Chapter 402: The Ultimate Array (Today Only One Chapter)

Mo Hua was already fourteen years old.

Cultivators live long lives; ordinary Qi Condensation cultivators typically have a lifespan of about one or two hundred years.

A cultivator in their teens is not particularly old.

Bai Zixi told Mo Hua that in major clans, cultivators under eighteen are still considered children.

Because clan cultivators generally have high cultivation and long lifespans, more than a decade means nothing.

But in Xiancheng or other lower-tier immortal cities, most free cultivators may remain stuck at the Qi Condensation realm for life.

Therefore, anyone over fifteen is considered a young boy.

If one has no path in cultivation and cannot advance, one must find a way to learn a cultivation craft to support oneself in the future.

Brother Da Hu and Chen Dazhu were just like that.

Brother Da Hu and the other two learned beast hunting; Chen Dazhu learned artifact forging.

All just to have enough to eat.

Mo Hua was already a first-grade array master and could support himself, yet he still looked young.

First, because he was born frail and grew slowly, so he was shorter than his peers.

Second, because he never trained his body, he looked even thinner.

Brother Da Hu and Chen Dazhu were both large and tall, and both trained their bodies, so though they were only three or four years older than Mo Hua, they towered over him.

Mo Hua sighed.

He also wanted to grow tall and strong.

Too bad—he drew arrays every day, exhausting his mind and energy, ate plenty, yet just wouldn't grow taller…

At fourteen, he was only slightly taller than when he was thirteen.

His junior brother Bai Zisheng was a head taller than him; his junior sister Bai Xi was tall and slender, also half a head taller.

Added to that, Mo Hua had clear, delicate features, a pale, porcelain-like face, making him look even younger.

"When will I grow taller?"

Mo Hua thought gloomily.

He glanced at Bai Zisheng to his left, then at Bai Xi to his right, silently thinking:

"At least I should be taller than Junior Sister…"

Bai Xi glanced at him suspiciously. "What are you thinking about?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "I wasn't thinking of anything!"

…

In addition, Mo Hua's realm had reached Qi Condensation Eighth Layer.

He was one step closer to Foundation Establishment.

The realm advancement slightly strengthened Mo Hua's body.

But he wasn't a body cultivator; this minor increase was like a mosquito's leg—of little significance.

His spiritual energy also increased.

But his spiritual roots were poor; though the technique he cultivated was unusual, its uniqueness lay in spiritual awareness, not spiritual energy.

Thus, the spiritual energy he generated was modest, merely average.

Not much worse than that of ordinary cultivators.

But compared to his junior brother and junior sister, or other disciples from clans or sects, he was far behind.

He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying that great clans and sects, based on the study of spiritual root inheritance, intermarried generation after generation to produce offspring with exceptional spiritual roots.

Among disciples of major clans and sects, high-grade spiritual roots were commonplace.

Mo Hua's mid-grade, even lower mid-grade spiritual root was truly unworthy of mention.

But if it's unworthy of mention, then so be it.

After all, he didn't rely on it for his livelihood.

Mo Hua was an array master; his foundation was array art.

Mr. Zhuang had also pointed him toward the path of "cultivating the Dao through spiritual awareness."

Moreover, a cultivator's spiritual roots are innate and unchangeable; obsessing over them was pointless.

After reaching Qi Condensation Eighth Layer, Mo Hua's spells had also grown stronger.

First, the concealment technique.

Now, even Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivators could hardly detect Mo Hua's concealment.

The Water Prison technique's effect had also improved.

It was faster to cast, more accurate in trapping, and the binding duration increased by one breath.

Though only one breath, in life-or-death combat, at the critical moment, it could decide life or death.

The Fireball technique's power had also increased.

Mo Hua tested it several times.

The fireball's color grew deeper—a deep red tinged with brilliance, its intense spiritual energy compressed and surging within.

Subtle yet dazzling, dazzling yet edged with danger.

