Chapter 887: The Four Directions Tremble (Thank you, Jia Ling, for becoming our Patron!)

Mo Hua put down his brush and ink, sat upright, and stared at the final array problem inscribed on the gold-inlaid jade tablet, expressionless, motionless for a long while.

It seemed he was truly stumped.

Seeing this, all the examiners exhaled in relief.

"Finally stumped him…"

"He should be stumped…"

"He can't draw any more."

"If we don't stump him now, it would be against heaven's will."

"Honestly, anyone else would be stumped by this."

"It's at the peak of nineteen lines—key is this reverse-flowing spiritual force law; even a regular third-grade Jin Dan array master might not be able to draw it clearly…"

"At best, they'd just copy the shape without grasping its essence."

"The Dao's laws are indescribable, inexplicable—only personal enlightenment works; you can't teach this."

"To be honest, I used to think designing a 'peak' array was pointless. Now I see Laozu was wise—us juniors still lack experience and don't understand the deep intent behind it…"

"Yes, if today this 'peak' were toppled, it would truly be disgraceful…"

"It would make us examiners look like poor question-setters; make the Array Discussion Assembly seem easy; make the array mastery of Qianxue Province seem shallow…"

"Exactly, exactly…"

"Laozu was wise."

All the examiners sighed in unison.

Master Wen also quietly exhaled in relief.

Being serious, even overly meticulous, clearly had its benefits.

This was his first time as chief examiner—he didn't want his very first time setting questions for the Array Discussion Assembly to be shattered by someone.

The first in Qianxue Province.

Word would spread—it would be hard to face people.

He might even be suspected of favoritism, leaking questions secretly.

Fortunately, this final hurdle finally blocked the "monster" from Grand Void Gate.

Master Wen moved his fingers and realized his palms were drenched in sweat.

He'd always known students felt immense pressure during exams.

But he never imagined that one day, as an examiner, he'd feel this much pressure himself…

Time slipped away slowly.

Mo Hua still sat in the arena, staring at the array on the jade tablet, utterly still.

As time passed, the examiners' moods grew increasingly relaxed.

"When time's up and this monster can't finish, he loses."

"Of course, even if he loses, he still comes first—but he'll only get first place."

"Wait, what kind of thing is that? What do you mean 'only get first place'?" an elder protested.

"Exactly—is getting first place easy?"

"So many sects, so many years—none have ever won first."

"Forget first—even second or third is a luxury."

"Are you mocking us?"

The speaking elder quickly apologized, "My fault, my fault—the pressure's too high, I'm talking nonsense…"

…

The array elders chatted idly.

But as time passed, Master Wen frowned in silence.

He silently watched Mo Hua seated in the arena—and as he watched, a sudden unease stirred in his heart.

"Wrong!"

This Grand Void Gate disciple looked stumped, unable to begin drawing, hence motionless.

But his expression was too calm, and his eyes glowed with shifting light—as if…

Calculating something?

"Calculating?!"

Master Wen drew in a sharp breath.

He's calculating?!

He's figuring it out—he's learning!

On the Array Discussion Assembly, learning a nineteen-line peak array with profound spiritual force laws through calculation—in real time?!

Learning as he calculates?!

Master Wen's pupils contracted—he was stunned.

Who taught him calculation?

Grand Void Gate?

In this setting, with such an intricate array, could he really learn it on the spot?

How?

Master Wen's heart clenched again.

"It shouldn't… be possible…"

…

In the grand arena.

Mo Hua is indeed learning on the spot.

He had seen it—the array before him was an unknown, entry-level, second-rank spiritual force inversion law array.

Spiritual force inversion…

Inverse Spirit Array!

Mo Hua's heart leapt.

The first absolute array he learned was the first-rank, ten-stroke "Inverse Spirit Array" taught to him by his master.

Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, his spiritual sense had peaked at Foundation Establishment's zenith, and he had refined second-rank arrays to mastery—yet he never expected that by chance, in the "pinnacle" question of the Array Debate Assembly, he would encounter this same "Inverse Spirit" array again.

