Chapter 595: Second Grade

Mo Hua tirelessly practiced array patterns day and night. He became proficient in all of them, including the Chaos Two Yi, Three Talents Four Symbols, Five Elements Eight Trigrams, and Six Harmonies Seven Stars.

Mo Hua was very familiar with the Five Elements array patterns.

He was only a little familiar with the Eight Trigrams.

The Three Talents Four Symbols and Six Harmonies Seven Stars were all new to Mo Hua, and he found them quite strange.

The Chaos Two Yi were ancient array methods with incomplete and incoherent patterns, which Mo Hua found even harder to understand.

But whether he was familiar with them or not, or understood them or not, even if he just had to memorize them by rote, Mo Hua remembered everything firmly.

After half a month, he was already very familiar.

But Old Mr. Xun didn't test him.

It wasn't until a month later, when Mo Hua was already exhausted from painting, that Old Mr. Xun estimated the time and did a spot check.

"Paint all the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams array patterns from the *Taixu Gate Array Patterns Collection Notes*. For the Three Talents Four Symbols and Six Harmonies Seven Stars, just paint two array patterns from each category," Old Mr. Xun instructed.

Then he looked at Mo Hua, slightly raising his long eyebrows, as if to say, "You can just paint casually..."

Mo Hua immediately nodded, indicating he understood.

So he painted all the array patterns from the Chaos Two Yi, Three Talents Four Symbols, Five Elements Eight Trigrams, and Six Harmonies Seven Stars.

Because there were too many array patterns and he couldn't finish painting in one hour, Mo Hua continued painting even after the other disciples "handed in their papers" and left.

Mo Hua's small face was focused, his brush moved like the wind, and he had a clear plan in his mind. He painted the array patterns without stopping, and the array papers in front of him piled higher and higher...

Old Mr. Xun's eyelids couldn't help but twitch, and he said in disbelief in his heart:

"This child... just how much has he learned..."

He couldn't have finished learning in one month...

After an unknown amount of time, when Mo Hua stood up, he respectfully placed the thick stack of array papers, almost as thick as the lecture notes, in front of Old Mr. Xun.

Only then did Old Mr. Xun come back to his senses.

He pondered slightly, then swept his hand across the thick array papers, flipping them over. His profound and immeasurable divine sense moved slightly, taking in all the array patterns completely. He involuntarily took a slight breath of cool air.

A thick stack of lecture notes, so many array patterns, and he actually painted them all...

Moreover, the handwriting was strict and neat, the brushwork was skilled, with no trace of correction or error, as if printed, not off by a hair.

Just how many times had he practiced for his brushwork to be so solid...

Old Mr. Xun was stunned on the spot and was speechless for a long time.

"Old Mr. Xun?"

A clear voice rang out.

Old Mr. Xun raised his head and saw Mo Hua's bright, crystalline eyes. After a long time, he sighed slightly, nodded, and said:

"You've learned well."

Mo Hua's face was beaming with a smile, and he politely said: "Many thanks for Old Mr. Xun's guidance."

Old Mr. Xun saw Mo Hua's joyful and composed face and thought silently in his heart:

"Still taught too slowly..."

So, in the next array lesson, in order to give Mo Hua a little "color" to see, Old Mr. Xun finally began to teach second-grade array methods.

"Second-grade array methods are different from first-grade array methods. The second-grade array patterns that constitute array methods are compounded from first-grade array patterns, making them more complex and their power stronger..."

"Second-grade array patterns are a summary of first-grade array patterns to a certain extent of 'Daoization'. Conversely, first-grade array patterns are actually disassembled from complex second-grade array patterns..."

Old Mr. Xun's expression was serious, and he lectured meticulously.

The other disciples frowned, listening with some difficulty.

Some disciples were even more puzzled in their hearts.

Old Mr. Xun's teaching of array methods had always been known for being "steady" and emphasizing a "step by step" approach...

How did he suddenly, out of nowhere, start teaching second-grade array methods...

Only Mo Hua listened with relish.

He could already paint second-grade array methods, and he understood some of the array principles.

Some of the array Dao knowledge that Old Mr. Xun spoke of, he already knew, but some array principles, he hadn't known before, so he benefited greatly from listening.

After Old Mr. Xun finished, he distributed a copy of an array diagram.

It was a second-grade ten-pattern Golden Light Array.

"You can learn it yourselves first, comprehend it yourselves, see how much you can grasp, then try to paint it. Next class time..."

Old Mr. Xun originally wanted to say, "next class time" hand it in.

