Chapter 646: Discerning Spirit and Drawing Arrays

Suspended Heaven Cliff, a lone peak amid cloud-wrapped ridges.

Above the sea of clouds, an invisible stone bridge stretched across.

Three grown cultivators and one child, their figures concealed, walked step by step across the bridge, as if strolling through empty air, walking at the edge of the sky, with boundless chasms beneath their feet.

The few of them could not help feeling shaken.

Mo Hua was fine with it—it wasn't his first time crossing.

Although this time the cliff was higher, the path longer, and the other side more dangerous, he had three "bodyguards" beside him.

One of them was even Jin Dan realm—Uncle Gu.

All things considered, it was still safe.

The stone bridge was empty, no shadows in sight.

The few of them walked forward step by step.

Mo Hua spread his divine sense, observing and sensing all the way, occasionally calling out reminders:

Where the small magnet array was, where the earth-burst array was, where the warning array was, where the gale array was…

The Sin Cultivators had indeed set up many arrays on the stone bridge.

These arrays—some for warning, some for traps—were all laid in very subtle places.

But naturally, they could not escape Mo Hua's divine sense.

Every array along the way was seen through by Mo Hua, one by one.

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, whose expression was calm and unhurried, who passed through a thicket of ten thousand "arrays" without a single speck touching him, and felt a surge of gratitude in his heart.

Thank goodness he had brought this child along…

Otherwise, the rest of them walking the array-laden stone bridge would have been like treading on thin ice, and they truly might not have made it to the far side.

Mo Hua led the way, and Gu Changhuai and the other two obediently followed Mo Hua's lead.

After walking like this for half the way, the sky above the stone bridge suddenly darkened.

Mo Hua halted on the stone bridge.

The path behind them lay among the clouds, the sky clear and bright.

The path ahead roiled with waves of evil Qi, the lone peak like a ghost's den, gloomy and oppressive.

The few exchanged glances, their gazes resolute, and continued forward.

Within the heavy evil Qi, they walked for an unknown length of time, and at last the cliff face came into view ahead.

After another cup-of-tea's worth of effort, the few of them, their figures still concealed, silently and without a trace, stepped onto the stone stairs of the cliff on the far side and reached the opposite bank.

Before them was a lone peak, empty all around, wreathed in dark clouds.

Like an isolated island in a sea of clouds, devoid of any sign of human life.

At the very center of the lone peak was a massive, narrow cave mouth.

The cave mouth was closed, like the tightly shut eye of an evil beast.

The rocks on either side were grotesque, the protruding stones interlocking with one another, like the evil beast's eyelashes, concealing the fresh red blood within its eye.

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened slightly. "Evil array…"

The array master under Huo Fotuo was a second-grade high-tier evil array master…

Gu Changhuai's expression was indifferent, but Gu An and Gu Quan were both a little tense.

"Young Master, can this door be opened?"

It was unclear whether it was Gu An or Gu Quan who asked.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"This is an evil array, and the array is sealed shut—I can't see through the array patterns inside. On top of that, it's a second-grade high-tier evil array, so it can't be unraveled…"

"At least, I can't unravel it for the moment…"

"If we can't unravel the array, then we can only use brute force to break it open…"

"But that would make a huge commotion and would definitely alert Huo Fotuo and his people…"

……

Gu An and Gu Quan's brows furrowed tightly.

Gu Changhuai's handsome eyes silently watched Mo Hua.

Mo Hua understood.

Uncle Gu was asking him what to do about these arrays.

It's just that he was always somewhat proud, and couldn't bring himself to ask right away—especially in front of Gu An and Gu Quan.

He was Gu Diansi, and a Young Master of the Gu family—he had to keep face after all.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, and without waiting for Gu Changhuai to speak, he said:

"Although the demon lair sounds eerie and terrifying, when you get down to it, it's still a kind of cultivation building, and it has to use construction-type arrays…"

"Then inside this lone peak, there must certainly be all sorts of arrays built in."

"I need to first look from the outside, examine the structure of the whole lone peak, then infer the arrays inside, and then consider how we should get in…"

"Good." Gu Changhuai nodded.

So Mo Hua, hands clasped behind his back and chin raised, "inspected" his way around the lone peak in a full circle, sensing the arrays within as he went.

