Chapter 647

Seeing Mo Hua's expression of sudden understanding, Gu Changhuai blinked in surprise. "What did you figure out now?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said succinctly:

"If I'm not mistaken, this demonic palace contains a Meta-Magnetic Composite Array, used to coordinate all the Meta-Magnetic arrays within the demonic lair, while also monitoring spiritual energy fluctuations and any other disturbances inside the hall…"

Gu Changhuai and the other two stared solemnly.

"In other words…" Mo Hua continued, "we're not just being watched by these patrol demonic cultivators and their demonic hounds—we're also being monitored by hidden Meta-Magnetic arrays and invisible 'magnetic currents'…"

"One slip-up could trigger the array and alert the demonic cultivators."

"And we might not even know how we were discovered…"

Gu Changhuai frowned. "Can this composite array be broken?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "The Meta-Magnetic Composite Array is at least a seventeen-stripe array—beyond my current ability. I can't crack it yet…"

Gu Changhuai felt a pang of regret.

He'd truly thought Mo Hua could break any array.

He hadn't expected there to be one he couldn't handle…

But then he paused, sensing something off.

Foundation Establishment early stage… a seventeen-stripe array…

Too… "beyond the curriculum"?

Gu Changhuai couldn't help but mutter inwardly.

Could something really be that "beyond the curriculum"?

Was this child misunderstanding the meaning of those two words?

Yet along this journey, he'd already been shocked enough times to grow numb to it.

Meta-Magnetic Composite Array… array surveillance…

Gu Changhuai lifted his head, gazing again at the heavily guarded demonic palace, and said gravely:

"If that's truly the case, we must withdraw for now and plan further…"

Mo Hua frowned.

Withdraw for now… plan further…

That would inevitably take much more time.

The plan to kill Huo Fotuo within seven days would be ruined.

Beyond seven days, I'd have to return to Yaohui Sect for classes—there'd be no chance to obtain the Meteoric Fire Technique anymore…

"It's not without a solution…" Mo Hua mused slowly. "We could try locating the central node of the Meta-Magnetic Composite Array…"

"The composite array's central node?" Gu Changhuai asked.

"Yes." Mo Hua nodded. "A composite array consists of multiple individual arrays, requiring a core node to coordinate and control them. The larger the array, the more prominent the central node becomes, and the more concentrated its functions…"

"Destroy the node, and the Meta-Magnetic Composite Array will fail—we'll be able to move freely, without constant fear or restraint…"

"If we can seize control of the node…"

Mo Hua's eyes brightened. "We could turn the tables—use the palace's own surveillance arrays for our own purposes…"

Gu Changhuai was startled.

Gu An and Gu Quan also looked incredulous.

Could an array master really do something like this?

After a brief pause, Gu Changhuai nodded in agreement.

"Fine. Do it your way!"

"Mm."

No time to waste—Mo Hua began determining the location of the Meta-Magnetic Composite Array's central node.

The demonic palace was heavily fortified, its corridors intricate and labyrinthine.

On the surface, no coherent Meta-Magnetic array system was visible.

But array media are merely conduits; array patterns are merely form.

The essence of an array remains spiritual energy.

Though invisible to the eye, the subtle trajectories of array energy remained clearly discernible through spiritual sense.

Mo Hua extended his spiritual sense, probing the Meta-Magnetic arrays, sensing their interconnections, to map the entire Meta-Magnetic system.

When clues broke off, he used computational analysis to sense faint magnetic currents in the air.

Tracing the "secondary lightning marks" left by these magnetic currents, he pulled out each array one by one, like uprooting a radish and dragging along the soil.

These Meta-Magnetic arrays were categorized, each distinct.

Mo Hua could identify some of them.

Like common small Meta-Magnetic arrays, or Beacon Meta-Magnetic arrays…

But some had obscure patterns beyond Mo Hua's spiritual sense realm—he could detect their presence, yet couldn't discern their nature or identify what kind of array they were.

But this didn't matter much.

These Meta-Magnetic arrays were merely for "locating"—used to observe the flow of the central node through their layout.

After identifying the positions of all Meta-Magnetic arrays in the outer palace…

Mo Hua reversed the array patterns, deducing backward to find where the Meta-Magnetic flows converged.

The convergence point of Meta-Magnetic flows was the location of the central control node.

Yet this process consumed both spiritual sense and considerable time…

Gu Changhuai watched Mo Hua silently beside him, feeling somewhat bewildered.

In his view, Mo Hua just ran back and forth, then stopped occasionally to stare at the sky.

Or, like "Little Spirit Dog," sniffing around everywhere, then solemnly identifying one array after another, pinpointing the location of the array pivots…

But no matter how Gu Changhuai looked, the surroundings were nothing but ordinary buildings, with no unusual traces whatsoever.

