Chapter 532: Immortal Yang Tianzhen Style

The Dao Discussion Assembly came to an end.

Mo Hua dominated the field.

The Wuxing Sect suffered a crushing defeat.

Mr. Zhuang left the Array Pavilion with unhurried composure, his expression as ever—aloof, with a touch of airy nonchalance.

It seemed this small occasion wasn't worth his stirring.

But Mo Hua knew Mr. Zhuang well, and knew that though his master's expression looked plain now, he must be very happy inside.

Mr. Zhuang was happy, and Mo Hua also felt the trip had been worthwhile. He couldn't help but hold his head high and chest out, following behind Mr. Zhuang.

Seeing his little junior brother steal the spotlight, Bai Zisheng nodded, his face full of shared glory.

Bai Zixi also glanced at Mo Hua, her gaze like water, a faint smile pressed at the corner of her lips.

……

Master and disciples left the Array Pavilion and returned to their guest rooms.

Mr. Zhuang then praised Mo Hua:

"Well done!"

Mo Hua beamed. "It's all thanks to Master's excellent teaching!"

Mr. Zhuang's mood was thoroughly soothed.

Having an obedient disciple really was different.

Mr. Zhuang added:

"Rest up today. Tomorrow we'll go learn the Five Elements Spirit Arrays."

"Mm!"

Mo Hua nodded vigorously, eyes full of anticipation.

Then he seemed to remember something and grew a little worried. "Master, will the Wuxing Sect actually let me learn the Five Elements Spirit Arrays?"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze sharpened slightly. "Out of respect for the Wuxing Sect's forebears, I've already given them plenty of face…"

"The rules were theirs, the exam questions were theirs, they even brought in reinforcements, and in the end they lost fair and square…"

"If after all that they still stall and refuse to honor the agreement of years past, then don't blame me for disregarding our past ties…"

Mo Hua was reassured, though still a little uneasy:

"Even if they let me learn, they'll probably throw obstacles in my way, right?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded. "Naturally. But as long as these underhanded tricks don't go too far, I can't be bothered to quibble over them."

Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua and lightly patted his small shoulder:

"You'll run into plenty of petty tricks like this in the future. Learn to deal with them yourself."

Mo Hua nodded. "Yes, Master."

Mr. Zhuang looked a touch weary. He closed his eyes briefly to rest his spirit, then opened them and continued giving instructions:

"Tomorrow, you go with your senior brother and senior sister to the Array Pavilion and see if you can comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Arrays."

After speaking, Mr. Zhuang looked at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi and said:

"Mo Hua's divine sense is sufficient—he can learn thirteen-pattern arrays."

"Your divine sense isn't enough, so try using the method I taught you…"

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi respectfully nodded in assent.

Mo Hua's expression shifted slightly. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then hesitated, but in the end said nothing.

Still, his expression did not escape Mr. Zhuang's notice.

After finishing his instructions and sending the disciples off, Mr. Zhuang paused, then called Mo Hua back.

"Mo Hua."

Mo Hua, who had reached the threshold, turned back, puzzled. "Master?"

Mr. Zhuang beckoned him over.

Mo Hua walked up to Mr. Zhuang.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Zhuang asked:

"You… did you want to ask something?"

Mo Hua hesitated, then shook his head.

Mr. Zhuang's gaze was gentle, as if he had seen through Mo Hua's thoughts, and he said softly:

"If you want to ask something, just ask."

Mo Hua knew he couldn't hide it from Mr. Zhuang, so he stopped concealing it and asked in a small voice:

"Master, what exactly is it that you teach my senior brother and senior sister?"

"Want to know?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

He really was very curious.

Mr. Zhuang's gaze grew thoughtful. Instead of answering, he asked:

"Why… didn't you ask me before?"

Mo Hua answered honestly. "Master thinks far ahead and acts with his own plans in mind. If it were something you could tell me, you'd certainly have told me. If you haven't, it's clearly better that I don't know…"

Mr. Zhuang was briefly stunned, then warmth welled up in his heart—like a springtime creek bathed in sunlight, flowing gently through his chest.

