“You tricked him?”

“I didn’t trick him.” Mr. Zhuang said, his reasoning firm and strong, “I only said the great array starts with ten patterns, I didn’t say the great array I’m giving him only has ten patterns.”

“An eleven-pattern great array also counts as starting with ten patterns!”

Mr. Zhuang argued reasonably.

The puppet’s old face trembled, feeling Mr. Zhuang’s actions were truly absurd, and at the same time, it was even harder to believe:

“So, what he drew wasn’t actually the array core of a grade-one, ten-pattern great array, but… a grade-one, eleven-pattern one?”

Mr. Zhuang sighed, “That’s why I was shocked.”

“The great array jade slip was given by you, what are you shocked about?”

“Precisely because I gave it, that’s why I was shocked.” Mr. Zhuang sighed, “It’s very difficult to draw. Ordinary grade-two array masters can’t learn it.”

And Mo Hua drew it in just one month…

Moreover, looking at it, the brushstrokes were very skilled, seemingly drawn many times…

“Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” the puppet asked.

“What difference would it make if I said it?” Mr. Zhuang said faintly.

Mr. Zhuang turned his head, looking towards the deep mountains dyed blood-red in the night, and said with a deep gaze:

“This unique great demon is not an ordinary great demon. A grade-one, ten-pattern great array cannot trap and kill it, so we can only use an eleven-pattern great array to kill it.”

“Whether it’s ten patterns or eleven patterns, since Mo Hua has made up his mind, he’s bound to want to learn it. So, what kind of great array it is, actually doesn’t matter.”

“If he can learn it and build the eleven-pattern great array, he can go trap and kill the great demon. If he can’t learn it, then he will naturally give up, and there’s no need to waste manpower and resources on this kind of futile struggle.”

The puppet frowned and asked, “Can the eleven-pattern great array kill it?”

Mr. Zhuang seemed to smile but not smile, “Is there anything inevitable in this world? Even if the array collapses, it will still leave a glimmer of hope. Where can there be a truly inescapable situation?”

“The eleven-pattern Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Array, purely in terms of killing power, is enough to trap and kill a great demon. But a great demon is a Dao Sin, an anomaly of the Heavenly Dao. Until the very end, no one knows what will happen…”

“What if it’s not killed?” the puppet asked again.

“Rest assured,” Mr. Zhuang said, “As long as the great array is successfully built, even if the great demon isn’t killed in the end, it can still consume more than half of its essence, severely injuring it.”

“No one dares provoke a great demon at its peak, but a severely injured great demon is something people are interested in.”

“The Dao Court Department, various large clans and sects will all find ways to make a move. After all, this is a living… Dao Sin.”

“If it really doesn’t work.” Mr. Zhuang looked at the puppet, seeming to smile but not smile, and said, “You can also make a move, you’ll just die once.”

“One body shell for one Dao Sin, it’s still worth it.”

The puppet’s gaze lowered, his hands behind his back, standing upright. In his lowered gaze, a hint of sharpness flashed.

Mr. Zhuang muttered in a low voice, “So old, yet still so dishonest. What are you pretending to be profound for?”

The puppet paused, couldn’t help but sigh, and asked him again:

“Do you really not want to take a direct disciple?”

This time, Mr. Zhuang was the one who was stumped. He hesitated for a long time before sighing and saying, “I’ve said it before, in this life, I will never take another disciple.”

The puppet said faintly, “I can’t even count how many times you’ve broken promises. What are you pretending to be a man of your word for…”

Mr. Zhuang paused, sighed and said:

“There’s really no point in talking to you, you expose my flaws too easily.”

The puppet ignored him.

Mr. Zhuang thought of Mo Hua, his heart momentarily lost.

If it were before, he would have taken this disciple. But now, now is not comparable to the past.

Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment, then sighed to himself:

“It would have been good if he was a registered disciple. Taking him as a direct disciple will harm him, and also harm me…”

Mr. Zhuang was in the boundless night, his whole body covered in darkness. The desolate moonlight sprinkled on the ground, but couldn’t illuminate his face.

“After all, those who want to kill me are countless…”

After Mo Hua returned home, he began to formally consider building the great array.

He first found Elder Yu and said as soon as he opened his mouth:

“Elder, I want to kill that pig!”

Elder Yu was stunned, “Which pig?”

Mo Hua stretched out his small hand and pointed in the direction of the deep mountains, pointing to the blood essence that soared into the sky and was so powerful it made people palpitate.

