Chapter 529

Lead the charge? Hold the ground? Save face?

Mo Hua froze.

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi also exchanged puzzled glances.

Mo Hua asked, "Master, what should I do?"

"Very simple," Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, "go compete with them. Win, and you'll learn the Five Elements Spirit Array."

"Compete in a Grade-One Array?"

"Grade-One."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

To compete in a Grade-One Array, he feared no one—except Mr. Zhuang.

Still, he wouldn't be careless.

Mo Hua frowned and said, "Master, what if the Wuxing Sect pulls some tricks and I lose?"

Losing myself didn't matter.

Personal victory or defeat was trivial.

The Five Elements Ultimate Array was important, but learning it was only a matter of time.

The key issue was, if I lost, I'd disgrace my master.

My master's honor—that's what truly matters!

Mo Hua's expression turned serious.

Mr. Zhuang felt a faint warmth in his heart, then raised an eyebrow and said:

"Don't worry. You're my disciple. What can they possibly use to beat you?"

The words carried a subtle tone, yet Mo Hua found them strangely reasonable, nodding slightly—though he still looked uneasy.

Mr. Zhuang's gaze shifted slightly, then added:

"Do you remember what I told you back then?"

Mo Hua looked confused, unsure which words Mr. Zhuang meant.

Mr. Zhuang feigned regret and sighed,

"Back when I went to Daowuxing Sect, I wanted to learn this ultimate array, but for various reasons, I never mastered it—and they looked down on me, shamed me deeply..."

"I can no longer avenge that old humiliation."

"Now I rely on you to reclaim that honor for your master..."

Looked down on? Shamed?

Mo Hua's face hardened instantly, and he declared with fierce determination:

"Master, rest assured! I'll reclaim your honor and crush them utterly!"

"I'll steal their sect's ultimate technique and drive them mad with rage!"

Mr. Zhuang couldn't help smiling proudly, "Good. Crush them utterly—and drive them mad!"

Outside the door, the Puppet Elder heard this and couldn't help shaking his head.

At his age, still acting like a child, sulking and obsessed with winning.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "Master, should I hold back?"

Mr. Zhuang shook his head. "Not only should you not hold back—you must be arrogant."

"Arrogant?"

"Exactly," Mr. Zhuang said. "Use that pretentious act I taught you before."

"Pretentious act?"

Mo Hua couldn't quite recall it.

Mr. Zhuang demonstrated it again for Mo Hua.

He shed his gentle expression; his brows and eyes turned sharp, his demeanor cold, head held high like a sword long sealed in its sheath, his gaze commanding, his aura imposing—as if a celestial dragon lord looked down upon the world.

His bearing and presence made one dare not meet his eyes.

Mr. Zhuang quickly suppressed his aura, his expression softening again. "Remember now?"

"Mm-hmm."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up, then he imitated it himself.

He held his head high, hands on his hips, his pale little face radiating utter disdain.

He didn't look like a dragon—more like a snarling little tiger.

Mr. Zhuang couldn't help patting Mo Hua's head and remarked,

"A bit off, but passable. Practice more later."

"Yes, Master!" Mo Hua replied obediently.

The Puppet Elder watched the master and disciple, his expression even more speechless...

Mr. Zhuang instructed Mo Hua again:

"In a few days, you'll lead the first match—and hold the ground for your senior brothers and sisters. Only those who defeat you may challenge them to an array duel."

With that, Mo Hua understood:

"I'm the threshold!"

Anyone who wanted to face his senior brothers and sisters had to pass through him first.

Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly.

This child was clever.

Bai Zisheng beside him felt a twinge of guilt. "Master, my array skills aren't as good as Little Brother's..."

Bai Zisheng still had self-awareness; though he was the senior brother, his array skills were far inferior to Mo Hua's.

If anyone truly could defeat Mo Hua, he certainly wouldn't be that person.

Bai Zixi was fine—her array skills, though not as high as Mo Hua's, were still very high.

But I'd give myself away.

Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly: "No matter. Your junior brother's threshold is a high one…"

And it's the kind of 'high' that's utterly unattainable.

Mr. Zhuang, recalling Mo Hua's array skills when he was still in the Qi Refining stage, couldn't help but feel a touch of awe.

Mo Hua, praised by Mr. Zhuang, smiled broadly again.

…

In the days that followed, the Wuxing Sect appeared calm on the surface, but behind the scenes, people came and went, letters flew back and forth, negotiations took place…

Master Liao received and saw off guests.

The elders moved about frequently.

Some unfamiliar disciples also quietly appeared within the Wuxing Sect…

Mr. Zhuang sat by the window, watching it all, unruffled and expressionless.

