Chapter 726: Discoursing on the Dao

After returning to the sect, Mo Hua immediately cherished and valued every single array diagram, storing them all in his Nai Zi Ring.

These are all valuable treasures; they must be kept safe.

And he must learn them secretly, without letting anyone know, so as not to cause trouble for Xu Wanyi.

Although Xu Wanyi appeared indifferent, Mo Hua knew deep down that these array techniques were, after all, the heritage of the Shangguan and Wen families—immensely precious.

Xu Wanyi was the legitimate daughter of the Wen family and the wife of the Shangguan family.

But conversely, she was a daughter married out of the Wen family, an "outsider" brought into the Shangguan family.

If anyone discovered that she had given these family heirloom array diagrams to him, they would surely make a huge fuss and level harsh accusations.

Xu Wanyi's position within the family would undoubtedly become even more difficult.

Moreover, among them was one absolute array!

Xu Wanyi did not specialize in array techniques; she might not even realize what kind of array she had given him.

A second-rank, twenty-stripe absolute array…

The Secondary Thunderflow Absolute Array!

Mo Hua held back, but couldn't resist—he took out the diagram of the Secondary Thunderflow Absolute Array again, stroking it in his palm, squinting as he grinned like a little fool.

This was an absolute array!

And it was the Secondary Thunderflow Absolute Array—the one closest to the true essence of the Meta-Magnetism Array among all the Eight Trigrams Thunder-derived Magnetism Arrays!

Mo Hua's heart burned with eagerness to learn it.

But after glancing at it earlier, he realized he couldn't learn it yet.

First, his foundation in Meta-Magnetism Arrays was insufficient.

Mo Hua had studied many Five Elements and Eight Trigrams arrays; his foundation was solid, and his understanding profound.

But for Meta-Magnetism Arrays, Mo Hua had learned only a handful—his foundation was inevitably shallow, and his understanding could not be deep.

And the further step—the Secondary Thunder Array, let alone an absolute array—was utterly beyond his grasp at first glance.

Second, his spiritual sense was still insufficient.

A twenty-stripe absolute array naturally required twenty-stripe spiritual sense.

Mo Hua's current spiritual sense was only seventeen stripes, just barely short of eighteen—barely qualifying as quasi-eighteen-stripe.

Quasi-eighteen-stripe was still far from twenty-stripe.

Especially between the nineteenth and twentieth stripes lay the great barrier between Foundation Establishment and Jin Dan.

Crossing this barrier would be extremely difficult—perhaps requiring years of relentless, drop-by-drop perseverance.

Or perhaps, he'd need to "devour" a colossal feast to break through…

"Can't learn it…"

A second-rank absolute array lay right before him, yet he could only look, not learn.

Mo Hua sighed.

Reluctantly, he put away the diagram of the second-rank, twenty-stripe Secondary Thunderflow Absolute Array, then fixed his gaze with determination.

No matter what, he must urgently enhance his spiritual sense!

"I must find a way to feed the Dao's laws, break through the restrictions, strengthen my spiritual sense, advance my realm, and reach twenty-stripe spiritual sense as soon as possible to comprehend the Secondary Thunder Absolute Array!"

The fastest way to enhance spiritual sense is to "devour" malevolent spirits.

The fastest way to "devour" malevolent spirits is to find an altar.

By stealing the authority of a malevolent deity, one can order a "takeout" and gorge oneself in one go.

But now he couldn't leave; he couldn't find any altars, couldn't order any takeout.

This path had to be abandoned.

Aside from that, he could only refine his spiritual sense through massive array practice.

But this was precisely what Mo Hua did every moment of every day.

Mo Hua's spiritual sense was already powerful, and with the Dao Stele's ability to rewind spiritual thoughts, his daily array practice volume was nearly dozens of times that of other array masters at the same realm.

Since obtaining the Dao Stele, Mo Hua had practiced without pause, never slackening—so there was nothing more to say.

