The Array Discussion Assembly concludes.

In the borders of Qianxue State, the previously unknown name “Mo Xi” suddenly appears on the tables of major world families, sects, and even some elderly family ancestors. Before, they knew nothing about Mo Xi. But suddenly, this “monster” appeared out of thin air, forcefully suppressing the four major sects. With a cultivation base at the Foundation Building mid-stage, he created a nineteen-pattern peak array, broke the Array Discussion Assembly record, took first place, and claimed the position of Array Path Chief.

This achievement, just looking at it, is astonishing and hard to believe. If this matter hadn’t occurred in public during the assembly, it would definitely be considered an utterly absurd “rumor.”

Major world families and various sects immediately began investigating Mo Xi’s origin and background. However, Tai Xu Sect, the moment Mo Xi became the Array Path Chief, immediately sealed off his origin and birthplace, classifying it as a core sect secret. Only the sect master and elder ancestors were almost exclusively qualified to access this information.

Most of the people who had dealings with Mo Xi had a deep friendship with him and were tight-lipped about his information. Of course, Mo Xi hid himself very deeply, so what they knew was actually not much.

The Dao Court Division, perhaps instructed by someone, also immediately sealed Mo Xi’s records. His origin, birthplace, background, and all traces left in the Dao Court Division since entering the Qianxue State border, including cases handled, cultivators apprehended, evil cultivators killed, merits earned, and so on, were all sealed one by one. The sealed archives were stamped with the seal of the Central Dao Court. No cultivators of the local Dao Court Division, not even the local chief officer, had permission to access them.

In this way, the information that could be gleaned from the outside was very limited. Each world family and sect could only inquire about those “everywhere” pieces of information, no matter how they tried.

They said this “Mo Xi” was a cultivator from Lizhou. But Lizhou is a large state, with countless large and small state borders within it; they simply didn’t know where specifically. They said he was a loose cultivator by origin. But the identity of “loose cultivator” was inherently suspicious. Ordinary loose cultivators struggle to make a living, and cultivation is difficult; how could they possibly spend so much effort to learn arrays and still learn them to such an unbelievable level?

Some also said Mo Xi was the illegitimate son of the Tai Xu Sect Master. Others claimed he was the direct grandson of the Tai Xu Elder Ancestor. These words were, of course, all rumors. Although they sounded more reliable than the loose cultivator origin, they lacked evidence, and most people didn’t believe them much. If he truly had such an identity, there would be no need to hide and conceal it. An Array Discussion Chief, placed in any family, is an extraordinarily dazzling pearl. This kind of genius is enough to disregard family inheritance rules. As long as he is the chief, even if he is a side branch of the family, from now on, he can establish his own lineage and be treated as a core direct descendant of the clan.

In the Qianxue State border, world families are gathered, and sects stand in great numbers, with geniuses as numerous as carp crossing a river. To be able to stand out among this group of originally outstanding geniuses and gain great reputation and benefits for the family and sect, the weight of this “chief” position is truly immense.

But no matter how much the crowd probed, they gained few clues. After Mo Xi became the Array Path Chief, he entered Tai Xu Sect, like a fish swimming into the deep sea, without a single ripple or a bit of information exposed. For a very long time, no one saw Mo Xi leave the Tai Xu mountain gate.

Thus, some people even began to suspect…

Does the person “Mo Xi” really exist?

A genius isn’t cultivated in a day. How could someone really appear out of thin air, in such a way that defies common sense, seize the Array Path Chief position, and then vanish without a trace, never to reappear? Could this whole affair have been a scam from beginning to end? Was Tai Xu Sect setting up the situation? Or did the chief examiner bend the law for personal gain and leak the questions beforehand? Just to create a “peerless array law genius” out of thin air, to attract attention and enhance the prestige of the Array Discussion Assembly? To create talking points for the sect’s reform after the assembly?

