Chapter 524

Fourteen years old, Qi Condensation ninth layer, mental awareness thirteen patterns.

From Qi Condensation eighth layer to ninth layer, the realm breakthrough also slightly increased his mental awareness.

But this increase was merely within the Qi Condensation realm, insignificant before the mental awareness of Foundation Establishment.

Useless to eat, too precious to discard.

Far from enough to break through the bottleneck and reach Foundation Establishment's fourteenth pattern.

Mo Hua's mental awareness remained at the peak of thirteen patterns.

It had not even grown much stronger than his previous peak of thirteen patterns.

Mo Hua sighed inside the carriage.

It seemed this bottleneck was another major hurdle.

Like the barrier between Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment, the leap from thirteen patterns to fourteen patterns was the threshold between early and mid-Foundation Establishment; though it appeared to be only one pattern apart, the chasm between them was equally unfathomable.

Mo Hua could not see the bottom of it.

If Foundation Establishment was this hard, what about Jin Dan?

Mo Hua leaned out and glanced at the sky.

The region he now stood in was the third-grade Dali Mountain Province.

In a third-grade province, the maximum cultivation level a cultivator could use was Jin Dan realm!

"Third-grade province…"

Mo Hua murmured to himself.

This was his first time entering a province above second-grade.

Mo Hua took a breath and felt the surrounding aura was different—the earth felt broader, the sky higher and more distant.

Of course, it might be that third-grade provinces were genuinely larger.

Or it might just be his illusion…

Mo Hua looked up at the sky again.

Though invisible now, there was a great array above.

When he eradicated the Xie Pig, he had seen with his own eyes the blood-red calamity thunder descend, terrifying beyond words, circling above his head before gradually fading.

When the calamity thunder vanished, strange array patterns appeared within the clouds.

One of those strokes, he had recorded on the Dao Stele.

That stroke was an Immortal Pattern.

Far beyond Mo Hua's current realm to comprehend.

Mo Hua still dared not look at it—he feared that even one glance would drain his mental awareness, crack his mental sea, and bring endless aftereffects.

Moreover, this was an Immortal Pattern on calamity thunder, imbued with the law of annihilation.

Laws never make sense.

If he looked too much and triggered the Immortal Pattern, he'd be erased outright—even if his master possessed boundless power, he probably couldn't save him…

Better to keep it for now, and carefully study it later, when his realm was higher and his mental awareness stronger.

Mo Hua looked down at his small hands again.

Now, the energy flowing through his body was Qi Condensation ninth layer's spiritual power!

Qi Condensation ninth layer meant deeper spiritual power.

At the same time, the power of his spells had also increased slightly.

Even relying solely on "mental awareness compression" and "speed is invincible" fireball technique, no ordinary Qi Condensation ninth layer below Foundation Establishment could match him.

Of course, exceptions like Young Master and Young Mistress were different.

They could fight Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He himself was still no match for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Unless he used Array Disintegration…

Otherwise, it would be at best a fifty-fifty chance.

A fifty-fifty chance where he remained invincible.

He couldn't kill them, and they couldn't chase, catch, or even see him…

"I wonder, after I reach Foundation Establishment, if my mental awareness improves further and my spells grow stronger, can I directly fight other Foundation Establishment cultivators…"

Mo Hua couldn't help pondering.

His little face shifted between joy, anticipation, worry, and frowning thoughtfulness…

Mr. Zhuang found it amusing and smiled faintly:

"Thinking about Foundation Establishment again?"

Mo Hua snapped back to reality and nodded with a smile.

"Don't rush," Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly. "Once your cultivation deepens further and reaches perfect ninth layer, you can attempt Foundation Establishment. As for mental awareness, don't force it—let it come naturally…"

Now it seemed, for Qi Condensation cultivators, achieving fourteen-pattern mental awareness was indeed extremely difficult.

Even Mo Hua himself might not be able to do it…

Mr. Zhuang paused to think, then added, "If all else fails, achieving Foundation Establishment at peak thirteen patterns is acceptable."

Mo Hua felt both disappointed and worried:

"Will that make me too weak?"

Mr. Zhuang hesitated, his gaze complex as he looked at Mo Hua:

"You're already at Qi Condensation ninth layer with peak thirteen-pattern mental awareness—you're already very… strong…"

Which Qi Condensation cultivator has mental awareness equal to peak early Foundation Establishment?

