Chapter 541: Digging Away

The Five Elements source runes resembled five narrow, multicolored eyes, clustered together like petals.

Within each eye were ancient, profound patterns, both beautiful and sinister, occasionally blinking as if endowed with life.

The Five Elements wraiths, bewildered, widened their pupils in terror.

"What's happening? What's wrong with me?"

"Where am I?"

"Who am I?"

"What is this on my forehead?"

"I…"

Before the Five Elements wraith could finish speaking, sudden change erupted.

The strange, eye-like "source runes" suddenly widened, their pupil-like interiors glowing with vivid, glaring patterns.

One by one, line by line, dense array runes emerged like multicolored ants, crawling downward from the wraith's forehead, over shoulders, limbs, and even the heart meridian, gradually covering its entire body.

The Five Elements wraith's entire body was covered in crawling array runes.

From inside to outside, densely packed, entirely array runes.

Its consciousness was completely swallowed by the "source runes," becoming a true "Five Elements puppet."

The Five Elements wraith became a puppet.

Its gaze turned black and hollow, yet the five eye-like runes on its forehead grew brighter, finally trembling once—the patterns, like pupils, all "looked" toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's expression changed abruptly.

He tapped his foot and immediately withdrew.

At the same time, the spot where he had stood was already crawling with array runes.

Mo Hua frowned.

This "source rune" was like an epidemic; these scattered array runes were like toxins released by the disease—once they touched a spiritual consciousness body, they would parasitize, consume, and control it…

Just like that Five Elements wraith.

And now, this Five Elements wraith was entirely dominated by the "source runes," having become a "toxin origin" itself.

Worse still, this "epidemic" was now inside his own mind sea.

Mo Hua looked solemn.

He manifested a circle of array beneath his feet to protect himself, then attempted to activate the Spirit Pivot Array on the Five Elements wraith's chest.

The Spirit Pivot Array involved the essence of spiritual power.

It was not a Five Elements array to begin with, but a supreme-grade ultimate array; thus, though suppressed by the array runes derived from the Five Elements source runes, it had not been erased.

Mo Hua's spiritual consciousness stirred—the Spirit Pivot Array suddenly glowed.

A bright pale-blue light blazed from the Five Elements wraith's chest.

Threads of spiritual energy spread outward from its chest like silk, weaving into a cocoon, attempting to trap the wraith and seal the Five Elements source runes within its body.

Yet though these spiritual threads restrained the wraith, they could not suppress the array runes.

The Five Elements wraith, bound by the spiritual threads, could not move.

But the source runes on its forehead, shaped like "five-colored eyes," continued to multiply, spilling array runes that corroded the wraith, ate through the spiritual threads, and gradually blanketed Mo Hua's mind sea.

"What do I do?"

Mo Hua's gaze turned solemn.

If these array runes continued to multiply endlessly until they filled his entire mind sea, would he too, like the Five Elements wraith, be parasitized by these "source runes" and become a mindless puppet?

His master was right.

Indeed, there were great dangers between mind seas!

And most of them were unpredictable, unfathomable, elusive dangers.

Mo Hua, while controlling the Spirit Pivot Array to resist the Five Elements source runes, forced himself to calm down, his thoughts racing as he searched for a solution…

This source rune must be the result of the Wuxing Sect's calculations of the Five Elements array flow.

The problem is, they calculated it.

But did they calculate it correctly—or incorrectly?

What exactly is this thing they calculated?

How could an array lineage possess its own will?

How could it possibly parasitize?

Did the Wuxing Sect, once a top-tier array sect of the cultivation world, gradually decline because they calculated this very thing?

Mo Hua's mind brimmed with doubts.

As for these ancient secrets, Mo Hua's experience was limited—he could not yet understand them, so he set them aside for now and continued reasoning:

The Wuxing Sect used a special calculation method to derive array flows.

They unified all Five Elements array runes, calculated them collectively, condensed variations, merged many into one, and forged this single "source rune."

Merged many into one…

Though it was only one array rune, it condensed and contained nearly all the Five Elements array techniques passed down by the Wuxing Sect.

These array runes followed its will.

And now, it was releasing these array runes…

The source rune is the toxin origin—then are these array runes "compiled" within it the toxins?