Mo Hua couldn't help but wonder.

If he continued cultivating the Fireball technique like this, and pushed it to its extreme, what effect would it have? How strong could its power become?

Mo Hua tried to imagine it, but couldn't.

He had no idea what spells beyond Foundation Establishment would be like.

I'll ask Master Puppet when I have time.

Guilao should know.

After all, his fireball technique came from Guilao, and all the spell-casting skills were taught to him by Guilao.

Next came the spiritual sense.

The spiritual sense of Foundation Establishment's twelve marks was indeed much stronger than before.

His spiritual sense was more acute, calculations faster, and his perception of the surrounding spiritual energy and qi much clearer.

Previously, with eleven marks, the Earth Thickening Array, though mastered, still required some effort.

Now, drawing the Earth Thickening Array felt effortless.

He had already reached Foundation Establishment's twelve-mark spiritual sense…

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then went to find Mr. Zhuang:

"Master, can Ninneng Sect teach me how to eradicate spiritual thoughts?"

He still remembered Mr. Zhuang's earlier words—that once his spiritual sense grew stronger, he would teach him how to deal with spiritual parasitism.

How to resist, and even destroy, when invaded by the spiritual sense, spiritual thought, or malevolent intent of certain people or non-human entities.

Now that his spiritual sense had reached twelve marks, it should count as strong.

Mr. Zhuang pinched his fingers and calculated, then said:

"It's still too early, no rush. Wait until your spiritual sense grows stronger still."

"Still stronger…?" Mo Hua muttered under his breath.

"Haste makes waste," Mr. Zhuang said gently.

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

Then he asked again:

"Master, I've reached twelve marks. I'm tired of drawing the eleven-mark Earth Thickening Array. Should I now seek a twelve-mark ultimate array?"

"Yes," Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly. "Your current spiritual sense can no longer be honed by ordinary arrays…"

Cultivation level: Qi Condensation Eighth Layer. Spiritual sense: Foundation Establishment's twelve marks.

This spiritual sense, like the ultimate arrays, is already severely "beyond the norm"…

It cannot be improved by ordinary methods.

Moreover, the cultivation world has no cultivation methods to train spiritual sense.

Spiritual sense is intangible, mysterious, formless, and varies greatly from person to person.

Strengthening spiritual sense is inherently extremely difficult.

Visualization diagrams are a shortcut—essentially borrowing another's spiritual sense—and are somewhat dangerous; best avoided.

Mo Hua nodded, then remembered another question:

"Master, do high-grade array masters find it easier to learn low-grade ultimate arrays?"

He had always been curious.

Ultimate arrays demand a high threshold of spiritual sense.

But this threshold applies only to cultivators of the same grade and realm.

If a high-grade array master has sufficient spiritual sense, learning lower-grade ultimate arrays should be much easier.

Yet why, from Mr. Zhuang's tone, did it seem that even a Grade One ultimate array was known by so few array masters?

Mr. Zhuang said: "It would be slightly easier, but not by much."

Mo Hua asked in confusion: "Why?"

High-grade array masters should have very strong spiritual sense…

"Spiritual sense is the foundation of an array master, the very core," Mr. Zhuang said slowly. "But having spiritual sense does not mean one can become an array master, or automatically learn array techniques."

"Having spiritual sense merely grants the qualification to learn arrays. To master them, you must study, think, practice, and comprehend."

"This requires perseverance, immense time, energy, and mental focus."

"Not all cultivators are willing—or able—to do so."

"Even a simple task, if sustained, is very hard to maintain."

"How much more so for something as profound and obscure as array arts—even many high-grade array masters struggle to persist."

"Ultimate arrays are even worse—their brushwork is unique, hard to learn and hard to draw."

"Many array masters have sufficient spiritual sense but still refuse to practice; naturally, they never learn."

Mr. Zhuang sighed slightly.

"First point: even with spiritual sense, if you don't practice, you naturally won't learn."