Mr. Zhuang's gaze softened, and he asked Mo Hua gently:

"Don't you think I'm biased toward your senior brother and senior sister?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "Master has already been so, so good to me!"

Everything that should be taught, could be taught—even some beyond-scope, things that shouldn't be taught, things that couldn't be taught—was taught to me.

Daily, I asked the most questions.

Master never grew weary, answering me with the greatest detail.

Daily, the senior brothers and sisters held deep reverence for Master.

But Master treated me with greater familiarity.

Putting it this way, Mo Hua felt Master favored him slightly more.

Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang, his gaze clear, untainted, filled with amber-like crystalline dependence and trust.

Mr. Zhuang's eyes grew slightly moist, his heart filled with indescribable emotion.

He took a deep breath, his expression solemn:

"Mo Hua, you must memorize well what I say next—but tell no one."

Mo Hua's heart tightened, and he nodded seriously.

Mr. Zhuang formed a hand seal and lightly swept his hand.

Nothing changed around them.

But Mo Hua faintly sensed that within this room, within a few feet, something had been severed.

It severed sound—and also cause and effect.

Mr. Zhuang spoke solemnly:

"The Deceiver Daoist…"

Mo Hua's expression changed, his pupils contracting.

Nothing happened around them.

Mo Hua exhaled in relief.

Mr. Zhuang knew Mo Hua understood, and continued:

"I told you before: our lineage has a sect."

"The Deceiver Daoist, Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng's mother, and I—all came from the same sect, we were fellow senior and junior disciples."

"Now, you, Zisheng, and Bai Zixi are all disciples of this same sect."

"This sect has an ancient lineage."

"I am the forty-ninth master of this sect."

"But the name of this sect—I cannot tell you, and you must not know it."

"This sect has many transmissions, but the most important, the most orthodox, accessible only to the direct heir—the one I taught your senior brothers and sisters—is an array transmission…"

"This transmission is named—"

Mr. Zhuang looked solemn, speaking slowly and clearly: "Immortal Yang Tianzhen Stream!"

Mo Hua was startled, "Primordial Yang Tianzhen Stream?"

Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Not Primordial…"

He took out a brush and wrote the character "仙" on paper, "It is Immortal Heaven."

Immortal Heaven…

Mo Hua found it hard to believe, "The 'Immortal' as in becoming an Immortal?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, "This transmission is top secret. Outsiders have only heard rumors, never seen the written characters, so they've always assumed it was 'Primordial Yang Tianzhen Stream.' But its true name is 'Immortal Yang Tianzhen Stream!'"

"Immortal Yang Tianzhen Stream means the origin stream of Immortal Heaven arrays."

"Since the opening of heaven and earth, Immortals attained Dao, engraved Dao's essence, forming the myriad heavenly arrays—thus all arrays in the world derive from Dao and return to Dao, sharing a unified origin."

"Primordial Yang Tianzhen Stream is the compilation of the origin of all arrays in the world."

"One understood, all understood; learn one, know ten thousand; all arrays return to one."

"After learning Immortal Yang Tianzhen Stream, you can comprehend the origin of most arrays in the world; then, learning arrays becomes twice as efficient, even allowing you to bypass spiritual awareness barriers and comprehend arrays requiring extremely high spiritual awareness and extreme difficulty…"

Mo Hua's mouth hung open.

This wasn't a transmission—it was like a cheat code from Heaven itself.

"Of course," Mr. Zhuang added, "Primordial Yang Tianzhen Stream, though profound as creation, immensely powerful, is also extremely hard to learn, demanding extraordinarily high comprehension and innate talent."

"This transmission, your senior brothers and sisters may learn—but you cannot."

"Is it because my elemental roots are weak?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

"Yes—but not entirely," Mr. Zhuang said. "Weak elemental roots mean you'd learn poorly, but you could still learn. You? You cannot learn it."

Mo Hua froze.

