Chapter 30

Mo Hua returned home again, withstanding the scorching sun. He picked up the teapot from the table, gulped down several big mouthfuls of tea, and only then felt the summer heat dissipate. He then returned to his room, took out paper and pen, and began planning.

First was the stove.

A stove was a type of spiritual tool.

Spiritual tools used by cultivators were widespread, including attack-type tools like swords, spears, and clubs; defense-type tools like armor and robes; spell-type tools like hairpins and jades; as well as tools needed for daily life, such as pots, bowls, and stoves.

Mo Hua's understanding of refining tools was limited to some easy-to-understand theoretical knowledge he learned from the general knowledge courses on refining tools at Tongxian Sect, such as the need for a refining furnace, forging iron, quenching fire, etc.

But to actually refine tools, he had no way.

The refining tools courses at Tongxian Sect also required disciples to refine tools personally, but because Mo Hua was physically weak and couldn't even swing a hammer, he couldn't do the entry-level iron forging. So the instructor didn't force him either.

Now, to refine a stove, which was not a common spiritual tool, he could only go and ask a specialized refining master to refine it.

Secondly, the array. The Melting Fire Array contained five array patterns, which were relatively strenuous for the current Mo Hua.

The arrays Mo Hua had drawn before contained at most only four array patterns.

Arrays in the Qi Refining period had quite different effects with each additional array pattern. And the difference of one array pattern was a threshold for array masters.

Mo Hua drew arrays every day and tempered them through the stone tablet, so his divine sense had also enhanced quite a bit. He could draw arrays with four array patterns with ease, but arrays with five array patterns were not easy to say.

Another difficulty was that this Melting Fire Array had to be drawn on the stove.

The furnace body of the refining furnace was made of refined iron, which had relatively weak adsorption for ink. Drawing arrays on refined iron was much more difficult than drawing on paper, and the consumption of spiritual power and divine sense would also intensify.

According to Instructor Yan's elementary array classics, the carrier of arrays, which was the medium bearing the arrays, was generally called the array medium by array masters.

The most commonly used array medium for array masters drawing arrays was paper, followed by iron, wood, earth, stone, etc.

Mo Hua had drawn arrays on paper before. Now, drawing arrays on a refining furnace, he didn't know if there would be any problems.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, sighed, and decided to take it one step at a time.

The most urgent matter was to find a way to get the complete array diagram of the Melting Fire Array.

The next day, Mo Hua got up, finished eating, and first went to find Manager Mo.

Manager Mo was slightly overweight and afraid of heat. He was listlessly lying on the desk, with a shaking fan placed beside him. An array was engraved inside the fan, which used spiritual power to urge it, shaking non-stop.

But in such hot weather, the wind shaken out was also hot wind.

Mo Hua said: "Manager Mo, I see other businesses have painted ice-system arrays on the walls to cool down. Why don't you also get a set?"

Manager Mo weakly glared at Mo Hua, "How expensive is a whole set of arrays! You give me spiritual stones and I'll go get a set!"

Mo Hua chuckled, then sat down at a nearby table, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank slowly.

In this cold and destined hall, Mo Hua was the most familiar regular customer. Manager Mo didn't mind and let him entertain himself, then buried his head back on the desk again.

Mo Hua finished his tea, then said: "Manager Mo, do you have the array diagram for the Melting Fire Array here?"

Manager Mo lifted his head and said displeased: "This is a business specializing in arrays. What array diagram don't I have?"

Mo Hua said in disbelief: "Do you also have a second-grade array diagram?"

Manager Mo angrily pounded the table and said: "Little child, don't learn to argue with people!" Then he asked doubtfully: "What do you want the array diagram of the Melting Fire Array for?"

"I saw this kind of array painted on the stove in the dining hall and was curious, so I just asked," Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said:

"Manager Mo, do you know what's the point of painting the Melting Fire Array on the stove?"

Manager Mo listlessly said: "What's the point of a single Melting Fire Array? Last year, several dining halls wanted to build stoves and bought arrays from me. I have all the array diagrams for their stove designs here."

Mo Hua's eyes brightened, "Can you let me take a look?"

"No!"

"Just one look!" Mo Hua said.

Manager Mo wanted to refuse again, but hesitated for a moment, still sighed, and reluctantly flipped out a large array diagram from the back cabinet and placed it on the desk.

