Unlike Mo Hua’s thoughts, Tianji Qigua didn’t split off a “clone”, but an “ink shadow”.

Both illusory and real, the overlapping shadows were like a Daoist robe draped over Mo Hua’s body. This body “Dao robe” was similar to the Guidao Master’s, but also different. It was pitch-black, yet very clean. It contained no filth, no blood, revealing a hint of strangeness untainted by worldly dust.

Mo Hua’s eyes also became more profound, revealing the gloomy black shadows of Guidao, yet not empty and terrifying. Instead, they contained spirit and brightness. The pupils were pitch-black, containing radiance. He was the master of Guidao, not someone enslaved by Guidao.

“This is… Shibo’s Tianji Qigua…”

“Also… the true form of Tianji Qigua?”

Mo Hua looked around his body. This layer of “Dao robe” on his body was only a shallow one, far from being comparable to Shibo’s, but he seemed to be…

Truly initiated?

Entered the door of Guidao?

Mo Hua was startled again, and couldn’t help but worry. Will he really become a “little Guidao Master” in the future…?

Mo Hua thought carefully for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief. It shouldn’t be to that extent…

Tianji Qigua and Tianji Yigua are from the same school, both orthodox, unique divine sense calculation methods. Shibo’s Tianji Qigua was evil and terrifying because he had become a demon, turned bad. Tianji Qigua had mixed in demonic methods and various wronged souls’ remnants.

As long as his divine sense didn’t become a demon, his divine sense wouldn’t turn into demonic thoughts, and he wouldn’t use demonic thoughts as seeds to parasitize others’ Dao hearts. Just using Qigua to split his divine sense wouldn’t count as “planting a demon in the Dao heart”.

Mo Hua put his heart at ease. Shibo had become a demon, a big demon head. But he was different… He cultivated proper techniques and righteous divine sense. However, he still had to be more careful in the future, not to become a demon, and even less to become a “little demon head”…

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, then his expression became excited. With Tianji Qigua splitting the ink shadow and wearing the “Dao robe”, wouldn’t his speed of drawing arrays be faster?

Mo Hua impatiently tried it once, and began to urge Tianji Qigua. In his eyes, Guidao appeared, revealing a deep black-gray color. In his sea of consciousness, the divine sense incarnation put on the “Dao robe” and split the ink shadow.

At the same time, his divine sense circulated rapidly, more than doubling in speed. The speed of array layout was also like divine help, the array patterns flowing like clouds and water… On the ground, the spirit ink swirled, quickly connecting, rapidly forming the array.

Mo Hua himself was drawing, and the split ink shadow, like an external incarnation, with the same origin and thoughts, was also helping Mo Hua draw. But the consumption of divine sense was also intensifying, like a river bank bursting, flooding a thousand miles. The speed of divine sense dissipation was extremely astonishing.

Fortunately, Mo Hua’s divine sense was incomparably deep and condensed, so he could still support it. Mo Hua gritted his teeth and persevered, the ink shadows heavily overlapping, the array patterns galloping like horses… This process was painful but short. In just over ten breaths, the second-grade Di Huo Array was constructed and drawn!

And Mo Hua’s divine sense was depleted, his sea of consciousness was sharp with pain, his scalp was numb, and cold sweat appeared on his forehead. Tianji Qigua splits divine sense. Drawing arrays like this is extremely fast, but the consumption of divine sense is also extremely large.

Mo Hua’s fourteen-pattern qualitative change divine sense was originally more than enough to draw a thirteen-pattern array, but now with Guidao splitting thoughts, he felt extremely strenuous after drawing.

However, Mo Hua was still very happy. To him, a large consumption of divine sense and some pain in the sea of consciousness didn’t count for much. Compared to that, forming an array in just over ten breaths was already much, much faster than before.

Although it was still not fast enough to be displayed instantly in battle, it was still possible to find ways to delay time, seize more than ten breaths of free time, and quietly control the ink with divine sense to lay out the array.

Moreover, this was just the beginning… He only split one ink shadow and wore one shallow layer of Dao robe. If in the future, he could split ten thousand ink shadows, and the Dao robe covered the sky and hid the ground, wouldn’t he be able to…

Form a great array with a single thought?

This idea scared Mo Hua himself. Then he quickly collected his mind.

“Can’t aim too high…”

First, steadily enhance divine sense little by little, research divine sense algorithms, practice divine sense control of ink, build second-grade arrays, then little by little, draw better and faster… Constantly shorten the time to draw arrays on the ground… Until in battle, at a critical moment, he can instantly form an array and reverse the war situation… This is what he should be doing now. The outrageous idea of forming a great array with a single thought should still be buried in his heart first…

At this point, Mo Hua’s plan was basically completed. He had spirit ink, and he could also draw arrays. There was basically nothing else to learn by waiting. Mo Hua sighed. Although reluctant, he also knew that it was time for him to leave.