These rumors, in the eyes of the informed, were not worth a sneer. But among the uninformed outsiders, they ran rampant. Because even those who didn’t learn arrays knew that “Foundation Building mid-stage, Array Discussion first” was simply too absurd. Bragging also requires some basic common sense. You can’t boast to the sky and treat others as fools. Added to this were some people with dark hearts, driven by jealousy, who maliciously slandered him. Thus, the attitude of the crowd took a turn; their shock at the genius became doubt. The name “Mo Xi” also received mixed reviews. Some said he was a fraud, some said he was a genius, some said he was a coward who deceived the world and stole fame, while others said he was a true monster, a “monster” not born…

Such mixed praise and blame even harmed Tai Xu Sect’s reputation. After all, Mo Xi had no family, just one person. Tongues wagged, and people said whatever they pleased. Fortunately, the assembly ranking was real, and Tai Xu Sect also gained real benefits. Benefiting from Mo Xi’s “Array Discussion first,” Tai Xu Sect’s overall ranking also leaped directly from eighth among the Eight Great Sects to third. This was almost the best ranking Tai Xu Sect had achieved since the inheritance of the Divine Thought into Sword was cut off and the sect’s foundation declined. They were among the top three of the Eight Great Sects.

And although outsiders had various doubts, true informed individuals still knew the terrifying nature of Mo Xi’s talent. Major world families and sects, especially the elderly ancestors behind them, the sect masters holding power, and the high-level elders, would not truly think that Mo Xi was “falsely renowned.” The stronger the cultivation, the higher the status, the broader the experience, the deeper the understanding, the more they knew the “terror” of this kind of Array Path talent that completely surpassed three levels of divine sense.

The world families did not give up and continued to investigate Mo Xi. But the situation on the Dao Court Division side had completely changed after the rectification of the Dao Court; they could not intervene. And Tai Xu Sect, once again, treated Mo Xi like a “treasure,” protecting him very well.

Thus, the various world families had almost only one choice: to calculate. To use heavenly mechanism techniques to calculate Mo Xi’s cause and effect. This matter violated the taboo of Qianxue Sect. But the name “Array Discussion Chief” was truly extraordinary. Even if it violated a taboo, they couldn’t help but try to peek a bit.

Thus, in the Qianxue State border, major world families and various sects all began to secretly calculate Mo Xi’s cause and effect. Some elderly ancestors of world families who had a slight understanding of heavenly mechanism methods came to calculate themselves. But the heavenly mechanism is obscure, and cause and effect are difficult to follow. This kind of mysterious thing is not believed by everyone; even if believed, it is not necessarily learned; even if learned, it is not necessarily mastered; and even if mastered, it is not necessarily capable. Even reaching the Void Transformation stage, being able to roughly understand heavenly mechanism methods, is actually a minority.

Most world families still had to rely on connections, inviting some familiar Daoist friends, friendly world families, or heavenly mechanism sects like Xuanji Valley, which, although secluded in a corner, were famous, to calculate Mo Xi’s cause and effect a bit. But when they truly went to calculate, without exception, they all encountered a profound fog. In the fog, there seemed to be a division of yin and yang, stars like a sea, and the flow of Tai Xu. These signs locked the heavenly mechanism and shielded the cause and effect. Besides, there was a Void Transformation shadow, with deep eyebrows, holding all this cause and effect in hand, not allowing others to peek.

“This is… a heavenly mechanism lock? Did Tai Xu Sect lock the heavenly mechanism?”

“Void Transformation grasp, cause and effect determined, this shadow, which elder ancestor of Tai Xu Sect is it?”

“Such a grand gesture…”

“Truly willing to expend effort.”

“This is truly holding in the palm, not letting outsiders peek…”

“Although just a Foundation Building disciple, is it worth it?”

“Nonsense, if you became the Array Path Chief, your sect’s elder ancestor would also have to enshrine you…”

Some world families and hired heavenly mechanism cultivators gathered together and discussed:

“Since this is the case, should we still calculate?”

