Chapter 268: Concealment

Mo Hua wanted to learn the Reverse Spirit Array.

But the Reverse Spirit Array was a ten-pattern array; to master it, one needed Foundation Establishment-level spiritual sense, and by then, Mo Hua might already be nearing Foundation Establishment.

Mr. Zhuang probably found it troublesome and started making empty promises again…

Mo Hua thought silently to himself.

Then he noticed Mr. Zhuang looking at him with a half-smile, and Mo Hua was startled—he knew Mr. Zhuang had sensed his inner criticism.

He didn't know how Mr. Zhuang had found out.

Mo Hua could only chuckle and say:

"Master, please rest well—I won't disturb you anymore."

After leaving Mr. Zhuang's Zuowang Pavilion, Mo Hua immediately took out the Concealment Array and began studying it intently.

The Concealment Array was a water-element array, but its effect differed from ordinary water-element arrays.

Thus, its array core varied, the array patterns changed, and it appeared even more profound.

But Mo Hua already possessed sufficient spiritual sense; all he needed to do now was draw it repeatedly.

Practice makes perfect—after drawing it dozens or hundreds of times, even the most obscure array patterns would become second nature.

Moreover, Mo Hua had the Dao Stele, had learned the Meditation Technique, and his cultivation method was the Great Expansion Scripture.

In just a few days, he could practice the array nearly a hundred times.

Others would need at least several months to practice this array a hundred times; if their talent was dull, it would take half a year.

Thus, Mo Hua learned arrays far faster than ordinary cultivators.

Mo Hua mastered the Concealment Array in three days.

He drew the array on paper, infused it with a small amount of spiritual energy to activate it, and indeed, the entire sheet vanished.

Mo Hua scanned it with his spiritual sense and could still perceive the array patterns, though they were slightly blurred by the covering water-element spiritual energy.

The paper was an inanimate object and could not deceive spiritual sense.

If a cultivator used the Concealment Technique while also concealing his own spiritual aura with spiritual sense, other cultivators could not detect him unless their spiritual sense was exceptionally strong.

Diao Laosan, though experienced in ambushes, had abysmal martial and Daoist skills—he relied solely on the Concealment Technique to cause trouble for so long.

Unfortunately, he had met Mo Hua, whose spiritual sense was extraordinary.

He was unlucky, and he deserved it.

Diao Laosan's spiritual sense was average; even then, the Concealment Technique was hard to detect—let alone against Mo Hua, whose spiritual sense was naturally powerful.

Mo Hua drew the Concealment Array onto his Dao robe.

Ordinary Dao robes were too soft to support array drawing.

In other words, Dao robes capable of holding arrays were extremely expensive.

Although Mo Hua was no longer short on spiritual stones, he didn't want to waste them.

If he ever reached Foundation Establishment, his daily spiritual stone consumption would nearly triple, so every bit saved mattered.

Mo Hua bought half a bolt of fabric suitable for array drawing—it was quite precious—and spent a hundred spiritual stones.

Mo Hua drew the Concealment Array onto the fabric, then had his mother sew it onto the inner lining of his Dao robe, so the array could activate without wasting spiritual stones.

Mo Hua tested it and found this Concealment Array still had flaws.

The array was drawn on the robe; areas covered by the robe were indeed concealed and invisible, but hands and face exposed beyond the robe still showed faint, blurry blue shadows.

This was within Mo Hua's expectations.

Because robes capable of concealment were themselves spiritual artifacts, and extremely expensive—at least in Xiancheng, none were to be seen.

Since they were so costly, the fabric and craftsmanship of such array-bearing robes were naturally refined.

It wasn't something Mo Hua could replicate by drawing an array on ordinary cloth and patching it onto a robe.

You get what you pay for—Mo Hua understood this principle well.

Mo Hua still asked his mother to check it for him.

Liu Ruhua, seeing his confident expression, smiled quietly and watched.

Mo Hua put on his Dao robe, activated the Concealment Array on it, then used the Concealment Technique himself.