He wanted to go to Qian State to seek learning. Otherwise, his cultivation would not be able to advance, his array skills would stagnate, and cultivation resources would be scarce… His entire life might be unable to cultivate supreme divine sense and seek the peak of the array great Dao. It would be even more impossible to save his Master…

Two months later, a cloud ferry would depart from the neighboring second-grade Qingyuan State boundary, from south to north, passing through Kun, Dui, and Qian three states, finally arriving at the northern Kan State. Mo Hua wanted to take the cloud ferry from Li State and get off when it passed through Qian State.

This was told to Mo Hua by Zhou Zhangsi. Zhou Zhangsi was the Zhangsi of Tongxian City, and he knew more about this cloud ferry information than Mo Hua. At the same time, he also gave Mo Hua a cloud ferry order, made of white jade, exquisite and luxurious. A cloud ferry order is equivalent to a cloud ferry ticket.

Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask, “Zhangsi, this is very expensive, isn’t it…”

Zhou Zhangsi nodded, “It’s not cheap…” The main thing was that it wasn’t easy to get. This kind of cloud ferry that crossed state boundaries, without some connections, you couldn’t get your hands on it. Both inside and out, you had to spend quite a lot of spirit stones.

“But it doesn’t matter…” Zhou Zhangsi took a sip of tea, “It can be reimbursed…”

Mo Hua was stunned, “This can also be reported?”

“What’s this…” Zhou Zhangsi shook his head, “The Dao Court Si is a bit messy here, all kinds of improper and unserious things can be reported. Sending you to Qian State for enrollment, this kind of proper matter, why can’t it be reported?”

“But I don’t count as a person of the Dao Court Si, do I…”

“How can you not count?” Zhou Zhangsi said dissatisfiedly, “You have a bronze waist card from Tongxian City. Although it’s external, you can also count as one of our own.”

Mo Hua then remembered. Uncle Zhang Lan had given him a bronze waist card initially. This waist card was just for show, and he hadn’t used it for a long time, so he hadn’t thought of it temporarily.

“There should be quite a lot of merits in your waist card. When you arrive in Qian State, if you’re short on money, you can exchange some spirit stones and spirit objects for emergencies…”

“But if you don’t need it, don’t use it yet.”

“Wait until your cultivation is high and you get to know higher-level cultivators in the Dao Court. These merits will all be of great use…” Zhou Zhangsi exhorted.

“What great uses?” Mo Hua asked.

Zhou Zhangsi said frankly, “I’m not a high-level official of the Dao Court, I don’t know.”

Mo Hua paused, nodded and said, “Okay then…”

Zhou Zhangsi thought for a while, then lowered his voice and said: “Although that’s the case, you can use this bronze waist card, but don’t rely on it too much. After all, it’s external. If you cause trouble, no one will cover for you…”

Mo Hua was startled, then nodded, indicating he understood. Having a bronze waist card barely counts as a “person of our own” in the Dao Court Si… But conversely, if you use it, you are a “person of our own”, if you don’t, you are “external”. Zhou Zhangsi was obviously still looking out for Mo Hua, admonishing him both when he should and shouldn’t.

After that, he took another sip of tea and said leisurely: “You are going to Qian State to seek learning, improve your cultivation, increase your knowledge, and refine arrays…”

“Qian State gathers heavenly talents from various states. If you become famous there, that will also bring glory to our Da Hei Mountain State.”

“So, you can accept this cloud ferry order without guilt.”

Mo Hua was a bit moved, but also felt some “major responsibility”, then softly asked: “What if… I don’t become famous there?”

Zhou Zhangsi gently glared at Mo Hua, “What do you think the ‘heavenly talents’ from various states are? Are they big white cabbages?”

“Heavenly talents, children of heaven’s favor, how can you casually suppress them?”

“With numerous sects, heavenly talents gathered in Qian State, it’s normal not to become famous. It would be seeing a ghost if you truly become famous.”

“Moreover, ‘fame’ also has big and small kinds…”

“You are now in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. If you go to Qian State and come back in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, or even just the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, isn’t that also becoming ‘famous’?”

“Or, you are now a first-grade array master. If you go to Qian State and become a second-grade array master, isn’t that also ‘fame’, and a big fame at that!”

“So, don’t have any pressure…” Zhou Zhangsi said, “Qian State is a place with many geniuses, but what does that have to do with us?”

“No matter how high their cultivation is, they won’t protect us. No matter how good their arrays are, they won’t draw for us…”

“Similarly, no matter how well you learn, they won’t necessarily consider you a ‘treasure’…”

“So, just go and learn. As long as you learn something, regardless of the size of your fame, that is adding glory to the state, and we will all only be happy for you!”

Mo Hua felt much more relaxed and couldn’t help but smile: “Thank you, Zhangsi!”

