Molten Array Diagram

Mo Hua braved the blazing sun back home, picked up the teapot on the table, and gulped down several large mouthfuls of tea. Only then did the summer heat seem to fade. He returned to his room, took out paper and brush, and began making plans.

First was the stove.

A stove was a type of Spirit Artifact.

The Spirit Artifacts used by cultivators came in a wide variety, including blades, swords, spears, and staves for attack; armor and Daoist robes for defense; hairpins, ornaments, and Jade Pendants for spells; as well as pots, bowls, stoves, and other necessities of daily life.

Mo Hua's understanding of Artifact Refining was limited to the simple theoretical knowledge he had learned in Immortal Gate's Introduction to Artifact Refining course, such as the need for an Artifact Refining Furnace, iron forging, quenching, and other essentials.

But when it came to actually refining an artifact, he was helpless.

Immortal Gate's Artifact Refining course also required disciples to refine artifacts with their own hands. But Mo Hua was weak; he could not even swing a hammer, much less perform the most basic iron forging. Thus, the Instructor had not forced him.

Now that he needed to refine a stove, an ordinary Spirit Artifact would not do. He could only ask a dedicated Artifact Refiner to make one.

Next came the Array Technique. The Molten Fire Array contained five Array Patterns, which was rather taxing for the current Mo Hua.

The arrays Mo Hua had drawn before contained no more than four Array Patterns.

For Qi Refining Stage arrays, every additional Array Pattern created a vast difference in the array's effects. Yet to an Array Master, the difference of one Array Pattern was a threshold.

Mo Hua drew arrays every day and honed his array techniques through the stone monument, so his divine sense had grown considerably. He could draw four-Array-Pattern arrays with ease, but whether he could draw a five-Array-Pattern array was another matter.

There was another difficulty: this Molten Fire Array had to be drawn onto the stove.

The walls of an Artifact Refining Furnace were made of Refined Iron. Refined Iron did not absorb ink well, and drawing an array on Refined Iron was far more difficult than drawing one on paper. It also consumed far more Lingli and divine sense.

According to Instructor Yan's Elementary Array Theory, the vessel of an array—the medium that carried it—was generally called an Array Medium by Array Masters.

When Array Masters drew arrays, the Array Medium they used most often was paper, followed by iron, wood, earth, stone, and the like.

Mo Hua had always drawn arrays on paper. Now that he was going to draw one on an Artifact Refining Furnace, he did not know whether problems would arise.

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

The most urgent matter was finding a complete Array Diagram for the Molten Fire Array.

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

Manager Mo was slightly plump and afraid of heat. He lay listlessly across his desk, with a fan beside him. An array was carved within the fan, and driven by Lingli, it kept waving without pause.

But in weather this hot, even the breeze it stirred was hot.

Mo Hua said, "Manager Mo, I saw that the other shops had ice-element arrays drawn on their walls to cool things down. Why don't you get a set too?"

Manager Mo glared at Mo Hua weakly. "Do you know how expensive a complete set of arrays is? Give me the Spirit Stones, and I'll go get one!"

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

In this quiet Fate Pavilion, Mo Hua was practically the most familiar regular customer. Manager Mo did not stand on ceremony with him and let him amuse himself before burying his head back into the desk.

After finishing his tea, Mo Hua asked, "Manager Mo, do you have an Array Diagram for the Molten Fire Array here?"

Manager Mo raised his head, displeased. "This is a shop specializing in arrays. What Array Diagram don't I have?"

Mo Hua did not believe him. "You have Second-Grade Array Diagrams too?"

Manager Mo rapped the desk angrily. "Children shouldn't imitate others and argue for the sake of arguing!" Then he asked doubtfully, "What do you need an Array Diagram for the Molten Fire Array for?"

"I saw this array drawn on the stove in the Dining Hall. I was curious, so I thought I'd ask." Mo Hua thought for a moment, then added:

"Manager Mo, do you know if there's anything particular about drawing a Molten Fire Array on a stove?"

Manager Mo said listlessly, "It's just a Molten Fire Array. What could possibly be particular about it? Before the New Year, several Dining Halls wanted to build stoves, and they bought their arrays from me. I have all the array design diagrams for their stoves here."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Can you let me have a look?"

"No!"

"Just one look!" Mo Hua said.

Manager Mo wanted to refuse again, but after hesitating, he sighed and helplessly rummaged through a cabinet behind him. He pulled out a large Array Diagram and placed it on the desk.

