Drawing Array Techniques

The next morning, after Mo Hua finished breakfast and set down his chopsticks, he returned to his room. While his memory of the Bright Fire Formation was still clear, he took out paper and brush for copying and began tracing it stroke by stroke.

The paper and ink used for copying were the cheapest and most ordinary kind. They contained no spiritual energy, so the formations drawn with them were merely patterns without any effect. They consumed barely any divine sense, and there was no need to worry about wasting Spirit Stones through failure.

Relying on his memory, Mo Hua copied out the formation in one unbroken sweep. Since it consumed little divine sense, he barely paused at all.

Mo Hua took out the Array Diagram of the Bright Fire Formation and carefully compared it against the formation he had copied. He found three mistakes.

Mo Hua set aside the Array Paper, took out another sheet, and continued drawing. After drawing three sheets in succession, he finally copied out a complete Bright Fire Formation diagram without a single error.

Mo Hua let out a long breath, stretched, and glanced at the tiny Sundial on his desk. Only then did he realize it was already noon, and his stomach began to grow hungry.

Liu Ruhua had already prepared the meal: rice made from spiritual rice, several lightly stir-fried vegetable dishes, and the only meat dish—demon chicken eggs. The spiritual rice was of inferior quality, but it was enough to fill their stomachs.

The food was simple but tasty. Mo Hua ate with great relish, then ran back to his room to continue practicing the Bright Fire Formation.

Watching Mo Hua's retreating figure, Liu Ruhua said worriedly,

"Hua'er is working far too hard. He looks like he has grown so much thinner again."

Mo Shan nodded. "Being diligent is a good thing, but I'm afraid he'll wear out his body. Hua'er was born frail, and his foundation is weak. He truly shouldn't overexert himself."

Liu Ruhua sighed. "It's a pity he didn't inherit your talent for body cultivation. Instead, he is as frail and sickly as I am..."

Mo Shan gently wrapped an arm around Liu Ruhua's thin shoulders. "How can you blame yourself for that? When Hua'er was born, his vitality and blood were weak, so we brought him to Elder Feng at Apricot Forest Hall. Elder Feng said the same thing: when someone is born, their divine sense and physical body are balanced. Hua'er's divine sense was stronger at birth, so his body was weaker. Look at Mo Hua now. Though he may be frail, which child in the neighborhood is smarter than him? Hua'er is so clever, and so handsome too—isn't that all thanks to you?"

Liu Ruhua could not help smiling. "You really know how to talk."

Seeing his wife's brows relax somewhat, Mo Shan continued, "This morning, I spoke with Old Zhou from the Monster Hunting Squad about a few matters. I heard that a Monster Hunting Squad happened to kill a Fire-Chick a few days ago. That kind of chicken isn't a demon beast, but its meat contains a little spiritual energy. I'll buy some for Mo Hua to try, and you can nourish your body as well."

Liu Ruhua asked, "Do we still have enough Spirit Stones at home?"

"No need," Mo Shan said. "They're brothers I've hunted demon beasts with before, people I know. I can buy on credit and pay them back after the New Year."

Liu Ruhua placed the Storage Bag from her person into Mo Shan's hand. "Pay what you can. If it isn't enough, we can return the rest after the New Year. The year's end is drawing close, and everyone needs to earn some Spirit Stones for the holiday."

Mo Shan thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right."

While Mo Shan and his wife chatted, Mo Hua remained utterly focused and continued drawing the Bright Fire Formation. By nightfall, he had become quite proficient at it.

At dinner, Mo Hua hurriedly finished eating, then eagerly returned to his room. After holding his breath and calming his mind for a while, he fell asleep precisely on time and entered his Sea of Consciousness.

An ancient stone stele stood tall within the blank, hazy Sea of Consciousness.

Using his finger as a brush, Mo Hua formally drew the Array Technique upon the stone stele. The Array Patterns on the stele gradually became complete, while his divine sense poured forth.

When his divine sense gradually began to run dry and he was about to be unable to hold on, he finally completed the Bright Fire Formation.

Mo Hua stopped, and the formation on the stone stele began to emit a gentle white glow.

