Chapter 437: Disdain

If you're unsure about something, don't force it—ask Mr. Zhuang instead.

Mo Hua ran to the bamboo chamber to meet Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zhuang sat on a bamboo chair, brewing tea, catching the breeze, eyes half-closed, expression serene.

Mo Hua waited outside for a while, then suddenly looked up and saw Mr. Zhuang watching him; his eyes lit up, he rushed forward, and handed over the reconstructed array, asking:

"Master, can I learn this array?"

Mr. Zhuang didn't even look at it, and nodded:

"Yes."

Mo Hua blinked in surprise. "Isn't this a demonic array?"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze grew subtly profound, and he asked:

"Do you know what distinguishes a demonic array from a normal one?"

Mo Hua frowned, thought for a moment, and honestly shook his head.

He had never studied demonic arrays, only briefly seen a few demonic array patterns, and didn't understand the difference.

To know is to know; not to know is not to know.

Since he didn't know, he didn't dare fabricate an answer in front of Mr. Zhuang.

"What about their similarities?"

Mr. Zhuang asked again.

Mo Hua paused, then ventured:

"Whether it's a proper array or a demonic one, the basic framework is the same—composed of array media, array eyes, array pivots, and array patterns…"

"Only the specific construction differs; demonic arrays are more grotesque, their methods bloodier and more cruel."

Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly. "Correct."

He picked up the twelve-pattern ultimate array Mo Hua had reconstructed, his gaze revealing faint admiration, and pointed out:

"Thus, apart from the bone array media, human blood array patterns, and human heart array eye, the rest of the array principles here are indeed manifestations of the Dao—within the realm of normal arrays. In other words…"

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's eyes slowly brightened, and he continued:

"In other words, this is actually a proper ultimate array, merely drawn using demonic methods?"

Mr. Zhuang smiled in satisfaction. "Correct."

Mo Hua frowned again. "If it's a proper ultimate array, why not use it properly? Why resort to these demonic paths?"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze turned obscure.

"Because if he tried to draw it properly, he couldn't."

Mo Hua froze.

Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a moment, then sighed:

"Walking the righteous path is truly difficult…"

"Though many so-called righteous cultivators are hypocrites, pretenders to virtue, there are also those with true, upright, and resolute Dao hearts."

"Such cultivators surpass ordinary people in character, methods, and breadth of vision—and their efforts, trials, hardships, and criticisms are likewise far greater."

"The same applies to arrays."

"The deeper a righteous array goes, the harder it becomes to learn; ten times the effort yields only one or two tenths of the results."

"So many cultivators begin seeking shortcuts."

"That shortcut is the demonic array."

"If their spiritual sense is insufficient, they blindly contemplate, recklessly borrow others' or external spirits without discrimination or refinement."

"If their array proficiency is inadequate, they draw on the skin of those with high spiritual affinity, lowering the array's difficulty."

"If they fail to grasp the array pivot, they use human blood as ink and human hearts as eyes, forcibly accelerating the flow of array power…"

"The demonic array, in principle, shares the same array logic as the conventional array."

"Only some cultivators refuse to think, refuse to learn, refuse to practice, refuse to contemplate—so they take shortcuts, using human lives and flesh as the array's form and pivot to draw arrays they could never have drawn themselves…"

Mr. Zhuang finished, looked at Mo Hua, and spoke with solemn gravity:

"That's why I never taught you the principles of demonic arrays—I wanted you to learn arrays patiently, to practice them again and again, without impatience, without seeking shortcuts."

"You have excellent talent and high comprehension; once you seek shortcuts and learn demonic arrays, you may fall into the demonic path, and your array skill might surge forward overnight."

"But once you taste the sweetness, you'll no longer endure the bitter toil of array practice, and you'll never glimpse true Dao."

"Learning demonic arrays is like pulling up seedlings to help them grow—it cannot last."

"Before a true array master who has comprehended the Dao, demonic array practitioners are merely opportunistic petty thieves…"

"Demonic arrays are nothing but blood-stained filth—superficial forgeries, evil cannot overpower the righteous, they are utterly fragile!"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze sharpened gradually, and his entire being became like a sheathed immortal sword, faintly radiating astonishing momentum.

"Remember: we cultivators do not enter the demonic path—not because we cannot, but because we disdain it!"

Mo Hua's spirit trembled, filled with profound admiration.

Not entering the demonic path—not because we cannot, but because we disdain it!

Mr. Zhuang's words sank deep into his mind.

As if someone had carved them into his Dao heart with a sword.

Mo Hua's gaze gradually hardened, his expression steadily resolute.

He looked again at the demonic array in his hands, and his spirit grew calm; even though it was a demonic array, filled with grotesque and sinister patterns, his heart felt utterly at ease, free of any hesitation.

"Master, I've remembered!"

Mo Hua nodded solemnly, his young face serious.

In the days that followed, Mo Hua began studying this Absolute Array.

He extracted its underlying principles and discarded its dross.

He focused solely on the most fundamental mechanics of the array, ignoring the deceitful and unorthodox tricks of skin-patterns, flesh-pivots, and heart-eyes.

As a result, the array's difficulty doubled.

For a Grade-One Twelve-Pattern array, Mo Hua's spiritual sense was barely at the threshold.

And spiritual sense was merely the threshold.

Even with that level of spiritual sense, one still needed to practice the array's patterns, analyze its structure, and comprehend its principles.

This required vast amounts of time and relentless practice.

The process was dull and tedious.