But as he said it halfway, he suddenly started, discovering that Mo Hua was looking at him with an expectant face...

Old Mr. Xun pondered for a bit, somewhat understanding Mo Hua's meaning, hesitated for a moment, then his expression complexly changed and he said:

"Before class ends, hand it in to me first..."

And then he added: "Just paint as much as you can, no need to force it..."

A crowd of disciples looked distressed.

Mo Hua then painted like a flying dragon and snake.

At the end of the class, Mo Hua just handed a complete second-grade ten-pattern "Golden Light Array" to Old Mr. Xun.

Although he had expected it early on, looking at this second-grade ten-pattern array method, which was clearly just learned but already had a shape, Old Mr. Xun still trembled slightly in his heart.

Only at this time did he understand.

"So that's how it is..."

"At such a young age... he can already paint second-grade array methods... no wonder..."

A trace of sharpness appeared in Old Mr. Xun's eyes.

"Let's see if it can be even faster..."

Two days later, Mo Hua, full of anticipation, went to the array class. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Old Mr. Xun waving at him.

Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.

Old Mr. Xun pointed to a small table beside him and said: "From now on, you sit here."

Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then said in a small voice: "Sir, is this appropriate?"

Old Mr. Xun nodded, "Very appropriate!"

Mo Hua sat somewhat uneasily on that small table, which was close to Old Mr. Xun, and from then on, it was his alone "exclusive" small table.

Right under Old Mr. Xun's eyelids.

The other disciples looked at Mo Hua with some heartache and pity.

"Mo Hua is so pitiful..."

"He's being stared at by Old Mr. Xun..."

"He's suffered great bad luck..."

"From now on, every day in class, he has to stay under the old sir's eyelids. Just thinking about it, my heart feels cold..."

Old Mr. Xun's ears moved slightly, his gaze was stern, and he called out a few names, "Cheng Mo... Si Tu Jian, Wen Xuan..."

"...If you want, you can also sit next to Mo Hua."

Cheng Mo and the other disciples shuddered all over, immediately shut their mouths, and buried their heads on the table, pretending to be turtles.

Old Mr. Xun slightly snorted coldly.

After that, he began the class.

Mo Hua discovered that the lecture notes in his hand were different from those of the other disciples.

The other disciples were still mainly learning first-grade array methods, progressing step by step to understand second-grade array methods.

While in front of Mo Hua was a genuine second-grade eleven-pattern Eight Trigrams array method.

This set of lecture notes was very detailed.

Old Mr. Xun's lecture was mainly directed at the other disciples.

But occasionally, he would mention second-grade array methods and briefly explain some key points of second-grade array methods for Mo Hua.

This way, he could accommodate both ordinary disciples and Mo Hua, this seriously "beyond syllabus" disciple's teaching.

Mo Hua was moved in his heart and also developed respect for Old Mr. Xun.

After that, Old Mr. Xun taught the courses like this.

Others learned first-grade.

Mo Hua learned second-grade.

Starting from eleven patterns, Old Mr. Xun systematically and steadily taught Mo Hua one by one various second-grade array methods, encompassing both Five Elements and Eight Trigrams categories.

Opportunities were rare, so Mo Hua concentrated on learning second-grade array methods with eleven patterns and above while sitting beside Old Mr. Xun.

Old Mr. Xun, who was always paying attention to Mo Hua, became more and more alarmed as he watched.

Too fast...

Old Mr. Xun knew that Mo Hua hadn't learned Eight Trigrams array methods, so the emphasis of his teaching was still on Eight Trigrams second-grade array methods.

But Mo Hua, this child, clearly hadn't seen or learned these array methods, yet after just looking at them a few times, he seemed to have a clue in his heart.

After painting them a few times, his brushwork was methodized.

If he painted them again after one night, his brushwork was already very skilled.

After some more time, it even had a bit of the flavor of "thousand hammers and hundred refinements" and "fire purity"...

This was still Eight Trigrams array methods. Five Elements array methods were even more ridiculous.

Old Mr. Xun knew that among the eight categories of array methods, Mo Hua had learned and was good at basically only Five Elements array methods.

But "good at"... wasn't this kind of "good at" way...

If he hadn't learned Eight Trigrams array methods, Mo Hua would at least have to frown and think a few times before he could paint them properly.

While for second-grade eleven-pattern Five Elements array methods that he hadn't learned, Mo Hua would just glance at them, and he would basically have a framework in his heart and a shape under his brush...

This was practice makes perfect.