Several days later, Master Liao came to invite Mr. Zhuang, bowing respectfully:

"The Dao Discourse Assembly is about to begin. Please, Mr. Zhuang and your few Gao Tu, proceed to the Zang Zhen Pavilion."

Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, rose, and said to Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi:

"Let's go."

…

The Dao Discourse Assembly.

It was a grand gathering where cultivators discussed the Dao.

It was also a general term for any cultivator assembly.

Cultivators gathered to discuss cultivation, scholarship, artifact forging, pill refining, array theory, and even the breeding of spirit beasts, cats, and dogs.

The Wuxing Sect's Dao Discourse Assembly was primarily for debating array techniques.

The Zang Zhen Pavilion was the sect's pavilion for storing array-related cultivation artifacts.

It housed array scriptures, array diagrams, precious ink, ancient brushes, rare array paper, and a host of other array-related cultivation items.

The Zang Zhen Pavilion was a secret place and one of the sect's key venues for cultivation discussions.

The Wuxing Sect had once been founded on array techniques; now it thrived through earth and wood cultivation, so the Zang Zhen Pavilion was built large and lavish.

The Zang Zhen Pavilion had four floors.

The Dao Discourse Assembly was held on the broadest floor, carved beams and painted rafters, gilded and splendid.

At this moment, inkstones, brushes, and desks were all prepared; the Wuxing Sect's disciples had already taken their seats.

The upper seats were occupied by the Wuxing Sect's Grand Elder, Master Liao, and the various elders and guest advisors.

The Grand Elder, who had been in seclusion for a long time, had emerged.

Beside the Grand Elder sat two elderly men in brocade robes and golden crowns with jade ornaments, their qi thick and substantial—clearly two Jin Dan cultivators.

At this moment, the Grand Elder was whispering with the two elders:

"... This man's surname is Zhuang; his background is immense, too great to detail..."

"It is an ancestral pact—we must honor it..."

"But our sect has declined; we are no longer what we once were... They've come to bully us to our very doorstep..."

"... They covet our Wuxing Sect's ancestral ultimate array..."

"I beg you, my two old friends—please lend a hand to the Wuxing Sect!"

The Grand Elder deliberately played the victim, his words earnest.

The two other elders replied, "Of course, of course!" but their expressions were dull, showing little interest.

The Grand Elder cursed them inwardly.

Truly, old men had become cunning.

The older they got, the more worldly they became.

Two iron roosters who wouldn't stir unless there was profit, not a single coin to spare.

The Grand Elder bowed and said: "Master Chu, Brother Shen... once this is accomplished, I shall offer generous gifts..."

His hand, hidden within his sleeve, subtly signaled a number of spirit stones, visible to both old men.

Both their eyes lit up.

The elder surnamed Shen was the patriarch of the Shen family, an array clan from nearby Sishui City, at the early stage of Jin Dan cultivation.

His previously cold face instantly broke into a smile, his tone now familiar:

"Grand Elder, you're too kind—how could I refuse? How could I refuse?"

Then the Shen patriarch's face turned solemn:

"The Dao Court has unified all cultivators; all must abide by the law. No matter how powerful one is, one must follow the rules. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon cannot suppress the local snake. Grand Elder, rest assured—I shall uphold justice for you!"

He was the Shen patriarch.

The Shen family was wealthy and influential, with many disciples and heavy spirit stone consumption—the more, the better.

The Grand Elder inwardly cursed, "A money-grubbing old fool," while smiling broadly and bowing in praise:

"Brother Shen, you have the heart of an ancient sage—I admire you!"

The elegantly dressed Master Chu, however, paused thoughtfully, weighed his words, then said:

"Brother, I won't take the spirit stones."

No need for spirit stones…

The Grand Elder wasn't pleased; instead, a warning stirred in his heart.

Saying he doesn't need spirit stones doesn't mean he truly doesn't.

More likely, the spirit stones just don't suit his taste.

This Master Chu is the Supreme Patriarch of Zhenxuan Gate, elderly and long retired, holding only a nominal title, yet within the sect, he is of high virtue and great prestige, still commanding absolute authority.

Zhenxuan Gate excels in formation arts and doesn't place much value on spirit stones.

As expected, Master Chu continued:

"Your Wuxing Sect struggles to earn spirit stones—how could I possibly take advantage of your hardship…"

The Shen family's Ancestor, beside him, felt displeased.

What does that mean?

Is asking for spirit stones taking advantage of your hardship?

But he had lived long enough to master the art of composure.

His aged face, lined with wrinkles, revealed no hint of emotion.

The Grand Elder frowned, "Then, Master Chu…"

Master Chu continued: "I only ask to borrow your Wuxing Sect's protective formation diagram for a glance…"

The Grand Elder's expression changed instantly; he hurriedly said:

"No! This is absolutely out of the question!"

The protective formation diagram of the Wuxing Sect?

