Chapter 543

A complete inheritance of a fully developed Wuxing Ultimate Array, including rank-one and above!

And it's the ancient inheritance of the once top-tier array sect, Wuxing Sect!

Mo Hua was filled with excitement.

After Mo Hua calmed down from his excitement, Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly:

"Of course, it's not that simple…"

"I knew it…" Mo Hua muttered inwardly, paused for thought, then asked Mr. Zhuang:

"Master, this legacy must be hidden very deeply, right…?"

Mr. Zhuang nodded solemnly:

"To obtain the Wuxing Sect's legacy is not easy…"

"First, as I just said, you must have a way to suppress the 'Source Glyphs'—if you cannot suppress them, recklessly calculating the Source Glyphs will inevitably lead to parasitism by the Source Glyphs, death and spiritual annihilation…"

"Even if you can suppress them, you must be extremely cautious."

"This Source Glyph is far too ancient; the mental energy and computational power it contains are infinite, and what kind of anomaly occurred remains unknown."

"Back then, the Wuxing Sect was so powerful, with so many array masters and such profound array knowledge, yet they still could not overcome it."

"Therefore, if you truly wish to comprehend and calculate the Source Glyphs, you must be cautious, cautious, and have absolute certainty!"

Mr. Zhuang's expression turned grave.

Mo Hua nodded seriously, his small face stern: "Master, I'll be careful—I'll 'coward' when I need to!"

Mr. Zhuang couldn't help but smile, then continued:

"The second requirement is also mental energy."

"Calculating the Source Glyphs consumes immense mental energy."

"Especially reverse calculation—calculating a Source Glyph that has condensed countless computational forces—so the mental energy requirement is extremely high."

Mr. Zhuang glanced again at the "Wuxing Array Flow Map," staring at the five colored Source Glyphs with closed eyes, his gaze deep, and said slowly:

"This Source Glyph contains all the Wuxing Sect's treasured Wuxing arrays—including the Wuxing Spirit Array—like an array 'Dao Repository.'"

"But most of the arrays within are encrypted via modified array runes."

"Without sufficient mental energy, you cannot calculate them out."

"With your current mental energy, even if you attempt calculation, you'll see only a fraction…"

"The rest of the 'Dao Repository' is infinite—you'll have to wait until later, when your cultivation advances and your mental energy grows stronger, to uncover and comprehend them."

Mr. Zhuang closed the Array Flow Map and shoved it into Mo Hua's hands.

"This Source Glyph encompasses all Wuxing phenomena…"

"It is the core array inheritance of the entire Wuxing Sect—throughout the cultivation world, it is rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, priceless…"

"You must keep it safe, remember—not a single soul must know, or you'll invite greed!"

Mo Hua felt the map in his hands weigh a thousand catties; he nodded solemnly.

Mr. Zhuang patted Mo Hua's head and exhaled softly.

"There's one more thing…" Mr. Zhuang said again, "the Wuxing Spirit Array must be renamed."

"Renamed?" Mo Hua blinked. "Is it that ugly?"

He thought the Wuxing Spirit Array wasn't imposing or elegant—it felt common, even a bit rustic—but surely not ugly enough to warrant a rename…

Mr. Zhuang smiled and shook his head. "Array names relate to the array's principles—they're never chosen lightly."

"The Wuxing Spirit Array contains the character 'Spirit'—though it sounds ordinary, any skilled array master knows this array touches the essence of Wuxing spiritual energy, utterly distinct from ordinary arrays."

"I'm having you rename it to avoid association—to keep you from being linked to the Wuxing Sect."

"The Wuxing Spirit Array is deeply tied to the Wuxing Sect; if you know this array, it implies you have ties to the Wuxing Sect."

"Possessing a treasure invites blame."

"To those with ill intent, you're flaunting a priceless treasure right out in the open."

Mo Hua suddenly understood and nodded vigorously:

"Master is right!"

"It's best to grow rich in silence!"

"Even though we learned it openly, being too showy invites envy and trouble."