If it weren't for the fact that he knew Mo Hua's array skills were truly extraordinary…

He had almost begun to suspect that Mo Hua was putting on a show with no physical basis, pretending to deceive him…

Gu Changhuai was deeply confused.

After a moment, Mo Hua pointed to a narrow path in the outer hall and declared firmly:

"The magnetic yuan is converging there."

Gu Changhuai could no longer hold back and asked: "How did you figure that out…"

Midway through the question, Gu Changhuai fell silent.

He didn't need to think—he knew Mo Hua would surely say: "I can see it at a glance…"

Gu Changhuai rephrased: "Why can't I see it?"

After all, he was a Jin Dan cultivator; his spiritual sense should be stronger than Mo Hua's.

Mo Hua spoke with complete certainty:

"You're not an array master, so of course you can't see it."

Gu Changhuai: "..."

He felt this wasn't about being an array master—it was about Mo Hua being the problem.

But Mo Hua had already ignored him, striding ahead along the path toward where the magnetic yuan converged.

Gu Changhuai's gaze sharpened; he sighed, and reluctantly followed in silence.

At the end of the path stood a wall.

The wall was built of solid stone, carved with eerie patterns and reinforced with arrays, yet it looked no different from other walls in the area.

This place was secluded, with no one around.

Mo Hua touched it, tapped it, inspecting every inch of the entire wall.

Then he stopped before a brick engraved with an eye.

This brick had something wrong with it…

After locking eyes with the carved "eye" on the brick for a moment, Mo Hua took out brush and ink and painted array patterns around it, dismantling the earth-and-stone array reinforcing the brick.

Cracks immediately appeared along the edges of the entire brick.

Gu Quan stepped forward, removed the brick, revealing a pitch-black passage behind it.

The passage was narrow, barely half a person's height, filled with thick, coarse blood-ink.

This ink was the trace of the array pivot.

Mo Hua's eyes gleamed faintly.

His guess was correct.

Just as he had built the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array, if you use array pivots to control all individual arrays, the "trunk" of the pivot's ink must connect the inner and outer halls.

At the same time, these pivots must be hidden within the architecture, never exposed.

Otherwise, they'd attract the attention of people like himself—those with intent.

But no matter how well hidden, they still couldn't escape the notice of his cleverness…

Mo Hua nodded proudly.

Now, all he needed to do was follow the vine—the array pivot—and locate the central control of the reassembled array…

The problem was…

Mo Hua glanced at the entrance and turned to Gu Changhuai and the other three: "You're all too tall—you won't fit through."

Gu Changhuai and the other three looked at each other with complex expressions.

They couldn't possibly shrink themselves on purpose just to crawl through this hole…

Mo Hua sighed. "No choice—I'll go in alone."

Gu Changhuai frowned. "You're going alone?"

"It's fine," Mo Hua said. "This is where the array pivots are hidden—I know it well. There's no danger…"

Array pivots must be kept secret.

Not only must outsiders be barred, even one's own people are forbidden to approach.

Buildings near array pivots only have minimal early-warning and protective measures installed during array construction.

But to Mo Hua, who had built grand arrays before, these measures were negligible.

Gu Changhuai pondered: "We could take Bone-Shortening Pills to shrink our bodies temporarily..."

"Bone-Shortening Pills?" Mo Hua blinked.

Do such things even exist?

The cultivation world is full of strange things.

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

"Even shrinking won't work—the spiritual energy flow inside the pivot is chaotic. It easily interferes with spiritual artifacts, causing their array functions to malfunction…"

Mo Hua pointed at Gu Changhuai's jade pendant. "Your Water-Stealth Jade would be affected—it couldn't conceal you anymore…"

Gu Changhuai's gaze darkened slightly.

He hadn't considered this…

After all, he wasn't an array master; he didn't understand such subtle array principles.

"Wait…"

Gu Changhuai suddenly realized: "If our Water-Stealth Jades fail and can't conceal us, yours would fail too, wouldn't it?"

"I'm different," Mo Hua said. "I know concealment arts."

Gu Changhuai opened his mouth, exclaiming:

"Since when do you know concealment arts?"

Mo Hua looked utterly innocent. "I've always known them…"

Always known them…

Gu Changhuai's face wore an expression of having been deceived, and he couldn't speak.

"You never asked me…"

Mo Hua muttered.

As for concealment arts—Uncle Gu never asked, so naturally there was no need for him to bring it up himself…

Gu Changhuai took a deep breath, glanced at Mo Hua, and said, "Then when I gave you the Water Concealment Jade, why did you just accept it so readily?"