Because he had painted a large number of first-grade Five Elements array methods, his understanding of Five Elements array principles was extremely profound, and his foundation was too solid. Learning second-grade Five Elements array methods was also extremely fast.

But this "large number of first-grade Five Elements array methods", just how many could there be?

How many first-grade array methods could a fifteen-year-old small cultivator paint?

And how profound could his comprehension be?

Even a main array master who built a first-grade Five Elements great array, their comprehension of Five Elements array methods would probably be at this level...

This child couldn't possibly have built a Five Elements great array...

Old Mr. Xun complained inwardly, frowning.

And what puzzled Old Mr. Xun the most was Mo Hua's divine sense.

For a Foundation Building early-stage cultivator, Mo Hua's divine sense was really too thick, and it seemed, extremely tough, and somewhat... endless...

When he painted array methods, it seemed like he couldn't finish using it...

This was very unreasonable.

This child's divine sense, vaguely, seemed to be covered by something...

Old Mr. Xun was extremely curious, and for a long time, he even wanted to break the rules and use his own divine sense to forcibly peek into this child's background...

But in the end, he endured.

This was the sect's rule, and also the bottom line.

Old Mr. Xun was tangled for a while, then let go in his heart.

In this world, there were always some cultivators with extraordinary talent, or deep fortune, or extraordinary minds. As long as they were single-minded toward Dao, their minds were pure, and they didn't enter the wrong path, it was fine.

Old Mr. Xun looked at Mo Hua, whose gaze was clear and who was single-mindedly learning, and silently nodded.

Old Mr. Xun then let Mo Hua learn.

Mo Hua also just happened to be single-minded, learning various second-grade Five Elements and Eight Trigrams array methods one after another.

His array methods foundation became more and more solid.

The second-grade array methods he mastered also became more and more...

There was one point that Old Mr. Xun didn't mention.

These array methods originally required using sect contributions to exchange for.

But Old Mr. Xun wanted to see how fast Mo Hua could learn, and a few mere second-grade array methods were just a trivial matter in his eyes. He also didn't mention this matter to Mo Hua.

As Mo Hua learned more and more, and learned faster and faster, the difficulty of the array methods he learned also gradually increased from eleven patterns to twelve patterns...

Finally, finally, the twelve-pattern common Five Elements and Eight Trigrams second-grade array methods were also learned by Mo Hua.

After that was... thirteen patterns.

"Thirteen patterns..."

Old Mr. Xun was somewhat absent-minded.

So fast...

This... was already the threshold of a second-grade initial-stage array master...

This was already the limit of a Foundation Building early-stage cultivator's divine sense and array methods...

Old Mr. Xun's gaze towards Mo Hua completely changed.

He discovered that he had still underestimated this little one...

Old Mr. Xun frowned and pondered, finally silently making a determination.

Since the matter had come to this, he instead really wanted to see if Mo Hua would directly learn the second-grade thirteen-pattern array methods as well.

"These are the second-grade thirteen-pattern *Hua Yu Array*, *Xiao Li Fire Array*, *Run Tu Array*, and *Shui Ze Array*."

"These several array methods include both Five Elements array methods and Eight Trigrams array methods. They are the array methods most often tested in the second-grade initial-stage array master fixed-grade assessment."

Old Mr. Xun said.

Thirteen patterns, fixed-grade assessment array methods!

Mo Hua's spirit was shaken.

Finally, there were new thirteen-pattern array methods to learn! And they were fixed-grade array methods!

The most difficult array method he had mastered now was just the second-grade thirteen-pattern Ground Fire Array.

Mo Hua stared at these several array methods and suddenly said curiously:

"Old sir, these several array methods seem to have not much killing power..."

Not like his Ground Fire Array, which could kill more than ten human traffickers...

Old Mr. Xun nodded, "These are all Dao production class array methods, either used to nurture spiritual plants, or used as Dan fire, furnace fire's催生 array methods, for refining pills and refining tools."

"Dao Court doesn't too much advocate cultivators utilizing array methods to kill, so the fixed-grade assessment mostly uses industry class Dao array methods..."

Old Mr. Xun sighed.

"Only, these array methods, in the end, still cannot be promoted widely..."

Mo Hua also involuntarily nodded.

Tongxian City, no, not only Tongxian City, when he traveled, all the lower-level immortal cities he passed through had extremely rough applications of array methods.

Array methods benefited all lives.

But this "all lives" did not include the majority of cultivators in this world.

