Chapter 884: Super-Class

The Array Discussion Assembly uses the format of an array examination, with three failures leading to elimination.

That is, there are three array problems in total; if a student cannot draw them or draws them incorrectly, they are deemed defeated and must leave the examination hall.

This also grants students a certain margin for error.

After all, arrays are vast and profound, with countless categories, diverse forms, and wildly varied lineages.

Even the most outstanding disciple cannot guarantee they can draw every array without a single mistake.

If a disciple with Nineteen-Stroke power fails and is eliminated for making one mistake on a Sixteen-Stroke array due to flawed lineage or a momentary slip, it would be far too tragic.

The Array Discussion Assembly, though a contest, is fundamentally still a "selection."

It selects truly exceptional array prodigies.

Thus, certain "mistakes" or "misjudgments" are avoided as much as possible.

The "Three-Failure System" examination, which tests disciples' array experience, foundational knowledge, drawing ability, spiritual sense depth, and willpower, while also allowing a margin for error, gradually became the standard format of the Array Discussion Assembly.

The Array Discussion Assembly begins at Sixteen-Stroke, advancing one stroke at a time.

Each stroke level is a stage, requiring the drawing of a certain number of arrays.

A contestant is defeated in the Array Discussion if they fail three arrays in total.

Rankings are determined by the order in which disciples are eliminated.

The one who lasts until the end becomes the Array Champion of this year's Array Discussion Assembly.

At this moment, the first examination is the Sixteen-Stroke array.

The Sixteen-Stroke array is merely a Second-Rank Mid-Level array; Mo Hua's brush flowed like water, and soon he completed all several Sixteen-Stroke arrays.

After finishing, he scanned them with a glance, checked once more, confirmed not a single error, and then relaxed.

He then sat upright, closed his eyes, and cultivated his spirit.

Master Xun said that array examinations are long processes, a tremendous test of spiritual sense, a war of attrition.

Therefore, one must seize every moment to restore spiritual awareness.

Soon, many other disciples in the hall also finished drawing their arrays and sat in meditation to rest.

This is the Qianxue Province-level Array Discussion Assembly for Foundation Establishment late-stage and above, with countless prodigies.

These questions were easy for Mo Hua, and not difficult for most either.

Anyone who reached this stage would not fail to draw a Sixteen-Stroke array.

Of course, this is a grand examination—there are always exceptions.

Some disciples in the hall began scratching their heads, others groaned in regret, turned pale, and some covered their faces and sighed.

Some had sufficient spiritual sense but insufficient array skill—they didn't know the arrays tested, or knew others that weren't tested, so their faces darkened and they were eliminated.

Others had sufficient array skill but insufficient spiritual sense, unable to endure such continuous depletion and thus made mistakes.

Some had both array skill and spiritual sense intact, but lacked mental resilience—they always panicked under examination pressure.

Now, under the gaze of countless eyes, the pressure was even greater, and they could not unleash even two-tenths of their true strength.

After drawing only a few strokes, their hands began trembling, their minds went blank.

Very quickly, their three allowances for error were used up, and they could only retreat with ashen faces, defeated.

The teachers of these disciples stood nearby, pounding their chests and wringing their hands, sighing in regret.

Thus, the Sixteen-Stroke array examination eliminated a small group of disciples.

Another portion had already made one or even two mistakes, leaving them with little room for error; they now had no choice but to press forward desperately.

Roughly one-third of the cultivators had not made a single mistake.

Among them was Mo Hua.

Beside him, one or two disciples had already been eliminated, yet Mo Hua sat calmly and steadily.

This scene was seen by everyone who knew Mo Hua.

The junior disciples of Grand Void Gate, the senior disciples from the year above, familiar elders, as well as Wenren Wan and Gu Changhuai—all of them exhaled softly in relief.

Good, he held on…

They knew Mo Hua's array skill was decent.

But this was an array examination, with so many watching, immense pressure on the spot, and opponents who were all older and of higher cultivation than him—prodigies from every sect.

They feared Mo Hua could not withstand the pressure, would make one mistake, and be eliminated in the first round.