Gu Changhuai and the other two silently followed behind, expressions wary, glancing around—they looked like three "attendants."

After walking one full circle, Mo Hua found a quiet spot, used a rock as a table, spread out array paper, and began the preliminary work of reconstructing the array structure of the demon lair's outermost layer.

While recalling the array spiritual traces he had sensed from the rocks earlier, he drew array pattern after array pattern onto the paper.

Occasionally he would look up, taking in the entire lone peak at a glance, correcting the connections between the arrays…

A moment later, an outline of the demon lair's outer arrays, composed of array patterns, gradually took shape on the paper…

Gu Changhuai's pupils contracted as he stared at Mo Hua, whispering in shock:

"Identify-Spirit Painting Array…"

"Identify-Spirit Painting Array?" Mo Hua blinked in surprise, asking Gu Changhuai, "What is an Identify-Spirit Painting Array?"

Gu Changhuai froze. "The one you're doing right now…"

Mo Hua paused, then understood.

To identify the spiritual energy of an array from the outside and reconstruct its internal structure is called an "Identify-Spirit Painting Array."

He had always thought this was merely basic array computation; he never imagined it had so many flashy names…

Mo Hua marveled: "Uncle Gu, you know so much…"

Gu Changhuai: "..."

If Mo Hua hadn't been staring at him with such earnest, clear eyes, he might have suspected the boy was mocking him…

After another half-hour, Mo Hua had preliminarily reconstructed the outer array diagram of the "Demon Cavern."

On paper stood a Demon Cavern.

But this "Demon Cavern" appeared as if Xushen had "x-rayed" it—no mountains, rocks, or vegetation obscured its inner "skeleton" of array lines and array pivots.

Though only the outermost layer of the array structure, Gu Changhuai was still deeply shocked.

He felt dazed.

Could a Foundation Establishment beginner really accomplish this?

He was on an entirely different level from every array master Gu Changhuai had ever known…

Gu An and Gu Quan, standing beside him, also couldn't understand—but now they felt even more certain that Mo Hua was far from ordinary.

This young array master was truly extraordinary…

No wonder he could haggle with the Unyielding Young Master and force even the most stubborn Young Master to yield.

Mo Hua, unaware of their thoughts, continued:

"The Demon Cavern's array is extremely tight, but since it's a Daoist construction array, cost-saving demands certain 'compromises'…"

"The main structure uses a second-rank, nineteen-line array, but in corners and edges, the array rank drops, and the number of lines decreases…"

"Eighteen lines, seventeen lines—even second-rank mid-tier sixteen-line arrays are used…"

"And in some sections, first-rank arrays are patched in just to fill gaps…"

"These weak points in the array are the vulnerabilities."

"Daoist construction arrays grow larger and more magnificent on the outside, but to insiders, the more vulnerabilities they reveal…"

To insiders…

Gu Changhuai and the other two nodded in agreement, watching Mo Hua.

Mo Hua reviewed the Demon Cavern's array diagram from start to finish, then led the three to a small hill on the backside of the lone peak.

Below the hill lay a solid rock formation, jagged with broken stones.

"This rock is too hard to excavate and too difficult to build an array upon, so the array master who constructed the Demon Cavern cut corners…"

Mo Hua extended his Xushen, his eyes deep, gazing for a moment before pointing at an ordinary stretch of rocky slope:

"The largest vulnerability is here."

Gu Changhuai stared at the slope—he couldn't tell why this spot was the most vulnerable at all.

But whenever it came to arrays, Mo Hua's words always carried an undeniable weight.

"Then… should we dig through the rock and sneak in?"

One of the Gu brothers suggested.

Mo Hua guessed he was "Gu An."

The two brothers looked identical and sounded alike, but their spiritual energy flowed differently—one favored the left meridians, the other the right.

Like a left-hander and a right-hander.

The left-hander was Gu An; the right-hander was Gu Quan.

Mo Hua shook his head. "Too noisy. Digging a hole? Use an array instead…"

This was something he'd just learned—a technique from the Bagua Gen Array, called the Mountain-Opening Array.

A second-rank, fourteen-line Mountain-Opening Array could turn rock into powder—its power wasn't great, and its noise minimal, perfect for digging hidden tunnels.

Mo Hua took out brush and ink and began drawing the Mountain-Opening Array on the rock.