The Bright Fire Formation was an Array Technique that only cultivators at Qi Refining Level Three could draw. Mo Hua was only at Qi Refining Level Two. Though it was difficult for him now, he could already draw a complete Bright Fire Formation diagram.

This also meant that even compared to cultivators at Qi Refining Level Three, Mo Hua's divine sense was in no way inferior.

Mo Hua felt a small swell of pride, then erased the Bright Fire Formation he had drawn. His divine sense immediately became full once more.

Mo Hua continued drawing the Bright Fire Formation. He had to use tonight to thoroughly master the Bright Fire Formation diagram, then begin formally drawing Array Techniques tomorrow.

Within the blank, silent Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua drew the Bright Fire Formation again and again, summarizing and reflecting on every problem he encountered.

Before he knew it, dawn had come, and Mo Hua was forced out of his Sea of Consciousness.

Without the slightest sense of fatigue, Mo Hua immediately got up and meditated on his bed for a while. After breakfast, he deliberately washed his hands and solemnly took out the Array Technique materials Fat Manager had given him.

The materials included ten sheets of Array Paper and ten small bottles of pale red ink. The Array Paper was made from demon beast hide and scraps of spiritual herbs, while the ink was blended from the blood of Fire-elemental Beasts and Spirit Liquid. Unlike the paper and ink Mo Hua used for copying, all of them contained spiritual energy—and naturally, they were much more expensive.

Fat Manager had also included a new brush, though its craftsmanship was crude. It was hardly any better than Mo Hua's own brush. Mo Hua did not even unwrap it, as he found his usual brush more convenient to use.

Mo Hua spread the Array Paper over the table and carefully poured the ink into the inkstone. The inkstone could preserve the ink's Lingli for longer, preventing it from dispersing too quickly.

Mo Hua reviewed the Array Patterns of the Bright Fire Formation in his mind once more before finally lowering his brush to formally draw the Array Technique.

The process of drawing the Array Technique went more smoothly than Mo Hua had expected. Other than using actual brush, ink, and Array Paper, it felt exactly the same as drawing Array Techniques on the stone stele in his Sea of Consciousness. Even the rate at which he consumed divine sense was the same.

However, because he was somewhat nervous, some strokes were slightly crooked. Though this did not affect the formation's effectiveness, the Array Technique he drew was somewhat ugly.

Mo Hua exhausted his divine sense and finally drew the Bright Fire Formation, but unfortunately, there was still one mistake.

Before he had even won his first victory, he had already lost a Spirit Stone...

Mo Hua's heart ached terribly.

Moreover, with his divine sense depleted, Mo Hua could not continue drawing Array Techniques. He could only close his eyes and rest.

"I wonder if there's any way to quickly restore divine sense..."

Mo Hua thought. At that moment, he missed practicing Array Techniques on the Dao Stele more than ever, but unfortunately, the Dao Stele could not be used in reality.

Mo Hua rested, but before his divine sense had fully recovered, the morning had already passed. Liu Ruhua was calling him to lunch.

At lunch, Mo Hua hastily shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice, then ran back to his room and spread out another sheet of Array Paper.

Looking at the blank Array Paper before him, Mo Hua steadied his emotions, reviewed his experience, and silently recited, "Failure is the mother of success." Then he began drawing the second Bright Fire Formation.

This time, Mo Hua was more focused and more careful. Each time, he considered everything clearly before lowering his brush, and he envisioned the Array Patterns that would follow in advance. When his divine sense was exhausted and he closed his eyes to rest, the Bright Fire Formation diagram continued replaying in his mind.

Mo Hua drew very slowly, but time flew by. By dusk, though the process had still been intermittent, he finally succeeded in drawing the Bright Fire Formation.

Mo Hua could not hide his excitement. Once the thrill subsided, the exhaustion of depleted divine sense swept over him. Satisfied to the fullest, Mo Hua collapsed onto his bed and soon began snoring.

When Mo Hua woke, it was already dark. Just as his stomach growled with hunger, he suddenly caught a whiff of fragrance. Following the scent into the main hall, he saw a huge bowl of meat sitting on the table!