"Besides, that Grand Elder is old and petty—if he found out I learned their sect's core array, he'd probably die of rage. To spare him a heart attack, I won't tell him!"

Mo Hua said this with great thoughtfulness.

Mr. Zhuang chuckled, thought for a moment, then added:

"In the cultivation world, karmic debts are precise—this Source Glyph, though you obtained it through your own merit, still counts as owing a debt to the Wuxing Sect's ancestors."

"In the future, if the chance arises, repay the karmic debt by doing good deeds for the Wuxing Sect's lineage—but not now…"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded. "I'll remember."

Then he asked: "Master, if we're renaming the Wuxing Spirit Array… what should we call it?"

Mr. Zhuang said gently: "You think of it yourself. Array masters who know this technique are already exceedingly rare—having what others don't is your foundation. If you pick a bad name, you're the only one who'll use it."

Mo Hua frowned.

This was indeed a serious matter—must be considered carefully, not rushed.

But there was no need to rush now.

The immediate priority was to see whether he could, as originally planned, suppress the Source Glyph and reverse-engineer all Wuxing arrays—including the Wuxing Spirit Runes—from it.

Mo Hua bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang, returned to his room, and prepared to begin comprehending the Source Glyph.

But then he thought better of it.

He had promised his master to be 'cowardly.'

Mo Hua laid out several aura-sealing arrays around, to prevent detection, and then set up control arrays to prevent himself from wandering wildly if "Jisheng" took hold.

The arrays within the room were like a spiderweb, dense and intricate.

Mo Hua clapped his hands, feeling considerably more at ease.

But he still wasn't satisfied—he ran to the next room and knocked on the door.

Bai Zi Xi opened the door, looking at Mo Hua with confusion.

Mo Hua said, "Senior Sister, later tonight, if I act strangely again, stop me, then go get Master."

Bai Zi Xi's eyes lit up. "Still knock you out?"

Mo Hua's occiput throbbed faintly, but he gritted his teeth: "Knock me out!" Then he added:

"But… could you go a little lighter?"

Bai Zi Xi nodded. "I'll go lighter."

After entrusting her, Mo Hua returned to his room and placed the "Wuxing Array Flow Map," containing the stored Wuxing Variant Source Pattern, before him.

Mo Hua was about to open it, but hesitated, thinking he could still be a little more "cowardly…"

Mo Hua checked the sky—it was already Hai Shi; not long now before Zi Shi.

When Zi Shi arrived, the Dao Stele would rise in his consciousness.

With the Dao Stele as backing, he could then proceed to contemplate.

"Sharpening the axe doesn't delay chopping wood—wait a little longer…"

Mo Hua sat cross-legged, calming his mind and focusing his spirit.

The moment Zi Shi arrived, Mo Hua snapped open his eyes, unrolled the map, and focused entirely on the mental calculation.

The Source Pattern closed its eyes—no anomalies, just an ordinary array flow.

It was an array flow synthesized from array patterns.

Mo Hua reversed the Wuxing Sect's calculation method to deduce backward.

Indeed, at the edge of the Source Pattern in his consciousness, tiny array markings slowly separated, detached, transformed, and eventually formed complete array diagrams.

Mo Hua recognized these arrays.

They were all common Wuxing arrays within the First Rank.

Though ancient transmission caused slight variations in brushwork and minor changes in array markings, overall, they were identical.

Mo Hua's spirit lifted.

Master was right—reverse deduction was feasible.

This Source Pattern was a Dao Treasury—a treasure trove containing countless Wuxing arrays.

As long as he learned deduction, he could reverse-analyze and obtain various Wuxing array diagrams.

Mo Hua's eyes brightened, and he continued the deduction.

His consciousness was silent and still; Mo Hua focused without distraction.

After calculating through most of the night, Mo Hua finally understood another point.

Reverse deduction was tied to the strength of one's spiritual sense.

The stronger the spiritual sense, the higher the rank of Wuxing arrays he could deduce.

