Chapter 391: The Emperor Heaven, Empress Earth Map

Mo Hua suddenly thought of another question:

"Master, is the Earth Sect a very large sect?"

"Yes," Mr. Zhuang nodded.

"How large?"

Mr. Zhuang said: "The Earth Sect is one of the largest sects in Kunzhou. As for exactly how large, don't worry about it now—it's beyond your current realm. When you encounter it, you'll know naturally."

Mo Hua nodded and asked again:

"Then is the Sun family's Laozu also from the Earth Sect?"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze darkened slightly as he pondered:

"Even if he isn't from the Earth Sect, he's connected to it."

"Then how did the Earth Sect attain the Thick Earth Array? Is it also through spiritual sense, communicating with the earth's qi?"

Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

He wanted to know if there were other ways to comprehend the Dao's essence.

Relying on the Dao Stele allowed only brief comprehension of the Dao's essence, but placed too great a burden on the stele.

Unless absolutely necessary, Mo Hua had no intention of doing so again.

The Earth Sect's cultivators likely had no Dao Steles at all.

Without relying on Dao Steles, how did they contemplate the Dao's essence?

After all, the Earth Sect was named after "Earth," and its core arrays should all relate to the earth—thus, intimately tied to the earth's Dao essence.

Mr. Zhuang didn't explain directly, only remarked:

"The Dao's essence requires spiritual sense to 'contemplate'…"

Mo Hua froze, then understood: "A contemplation map?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded. "The Earth Sect possesses one contemplation map, passed down for ten thousand years, called the 'Emperor Heaven, Empress Earth Map.'"

Mo Hua's heart jolted.

Emperor Heaven, Empress Earth!

Just hearing the name felt vast and majestic, grand and imposing.

"Do you remember what I told you about contemplation maps?" Mr. Zhuang asked.

Mo Hua nodded.

He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying:

A contemplation map reflects another's spiritual sense and their understanding of the Heavenly Dao—in other words, what one contemplates is someone else's "Dao," or perhaps the "Dao" of some non-human entity…

Mo Hua thought for a moment and said:

"So this Dao essence belongs to a 'non-human Dao'?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded. "Correct. Non-human Dao can be good or evil, righteous or wicked; some appear good but are evil at their core, some seem righteous but are wicked in essence…"

"You have little cultivation experience—you may not discern right from wrong here. Hasty contemplation risks being deceived by appearances and falling into danger."

"That's why, at first, I told you not to touch or even think about contemplation maps."

Mo Hua couldn't help but nod.

For instance, the Landscape Dao Boy Map he had seen.

On the surface, it was a naive, innocent Dao boy; in truth, it was a green-faced, fanged demon.

Had he not possessed spiritual manifestation, known how to draw arrays, and had a Dao Stele in his spiritual sea, he might have been parasitized by the demon's malevolent intent, losing control and ceasing to be himself.

Mo Hua added: "Then is the Earth Sect's contemplation map a righteous spiritual map?"

"Probably," Mr. Zhuang hesitated.

Mo Hua blinked. "Probably?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded. "I've never seen it. I don't know its true nature, so I say 'probably.'"

"But this map was passed down by the Earth Sect's Laozu. They've contemplated it for countless years without incident—it should be fine."

"Even if there were problems, the Earth Sect would never tell outsiders."

"We are all cultivators, not immortals—we're still human, not immortal. As humans, our spiritual sense is limited; what we perceive as essence may still be only appearance."

"Spiritual sense matters are the most elusive and unpredictable, especially something passed down for ten thousand years…"

"So the true nature of this map is hard to say."

Mr. Zhuang frowned, sighing.

Mo Hua understood a little, nodded slightly, then quietly asked:

"Master, if one day I encounter this contemplation map, could I take a look?"

This question left Mr. Zhuang speechless.

Normally, if Mo Hua could contemplate the earth's Dao essence, glancing at the Earth Sect's contemplation map seemed harmless.

But Mo Hua's spiritual sense was unlike ordinary cultivators—if he truly looked at this map, who knew what he might perceive?

Most importantly, Mr. Zhuang feared unforeseen consequences.

Like the Landscape Dao Boy Map, where the boy turned into a demon and parasitized the spiritual sea.

The Dao Boy's spiritual intent was weak, so Mo Hua remained unharmed—and even "ate" the demonized spirit, refining its spiritual essence.

But the Earth Sect's "Emperor Heaven, Empress Earth Map" was different.

The spiritual intent within it was terrifyingly potent.