Good, good…

As long as he passed Sixteen-Stroke, he'd at least get a ranking, and it wouldn't be too shameful to say.

Many silently thought to themselves.

After the Sixteen-Stroke examination came the Seventeen-Stroke.

There would be about half an hour of rest in between.

This schedule was very generous for Mo Hua—during this time, his spiritual sense had fully recovered.

Half an hour later, the Seventeen-Stroke examination began.

The difficulty rose sharply.

Sixteen-Stroke was a Second-Rank Mid-Level array; Seventeen-Stroke entered Second-Rank High-Level.

This was a major threshold; for ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples, it was already the realm of "prodigy."

After all, array masters who could master Second-Rank High-Level arrays while still in the Foundation Establishment realm were extremely rare across the entire cultivation world.

In the examination hall, the number of eliminated cultivators became visibly greater.

Many racked their brains, scratched their heads, unable to find solutions.

But arrays are like this—no matter how hard you try, if you don't know it, you don't know it, especially during an exam, where even thinking time is denied.

In the end, these disciples could only sigh deeply and reluctantly give up.

Some drew incorrectly, exhausted all three chances, and could only regret and lament, hating themselves for not having worked harder, for not having drawn more times.

It was just a little short…

Some disciples, while drawing, their spiritual awareness simply dried up; they clutched their heads and collapsed, carried off by the examiners for treatment…

…

The situation grew slightly tense.

The examination for the seventeen-line array was much longer than the sixteen-line one.

Tension and oppression gradually spread through the examination hall; more and more disciples could no longer hold out and withdrew from the arena.

Yet Mo Hua continued, as if no one else existed, silently drawing…

Cheng Mo, Sister Situ, Elder Murong, Wenren Wan—all those who knew Mo Hua secretly held their breath.

"Keep going, Young Master…"

"Mo Hua…"

"Just hold on…"

These people were all anxious for Mo Hua, their hearts tightly clenched.

But many spectators, who cared nothing for arrays and had no prodigies from their own sect on the stage, had merely come for the spectacle, now found it boring.

"Arrays are truly dull…"

"I can't even tell what they're drawing."

"It's too oppressive—I'm getting goosebumps just watching."

"Those people, after drawing a while, start clutching their heads and turning pale—is it really that painful?" someone didn't understand.

"Go draw arrays yourself—just three a day—and you'll know the pain after one session."

"I'm too lazy to draw."

"So boring—how long will this take?"

"No one knows—probably all day…"

"So long… it's truly hard on them—a single brush, a single inkstone, drawing arrays all day…"

"You don't know a thing."

"I don't care to know."

Outside the Grand Arena, some disciples who had merely come for the spectacle gradually drifted away.

Those who remained were mostly true array experts, and cultivators determined to walk the path of the array master.

Or else, disciples devoted to their sect's honor, whose peers or senior brothers and sisters were competing on stage.

Those who understood were filled with admiration; those devoted to their sect were filled with anguish.

Time slipped away slowly.

Inside the Grand Arena, array prodigies from various sects bore immense pressure, laboriously drawing array after array.

The process was excruciating—and endless.

Outside the Grand Arena, some left out of boredom, while others from beyond reentered to observe.

Wenren Wan held Yu'er in her arms; mother and child stared intently at Mo Hua on the stage.

Just then, a deep but gentle voice rang out:

"Wan'er."

Wenren Wan froze, looked up, and saw beside her a tall, handsome middle-aged man—she exclaimed in delight:

"Father."

The man had stern features, and behind him trailed several elder cultivators of extremely high cultivation—this was Wenren Wan's father, the current head of the Wenren Clan, Wenren Jingxuan.

Yu'er poked her head out from Wenren Wan's arms, eyes sparkling, chirping: "Grandfather."

Wenren Jingxuan smiled at Yu'er, yet within him, he was slightly startled.

This child's gaze was too lively, too bright and cheerful—and the more so, the more a hidden unease stirred in his heart.

On the high platform, Shangguan Ce, head of the Shangguan Clan, and Gu Shouyan, head of the Gu Clan, both rose and came down to greet him, showing respect:

"Brother Wenren."