"There's a lot more to consider here…"

Mo Hua said with great conviction: "According to my research, concealment spirit artifacts combined with concealment spells—when used together, they produce a double concealment effect, making the concealment even better…"

"The demon lair is so dangerous. I'm just a little Foundation Establishment cultivator walking on thin ice—life-saving measures should naturally be as thorough as possible…"

Gu Changhuai suddenly felt that Mo Hua's reasoning made a lot of sense…

Except that along the way, Mo Hua's steps were light and brisk, and there was no sign of "walking on thin ice" anywhere…

Gu Changhuai sighed.

Yin energy rose all around, and green light glowed eerily.

Beneath the stone corridor, thick, foul-smelling rot-water flowed…

Being inside the demon palace wasn't the time to dwell on such things.

Besides, no matter how precious a single concealment spirit artifact was, it truly couldn't compare to Mo Hua's safety.

Gu Changhuai sighed and said, "Fine then, act with caution…"

He thought for a moment, then added:

"Once you're inside, if you run into danger, shout for help loudly. I'll find a way to rescue you…"

Mo Hua was a little surprised, and nodded:

"Don't worry, Uncle Gu."

Since he'd already let him find the array hub, the danger of this demon lair had lessened by quite a bit.

Then Mo Hua went in alone, ducking into the array hub passage behind the wall, using hands and feet together, following the array hub's veins, slowly crawling toward the core of the Yuanci Array.

The stone passage was narrow—sometimes level, sometimes sheer and steep.

Array hubs of the Yuanci Array were carved on it, along with some warning formations.

Mo Hua avoided these formations while adapting the Flowing Water Steps, attaching spiritual power to his hands and feet, guided by divine sense, clinging to the wall like a little "gecko," advancing slowly through the array hub passage.

The magnetic currents he'd sensed before were only a faint trickle of water.

Then the array hub here was like a surging river.

The veins of spiritual power flow were very clear.

Mo Hua could have kept his eyes shut and still known which way to go.

Following the spiritual magnetic flow within the array hub, Mo Hua crawled forward like a gecko, walking and walking, unsure how long he'd gone, until he reached the end of the passage.

The passage was dim, and no array patterns could be seen.

But Mo Hua, relying on divine sense, could sense that the Yuanci flow converged at the end ahead, then was coordinated downward, controlled by a central hub.

And this central hub of the compound array was like the master array hub of a great formation, controlling the entire Yuanci compound array!

Found it!

Mo Hua's heart leaped with joy.

There was a halo of light at the end.

Mo Hua crawled on hands and feet to the end, poked out his little head, and peered down through a crack in the structure.

As expected, below was indeed a secret chamber with the master control array hub drawn inside.

Array patterns densely covered the secret chamber.

In the center was a unified array disk, on which the core array hub was drawn.

Mo Hua held his breath, pushed the Five-Element Concealment Art to its utmost, then opened a pair of bright, sparkling big eyes and peered down through the crack.

He saw—there was still one more person in the secret chamber.

This person was tall and thin, wearing an elegant, luxurious dark robe, his complexion deathly pale, bloodshot in his eyes, with deep nasolabial lines on his face.

Birds of a feather flock together.

As an array master, Mo Hua could tell at a glance that this man was a highly skilled array master, and his aura was unorthodox—his hands stained with blood that couldn't be washed clean.

He was an evil array master.

A high-grade, second-rank evil array master!

Mo Hua's heart chilled slightly.

This evil array master was currently sitting in the secret chamber, silently drawing a blood-colored formation. After a while he raised his head, examined the master control array disk before him, and monitored the movements within the demon palace.

Occasionally he would pick up a wine cup and take a sip.

The wine was deep red, with a demonic eye soaking inside it.

That eye would occasionally blink.

Mo Hua found it somewhat chilling. He sized up the evil array master once more, then quietly withdrew his gaze.

He was afraid of being discovered by this evil array master, so he didn't look too long.

After withdrawing his gaze, Mo Hua began to quietly ponder.

"What should we do now..."

This evil array master has cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage and can wield a nineteen-symbol array.

Mo Hua had originally planned to test his skill against this array master, but now he saw how shallow he had been.

A second-rank nineteen-symbol array is already the peak of a normal second-rank array master's ability.

He is still an evil array master, so he must possess some sinister array techniques.

A direct contest seems unlikely to win.

Moreover, this is inside the Demon Palace, brimming with danger, with no conditions allowing a "fair" duel.

The real matter is more important.

The outcome of this array contest can be set aside for now.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, silently thinking:

"If that's the case, then first find a way to assassinate this evil array master?"

It seems he must be killed.

He is an evil array master, controlling the Meta-Magnetic Repeating Array, monitoring every whisper within the Demon Palace.