His current spiritual sense was at the peak of Thirteen Markings, so the array markings he deduced were all below Thirteen Markings.

He could not "crack" any array above Thirteen Markings.

As for exactly which arrays he could deduce, it was a matter of chance.

So far, the arrays Mo Hua had deduced from the Source Pattern, though all classified as Wuxing, were wildly varied—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—all present, from three- to four-marking arrays up to nine-marking First Rank arrays.

Like drawing lots—whatever you draw, you get; no pattern at all.

Mo Hua frowned.

From his deductions, reverse-deducing the Source Pattern and deriving array flows was a massive undertaking—a grand "cultivation project" that must have rules and structure.

These array markings must have been organized in a specific order and framework to form the Source Pattern; they couldn't be chaotic.

But Mo Hua still didn't understand—it could only wait until later, for gradual contemplation…

Mo Hua couldn't help but murmur in admiration.

Thousands of years of heritage…

How many arrays might be hidden within this Source Pattern?

What would it look like if he fully deduced and completely "cracked" it?

What if he learned every single array within it?

He would know arrays—and deduction.

Then wouldn't he become a "Shi Renxing" Source Pattern?

Mo Hua drifted into these random thoughts, filled with anticipation.

As he thought, he suddenly grew drowsy—perhaps prolonged deduction had tired him, draining his spiritual sense.

His eyelids fought each other; he grew dazed, his head nodding repeatedly…

Just sleep a little…

Mo Hua thought this, then moments later, suddenly jolted awake.

What am I doing, sleeping?!

This is inside my consciousness, right before the Dao Stele—I've never been drowsy here!

"Something's wrong!"

Mo Hua opened his eyes and saw—the "Source Pattern" on the "Wuxing Array Flow Map" had, at some point, opened its eyes!

Mo Hua's heart leapt; he went on full alert, turning his spiritual sense inward.

Indeed!

In his mind sea, new dense array patterns had appeared.

This "Source Pattern" grew restless again, sneaking devious thoughts—taking advantage of his mental exhaustion from calculation, it spawned a Earth-elemental Sleep Array, hoping to make him drowsy and fall asleep.

At the same time, its array lines, resembling both ants and tentacles, secretly seeped into his mind sea!

"It wants to parasitize me?"

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened.

No!

Mo Hua traced the array lines, his heart jolted:

"Is the Source Pattern's target… the Dao Stele?"

"It dares to parasitize the Dao Stele?"

Mo Hua frowned, his thoughts racing; after a moment, his expression darkened:

"No—it wants to… merge with the Dao Stele?"

Mo Hua suddenly understood.

The Dao Stele is void, in harmony with the Great Dao, imbued with the aura of the Great Dao.

This "Source Pattern" seeks to align with the Great Dao, to fuse with the Dao Stele?!

"This Source Pattern wants to be a 'concubine,' clinging to the Dao Stele?!"

You're not worthy.

Mo Hua raised his brows, ready to use his calculation method to reorganize the array lines and force the Source Pattern back into the Five Elements Array Flow Diagram.

But his calculation was still too slow—five colored array lines had already spread through Mo Hua's mind sea and clung to the central Dao Stele.

The five-colored array lines imprinted upon the void surface of the Dao Stele.

The Source Pattern's "eye" suddenly widened.

The ancient aura of the Great Dao made it tremble—but also filled it with ecstatic excitement.

It was being slowly erased by the Great Dao, yet at the same time, drawing closer to the Great Dao's origin, undergoing gradual transformation…

Mo Hua tried to suppress the array lines with his calculation method, but his mental energy was limited—his speed was still too slow…

Mo Hua's heart sank slightly.

At that moment, a sense of utter annihilation suddenly emerged from the Dao Stele.

This aura was equally ancient, but far more tyrannical—cold, dead, and capable of erasing all things.

Blood-red array lines ignited upon the Dao Stele!

It was the immortal pattern Mo Hua had secretly observed and recorded from the Heavenly Dao's fissure—when he shattered his own Annihilation Array to erase the Fei Pig, triggering the heavenly tribulation and drawing down the Lei Jie.

