Everything Is Ready

Sixteen days had passed since Mo Hua began learning the Molten Fire Array.

That day, Mo Hua rose early. Morning sunlight fell across the table, fresh and bright, without the noon heat.

Mo Hua spread paper across the table, mixed the red ink, and began drawing the Molten Fire Array.

This was something Mo Hua had done every day for the past ten-odd days.

But today was different from usual. Mo Hua was going to formally draw a complete Molten Fire Array.

The night before, in his Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua had already drawn the Molten Fire Array upon the Broken Stele. This meant his divine sense was sufficient to support drawing five Array Patterns.

After repeated practice, and after repairing it once upon the Artifact Refining Furnace at the Artifact Refining Guild, Mo Hua already knew every Array Pattern of the Molten Fire Array by heart.

Mo Hua drew carefully and cautiously. An hour later, just as he felt a faint stabbing pain in his divine sense and it was gradually running dry, the Molten Fire Array received its final stroke.

Mo Hua poured in a tiny bit of Lingli. It slowly circulated along the red Array Patterns, traveling from the first stroke of the first Array Pattern to the last stroke of the fifth, finally connecting the entire Array Technique without encountering any obstruction.

Success!

Mo Hua let out a long breath, feeling as though the result had come naturally after days upon days of accumulation.

"An Array Technique with five Array Patterns!"

At the third level of Qi Refining, he could draw an Array Technique with five Array Patterns.

Mo Hua knew that a normal cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining could draw, at most, three Array Patterns. The disciples of great clans and sects had greater talent and better inheritances, so their Array Technique attainments at the same realm were probably somewhat stronger than his.

But no matter how strong they were, they probably would not surpass him by too much.

Mo Hua nodded.

Besides, as long as he kept drawing, his divine sense would surely grow stronger and stronger. Learning Array Techniques would become easier too, and becoming a First-Grade Array Master should only be a matter of time.

Once he truly became a First-Grade Array Master, even if he had not passed the grading and was merely an ordinary Array Master, he would be able to earn quite a few Spirit Stones. His parents would not have to work so hard anymore.

As Mo Hua thought this, he could not help but feel happy.

Then the weariness from repeatedly practicing Array Techniques over the past few days washed over him. Mo Hua fell onto his bed and drifted off to sleep.

Liu Ruhua entered the room carrying several washed wild fruits. Seeing a freshly drawn Array Technique on the table and Mo Hua sprawled on the bed, sleeping soundly, she tidied up the table for him, covered his little belly with a fur-woven blanket, then stared at him for quite some time.

Seeing Mo Hua sleeping sweetly, with no one knew what he was eating in his dreams and sparkling drool trailing from the corner of his mouth, Liu Ruhua could not help but smile. She wiped the corner of his mouth with her sleeve before rising and leaving.

A few days later, Da Zhu came to inform Mo Hua that the Stove had also been completed.

Da Zhu was Master Chen's eldest disciple. He was tall and sturdy, and his smile was simple and honest.

Mo Hua followed Da Zhu to Chen's Smithy and saw a Stove as tall as a person sitting in the shop. Its form was ancient and solid, with three legs, a covered mouth, and a round belly.

The Stove's lid was open. It had to wait until the Array Technique was drawn inside before it could be sealed.

"The Stove has already been forged. Little brother, take a look. Are you satisfied?"

Mo Hua circled the Stove, examining it from all sides, then reached out to touch it. It felt heavy and solid. At a glance, he could tell that the materials had been chosen with great care and the details polished attentively.

Mo Hua nodded and praised, "As expected of Master Chen. This is the best Spirit Artifact I've ever seen."

Of course, he had not seen many Spirit Artifacts to begin with.

Master Chen stroked his beard. "Naturally. Since it is something little brother asked for, I naturally had to make the best one."

"Thank you, Master Chen!"

Mo Hua said happily, then took out a Storage Bag. "There are sixty Spirit Stones inside, for your labor."