This is spiritual awareness—ethereal and elusive, difficult to cultivate, difficult to train, difficult to strengthen…

Not something you can feed with spirit stones.

For spiritual awareness to leap an entire major realm is already inconceivable.

"Oh." Mo Hua scratched his head.

If Master says it's impressive, it must be decent enough.

Then he thought of another question:

"Master, don't I need to polish my realm?"

Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zixi and Bai Zi Xi, "Just like my junior brother and junior sister…"

He had heard Zhang Lan say that scion families all solidify their foundations before Foundation Establishment, so their cultivation becomes solid and they can go further later.

Zhang Lan himself had spent a long time polishing his foundation in the Qi Condensation realm.

He was from a prominent family, yet at such an advanced age, he was still only at Qi Condensation Ninth Layer; only when preparing to fight a great demon, just in case, did he break through to Foundation Establishment.

Of course, he guessed Zhang Lan had quarreled with his clan and was being rebellious, so he deliberately slacked off—otherwise he wouldn't have delayed Foundation Establishment so long.

But my junior brother and junior sister are different.

The three of them lived together day and night.

Mo Hua watched them cultivate every day; each time they cultivated, their spiritual energy grew more refined, their cultivation deeper, their aura stronger.

Over time, though their realm didn't rise, their cultivation became extraordinarily solid.

So much so that it could rival Foundation Establishment…

Mo Hua recalled again.

When they first met, he was only at Qi Condensation Third Layer, while they were already at Qi Condensation Late Stage; now he had reached Qi Condensation Ninth Layer, yet they were still at Qi Condensation Ninth Layer.

With such talent, my senior brother and senior sister have held back their realms for so long.

My spiritual roots are so poor—if I don't hold back at all, isn't that a bad idea…?

Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang, puzzled.

Mr. Zhuang's expression grew subtle.

He thought for a moment, then decided to speak honestly:

"This… you don't need to hold back…"

"Your senior brother and senior sister have heavenly-grade supreme spiritual roots; their cultivation techniques are all supreme-grade Full Zhou Tian; the Dao arts they study are the clan's most exalted, core-school supreme techniques…"

"For a family like the Bai Clan, the difference between Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment isn't that great…"

"The family's expectations for them aren't merely Foundation Establishment—they want them to solidify their foundations so they can break through to higher realms."

"The family's resources are sufficient to support their cultivation."

"Once they reach Qi Condensation's peak, solidify their foundations, and break through to Foundation Establishment, their Full Zhou Tian spiritual energy undergoes a transformation, laying the foundation for the Dao."

"In the future, they'll have enough spiritual energy to wield powerful supreme Dao arts, and sufficient reserves to seek even higher realms…"

"This is the path of a scion prodigy—they must polish their realms…"

Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, "You don't matter…"

Mr. Zhuang tried to be tactful, but still delivered a piercing truth:

"Your spiritual roots are a bit poor, your physique a bit weak, your heritage can't compare to theirs—so don't worry about it; polishing or not, it doesn't really matter…"

"Just keep cultivating; if you can break through, break through. Though your spiritual energy is less, your blood qi is weaker, at least your spiritual awareness is strong enough…"

"One excellence hides a hundred flaws…"

"As long as your spiritual awareness is strong, the rest can be patched up."

…

Mo Hua's expression grew complex.

He didn't know whether Master was praising him or mocking him…

Mo Hua sighed, then thought again: actually, this wasn't bad—no need to fuss over polishing cultivation, it saved effort, energy, and spirit stones.

After all, his spiritual roots were what they were; his situation was what it was; he couldn't change it, so he might as well make do—just getting to Foundation Establishment was enough…

Mo Hua calmed his mind.

No matter how good others were, it was theirs.

It had nothing to do with him.

He would walk his own Dao.

Mo Hua's gaze grew serene; he nodded slightly.

Seeing Mo Hua's expression, Mr. Zhuang paused slightly, then gave a quiet nod, thinking inwardly:

"This child truly has excellent character…"

…

The carriage traveled on, journeying over ten more days, finally crossing the mountain passes of Dali Mountain Province and arriving at Lishancheng.