"You can only look here. In principle, these all need to be confidential and cannot be shown to people casually."

Mo Hua opened the drawing and found that it contained the design drawing of the stove. The drawing was also densely annotated with many words, including the materials for the stove, the positions of the matching array patterns, and even the dimensions of the array, how several strokes needed to be changed, etc.

Mo Hua said curiously: "These arrays are not the same as ordinary arrays. Do they still need to annotate the stroke method and array diagram dimensions?"

"Of course," Manager Mo explained: "The array patterns of arrays are unified, but the specific applications are different. Some standardized spiritual tools have exactly the same scale and dimensions, and naturally can be drawn uniformly. But some specially customized spiritual tools need to be adapted to the form of the spiritual tool and undergo changes and modifications."

"Just like this stove, for example, it was specially customized by the dining hall and is different from all other families. The Melting Fire Array inside the stove naturally also needs to be changed according to the size, shape, and structure of the stove to adapt to it..."

"So that's how it is..." Mo Hua nodded.

Mo Hua carefully looked at the drawing again, trying to remember all the key points in his heart as a reference.

Manager Mo waited until Mo Hua had almost finished looking before putting the drawing away.

Mo Hua asked again: "Manager Mo, can you lend me a copy of the array diagram for the Melting Fire Array?"

Manager Mo expected Mo Hua to say so and took out a Melting Fire Array diagram, then said: "Normally this array diagram costs ten spiritual stones to buy. I won't charge you spiritual stones, but remember to return it to me when you're done looking, and it cannot be damaged."

Mo Hua said in surprise: "Ten spiritual stones, so expensive?"

"This is natural. Do you think they are those low-level arrays with only two or three array patterns? Those arrays are everywhere, and you can get array diagrams casually. But array diagrams with four patterns, especially those above five patterns, are relatively scarce. The more array patterns contained, the stronger the array effect, and naturally the array diagrams are also more expensive."

Manager Mo fanned himself with his hand and continued: "Some array diagrams containing ten array patterns are even secret transmissions of certain sects and families. Don't say you spend spiritual stones to buy them, it's impossible for them to let you even look at them!"

Mo Hua clicked his tongue as he listened. To research arrays to a high level was indeed very difficult. If there was no inheritance, even learning arrays had no way to start.

Mo Hua took the Melting Fire Array diagram and sincerely thanked Manager Mo.

Manager Mo said: "It's just a small matter, why thank me? So polite." But he looked quite pleased.

Before Mo Hua left, Manager Mo instructed again:

"You can research, but don't aim too high, and even more so, don't be stubborn and get stuck. Once your divine sense is excessively consumed and your sea of consciousness is damaged, it will be endless trouble for array masters."

After speaking, Manager Mo paused for a moment, coughed, and continued: "Help me bring these words to your elder brother..."

Mo Hua smiled, bowed to Manager Mo, then left the destined hall.

After leaving the destined hall, Mo Hua first returned home and quietly wrote down the drawing of the stove.

There was a lot of information on the stove drawing, and Mo Hua didn't remember all of it, only the key points, but this was enough.

He also didn't need to completely copy the form of the dining hall's stove, and even if he did, he didn't have that many spiritual stones to refine it.

Mo Hua remembered the drawing quite well, then went out again and came to a refining shop at the end of the street.

The refining shop was relatively simple, but quite spacious. The walls and ground were filled with various spiritual tools or household tools, including some candle holders, teapots, pots, hairpins, bracelets, and even knives and armor, somewhat messy.

A sign was hanging in front of the refining shop, with "Chen Ji Refining Tool Shop" written on it. The sign was very old, still stained with black ash, and had been used for many years.

This refining shop was one that Mo Hua had inquired about from Da Hu and the others. They said it was the oldest and best crafting refining shop nearby.

The refining master of Chen Ji Refining Tool Shop was surnamed Chen, and everyone called him Master Chen.

Master Chen had no sons or daughters. His lifetime was dedicated to forging iron and refining tools. Although he didn't become a first-grade refining master, the spiritual tools he refined always had a good reputation. Many demon hunters found him to refine rattan armor and knife tools.

When Mo Hua entered, Master Chen was just swinging big hammers with several disciples, making "dang dang dang" sounds.