Then, to halt the spread of the "source rune," must I reverse the process—re-calculate these array runes and "compile" them back into the source rune?

Is this calculation the Wuxing Sect's unique method?

That is, the method recorded in the Wuxing Sect's transmission grounds for condensing array flows?

Mo Hua frowned.

He was uncertain, but now there was no other way—he could only try.

The "eye" of the Source Pattern kept spinning, and array patterns slowly seeped from this eye, flowing into Mo Hua's consciousness.

All these array patterns were first-grade.

The "Source Pattern" contained the Five Elements arrays, surely not limited to first-grade, but it seemed the Source Pattern's spread followed a gradual progression.

Until all first-grade patterns are released, second-grade ones won't emerge…

But that was fine—if truly second-grade array patterns existed, Mo Hua would be utterly helpless.

No time to waste, Mo Hua held his breath and focused, beginning to deduce these array patterns, which writhed like water snakes.

Mo Hua concentrated fully and deduced rapidly.

In moments, he deduced a small patch of Five Elements array patterns.

After deducing them, then what?

Mo Hua frowned and released his spiritual sense to perceive these array patterns.

These array patterns were not lifeless.

Nor were they fixed.

The lines of these array patterns resembled ink stains, as if alive.

His spiritual sense could manipulate and alter their patterns.

Mo Hua hesitated, then used his spiritual sense to control a small portion of the array patterns, changing their shapes and twisting their formations.

He adjusted their formations to match his deduced method.

The instant the formation changed, the array patterns shifted.

They stopped spreading.

Moreover, they began to contract and condense.

Like time reversing, the array patterns retraced exactly how they had extended.

Mo Hua's spirits lifted.

This method worked!

To untie a knot, you must find the one who tied it.

The Wuxing Sect's "Source Pattern" still required the Wuxing Sect's "Deduction" to balance it.

No time to waste, Mo Hua pushed his spiritual sense to its limit, just as the Wuxing Sect's ancestors had deduced array flows—he himself slowly, with his own hands, gathered these array patterns into one, deducing them into "Source."

Though only a small step, it was the first step on the Path of Deduction.

The array patterns shrank bit by bit…

The Source Pattern suddenly trembled violently, its five-colored eye writhing with grotesque patterns, surging with fury.

There was still more?

The Wuxing Sect's ancestors were all dead.

It had never imagined that thousands of years later, someone still possessed this Deduction method and could suppress its array patterns!

The Source Pattern stared fixedly at Mo Hua.

More and more array patterns flowed from its eye, denser and denser.

But Mo Hua's deduction grew ever more effortless.

His understanding of Five Elements arrays was already extraordinary among cultivators; within the scope of first-grade arrays, though not equal to the Wuxing Sect's ancestors, he was not far behind.

Added to this was his Foundation Establishment Thirteen Mark peak spiritual sense.

With the Heavenly Deduction Scripture enhancing him, Mo Hua's deduction speed was extremely fast.

In his consciousness, array patterns spread while contracting, the two sides locked in stalemate.

Mo Hua deduced faster and faster; during this time, his understanding of the Wuxing Sect's secret Deduction method deepened, and his application grew increasingly refined.

Finally, the Source Pattern's spread could not keep up with Mo Hua's deduction speed.

The spreading array patterns began to retract.

Mo Hua deduced bit by bit, gathered bit by bit.

Like a tiny fisherman pulling a net, hauling back every fish that had leapt from the pond…

The array patterns gradually shrank until they were all gathered, merged into one, recondensed, and sealed once more within the Source Pattern.

The Five Elements Source Pattern's eye dimmed, its luster withdrawn.

The Five Elements Ghost, as a puppet, fell still.

Inside the consciousness, silence suddenly deepened.

Mo Hua plopped onto the ground and let out a long breath.

In a short time, he had deduced a vast number of Five Elements array patterns and was utterly exhausted.

But at least he had halted the Source Pattern's proliferation.

Mo Hua relaxed, about to rest, when suddenly his heart sank—he looked up and saw the Five Elements Ghost cracking inch by inch, as if its spiritual form could no longer bear the immense burden.

At the same time, the Five Elements Source Pattern's five-colored eye darkened with a black veil.

Five Source Patterns slowly rose, bulging.