"Brother Shangguan, Brother Gu," Wenren Jingxuan bowed, "I'm late—my apologies."

"Brother Wenren, you're too kind—please take your seat."

"Please."

Wenren Jingxuan followed them to the honored seat.

After sitting, the three exchanged a few pleasantries.

Wenren Jingxuan turned his gaze toward the arena, and saw nothing but disciples furiously writing.

And what these disciples strained to draw were second-rank high-grade seventeen-line arrays.

Even as head of a clan, he could not help but sigh:

"The Qianxue Province is truly worthy of its reputation as the premier land for cultivators to seek learning."

"Among all clans and families, disciples who can draw a second-rank mid-grade array at Foundation Establishment are exceedingly rare—yet here in Qianxue Province, such prodigies fill this vast arena—truly astonishing."

"The Dao of Qian endures ceaselessly; the land is blessed, the people gifted—its fame is well-deserved…"

Shangguan Ce and Gu Shouyan both nodded.

As heads of their own clans, they understood better than most the value of talent.

Among the hundred arts of cultivation, arrays were of paramount importance.

Had it not been so, these clan heads burdened with affairs would never have taken time from their busy schedules to come here to the Dao Discussion Assembly and watch these disciples compete in arrays.

A second-rank array may not seem like much.

But it depends on who is painting.

A Jin Dan painting a second-rank array is entirely different from a Foundation Establishment cultivator painting a second-rank array.

To paint a high-grade second-rank array while in the Foundation Establishment realm—that is true, undeniable talent.

Talent means the future.

These talented disciples in the hall may not yet be well-known.

But soon, one of them may achieve mastery in array arts, enter the Tian Shu Pavilion, and be honored as an Array Master.

It is even possible that one day, among those present, someone will accumulate deeply and strike suddenly, connect with the Dao's essence, fully comprehend the Dao's flow, and become a legendary Array Titan—a figure who alone shapes eternity, revered by countless millions.

If you don't pay attention now and cultivate good ties, you may one day find you can never reach up to them again.

After all, this is the cultivation world; the Dao is unfathomable, and nothing is impossible.

At this moment, Wenren Jingxuan and the other two, sipping tea, chatting idly, lowered their gazes and scanned the hall, searching for disciples who excelled in array arts.

Their attention focused most on the several disciples seated near the front, in the center of the arena.

These disciples all came from the Sida Sect.

The one at the top was a handsome, cautious, and composed prodigy from the Shen family of the Qiandao Sect.

Another had striking sword-like brows and a graceful aura, from the Tianjian Sect's Xiao family; his array-brush strokes were as sharp as swords and daggers.

The Long Ding Sect also had a prodigy from the Ao family—thick eyebrows, large eyes, a rugged face, utterly unlike an array master, yet his array talent could not be underestimated.

The last was a female disciple named Duanmu Xue, from the Wan Xiao Sect; her face was plain and elegant, her aura icy and stern, she spoke little, but her spiritual sense was exceptionally deep.

The heads of the families already had clear opinions on these disciples.

After all, disciples with special talent in array arts could not remain unknown—they were all "hot commodities" in the eyes of every faction.

But truly building ties with these prodigies was not easy.

After all, "too many wolves, too little meat"—countless noble families, like hungry wolves, watched these brilliant heavenly prodigies.

Wenren and Shangguan were fifth-rank families, but had little competitive edge.

The Gu family was even less so.

Gu Shouyan could only watch.

These array prodigies from the Sida Sect had virtually no connection with the "pure stream" Gu family, which was stuck at the fifth-rank threshold, with poor connections and a rank of fourth-rank or higher.

Outside the Sida Sect, there were also disciples with decent array talent.

But compared with the top prodigies of the Sida Sect, they clearly paled in comparison.

Still, not being top-tier meant they were still first-rate.

First-rate talent is still talent; it cannot be overlooked.

Wenren Jingxuan and Shangguan Ce silently assessed candidates in their minds, planning to send gifts later through Zhong Mingren to these array prodigies, to build early ties and cultivate good fortune.

