, "Borrow?"
"Indeed," Master Tu nodded, "Borrow the Divine Master's mental power to form the divine array!"
"This way, even if you don't fully understand the core principles of the divine array, you can still construct a profound divine array under the protection of the Divine Master."
"This is the blessing of the Divine Master!"
Jin Yixuan immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Divine Master, for your blessing!"
Master Tu spread out a piece of demon-skin paper, picked up an array brush, and dipped it in blood ink. "Now, I will teach you the formal divine array."
"This is the divine array legacy of the Great Wilderness clan, derived from a highly disrespectful method of 'sealing the divine'."
"This legacy is divided into three array techniques:"
"The first is the Divine Prison Array."
"The second is the Divine Mist Array."
"And the third, the most crucial, is the Divine Lock Array."
"The Divine Prison Array controls the opening and closing of the divine wonders; the Divine Mist Array can create mist that obscures divine thoughts; and the Divine Lock Array is a 'chain' imposed on the body of the divine."
"When combined, they can seal the body of the divine with the thoughts of mortals!"
"It's a class of 'great disrespect' array that blasphemes against the divine!"
"But now, this set of divine arrays has been repeatedly improved, transformed, and has become a set of array techniques to revere the Divine Master, conceal the Divine Master's wonders, and use the mighty power of the Divine Master to realize his grand plan."
"All mortals are like dogs and have inferior roots and fleshly bodies. They cannot comprehend such a great array."
"Without the blessing of the Divine Master, you are also not qualified to see these array patterns with your own eyes. Remember this!" Master Tu concluded.
After hearing this, Jin Yixuan immediately kowtowed again, knocking his head on the ground until blood flowed, and said with gratitude, "Thank you, Divine Master, for your blessing, and thank you, Master, for your teachings!"
"Good," said Master Tu, "Now I will impart the array patterns to you. Watch carefully."
Master Tu then borrowed Jin Yixuan's body and drew the divine array patterns on the paper.
Jin Yixuan watched respectfully.
After finishing the drawing, Master Tu said, "First, familiarize yourself with the array patterns. I will teach you the essence of the array another day."
"Yes," Jin Yixuan replied.
After that, the blood-colored figure gradually disappeared, and the remnant soul of Master Tu slowly sank into Jin Yixuan's body, vanishing from sight.
Jin Yixuan looked at the array patterns before him, his expression filled with excitement.
"This is... the Divine Array!"
It was the nearly extinct array legacy in the entire Qian Xuezhou realm.
Even in the entire cultivation world of the Nine Provinces, it was extremely rare.
The conditions for studying the Divine Array were extremely strict, and even within a large province, the number of cultivators who could master the Divine Array was probably minimal.
And now, he was about to become a master of the Divine Array!
He carefully and reverently stroked the demon-skin paper, treating each array pattern as a treasure.
After a while, he calmed his thoughts and began to delve into the Divine Array.
After studying for a while, he took out paper and brush and started practicing the array patterns.
Jin Yixuan frowned, drawing the patterns over and over, but his frown deepened as if he was stuck on something, and his progress was slow.
After an unknown amount of time, footsteps approached from outside, and a demon cultivator's voice sounded, "Leader..."
Jin Yixuan closed the demon-skin scroll, frowning with displeasure, "What is it?"
The demon cultivator respectfully said, "We have just refined a few furnaces of Extreme Pleasure Pills, and we need you to inspect them."
Jin Yixuan clicked his tongue, sounding a bit annoyed. This was a critical moment for him to comprehend the Divine Array, and he didn't want to be disturbed.
However, the Divine Array was inherently profound and abstruse, and fully grasping it would take more than just a short amount of time.
On the other hand, the affairs within the Myriad Demon Valley couldn't be delayed, or he wouldn't be able to report to the young master properly.
"Alright," Jin Yixuan said coldly, then closed the demon-skin paper, preparing to keep it with him. But as he turned, he suddenly remembered that this array was bestowed by the Divine Master and personally taught by Master Tu.
Who was he to carry such a sacred array in his storage bag? What if he lost it or misplaced it? Wouldn't that be a "great disrespect" to the Divine Master? How would he face Master Tu then? Jin Yixuan thought for a moment, then had an idea.
He took out an exquisite jade box and carefully placed the demon-skin paper with the Divine Array inside.
Then, Jin Yixuan solemnly offered the jade box in front of the ram-horned demon statue.
He also offered it in front of Mo Hua, who was hiding behind the statue.
Jin Yixuan even bowed his head and said reverently, "Divine Master above, please protect your follower so that I may comprehend this Divine Array soon and offer sacrifices to you."
After saying this, he bowed his head three times.
Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed by this display.
After bowing, Jin Yixuan left, never daring to look directly at the ram-horned demon statue.
Once he left, the great hall became much quieter.
After a while, Mo Hua cautiously poked his head out from behind the fierce ram-horned demon statue.
"This Jin Yixuan is quite devout to the Great Wilderness Evil God. He doesn't dare to have any ulterior motives..."
Since that was the case, it was a good thing for him.
Suppressing his excitement, Mo Hua carefully opened the jade box, took out the demon-skin paper inside, and slowly unfolded it...
The intricate and complex array, formed by a blood-red color, immediately came into view.
It was a divine array!