Lastly, like ordinary cultivators, he could gradually enhance his spiritual sense by advancing his cultivation realm.

Mo Hua pondered this.

Since he was under "house arrest," aside from daily intensive array practice, it seemed only by advancing his cultivation that he could strengthen his spiritual sense.

"Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage!"

He must raise his cultivation to Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage as soon as possible, then consider other options.

Mo Hua nodded.

From then on, Mo Hua set aside all distractions and focused entirely on solving array puzzles, eager to break through his bottleneck and ascend to Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage.

He temporarily stopped inquiring about the Yu family's water fortress and the Water Yama incident.

Of course, even if he wanted to intervene, he couldn't now.

The Five Elements Source Armor was still being forged.

He still occasionally met with Master Gu, had meals together, and discussed improvement methods.

When fellow sect disciples took on quests and sought his advice, he would offer guidance, fulfilling his duty as "Little Senior Brother."

Master Gu could also sell more custom spirit artifacts and earn more spirit stones.

Aside from these, Mo Hua devoted nearly all his time and mental energy to breaking through the bottleneck to Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage.

The bottleneck of the Tian Yan Jue was incomprehensible to ordinary cultivators.

Complex array patterns, vast numbers of puzzle arrays, the qualitative leap of the Divine Level.

For ordinary cultivators, each of these was a heavenly chasm.

But Mo Hua was already accustomed to it.

At least in his eyes, these were merely "routine" bottlenecks.

Within his mind sea, relying on his profound knowledge of formation arts, powerful spiritual sense foundation, deep computational ability, and cunning multilayered speed,

The vast and complex puzzle arrays unraveled before Mo Hua like hot soup melting snow.

The bottleneck was also slowly loosening.

After more than a month passed, just as Mo Hua had nearly solved the puzzle arrays of the Tian Yan Jue and was about to break through Foundation Establishment mid-stage, Cheng Mo suddenly came to find him.

"Senior Brother, are you going to watch the Discourse Assembly?" Cheng Mo asked.

Mo Hua froze.

Discourse Assembly?

He had not heard this term for the first time.

Occasionally, fellow disciples would mention it in daily conversation, but usually in vague terms.

Mo Hua had also thought such matters were still far from him, so he never asked further.

Of course, the term he heard most often was "Sword Discourse Assembly."

"What's the difference between the Sword Discourse Assembly and the Discourse Assembly?" Mo Hua asked Cheng Mo.

Cheng Mo said, "The Discourse Assembly is the general term, encompassing five types of contests: Alchemy, Artifacts, Talismans, Formations, and Swords. The Sword Discourse Assembly is just one of them."

"Alchemy, Artifacts, Talismans, and Formations test cultivation skills."

"The Sword Discourse Assembly tests combat—among disciples of the Geda Sects in Qianxue Continent, they challenge each other in sword duels and martial contests…"

Mo Hua frowned, "If it's called Sword Discourse, Duel, and Martial Contest, why is it named only 'Sword'?"

Cheng Mo scratched his head. "I don't know. Maybe sword cultivators are the coolest?"

Mo Hua stared at him silently.

Cheng Mo chuckled awkwardly. "How about I call Sister Situ? He's a sword cultivator—he'd definitely know."

Cheng Mo actually went to fetch Sister Situ.

When Sister Situ arrived, Mo Hua realized that, after some time apart, Sister Situ had already reached Foundation Establishment mid-stage.

Among fellow disciples, cultivation progresses at different speeds.

Moreover, it's affected by the cultivation arts practiced, the Dao methods followed, whether one's cultivation resources are abundant, and whether one chooses to further solidify one's foundation by perfecting the Qi Circulation. Thus, disciples' progress cannot be generalized.

Sister Situ had progressed smoothly—he had gathered all necessary spiritual items and nearly completed his Qi Circulation, so he broke through early.

But someone like Cheng Mo, Yang Qianjun—they still need to refine their blood qi further, so they're slower.

