Chapter 66: Thousand Arrays

When Mo Hua arrived at Mr. Zhuang's mountain residence, the Bai family siblings were already there. They were sitting at the small stone table under the tree by the pond, reading and cultivating. Aunt Xue usually didn't enter the mountain residence, but waited by the door.

Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua, put down the book he was holding, and excitedly ran over.

Mo Hua handed him a small food box and a small pot of fruit wine. "You can eat later. You just finished breakfast."

Bai Zisheng's mouth was stuffed with food, and his face was full of satisfaction. "It's okay, I told Aunt Xue my stomach wasn't feeling well, so I didn't eat much this morning."

Mo Hua shook his head. He then handed pastries and osmanthus wine brew to Bai Zixi. Bai Zixi said thank you in a crisp and pleasant voice, then ate the pastries in small bites and sipped the wine brew. Her posture was elegant and dignified.

Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng, then at Bai Zixi. He thought to himself, they are siblings, but the difference in their eating habits is too big.

Bai Zisheng had previously pretended to be a disciple from a prominent family, acting with moderation. After becoming familiar with Mo Hua, he no longer cared about etiquette. Now, this little dog-like eating manner really wasted his handsome appearance.

Mo Hua then gave some wine and food to Mr. Zhuang and Kui Lao, and began to ask about solving arrays.

He had already asked Bai Zisheng about some simple problems. The remaining ones were relatively tricky difficulties that he couldn't figure out based on his own cultivation knowledge.

For example, how to rely on the array eye and array hub to solve arrays, what the basic principles of solving arrays were, and how to solve arrays that he couldn't understand.

Mr. Zhuang was quite satisfied with Mo Hua's questions. "The fact that you can ask these means you have carefully read the classics I gave you."

"It is very difficult to solve arrays through the array eye. Reverse spirit array patterns are hard to learn and even harder to master, and they are all secret transmissions of prominent families, not easily spread outside. Even if you learn them, they are hard to use. This is because the gathering spirit array patterns of different arrays all have differences. When using reverse spirit arrays in practice, you must also adapt to the array, and the proportions are hard to grasp. Using gathering spirit array patterns to solve arrays is also very easy to cause the array spirit power to lose control, which can both destroy the array and easily harm the cultivator's life."

"You also don't need to consider using the array hub to solve arrays, at least not if you are below a third-grade array master. Solving arrays with the array hub requires an extremely deep foundation in arrays and simultaneous research into the array structures of every prominent family, every sect, or every school. Otherwise, facing an array system you have never encountered before, there is fundamentally no way to start."

"So for you, you only need to think about using array patterns to solve arrays. While using array patterns to solve arrays seems complicated, it is actually the most basic and also the simplest method."

"Oh, oh." Mo Hua listened and nodded continuously.

"Mo Hua, do you think array masters studying arrays is more valuable in specializing or in being broad and miscellaneous?" Mr. Zhuang suddenly asked.

"Not broad and miscellaneous, but also able to achieve mastery, that would be best..." Mo Hua answered weakly.

Both are choices made by mature cultivators.

Mr. Zhuang laughed. "The Great Dao has no limits, while my life has limits. Where is such a good thing as needing both broad involvement and specialization in each area? General array masters will have choices, either specializing in one system of arrays first, seeking refinement not completeness, or having broad knowledge and a wide memory, seeking completeness not refinement."

"Then, like this, it's definitely better to specialize in one type of array," Mo Hua said.

"Why?" Mr. Zhuang asked with interest.

"Arrays are vast and profound. Unilaterally seeking completeness, in the end, you will only learn the superficial. While specializing in one type allows you to draw analogies, this way you can learn the true essence of arrays. Later, when you encounter profound and obscure arrays, you won't have no way to start..."

Mr. Zhuang nodded. "That's correct. That's why prominent families' inherited arrays all value refinement and avoid being miscellaneous."

Mo Hua understood somewhat, but still didn't quite understand what these had to do with him.

"Actually, not only prominent families, but all orthodox array inheritances value specialization, not seeking broad and miscellaneous. First, thoroughly learn one type of array, then go study other arrays." Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, paused slightly, and looked at Mo Hua again, saying:

"But you are different. You now need to learn broadly, and cannot specialize in one type."

Mo Hua was slightly startled and thought, "Because of the cultivation method?"

Approval showed in Mr. Zhuang's eyes. "Correct. You have learned the Tian Yan Jue. When breaking through realms, you need to crack mystery arrays and solve mystery arrays. Only then can the cultivation method cultivate, cultivation can grow, and realms can elevate. If you cannot solve mystery arrays, there is no foundation, and everything about the cultivator is just empty talk."

"While solving mystery arrays just requires you to learn enough array patterns and master enough arrays. Many mystery arrays are actually not difficult; the difficulty lies in whether you know the related array patterns and arrays. If you know them, then solving the array is easy, but if you don't, even if your array talent is very high and you have learned arrays very specializedly, it's useless."

"As the common saying goes, a clever woman cannot cook without rice. If you encounter a mystery array you have fundamentally never contacted before, even the highest array master would have no way to start."

Mo Hua suddenly enlightened, then scratched his head and asked, "Then sir, exactly how should I do?"

Mr. Zhuang handed a classic to Mo Hua. On the cover of the classic were written four ancient and simple big characters:

Qian Zhen Ji

Mo Hua opened it and discovered that the book contained dense records of a thousand strange and bizarre arrays. These arrays were all below the first grade, with most array patterns having within nine paths, and a minority containing array patterns of nine paths.

Most were five-element class arrays, but there were also some arrays with strange functions that Mo Hua had never seen.

Mo Hua opened his mouth wide. "This is..."

"This is a collection of arrays below the first grade, recording the names, grades, uses, and other matters of the arrays inside. You can flip through it yourself. If there's something you want to learn, go to the first floor of the library and find the corresponding array diagram."

"I have taught you all the basic things about arrays. You can learn by yourself. If you don't understand anything, come ask me. Just one point, remember to return the array diagrams you look at. You cannot lose them. You must remember this."

Mr. Zhuang instructed.

"Student remembers," Mo Hua solemnly nodded.

"Good, go," Mr. Zhuang waved his hand.

Mo Hua again solemnly bowed to Mr. Zhuang, carefully and heavily put the Qian Zhen Ji in his embrace, and stood up to leave when he was called to stop again by Mr. Zhuang.

"Mo Hua," Mr. Zhuang hesitated a bit, but still said:

"Originally, I should have given you a more stable cultivation method, at least one that wouldn't cause so much trouble when cultivating... this is my negligence."

Kui Lao, who had always kept his eyes closed in cultivation, opened his eyes and looked at Mr. Zhuang with a slight surprise.

Mo Hua's expression was astonished, then he smiled shyly at Mr. Zhuang and said:

"Student's family background is ordinary, and spirit stones are not abundant. This cultivation method doesn't require spirit objects for breakthroughs and doesn't use many spirit stones. It is even more suitable for students. At least in the student's eyes, the cultivation method sir chose is already the best cultivation method in the world."

"Is that so..."

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua's youthful and handsome face, a pair of black and white clear eyes pure and sincere, and involuntarily smiled a little. His expression then returned to its previous carefree state, but his voice became even gentler:

"Go learn arrays."

Mo Hua obediently bowed, then ran away with small steps.