Old Mr. Xun saw Mo Hua frowning, looking like a small adult with a "heart for the world", rarely revealing a trace of a smile, and instructed:

"Learn well."

"Um um."

Mo Hua nodded and said.

Thirteen-pattern array methods, although they were the most difficult array methods Mo Hua had learned, were obviously not the limit of his fourteen-pattern qualitative change divine sense.

He only lacked array diagrams, not divine sense.

Originally, the *Five Elements Array Flow Diagram* could solve this problem, but the deciphering of the array flow diagram relied too much on luck. The most difficult array method Mo Hua deciphered was the thirteen-pattern Ground Fire Array.

Besides, they were all a bunch of "stinky fish and rotten shrimp".

Ever since Old Mr. Xun taught him array methods, Mo Hua had "disliked" and thrown this *Five Elements Array Flow Diagram* into the corner of his storage ring to gather dust.

He would slowly decipher it later when he had time.

Now he had no time, he wanted to learn the thirteen-pattern fixed-grade array methods.

And second-grade thirteen-pattern ordinary array methods were not absolute arrays, they did not involve more profound and obscure Great Dao comprehension, so to say they were difficult was also not that difficult.

Especially in Mo Hua's situation with abundant divine sense.

What he lacked was just time.

He would practice these array methods dozens or hundreds of times, practice until he was proficient, until it flowed naturally, and he would naturally master them.

Mo Hua first learned the Five Elements class *Hua Yu Array* and *Run Tu Array*.

Five Elements array methods were learned quickly. Mo Hua spent one or two days to preliminarily master them, and then spent another five or six days to practice them to proficiency.

He even set up these two array methods on the back mountain top of the disciples' residence, controlling ink with his divine sense and painting the ground as an array.

Spring wind turned into rain, silently moistening the earth.

Mo Hua seemed to be able to vaguely feel the warm and moist breath of the land between the mountains, as well as the Dao essence of the great earth that he could perceive no matter where he stepped on the earth;

The earth's Dao essence also became clearer in Mo Hua's divine sense.

Mo Hua nodded, very satisfied.

After that was the Eight Trigrams class *Xiao Li Fire Array* and *Shui Ze Array*.

The Xiao Li Fire Array was similar to the Melting Fire Array, painted inside refining Dan furnaces and refining tools furnaces, used to refine medicinal properties and quench spirit tools.

As for the Shui Ze Array, Mo Hua was not clear, he estimated it was used for raising crocodiles.

Eight Trigrams class array methods were a bit more difficult.

But if you paint an array a hundred times, its meaning will naturally appear.

There was no array method that couldn't be solved by painting it a few more times.

If ten times didn't work, then a hundred times, if a hundred times didn't work, then a thousand times.

Anyway, as long as there was time, he could paint infinitely on the Dao stele.

Moreover, Eight Trigrams array methods were not absolute arrays, far from being that difficult.

Half a month later, Mo Hua could also paint them very skillfully, and even setting up arrays with his divine sense was no problem.

Thus, all four second-grade thirteen-pattern array methods had been learned by Mo Hua.

Mo Hua told Old Mr. Xun about this matter.

Old Mr. Xun's reaction was obviously half a beat slow, and there was some disbelief in his eyes as he looked at Mo Hua.

"Learned... finished?"

He knew that Mo Hua learned quickly, and estimated that if given time, he could also learn half of them.

But not to the extent that he should have, in a short time, learned all four second-grade thirteen-pattern initial-stage array methods.

All learned finished...

Then it meant, after reviewing a bit and preparing, he could even go participate in the fixed-grade assessment...

Second-grade initial-stage array master fixed-grade.

Fifteen years old, Foundation Building early stage, second-grade initial-stage array master...

This was already the limit of Foundation Building early stage.

At most, he could learn other thirteen-pattern array methods.

After that, there was nothing more to learn, what else could he teach?

Mo Hua then expressed his small ambition:

"Old sir, are there any fourteen-pattern array methods to learn..."

Mo Hua licked his lips like a little cat craving little fish.

After this period of getting along, Mo Hua knew that Old Mr. Xun was a profound and mysterious high person, and also a virtuous and prestigious good elder.

Moreover, he had always taught him array methods and had the grace of passing on Dao, so there was no need to hide some matters.

"Are there any fourteen-pattern array methods to learn..."

Old Mr. Xun's body obviously trembled a bit, he looked at Mo Hua, his turbid gaze suddenly shocked.

Fourteen patterns?!

This child's divine sense... surpassed the grade?!

Finally finished writing.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year again.

(End of this chapter)