He drew with astonishing speed; in moments, he finished.

Then, a gray glow lit up the array lines—the array activated, and the rock crumbled into fine powder, scattered by the wind.

Gu Changhuai watched from the side, sensing something deeply off.

After a moment, he finally realized.

Too fast…

He'd seen Mo Hua draw arrays before, but hadn't paid attention then.

Now, right before his eyes, Mo Hua's brush danced like a dragon in flight, completing a full second-rank, fourteen-line Mountain-Opening Array.

Only then did Gu Changhuai realize how impossibly swift the brushwork was.

It was as if time had been sped up—his small hand moved so fast it left afterimages.

This speed was at least several times faster than any array master he'd ever seen.

Gu Changhuai frowned.

"This child Mo Hua… he's like a 'six-sided' array master—no weaknesses at all…"

"Could he have been possessed by some ancient array demon…"

…

During this time of his confusion, Mo Hua painted one opening mountain array after another, dissolving the mountain rock layer by layer.

Finally, the last bit of mountain rock vanished, revealing a pitch-black entrance.

From within the entrance, cold winds howled, carrying a faint stench of decay.

Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai understood, nodded slightly, and walked straight into the entrance, with Gu An and Gu Quan following closely behind.

A few breaths later, Gu Changhuai's voice echoed from within the cave.

"Come in…"

Mo Hua nodded and stepped inside.

His vision plunged into darkness, then slowly brightened; he focused his gaze and found himself standing on a protruding Shi Zhu.

Mo Hua looked down and his pupils shrank sharply.

This was a vast cavern.

Shi Zhu jutted out, twisted and monstrous.

The Shanfeng had been hollowed out, and below lay a massive, stern Mo Sect temple.

Suspended corridors crisscrossed, each lined with bone lanterns casting an eerie green glow that illuminated the strange halls.

In the center of the hall stood a gigantic stone skull.

The skull's eyes were hollow, burning with green flames.

Fanged jaws jutted outward, gaping wide as if ready to devour any who approached.

But the skull was half-missing, as if unfinished, unidentifiable as human or beast.

Above the skull, a chilling Mo Sect aura radiated.

Gu Changhuai's expression turned grim, disbelief hardening his voice:

"Mo Sect stronghold…"

"How bold!"

Mo Hua froze. "Mo Sect stronghold…"

He glanced at Gu Changhuai and asked softly: "What's the difference between a Mo Sect stronghold and an ordinary evil cultivator's hideout?"

Gu Changhuai's expression turned solemn, and he spoke slowly:

"Evil cultivators' hideouts are only temporary shelters; Mo Sect strongholds are permanent 'nests'…"

"Evil cultivators are poison fruit—poison that kills only one or two people; but the Mo Sect is the 'root' spreading the poison…"

"The appearance of a Mo Sect stronghold means this place has a Mo Sect 'root' planted—or is preparing to plant one…"

"Once the Mo Sect stronghold is completed and takes root, it becomes a cancer of the demonic path, spreading demonic cultivation methods and causing endless harm."

"And uprooting it is extremely difficult, demanding a terrible cost…"

Gu Changhuai's gaze grew solemn.

He had previously thought Huo Fotuo's group's "demonic lair" was just an exaggerated term.

But now it seemed this demonic lair was truly a large-scale Mo Sect base.

Mo Hua said: "So it seems Huo Fotuo isn't just a criminal cultivator or an evil cultivator—he's a Mo Sect cultivator with a lineage?"

Gu Changhuai's gaze turned icy, and he nodded slightly:

"Probably…"

Mo Hua frowned. "I didn't notice anything…"

Gu Changhuai's gaze held a deep, meaningful weight:

"The true Mo Sect is the kind you can't detect."

"Those who commit atrocities and flaunt their power? They've long been slaughtered by Dao Ting Si."

"The remaining Mo Sect cultivators sometimes appear more virtuous than orthodox cultivators…"

Mo Hua froze, unexpectedly recalling Lu Chengyun.

Killing people, refining corpses, using zombies to mine day and night for spirit stones.

Then using those spirit stones to bribe Dao Ting Si, buy local power, further oppress miners, refine more zombies, and expand his own influence.

On the surface, he was the refined, elegant head of the Lu family.

But behind closed doors, he was a true demonic corpse cultivator.