Who would "eat" whom then? It was hard to say…

Mr. Zhuang said cautiously:

"If you can avoid looking, don't look. If you do look, be careful—don't stare long. Just sneak a glance or two."

Mo Hua asked in confusion: "Isn't what's sealed in the Emperor Heaven and Earth Map the Dao essence of the earth?"

If it's the Dao essence of the earth, drawn from heaven and earth, it should be a righteous spiritual insight…

Mr. Zhuang corrected him:

"What's sealed is the Dao essence; the Cangzaidi Sect uses it to visualize and comprehend arrays…"

"But whether what's sealed is truly the Dao essence of the earth—that's hard to say. After all, outsiders haven't seen it, and even if they had, they might not recognize its true form…"

Mo Hua's heart tightened slightly, and he nodded.

"Moreover, you won't be able to see the complete Emperor Heaven and Earth Map," Mr. Zhuang sighed again.

Mo Hua was startled. "Why?"

Mr. Zhuang said: "The problem lies in these four characters: 'Emperor Heaven and Earth.'"

"You're from the Cangzaidi Sect—you can use the two characters 'Earth'…"

Mr. Zhuang pointed to the sky. "But can you afford to use the two characters 'Emperor Heaven'?"

Mo Hua froze.

If the Cangzaidi Sect can't use 'Emperor Heaven,' then who can?

Mo Hua's heart gave a small jolt. "The Dao Court?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded. "That 'Heaven' is not something the Cangzaidi Sect can visualize, so the map was split in two by the Dao Court—the Earth Map hidden with the Cangzaidi Sect, the Emperor Heaven Map hidden with the Dao Court."

"When you go to the Cangzaidi Sect, you'll see only the Earth Map, never the Emperor Heaven Map, let alone the complete Emperor Heaven and Earth Map."

Mo Hua opened his mouth, then whispered:

"Is the Dao Court… robbing them?"

Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly.

"From above, the Dao Court calls it 'requisition'; from below, it's called 'offering.' How can something mutually agreed upon be called robbery?"

Mo Hua frowned, astonished.

"The Emperor Heaven and Earth Map has been passed down for ten thousand years—its spiritual insight must be terrifying. Can it really be forcibly split apart?"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze sharpened, his expression tinged with caution.

"The spiritual insight within the Emperor Heaven and Earth Map is terrifying, but the ancient monsters in the Dao Court—who've lived ten thousand years and whose cultivation reaches the heavens—are even more terrifying…"

Mo Hua's heart tightened, and he whispered quietly:

"Those ancient monsters… those elder masters—what realm are they in?"

Mr. Zhuang merely ruffled Mo Hua's hair again, gently saying:

"Don't reach too high. Don't think about such things—they're still far from you."

Mo Hua nodded, then thought it over and realized he was right.

He hadn't even reached Foundation Establishment yet—he'd only cultivated for a decade or so. Thinking about this was still too far off.

Then he felt a pang of regret:

"So I'll never get to see the Emperor Heaven and Earth Map?"

"It's not impossible," Mr. Zhuang said.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

Mr. Zhuang spoke with interest:

"If you can make the Cangzaidi Sect submit to you, stand on equal footing with the Dao Court, and reunite the Emperor Heaven Map with the Earth Map, then naturally you'll be able to visualize the true Emperor Heaven and Earth Map."

Mo Hua chuckled awkwardly.

If one truly reached that level, wouldn't one have to become an immortal already…

Mr. Zhuang was right.

Cultivating the Dao means not reaching too high.

He should focus steadily, step by step, and first figure out how to reach Foundation Establishment.

…

After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua began considering his next steps.

He had already learned the Grade One, Eleven Stripe Thick Earth Array, and had comprehended its Dao essence—he could draw it on the ground, merging the array markings with the earth, aligning his spiritual energy with the land.

Mo Hua's next goal was to reconstruct the thousand-acre spiritual fields of Qianjia Town using the Thick Earth Array.

First, to use the Thick Earth Array to enrich the soil, so the cultivators of Qianjia Town could all eat their fill.

Second, to apply what he'd learned—to construct the array within heaven and earth, truly comprehending the subtleties of the Thick Earth Array's application.

Third, for the Dao essence of the earth.

Man follows the earth.

He had used the Dao Stele to visualize the Dao essence of the earth, becoming "familiar" with it, forging a slight "connection," allowing him to draw arrays upon the land, merging array markings into the earth.

Naturally, he must return the favor—place the arrays he'd comprehended from the Dao essence upon the earth, so the land might flourish, teeming with life, endlessly renewing.

Thank you to reader Jin Sanlin for the reward.

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