“It’s not necessarily impossible to calculate…”

“Let’s join with several other families, find some more heavenly mechanism cultivators, use heavenly mechanism treasures, work together, it’s not necessarily impossible to break Tai Xu Sect’s heavenly mechanism lock…”

“And if we break it, then what?” Someone sneered.

“This…”

“Don’t blame me for not reminding you… This heavenly mechanism lock, rather than saying it’s protection, might as well say it’s an ‘attitude’. It means this child is protected by Tai Xu Sect, covered by their elder ancestors, and it’s all-out, at all costs.”

“Secretly calculating a bit behind the scenes is no big deal, but if you truly make a big move, go break another sect’s heavenly mechanism lock, and peek at another sect’s core disciple’s secret, that is pushing your luck and creating endless enmity.”

“Do you all want to completely offend a Void Transformation elder ancestor to death?”

“Or do you want to declare war on Tai Xu Sect, one of the Eight Great Sects?”

The crowd fell silent. The speaker came from Xuanji Valley and had a deeper understanding of heavenly mechanism methods than general cultivators. Thus, his words carried a certain weight. But the crowd was unwilling.

Someone said: “Let’s strike quickly, gather the strength of the crowd, break the heavenly mechanism lock, take a glance at the cause and effect, and then withdraw. This way, Tai Xu Sect may not be able to react in time.”

“Moreover, the law doesn’t punish the multitude. Even if the matter is investigated by Tai Xu Sect afterward, as long as we stand united, Tai Xu Sect may not necessarily dare to truly pursue it.”

“This makes sense…”

“We can try…”

The cultivator from Xuanji Valley couldn’t help but sneer and say:

“What are you thinking? You don’t actually think Tai Xu Sect’s heavenly mechanism lock is really that easy to break, do you?”

“Tai Xu Sect is a branch of the Three Great Sects, their ancestors have ancient inheritance.”

Someone disagreed and said: “A branch of the Three Great Sects, even if they have some inheritance, it’s probably in decline…”

“If it weren’t for this Array Discussion Grand Competition, Tai Xu Sect wouldn’t have had such a surprise. With their strength, they might not necessarily be able to maintain their position among the Eight Great Sects.”

The cultivator from Xuanji Valley shook his head and said:

“You all really don’t understand…”

“The assembly’s ranking is based on the strength of the sect’s disciples, and these strengths do not include ‘heavenly mechanism methods’.”

“The current situation is that the heavenly mechanism inheritance in the Qianxue State border has declined.”

“Tai Xu Sect may not be as it was before, but they still have one or two Void Transformation elder ancestors who are wholeheartedly researching heavenly mechanism cause and effect.”

“Other sects, even the four major sects, have been too comfortable for too long, their hearts too heavily invested in fame and fortune, and they have almost long since abandoned these foundations. If we talk about the power of heavenly mechanism derivation, they are actually not much stronger than Tai Xu Sect.”

“Since that is the case, why do you all think Tai Xu Sect’s heavenly mechanism lock can be broken just by saying so?”

This speech was a bit harsh. Most of the cultivators from world families in the Qianxue State border were not convinced.

“You’re boosting others’ morale and extinguishing your own prestige. You’re looking up to Tai Xu Sect too much. How do you know if you don’t try?”

The cultivator from Xuanji Valley coldly laughed, “Have you all forgotten that Tai Xu Sect still has that sword art?”

When these words were spoken, the cultivators who knew the inside story all changed color. The Xuanji cultivator said: “Although that sword art’s inheritance has been cut off, it’s hard to guarantee that there are still some old antiques who have learned the true secrets of this sword art and are not afraid of damaging their bodies, guarding within the Tai Xu mountain gate.”

“If you go to break Tai Xu Sect’s heavenly mechanism lock, and happen to truly anger this kind of old antique, he might trace the cause and effect and slash a sword in your brains, perhaps immediately destroying your divine souls completely.”

“Moreover, you’ll die in vain.”