As if something sought to break free from its shackles, emerging from within the eye…

Mo Hua sensed a terrifying aura.

It was the aura of an extremely powerful and evil spiritual consciousness.

It even resembled that of a high-grade Dao Deviation…

This spiritual consciousness was immensely powerful.

And he harbored deep malice toward Mo Hua.

Merely revealing a trace of his aura shook Mo Hua's spiritual sense, unsettled his emotions, and caused his mind sea to throb with pain, as if on the verge of shattering…

"This source rune seeks to shatter my mind sea?"

Mo Hua was stunned.

At that moment, an ancient and profound aura suddenly surfaced.

This ancient aura filled Mo Hua's mind sea and wrapped around his spiritual sense, as if protecting him, forbidding any external evil from harming him.

At the center of the mind sea stood the Dao Stele, firm and unmoving, deep as a still pool, vast as the void, suppressing all malevolent forces!

The strange and terrifying aura vanished instantly!

The moment the Dao Stele appeared, the Wuxing Source Rune trembled like it had seen a ghost—its "eyes" convulsed, and the pupil-like array patterns quivered violently.

It immediately retracted, suppressing all its aura, weaving new array patterns to repair the limbs of the Wuxing Ghost, then turned and tried to flee!

Mo Hua flew into a rage.

"Try to run?!"

Ignoring the searing pain, he clenched his small face, activated the Flowing Water Step, darted forward in a few flashes, closed in on the Wuxing Ghost, and reached out with his tiny hand to grasp its five eyes!

His body was stained with the aura of the Dao Stele.

The source rune startled and immediately "closed its eyes," retreating into the ghost's forehead.

But it was too late.

Mo Hua's eyes were swift—he seized it outright.

The source rune furiously tried to resist.

But Mo Hua was guarded by the Dao Stele; his aura was terrifying. The moment the source rune "opened its eyes," it cowered again, squeezing them shut tightly.

Mo Hua sneered: "Worthless scrap!"

The source rune trembled, furious but dared not open its eyes.

After suppressing the "source rune," the Dao Stele slowly faded back into Mo Hua's mind sea.

It seemed that for such a minor squabble, the Dao Stele didn't care—Mo Hua could handle it himself.

But when the source rune tried to bully the small with the great, it refused to allow it.

With the Dao Stele backing him, Mo Hua straightened his spine at once.

He gripped the palm-sized Wuxing Source Rune in his hand, squeezed it, pinched it, tugged at it, and finally vented his fury.

Seeing it still gave no reaction, Mo Hua began to examine it closely.

The closed-eyed Wuxing Source Rune resembled a jade pendant—neither soft nor hard, neither cold nor hot, simultaneously illusory and real.

It was a thing formed from spiritual sense.

It was the crystallization of the Wuxing Sect's spiritual computation.

Ordinary spiritual forms, though lifelike, remained hazy, like gaseous shadows—even Mo Hua's form, though solidified, still bore faint traces of illusion.

They merely felt like True Persons, but were not True Persons.

But this source rune was nearly physical.

It approached "reality" by endlessly transcending "illusion…"

Mo Hua frowned.

From illusion to reality—was this the path to strengthening spiritual sense? Was this the road he must walk to validate his spiritual insight on the Dao?

Mo Hua shook his head, deciding to ask his master when he returned.

For now, the problem was how to handle this source rune.

This source rune seemed to conceal many secrets.

It was not only an array lineage, a pinnacle transmission of array arts, invaluable beyond measure.

It also surely concealed the truth behind the Wuxing Sect's decline.

Most importantly, within the source rune was that powerful and strange aura.

What exactly was this aura?

And why had this transmission "come alive," evolved array patterns, parasitized spiritual sense, and taken control of the ghosts?

Mo Hua pondered for a long time, still utterly baffled, and sighed:

"Indeed, I must read more."

"Cultivation knowledge is also part of a cultivator's strength."

He studied the jade-pendant-like Wuxing Source Rune in his hand, troubled:

"Where should I put this source rune?"

Storing it in my mind sea? Absolutely not.

This source rune is like a plague—it spontaneously evolves, consumes and parasitizes, and hides unknown malevolent intent. Even with the Dao Stele suppressing it, it's still far too dangerous.

A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.