Both were Liu Yuhua, with powerful spiritual senses; after a few quick scans, they already had a general idea.

Meanwhile, the seventeen-line examination continued and would not end soon.

The heads of the families thus grew slightly idle and began sipping tea and chatting.

Wenren Jingxuan glanced and saw his daughter, Wenren Wan, sitting at the very edge of the high platform with Yu'er, seemingly distant from the other Shangguan family members; he immediately felt uneasy.

This daughter of his, he had cherished since childhood.

But since marrying into the Shangguan family, she clearly was not happy.

Wenren Jingxuan's gaze sharpened and said: "Brother Shangguan, has my daughter caused any trouble since entering your family?"

Shangguan Ce replied calmly: "Wan'er is respectful and gentle; she has caused no trouble."

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft laugh rang out.

The laughter came from the green-robed elder of the Shen family.

Wenren Jingxuan frowned.

Before he could speak, an elder of the Shangguan family, also Liu Yuhua, rebuked the female elder:

"Do not speak during the heads' deliberations."

This elder Liu Yuhua was named Shangguan Wang; his nasolabial folds were deep, a powerful elder of the Shangguan family who had once competed with Shangguan Ce for the position of family head.

Even after losing, his branch held immense power within the Shangguan family.

Shangguan Wang feigned rebuke but meant something deeper: "Mind your surroundings. Save your words for when you return home."

The female elder whispered: "Yes…"

Wenren Jingxuan raised an eyebrow—he saw right through their intentions. "Elder Wang, has my daughter committed any offense?"

Shangguan Wang looked troubled.

Wenren Jingxuan said: "Elder Wang, speak plainly."

Shangguan Wang's gaze darkened slightly and said: "As for major offenses, none truly exist—yet the young mistress's conduct has been rather capricious…"

"As a daughter-in-law of the Shangguan family, she spends her days lingering at the Gu family. She indulges the direct-line Yu Young Master excessively, and for reasons unknown, has raised him at the Grand Void Gate."

"In managing her business, she holds many bad debts."

"She has secretly withheld considerable Spirit Stones."

"Her conduct lacks steadiness, and she has failed in her duties as a wife to Yi Young Master…"

He listed Wenren Wan's alleged misdeeds, embellishing them all.

Some were true, but most—such as business mismanagement and withholding Spirit Stones—were merely distortions of ordinary family matters like temporary profits and losses or short-term Spirit Stone turnover, twisted into faults.

Minor marital disagreements became gossip fodder.

Other Shangguan family members, especially those close to Shangguan Wang, joined in agreement.

Wenren Wan had no defense; her face turned pale.

Wenren Jingxuan's brow tightened.

"These aren't the most serious issues…" Shangguan Wang's expression was calm; he sighed, but his gaze turned sharp.

"The most outrageous was years ago, when she manipulated Young Master Yi into using the Shangguan family's extensive connections to force an unrelated disciple into the Eight Great Sects."

"These favors belong to the Shangguan family, yet the disciple inserted into the Eight Great Sects has no ties to the Shangguan family, nor to the Wen family, or even the Gu family."

"This matter is truly indefensible."

The slots in the Eight Great Sects are extremely precious.

Wen Ruan spent far more favors and sacrificed greater interests to get Mo Hua into the Eight Great Sects than Mo Hua realized.

More importantly, Mo Hua's talent falls far short of the threshold required for admission to the Grand Void Gate.

Thus, the favors expended were even greater.

But Wen Ruan, fearing Mo Hua would feel burdened, never mentioned any of this to him.

Yet these favors were carved out from the Shangguan family.

Had they been properly managed, these favors could have secured slots in the Eight Great Sects for two, or even three, Shangguan disciples whose talents were barely inferior.

Now those slots are gone.

The Eight Great Sects! They are top-tier sects in Qian Xue Province—a chance most cultivators could only dream of in their lifetimes.

And yet they were handed away so carelessly.

This matter secretly offended too many within the Shangguan family.

Since then, Wen Ruan has been even less favored by the Shangguan family.

Wen Jingxuan had only faintly heard whispers of these events, but did not understand them fully.

