Chapter 474: In Hand

Mo Hua frowned, feigning shock.

His mind raced as he strained to memorize the entire Ling Shu Array diagram.

Mo Hua stared, utterly absorbed.

Lu Chengyun sensed something amiss and opened his mouth to speak.

Mo Hua suddenly clutched his small head, face twisted in pain, murmuring:

"My spiritual sense… exhausted…"

Lu Chengyun was slightly startled and immediately retracted the Ling Shu Array diagram, asking:

"Young Master, are you alright?"

Mo Hua's face was pale, weakly replying: "I'm fine…"

He glanced at the Ling Shu Array diagram and shook his head in awe:

"I never imagined this array demanded such immense spiritual sense—I only looked for a moment, and my spiritual sense was nearly depleted…"

This was within Lu Chengyun's expectations.

He nodded slightly and said: "This array is called the Ling Shu Array, a sect-stabilizing technique of a reclusive clan. Its complexity is truly beyond comprehension."

"It's really too hard…" Mo Hua's expression turned despondent.

Lu Chengyun's lips curled in a smile, yet his tone was reassuring:

"This array consumes vast spiritual sense—only Foundation Establishment cultivators can learn it."

"Young Master is still Qi Condensation; your spiritual sense is insufficient. Not being able to learn or draw it is normal—no need to be discouraged."

"The Dao is long, and time is plentiful. As long as Young Master keeps refining arrays and strengthening his spiritual sense, one day he will comprehend this array."

Lu Chengyun encouraged Mo Hua.

Mo Hua, heartened, brightened slightly and nodded firmly:

"Alright!"

Lu Chengyun smiled again: "It's getting late today. Young Master's spiritual sense is overtaxed and you're unwell—return to rest first. Once recovered, come back to draw the array's focal point…"

Mo Hua felt guilty: "I overestimated myself and delayed Lord Lu's grand plan…"

"No matter," Lu Chengyun said. "The art of arrays is ancient and profound—don't rush. A century-long plan won't lose a single day's progress."

A century-long plan…

This Lu Chengyun… had been plotting for a hundred years…

Mo Hua's thoughts stirred slightly; he nodded and took his leave:

"Then I'll return and rest."

Lu Chengyun nodded. "Good."

Mo Hua clutched his small head, feigning a headache, left the secret chamber, stumbled dizzily out of the hall, returned to his stone room, and collapsed onto the bed.

Lu Chengyun's spiritual sense followed Mo Hua.

Seeing Mo Hua lie still and silent, after a moment, he retracted his spiritual sense.

As soon as Lu Chengyun retracted his spiritual sense, Mo Hua sat up instantly, cheeks flushed, eyes alight with excitement.

He rushed to the desk, pulled out paper and brush, and attempted to fully reconstruct the Ling Shu Array—from the array lines, to the array pivot, to the focal point and similar weighted arrays—based on what he had memorized…

…

Meanwhile, within the mural's Ten Thousand Corpses Array, Zhang Quan frowned at Lu Chengyun:

"Brother Lu, isn't that a bit Tang Tu?"

Lu Chengyun raised an eyebrow. "What's Tang Tu?"

"About the Ling Shu Array…" Zhang Quan said. "Isn't it too soon to let him know?"

Zhang Quan had always been wary of Mo Hua.

Of course, he also harbored murderous intent.

Lu Chengyun shrugged. "He'll find out eventually."

"But…" Zhang Quan was uneasy. "What if he learns it?"

Lu Chengyun sneered. "This is a Grade One, Twelve-Stroke array."

Zhang Quan blinked. "So?"

Lu Chengyun's gaze revealed a hint of disdain.

Talking to someone like Zhang Quan—a "array blind"—was like playing the lute to a cow.

Lu Chengyun, with patience, said calmly:

"Grade One refers to the array's rank; Twelve-Stroke refers to the spiritual sense requirement."

"Meaning this Grade One array requires Twelve-Stroke spiritual sense to learn."

"Above Ten-Stroke, spiritual sense reaches Foundation Establishment."

"Yet many seasoned early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators still can't reach Twelve-Stroke."

Zhang Quan paled. "A Grade One array? Only Foundation Establishment spiritual sense can learn it? That's absurd!"

"That's precisely why array art is vast and profound."

Lu Chengyun glanced at Zhang Quan. "My spiritual sense is precisely Twelve-Stroke. Yours? Only Ten-Stroke…"

"So what does this young Mr. Mo have to learn it with?"

Lu Chengyun said coolly.

Zhang Quan fell silent, though his heart trembled.

Arrays truly were complex.

Grade One, Twelve-Stroke…

That brat is only Qi Condensation; he certainly can't learn it.

But can he truly not learn it?

Zhang Quan frowned.

Mo Hua's small face reappeared in Zhang Quan's mind.