"Like some people who have talent but refuse to work hard—eventually achieving nothing, wasting their gifts."

Mr. Zhuang paused, then continued:

"Second point: even if you practice, you may still not learn."

"The Dao of arrays rests on spiritual sense as its foundation—you need spiritual sense to practice, and only after sufficient mastery can you attain comprehension."

"Ordinary arrays require only diligent practice to master the array patterns; little comprehension is needed."

"But ultimate arrays are different—any ultimate array, surpassing its array grade, must have unique qualities and necessarily contain special principles of array Dao…"

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said gently:

"You should have some sense of this."

Mo Hua nodded.

The two ultimate arrays he had learned were the Reverse Spirit Array.

Grade One, ten marks, containing the power of reversed spirit energy, requiring spiritual sense calculation to activate.

The other was the Earth Thickening Array.

First-grade, eleven patterns, containing the power to generate spiritual energy, requires comprehension of Earth's Dao essence to truly master.

These two types of ultimate arrays are not merely a matter of learning the array patterns.

They also demand deeper understanding of spiritual energy, more refined application of spiritual sense, and clearer perception of Dao's essence.

If not for Mr. Zhuang's guidance,

or if one lacks a Dao Stele,

one might still fail to learn and truly apply them.

Mr. Zhuang continued: "Thus, many high-grade array masters, despite sufficient spiritual sense and ample practice, often remain unable to unlock the path, unable to achieve breakthrough, precisely because they lack this one thread of insight, and ultimately still cannot learn the ultimate arrays."

"This thread of insight is the finishing touch."

"Without this thread of clarity, the entire array is merely form without spirit."

Mo Hua suddenly understood: "Like when I draw the Thick Earth Array—if I cannot perceive Dao's essence and merely draw blindly, no matter how many times I draw, it's all useless."

Mr. Zhuang nodded: "Correct."

Mo Hua then grew puzzled: "But if one has reached the high-grade realm and is already a high-grade array master, how could one fail to perceive it?"

"There is a connection, but they are in fact two different things."

Mr. Zhuang explained: "Some cultivators possess profound cultivation, yet only grasp powerful spiritual energy; their understanding of spiritual energy and the Great Dao is actually shallow."

"They can condense spells capable of destroying heaven and earth, dominating battlefields—but if you ask them to perceive the subtle changes in spiritual energy and draw a first-grade ultimate array, it would be beyond them."

"Cultivators cultivate by absorbing spiritual qi, accumulating spiritual energy, and wielding Dao arts, thereby gaining external power."

"For ordinary cultivators, this is sufficient."

"But for array masters, one must not only control external power but also clarify internal principles; merely knowing how to wield spiritual energy for combat is far from enough."

Control its power, clarify its principle…

Mo Hua gained insight and nodded seriously.

Seeing Mo Hua understand, Mr. Zhuang felt a measure of satisfaction and continued:

"These are matters of array comprehension. Ultimate arrays contain unique array principles; even high-grade array masters are not guaranteed to learn low-grade ultimate arrays."

"Are there other reasons?" Mo Hua asked involuntarily.

Mr. Zhuang nodded: "The other reasons are more complex…"

Mr. Zhuang let out a faint sigh:

"First, there is the issue of time."

"Ultimate arrays require time to contemplate, and an array master's time is precious."

"If you spend all your time contemplating low-grade ultimate arrays, how will you learn your high-grade arrays?"

"Array arts are vast and profound; no array master can master all current-grade arrays with ease and still have time to learn other things."

"If there were such a person, that array master would surely be a fraud."

"Because the less one knows, the more one believes one knows everything; the more one knows, the more one realizes how little one truly knows."

"Array arts are the same."

"The deeper an array master's attainment, the more they recognize the profundity of array arts and the boundlessness of the Great Dao."

"High-grade array arts are difficult; high-grade ultimate arrays are naturally even harder, yet low-grade ultimate arrays are no simple matter either…"

"They simply lack the time to attend to both."