As patriarch, he had too many matters to manage.

Moreover, Ruan had married into the Shangguan family, and the Wen and Shangguan families have never had good relations, so he found it even less appropriate to interfere.

Wen Jingxuan looked at Wen Ruan and asked sternly, "Ruan, is this true?"

"Yes…" Wen Ruan lowered her head, biting her lip tightly, yet insisted, "Mo Hua saved Yu'er, so I…"

Mo Hua

Wen Jingxuan paused slightly, thinking this must be the disciple Ruan had shoved into the Eight Great Sects…

On the other side, Shangguan Wang countered:

"How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, at the initial stage, have saved Young Master Yu, when even the Gu family and Dao Ting Si failed to?"

Wen Ruan froze. "This… was sheer coincidence…"

"Coincidence?" Shangguan Wang said coldly. "Young Lady Wen, do you believe that?"

Wen Ruan could not answer.

Because she truly did not know.

She had always been lenient toward Mo Hua, never probing into his affairs.

Shangguan Wang sighed, disappointed. "Do you know what people are saying outside?"

"They say the Shangguan family's legitimate young lady, out of nowhere, picked up a 'wild child,' treated him as her own, and spared no cost to get him into the Eight Great Sects…"

This suspicion was exceedingly vicious.

Wen Ruan's face turned deathly pale, then flushed crimson.

Beside her, Gu Changhuai could no longer hold back—he slammed his fist on the table and rose, shouting at Shangguan Wang: "Shut your mouth!"

Shangguan Wang's gaze turned instantly icy.

Gu Shouyan immediately rebuked: "Changhuai, show some respect!"

"Patriarch…"

Gu Changhuai wanted to say more, but seeing Gu Shouyan shake his head slightly, he swallowed his words.

Yet he could not bear to see his cousin suffer such injustice, so he bowed to Wen Jingxuan: "I was the one investigating Yu'er's case. Though there was some coincidence, Mo Hua truly saved Yu'er."

"And my cousin sent Mo Hua into the Grand Void Gate not only to repay his debt, but because this boy possesses extraordinary talent in array formation…"

Shangguan Wang asked: "How extraordinary?"

Gu Changhuai said: "The Grand Void Gate's ancestral elder personally taught him array formation…"

Shangguan Wang sneered. "Don't think I don't know—the Grand Void Gate's ancestral elder is of high virtue and great prestige, and upholds the sect's teachings. Most new disciples receive his personal instruction in array formation."

Gu Changhuai fell silent, stalling.

"Moreover, array talent isn't claimed with words—it's proven," Shangguan Wang scoffed, pointing downward. "Those in this training ground are the ones with true array talent. Can you guarantee that this Mo Hua will qualify for the Array Debate Assembly three years from now?"

Gu Changhuai blinked, then exhaled, his gaze sharpening. "No need to wait until three years from now…"

He too pointed downward. "He's already competing this year!"

Everyone followed his gaze and saw, in the corner of the training ground, a young, slender, handsome disciple skillfully drawing an array.

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

Some present already knew of this, but most Shangguan, Wen, and even some Gu cultivators had no idea—and couldn't even conceive of it.

"Foundation Establishment mid-stage… participating in the Array Debate Assembly?"

"This child has such talent?"

"He must have the ancestral elder's favor—otherwise he'd never get such a slot…"

"Even so, it's astonishing…"

Even Wen Jingxuan was taken aback; he studied Mo Hua twice more, his gaze tightening.

Shangguan Wang's heart lurched.

He immediately realized he had miscalculated.

He had carelessly handed the spear to someone else—and stabbed himself.

Mostly because he never imagined someone at Foundation Establishment mid-stage could even participate in the Array Debate Assembly.

But having lived so long and navigated the scheming of noble families, his experience was immense, and long ago he had mastered indifference to honor and disgrace.

At this moment, his expression remained unchanged as he sneered:

"His talent for arrays is decent, but so what? Participating in the Array Discussion Assembly now is like pulling up seedlings to help them grow—he's lucky if he finishes all sixteen markings."