The array before him, though only at nineteen-stroke zenith and not an "absolute array," clearly shared the same principle as the first-rank, ten-stroke Absolute Inverse Spirit Array: using spiritual force inversion to trigger array collapse.

And this spiritual force inversion was at the Foundation Establishment realm.

The first-rank, ten-stroke Inverse Spirit Array inverted and collapsed Qi Cultivation realm spiritual force.

But a second-rank inversion array inverts condensed, mercury-like Foundation Establishment spiritual force—its power is naturally incomparable.

Unfortunately, the "spiritual force inversion" law contained within this array was incomplete and somewhat crude, thus failing to reach the level of an "absolute array."

But for Mo Hua, it was perfect.

The true second-rank absolute array was still beyond his reach.

A nineteen-stroke zenith "half-absolute array" was just right to serve as an entry point, allowing him to preliminarily comprehend the second-rank spiritual force inversion law.

When Master Zhuang taught him the Inverse Spirit Array, he had broken it down, starting from the nine-stroke half-array.

Now Master Zhuang was gone; no one was left to teach him.

But at this moment, Mo Hua could learn on his own.

A master leads you through the gate; cultivation depends on the individual.

During his travels, Master Zhuang had passed to him not the "tool," but the "Dao"—the questing heart for arrays, enabling him to independently observe, comprehend, and ultimately master every complex and difficult array in the world—even transcendent absolute arrays.

Now, though Mo Hua had not inherited Master Zhuang's Immortal Heaven Array School, he had inherited that original questing spirit for the Dao of arrays, and the experience and methods for comprehending absolute arrays.

He could now calculate and learn any array in the world on his own.

This was the most precious treasure Master Zhuang had taught him.

In Mo Hua's eyes, brilliance blazed—Heavenly Mechanism Calculation, Heavenly Mechanism Deception, and the golden light of the Divine Path interwove into a single radiance.

All phenomena of the world were dissected and deconstructed before his eyes.

The array patterns of spiritual force inversion were gradually revealed to him.

The trajectories of spiritual force transformation were laid bare in every detail.

The forms of inversion, intricate yet harmonizing with the profound rhythm of the Dao, unfolded one by one under Mo Hua's calculations, interweaving and flickering within his spiritual sea…

To others, Mo Hua merely sat motionless, lost in thought.

Only a handful of master arrayists could tell that Mo Hua was "calculating," was "comprehending."

He was learning on the spot this array—so profound and obscure to second-rank arrayists—that it reached nineteen-stroke zenith.

To others, this array might be a cunning, baffling "problem" impossible to overcome.

But for Mo Hua, this "prodigy," it was a tremendous "opportunity."

An opportunity to comprehend spiritual force inversion.

The Array Debate Assembly was not about being stronger than others.

It was about being stronger than yourself.

"Continuously learn harder arrays, continuously comprehend deeper array principles, continuously surpass yourself, continuously seek the Dao of arrays."

"Perhaps this is the true meaning of the Array Debate…"

At this moment, Mo Hua experienced sudden enlightenment—his spiritual sense became crystal clear.

All around him vanished from his perception.

In his eyes, there was only array patterns, only array principles, only the inverted laws left behind after spiritual force transformation.

These laws, chaotic and mottled, resembled shattered void—black threads interwoven, coexisting with spiritual force, constantly annihilating, constantly fracturing, finally collapsing into nothingness…

A terrifying sense of "annihilation" was embedded within.

But Mo Hua found it deeply familiar.

Because he had sensed these laws before.

What lay before him was merely an expansion and variation of the first-rank Inverse Spirit Array's spiritual force collapse.

And the first-rank Inverse Spirit Array—he knew it intimately.

He had even used the first-rank Inverse Spirit Array to collapse a grand array and kill a Dao Demon Great Beast.

He had deeply comprehended this law—and personally practiced it.

A thread of clarity surfaced in Mo Hua's eyes.

The law of collapse was imprinted upon his heart.

Around him, a faint but unsettling aura of "annihilation" began to rise.

This was a subtle phenomenon that emerged instantly upon comprehending a certain law…

Not only Master Wen, but all the examiners now sensed something was amiss.

Their hearts, which had just settled, rose again without notice.

"Is something… off?"