Elder Yu was greatly startled, “What nonsense!”

That was Seal Xi, a legendary great demon that could devour an entire immortal city. How could it be killed?

Even if it could be killed, it wouldn’t be their turn as rogue cultivators to do so.

They fundamentally didn’t have the foundation and strength.

“It can be killed!” Mo Hua insisted.

Elder Yu wanted to say something, but he looked at Mo Hua and suddenly fell silent.

He knew in his heart that Mo Hua didn’t want to leave Tongxian City, and also didn’t want them to leave their homeland.

They also didn’t want to leave, but they had to.

When a great disaster strikes, they, these rogue cultivators, fundamentally have no choice. They can only go with the flow. They can only leave their hometown and seek another way out.

Speaking of this, Elder Yu suddenly felt a little reluctant again.

If they migrated to another city, he didn’t know if he would be able to see Mo Hua again.

Although he valued Mo Hua because he was an array master, he also liked this child from the bottom of his heart.

Elder Yu felt a little bitter in his heart. He patted Mo Hua’s shoulder and said solemnly:

“You take the spirit stones, find a good place in a nearby state, settle down and build your foundation. With your ability, you will definitely become a respected great array master in the future.”

“As for the rogue cultivators of Tongxian City, I will take care of them, you just rest assured.”

“Migrating to the south is difficult, but as long as we can be self-reliant, it’s just a little harder, there’s nothing to be afraid of. After all, rogue cultivators are most not afraid of hardship.”

Elder Yu tried to comfort Mo Hua.

Mo Hua shook his head and said seriously, “Elder, I really have a way to kill the great demon!”

Elder Yu was stunned and couldn’t help but frown, carefully examining Mo Hua’s expression.

Mo Hua’s expression was calm, steady with confidence, not like a joke, and not like baseless talk.

Elder Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but say, “You… do you really have a way?”

Mo Hua nodded and said directly, “We can build a great array to kill Seal Xi!”

Elder Yu’s expression was wrong, “Great array…”

This wasn’t the first time he had heard of a great array, but it was the first time in his life he had heard the three words “build a great array”.

Before, he had also heard people mention great arrays, saying that in which state, which sect or clan, their foundation was deep and they had even built powerful sect-protecting great arrays, standing for thousands of years without falling…

But these words were just for listening, and he didn’t care.

They, rogue cultivators, couldn’t even use ordinary arrays, let alone great arrays.

Even the people who said these words to him only knew that there were great arrays, it was impossible to see them in person.

Unless it was a critical moment of survival, sects would not open their sect-protecting great arrays.

Many rogue cultivators, and even many cultivators from clans or sects, may not be able to personally witness a great array opening in their lifetime.

Let alone personally “build a great array”.

This kind of thing was simply a fantasy.

Elder Yu was stunned for a long time, thought for a moment before recovering, and stammered, “What great array?”

“Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Array!” Mo Hua said domineeringly.

Elder Yu was shocked. Just hearing the name of this great array, he felt a surge of killing intent in his face.

Moreover, just by listening, it sounded like it could suppress and kill great demons…

However, he was still uneasy in his heart, “Can it really kill it?”

Mo Hua said rigorously, “There is a high probability it can be killed, if there are no accidents.”

Since Mr. Zhuang would give him the array, it meant that in Mr. Zhuang’s estimation, the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Array could suppress and kill Seal Xi. Even if it couldn’t kill it, at least it could contend with the great demon.

Otherwise, Mr. Zhuang wouldn’t have let him learn it.

However, Mo Hua had followed Mr. Zhuang for a long time and had heard Mr. Zhuang speak of reason. There was no matter in this world that was 100% certain, so he still spoke with some rigor.

Despite this, it was still enough to shock Elder Yu.

There is a high probability it can be killed.

This is a great demon! It’s a great disaster that Tongxian City’s generations have recorded as being fundamentally irresistible, and Mo Hua actually said “there is a high probability it can be killed”…

Elder Yu was tangled.

He put his hands behind his back and paced in the hall, walking and thinking, but still couldn’t make up his mind for a long time.

Elder Yu walked several circles, then suddenly stopped and asked:

“This great array… who will draw it?”

Mo Hua patted his small chest, “Me!”

Elder Yu said in his heart, it was indeed so, but he still couldn’t believe it and said:

“You… can you draw a great array?”

Mo Hua didn’t hide it from Elder Yu, “I can draw the key parts, the rest can be learned slowly later, but the great array must be prepared early, otherwise there won’t be enough time.”