Mr. Zhuang's gaze grew obscure, and he warned again: "Remember—you absolutely must not learn it!"

"This transmission carries too great a karmic burden. You must not touch it—at least not with your current cultivation. Even if one day you reach Foundation Establishment or Jin Dan, you must not touch this karmic thread!"

Even Jin Dan cannot touch it…

Mo Hua's gaze turned sharp, and he nodded solemnly:

"Master, I remember!"

Mr. Zhuang looked into Mo Hua's eyes, confirmed he truly heard and deeply remembered, then finally exhaled slightly.

"There is another reason…"

Mr. Zhuang continued, "Immortal Yang Tianzhen Stream—you must not learn it, or rather… you do not need to learn it."

Now Mo Hua was truly confused.

Mr. Zhuang sighed:

"Immortal Yang Tianzhen, the origin of all arrays, one understood, all understood, profound as creation—it allows comprehension of the origin of all arrays and all methods in the world…"

"These words were passed down by our sect's Laozu…"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he understood: "Laozu lies!"

Mr. Zhuang's gaze was approving as he nodded.

"This saying has been passed down through generations of Laozu, but whether it is true or false, how much is real and how much false, remains unclear."

"So far, the Immortal Yang Tianzhen Flow does indeed enhance one's understanding of arrays, allowing one insight to unlock all others—this part matches what Laozu said."

"But what lies ahead? When one reaches the depths of cultivation and ascends to higher realms, what exactly one will find remains unknown."

"Moreover, even if the Immortal Yang Tianzhen Flow encompasses the origins of all arrays, it is still, at its core, someone else's summation of the Dao."

"The only difference is that this 'someone' might be an Immortal."

"Even whether it is an Immortal, and what kind of Immortal, is uncertain…"

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with hopeful eyes.

"Zisheng and Bai Zixi study the Immortal Yang Tianzhen Flow to comprehend arrays because their physical foundations are strong but their spiritual awareness is weak, so they must rely on this method to learn advanced arrays."

"But you are different…"

"Your spiritual awareness is stronger than anyone else's."

"You can fully learn, practice, and comprehend on your own—however arduous, however treacherous, however time-consuming and exhausting it may be—because what you gain will be your own, and your understanding will be deeper."

"Do not approach the Immortal Yang Tianzhen Flow with preconceptions."

"Do not rashly seek to unravel the origins of the myriad arrays before you have even mastered them."

"Otherwise, all your array comprehension will be a castle in the air, and what you believe to be the true origins may not be origins at all."

"You must learn to study your own arrays, walk your own path…"

Walk your own path…

Mo Hua felt as if醍醐灌頂—his gaze shone brilliantly.

He said nothing, only silently bowed to Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zhuang's gaze was approving, his heart filled with quiet emotion.

After all this time, he had finally taken on a worthy disciple…

Even if his life had been full of hardship and his later years wandered aimlessly, Heaven had not treated him unkindly…

Memories rose and sank in his mind.

A thousand emotions churned within him.

Mr. Zhuang sighed, looked at Mo Hua, and his heart gradually calmed.

…

The next day, Mr. Zhuang brought Mo Hua and the other two to the Array Repository.

At this time, the Array Repository was far less crowded.

The vast Array Repository stood cold and solemn.

Between carved beams and painted rafters, countless array texts and diagrams were displayed, appearing rigorous yet exquisitely intricate.

Only the Grand Elder of the Wuxing Sect and Master Liao came to greet Mo Hua and his master.

The Grand Elder's expression was grim.

The scene from yesterday still lingered vividly in his mind.

He even dreamed of hearing Mo Hua ask: "What's left to compete?" "Who else?"…

The Grand Elder's eyelids twitched.

This young array master, though appearing innocent and naive, was a genuine array prodigy!

A younger version of Mr. Zhuang.

Even more insufferable than Mr. Zhuang.

The Grand Elder was deeply pained.

The Wuxing Sect had lost—and today, its core inheritance would be handed over for others to learn.

