Array Mastery

"A formation curtain?"

Mr. Zhuang also looked slightly surprised.

Mo Hua recalled the Formation Curtain in his mind and described it in detail:

"The faint blue spiritual power is like ink, crisscrossing to form patterns resembling array lines. Woven together, the spiritual veil appears as a complete array formation. However, the spiritual energy flows within it, causing the array lines to change, presenting different arrays on the veil."

"Interesting."

Mr. Zhuang's eyes brightened slightly, then he took out paper and pen, laying them on the table in front of him.

"Do you remember those array lines? Draw a few for me to see."

"I remember some of the array lines, but they keep changing..." Mo Hua replied truthfully.

"No problem," Mr. Zhuang said, "Draw them as you saw them. That will suffice."

Mo Hua held the brush in her small hand, inked it lightly, and the tip of the brush wandered on the paper. Soon, several array lines appeared vividly on the paper.

Mr. Zhuang glanced at them. "They look like ordinary array lines; nothing particularly special."

Mo Hua asked, "Did the predecessors who practiced this technique before encounter such situations?"

Mr. Zhuang pondered briefly and said, "No, at least not that I've heard of."

Mr. Zhuang explained further, "Even with the same technique, different practitioners may encounter different problems, especially with obscure ancient techniques like this one, with few inheritors and even fewer practitioners. Once problems arise, it's difficult to find good precedents for reference."

Mr. Zhuang mused, "The technique mentions a bottleneck in consciousness. Previous practitioners who faced issues likely had problems at the level of consciousness, but their issues should have been different from yours, otherwise it would have been noted on the jade slip. Regarding matters of inheriting techniques within the sect, seniors wouldn't withhold such knowledge out of selfishness."

Mo Hua frowned, "Then, sir, what should I do? It seems I can't continue cultivate now."

Mr. Zhuang smiled casually, "As long as it concerns arrays, it's nothing too serious." He then instructed, "Go back, record the array lines and formations displayed on the spiritual veil, and show them to me tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!"

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, then remembered what Mr. Zhuang had just said.

As long as it concerns arrays, it's nothing too serious?

How profound is Mr. Zhuang's mastery of arrays?

Could he already be a third-grade Array Master?

What kind of arrays can a third-grade Array Master create?

Mo Hua was filled with some admiration but quickly thought:

"Never mind, it's better not to aim too high. Becoming a first-grade Array Master still seems distant..."

Mo Hua gathered his thoughts, remembered Mr. Zhuang's instructions, and returned home to immerse his consciousness into his sea of knowledge, observing the array lines and formations on the spiritual veil.

Mo Hua recognized many of the array lines on the veil, but most of the formations were unfamiliar. Some obscure and unfamiliar array lines could not be remembered all at once. He could only practice on the stone stele while observing them, until he became proficient and memorized them, then withdrew from his sea of knowledge and record the array lines on the array paper.

He continued like this until midnight, when Mo Hua suddenly felt dizzy, knowing that he had overused his consciousness, so he prepared to rest for a while.

As soon as his mind relaxed, Mo Hua felt hunger pangs in his stomach, realizing he had been too engrossed in recording array lines and had skipped dinner.

"My parents should be asleep by now."

Mo Hua was a little worried, "I wonder if there's anything left to eat at home."

Mo Hua stood up, about to open the door, only to find a small table placed next to the door, with several bowls and plates on it, and a large bowl placed upside down.

Mo Hua flipped it open and saw a small pot of white porridge, a plate of assorted side dishes, two steamed buns, and a small dish of beef with sauce.

The side dishes and meat had cooled, the buns were warm, but the porridge was still hot.

"It must be Mother worried that I hadn't eaten, but didn't want to disturb me while I was studying arrays, so she deliberately left it at the door. And she even reheated it again before bedtime, otherwise the porridge would have been cold long ago."

Mo Hua was delighted and took a sip of the porridge, feeling warmth spread throughout his body.

