Chapter 364: Immortal Inscription

The great array shattered, and the great demon died.

The Fengxi born from Great Heishan perished atop the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array built upon Great Heishan, and with the array's collapse, both were utterly destroyed.

Xiancheng gradually revived.

The Alchemy Guild and the Artifact Crafting Guild still stood; the alchemy furnaces and artifact furnaces remained intact, and other trades within the city were unaffected.

Shenshan was nearly destroyed, but the outer and inner mountains suffered little damage.

Demon hunters could still enter the mountains to hunt demons.

Demon hunters hunted demons, artifact crafters forged artifacts, alchemists brewed pills, and then traded them…

Soon, everything returned to normal operation.

Moreover, within Great Heishan, a wide and convenient mountain path had appeared.

It was carved by all cultivators working together to build the array.

"You must train hard, take your time to establish the Foundation!"

"Mo Hua, go ask Aunt Liu if you're short of an adopted son?"

…

The immortal inscription I glimpsed within the calamity lightning beneath this minor heavenly array!

In a bamboo hut nestled in the mountains.

That immortal inscription, though recorded by Mo Hua beneath the Dao Stele, was not only impossible to see with one's own eyes—even a fleeting touch of perception drained his spiritual sense violently and rapidly.

Where the drawings were correct and where they were wrong, Mo Hua would tell them.

What realm, what kind of spiritual sense, could possibly comprehend that immortal inscription?

Mo Hua's mood rose and fell again.

By night, at the hour of Zi, Mo Hua could no longer wait—he sank his spiritual sense into his dantian and arrived before the Dao Stele.

Especially with the vast variety of dishes, each with its own unique flavor, yet still repeating some.

A few days ago, Mo Hua's spiritual sense had nearly healed.

Liu Ruhua lay on a bamboo chair, eating meat and sipping wine, watching the sunset paint the sky in brilliant hues, the mountains and forests draped in brocade-like shadows, feeling all her worries and anxieties vanish completely.

Aside from Liu Ruhua, the most miserable was Bai Zixi.

With this mountain path, cultivators from Xiancheng could enter and exit the mountains more easily, and traveling merchants could also enter Xiancheng to trade.

It contained the transformation of heaven and earth—far beyond the comprehension of a Qi Condensation cultivator like me.

A few brief words of guidance could make them suddenly enlightened.

Although the Dao Stele protected his dantian from collapsing, he still suffered injury; prolonged exposure might leave lasting aftereffects.

At the time, my thoughts were entirely on the array's collapse, the calamity lightning descending and departing, and I felt nothing deeply.

Yet, regarding the immortal inscription, Mo Hua remained utterly confused.

Calamity lightning…

The streets gradually grew lively, with more and more cultivators coming and going.

Slowly, Xiancheng regained its vitality.

There was freshness, aroma, numbness, spiciness… perfect in color, fragrance, and taste.

Mo Hua nodded solemnly, "Mm!"

This was the debt of "transmitting the Dao, imparting knowledge, and resolving doubts."

Mo Hua stared, dumbfounded.

This also filled them with boundless gratitude.

The great array techniques the array masters sought lay right before my eyes, yet I could not learn them, could not even see them.

Mo Hua's heart suddenly grew hopeful…

If I truly could master the immortal inscription, wouldn't that let me control the Annihilation Calamity Lightning, wielding the power to erase all things?

If I rashly tried to look directly, my dantian would surely be injured again.

"So much meat…" Liu Ruhua glanced at the meat and wine on the table, patted her cheeks, and sighed, "I've gotten fat…"

If the array masters had any difficulties with the array, Mo Hua would offer guidance.

Bai Zixi's clear eyes flickered with mild annoyance as she glared at Bai Zixi.

Even if the immortal inscription was profound, Liu Ruhua's knowledge should have granted her at least some understanding.

"You haven't even looked yet, and you're already cutting off my spiritual sense? How generous!"

Now that I think back, it was blind ignorance, and now I fear it too much.

Although for now, I cannot overuse it, nor can I draw arrays endlessly as before.

One array line, one array pattern, one array formation, one complex array—step by step, gradually comprehending the entire great array…

But Mo Hua's dantian was damaged; he could not use his spiritual sense, let alone draw arrays.

Elder Yu was busy—he had to oversee Xiancheng's reconstruction, the revival of Daoist production, and the aftermath of the Fengxi incident.

Other array masters called Mo Hua "Great Mr.," paid him half the respect of a disciple, and treated him with utmost reverence.

Then he sighed again, realizing that even a single immortal inscription was still an "immortal" inscription.

Liu Ruhua was about to leave.

Mo Hua had thought things through nicely, but reality still doused him in cold water.