"How is this young man from Grand Void Gate so strange…?"

"He seems… to have realized something?"

"Realized… what?"

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances.

A chilling thought slowly rose in their minds.

"It shouldn't be… truly this 'prodigy,' right?"

No one answered.

At that moment, Mo Hua, who had been sitting silently, suddenly moved—he extended his pale, delicate hand and picked up the array brush.

The examiners' tense hearts clenched sharply.

Then they watched in silence as Mo Hua, expression calm and untroubled, began to inscribe the array paper before him, drawing the array with composed ease.

It looked the same as before.

But the examiners all knew—it was completely different!

This array, compared to the previous one, was utterly, completely not the same concept!

This was a nineteen-stroke peak array, steeped in the inverted law of spiritual energy, an exquisitely profound "crowning" array of the Dao Debate!

An array he had never seen, and could not possibly have drawn, just moments ago.

All the examiners fell silent.

Even Master Wen's pupils dilated in shock.

Outside the hall, every cultivator—whether they could draw arrays or not, whether they understood the art and knew what Mo Hua was doing, or merely sensed vaguely that he was doing something extraordinary—fell utterly still, not daring to breathe.

One after another, array lines emerged beneath Mo Hua's brush.

A subtle essence flowed through the array lines…

The process was difficult, yet met no obstruction.

After an unknown length of time, Mo Hua put down his brush.

Before him lay a complete, obscure, profoundly complex array diagram, beyond the comprehension of even a second-rank array master.

Since it was his first time drawing it, the strokes were inevitably awkward, the turns hesitant, tinged with caution—not as neat, forceful, perfect, and flawless as his earlier iron-clad, silver-hooked lines.

Yet overall, it was seamless, harmonious, and executed in one unbroken breath.

One examiner descended, glanced at the array diagram, first stunned, then furrowed his brow, uncertain how to judge.

He carefully presented the diagram to the chief examiner, Master Wen.

Master Wen needed only one glance—his heart surged with a tidal wave of disbelief, and he murmured in astonishment:

"It truly… was drawn…"

He then regarded the array with solemn focus, examining it from start to finish, each passing moment deepening his incredulity.

"A bit clumsy, but not a single stroke amiss—and…"

And the spiritual resonance flowed across it.

This was not "copying the gourd"—merely replicating the form. This was true comprehension of some array law, its essence woven into the lines, producing such "spiritual resonance."

This array contained rules.

Though faint, it undeniably bore the mark of law.

"Master Wen, this…"

All the examiners, now trembling with unease, instinctively turned their eyes to Master Wen.

Master Wen drew a deep breath, then shook his head and sighed:

"Not a single stroke wrong. It was drawn…"

At these words, the tension in everyone's hearts finally shattered.

"Drawn?!"

"This can… how is this… this, this…" someone stammered, unable to believe it.

Most examiners' shock was beyond description.

He broke through it!

In their lifetimes, they had truly witnessed a disciple completely shatter the array examination database of the Qianxue Province's Array Debate Assembly!

And not just one—every single one, without omission, not a single stroke missed?!

Even this most difficult "crowning" array failed to hold him back.

And worse—he learned it on the spot!

One glance, a few cups of tea's time, and he grasped the entire diagram and its underlying law.

He could draw every array on the exam.

And arrays he didn't know—he learned them instantly?!

This damn thing—how could "prodigy" even begin to describe it?

Could such a genius truly exist in this world?

The examiners stood stunned, hollow-eyed.

They had studied arrays their entire lives, lived to this age—and now, in this moment, they realized not only had their knowledge been shallow, but their imagination, too, was barren.

Even in their wildest dreams, they would never have dared to conceive this…

A commotion stirred through the hall.

And now, at last, Mo Hua spoke—the first words uttered since the Array Debate Examination began:

"Any more?"

His mood remained calm.

This was already a nineteen-stroke peak array, infused with inverted spiritual energy law—it was already extremely, extremely difficult.

If there were anything harder, he could not draw it.

Besides, he had been drawing from the sixteen-stroke level all the way to now.

This final one consumed a vast amount of spiritual insight to compute, and to draw it out completely drained him, even with his otherwise formidable spiritual insight.