There is no way to bypass him and enter the inner hall to find Huo Fotuo.

Capturing him alive is also difficult.

Since he controls the Meta-Magnetic Repeating Array, he must be proficient in Meta-Magnetic arrays and has many ways to send messages; one slip-up and he could alert others, causing unnecessary trouble.

So, first remove this "obstacle"...

No more array contests with him.

I am an array master, but I am first and foremost a cultivator.

Cultivators seek immortality; life and death must come first.

Knowing you cannot win, yet risking your life to force a duel—isn't that stupid?

Mo Hua nodded.

A false array master duel is about deciding superiority through arrays.

A true array master duel begins by killing the opponent.

Then you compare whose arrays are better.

Even if I ultimately lose the array contest, the opponent is already dead.

A sure win!

Mo Hua silently resolved:

"Find a way to kill this evil array master..."

But I don't seem capable of killing him myself.

This evil array master is a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, far stronger than me, and I cannot make too much noise.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and realized such a task didn't necessarily require him to act personally.

"I can't kill him, but I have a 'bodyguard'..."

Mo Hua slowly withdrew from the array nexus passage.

As he retraced his steps, he released his spiritual sense to observe his surroundings, combining his understanding of the Demon Palace's structure to roughly pinpoint the location of this "Meta-Magnetic Array Nexus Chamber."

Then Mo Hua returned along the array nexus passage to the entrance of the outer hall.

Gu Changhuai and the other three waited outside; seeing Mo Hua return, they relaxed and asked:

"How did it go?"

Mo Hua nodded: "Found it! There's a secret chamber, containing the central array control, and an evil array master is monitoring it..."

"We must secretly kill that evil array master before we can tamper with the Meta-Magnetic Repeating Array..."

Gu Changhuai immediately asked: "Where is the secret chamber?"

Mo Hua said: "I memorized the route—just follow me."

"But before that, we must plan how to assassinate the evil array master—quick, and without alerting outsiders..."

Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and said:

"I have a second-rank superior short knife; its blade is forged with a Wind Blade Array. When driven into a cultivator's heart meridian, the spiritual energy transforms into wind blades, instantly shredding the heart."

Mo Hua nodded.

Uncle Gu is still reliable in matters like this.

Still, for safety's sake, Mo Hua suggested:

"Uncle Gu, how about... you add some poison? Extremely potent, lethal on contact with blood—coat the blade with it?"

Gu Changhuai stared silently at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua whispered: "I've never done this before—just being cautious..."

Gu Changhuai fell silent for a moment, then silently pulled out a vial of poison and silently coated the short knife with it...

The poison was not his—it was seized from criminal cultivators.

Dao Ting Si does not use poison.

Generally speaking...

Seeing Gu Changhuai coat the blade with poison, Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Gu An:

"Young Master Gu, do you have a club?"

Gu An blinked. "What club?"

"A club for ambushing."

Gu An shook his head. "No..."

"It's fine, I have one."

Mo Hua pulled another iron rod, as thick as a bowl's mouth, from his storage pouch.

This is the Yang Yang Qianjun Rod, though it's only a second-rank item.

The first-rank Yang Yang Qianjun Rod forged by Master Chen in Xiancheng was no longer useful to Mo Hua after he reached Foundation Establishment.

So he took the time to buy a second-rank rod artifact in Taixu City, outside the Grand Void Gate, for over a hundred spirit stones.

Although its shape was different, this rod had another name.

But Mo Hua was sentimental and wanted to stay true to his roots, continuing on the path of "ambush strikes," so he named it "Yang Yang Qianjun Rod" as well.

Mo Hua had also painted the second-rank Yang Yang Qianjun Array onto the rod.

Mo Hua handed the Yang Yang Qianjun Rod to Gu An, "Try it—does it feel comfortable?"

Gu An took it with a dazed expression, swung it a few times idly, then slowly nodded.

"It's… passable…"

"Let me tell you when's the best time to launch an ambush strike…"

Mo Hua began teaching Gu An the techniques of "ambush strikes," and Gu An listened, stunned.

When Mo Hua finished, he asked:

"Remember?"

Gu An nodded blankly, "I remember…"

"Good!"

"Also, he's an array master—his spiritual sense is sharp; you must be careful during the assassination…"

Mo Hua went on to explain other details about assassinating a rogue array master.

For instance, how to avoid detection, how to cover his mouth to silence him, how to guard against his array techniques, how to prevent him from sending messages via magnetic essence…

After everything was prepared, Mo Hua nodded and said:

"Let's go!"

Thus, the three Dao Ting Si cultivators—Gu Changhuai and the others—followed Mo Hua with deeply complex emotions, setting out on the path to assassinate the rogue array master…

(End of Chapter)