Chapter 1214: Great Expansion Array

Mo Hua crafted arrays himself, devised their generation and restraint, and personally comprehended their principles.

He proceeded step by step, experimenting, exploring, and constantly probing the limits.

Whenever his mind went blank, showing signs of being "assimilated" by the Great Dao, Mo Hua immediately sensed it and halted at once.

The Dao of Heaven acts as a judge, operating according to the laws of the Great Dao.

Mo Hua, then, is a little demon who commits crimes—a repeat offender—constantly testing the edges of Heaven's Dao, skirting the gray zones of its taboos.

"Illegal" acts naturally bring greater profits, but invite swift punishment.

"Legal" acts yield slower gains, but are safe, stable, and free of lingering dangers.

He must still be a good cultivator who obeys the law.

Of course, he cannot afford to ignore the law either—Heaven's Dao never coddles him.

Out of fear of being "targeted," Mo Hua naturally slowed his comprehension of the principles.

Yet even so, his rate of insight remains absurdly extraordinary.

The most terrifying aspect of "self-controlled" principle comprehension is the "self-control."

He can create conditions for "sudden enlightenment" himself, according to his own design, comprehend corresponding principles, and even generate "contradictory generation and restraint" to deduce other principles.

This "defying Heaven" behavior, in a certain sense, transcends the category of "human."

This is simply not something a normal person could accomplish.

Not to mention, Mo Hua is only at Foundation Establishment.

Heaven's Will not directly crushing this defiance is already an act of mercy.

Thereafter, Mo Hua continued his array construction, principle reconstruction, principle generation and restraint, and principle comprehension within Heaven's tolerated "limits."

He could not become "obsessed" to excess—Mo Hua was displeased, but had no choice; cultivation required balance, rest and labor, slow and steady progress.

Thus days passed, and after half a month.

Mo Hua's array skills received another significant boost.

Primarily, his mastery of the Thick Earth Severance Array, various Earth-element arrays, and Bagua Gen Mountain-type arrays rose an entire tier.

Using these arrays as mediums, he "generated" principles related to the earth, practicing them repeatedly, countless times, with profound insight.

And this generation of principles, in turn, fed back and enhanced Mo Hua's understanding of arrays.

From array to principle, then from principle back to array.

The two began to blur their boundaries, moving toward unity.

This was truly comprehending arrays at the level of "principle."

And this was only Earth-type arrays.

Mo Hua felt that if he applied this same process—array deconstruction, principle reconstruction, then using principles to feed back into array understanding—to all arrays,

then one day, he might truly achieve the unification of "ten thousand arrays" and "ten thousand principles."

Becoming a terrifying array master beyond imagination.

The arrays he drew would *be* "principles."

His principles could also spontaneously generate arrays at will…

"Arrays are principles; principles generate arrays…"

At this thought, Mo Hua suddenly startled.

He suddenly realized he was not unfamiliar with this scene.

He had seen this image before.

It was over a decade ago, when he was still young—his senior uncle had taken him to the Ten Thousand Demons Assembly, sealing the entire Ten Thousand Demons Hall with the "Devious Way Heaven-Sealing Array," slaughtering every Jin Dan and even Liu Yuhua demonic cultivator within.

At that time, when his senior uncle used the array, those devious array patterns seemed to come alive, spontaneously generating in the void…

"Devious Way Heaven-Sealing Array…"

Mo Hua sucked in a sharp breath.

Back then, he was young and low in cultivation, lacking vision and experience—he simply could not understand.

He could not fathom why his senior uncle's arrays could behave as if alive, "self-replicating."

But now, recalling it, he suddenly realized—could this be…

The manifestation of comprehending one's own Dao, mastering one's own principles, then generating array patterns based on "principle"?

His senior uncle cultivated the Devious Way.

Thus, the principles he mastered were the Devious Way principles.

The Devious Way Heaven-Sealing Array was what spontaneously generated from those Devious Way principles.

Mo Hua's heart trembled; his back turned cold.

He felt he was drawing nearer to his senior uncle, understanding him a little more deeply.

But the more he understood, the more he felt his senior uncle's power and terror.

The crude insights Mo Hua had struggled so hard to grasp, his senior uncle had likely long since perfected, integrated, and refined to the ultimate state.

For a moment, Mo Hua felt profound disappointment.

When would he ever catch up to his senior uncle…

Then he suddenly realized—he was being too "greedy," too arrogant.

What manner of person was his senior uncle?

How many years had his senior uncle cultivated? How long had he himself cultivated?

What realm was his senior uncle in? What realm was he in?

To even think of comparing himself to his senior uncle now—his ambition was too great…

Not being able to match him was only natural.

Thinking this, Mo Hua felt a little better.