His spiritual sense would be drained again and again, then slowly revive, only to be drained once more…

The Dao Stele had not yet recovered; Mo Hua could only rely on his own strength, spending more time and exhausting more mental energy, repeating the practice over and over, inch by inch, to gain insight.

He remembered Mr. Zhuang's teachings; though progress was slow, he remained neither arrogant nor impatient.

Cultivation demands that water drips through stone.

Practicing arrays demands this even more.

Each practice session was a drop of water; each moment of contemplation, a raindrop striking stone.

As long as one persisted, the water would pierce the stone.

The array's principles would be uncovered; the array would be fully understood and mastered.

After several days of such contemplation, Mo Hua gradually grasped the method, gaining some insight into this array, ostensibly a "corpse-refining" demonic technique.

But this insight was shallow, hazy, as if seen through a veil, unclear and indistinct.

"It seems I haven't practiced enough, thought deeply enough, or felt it thoroughly…"

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

Just as he thought he would need to spend more time—

His consciousness suddenly trembled; the Dao Stele began to revive.

Mo Hua's heart leapt; he immediately sank his spiritual sense into his consciousness.

The gray on the Dao Stele gradually faded; the ancient, mysterious aura slowly returned.

Mo Hua tried drawing a few arrays and found the Dao Stele usable again—though its effect was still far weaker than before.

After drawing and erasing an array, he could only recover half his spiritual sense.

Mo Hua felt disappointed.

It seemed the Dao Stele had not fully recovered.

Still, it was better than nothing; he could make do.

Mo Hua stroked the Dao Stele and said with regret:

"I won't abuse you again."

The Dao Stele remained as silent as ever, as if offended, refusing to accept Mo Hua's apology.

With the Dao Stele—even a "defective" version—Mo Hua's daily practice sessions of the Absolute Array immediately tripled.

His insight into the Absolute Array also accelerated greatly.

After several more days, Mo Hua finally succeeded in drawing the Absolute Array.

Within the array, spiritual energy transformed into fine threads, drifting apart yet responding to one another, converging and merging…

Yet at the same time, Mo Hua frowned.

Something was wrong…

"This Absolute Array… is incomplete…"

Or rather, it was only a portion of the full Absolute Array.

Mo Hua had drawn it, yet still felt something missing: spiritual energy flowed and underwent special transformations, but the whole was disjointed, as if it were a discarded fragment.

"How could it be incomplete?"

Mo Hua did not understand.

The eye, the pivot, and the patterns were all intact.

And what effect did this Absolute Array actually have?

The spiritual energy within the array was split into finer filaments, like threads twisted together, yet each filament had its own unique flow.

It looked wondrous, yet utterly baffling…

What use could this array possibly serve when drawn upon a corpse's heart-meridian?

Mo Hua could not figure it out; thinking to gather diverse opinions, he went to ask Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi.

Bai Zi Xi furrowed his brow and said:

"Perhaps it's used to control corpses…"

"Control corpses?"

Mo Hua asked in confusion, "Corpse-refiners have their own methods of control—why would they need an Absolute Array?"

If an Absolute Array were absolutely necessary to control corpses, then there would be almost no corpse-refiners in the world, and very few cultivators could refine corpses at all.

After all, array masters who know the Absolute Array are exceedingly rare.

Yet corpse-refining and corpse-control are a prominent sect within the demonic path.

Corpse-refiners are not uncommon among demonic cultivators.

Bai Zi Xi thought for a moment and said: "Controlling corpses is easy—but quantity is the problem."

"Quantity?" Mo Hua blinked in surprise.

Bai Zisheng suddenly remembered and nodded:

"Right, an ordinary corpse cultivator wouldn't be able to control this many zombies."

"Several dozen zombies, and that Zhang Quan controlled them with ease — that really is suspicious. And he might have refined even more zombies, which makes it even more off…"

Mo Hua suddenly understood.

If a corpse cultivator could control this many zombies, then relying on a 'sea of corpses' tactic, other cultivators of the same realm simply couldn't be his match.

This was clearly unreasonably strong.

Bai Zi Xi said, "An ordinary corpse cultivator controls only a few zombies, at most a dozen or so — it's impossible to control several dozen."

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened slightly.

In that case, Zhang Quan might have been relying on an Absolute Array to control so many zombies.

Where was the other part of the Absolute Array?

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up:

"That bronze bell?"

Bai Zi Xi and Bai Zisheng both nodded slightly.

Zhang Quan used the bronze bell to control corpses. If the Absolute Array was incomplete, then most likely the other half of the array was inscribed within the bronze bell.

As for the exact principle behind this array, they'd have to wait until Mo Hua found the complete array and studied it.

"Looks like we still have to find Zhang Quan…"

Mo Hua nodded and murmured.

At the same time, he had another doubt.

This corpse-controlling Absolute Array, first-grade twelve-pattern — could it possibly be… that Lingshu Array of the Minor Spirit Concealment Sect?

Mo Hua frowned, thinking carefully.

First-grade twelve-pattern arrays were exceedingly rare, exceeding the norm.

In a small Wilderness State realm, it shouldn't be such a coincidence that there'd be two first-grade twelve-pattern Absolute Arrays.

And the Lingshu Array — Lingshu, spiritual power hub…

It really did sound like the effect of corpse control.

If this array really was the Lingshu Array, then who had drawn it?

Who could master an Absolute Array, and would draw one for Zhang Quan to control corpses?

Could the person who drew the array be that traitor from the Minor Spirit Concealment Sect?

Or perhaps… Instructor Yan?

Mo Hua's heart chilled, and his expression grew complicated.

(End of chapter)