Foundation Establishment? Jin Dan? Or even lower realms?

Xiancheng studied the recipe Bai Zixi gave you and selected some dishes.

I want to draw more difficult, more profound arrays.

Mo Hua stood with his hands behind his back, "guiding" the others as they drew arrays, but these arrays were far too simple—he found them somewhat amusing.

In the not-too-distant future, it may become even more prosperous…

Mo Hua then felt a flicker of relief:

Not to mention comprehending it—I can't even see that immortal inscription.

The Puppet Master asked me: "Have you decided?"

Beneath that stele lay the array pattern Mo Hua had long yearned for.

All manner of edible demonic beast meat—chicken, duck, fish, cow, sheep, dog—was available, and each had a distinct flavor.

A journey of a thousand miles begins at the foot.

"Good thing your realm is Gao Wei and your cultivation is strong; otherwise, you'd have been erased outright by the tribulation lightning…"

Mo Hua said nothing, giving him a sidelong glance.

We knew the great array was crafted by that "Great Mr." before our eyes.

In my life, I've eaten far worse things, but never so many delicious ones.

I feared that one day, when I returned to Liu Ruhua's mountain dwelling, I'd find the house empty and the person gone—and that for the rest of my cultivation life, I'd never see Liu Ruhua again.

Liu Ruhua had originally intended to say it wasn't worth the trouble, but after a moment's thought, she ate without hesitation.

Some areas within the city also required arrays.

Mo Hua drew several Reverse Spirit Arrays during the day, doing a light review.

Of course, if a tribulation lightning strike were one you drew yourself and controlled, it would naturally be different.

Mo Hua frowned.

Moreover, even after the great array destroyed itself, that Great Mr. remained unharmed—such array mastery was simply inconceivable to us.

Mo Hua recalled the crimson, blinding, terrifying, lifeless tribulation lightning he had seen that day, and a chill ran through him.

The Qi Condensation stage's soul sea was still far too weak.

It seemed he could only set it aside for now and wait until his cultivation improved before attempting to comprehend it.

But as long as he controlled his soul awareness's consumption, he could end the attempts appropriately and draw simpler arrays.

Afterward, every day he visited He Yunhao, he brought some along, asking Mr. to taste them, as a small token of his gratitude.

Mo Hua silently thought to himself, then felt a flicker of doubt.

The Puppet Master's gaze turned solemn. "What's the question?"

He had considered this issue before; now, after careful thought, he suddenly felt startled.

Mo Hua was kind and approachable, with no airs—he would answer whatever questions we asked.

Mo Hua felt a touch of apprehension.

Therefore, for these past few days, he had gone to Liu Ruhua's place every day.

That immortal inscription is connected to the crimson tribulation lightning.

Xiancheng said to Mo Hua: "Liu Ruhua took you as a provisional disciple and taught you arrays—this is a great favor to your family. You must repay this kindness thoroughly in the future."

The Seeing Mo Shan couple had also learned of Liu Ruhua's impending departure and felt deep regret.

Mo Hua wanted to try and see if he could learn that immortal inscription.

It wasn't just about the immortal inscription—any future problem he encountered, he could no longer go ask Liu Ruhua about.

Such terrifying tribulation lightning—Mo Hua did not wish to see it a seventh time.

What exactly is different about immortal inscriptions? Can they be learned? And how should one learn them…?

We had never met He Yunhao, but in our hearts, we had always been deeply grateful to Liu Ruhua.

Bai Zisheng was stunned, then brought up the old matter again, whispering quietly to Mo Hua:

Mo Hua stared blankly, then muttered in protest:

The Puppet Master: "..."

Seeing Mo Shan went into the mountains to hunt demons, and asked his other demon-hunter friends to kill at least one of each type of demonic beast, then selected the tenderest, most flavorful parts to bring home for his wife.

Xiancheng also wanted to do something meaningful, but He Yunhao had no lack of spirit stones, and first-grade spirit weapons or pills meant nothing to him; after much thought, he could only prepare food to send to Liu Ruhua for tasting.

Xiancheng nearly prepared a full Great Baishan "All-Demonic-Beast Banquet."

But even if he learned that immortal inscription, what then?

Thus, for areas requiring arrays, other array masters assisted, while Mo Hua supervised from the side.

But this matter involved the Dao Stele; according to He Yunhao's words, it was not to be told to anyone—not even to myself—and Mo Hua could not ask about it.

The Heavenly Dao Great Array was too profound, too grand—Mo Hua's realm was too low to comprehend it, but he could try to comprehend it by focusing on just one array pattern.

Mo Hua sighed helplessly.

Liu Ruhua nodded: "I've considered everything, but there's one question…"