As for Mo Hua…

He needed nothing; he only needed to break through the realm. Blood qi and spiritual power—he didn't care.

His spiritual root also had nothing worth caring about.

Sister Situ explained to Mo Hua: "The term 'Sword' has a long history…"

"Originally, the Sword Discourse Assembly was only about swords—sword cultivators sparred with each other, determining superiority solely by 'sword' skill to decide the champion."

"Whoever won first place became the champion of the Sword Discourse Assembly and was usually tacitly recognized as the top disciple of that cohort in both cultivation and combat power."

"But body cultivators and spiritual cultivators resented this—why should the top sword cultivator be considered the overall top disciple?"

"So later, body cultivators and spiritual cultivators joined in."

"But body cultivators and spiritual cultivators don't use swords. If they defeated sword cultivators and won the Sword Discourse Assembly, it made no sense to call them the best without sword arts."

"So it became team battles: one sword cultivator, one body cultivator, and one spiritual cultivator formed a trio, fighting together."

"Later, following the structure of Dao Soldiers, teams became five members each, sparring against each other."

"At first, it was pure brute force—whoever won was stronger."

"Later, some elder ancestors of Qian Province felt this was too reckless and didn't reflect real combat, so they revised the rules, adding restrictions like flag capture, demon hunting, sword theft, and many others—until it evolved into today's Sword Discourse Assembly…"

"Now, five disciples from the same sect form a team, cooperating to achieve objectives—testing both cultivation and Dao methods, and emphasizing teamwork and strategy. Those who win are all outstanding; those who lose are all eliminated, sharing glory and shame together."

Mo Hua nodded, beginning to understand.

Cheng Mo patted Sister Situ on the shoulder and praised, "You really know more."

Sister Situ sighed. "You should pay attention sometimes—don't just swing your axe…"

Cheng Mo smiled and invited Mo Hua: "Senior Brother, want to go watch? This is a grand event held every three years across the Qianxue Continent."

Sister Situ added, "And for us, we might only get to participate once in our lives."

Mo Hua was puzzled. "Only once?"

Sister Situ nodded slightly. "Only disciples who have been in the sect for over nine years, reached Foundation Establishment late-stage, fully perfected their cultivation, spiritual power, and blood qi, and have not yet broken through to Jin Dan, are eligible to join the Sword Discourse Assembly."

"If you're a lower cohort, having studied fewer years, with cultivation, blood qi, and spiritual power far behind others, you can't compete with the prodigies of other sects…"

"Oh." Mo Hua nodded.

Cheng Mo sighed. "I wonder if I'll even be able to join next time…"

"Don't even think about it," Sister Situ shook his head. "At least two cycles from now."

Cheng Mo was dissatisfied.

Sister Situ continued, "The Discourse Assembly is of great importance—it concerns not only each disciple's personal cultivation future, but also the sect's development. The selection of participants is extremely strict; every spot is invaluable…"

Cheng Mo was unhappy, but he knew Sister Situ was right.

Mo Hua, however, was curious.

The part about a disciple's personal future—he understood that.

If you achieved a high ranking in the cultivation assembly, gained recognition, you'd earn the sect's favor, attract admiration from other cultivation factions, and possibly gain vast merits.

But how does this relate to the sect's development…

It's just a discourse—how important could it be?

Mo Hua asked Situ Jian, who then said:

"Young Master, have you heard of the Qianlong Mountain Range?"

"Qianlong Mountain Range?"

Mo Hua frowned, as if he had a faint memory of it.

Situ Jian said: "The Qianlong Mountain Range is a massive mountain chain stretching across Qianxue Province. Within this range lies a colossal spirit stone mine with astonishing output."

Astonishing spirit stone output! A colossal spirit mine!

Mo Hua was slightly startled.

Situ Jian lowered his voice: "I heard this from my grandfather…"

"It's said that back then, the Dao Court went to great lengths to seize the Qianlong Spirit Mine, employing every possible tactic—but ultimately, the ancestral elders of dozens of major families in Qian Province united and forcibly suppressed them."