"You can only look at it here. Strictly speaking, these things are confidential and can't be shown to just anyone."

Mo Hua unfolded the paper and discovered a stove design diagram drawn on it. It was densely covered with written annotations: the materials for the stove, the corresponding positions of the Array Patterns, even the dimensions of the array, which strokes had to be altered and how, and more.

Mo Hua asked curiously, "Are these arrays different from ordinary arrays? Why do they need annotations for brushwork and Array Diagram dimensions?"

"Of course they are." Manager Mo explained, "The Array Patterns of arrays are standardized, but their specific applications differ. Some standardized Spirit Artifacts are identical in scale and dimensions, so naturally the arrays can be drawn uniformly. But some specially commissioned Spirit Artifacts need to be altered and adjusted according to the artifact's form."

"Take this stove, for example. It was specially commissioned by a Dining Hall and differs from every other stove. Naturally, the Molten Fire Array inside it must also be adjusted according to the stove's size, shape, and structure, so that it fits..."

"I see..." Mo Hua nodded.

Mo Hua studied the diagram carefully again, doing his best to commit every important detail to memory for reference.

Once Manager Mo saw that Mo Hua had looked long enough, he put the diagram away.

Mo Hua asked again, "Manager Mo, can I borrow a copy of the Molten Fire Array Diagram?"

Manager Mo had expected him to say that. He took out a Molten Fire Array Diagram and said, "Normally, this diagram costs ten Spirit Stones. I won't charge you, but remember to return it after you finish looking at it. Don't damage or stain it."

Mo Hua said in surprise, "Ten Spirit Stones? It's that expensive?"

"Of course. Do you think it's like those low-level arrays with only two or three Array Patterns? Those arrays are everywhere; you can get their Array Diagrams easily. But Array Diagrams with four patterns, especially five patterns or more, are much rarer. The more Array Patterns they contain, the stronger the array's effects, and naturally the more expensive the Array Diagram."

Manager Mo fanned himself with his hand, then continued, "Some Array Diagrams containing ten Array Patterns are even the secret inheritances that certain sects and Lineages use to guard their foundations. Forget buying one with Spirit Stones—you wouldn't be allowed even a single glance!"

Mo Hua clicked his tongue in amazement. To study arrays to profound heights truly was exceedingly difficult. Without any inheritance, even if one wanted to learn arrays, there would be nowhere to begin.

Mo Hua accepted the Molten Fire Array Diagram and sincerely thanked Manager Mo.

Manager Mo said, "It's nothing, why are you thanking me? Don't be so formal." Yet judging by his expression, he was quite pleased.

Before Mo Hua left, Manager Mo reminded him:

"It's fine to study it, but don't aim too high, and don't be stubborn and bury yourself in it single-mindedly. Once your divine sense is overdrawn and your Sea of Consciousness is damaged, the consequences for an Array Master can be endless."

After saying that, Manager Mo paused, coughed, and continued, "Pass those words on to your older brother for me..."

Mo Hua smiled, bowed to Manager Mo, and left Fate Pavilion.

After leaving Fate Pavilion, Mo Hua first returned home and wrote down the stove design from memory.

There was a great deal of information on the stove diagram. Mo Hua had not remembered everything, only the key points, but that was enough.

He did not need to copy the Dining Hall's stove design exactly. Besides, even if he did, he did not have enough Spirit Stones to refine it.

Mo Hua had memorized roughly seventy to eighty percent of the diagram. Then he went out again and arrived at an Artifact Refining Guild at the end of the street.

The Artifact Refining Guild was rather simple, but spacious. All kinds of Spirit Artifacts and household utensils were laid out along the walls and on the floor, including candlesticks, teapots, cookware, hairpins, bracelets, even swords, blades, and armor. It was somewhat cluttered.

A banner hung outside the Artifact Refining Guild, bearing the words "Chen's Smithy." The banner was old, stained with soot, and had clearly been used for many years.

Mo Hua had heard of this Artifact Refining Guild from Da Hu and the others. It was said to be the longest-running nearby, and its craftsmanship was also the best.

The Artifact Refiner of Chen's Smithy was surnamed Chen, and everyone called him Master Chen.

Master Chen had no sons or daughters. All his life, he knew only ironworking and Artifact Refining. Though he had never become a First-Grade Artifact Refiner, the Spirit Artifacts he refined were always praised by all who used them. Many Monster Hunters came to him to have Vine Armor and blades refined.

When Mo Hua entered, Master Chen was leading several disciples as they swung their great hammers with a clang, clang, clang.