At the same time, he couldn't help wondering: if his senior uncle's methods truly followed his own hypothesis—that "principles" give rise to "arrays"—

then it meant his own path might be correct.

In this world, aside from his master, few array masters could rival his senior uncle, who bore the title "Daoist."

His senior uncle's path was undoubtedly the path of the strong.

Even if he himself did not walk it, it was still worth studying.

Mo Hua gradually exhaled.

The confusion he once felt toward Dao, principles, and arrays had also settled considerably.

A path walked alone would surely be lonely and uncertain.

But if his senior uncle walked ahead of him, it became far more reliable.

Even though his path and his senior uncle's were fundamentally incompatible, and they were destined to part ways at some crossroad…

Thinking of this, Mo Hua's heart grew unexpectedly heavy.

He then "extinguished" all thoughts related to his "senior uncle," fearing that too much contemplation might truly trigger his senior uncle's awareness.

Compared to the title "Daoist," the karmic ties of the words "senior uncle" were far fainter.

Mo Hua even suspected that, for some reason, his senior uncle's true form might not even be aware of his existence as a "junior nephew."

But his senior uncle was still his senior uncle—caution was still necessary.

As long as he confirmed that his understanding of "Dao, Principle, Array" was viable, and that a path lay ahead with direction to follow, that was enough.

"Forget the senior uncle, forget the senior uncle…"

Mo Hua calmed his thoughts, steadied his emotions, and resumed his study of arrays and the power of Taotie.

As his understanding of arrays deepened and his comprehension of principles grew clearer,

his research into Taotie's power naturally became more profound.

Mo Hua gradually felt he had grasped some essential principle of "Famine."

But then he immediately faced a very complex problem.

It was a problem at the level of "principle":

The Taotie power causing the Great Wasteland's famine might be entirely different from the twenty-three-character Taotie Absolute Array principle he obtained from the Shu Gu tribe.

And the principle of the Shu Gu tribe's twenty-three-character Taotie Array likely also differed from that of the Twelve Meridians Taotie Spirit Remains Array.

This meant the principles he had encountered related to "Taotie" were fundamentally irreconcilable.

The corresponding three arrays—the Famine Taotie Array, the Shu Gu Taotie Array, and the Spirit Remains Taotie Array—were likely mutually incompatible.

This left Mo Hua deeply perplexed.

The Taotie represented by Famine might be tied to the principles of hunger and death.

Then what did the Taotie of the Shu Gu tribe signify?

And what principle did the Taotie Spirit Remains Array contain?

Why, when all were called "Taotie," were their differences so vast?

What secrets lay hidden within?

How should the origin of this "Taotie" be understood?

What, precisely, was the essential principle of "Taotie"?

Mo Hua furrowed his brow; the deeper he studied, the more confused he became, even feeling he might have walked into another dead end.

The principle of "Taotie" was cruel and profound, tangled with countless threads.

He now found it nearly impossible to pull out a single "thread" to unravel and delve deeper into Taotie's core.

Mo Hua could only endure, continuing to repeatedly draw the Thick Earth Reconstructive Absolute Array and contemplate the Taotie power within Famine.

But this insight soon hit a "bottleneck."

Because the Famine's aura had no form of "array" to manifest itself.

Or rather, Mo Hua still did not know what kind of array the "Famine Taotie Array" was, or how it was constructed.

Knowing the "array" but not the "principle" meant learning only its form, missing its essence—but at least one could still copy it mechanically.

Mo Hua was now exactly the opposite.

He had prematurely grasped certain aspects of Famine's "principle," yet had not seen the "array" that served as its vessel.

Thus, the "principle" had no vessel, no medium, and could not unite with the "array."

Merely possessing insight into the principle, yet unable to apply it, was useless.

This too was a thorny problem.

"Where should one seek the array patterns causing Famine?"

"Deep within the spread of Famine?"

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, considering whether to forge some Thick Earth spiritual artifacts capable of suppressing Famine, or a Life Dao robe.

Wearing these robes and carrying these artifacts, he could resist Taotie's power and penetrate deep into the heart of Famine's spread.

There, in the core region of Famine, he might find traces of the "array."

If he could find these array patterns that spawned Famine, perhaps he could unite "principle" and "array," and first master this "Famine Taotie" array.

In this way, he would have gained control over one form of "Taotie power," equivalent to possessing the ability to "create Famine."

Of course, this was merely Mo Hua's "hypothesis," deduced from his own experience and knowledge.

Whether he could truly penetrate the heart of Famine,

whether he could find the Famine Taotie array patterns,

and whether such a thing as "Famine array patterns" even existed—all remained unknown.

Mo Hua hesitated.

In the land of famine, there may well be an opportunity tied to an array.

But the danger is also great.

A single misstep, and the power of Taotie could corrupt you, plunging you into extreme "hunger," risking your life.