Once he perfected his Corpse King, every cultivator in Nan Yue City—alive or dead—would become his "zombies."

And perhaps it was the same here.

Huo Fotuo and his group were likely just a "front."

Behind this "Bishan demonic lair" lay something unknown—whose handiwork, no one could tell…

"Uncle Gu, what should we do now? Should we go back and call for help?"

Mo Hua asked softly.

Since they had discovered a Mo Sect stronghold, logically the best course was to return and "call reinforcements"—more Dao Ting Si enforcers—to eradicate the base.

Gu Changhuai frowned in thought, then slowly shook his head.

"Let's first gather intelligence—if we can find Huo Fotuo, killing him outright would be best…"

"Going back to summon forces, surrounding the demonic lair—too many variables in the chaos. If Huo Fotuo escapes, we'll lose everything…"

"And…"

Gu Changhuai's gaze darkened, and he said no more.

But he knew: the fact that Shancheng had built this demonic lair meant Dao Ting Si itself was certainly not clean…

If he returned to summon men, he might give others the chance they needed…

A killing blade, if rusted, may well be the death of its wielder in a life-or-death battle.

This suited Mo Hua's intentions perfectly.

Fewer people make things easier.

If there were too many, with too many eyes and ears, it would be hard for us to make covert moves.

Mo Hua looked up and glanced again at the grim demon lair.

Whoever built this demon lair, Huo Fotuo must die first.

He must also acquire his Infernal Fire Technique.

"Let's go…" Gu Changhuai said.

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

Thus, the four of them concealed their forms and quietly descended along the surrounding stone walls, entering the Demon Palace.

Inside the Demon Palace, the terrain grew even more complex, vastly different from its external structure.

Many buildings were internally sealed, making passage impossible.

The surroundings were thick with arrays, further restricting movement.

Moreover, strange-dressed demon cultivators patrolled with several demonic hounds.

If discovered by the patrolling demon cultivators or their hounds, they would alarm the entire lair and draw more demon cultivators.

And if surrounded and attacked within the demon lair, Gu Changhuai, a Jin Dan cultivator, might escape—but Gu An and Gu Quan would likely be doomed.

Mo Hua might also escape, but assassinating Huo Fotuo would be out of the question.

So all four moved with utmost caution.

To avoid detection, they didn't even dare kill a single dog.

Thus, they wandered through the Demon Palace for half a day without catching even a glimpse of Huo Fotuo.

These demon cultivators were also tight-lipped, marching like lifeless puppets, their hounds sniffing everywhere, yet speaking rarely.

Mo Hua couldn't even eavesdrop for clues from them.

Continuing like this was like a fly without a head.

Even if they had seventeen days, they'd likely never catch Huo Fotuo.

"What do we do…"

Mo Hua frowned.

Gu Changhuai also felt this search was futile, so he whispered: "Let's head toward the Inner Palace and take a look…"

The place they were now in was the Outer Palace of the Demon Palace.

Since Huo Fotuo wasn't in the Outer Palace, he was most likely in the Inner Palace.

But the deeper they went into the Inner Palace, the tighter the defenses would be, the more patrols and hounds, and the greater the risk.

The chance of escaping if discovered would be even lower.

Gu An and Gu Quan wore expressions of utter resolve.

Mo Hua nodded as well.

The group began moving toward the Inner Palace, but after only a few steps, three figures approached head-on—the lead one, holding a demonic hound with green eyes, black fur, and foul-smelling drool.

The four quickly hid to the side, gripping the stone wall with their hands and hanging from the suspended corridor.

The demonic hound, upon reaching the vicinity, suddenly bared its fangs, growled fiercely, and lowered its head to sniff the air.

Mo Hua sprinkled scentless powder over everyone.

This powder was standard issue for demon hunters; when danger arose during hunts in Great Heishan, they'd dust themselves with it to avoid being detected by demonic beasts.

Though rarely used, Mo Hua always carried some on him, just in case.

The demonic hound could not detect any scent and barked wildly in place.

One demon cultivator growled: "What's going on?"

"What did the Sniffing Hound detect?"

A cold, icy spiritual sense swept outward, scanning over Mo Hua and the others, then retracted.

"Nothing…"

"Is this dog in heat? Why is it still barking?"

"Who fed it the wrong pills?"