Zhou Zhangsi nodded slightly, his mood pleased, and continued to drink his tea. Mo Hua heard Zhou Zhangsi mention “second-grade array master” and asked again: “Zhangsi, can Tongxian City award the title of second-grade array master?”

“Second-grade array master?” Zhou Zhangsi was startled, then shook his head, “No.”

“A second-grade state does not have that qualification to award the title of second-grade array master. It must be at least a third-grade state and above…”

“Oh.” Mo Hua nodded.

Zhou Zhangsi picked up his teacup, just about to take a sip, when he was suddenly startled, the teacup trembled, “You… a second-grade array master?”

Mo Hua thought for a while and shook his head. A second-grade initial array master needs to master a second-grade thirteen-pattern array. Although Mo Hua felt this wasn’t difficult, he had only learned one second-grade Di Huo Array so far. He was still some distance away from being a true second-grade initial array master. So, he didn’t count as a second-grade array master.

“Not yet, I was just asking.” Mo Hua said.

Zhou Zhangsi nodded slightly and calmed down. Just asking, ah, he scared himself… He was just saying, ah, a second-grade array master, that would be too ridiculous… A fifteen-year-old first-grade array master was already very extraordinary. If he became a second-grade array master as well, it would be a bit… not human…

After Zhou Zhangsi handed the cloud ferry order to Mo Hua, he exhorted him to keep it well and not to delay, as the cloud ferry would set off on the first day two months later. Mo Hua held the cool cloud ferry order, feeling both heavy and inevitably a little lonely.

“Really have to… leave, ah…” He had to say goodbye to Tongxian City, say goodbye to his parents, say goodbye to relatives and friends, and go to a strange state boundary, walk on an unknown path. Mo Hua felt guilty. Especially towards his parents. But Qian State had to be gone to…

Mo Hua sighed. In the following time, Mo Hua mostly stayed at home, accompanying his parents. Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were also reluctant to part with Mo Hua, but as cultivators, seeking immortality and the Dao, this was their fate. No matter how reluctant, they had to be. Their hearts still inevitably worried and ached.

Mo Shan reduced the number of times he went into the mountains to hunt demons, drawing some time to stay at home and accompany Mo Hua. Liu Ruhua also made many delicious dishes for Mo Hua. At the same time, she packed his luggage and sorted his things, stuffing a pile of dried meat, dried fruits, and wine brew into his storage bag. And quite a lot of spirit stones. Mo Hua didn’t want it, but couldn’t refuse, only taking half. He thought his parents should also keep some spirit stones to cultivate well, so they could reach Foundation Establishment, even form a Golden Core, and live happily.

His luggage was almost packed, when Liu Ruhua suddenly thought of something, took out a wooden box, and handed it to Mo Hua. “This is Zhang Diansi’s thing. He was drinking at the eatery that day, left it on the table, and forgot to take it. The next day, I heard he left Tongxian City to return to the Zhang family. There’s no way to return this wooden box to him…”

“Zhang Diansi probably won’t come back. You keep it. If you meet him in the future, return it to him.”

Mo Hua was startled, “Wooden box?” He took it and looked. It was an ordinary wooden box, but the material was very sturdy, and it was sealed with an array. He didn’t know what was inside.

“Okay, Mother, I’ll keep it for now. I’ll return it to Uncle Zhang when I see him later.” But he still had some doubts in his heart. Uncle Zhang Lan, although a bit idle and did nothing, like a salted fish, was actually thoughtful, not the kind of person who lost things. How could he lose the wooden box in the eatery?

Mo Hua looked at the wooden box, and was suddenly startled. The wooden box was sealed with an array. This array was an entry-level composite array, very simple, just the basic composite array in “Introduction to Composite Arrays” that he had seen when he first learned composite arrays. The first time he met Zhang Lan, he had consulted him with this composite array… This matter should only be known to him and Uncle Zhang Lan.

“This wooden box was left for me by Uncle Zhang?” Mo Hua was a bit doubtful. He looked carefully at the array again, and felt it was unwatchable… It was drawn too poorly… Mo Hua could see that the person who drew the array tried very hard, but the foundation of the array was really too poor…

Mo Hua roughly determined. It was Zhang Lan’s handwriting. “Uncle Zhang deliberately used this composite array to seal the wooden box, is he trying to hide something?” Mo Hua was a little curious, thought for a while, and still decided to open it and see. He pointed his finger, his divine sense moved slightly, and ink patterns appeared, instantly unlocking the composite array on the wooden box, and the wooden box opened.

Inside the wooden box was a scroll of a book. The book was a bit old, like a handwritten copy. There were no words on the cover. But inside there were obscure meridian diagrams and detailed text. Others might not understand, but Mo Hua could see at a glance that this was… the secret manual of the second-grade Mie Shui Bu!