Mo Hua nodded involuntarily.

Then he suddenly realized—he had plenty of time.

Because he practiced arrays on the Dao Stele at night, it was as if he didn't need to sleep.

He gained twice the time compared to other array masters.

Moreover, the spiritual sense on the Dao Stele could rewind, and his spiritual sense remained perpetually full.

Calculating thus, he actually had several times more time than other array masters to devote to learning arrays.

Other array masters had limited time and could not attend to both.

Could he, then, skip choosing—could he learn them all?

Mo Hua blinked, feeling a tiny bit of secret delight, yet also a touch of embarrassment.

As if he were cheating.

Mr. Zhuang saw Mo Hua blinking and knew he was scheming; he couldn't help smiling slightly, but didn't press further, instead continuing:

"Moreover, for high-grade array masters, low-grade ultimate arrays are rather useless."

"Because of their low grade, the array's effects are greatly diminished."

"They take time and effort to learn, yet offer little practical use."

"And the most troublesome part is that some ultimate arrays are inherited in a continuous lineage according to grade."

Mr. Zhuang said solemnly.

"Inherited in a continuous lineage?"

Mo Hua frowned: "Does that mean if you miss a grade, you can't learn it?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded slowly:

"Ordinary arrays don't follow this rule."

"For example, the first-grade Melt-Fire Array—you don't have to learn it; you can start directly from the second-grade."

"These arrays are related but are relatively independent; no need to follow a strict sequence."

"But ultimate arrays are different."

"Many ultimate arrays are linked grade by grade, each step interlocking."

"You must begin at first-grade, learn first-grade, then second-grade, then third-grade, progressing step by step from shallow to deep."

"And Absolute Arrays themselves are extremely rare, making a complete inheritance very hard to come by."

"It's very likely that an entire inheritance of Absolute Arrays is scattered across the various state borders of the Nine Provinces, among different factions in different places."

"First grade in Lizhou, second grade in Kunzhou, third grade can't be found, fourth grade in Qianzhou, fifth grade and above — there isn't even a rumor of them…"

"Without first grade, you can't learn second grade. Likewise for the third and fourth grade Absolute Arrays that follow — even if you have the array diagrams, once the grade is broken, you simply can't learn them…"

Mo Hua gaped.

No wonder they're called "Absolute" Arrays…

They're inherently hard to learn, and they require a progressive grade sequence, each link depending on the last. The moment anything goes wrong, the inheritance gets cut off — "absolute"-ly.

Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua again and sighed:

"So during your Qi Refining stage, you need to learn as many Absolute Arrays as you can — learn as many as possible. Because most Absolute Arrays are rooted in the first grade Absolute Array."

"Yes, Master!"

Mo Hua agreed, then grew a little worried. "Then what about me in the future…"

Mr. Zhuang patted his head and said gently:

"In the future, you'll have to learn to find them yourself."

Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then seemed to understand somewhat.

Why Mr. Zhuang had brought him out and let him find arrays on his own.

It was all to guide him, to make him master Divine Sense Derivation.

So that in the future, relying on his own ability, he could also find the Absolute Arrays buried across the Nine Provinces.

Mr. Zhuang sighed lightly. "For all the reasons above, the array masters in this world who truly master Absolute Arrays can be counted on one hand."

"But you're different. Your cultivation method is special — you must master Absolute Arrays, and you must master them thoroughly."

"The more Absolute Arrays you learn, the better. The harder they are, the better."

"The more you learn, the deeper your understanding of arrays, the stronger your Divine Sense, and the farther your path in the future can go…"

Mr. Zhuang spoke to Mo Hua, his tone solemn, his gaze full of expectation.

Mo Hua also nodded solemnly, firmly engraving Mr.'s words in his heart.

Thanks to reader Du Shu Kan Bao 007 for the tip

Only one update today, just over 4k characters.

Taking a short rest to sort out the detailed outline. Back to two updates tomorrow.

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