Chapter 45: Surprised
The next day, Mister Zhuang's teaching method changed.
He only taught Mo Hua array theory for the Qi Refining stage and below, pairing it with various practical formations so Mo Hua could progress step by step.
This approach was very similar to Instructor Yan's teaching, but Mister Zhuang's cultivation realm was clearly much higher, so his perspective was broader, his details more refined, and the structure of his lessons more coherent.
Mo Hua privately felt it was a pity for Instructor Yan—were it not for his realm's limitations, Instructor Yan would not have been just an ordinary instructor. At least in terms of ideas about array inheritance and education, he had much in common with the highly skilled Mister Zhuang.
The abstruse array theories Mister Zhuang had previously taught gave Mo Hua a headache.
Some theories Mo Hua had never encountered before, so he had no clue how to grasp them. He could only forcefully memorize them, but even with his good memory, such abstract and empty reasoning would not stick—he'd often memorize the latter parts and forget the former, then review the earlier sections only to forget the latter again. Progress was painfully slow.
These things, which Mo Hua found so difficult to learn, were considered foundational studies for the great aristocratic clans. No wonder those powerful families could stand in the cultivation world for tens of thousands of years without falling.
The difference in heritage and inheritance between common rogue cultivators and the great clans was so vast that among rogue cultivators, skilled Array Masters were almost extinct.
Mo Hua sighed. Comparing himself to others was pointless; he could only do his best. Reminding himself of this, he calmed his mind and studied according to Mister Zhuang's method.
Now, starting from the Qi Refining stage, focusing mainly on drawing arrays and supplementing with theory, Mo Hua progressed much faster.
After all, Mo Hua had spent countless hours drawing arrays—at night on the Dao Monument in his dreams, by day on paper, and even scratching them into the dirt with a twig when idle.
In sheer practice volume alone, even some late Qi Refining Array Masters might not match him.
Thus, after Mister Zhuang changed his teaching method, Mo Hua learned rapidly. When it came time for him to draw the arrays by hand, his progress was even faster.
Mister Zhuang first had him relearn several arrays containing five array patterns, including some Five-Element arrays Mo Hua had never seen before. Elder Kui also prepared all the diagrams and brush ink for him.
Mo Hua studied like a man starved, drawing with steady persistence.
By day, he drew arrays in Mister Zhuang's quiet study; by night, he entered his dreams and continued practicing on the Dao Monument in his Sea of Consciousness. Arrays with five patterns posed little difficulty for him—he could usually master one within a few days.
After that came the Six-Pattern Tranquil Water Array. Previously, Mo Hua had been limited by his divine sense and unable to complete the array, but now, after more than half a month of daily practice, his divine sense had grown enough that—though still a bit forced—he could finally draw the complete array.
Once the Tranquil Water Array was done, Mister Zhuang taught him several new ones, such as the Thousand Jun Array, Flowing Sand Array, and Minor Cloud-and-Rain Array. With his strengthened divine sense and constant practice, Mo Hua mastered all of them within half a month.
Mister Zhuang was quite satisfied—not only with Mo Hua's progress, but also with his temperament.
After all, not every child his age had the willpower to sit and study arrays day after day.
Still, in private, Mister Zhuang felt a tinge of regret. He said to Elder Kui:
"This boy Mo Hua is even more talented than I first thought. It's just a pity—being a rogue cultivator, lacking array inheritance, his foundation is far weaker. Otherwise, he might not be much inferior to the prodigies of the great clans…"
"And what's so great about prodigies?"
Mister Zhuang paused in silence.
Elder Kui looked at him, voice calm yet tinged with unspoken mockery:
"Weren't you a prodigy yourself? And those disciples you took before—were any of them not prodigies? And what became of them? Do I need to remind you what kind of state you've fallen to now?"
Mister Zhuang sighed irritably.
"If I die young, it'll be from you annoying me to death!"
Elder Kui remained unmoved.
"Life and death are fated. If you say such things, it means you still haven't truly grasped the Dao of Heaven."
Mister Zhuang simply reclined on the lounge chair, speaking with layered meaning:
"Heaven and earth are merciless; all things are but straw dogs. If one truly understood the Dao of Heaven, would they still be considered human?"
Elder Kui continued playing chess alone, still as a withered log.
Arrays with six patterns, Mister Zhuang taught more of, since six-pattern formations were already quite complete and contained the prototypes of many basic arrays—requiring much study and comprehension.
But when these were done and Mister Zhuang was ready to teach seven-pattern arrays, he discovered something surprising: Mo Hua's divine sense had grown unusually fast.
When Mister Zhuang had first met him, Mo Hua's divine sense wasn't even enough to draw six patterns. Now, just one month later, not only could he complete a full six-pattern array, but he could already draw six and a half patterns of a seven-pattern array.
In a single month, Mo Hua's spiritual power had barely advanced, but his divine sense had surged forward.
Mister Zhuang frowned slightly—something felt off.
One day, as Mo Hua was studying a seven-pattern array, Mister Zhuang suddenly asked:
"Mo Hua, do you know what Visualization is?"
Mo Hua looked baffled.
"This disciple has never heard of it."
"I see…" Mister Zhuang tapped his fingers on the table, pondering. "Have you ever seen strange images or patterns—things that, when you look at them, make your divine sense unconsciously sink into them?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head.
The strangest thing he'd ever seen was the Dao Monument in his mind, but it had no designs or visible patterns on it, and staring at it did not draw him in.
Mister Zhuang was silent for a while, then said:
"Your divine sense grows faster than others—you must have noticed this."
Mo Hua nodded.
"By day, I draw arrays; at night, I practice arrays in my dreams. And drawing arrays in my dreams doesn't consume divine sense. Doing this day and night, my divine sense gradually grows stronger."
He didn't mention the Dao Monument, but everything else was true.
In truth, Mo Hua wasn't sure whether his divine sense growth was due to the Dao Monument or simply from constantly drawing arrays.
So he asked:
"Sir, is it true that as long as I keep drawing arrays, my divine sense will grow?"
Mister Zhuang was momentarily stumped.
Drawing arrays constantly would indeed consume divine sense and train the Sea of Consciousness, and over time it would naturally grow.
But in the cultivation world, the usual approach was to first find a way to increase divine sense, then learn arrays afterward.
Relying on drawing arrays to strengthen divine sense was extremely slow, and it risked exhaustion of the divine sense and damage to the Sea of Consciousness—injuries that could be irreversible.
Thus, very few cultivators would choose such a slow, primitive, and risky path.
Mister Zhuang felt there was more to this than met the eye. He looked at Mo Hua with some suspicion, but when he met the boy's gaze, he saw a pair of clear eyes—remarkably earnest and guileless.
He had seen eyes filled with awe, fear, and cunning, but never such frank honesty. He couldn't help but smile.
"Very well."
"Do you know Meditation?" he asked again.
Mo Hua shook his head.
"Meditation allows a cultivator to enter a meditative state in a short time, recovering divine sense faster. Normally, this isn't something a cultivator of your realm should learn, but you're… a bit special. You can learn it now."
Mo Hua didn't know what "special" meant, but having something new to learn made him happy.
"Thank you, sir."
"But there's one thing you must remember."
Mister Zhuang's expression grew solemn.
"If anyone asks why your divine sense grows so fast, just say it's because I taught you Meditation. Say nothing else."
Mo Hua didn't fully understand, but sensed that Mister Zhuang meant well for him, so he silently committed the words to memory.
Mister Zhuang nodded, then drew a thin booklet from his sleeve. On the cover were three characters:
Meditation Technique.
(End of Chapter)