Even though the first-grade thirteen-stripe Five Elements Spirit Array was extremely difficult to master.

But facing Mr. Zhuang and the unpredictable young array master Mo Hua, the Grand Elder had no confidence, so his face was pale, tinged with unease.

Beside him, Master Liao appeared completely unfazed.

It seemed as if whether the Wuxing Sect's ultimate arrays would be learned by others meant nothing to him.

Once everyone was assembled, the Grand Elder, with a stern face, reluctantly addressed Mr. Zhuang:

"Proceed."

Mr. Zhuang nodded faintly.

The group ascended the stairs toward the upper levels of the Array Repository.

The Wuxing Sect's Array Repository had four floors.

The first floor was spacious, with a grand hall, tables, and bookshelves, primarily used to store first-grade arrays and allow disciples to borrow, study, and contemplate array texts and diagrams, as well as for gatherings and Dao discussions.

The second floor was smaller, not luxurious but more ancient and simple, used mainly to store second-grade array diagrams, generally not open to the public.

The third floor was even smaller, reserved for storing third-grade arrays.

Its furnishings were somewhat aged, even a little shabby, yet its atmosphere was ancient and weighty—more solemn than the first floor's gaudy grand hall.

Third-grade arrays!

Mo Hua clicked his tongue.

The Wuxing Sect's depth of heritage was indeed profound.

He himself had barely seen even second-grade arrays, let alone third-grade ones.

He longed to flip through the third-grade array diagrams, to see what third-grade arrays truly looked like.

How many array lines? How did the array pivot flow? How was the array core constructed? How could one learn them? What effects would they produce…

Unfortunately, Mo Hua knew that the Grand Elder of the Wuxing Sect was a real miser.

With his penny-pinching nature, he would definitely be unwilling to let Mo Hua browse the third-grade formations in the Array Pavilion.

Sure enough, not to mention browsing, he wouldn't even let him stay.

The Grand Elder led Mo Hua and the others up the stairs lined with formations, using the Elder Token to unlock them, going all the way up to the second floor, past the third floor, and arriving at the fourth floor.

First floor, first grade; second floor, second grade; third floor, third grade.

The Wuxing Sect probably had no fourth-grade inheritance, so this fourth floor should house the sect's most treasured set of five absolute formations — the Five Elements Spirit Formation.

Mo Hua peeked out his little head from behind Mr. Zhuang, looking left and right.

The fourth floor of the Wuxing Sect was even more cramped.

The furnishings around the room were simpler — all wooden beams and windows.

In the center was a shrine.

Beneath the shrine sat five meditation cushions.

Formations were drawn on the walls and floor, but these formations had their array patterns hidden, and their aura was profound and obscure — at least second grade, possibly even third grade…

Mo Hua wouldn't have doubted it even if they were fourth grade.

Mo Hua also felt a trace of reverence for the Wuxing Sect.

Although the current Wuxing Sect, stripped of its grand and ornate exterior, was nothing more than a hopeless mess of mud that couldn't be propped up against a wall.

Its ancestors' inheritance was indeed extraordinarily profound.

Even though this fourth floor of the Array Pavilion used only ordinary wood as array medium, the formations laid out inspired awe and could not be underestimated.

The Grand Elder was also somewhat wistful. After a moment, he composed himself and said to Mo Hua and the others:

"The Five Elements Spirit Formation is hidden within this shrine."

"Sit on the meditation cushions and visualize the shrine. If your comprehension is sufficient, you will be able to see the formation diagram of the Five Elements Spirit Formation."

Visualize?

Mo Hua was slightly startled and couldn't help but glance at the shrine.

So this shrine was a kind of visualization diagram?

Visualize the shrine, and with sufficient comprehension, one could learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation?

It probably wasn't that simple…

Mo Hua secretly glanced at the Grand Elder and, sure enough, saw a flicker of teasing and cunning flash deep in the Grand Elder's eyes.

Not just a miser.

But also an old fox…

Mo Hua muttered to himself.

(End of this chapter)