For more than twenty days of work, he should have paid over a hundred Spirit Stones. Mo Hua had cut the price in half, then added a tiny bit more.

Master Chen had originally wanted to refuse, but remembering that the Artifact Refining Guild's business had not been very good these past months, and that disciples like Da Zhu often could not even eat their fill, he accepted it. Still, he told Mo Hua,

"From now on, if you need Artifact Refining, come find me. I'll give you the lowest price in Immortal City."

"Mm-hmm, thank you, Master Chen!" Mo Hua said happily.

"However..." Master Chen hesitated. "This Stove still needs an Array Technique drawn on it before it can be used. Who do you plan to ask to draw it?"

Mo Hua patted his chest. "I'll draw it myself!"

Master Chen was both surprised and not all that surprised.

The Array Technique on the Artifact Refining Furnace in the Artifact Refining Guild had been repaired by Mo Hua. Since Artifact Refining Furnaces, pill furnaces, and Stoves followed similar processes and their core Array Techniques were alike, there was no real issue with Mo Hua drawing it himself.

But...

Master Chen gently advised, "Repairing an Array Technique and drawing one are still different, aren't they? I heard drawing an Array Technique consumes much more divine sense. Little brother, your cultivation isn't high, so your divine sense probably won't be enough. Don't force yourself to draw it and end up injuring your Sea of Consciousness."

"Don't worry," Mo Hua said. "I know what I'm doing."

Master Chen said nothing more. When it came to Array Techniques, he did not understand more than the young cultivator before him.

Mo Hua was not very tall, so Master Chen dismantled the assembled Stove again and laid it flat on the ground, making it convenient for Mo Hua to draw the Array Technique.

Da Zhu and several other disciples helped from the side, then stood nearby with their necks stretched out, curiously watching Mo Hua draw the Array Technique. They did not often see cultivators draw Array Techniques and found it novel, especially since the one drawing was Mo Hua, who was much younger than they were.

Mo Hua first dipped his brush in water and tried drawing the Array Patterns along the Stove's inner wall. This familiarized him with the brush while helping him adapt to the feeling of actually drawing an Array Technique on a Spirit Artifact.

He also mentally anticipated the problems he might encounter when truly drawing the Array Technique.

All things flourish with preparation and fail without it. The more preparation one made beforehand, the more greatly one could raise the Array Technique's chance of success.

After preparing, Mo Hua spread out the Molten Array Diagram and placed it beside him for reference, then took out a brush and a small bottle of ink.

The ink was bright red and thicker in consistency. It was said to be mixed from the blood of fire-element Tiger demonic beasts. Though its quality was only average, it was better than what Mo Hua had used before. It was also the best ink he could afford.

This small bottle of ink cost ten Spirit Stones and was only enough to draw two Molten Fire Arrays, so he had to be fully prepared and avoid failure.

If he failed, the ink wasted alone would be enough to make Mo Hua's heart ache.

Mo Hua held his breath and focused his mind, calming himself before beginning to draw the Array Technique. The childish innocence on his face gradually gave way to seriousness. His clear black-and-white eyes shone brightly, as though they contained starlight.

Master Chen and the disciples stood nearby. Seeing Mo Hua's solemn expression, none of them even dared breathe loudly, afraid of disturbing him. They looked even more nervous than Mo Hua did.

Mo Hua's fair, tender little hand held the brush. His fingers and wrist shifted nimbly, guiding the tip over the furnace wall and tracing vivid Array Patterns one after another, neither too fast nor too slow, each stroke orderly and precise.

Though the people beside him could not understand Array Techniques or Array Patterns, they watched the wondrous patterns pour from the brush tip as if flowing water, and soon became absorbed in the sight.

No one knew how much time passed before Mo Hua finally stopped his brush and let out a long breath.

For some reason, seeing this, the others also sighed in relief.

Master Chen hesitated, then asked quietly, "Little brother, did... did you succeed?"

A bright, innocent smile reappeared on Mo Hua's solemn little face.

"Mm, I succeeded!"