If there were any more arrays, he wouldn't draw them.

Knowing one's limits was something Laoxiansheng had taught him.

Yet these three simple words left all the examiners silent.

This crisp voice carried heavy pressure and immense destructive force, nearly breaking the defenses of these seasoned, of high virtue and great prestige examiners, each an array elder from their respective sects.

Any more?

Any more?!

There's still…

Several elders turned red in the neck, so furious they nearly spat blood.

But no one dared speak.

Because, there truly were none left…

He had truly finished drawing.

He had even pierced through the top-tier array…

Not a single one remained…

Could they possibly shamelessly whip out a third-grade array on the spot to test this little prodigy?

Master Wen sighed.

As chief examiner, though his heart was heavy, he had no choice but to speak: "He's finished."

"Then…" Mo Hua said.

"You've won," said Master Wen.

Mo Hua's expression brightened, a smile rising to his brows—but then he suddenly remembered Laoxiansheng's warning to control his emotions, to show no joy or anger—and so he composed his face, rose calmly and composedly, and bowed respectfully to the examiners above the hall:

"Thank you, esteemed seniors and masters."

The examiners in the hall were taken aback.

They had assumed this "prodigy," with such astonishing talent, must be cold, arrogant, and disdainful of others.

Yet it turned out he was quite polite…

The examiners, who had been brooding and nearly spat blood, received Mo Hua's bow from afar, and somehow felt inexplicably comforted.

Master Wen also felt a slight relief, then steadied his emotions, summoned his cultivation, and proclaimed loudly:

"The Array Discussion Assembly of Qianxue Prefecture is now concluded."

"This year's top array practitioner, the Array Sovereign…"

"Grand Void Gate, Mo Hua!"

Master Wen's dignified, solemn voice, amplified by his Liu Yuhua realm spiritual power, rang like a great bell, piercing the heavens, instantly echoing across the entire Dao Mountain, lingering long without fading.

Grand Void Gate, Mo Hua!

Top of the Array Discussion, Array Sovereign!

The entire Dao Mountain erupted in a deafening clamor.

Grand Void Gate's disciples cheered wildly.

Some even teared up, too overcome to speak.

Before this, no one could have imagined that Grand Void Gate, at the bottom of the Eight Great Sects, barely clinging to survival and with no reputation in array arts, could actually… win first place at the Array Discussion Assembly?!

Even now, they felt as if in a dream, unable to believe it.

Some elders, usually dignified and solemn, now cheered just like ordinary disciples, faces filled with shock.

Some, so overcome with excitement, even pulled out their beards.

The high pavilion of Dao Ting Si.

Xia Diansi, the Liu Yuhua Inspector, was stunned into silence.

He stared at Mo Hua several times, yet long after, still could not hide his shock.

"I actually… misjudged him…"

This unremarkable boy had actually... had actually...

He didn't know what to say.

Xia Diansi, seated nearby, was equally stunned.

She had only come to observe the Qianxue Prefecture Dao Assembly as a formality, never expecting to witness such a scene.

Before this, she knew Mo Hua was skilled in arrays—but she had never imagined he could be this skilled.

Was this array "prodigy," cold and disdainful of all the heavenly talents on the dais, truly the same Mo Hua she knew—the one with a naive face, often smiling, kind and adorable?

Xia Diansi's thoughts slowed, unable to recover for a long time.

Xia Diansi silently glanced at Xia Diansi and sighed inwardly.

A person's fortune and opportunity truly are unpredictable…

…

The noble family's raised platform.

Wenren Wan involuntarily covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.

The Array Sovereign is… Mo Hua?!

Expectation was only expectation—but when the hoped-for moment truly happened, it still felt unbelievable.

Yu'er didn't care about any of that.

Of course, he didn't even understand what the Array Discussion Assembly meant—he only knew to be happy for Mo Hua, and clapped joyfully:

"Brother Mo won! Brother Mo is number one!"

"No one is as talented as Mo Hua!"

Shangguan, Wenren, and Gu families' patriarchs, along with all their senior elders, stood frozen in shock.

"It's… really first place…"

Even if they were beaten to death, they never imagined the Array Contest would end this way.

