Chapter 21: Spiritual Pivot Formation

Afterwards, Mo Hua continued to paint the Solid Earth Array, painting it continuously for two months.

If he encountered anything he didn't understand about the array methods, he would go ask Teacher Yan. Teacher Yan was a serious person and strict in his requirements for others, but he was always forthcoming with his disciples' questions, explaining things thoroughly and sincerely without holding anything back.

Teacher Yan naturally felt that Mo Hua's foundation was not yet solid and that researching these extra-curricular array methods was too early. However, as long as Mo Hua asked, he would still patiently explain them to Mo Hua, which made Mo Hua very grateful.

Sometimes, even when Mo Hua skipped classes to secretly paint array methods and earn spirit stones, Teacher Yan wouldn't pursue it too much. He would just admonish Mo Hua:

"Cultivators can specialize, but not be too narrow. Some methods may not be known, but they must be understood. Otherwise, when you graduate and leave the sect to wander the cultivation world, if you have blind spots in your cultivation knowledge, it will be very easy to suffer losses and be deceived."

Mo Hua humbly accepted his teachings and benefited greatly.

He had no spirit stones to learn cultivation methods at the moment, so he could only continue to skip classes and paint array methods to save some spirit stones.

One set of Solid Earth Array contained four array patterns and could earn two spirit stones. Thanks to this, Mo Hua's speed in saving spirit stones was quite fast.

One day, two months later, Mo Hua went to Fat Manager's place as usual to deliver an order. Upon entering, he discovered that the usually cold and quiet Array Pavilion had a middle-aged man wearing a green Daoist robe drinking tea inside.

The man was facing away from Mo Hua, and his back looked very familiar. When he turned around, Mo Hua was stunned.

The man wearing the green Daoist robe was Teacher Yan...

Mo Hua felt a sudden feeling of being caught skipping class.

"Mo Hua?"

Teacher Yan also saw Mo Hua and was a little surprised.

Fat Manager was sitting opposite Teacher Yan, pouring tea for him. Hearing this, he looked up and also said in surprise, "You two know each other?"

Teacher Yan said, "He is a disciple I teach in Tongxian Sect."

Mo Hua bowed and saluted, saying:

"Disciple greets teacher!"

Teacher Yan nodded and asked:

"What are you doing here?"

Before Mo Hua could speak, Fat Manager explained:

"He's running errands for his older brother. His older brother paints array methods for our Array Pavilion. Once they're painted well, he has him deliver them."

Teacher Yan nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Mo Hua let out a breath, then delivered the array to Fat Manager, took the spirit stones, and quickly said:

"Disciple will take my leave first and not disturb teacher."

Teacher Yan likely had something to discuss with Fat Manager. Seeing Mo Hua so understanding, he couldn't help but nod and say:

"Return to the sect early. Be careful on the road."

Mo Hua respectfully said yes, performed a salute, and then left the Array Pavilion.

Fat Manager looked at Mo Hua's receding figure and said to Teacher Yan:

"This child is very polite and very smart. You are lucky to have taught such a good disciple."

Teacher Yan lightly said "um" and then asked, "You said his older brother paints array methods for you?"

Fat Manager took out the Solid Earth Array that Mo Hua had delivered and handed it to Teacher Yan to look at. "It's painted quite well."

Teacher Yan saw that it was actually the Solid Earth Array and said slightly startled, "This was painted by his older brother?"

"What else?" Fat Manager said. "Couldn't be painted by him, could it? At his age, even if he squeezed his divine sense dry, he couldn't paint a complete array."

Teacher Yan nodded, thinking of how Mo Hua had brought the Solid Earth Array to ask him for guidance. It seemed that when his older brother was painting the Solid Earth Array, he had seen it and had questions in his heart, so he came to ask him for guidance.

"It's a good thing to have a desire to learn in array methods," Teacher Yan thought to himself. "If he can maintain such a mindset, perhaps he can truly achieve something in array methods in the future."

Thinking this, Teacher Yan no longer pursued the matter. He looked at the remote and cold Array Pavilion, then looked at Fat Manager and said:

"Do you just want to live like this your whole life?"

Fat Manager said:

"You and I cultivate in the same sect. You should know me. I am not the same as you. You are now a teacher in Tongxian Sect, and your attainments in array methods are not bad. You are only one step away from the first-grade realm. Once you step over, you will be a true first-grade array master. At that time, in this Tongxian City, you will have connections if you want connections, status if you want status, and naturally no lack of spirit stones. Tongxian Sect will inevitably also give you an elder position."

"As for me," Fat Manager took a sip of tea, "just a character who gets by. I've only superficially tasted array methods, and I can't endure loneliness in cultivation. If I can muddle through each day, then my heart is satisfied. Don't look down on me either. Look at the busy and tired rogue cultivators running around the streets. This kind of leisurely life is also unattainable for them."

Teacher Yan was silent.

Fat Manager looked at Teacher Yan and sighed helplessly, "Speak, what matter do you want me to help you with?"

Teacher Yan solemnly said:

"Help me find the Spirit Pivot Array Diagram."

Fat Manager rubbed his eyebrows. "So many years, and you still haven't given up. According to me, you're not young anymore. You should find a Dao companion and live a proper life."

"Personal life matters are small, the inheritance of array methods is big."

"Even if you find it, what then? Grandmaster didn't learn it, Master didn't learn it either. Can you learn it? A first-grade array method with twelve array patterns, it's too much! A first-grade array master only needs to know nine array patterns. You haven't even become a first-grade array master yet. What will you do with the Spirit Pivot Array Diagram? Wait until you're buried in the earth, maybe you still won't learn it?"

Teacher Yan was silent.

Fat Manager earnestly advised:

"Senior brother, let it go. Moreover, you fundamentally can't find it. That year, that person betrayed Master and left the sect, stealing the array method. There's been no trace for so many years. The Dao Court Division couldn't investigate it either. You're an array master, not good at Dao methods. What can you do?"

Teacher Yan was unmoved, his voice hoarse. "Master's grace towards me is as vast as a mountain. All the array methods I have are passed down by Master. Now Master is dead, the sect is broken and scattered, and the array methods are lost. Every time I think of this, I can't rest easy. As long as I find the array method back and pass down the inheritance, I will fulfill Master's last wish. Other matters don't matter."

Teacher Yan looked at Fat Manager and said again:

"I know you like ease. I won't ask you to do too much. You only need to let me know if there are any clues to the Spirit Pivot Array Diagram. You don't need to worry about other matters."

"How do you know there will be clues to the Spirit Pivot Array Diagram in Tongxian City?" Fat Manager wrinkled his eyebrows.

Teacher Yan didn't speak.

Fat Manager waved his hand. "Alright, knowing more won't benefit me either. I promise you on this matter, but I also kindly remind you, you've spent so much effort, and in the end, you might still be empty-handed, not even catching a shadow."

Fat Manager felt troubled and couldn't help but say again:

"According to me, you should still spend some effort finding a Dao companion, having a child. Even if you don't find it, your child can continue searching in the future. You won't die lonely by yourself. While you're not too old now, quickly find a Dao companion. Just find one, to avoid you in the future..."

"The tea is cold. I'm leaving."

Teacher Yan stood up, brushed his sleeve, and left, no longer paying attention to the nagging Fat Manager behind him.