Lishancheng was a third-grade Xiancheng, its scenery beautiful, its walls magnificent, its inner dwellings gilded and splendid, quite imposing.

Most cultivators in the city were Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment; Jin Dan were present, but few.

And their destination was the largest, and only, third-grade sect in all of Lishancheng:

Wuxing Sect.

Before heading to Wuxing Sect, Mo Hua's group found an inn to rest briefly.

Mo Hua first settled Da Bai, had the servant feed it premium hay; seeing it eat heartily, he stroked its mane before leaving.

Then he ordered dried fruits, food, and tea, and had them delivered to Mr. Zhuang's room.

Gui Lao had gone somewhere unknown.

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi sat respectfully, listening as Mr. Zhu spoke.

Mo Hua placed the meals on the table.

All these dishes were personally ordered by Mo Hua.

Mo Hua had also instructed them on how to cook them and what flavors to use.

Each person—Master, senior and junior brothers and sisters, and Old Puppet—had their favorite dishes.

After a full day of travel, Bai Zisheng, his stomach growling, caught the aroma and couldn't help but glance over, then immediately sat up straight again to listen to Mr. Zhu's teachings.

Mr. Zhu smiled faintly and said:

"Eat something first."

Bai Zisheng's eyes lit up, and he replied respectfully, yet with excitement:

"Yes, Master!"

During the meal, Mo Hua whispered with his senior and junior brothers and sisters, chatting about what he'd seen in the city.

The various types of cultivators, the wildly different customs, and the stalls in the marketplace displaying a dazzling array of spiritual artifacts, pills, and array scrolls.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

A third-grade Xiancheng was truly different.

On the streets, he had already seen many Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The spiritual artifacts and pills on display at the marketplace included many second-grade items, and Mo Hua even spotted a second-grade array scroll.

He wanted to flip through it, but the vendor wouldn't let him.

The vendor even said, "What's a child doing looking at array scrolls? This book isn't for you—don't drain your spiritual sense dry…"

Mo Hua, though small, had a generous spirit, so he let it go.

His current cultivation level was insufficient to learn second-grade arrays; even if he looked, it would be useless.

More importantly, this second-grade array scroll was expensive, and the arrays inside, just from their names, were all common ones—not worth spending spiritual stones on.

He was nearly ready for Foundation Establishment; he had to save his spiritual stones…

But Mo Hua noticed something strange.

Throughout the entire Shancheng, it seemed most people ran merchant stalls, opened marketplaces, and sold various cultivation items.

Even the free cultivators were mostly merchants.

There were none of those who worked as farming cultivators, mining cultivators, demon-hunters, or craftsmen—those who labored to earn spiritual stones.

Mo Hua felt puzzled, so he asked Mr. Zhu.

Mr. Zhu said: "Array sects are like this…"

"The Wuxing Sect?"

"Correct," Mr. Zhu nodded. "The Wuxing Sect is the orthodox sect founded on arrays; most of its cultivators are array masters."

"The cultivation world reveres arrays."

"Cultivation focused on combat only strengthens the individual, but arrays can influence thousands of cultivators."

"Especially for powerful sects and large cultivation families."

"The Wuxing Sect excels in arrays and is located here; many cultivators, families, and sects come here seeking arrays, and some even settle here permanently."

"To maintain good relations with the Wuxing Sect, some cultivation powers station an elder here, sending gifts and paying visits during festivals."

"Over time, the cave dwellings here became very expensive."

Mr. Zhu sighed: "Don't be fooled by its remoteness—these cave dwellings in the city are beyond the means of ordinary cultivators."

"Cave dwellings are too expensive; prices have risen accordingly."

"The free cultivators in Shancheng survive only because of ancestral blessings, clinging to a single roof or patch of land—otherwise, they couldn't survive at all."

"Over time, the number of cultivators in Shancheng has dwindled further…"

Mo Hua asked, puzzled: "But the streets seem quite bustling."

Mr. Zhu shook his head. "Cultivators live long lives; you can't judge by the present moment—you must look further ahead."

"Centuries ago, I came here; back then, there were far more cultivators."

"Now, the number is already low…"

"The splendor of pavilions and towers is merely an illusion; without people, splendor is but a reflection in water, a fleeting mirage."

Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully.

Then he asked: "But this has nothing to do with the Wuxing Sect, right? Others buying cave dwellings at high prices—they can't control that…"

Mr. Zhu shook his head. "The Wuxing Sect is fueling this…"

"Fueling this?" Mo Hua didn't understand.

Mr. Zhu said: "Centuries ago, the Wuxing Sect had declined. To revive the sect, their Laozu moved the entire sect to this remote Shancheng."

"Shancheng is remote, free from distractions."

"The Wuxing Sect's Laozu wanted the disciples to focus entirely on studying arrays, to attract other array masters to come, exchange knowledge, verify techniques, and make Shancheng a center for array study—a true City of Array Learning."

"This strategy was indeed highly effective."

"The Wuxing Sect gradually grew stronger; the atmosphere of array study became intense; Shancheng flourished and became a holy land for array masters."

Mr. Zhu sighed: "Then things went downhill…"

"With array masters gathering, cave dwelling prices skyrocketed; every inch of land in Shancheng became priceless."

"The Laozu's noble intentions ultimately couldn't compete with spiritual stones."

"The later generations of the Wuxing Sect began scheming—they tore down the halls and dwellings once meant for array masters to study and debate, and built luxurious cave dwellings to sell or rent at high prices, amassing vast sums of spiritual stones."

"They didn't have to do anything—just lie back and watch spiritual stones pour in."

"These spiritual stones came too easily and were too abundant; the sect disciples grew lazy and indulgent, no longer studying arrays hard or seeking the Dao."

"Yet, Wuxing Sect's move, though it appears to gain great profit, is paid for with the toil of their ancestors and the future of their lineage."

"All the efforts of their Laozu Sect have come to naught."

"The cave dwellings were too expensive; ordinary cultivators could not afford them, so they gradually left."

"And some array masters, though talented, came from humble backgrounds and could not afford such costly cave dwellings either, leaving them no choice but to seek other places."

"Wuxing Sect's disciples acquired spirit stones too easily, indulged in comfort, and no longer bothered to study array techniques diligently."

"The entire atmosphere of array cultivation in Shancheng faded."

"The array proficiency of Wuxing Sect declined again and again; some array techniques were even lost..."

Mr. Zhuang's expression grew solemn as he sighed:

"Whether array masters or array sects, they must always treat array techniques as their foundation. Do not chase profit with short-sightedness, or when the splendor fades, all that remains is desolation."

Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.

A place where array masters gathered to study... what must that scene have been like...

Mo Hua, filled with both longing and regret, asked:

"Master, didn't Wuxing Sect ever consider changing?"

Such a large sect, so many array masters—even if some chased profit, surely someone must have seen the truth.

Mr. Zhuang sighed:

"It's too deeply entrenched to reverse..."

"The entire sect has grown accustomed to earning spirit stones without effort; from top to bottom, interests are deeply rooted. Whoever dares to act is fighting against the whole sect."

"They lack both the courage and the ability."

"Even if someone truly had the ability to change it, he might not want to—because those with such ability are often the ones who profit the most from the status quo..."

Healing by scraping the bone—this blade must first cut into oneself.

Mo Hua could not help but sigh.

The affairs of this world were truly complex.

Yet one thing still troubled him deeply.

Mo Hua asked: "Master, you said that after Wuxing Sect declined, their ancestral gate moved to Shancheng..."

"What was Wuxing Sect like before it declined?"

Mr. Zhuang's expression turned solemn as he sighed:

"That was thousands of years ago..."

"Even if Wuxing Sect was not among the very top sects back then, it was still one of the handful of premier array sects across the entire cultivation world."

Mo Hua's mouth opened wide.

He never imagined Wuxing Sect's ancestors had been so prosperous!

A premier array sect across the entire cultivation world.

What rank would that have been...?

"Was their legacy really that powerful?" Mo Hua asked in astonishment.

"Indeed," Mr. Zhuang nodded:

"What Wuxing Sect relied upon, and what made them most famous, was a complete set of array techniques—from low rank to high rank—that amplified the five elemental spiritual forces!"

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his expression grave:

"That is precisely the One-Pin Thirteen-Emblem Five-Element Supreme Array you must learn—and must master!"

(End of Chapter)