Adorable to look at, yet utterly hateful, and at the same time, profoundly mysterious, impossible to fathom.

Zhang Quan has been defeated by him countless times, so whenever he sees Mo Hua, he feels rage mixed with unease.

He always felt that this brat, Mo Hua, was not so simple.

Moreover, his concealment technique, he could not pierce.

The more Zhang Quan thought, the more uneasy he became; he frowned and said:

"Brother Lu, what if his spiritual sense…"

Lu Chengyun sneered: "You mean what if his spiritual sense has reached Foundation Establishment?"

Zhang Quan also felt uncertain:

"Not… impossible…"

Lu Chengyun snorted impatiently:

"The gap between spiritual sense at Foundation Establishment and spiritual sense with twelve patterns is immense."

"Besides, even if his spiritual sense were sufficient, it would be useless—he glances at this twice, and you expect him to learn an array of this difficulty?"

Lu Chengyun's gaze turned cold, "A supreme-grade array requires both practice and comprehension."

"Even I spent decades of arduous practice and deep study to grasp only a fraction of its essence."

"Only then, through dark array techniques to lower the threshold…"

"Infusing dark thoughts to lower the spiritual sense requirement; painting the array with human blood to lower the spirit control requirement; using corpses as medium to lower the array-drawing requirement…"

"Only then could I master it and apply the Ling Shu Array within the Ten Thousand Corpses Revival Array."

"Without decades of solitary, painstaking study, without understanding dark arrays, without fusing dark thoughts into one's spiritual sense, without using bone as brush, blood as ink, corpse as medium—how could he possibly learn it?"

"Do you think he merely memorizes the array patterns and practices a few times, and that's enough?"

"You're vastly underestimating arrays!"

Lu Chengyun's tone was icy.

He seemed to recall the years of painstaking effort he had poured into learning this array.

Infiltrating the Lu family, enduring humiliation, seizing opportunity to rise, killing to forge corpses, breaking bones into brushes, drawing blood to mix ink—every possible means, without restraint…

His emotions surged momentarily.

Zhang Quan, fearing he had angered Lu Chengyun, stepped back and said:

"This humble Zhang has shallow insight and did not realize how difficult this task is; Brother Lu, please forgive me…"

Lu Chengyun came back to himself, realizing he had lost composure, and resumed his refined, elegant demeanor, speaking calmly:

"Brother Zhang is too modest; considering things carefully is always beneficial."

Zhang Quan exhaled in relief, but the shadow Mo Hua had left in his heart remained stubbornly lingering.

After deliberating, Zhang Quan still whispered:

"Brother Lu, even if that brat cannot learn it, there's no need to show him this array—it only increases risk…"

"If I don't show him, how will he willingly stay?" said Lu Chengyun.

Zhang Quan frowned.

Lu Chengyun's smile was cold and detached:

"Everyone has their desires…"

"Lu desires power, while Brother Zhang desires beauty."

"But this young Mr. is different—he has little experience, unaware of how intoxicating power, beauty, fame, and profit truly are."

"Not knowing their flavor, he naturally won't be attached."

"Spirit stones, female beauty, authority—none may stir his heart…"

"But arrays are different!"

"This young Mr. has an instinctive yearning for arrays."

"This is the pursuit of an array master!"

Lu Chengyun's expression was filled with emotion.

"For the sake of learning arrays—deep, complex, mysterious arrays—he is willing to do anything."

"I only need to give him this hope—that someday I will pass on the Ling Shu Array—and he will willingly serve me!"

"The Ling Shu Array is the bait."

"This young Mr. is the fish."

"A young, brilliant, utterly devoted, first-rank array master is far more valuable than dozens of iron corpses."

Lu Chengyun's gaze burned brightly.

In Zhang Quan's eyes appeared a flicker of envy and jealousy, along with a trace of resentment.

If Lu Chengyun valued that brat so highly, Zhang Quan could no longer act against him easily.

Yet until the very end, the outcome remains uncertain…

Zhang Quan composed himself, bowed, and sighed:

"Brother Lu, your foresight is profound—I am in awe!"

Lu Chengyun looked at Zhang Quan, his gaze shifting between clarity and obscurity; finally, he too sighed:

"Brother Zhang is too modest."

The two each harbored their own thoughts, their expressions somewhat obscure...

Inside the Shi Shizhong, Mo Hua broke into a smile.

Before him lay a formation diagram.

The diagram contained three types of formations, all sharing the same origin and purpose, yet differing in form, with varying levels of importance.

The three types of formations resembled one another and were interconnected, yet their tiers were sharply distinct.

It appeared intricate and profound, yet meticulous and beautiful.

It was precisely the complete, first-rank, twelve-pattern Spirit Pivot Formation Diagram that Mo Hua had reconstructed, centered on Spirit Power Core control!

He had finally obtained this formation diagram!

(End of Chapter)