Then came a chorus of howls from the demonic hounds, as if someone had kicked one.

"Damn beast, don't bark without reason…"

"Wasting my time…"

A hoarse voice said: "Enough, resume patrol…"

"How could anyone possibly get in here…"

"Fucking hell…"

The three demon cultivators, still leading their hounds, gradually moved farther away.

Once they were gone, Gu Changhuai frowned: "We can't go in…"

The patrols in the Demon Palace were too tight.

And those damned hounds were more alert than humans.

There was a checkpoint every few steps—impossible to slip through.

Gu Quan—Mo Hua guessed he was Gu An—whispered: "Then shall we kill these patrols?"

Gu Changhuai's gaze sharpened, but he still shook his head.

"We can't kill them…"

"You can't kill people—not even that dog..."

If a surge of spiritual energy occurs during the act, the demonic cultivators might sense it;

Or if your hands aren't swift enough when killing, and they cry out, alerting other demonic cultivators;

Or if, after the kill, the corpse isn't hidden well and leaves traces that other demonic cultivators discover.

Our whereabouts would be exposed...

All four frowned.

Gu Changhuai sighed silently, "Let's search the outer hall again—maybe we'll get lucky and find some clues, or a mechanism or secret passage leading to the inner hall..."

"Mm." Mo Hua and the others gave slight nods.

Then the four climbed back up from beneath the corridor.

But after taking only a few steps forward, Mo Hua's expression changed. "Someone's coming..."

Gu Changhuai noticed too, his face darkening.

With no choice, they returned to their original position, hanging beneath the corridor to hide.

The three demonic cultivators and the demonic dog had returned.

"There's movement here..."

"Quick, search thoroughly..."

This time they searched more thoroughly.

Several spiritual senses swept back and forth continuously.

The dog's nose strained to sniff, as if trying to scour the ground clean.

Mo Hua felt a flicker of tension.

After what felt like an eternity, the three demonic cultivators finally stopped.

"Still nothing..."

"Did we misread it?"

"Is he playing us for fools? Treating us like dogs, just to amuse himself?"

"To hell with him..."

"If it weren't for the fact that he's..."

"Shut up!"

A hoarse voice snapped sharply, "Are you tired of living?"

The other two fell silent, too afraid to speak.

"Do your assigned duties!"

The demonic cultivator warned sternly, then his tone softened slightly: "This hall is sealed, damp and gloomy. Your demonic cultivation makes your minds unstable..."

"It'll pass in time."

"You'll get a chance to go out and vent..."

A dark chuckle echoed.

Then the three, still leading the dog, slowly departed.

Gu Changhuai and the others did not emerge rashly—they remained hanging in place.

The surroundings fell silent. Gu An couldn't help whispering, "Demonic beasts—if it weren't for fear of alerting them, I'd have slaughtered them already..."

Gu Changhuai said calmly, "Focus on the mission."

"Yes, Young Master."

Only after confirming the three and the dog were far away did the four emerge, preparing to continue searching for another spot—when Mo Hua suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Gu Changhuai asked.

Mo Hua frowned. "Something's wrong..."

Gu Changhuai paused, deep in thought.

Mo Hua turned to look back. "This place... feels off..."

"They were clearly far away—why did they suddenly return?"

"And from what they said, it seems someone—some 'person'—told them there was movement here, prompting their return..."

"How did this 'person' know there was movement here?"

"What gave him the ability to sense it?"

As Mo Hua spoke, he pondered, while extending his spiritual sense to carefully scan the surroundings. Suddenly his eyes lit up—he rushed to a corner beside the corridor.

Carved into the corner was an extremely concealed array.

Mo Hua didn't recognize the array, but through perception he could tell—it was an unknown magnetic array...

"Magnetic array..."

Mo Hua murmured.

Suddenly he froze, closed his eyes, and sensed—deep within, he seemed to perceive a faint "magnetic flow."

This magnetic flow was extremely weak.

Had his spiritual sense not been exceptionally sharp, and had he not spent every day dealing with sub-thunder patterns derived from magnetic flow, he'd never have sensed it.

"Magnetic sensing..."

Mo Hua suddenly understood. He raised his head, taking in the entire demonic hall, and a theory slowly formed in his mind:

"This stern demonic hall... seems to be under strict surveillance by a magnetic array..."

(End of Chapter)