I cannot plant a bomb in my own mind sea.

If I can't store it in my mind sea, I must store it outside.

A spiritual sense repository?

A spirit shrine might work.

But the spirit shrine belongs to the Wuxing Sect—I can't take it away. If I store the source rune inside, I'll have worked for nothing.

Moreover, this source rune now has its own will, has entered my mind sea, and has seen the Dao Stele—it absolutely cannot be allowed to escape.

Even if I can't "kill" it or "consume" it, I must keep it in my own hands.

Repository…

Mo Hua rested his chin on his hand in thought, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

Visualization diagram!

Zhang Quan's ancestral master diagram could store divine sense.

After Mo Hua had "picked clean" Zhang Quan's whole family of zombie ancestors, elders, and disciples from top to bottom, one diagram was left behind — an "ancestral master diagram" with no ancestral master.

This blank ancestral master diagram seemed like it could be used to store this Five Elements Source Pattern.

"But how to put it in?"

Mo Hua had no experience, so he figured he'd try it first.

His divine sense withdrew from the sea of consciousness, and his awareness gradually awakened.

Mo Hua before the shrine slowly opened his eyes.

Bai Zixi was first delighted, then her pretty face sank slightly, her expression serious. Bai Xi's small hand formed a knife, placed behind Mo Hua's head, as if one wrong word and she'd knock Mo Hua down again.

Bai Zisheng nearby also wore a solemn expression.

Mo Hua opened his eyes, felt the atmosphere was a little odd, and asked in a small voice:

"Senior Sister, what's wrong…"

Bai Zixi gazed into Mo Hua's eyes, found them clear, her own reflection mirrored in his water-like pupils, then nodded and said softly:

"It's Junior Brother."

Bai Zisheng let out a long breath of relief, then remembering something, hurriedly asked:

"The Five Elements Spirit Array — did you learn it?"

Mo Hua smiled and nodded.

Bai Zisheng was overjoyed, then asked in confusion:

"What exactly did you encounter inside? Why did it take so long? And just now…"

But Bai Zixi's gaze darkened slightly as she said: "We'll talk after we leave."

Bai Zisheng immediately nodded. "Right, let's get out first."

"Wait." Mo Hua said, "There's one more thing…"

He opened his storage bag, fumbled around for a while, and finally in a corner found that wrinkled, crumpled blank "ancestral master diagram" — splashed with incense ash and stamped with footprints.

Mo Hua opened the ancestral master diagram, just starting to consider how to store the Five Elements Source Pattern inside, when he felt a sharp pain in his sea of consciousness.

That Five Elements Source Pattern couldn't wait to burrow out of his sea of consciousness and pounce into the blank diagram.

It seemed Mo Hua's sea of consciousness was a place it didn't want to stay for even a moment…

The Five Elements Source Pattern was stored in the visualization diagram.

On the blank diagram, five-colored light suddenly appeared, and five five-colored patterns clearly emerged. These five patterns encompassed the Five Elements arrays and contained the origin of the Five Elements.

This visualization diagram thus became the Five Elements Array Flow Diagram — containing the array formations of every generation of the Wuxing Sect and its most supreme inheritance!

In an instant, the entire diagram's aura changed dramatically.

A wisp of extremely subtle, profound, yet thick Five Elements qi spread out from the diagram, centered on the Hidden Array Pavilion, diffusing outward in all directions.

The ordinary disciples of the Wuxing Sect felt nothing.

But a group of sect masters and elders all changed expression drastically.

"This is?!"

"Such dense Five Elements qi!"

"Profound, ancient, incomparably mysterious!"

"Our Wuxing Sect still has such an inheritance?"

"What inheritance is this?"

……

The Grand Elder, who was drinking tea on the third floor, was even more shocked, his pupils trembling violently.

He was closer, so he felt it more clearly.

The shrine?!

What's going on?

What happened?

The Grand Elder's heart trembled. He abruptly rose, intending to go up to the fourth floor to see what exactly had happened…

Mr. Zhuang nearby also changed expression slightly, dazed and lost, muttering in his heart:

"The origin of the Five Elements…"

"What exactly did this child Mo Hua find…"

"He couldn't have dug out all of the Wuxing Sect's several thousand years of array-path foundation, could he…"

(End of chapter)