And there were three of them!
With time being of the essence, Mo Hua's eyes burned with intensity as he quickly scanned through the arrays, committing every detail of the array patterns to memory.
After memorizing them, Mo Hua carefully folded the demon-skin paper and placed it back into the jade box, ensuring he left no traces of his actions. Only then did he return to his hiding spot behind the ram-horned demon statue.
Seated on the familiar "sheep head stool," Mo Hua took out some paper and a brush and meticulously transcribed the array patterns he had just memorized, not missing a single stroke.
Then, he began to quietly study these array patterns.
Some of the array patterns on the demon-skin paper were already familiar to him.
They included the array from the small fishing village and the one from the forest outside the Myriad Demon Valley.
Based on what "Mr. Tu" had said about the types of divine array inheritances:
The divine array from the small fishing village should be the "Divine Prison Array," which controls the opening and closing of divine wonders.
In other words, it controls the entrance to the temple of the Evil God in the blood-colored fishing village.
The divine array that merged with the forest outside the Myriad Demon Valley should be the "Divine Mist Array," capable of creating mist that obscures divine thoughts.
Thus, unless one's divine sense was extremely powerful, it would be impossible to see through the mist and uncover the truth within the Divine Mist Array.
The last one, and the most critical according to "Mr. Tu," was the "Divine Lock Array."
This array was almost entirely new to Mo Hua.
He had only seen the old demon cultivator, now known as "Sword Bonhead," draw one of the array patterns on his life-bound sword bone.
This array pattern had been "stolen" from the Refining Demon Chart.
In other words, the Divine Lock Array should also be the core of the Refining Demon Chart.
Mo Hua recalled that Mr. Tu had said, "The Divine Lock Array is a 'chain' imposed on the body of a deity..."
Mo Hua pondered this in his heart.
So, the Divine Lock Array itself is the most authentic "sealing" array? Hence, it is the core of the divine array?
"The Divine Lock Array, with divine thoughts as a lock, seals the deity..."
Mo Hua nodded slightly, feeling that his guess was likely correct.
He began to take out his brush and ink again, starting from the Divine Prison Array, then the Divine Mist Array, and finally attempting to learn the entire system of the Divine Lock Array.
Having already studied the Divine Prison Array and the Divine Mist Array before, although he didn't have the complete array patterns, he at least had a foundation to build upon.
Now that he had obtained the full array patterns, learning them became much easier.
The only challenging part was the Divine Lock Array.
Mo Hua calmed his mind and began to practice the array patterns stroke by stroke...
The surroundings fell quiet.
Only the soft scratching of the brush against the paper could be heard.
The Sword Demon within the White Bone Sword finally dared to poke its head out and glance at Mo Hua, thinking:
"This little ancestor sure has guts as big as ever, daring to steal array techniques right under the nose of the demon cultivator leader. What if something goes wrong, and he gets caught? He'll be swallowed alive and flayed!"
Sword Bonhead shook his head.
Seeing Mo Hua's focused expression as he studied the array, Sword Bonhead cautiously peeked at the array patterns that Mo Hua was drawing.
As soon as he saw them, he was startled.
He recognized these array patterns!
They were the mysterious array patterns from the Refining Demon Chart!
Although he had only secretly memorized one of them, he still had a vague impression of the others, but he simply couldn't remember them all or learn them.
Yet now, these array patterns were being perfectly reproduced by the little ancestor's brush.
It was the complete set of array techniques!
And what was even more unbelievable to Sword Bonhead was...
Out of all these array patterns, he had only managed to steal and learn one.
He had practiced it day after day, for about two hundred years, before he could barely grasp it.
Even then, he wasn't sure how he had learned it; it felt more like a matter of "practice makes perfect."
This was just one array pattern!
But now...
This entire set of mysterious and abstruse array techniques was flowing effortlessly from Mo Hua's brush, like water pouring from a jug.
Sword Bonhead's heart was filled with shock.
Could the difference in talent between people really be so vast? Although he wasn't an array master, it had still taken him about two hundred years to learn just one array pattern, yet this little ancestor seemed to have mastered it after just a glance?!
Was this reasonable?
As the White Bone Sword Demon was still in awe, Mo Hua put down his brush and murmured:
"That's about it... This Divine Lock Array doesn't seem as difficult as I thought."
He felt a bit uncertain.
Previously, when he heard Mr. Tu speak with such gravity, he had thought it was some extremely profound and abstruse array technique.
But now, it seemed... well, not so difficult? After practicing it twice, he felt like he had a good grasp of it.
"It shouldn't be this simple, right...?" Mo Hua muttered to himself.
He looked at the array patterns he had drawn and further analyzed them, sensing the flow of divine thought power within them. Yet, he still felt that... it seemed to be correct.
Could he have learned it already? Mo Hua found it hard to believe.
"Maybe I should find something to test it out and practice," he thought. "Knowledge comes from practice."
He could test it out in practice to see if there were any problems.
"The Divine Lock Array, using divine thoughts as a chain to seal a deity. If it can seal a deity, then it should be able to seal other things as well, in theory..."
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned his head, his eyes shining as he looked at the nearby White Bone Broken Sword.
The Sword Demon within the sword was startled, and a sense of dread filled his heart.
"Oh no..."
(End of Chapter)
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