The Gu family was the first to rejoice.

Because many of the Gu elders knew Mo Hua.

Some had even fed him meals, given him small gifts, and chatted with him over tea.

Now, looking back, these moments seemed gilded, shining brilliantly, filling them with pride…

This is the Array Champion.

The top scholar of Qiandao!

Something to brag about!

Even Gu Shouyan, usually silent and rigid, with little grasp of array arts, couldn't help but feel immense relief.

Our Gu family is where Mo Hua once ate meals.

This is a tremendous karmic connection.

Shangguan Ce began reflecting inward: had he been disrespectful to Mo Hua before? Had he seemed too cold?

How should he subtly show favor in the future…

Wenren Jingxuan blinked, his expression strange, then turned to Shangguan Wang and asked in disbelief:

"You mean… my daughter used connections, spent a huge favor, and forced the top array title of Qiandao State—thousands of sects' champion—into Grand Void Gate?"

"Do you think Grand Void Gate, once they learn of this, will enshrine my daughter?"

Shangguan Wang's face turned deep crimson, as ugly as a pig's kidney.

…

The Array Contest arena—Baihua Valley's position.

Hua Qianqian stared at Mo Hua, hand over her mouth, eyes wide with astonishment.

Above, the Baihua Valley Mistress, clad in a splendid floral robe, her face cold and breathtakingly beautiful, stared at Mo Hua's figure, equally stunned.

"This child… seems to be…"

Moments later, her exquisite face revealed a strange expression.

On the other side, the Wan Zhen Gate elder's eyes turned completely red.

Now he truly burned with envy, cursing bitterly:

"He dominates all Four Sects, claims the Array Champion title—such an astonishing array prodigy—how could he be in Grand Void Gate? Wan Zhen Gate, outside the Four Sects, ranks first in array arts! He should have been our disciple!"

The Wan Zhen Gate instructor fell silent for a moment, then whispered: "Originally, he was…"

The elder blinked. "What?"

The instructor whispered: "Elder, don't you remember? A few years ago, a young outsider came seeking to join Wan Zhen Gate—he had exceptional array talent, but his spiritual roots were poor."

"The sect's rules forbade it. But later, I felt regret and came to confirm with you again."

Then he was scolded again, as usual.

The instructor said: "You told me then, 'Hard to find a two-legged toad, but two-legged array masters? There are plenty!' Rules are rules. A first- or second-rank array master—adding or losing one makes no difference. Not worth breaking the rules…"

"That rejected young disciple…" the instructor quietly pointed, "is the very boy before us—the Grand Void Gate youth who won the array championship."

The Wan Zhen Gate elder's expression shattered, as if struck by lightning.

"I… rejected him?"

A Qiandao champion, the Array King, once sought to join Wan Zhen Gate—and he turned him away?

The Wan Zhen Gate elder's vision darkened, blood surged to his head, his intestines turned green.

Bitter bile rose in his stomach.

…

Among the crowd, Elder Zheng also stood frozen in shock.

Others might not understand—even ordinary array elders might not grasp it.

But he was different. He had once been an elder of Qiandao Sect, one of the Four Great Sects, inheritor of the Zheng family's ancient Thunder Array method, and knew exactly how terrifying Mo Hua's displayed power truly was.

His spiritual sense was unfathomable.

His array knowledge was profound and vast.

His spiritual awareness surpassed the norm by more than three full ranks!

At Foundation Establishment mid-stage, he dominated the Four Sects, mastered Great Expansion calculations, and grasped spiritual force principles in moments…

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.

And this prodigy was precisely the child he had once met—a cultivator from the wilderness, with unyielding Dao heart and grand vision…

Elder Zheng stood motionless, dazed.

At the same time, a glimmer of hope ignited in his eyes—like a blazing thunderfire…

…

Amidst a clamor of astonishment and disbelief, the Array Contest ended.

All was settled.

Foundation Establishment mid-stage, Array Champion.

Dominated the Four Sects, claimed the title.

The name "Mo Hua" of Grand Void Gate rang like the bell of Dao discourse, shaking the entire Qiandao State.

The winds and clouds shifted; all directions trembled.