“Violating a great taboo, peeking at cause and effect, and having your divine soul wiped out, who would dare go to Tai Xu Mountain for you all and seek justice?”

As he said this, the crowd felt like a sword was at their throats, and their faces turned pale. Seeing the situation, the cultivator from Xuanji Valley softened his tone a bit:

“You are all considered insiders. Even if you haven’t personally experienced it, you should have heard the saying that the heavenly mechanism is dangerous and cause and effect are unpredictable.”

“Sometimes, being cautious is a good thing. You absolutely cannot take risks to peek at cause and effect that cannot be peeked at.”

“Frankly,” the cultivator from Xuanji Valley sighed, with some emotion in his expression, “Several years ago, a ‘Mei Elder’ of my Xuanji Valley received an invitation from the Shangguan family to come to the Qianxue State border and calculate a cause and effect.”

“The result…”

The cultivator from Xuanji Valley still felt lingering fear. “Mei Elder couldn’t refuse the hospitality and reluctantly went to calculate something he shouldn’t have calculated. He then saw a great terror, his expression was terrified, he spat blood, his whole body turned ice cold, and he is still recuperating in Xuanji Valley…”

“Although this is two different things, the principle is the same. When it comes to cause and effect, please all be cautious.” The cultivator from Xuanji Valley said with a grave expression.

With him personally saying this, the crowd of cultivators from world families all had stern expressions and dared not be rash anymore. They would also secretly calculate a bit again, but they fundamentally could not break the Tai Xu heavenly mechanism lock. Out of fear of Tai Xu Sect, they also dared not do too much. Over time, they could only give up. This also invisibly saved their lives.

Inside Tai Xu Sect.

Elder Xun admonished Mo Xi, saying, “Remember to wear what I gave you around your neck, don’t take it off.”

Mo Xi touched the jade lock around his neck. This jade lock, made of unknown material, was carved with eight trigrams on the outside, divided into yin and yang in the middle, containing stars within, profoundly mysterious, seemingly like Tai Xu. According to Elder Xun, it was called the “Tai Xu Two Yi Lock” and could seal cause and effect.

“Elder, what specifically is this lock used for?” Mo Xi asked.

“Don’t ask, just wear it. Absolutely don’t lose it,” Elder Xun said.

Mo Xi nodded in agreement. What Elder Xun gave him was certainly good. Since the elder told him to wear it, he would wear it at all times.

Elder Xun looked at Mo Xi, who was wearing the jade lock, and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. This Tai Xu Two Yi Lock was the only one of its kind, considered a supreme heavenly mechanism treasure passed down by Tai Xu Sect. He was usually reluctant to even take it out for a look. But the current situation was special, so he could only give it to Mo Xi first to wear as a life lock. No matter what, Mo Xi’s cause and effect had to be protected well. With so many world families in the Qianxue State border eyeing him covetously, he had to sacrifice something and use this Two Yi Lock to lock cause and effect, deter petty people, and prevent others from peeking.

There was no choice. Foundation Building mid-stage, divine sense exceeding ranks, Array Discussion first – these things combined were truly too shocking to the world. People fear fame, pigs fear being fat. When it was time to be low-key, it was best to be low-key. Elder Xun’s original intention was to protect Mo Xi. But he didn’t know how many world families and sects in the Qianxue State border he had unintentionally saved from disaster and evil with the Tai Xu Two Yi Lock. If there was no cause and effect seal, and Mo Xi allowed others to calculate, the cause and effect of the evil god and the Dao sins, once spread, would pollute countless cultivators. The entire Qianxue State border would likely instantly fall into chaos. And Mo Xi would truly become a “chaos fetus”…

“From now on, just stay in the sect, don’t go anywhere, cultivate in peace, at least until this period of trouble passes,” Elder Xun said.

Mo Xi nodded seriously, “Okay, Elder Xun.”