Are you dreaming?

How could you possibly be shown the formation diagram of the great array?

Isn't that like exposing all your family's secrets to him?

This old bastard!

The Grand Elder cursed inwardly.

The Shen family's Ancestor, beside him, spoke sarcastically:

"Spirit stones are external possessions; formation arts are the foundation of survival. Getting some spirit stones is already plenty—greedily coveting another's core secrets is shamelessly audacious…"

Master Chu did not grow angry; instead, he negotiated:

"I'll only look at the first-rank formation."

"Not even first-rank."

"Not the full diagram—just the simplified schematic."

"Master Chu, don't put me in such a difficult position…"

Master Chu's face hardened. "Younger brother, do you not trust me?"

"This isn't about trust or distrust…"

Master Chu understood the Grand Elder's concerns and said:

"A first-rank great array and a second-rank great array differ vastly in difficulty; the formation patterns are worlds apart. Even if the formation cores share some similarities, they are fundamentally two entirely different types of arrays…"

"Your Wuxing Sect deploys a second-rank great array."

"I only wish to view the first-rank formation diagram—it won't truly affect your Wuxing Sect."

The Grand Elder hesitated. "This…"

Master Chu sighed, and said with feeling:

"In my lifetime, I seek nothing else but to study every formation diagram."

"Now that your Wuxing Sect faces crisis, I step forward to defend your honor—this is all because of the old ties between our two sects…"

"And now, when I ask for this small favor, you dodge and evade me—this is truly disheartening, younger brother…"

Master Chu's expression turned disappointed.

But the Grand Elder knew this was a tactic of feigned retreat, an attempt to pressure him.

If he didn't show him the formation diagram, Master Chu would stand idly by and refuse to help the Wuxing Sect.

The key was, Zhenxuan Gate, built upon formation arts, was immensely powerful.

The Wuxing Sect had gradually declined, while Zhenxuan Gate had grown stronger, producing many formation prodigies among its disciples.

If this Chu didn't help, the outcome was truly uncertain.

Relying solely on Wuxing Sect disciples and the talents of the Shen family and a few others, they might truly fail to match the two Gao Tu siblings of Mr. Zhuang.

After a moment of thought, the Grand Elder gritted his teeth and said:

"Fine! For the sake of the centuries-old ties between our two sects, I agree!"

Master Chu's expression brightened.

The Grand Elder added: "But you may only view this formation diagram within this Formation Archive, and only for one day—you may not take it away."

Master Chu frowned. "One day? What can you learn in one day?"

Even if it was only first-rank, it was still a great array…

The formation patterns were complex, the formation core profound, and the individual arrays numerous.

Though he was a Jin Dan cultivator, he was only a second-rank high-level formation master, with little confidence he could master even seven or eight tenths of the first-rank great array within a single day.

Master Chu thought again—he had no confidence at all…

"Three days!"

Master Chu said: "Three days—I need only one look at this great array's diagram!"

The Grand Elder cursed inwardly again.

Three days?

Is that just a glance?

Your glance lasted far too long.

"Two days!" said the Grand Elder.

Master Chu immediately pushed further: "Two and a half days!"

The Grand Elder insisted: "Only two days! If that won't do, then forget it—I'll find someone else…"

"Fine!" Master Chu immediately agreed. "Two days! Just two days!"

The Shen family's Ancestor, unable to watch any longer, remarked dryly:

"You're all Jin Dan cultivators, sect ancestors—not street vendors haggling over pennies over trivial gains…"

Though his tone was sarcastic, he deeply regretted it inside.

If he'd known, he should've joined in the haggling too!

The world bustles, all drawn by profit.

The world throngs, all driven by profit.

For spirit stones, there's no shame.

Seize this chance, use your tongue, gain more benefits—it's better than anything else.

Too bad… it's too late now…

He'd already agreed—he couldn't go back on his word and demand more.

One can be shameless, but not this shameless…

The Shen family's Ancestor sighed.

Then he felt a strange unease: why would Master Chu, ignoring a vast sum of spirit stones, trade for two days just to gaze at a Rank-One Wuxing Sect protective formation?

The Shen family's Ancestor glanced at Master Chu, his gaze laden with meaning, yet he did not press further.

With the profit settled, the Grand Elder turned to the next arrangements:

"That man has three disciples altogether."

"Of the three, the youngest disciple is already a Rank-One formation master, despite his young age."

"The other two are siblings—extraordinary in talent, their depths unknown; their formation skill is uncertain, but as senior disciples, they must be even more unfathomable than the young apprentice."

"At least Rank-One!"

"And surely seasoned Rank-One formation masters!"

The Grand Elder hesitated, then said:

"As for that young formation master, our Wuxing Sect can still handle him."