"Even so, the Dao Court refused to give up."

"And with such vast quantities of spirit stones at stake, the families would not yield an inch."

"In the end, both sides compromised: a small portion of the mine's output was submitted to the Dao Court as 'Spirit Tax,' while the rest was allocated for use by the major sects within Qianxue Province."

"The sects used these spirit stones to grow stronger, recruit more disciples, transmit the Dao, teach skills, and cultivate talent. In this way, the spirit stones from the Qianlong Mine were put to use for the benefit of all under heaven."

"The Dao Court agreed. The families had no further objections."

"Thus, this colossal Qianlong Spirit Mine came under the control of hundreds, even thousands of sects within Qianxue Province."

"But dividing such a vast amount of spirit stones became a problem…"

Mo Hua understood, and said: "The Discourse Assembly?"

"Yes." Situ Jian nodded. "Disciples from all sects compete in the Discourse Assembly to determine rankings."

"These rankings determine the sects' hierarchy, and the sects' hierarchy determines their share of the Qianlong Mountain's colossal spirit mine."

"This is a colossal spirit mine—any tiny share means a vast quantity of spirit stones."

"And spirit stones are the foundation of a sect's development."

"Thus, the Discourse Assembly concerns not only each disciple's personal future, but also the sect's interests and long-term development…"

"So that's how it is…"

Mo Hua suddenly understood, and nodded slightly.

"Young Master, the current Discourse Assembly has already begun—do you want to go see it?" Situ Jian asked beside him.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said: "All right."

He wanted to see what the Discourse Assembly was really like.

As for Foundation Establishment mid-stage, it was coming soon anyway—no need to rush these two days.

So Mo Hua took half a day off and followed Cheng Mo and Situ Jian to watch the Discourse Assembly.

The Discourse Assembly is held on Discourse Mountain in the center of Qianxue Province.

From outside, Discourse Mountain loomed majestic and solemn, surrounded by a massive array.

Mo Hua recognized at a glance: this was a grand array.

And not a fully sealed one—it was slightly open.

Upon the array, faint light flowed, its aura astonishing, like a slumbering colossal beast gently breathing.

"What kind of array is this…"

Mo Hua turned to Cheng Mo and Situ Jian, about to ask—then saw their expressions were even more stunned than his own, so he held his tongue.

Forget it—better not trouble them with array matters.

Entry requirements for the Discourse Assembly were not strict: any disciple from within Qianxue Province was allowed.

At the mountain's entrance, Mo Hua and the others presented their Grand Void Tokens, verified their identities as sect disciples, and were granted entry into Discourse Mountain.

Entering Discourse Mountain meant entering the array.

Cheng Mo and Situ Jian were bewildered, unable to make sense of anything.

But in Mo Hua's perception, the array's vast, mysterious, and boundless aura was overwhelmingly strong.

He could even faintly sense the subtle vibrations of high-grade array patterns throughout the mountain, and the flow of spirit energy as deep as an ocean—calm on the surface, yet immense beneath…

Mo Hua's heart trembled—he had never seen anything like it.

No wonder Qianxue Province is a fifth-rank realm—there are truly so many treasures here!

I wonder when I'll ever be able to array something of this caliber…

Mo Hua felt a deep yearning.

Situ Jian led Mo Hua as he walked and explained:

"The Discourse Assembly tests alchemy, artifact forging, talismans, and arrays in sequence."

"The Sword Discourse is different—it lasts longer and involves more duels, so its timing varies slightly each session, but it's always scheduled separately from the alchemy, artifact, talisman, and array events…"

The three walked and chatted as they went.

Near the arena, they saw a sea of people—not just from Grand Void Gate, but also disciples from the Sida Sect, the Eight Gates, the Twelve Schools, and the hundred sects of Qianxue Province.

Around the arena, the atmosphere was electric, filled with young disciples dressed in various sect robes: elegant young men like jade trees, and graceful young women.