As the immortal pattern's aura surfaced, crimson Lei Jie appeared upon the Dao Stele.

Lei Ting flickered—just for an instant—and erased every single array line spread by the "Five Elements Source Pattern."

The Source Pattern was grievously wounded, its eye trembling with utter terror.

Immortal pattern?

Lei Jie?

If the Dao Stele represents the all-encompassing Great Dao,

then Lei Jie represents pure "Path of Annihilation"—erasing all things.

The Source Pattern never imagined that Mo Hua's mind sea held an immortal pattern, carved a Lei Jie, concealed a terrifying killing tribulation!

The Source Pattern shot back—faster than lightning—with a "whoosh," retreating into the Five Elements Array Flow Diagram.

Now its "eye" shut tighter than ever, narrowed into a thin line, trembling uncontrollably, daring not to open even a sliver—for fear of seeing something even more horrifying.

Mo Hua was speechless.

"You're just a masochist—no beating, no memory…"

The Source Pattern now dared not even get angry—only hid inside the diagram, feigning death.

Mo Hua shook his head, but exhaled in relief.

With the Dao Stele suppressing it, and the immortal pattern intimidating it,

this Five Elements Source Pattern should be thoroughly subdued, no longer daring to scheme.

His future calculations of Five Elements array patterns would now be far safer.

Yet at the same time, Mo Hua felt a new doubt:

What is the relationship between the immortal pattern and the Source Pattern?

Is the immortal pattern itself just a higher-tier "Source Pattern"?

If so…

When I calculate the Source Pattern, I gain the Five Elements array techniques encoded within it…

Then, if one day my mental energy grows strong enough to calculate the immortal pattern—what would I derive from it?

Heavenly tribulation?

Lei Array?

Mo Hua's heart pounded—thump, thump.

But these were only guesses—he couldn't be certain yet.

He'd have to wait until his cultivation was higher, his mental energy stronger, and his array mastery deeper, before he could verify them…

Mo Hua sighed.

His cultivation still wasn't high enough, his mental energy still too weak…

He needed to train harder, and attain Foundation Establishment soon.

There are still so many powerful arrays waiting for me to learn them!

Mo Hua perked up and nodded.

……

On the other side, before the shrine, the Grand Elder frowned.

Mo Hua's trio had been "frustrated," Mr. Zhuang had been "humiliated," and the Grand Elder had felt great satisfaction, indeed lifting his head in triumph for several days.

But after a few days, he began to feel something was off.

Mr. Zhuang… never miscalculates; he doesn't seem like the type to fail so simply…

As for his three disciples…

He knew little about the brother and sister, so he set them aside for now.

Just consider that young array master surnamed Mo—his talent is astonishing, his array skills truly remarkable—but his greatest flaw is that he has talent without virtue!

His heart is wicked!

He's cunning!

Would such a young array master sink into despair simply because he couldn't learn an array?

Or perhaps it's normal for him to struggle, but with his talent, to learn absolutely nothing at all—that's unnatural…

The Grand Elder felt he had very likely been tricked by Mr. Zhuang and his apprentice!

The worst part was, he'd actually believed them!

The Grand Elder's blood surged.

He lit incense again before the shrine.

This time, the incense showed no anomaly—it burned steadily and completely.

Yet the Grand Elder's frown deepened.

No anomaly meant no sign.

Where was the sign?

Where had the little ghost kept inside the shrine gone?

The Grand Elder studied the shrine again, then suddenly froze.

The shrine itself looked normal, but beneath it, a spot was pitch-black—as if… a door was missing?

Who had shattered the shrine's main door?

No way…

The shrine holds the Wuxing Sect's legacy.

The shrine's main door was shattered, and the little ghost inside vanished.

The Grand Elder felt his heart tremble—a disbelief so profound rose in his mind:

"Has the Wuxing Sect's entire foundation been looted…?"

"No way…"

(End of Chapter)