He also indeed had many things to do. He had to take advantage of the fact that he still had a good impression, and ponder the last capping of the Array Discussion Assembly, the nineteen-pattern peak reverse spirit array, understand it more deeply, and comprehend it several times. The Chop God Sword still needed to be learned. The Water Shadow Illusion Body needed more practice. Of course, the most important thing was that the Array Discussion Assembly was already over, and Tai Xu Sect’s precarious ranking was preserved. He could now concentrate on breaking through to the Foundation Building late-stage.

Thereafter, Mo Xi cultivated peacefully within Tai Xu Sect. But a tree desires calm, yet the wind does not cease. Many sects were still unable to eat or sit still because of him. Especially the four major sects.

In the discussion hall of Qiandao Sect. Several influential elders from Heavenly Sword Sect, Dragon Cauldron Sect, and Wanyao Sect were discussing matters with Elder Shen of Qiandao Sect.

“Can’t calculate anything…”

“Tai Xu Sect is guilty, they don’t dare let people peek at this boy’s cause and effect.”

“You’re not being reasonable. If it were you, would you be willing to let people peek?”

“Tai Xu Sect’s elder ancestors, their strategy is actually so deep, they actually hid such a trump card, it’s truly too unbelievable…”

“Originally, Tai Xu Sect was going to end up like Tai’a Sect and Chongxu Sect, but now they not only survived, but they’re living better, already ranking third…”

“What do we do now?”

“What can we do? The wood has already become a boat, the Array Discussion Chief is already set, we can’t change it even if we wanted to…”

“What I mean is, the next session…” The elder from Heavenly Sword Sect frowned and said.

The elder from Dragon Cauldron Sect was startled, “The next session?”

The elder from Heavenly Sword Sect said in a deep voice: “This session is already over. We were caught off guard and were outmaneuvered by Tai Xu Sect, losing the chief position. Although we regret it, dwelling on it now is meaningless. The key is the next session…”

The elder from Heavenly Sword Sect’s expression became even more grave, even showing some lingering fear:

“This child’s talent is this terrifying. At the Foundation Building mid-stage, he could forcefully suppress the Foundation Building late-stage and even Foundation Building peak geniuses of our four major sects and take the Array Discussion first place. What about the next session?”

“By the time of the next session, he’ll be at the Foundation Building late-stage, his array skills honed further, and more advanced. What will our four major sects use to compare with him?”

“He can get first place with his eyes closed!”

The faces of the crowd of elders were extremely grim.

“This ‘Mo Xi’ monster, you all have a rough idea of his current array level, don’t you?”

The elder from Heavenly Sword Sect felt a chill run down his spine:

“A Foundation Building mid-stage cultivation base, yet he can easily suppress three generations, proudly overlook the four sects, be crowned among the eight sects, sweep through the twelve streams, and suppress the countless disciples of Qianxue’s hundred or even thousand sects…”

“This is a monster rarely seen in a thousand years, an absolute ‘cliff’ style monster!”

“As long as he exists, all Array Path disciples in the Qianxue State border will have to look up to him, live in the shadow of this ‘monster’, and never be able to raise their heads.”

“From now on, in the Array Discussion Assembly, our four major sects can only ever fight for the second position in arrays. The position of ‘chief’ will be out of reach, even looking at it will be a luxury.”

The elder from Heavenly Sword Sect’s tone was shocked, and his heart was filled with lingering fear. Elder Shen, including the elders from Dragon Cauldron Sect and Wanyao Sect, also had faces like frost. A heaven-born monster, shocking to the world, hard to rival, such a disciple, by a strange coincidence, happened to fall into Tai Xu Sect. Their luck was truly bad…

“Then should we or not?” The elder from Dragon Cauldron Sect’s gaze was slightly cold.

The elder from Wanyao Sect frowned, “Don’t mess around. A heaven-born monster, do you really dare to make a move? Be careful of bad luck…”

The elder from Dragon Cauldron Sect said: “I don’t actually want to make a move on him. What I mean is, we need to find a way to pull him in, let him join our four major sects.”