“What is needed to build a great array?”

Elder Yu asked. He only knew that building a great array was extremely difficult, but he didn’t know where it was difficult.

Mo Hua counted it out and told Elder Yu so he could have an idea:

“To build a great array, a large amount of manpower and resources are needed.”

“Manpower includes array formation refiners, craftsmen, the main array master who draws the array core, and other array masters who help fill in the single arrays. Besides, body cultivators who can help output power would be even better…”

“Materials are primarily spirit stones, other materials include various cultivation materials, such as refined iron for refining, earth and stones for building, spirit ink, etc…”

The more Elder Yu listened, the more shocked he became.

Building a great array consumed so much and involved so many procedures. No wonder he had lived so long and hadn’t seen a great array, let alone someone who dared to build one.

As for the array, Elder Yu wasn’t worried. He had blind trust in Mo Hua.

In terms of arrays, whatever Mo Hua said, that’s what it was.

Although he felt that a great array must be very difficult to draw, since Mo Hua said he would, he would definitely draw it. Elder Yu had no doubts at all.

The problem now was whether they were willing to invest so much manpower and resources to build a great array.

Elder Yu frowned, thinking of a problem:

“Even if all the demon hunters are sent out, and all the spirit stones are used up, it’s still not enough to build a great array?”

Mo Hua nodded, “So we still need to think of other ways, but only if you agree first, then I can go talk to other people.”

The Dao Court Department has great authority, the Dao Soldier Department is strong in attack and killing, but the demon hunters are the most numerous, are most familiar with Mo Hua, and are closely related to this matter, even life and death.

So only if Elder Yu agrees first, the great array can have a foundation to be built.

Elder Yu was even more tangled. He began to pace in the hall again, pulling his beard as he walked, his heart hesitant and undecided.

This was a gamble.

If they win the gamble, they can settle down in Tongxian City.

With refining, alchemy, and other various industries all in place, their days will get better and better.

If they lose the gamble, they will be penniless.

They can still migrate to another city then, but materials will be scarce, and their days will be harder.

If they don’t gamble, they are destined to leave their homeland.

They will move to an unknown barren place, live hard, and likely experience oppression.

The only good thing is that they still have some spirit stones in hand.

But even with these spirit stones, if they just consume them without earning more, they may not last long.

Moreover, trekking through mountains and rivers on this journey, who knows how much danger there will be. It’s still unknown whether these spirit stones can stay in their hands in the end.

Elder Yu turned his head and looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua’s eyes were firm and bright, but he was much thinner. These days, he must have been racking his brains and spending a lot of effort.

Thinking again about the great array he mentioned, he must have been drawing the great array day and night, forgetting to eat and sleep.

Why was this?

He could leave. He didn’t need to suffer like them, these rogue cultivators. He could settle down safely, find a promising force to rely on, and have limitless prospects in cultivation.

But this child was still racking his brains for them.

Elder Yu’s heart trembled, and he made a decision.

He wanted to gamble on this!

Being a little hard and being ten times harder, for a rogue cultivator, there is actually no difference.

If they don’t strive for progress, the situation of being a little hard will sooner or later become ten times harder.

But if they win this gamble, they will truly change the fate of rogue cultivators.

At least, it will change the fate of the rogue cultivators of Tongxian City.

Elder Yu nodded seriously and said, “Good, we’ll build the great array!”

Mo Hua’s expression brightened, and instead he said with some worry:

“Are you not going to consider it again?”

“When the time is ripe, don’t delay, otherwise it will cause chaos.” Elder Yu said, “When doing things, there should be a decisive time, and you must be decisive!”

“Besides, since you came to me, you must have considered everything beforehand. You understand the matter of the great array better than I do, why should I waste more thought?”

Mo Hua felt relieved and said, “Then I’ll go find others.”

Elder Yu nodded and said, “You gather the people, and we’ll talk together.”

“Good.” Mo Hua nodded.

With Elder Yu’s help in persuading, things should be smoother.

Mo Hua got up and left, then went to the Dao Court Department.

Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua’s back, lost in thought, and finally sighed.

Building a great array to fight against a great demon, this is a gamble.

He dared to gamble. Perhaps the rogue cultivators before were not afraid to gamble, but they didn’t have this opportunity.

In the past thousands of years, there had never been a small array master like Mo Hua who could draw a great array, and was willing to draw a great array for them, and was even willing to help them, these rogue cultivators, fight a battle to change their own fate.