"Besides, that's not the point."

"No matter how gifted he is, does he bear the surname Shangguan? Or Wenren? Or even Gu?"

"He bears none! No one knows where this child came from."

"There are so many geniuses—why, Madam, did you spare no effort to push this child into the Eight Great Sects?"

"Fine, you say it's to repay a debt—I believe you. But do others believe you?"

"Will this excuse silence the gossip? Will it stop others' idle talk? Will it protect the Shangguan family's reputation?"

Shangguan Wang looked around and, deciding he had nothing to lose, spoke even more bluntly: "Some noble families are even spreading rumors…"

"That the Shangguan family's young mistress bore a child out of wedlock…"

Boom!

Wenren Jingxuan smashed the table to splinters, his gaze cold as frost: "Elder Wang, watch your tongue."

Shangguan Wang, after all, had nearly become patriarch, and even now he still harbored that ambition, so he was not afraid—he feigned a sigh:

"These words damage the Shangguan family's reputation; even I find them painful to hear. But what can I do? Others have mouths."

Wenren Jingxuan glanced coldly at Shangguan Ce.

Shangguan Ce then spoke slowly: "Enough. The pure will remain pure; the impure will remain impure. Let this matter drop."

Gu Shouyan also said: "We are here to observe the Array Discussion Assembly. Do not speak such idle gossip."

Wenren Jingxuan said nothing, but his expression was far from pleasant.

Shangguan Wang wisely ceased.

Though an unexpected turn had occurred, his goal had largely been achieved.

He had smeared mud on Shangguan Ce's daughter-in-law and planted a thorn deep in the hearts of both Shangguan Ce and Wenren Jingxuan.

Only Wenren Wan, who had endured mockery and false accusations, was pale as death, clutching Yu'er tightly to her chest, her expression dim and silent.

Yu'er wanted to comfort his mother, but wiped his tears and did not know what to say.

Gu Changhuai's heart ached, but he was helpless.

…

Among noble families, scheming and intrigue.

Meanwhile, in the arena, the contest for the Seventeen-Mark Array was drawing to a close.

Mo Hua put down his brush, checked several times, then resumed meditation to restore his spiritual awareness.

Around him, many disciples had already failed and withdrawn.

Another half-hour passed; time was up.

The Seventeen-Mark examination ended.

Numerous examiners descended from their platforms and began reviewing each paper individually to determine correctness and eligibility.

Those who had not drawn the array, or drew it incorrectly, or had drawn it wrong but failed to notice, were all pointed out by the examiners and expelled.

Some disciples, though defeated, remained in place, unwilling to leave.

The examiners sent Zhong Mingren to forcibly drag them away.

As a result, more people withdrew.

Soon after, one examiner walked up to Mo Hua.

Seeing Mo Hua's young age and low cultivation, and him still sitting there pretending to meditate, the examiner assumed he had failed and was stubbornly refusing to leave.

Until he saw the array answer before Mo Hua—flawless strokes, not a single error, nearly perfect—and he froze.

The examiner rubbed his eyes in disbelief, frowned, and carefully rechecked the paper—confirmed the handwriting was correct, the question was correct, the drawn array was flawless—and then shook his head in astonishment.

"This child… drew it exceptionally well…"

"Passed."

The examiner left a red annotation, signifying Mo Hua's advancement, then continued forward.

But after only a few steps, he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

"No…"

No, no, no…

The examiner's frown deepened; his thoughts grew chaotic. After careful reflection, he realized what was amiss.

"Seventeen-Mark Array…"

"Foundation Establishment Mid-stage, drawing a Seventeen-Mark Array…"

"Seventeen-Mark…"

Ten…

Seventeen-Mark… is…

The examiner suddenly widened his eyes.

This was… a Foundation Establishment Mid-stage cultivator drawing an array meant only for Foundation Establishment Late-stage!

That meant…

This child's spiritual awareness had surpassed his realm!

Surpassed his realm…

No array master would understand what this meant.

The examiner stood frozen for a moment, his scalp prickling, a chill surging into his heart, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Fuck, didn't pay attention—something monstrous has emerged…