This danger is certain, but the opportunity may not truly exist.

This made the choice extremely difficult.

Just as Mo Hua was still undecided, other changes occurred.

That day, Mo Hua was staring at the withered earth, studying the spread of the famine.

Elder Bachuan came to him and said, "Lord Wuzhu, something has happened."

Mo Hua blinked slightly. "What is it?"

Elder Bachuan's expression turned grave. "The Wu Sha Mountain Realm has been breached."

Mo Hua was startled. "Was it the Bifang tribe?"

Elder Bachuan shook his head. "It was the main force of the Shu Gu tribe."

Mo Hua frowned. "Shu Gu tribe?"

"Yes," Elder Bachuan said. "The Shu Gu tribe, whether to escape the famine or for other reasons, suddenly began attacking second-rank minor mountain realms. Their forces are strong—Wu Sha Mountain Realm was breached just days ago."

"Young Master Zhu is leading troops to resist, but the battle situation remains unclear…"

Mo Hua was engaged in a highly important and profound study, something Elder Bachuan could not understand, yet he knew it was vital.

For ordinary matters, he would never dare disturb Mo Hua.

But now, with a powerful enemy attacking and Young Master Zhu personally leading the front lines, this matter was of utmost gravity.

He could only steel himself and interrupt Mo Hua's research.

Mo Hua fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I understand. Let's return now."

Whether or not to enter the core region of the famine's spread could be decided later.

The immediate priority was to deal with the Shu Gu tribe's invasion.

After all, Jin Wutu and Wu Sha and several other mountain realms were Mo Hua's "base," the foundation for further expansion—unacceptable to lose.

The threat from the main force of the Shu Gu tribe could not be underestimated.

Mo Hua cast one final glance at the withering earth and the scattered, painstakingly drawn Earth Reconstruction Array he had painted to combat the famine, feeling the wondrous interweaving of life and death, his gaze deep, then he departed.

…

The region where Mo Hua studied the power of Taotie lay in the northwestern part of Wu Sha Mountain Realm.

The area invaded by the Shu Gu tribe lay directly to the west.

Mo Hua reached the front lines of Wu Sha Mountain Realm after a day and night of travel; upon arrival, he saw both sides already locked in fierce combat amid the treacherous mountains.

Zhu Shaozhu and Chifeng led the Dan Que tribe, along with the barbarian troops of Wu Sha, Hei Jiao, and Jin Wutu, entangled in brutal combat with the Shu Gu tribesmen, their faces painted in strange designs.

The Shu Gu tribe had bypassed the famine zones and launched their assault on Wu Sha Mountain Realm through the rugged mountain passes.

Fortunately, their intent was quickly detected.

Upon learning of it, Zhu Shaozhu led a counterattack and successfully halted the Shu Gu barbarians at the edge of Wu Sha Mountain Realm, roughly thirty li away.

This prevented the main body of Wu Sha Mountain Realm—including the minor mountain realms beneath its barrier, such as Jin Wutu—from suffering major damage.

Meanwhile, the Shu Gu tribe had persistently sought to advance into Wu Sha's interior.

Zhu Shaozhu had firmly blocked them.

The two sides clashed back and forth at the front lines, the battle raging fiercely until late into the night, when both finally withdrew.

After the withdrawal, Zhu Shaozhu, his brow tightly furrowed, returned to his tent and saw Mo Hua waiting for him; his expression instantly brightened with delight.

"Mr., you've returned?"

Mo Hua nodded.

Zhu Shaozhu looked at Mo Hua, his face unable to hide his joy.

Mo Hua had been studying the famine and comprehending the Dao for several months without returning to Jin Wutu or seeing Zhu Shaozhu.

Yet as he gazed, Zhu Shaozhu suddenly froze.

He felt that after several months apart, Master Wu seemed entirely different.

His demeanor was calmer, more detached, more transparent—almost as if he had begun to merge with the surrounding heavens and earth.

Even his breathing carried an indescribable rhythm.

And his eyes held a profound clarity, as if all things he saw were no longer in their original form.

Zhu Shaozhu was stunned.

He had never seen any Jin Dan, not even late-stage Jin Dan cultivators, possess such a natural, profound aura.

Mo Hua, however, was unaware of it.

While immersed in the Dao, he did not perceive his own transformation; seeing Zhu Shaozhu's joy turn to astonishment, he asked:

"Is the situation that serious?"

Zhu Shaozhu snapped back to himself and shook his head. "It's good you're here, Mr."

Zhu Shaozhu himself did not realize that his tone of "Mr." now carried even greater sincerity than before.

Mo Hua then asked about the battle situation.

Zhu Shaozhu answered each point in turn.

This time, the Shu Gu tribe launched a sudden attack, and their leader was none other than the "Six Wonders of Shu Gu," with whom they had previously had grievances.