"But as for his brilliant senior siblings, we have little confidence…"

The Grand Elder bowed to Master Chu and the Shen family's Ancestor:

"At that time, we will rely on the prodigies of Zhenxuan Sect and the Shen family to intervene, win the formation contest, and preserve our Wuxing Sect's legacy!"

Master Chu nodded. "Naturally."

He also wanted to seize this chance to demonstrate Zhenxuan Sect's formation prowess.

Let everyone know that after Wuxing Sect's decline, Zhenxuan Sect was the true master of formation arts.

Wuxing Sect sets the stage; they perform the play.

Perfectly suited.

The Shen family's Ancestor, thinking of the vast sum of spirit stones and the Rank-One Wuxing Sect protective formation diagram, felt confused and frowned at the Grand Elder:

"Are these disciples truly so formidable that they warrant such a heavy cost?"

The Grand Elder's eyebrow twitched.

In the past, when Wuxing Sect produced talents endlessly, they had no fear of competing with Master Zhuang's disciples—unless these disciples truly possessed Master Zhuang's peerless insight and talent…

The Grand Elder sighed inwardly.

To be fair, they could not match Master Zhuang.

But as always, Master Zhuang was only one.

Master Zhuang's disciples were not Master Zhuang himself—no matter how talented, they must have limits.

That was why the Grand Elder had conceived the Dao Debate Assembly, a formation contest.

Though Wuxing Sect was weak, the Grand Elder refused to admit defeat, unwilling to humiliate himself and undermine his authority, so he said:

"Their talent is exceptional; their true formation skill can only be known after a contest…"

"They may not even be a match for our Wuxing Sect disciples…"

The Grand Elder began to flatter himself, then added gently:

"But this concerns our sect's legacy—it is of utmost gravity. I must proceed with caution, with Zhou Mi, to avoid mishaps that might cause our sect's legacy to fall into others' hands."

"Even at great cost, it is worth it!"

Master Chu and the Shen family's Ancestor both nodded.

Even if they now looked down on Wuxing Sect's formation skill, the Grand Elder's reasoning was sound.

When it comes to a sect's most secret legacy, caution is always right.

Master Chu said: "Grand Elder, rest assured—Wuxing Sect is named for its Five Elements formations; this ultimate formation will remain within Wuxing Sect—no one will learn it!"

The Grand Elder was overjoyed. "Thank you, Master Chu!"

The Shen family's Ancestor frowned: "Yet those who dare covet the ultimate formation must have extraordinary talent."

Master Chu replied calmly: "No problem."

He sneered. "Formation arts are vast and profound—requiring both talent and diligent study. Even with talent, one cannot master everything."

"Array patterns, array pivots, array eyes, array principles—along with some advanced array techniques—cannot possibly cover every detail."

"A ruler has its length, a inch has its shortness."

"No matter how talented an array master may be, it's the same."

"If this Mr. Zhuang's disciples are merely average in strength, we shall defeat them openly, teach them how to act, and let them feel the vastness and profundity of array art, the mystery and subtlety of array principles."

"Let them understand that beyond heaven there is higher heaven, beyond people there are greater people."

"If they truly possess extraordinary talent and exceptional array skill..."

"Then use our strengths to strike their weaknesses!"

"We have so many disciples, each with their own strengths—there must be some who surpass them; when compared this way, we can still defeat them."

"Though it may seem unsportsmanlike, the transmission of our sect's legacy is paramount; we need not be bound by such minor details."

"Winning is winning; losing is losing."

"If they dare come to learn array art, they must be prepared for this. If their skill is inferior, they have no grounds to complain!"

……

The Grand Elder nodded in approval: "Good!"

The Shen family's Ancestor also stroked his beard and said, "Excellent."

After the discussion ended, they sat upright and waited for Mr. Zhuang and his group.

The bustling disciples in the Array Scripture Pavilion gradually fell silent...

Half an hour later, Mr. Zhuang led Mo Hua and the other two, before all eyes, entered the Array Scripture Pavilion.

The Array Scripture Pavilion instantly grew utterly silent, not even a pin could drop.

The three Jin Dan elders, who had been meditating with closed eyes, all opened their eyes; their aged gazes held sharp brilliance as they fixed on the newcomers.

This is that Mr. Zhuang!

Indeed, he exuded immortal grace and divine bearing, peerless in the world.

The man and woman behind him—are they the siblings?

Indeed, their bearing was noble and majestic, their Dao essence flawless.

And the one behind them...

All three were stunned.

Why does he look so young?

Though they had been told beforehand—a child of around ten, a Level One array master—they still found it unbelievable upon seeing him in person.

He's far too young...

Is this really a Level One array master?

Are you kidding me...

We spent so long deliberating seriously, only to face this little child?

To compete against him—isn't that bullying?

(End of Chapter)