“If that really doesn’t work, then we just need to find a way to tempt him and lead him astray.”

“Wine, sex, wealth, and power. Since he’s a person, he should like one or two of these. Once he indulges in pleasure and is delayed by female charm, his life will be wasted…”

“Geniuses often thrive in ‘talent’ and are ruined in ‘heart’.”

“Tai Xu Sect isn’t stupid, how could they let you act recklessly?”

“Let’s try. We won’t lose anything. Otherwise, where can we find a figure even more monstrous than him to compete with him in arrays?”

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea…”

The crowd discussed among themselves, but for a while, they couldn’t come up with anything. An hour later, the several people had no results from their discussion and left with their own thoughts. Only Elder Shen remained in the hall. Elder Shen furrowed his brow.

But no matter how he thought, he couldn’t come up with any way to contend with this “monster” from Tai Xu Sect. Forget about winning, even restraining him was a luxury. Divine sense exceeding three ranks was too much against the heavens… This was not to mention his terrifyingly solid array attainment itself.

Elder Shen shook his head and sighed. “Mo Xi…”

Now, when he heard this name, he subconsciously felt a chill in his heart, and occasionally even had nightmares. Elder Shen slowly walked out of the hall, but after only a few steps, his pupils suddenly constricted, and his footsteps lagged.

“That’s not right. This name… why does it feel a bit familiar?”

“Is it because I’ve been chanting it too much recently? Or did I hear it somewhere before?”

Elder Shen’s brow furrowed tighter. Mo Xi. Mo Xi… Mo…

Elder Shen’s eyes suddenly widened. Some fragmented bits and pieces from the memories he had “glanced at and forgotten” gradually surfaced. A cold air continuously surged in his heart. Elder Shen’s body trembled, and he immediately returned to his elder’s room. His hands trembling, he searched among a vast number of scrolls, one by one. He was looking for a registration record. How carefree he was when he threw this registration record away, and how embarrassed he was finding it now. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, Elder Shen finally found an ordinary “registration record” book in a corner, pressed at the bottom and covered in years of dust.

Elder Shen trembled and slowly opened the registration record. Written on the registration record was the line: “Although having an enter-sect order, qualifications do not match, pending discussion.” And the name on the registration record was exactly…

“Lizhou loose cultivator, Mo Xi.”

Elder Shen’s face was pale. The words he had said to the crowd that day when he refused this loose cultivator’s enter-sect order echoed in his ears again, one by one.

“A loose cultivator from the remote place of Lizhou…”

“Middle-lower grade small five elements spirit root…”

“Not worth looking at…”

“The specialty column wrote… array?”

“He really dares to write it… ignorantly fearless…”

“Cultivators from small places might learn a few arrays and feel great about themselves, not knowing the height of this mountain, the vastness of this sea, and that there’s always someone better…”

“This is Qian State, this is the Qianxue State border. Geniuses in the cultivation world are all here. We don’t lack this one ‘array genius’…”

“Opportunity is one thing, but… our Qiandao Sect’s great opportunity, he can’t bear it!”

“An opportunity that’s too big is not a good thing either…”

“A person with thin fortune cannot receive such heaven-breaking riches…”

Elder Shen only felt his face burning with pain, and his heart was bitter. “This disciple, holding an enter-sect order, wanted to worship and enter my Qiandao Sect, but was refused… by me…”

This monster who easily suppressed three generations, crowned the four sects, and was absolutely outstanding, was personally… handed over by me to Tai Xu Sect?

Elder Shen’s heart was like an ice cellar. And there was also… the “enter-sect order”. Looking back now, this ancient enter-sect order obviously had a great cause and effect. This child, holding the enter-sect order, wanting to worship and enter Qiandao Sect, very likely had a high-ranking person who, thinking of past cause and effect, granted Qiandao Sect an opportunity. And I personally cut off this heaven-sent great opportunity, cut off this cause and effect…