Of course, Zhu Shaozhu had killed one of the six, so now they should be called the "Five Wonders of Shu Gu."

The Five Wonders had once been six brothers bound as one; now that one was dead, they hated Zhu Shaozhu with a vengeance, and this assault on Wu Sha Mountain Realm was, in essence, "revenge."

The Five Monsters of Shu Gu were not worth worrying about; they had been defeated by Dan Zhu, and even all six of them together could not match the prodigy Dan Zhu, let alone now that only five remained.

But now they were in Wu Sha Mountain Realm.

Wu Sha Mountain Realm was a second-rank realm, with heavenly dao restrictions.

Dan Zhu was a Jin Dan; within Wu Sha Mountain Realm, he could only use his Foundation Establishment peak cultivation, utterly unable to unleash his full power.

Especially since he could not activate his supreme Zhu Que Xuanhuo Lingyi artifact—effectively crippling half his strength.

Thus, this genius had been invisibly weakened by the heavenly dao.

The Five Monsters of Shu Gu, originally inferior to Dan Zhu, now found themselves relatively "strengthened" by the realm's suppression.

With this reversal, Dan Zhu gained no advantage against these five.

Mo Hua had sent Dan Zhu to the second-rank realm intending to protect him, to prevent other high-level Jin Dan cultivators from killing him.

Yet Dan Zhu was not protected—he was first weakened.

The Five Monsters of Shu Gu, by contrast, were protected.

Mo Hua's heart was also complicated.

The shifts in strength under heavenly dao's balance were indeed subtle.

Once Jin Dan were restricted, the main force of war became entirely "Foundation Establishment."

The outcome of this cultivation war would be entirely dominated by Foundation Establishment barbarian troops.

In other words, this was a battle of manpower between Dan Que Tribe and the Wu Sha, Hei Jiao, Jin Wutu, and other allied tribes, versus the Shu Gu Main Tribe.

In great realm wars, the strong decide; higher realm means greater power, Liu Yuhua can slaughter entire regions.

In small realm wars, numbers decide; more people mean greater strength—even ants can chew through elephants.

On Mo Hua's side, even counting Dan Zhu's followers and the allied barbarian troops of Jin Wutu and other small tribes, their total forces still fell short of Shu Gu's Main Tribe alone.

At this moment, the forces available in Wu Sha Mountain Realm were not the full complement.

Tribes like Jin Wutu in the rear also needed to station troops for defense.

Thus, Dan Zhu's barbarian troops numbered only about two thousand—half of Shu Gu's.

And Shu Gu's four thousand barbarians were certainly not their full strength either.

After all, this war had only just begun.

They could not possibly commit all their strength from the outset to attack Dan Zhu.

But what came after was uncertain.

Thus, the current situation was extremely solemn.

With numerical disadvantage and Dan Zhu's cultivation restricted, he could not rely on personal power to slaughter enemies and turn the tide—hence his solemn expression.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then said: "No matter. Let's fight first."

Afterwards, Mo Hua made simple arrangements.

These arrangements were decided by him after slight calculation, based on the specific circumstances.

Mo Hua did not perform deeper divination.

Because the scale of this war was somewhat large—six thousand troops total—ten times the number that fought Bi Jie.

The difficulty of calculation had also increased tenfold.

This far exceeded Mo Hua's maximum predictive limit.

Moreover, this was direct combat—mostly brute force, hard to outmaneuver, and many "tricks and deceptions" were useless.

Thus, Mo Hua could only roughly calculate the general fortune or misfortune, then let both sides fight a few engagements first, observe the situation, and decide next steps.

At dawn the next day, both sides resumed battle.

Mo Hua stood on a distant cliff, observing—and the situation was not optimistic.

Fewer troops, indeed, meant weakness.

And there was another, even more solemn issue:

Barbarian armor.

The barbarian armor of Shu Gu Main Tribe was one tier superior to all the armor worn by Dan Zhu's barbarians.

And in this battle, Shu Gu Main Tribe deployed a special kind of barbarian armor.

It was a gray-black, grotesque-looking, extremely hard armor forged from unknown demonic bones—fang-heavy armor.

This nearly indestructible heavy armor, worn by Foundation Establishment peak Shu Gu barbarians, rendered them nearly invincible in a second-rank realm war.

Even Dan Zhu himself, without using his Jin Dan cultivation or activating the Li Lingyi artifact, could not break through these "hard-boned" armors.

The outcome, naturally, was obvious.

The battle ended in defeat for Dan Zhu's tribe and the Jin Wutu Alliance.

Shu Gu's forces advanced fifty li.

Everyone's faces turned ashen.

Only Mo Hua, after deep thought, his eyes glinted with unusual light:

"Shu Gu Tribe… heavy armor…"