Chapter 369: Certification

One-Pattern, Twelve-Stroke!

Mo Hua was startled; he never expected that Yan Jiaxi's sect possessed a One-Pattern, Twelve-Stroke array lineage.

The Reverse Qi Array that Mr. Zhuang taught him was only One-Pattern, Ten-Stroke.

As for the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array, Mr. Zhuang never stated it outright, but Mo Hua guessed that the spiritual awareness required for its core would not exceed Eleven-Stroke.

Now, from Mo Guanshi's mouth, he had heard of a One-Pattern, Twelve-Stroke array—and it seemed to be a single-array.

"Lingshu Array…"

Mo Hua silently memorized the name, then asked curiously:

"What's special about this array that requires such strong spiritual awareness—Twelve-Stroke?"

Mo Guanshi smiled bitterly and shook his head: "No one has mastered it, so no one knows."

Mo Hua nodded, then privately pondered:

Zhou Zhangsi had heard Mo Hua intended to take the One-Pattern Array Master certification and flatly refused.

Nan Yuecheng wanted to speak, but still spoke only to say:

Mo Hua nodded, inwardly sighing that Mo Guanshi truly cared for Zhang Lijun, and replied:

Mo Guanshi spoke with heartfelt sincerity, his tone tinged with helplessness:

Nan Yuecheng said that aloud, but inwardly thought:

Mo Hua nodded and tucked the note away.

Mo Guanshi sighed: "Yan Shi Xiong actually has quite good talent…"

"If he had devoted himself to array studies, he wouldn't have lacked great achievements—at least he could've become a One-Pattern Array Master and served as an inner sect elder, no problem."

I've gotten used to calling him Mr., and I can't change it right away.

Zhang Lijun advised.

"The sect already exists; that array can't be considered a secret anymore."

Mo Hua knew nothing about the certification process.

"You tell Yan Shi Xiong about this. If I'm not wrong, he won't go to Yan Jiaxi."

"Once inside, it's a foreign land with no connections; no one's willing to recommend you, and if you pass certification, you're taking someone else's Xiancheng quota—others won't be happy…"

Mo Hua also nodded; his original dream when learning arrays was to become a One-Pattern Array Master.

After Mo Hua left, Mo Guanshi sat alone outside the room, pouring and drinking tea by himself, sipping several cups, his expression melancholy, murmuring:

"Array Master certification defies recommendation systems and imposes provincial quotas."

"What about the other part?"

"Single-array cores are usually simple, yet this one requires Twelve-Stroke spiritual awareness—could it be because its core structure is unusually complex?"

Mo Hua's mood grew unexpectedly light.

……

He asked again: "Mo Guanshi, do you know where Zhou Zhangsi has gone?"

"No." Nan Yuecheng shook his head, patiently explaining:

If Mo Hua passes the Dao Ting Si recommendation and succeeds in certification as a One-Pattern Array Master, he'll have face too.

Mr. Zhuang is merely a Zhangsi of a small Xiancheng; he has some connections, but can't influence the Tian Shu Pavilion at Dao Ting Si's center, so he can only recommend—everything else depends on Mo Hua himself.

Mo Hua bid farewell to Mo Guanshi, memorizing the name "Zhang Lijun."

"I entered earlier and had deep ties with my master, so I can't accept this, and I understand, but I can't let my desire for revenge ruin my entire life."

Nan Yuecheng closed his eyes slightly, his expression serene, nodding slowly.

"October 28th, there's a Seven-Pattern Great Baishan provincial certification exam at Cangyun Sect in Qingshan City; send him there then."

"Mo Hua, I have a personal request… if you pass by there and meet Yan Shi Xiong, please help him."

Mr. Zhuang checked the relevant documents, wrote a recommendation letter by hand, then said to Mo Hua:

"I told Mo Hua about the Lingshu Array—don't blame me."

Mo Hua went to ask about Zhang Lijun.

He said nothing else, only named the array—and Mo Hua could deduce so much…

"If you meet him, persuade him to be more forgiving toward himself—even if he avenges his master, the master is still dead, the sect is scattered, the past is gone with the wind, but he himself must still find a way to live well…"

"Conversely, regions with deep roots or entrenched power grant very few quotas each year; becoming a One-Pattern Array Master becomes relatively much more difficult."

Mo Guanshi snapped back to attention, thought briefly, then took a slip of paper from his storage pouch and handed it to Mo Hua; only one line was written on it:

But he understood that certification was simple in its mechanics.

Mo Guanshi's tone held a touch of envy.

"Master!"

Mo Guanshi fell silent for a moment, staring at the floating tea leaves in his cup, then added urgently:

"When will you take the exam?"

Then he remembered another question:

"It seems Nan Yuecheng… Master, even the exam date is already planned…"

Nan Yuecheng sighed: "Then it's more—provincial wealth, number of Shijia Sects, personal connections… the poorer the province and the stronger its array lineage, the more quotas it has; becoming a One-Pattern Array Master requires less effort."

Mo Hua pondered for a long time but still couldn't reach a conclusion.

"I'm not asking you to help me catch him—I'm asking you to persuade him, to help him find a cultivation partner, start a family…" Mo Guanshi said helplessly.

Zhang Lijun was unsurprised and nodded: "It's worth a try."

"This is what I inquired through contacts—a former sect member saw that traitor who betrayed his master and destroyed his sect in a Xiancheng called Nan Yue, east of Li Province, in the Great Huang Province."