The effects of the Concealment Technique and the Concealment Array overlapped, like invisible water flowing over his entire body—Mo Hua's figure vanished completely.

This time, Liu Ruhua was truly astonished.

She covered her mouth and murmured: "I really can't see him…"

A voice came from the empty space before her: "Mom, really?"

Liu Ruhua nodded. "Really."

"What about with spiritual sense?"

Liu Ruhua activated her spiritual sense, sensed carefully, then shook her head. "Nothing at all."

Mo Hua revealed his form again, smiling.

Liu Ruhua smiled too, then frowned slightly and warned:

"The Concealment Technique is useful, but don't use it for anything wrong."

"Mom, don't worry," Mo Hua laughed.

Still uneasy, Mo Hua later had his father Seeing Mo Shan, Zhang Lan, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zi Xi all test it.

None of them could see through Mo Hua's Concealment Technique.

Seeing Mo Shan was surprised, but also felt somewhat reassured.

With the Concealment Technique and the Flowing Water Step, a Qi Refining cultivator could defend himself easily.

As a father, he no longer needed to worry excessively about his son encountering danger in the Inner Mountain.

Zhang Lan, just watching, found it extremely troublesome.

Mo Hua's spells had grown increasingly bizarre and harder to counter.

The Step of Flowing Water lets you never catch him, the Water Prison Spell traps you so you can't escape, and now this Concealment Art— you can't even see him…

It's not just that you can't see him—even when extending your spiritual sense to its limit, you can't sense his aura.

Usually, cultivators who practice Concealment Art still leave some traces, detectable by those with strong spiritual senses.

But now Mo Hua's own spiritual sense is already too strong—who could possibly detect him?

Are you going to rely on Foundation Establishment cultivators to target a mere Qi Condensation Seventh Layer cultivator like him?

Zhang Lan felt his head ache more and more as he thought about it.

Then he reconsidered: he and Mo Hua were such good friends; there was no need to target Mo Hua—in fact, he could ask Mo Hua for help when needed. Why even consider this?

With this thought, Zhang Lan felt much more at ease.

Bai Zisheng opened his mouth wide, filled with envy.

If he could use Concealment Art, he could sneak out to play without Snow Aunt knowing.

Bai Zi Xi was also slightly surprised, his eyebrows slightly furrowed; after pondering for a long while, he said nearly the same thing as Liu Ruhua:

"Don't use it for bad things."

Mo Hua didn't know what to say.

Qi Condensation cultivators—his father Mo Shan, experienced; Zhang Lan, deeply cultivated; Zisheng and Zixi, from learned families—all failed to see through his Concealment Art.

Mo Hua couldn't help nodding, satisfied with the effect of the Concealment Art.

But then another doubt arose:

"If Qi Condensation cultivators can't see through it, can Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

Should he find someone to test it?

Foundation Establishment cultivators in Xiancheng were few, and the one Mo Hua knew best was Elder Yu.

Mo Hua activated the Concealment Art and the Concealment Array, then slipped quietly to Elder Yu's house in broad daylight.

Elder Yu seemed to have just finished speaking with another cultivator and was now sitting alone in the parlor, sipping tea.

Mo Hua entered the room quietly, chose a chair near the door, and sat far away from Elder Yu.

Elder Yu showed no reaction.

Mo Hua moved a little closer.

Elder Yu still remained completely unaware, head bowed, sipping tea.

Mo Hua made as little noise as possible and moved even closer—this time, only two seats separated him from Elder Yu.

Mo Hua watched Elder Yu silently, thinking: Now you must notice me.

But Elder Yu still bowed his head, sipping tea, seemingly oblivious.

Mo Hua felt a surge of joy—he hadn't expected the Concealment Art to be this effective.

Even Elder Yu, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, had failed to detect his Concealment Art.

Just then, he noticed Elder Yu raising his head, his expression mischievous, smiling as he said:

"Having fun?"