He then quickly devoured the remaining food, sweeping away his earlier fatigue and revitalizing his spirit.

Returning to his sea of knowledge, Mo Hua continued to copy the array lines from the spiritual veil, transcribing them onto array paper as he remembered.

He persisted until the hour of the Tiger (3-5 AM), when her consciousness depleted for the second time. He neatly stored away the transcribed array paper and went to sleep soundly.

The next day, Mr. Zhuang examined the array paper that Mo Hua had transcribed, his gaze slightly focused.

"It turns out to be a Puzzle Array," he remarked.

"Puzzle Array?" Mo Hua had never heard of it before.

Mr. Zhuang patiently explained, "Do you know riddles?"

Mo Hua nodded.

"This Puzzle Array is similar to riddles, using array lines as clues and array formations as the answer. It forms a Puzzle Array. If one doesn't grasp the method, they naturally cannot see the truth within."

"Oh," Mo Hua nodded in understanding.

"This was originally a playful tool used by ancient sects to entertain and stimulate disciples' intellects, but it's not commonly seen nowadays."

Mo Hua thought about the intricate and headache-inducing array lines, her expression becoming complex.

This is meant for intellectual stimulation?

"If I can't solve it, does that mean I'm not very clever?" Mo Hua asked tactfully.

Mr. Zhuang could tell what Mo Hua was thinking with a glance, and smiled knowingly, "Not exactly. Yours is a bit more challenging, not something everyone can solve."

Mo Hua felt Mr. Zhuang was consoling him but not quite hitting the mark.

Not everyone can solve it, which probably means many can, and only a few cannot.

And he couldn't solve it...

Since it's meant for intellectual stimulation, he had to solve it. This was about pride!

Mo Hua couldn't help but ask, "So, how do you solve this Puzzle Array?"

Mr. Zhuang habitually tapped his finger on the bamboo chair, "Your situation is different from others'. If others can't solve it, they might feel a bit frustrated. But your Puzzle Array involves your cultivation. If you can't solve it, your progress will stall, which could be troublesome."

"There are two methods: first, you try to solve it yourself; second, you record all the array lines, transcribe them, and I'll help you solve it."

"The second method is quicker and more direct, after all, cultivation forms the foundation for cultivators. Without cultivation, everything is just empty talk, let alone becoming an Array Master. The first method benefits your array learning, but it's time-consuming and could delay your cultivation. The choice is yours."

After Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, he looked at Mo Hua with amusement.

Mo Hua was conflicted.

For cultivators, stalling in cultivation was too serious a consequence. His cultivation and aptitude were inferior to the Bai siblings, but among the independent cultivators in Tongxian City, he was considered a "standout"—though that was relative.

If he spent too much time on the bottleneck of his technique, his cultivation might lag behind.

After some thought, Mo Hua decided, "Sir, I choose the first method."

It was best to solve problems by himself.

If his cultivation fell behind a little, so be it. His spiritual roots and technique were already inferior to others, and that difference would only become more apparent later on. Falling behind early or late made no difference.

One shouldn't covet temporary superiority.

Moreover, if he relied on Mr. Zhuang to solve the initial bottleneck, what about the mid and late stages of cultivation?

Mr. Zhuang couldn't be by his side forever, and he was just a named disciple of Mr. Zhuang's—he couldn't bother him with everything.

There was another reason: the phrase "intellectual stimulation" weighed heavily on Mo Hua's mind.

"Oh? Have you thought it through?" Mr. Zhuang asked, somewhat cryptically.

Mo Hua nodded, "Disciple has made up his mind."

Mr. Zhuang nodded, "Here, I have some manuals and jade slips that explain the basics of Puzzle Arrays. Take them to read first. When you're done, come find me, and I'll teach you how to solve arrays."

Mo Hua accepted them solemnly, "Thank you, Master. I'll take my leave."

As Mo Hua walked away, Mr. Zhuang's relaxed expression faded, replaced by a slightly more serious demeanor.

(End of the Chapter)