October 28th was only a day away—the date was very near.

Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.

"Senior Brother, don't let him think you're meddling…"

"He's in Xiancheng; without a recommendation, before his rating, he's using Xiancheng's quota."

……

The art of arrays truly is vast and profound; Mo Hua's array skill is indeed unfathomably low—no wonder even Luo Xiao Shi holds Mo Hua in such high esteem…

The Dao Ting Si's rating doesn't rate the array itself, but the array master—and it's not decided by the Dao of Heaven, but by men entangled in interests.

Mo Hua mumbled to himself, pondering for a long while.

"The Ling Shu Array—sounds nothing like a Five Elements array. With the word 'Ling,' it must relate to spiritual power—probably something like a Gathering Spiritual Power Array or an Inverted Spiritual Power Array, a method of gathering, dispersing, or circulating spiritual energy…"

Earlier, Mo Hua had gone to see Mr. Zhuang.

Even if I fail the rating, I'd still be glad to help with that favor.

Mo Hua gasped: "That's really… not fair at all."

"Let him go take the exam; passing or failing doesn't matter."

"Dao Ting Si, local clans, sects, or any other first-rank power recognized by Dao Ting Si all have the qualification to recommend."

"No…" Mo Guanshi shook his head.

"Then who will you get to recommend you?"

"You're already the main array master of a first-rank special array—how could you possibly fail such a simple first-rank special array assessment?"

Just from an array's name, you can't tell much at all.

"Even with Bai Bai's influence, they wouldn't dare target you directly for the rating."

Mo Hua nodded.

Originally, when he learned arrays, he wanted to become a first-rank array master. Now that he's about to travel, should he try for a rating?

As Mo Hua left, Mo Guanshi again took several boxes of expensive pastries and shoved them into Mo Hua's arms:

Mo Guanshi also broke into a smile.

Mo Hua, half-understanding, nodded and asked: "Then how are these quotas allocated?"

"Of course not comparable to you…" Mo Guanshi glanced at Mo Hua, then continued:

But worrying now won't help—hopefully he'll truly meet Zhou Zhangsi someday.

Mo Hua nodded; after thinking, he agreed—it was indeed nothing to worry about, a special first-rank array.

Zhang Lijun's expression remained calm: "When it's something this big, if you want to know, you'll naturally know."

Mo Guanshi was secretly startled.

"Some of it isn't."

Although in Mr. Zhuang's eyes, Mo Hua's array skill couldn't possibly fail the rating.

"Really?" Mo Hua suddenly sounded a bit lighter: "What if I fail?"

Mo Hua, lost in thought, quietly asked:

Mo Guanshi sighed again: "But over the years, Senior Yan's heart was weighed down, he couldn't settle his mind, so he never crossed this threshold."

"After traveling, I'll take the exam," said Nan Yue Cheng.

……

Nan Yue Cheng said: "The Dao of Heaven isn't fair. Arrays are right here—whether you understand them or not, whether you can or can't, the unfairness lies in men: some who understand become first-rank array masters, some who don't still wear the title of first-rank array master…"

"Is all this complication just to set barriers for profit?"

Mo Hua was startled: "Mr., you know about my badge?"

Mo Hua realized and chuckled awkwardly.

Mo Hua silently thought to himself.

"If you want to be rated, you need not only a recommendation letter, but each province, realm, or city limits the number of first-rank array masters per session—some places have more quotas, some have fewer."

And he didn't understand any of it.

Mo Hua sighed.

Mo Guanshi thought for a moment, then begged:

Mo Hua solemnly said: "Manager, rest assured—I will help Zhou Zhangsi catch that traitor."

He didn't know where Zhou Zhangsi was now, whether he was well or not, whether he'd encountered any difficulties.

"The name contains the character 'Shu'—either it means using spiritual power as the pivot, or it refers to the special nature of the 'array pivot.'"

"Da Huang Province Realm, Yan Jiaoxi."

Unless one has unparalleled connections, no one can predict the outcome.

If they don't find this traitor who murdered his master and betrayed his sect, what dangers might he encounter…

"Besides, I want to know—can anyone truly learn a first-rank seventeen-stroke array, something so absurd?"

"A first-rank array master is already a notable figure in a special province realm…"

"As for arrays, good or bad, it's clear-cut—experts can see it at a glance."

He thought of Zhou Zhangsi's instructions, his expectations, and the slightly desolate back view at their parting.

Mo Hua blinked: "What isn't?"

"Even if you settle your great grudge, in the end you'll be alone, hair white, and make no further progress in arrays."

"These words, I say, he may not listen to—but if you say them, he might."

"Take them all back and try them."

"If they truly dared to 'turn a blind eye' and revoke his first-rank quota, they'd definitely regret it later…"

Mo Hua could not refuse, so he reluctantly accepted.

"Oh..."

"Can you take the exam inside?"

"Don't worry, you'll persuade the instructor."

Mo Guan Shi stared, dumbfounded.

Mo Hua remembered what Zhang Lijun had said afterward, and asked:

Mo Hua's voice was clear and pure.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly; Nan Yue City was truly unfathomably deep.

"He... go through Dao Ting Si's channels. Doesn't he still not have a single bronze waist plaque of Dao Ting Si? Their Zhou Zhangsi would be happy to recommend him."

"Not yet. Now that he knows, it's useless."

"Not yet," Nan Yue City's long fingers rubbed Mo Hua's hair. "You must call him 'Master,' not Mr."