Cheng Mo looked dreamy: "Do you think—if six years from now, I dominate the Sword Discourse, slay all challengers, will all these lovely sisters and senior sisters admire me so much they'll offer themselves to me?"

Situ Jian patted his shoulder and sighed:

"There are too many people here—save your daydreams for somewhere else."

Cheng Mo froze, then grew annoyed, lowering his voice:

"You dare look down on me, Situ? Let's find a place to spar—see if your sword is faster than my axe is hard…"

Mo Hua sighed helplessly: "Enough."

"Yes, Young Master." Cheng Mo immediately obeyed, then shot Situ Jian a glance and whispered:

"Considering Senior Brother's face, I won't bother with you."

Sister Situ shook her head.

Down below, the Alchemy Discussion Tournament had already begun.

On the vast arena, many pill-furnaces had been set out.

A group of late Foundation Establishment disciples—clearly older in seniority, deeper in cultivation, and considerably taller than Mo Hua and his companions—all wore solemn expressions as they began to kindle bright flames and start refining pills.

Elders were seated above to oversee the examination.

Numerous disciples surrounded the area to watch.

But by now the scene had already fallen silent, and no disciple dared speak loudly.

On the arena, the late Foundation Establishment disciples refined pills attentively. After finishing, they presented them to the elders above. The elders would offer a brief critique, assign one of four grades—A, B, C, or D—and then display the verdict to the crowd.

Those eliminated afterward would sigh to the heavens and trudge off the stage dejected.

Those who advanced wore pleased expressions and bowed to the elders.

Then another batch of people would take their turn and continue refining pills.

After finishing, the same process repeated itself over and over…

After watching for a while, Mo Hua found it dull and tedious.

The Discussion Tournament was indeed a grand event, but watching from the sidelines was a bit too boring.

Besides, it was the Alchemy Discussion.

Mo Hua wouldn't say he was completely clueless about alchemy, but at the very least he knew very little.

He only had a rough grasp of some pill-theory basics, and had memorized the practical knowledge of pills quite firmly.

Things like which pill treated which injury, neutralized which poison, and what its effects were.

Also, which medicinal ingredients could be used to trap people, or to poison them, and the like.

Beyond that, when it came to the specifics of pill-refining, Mo Hua had done very little research.

He had also, in truth, never successfully refined all that many batches of pills.

If it were Senior Sister refining pills, he would still have stared for a while.

But on the arena, most of them were disciples from other sects whom he didn't know.

So after watching for a bit, Mo Hua started to feel drowsy.

Cheng Mo was even more so.

Sister Situ was a bit better, but not by much.

The three exchanged glances, gave a slight nod, and quietly slipped away from the crowd.

"Alchemy is a bit boring…" Cheng Mo said. "Unless someone is determined to become a pill-master, or has very high attainments in the Alchemy Dao and wants to rank in the Alchemy Discussion Tournament, very few disciples pay attention to this kind of pill-refining competition every day…"

"Unlike the Sword Discussion Tournament—fist meeting flesh, spells flying everywhere, sword-riding and slashing. That's the one worth watching…"

Sister Situ also nodded and said, "Indeed, these Dao-cultivation arts like alchemy don't have all that many viewers to begin with."

"It's only that the Discussion Tournament has just begun, so people are joining in for the excitement. A few days from now, the crowds will thin out."

"We'll have to wait a while until the Sword Discussion Tournament begins—that's the true grand event!"

"The Discussion Tournament is a grand event for Qian Province, and the Sword Discussion Tournament is the grand event within the Discussion Tournament!"

"Not only from the borders of Qianxue Province, but even the Central Dao Court, and many of the great clans and great sects from outside, will all send people specifically to come watch."

"If one takes first place in the Sword Discussion Tournament, that truly is standing out from among ten thousand prodigies—bringing glory to one's ancestors and making a name for oneself across the realm!"

(End of Chapter)