This was Uncle Zhang Lan… who left it for him… Mo Hua was stunned, then moved beyond words. He flipped to the end of the secret manual and found a line of small words at the end. Although the handwriting was deliberately blurred, Mo Hua, who was proficient in arrays and familiar with the handwriting, could still see that it was Zhang Lan’s handwriting:

“Family method, must not disgrace.”

“A passerby, unknown, left by a kind uncle.”

Mo Hua felt warmth in his heart and smiled brightly. He silently remembered Zhang Lan’s kindness in his heart, thinking that if he saw Uncle Zhang in the future, he would definitely return a big gift. Then Mo Hua’s eyes lit up. This volume of body technique was a great help to him, and also solved his immediate urgent need. Cultivators without body technique are like meat buns without legs, anyone can take a bite, and they can’t run away. Choosing another body technique to learn is more troublesome, and the effect will definitely not be good.

Similar to arrays, whether it is techniques, spells, or even body techniques, they all emphasize lineage inheritance. First-grade, second-grade, third-grade, from shallow to deep, step by step. Learning this way gets twice the result with half the effort, the foundation is solid, the comprehension is deeper, and the effect is also stronger. With the second-grade Mie Shui Bu, even if he goes to Qian State and faces cultivation geniuses in the Foundation Establishment realm, he will have enough self-preservation power!

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. After that, he began to learn the second-grade Mie Shui Bu. Mo Hua was extremely proficient in the first-grade Mie Shui Bu, so learning the second-grade was not difficult. As time passed, Mo Hua’s Mie Shui Bu also gradually improved to the standard of second-grade Foundation Establishment. And the second-grade Mie Shui Bu, compared to the first-grade, added many more changes, much more complex. But Mo Hua still hadn’t fully comprehended the many changes of the second-grade Mie Shui Bu, and he just learned something that made his jaw drop…

Yan Jiaoxi wanted to get married! This was told to him by Guan Shi Mo. Guan Shi Mo saw Mo Hua’s appearance and couldn’t help but nod, “When I heard this news, I also had the same expression…”

“Yan Jiaoxi… marrying whom?” Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask.

“Just that one, the one we saw that day, that one with a simple face, no makeup, not outstanding in appearance, but with an intellectual temperament…” Guan Shi Mo said a long string of words in one breath.

Mo Hua thought of it. It was that dignified and quiet female array master… That being said, she and Yan Jiaoxi were quite a good match.

“But…” Mo Hua frowned, very puzzled, “How did Yan Jiaoxi know that woman, and how did they get to the point of marriage?”

Guan Shi Mo had an expression as if to say, you won’t believe it: “This woman, surnamed Shen, named Ru, is a woman from the Shen family in the neighboring state.”

“It was my Shixiong, he personally visited her door, saying he wanted to meet that woman and exchange some array insights…”

“Then, the two talked very happily, got along for a period of time, and then reached the point of discussing marriage.”

Mo Hua opened his mouth wide. Personally visited her door… Was this the Yan Jiaoxi he knew, who was infatuated with arrays, serious and pedantic?

Guan Shi Mo clicked his tongue, “People cannot be judged by appearance, ah… I never thought that Shixiong could actually do such a thing. I admire, I admire…”

Mo Hua was also endlessly shocked, but he was also happy for Yan Jiaoxi from the bottom of his heart. Yan Jiaoxi had rushed about for half his life, with a heavy heart, for the grudges of the Xiaolingyin Sect, for investigating the sect traitor, and for seeking back the sect inheritance. Now that he could find his heart’s person, and become a pair of mandarin ducks, growing old together, it was naturally the best outcome.

Moreover, there was still a wedding banquet to eat. Mo Hua was already planning in his heart which delicious dishes he could eat at the wedding banquet… Yan Jiaoxi’s engagement was fast, and his marriage was even faster. Half a month later, he got married in Tongxian City and held a wedding banquet. Mo Hua also joined in the fun,沾喜气, and ate a hearty meal.

At the wedding, Mo Hua also saw Shen Ru, who was Yan Jiaoxi’s wife. Shen Ru wore a red dress, and even when getting married, she didn’t wear too much makeup, appearing simple and dignified. Mo Hua went up to congratulate them.

Shen Ru saw Mo Hua’s eyebrows like paintings, and smiled with clear and lively eyes,亲切可爱, and couldn’t help but feel happy in her heart. When she heard Yan Jiaoxi say that Mo Hua also learned arrays, she valued him even more in her heart, specially sealed a big red envelope, and gave it to Mo Hua, and praised him:

“This child is smart and clever. Learn well, and you will certainly become a first-grade array master in the future!”

Yan Jiaoxi’s face revealed awkwardness, and he said in a low voice: “He… is already a first-grade array master…”

Shen Ru was stunned, turned her head, and looked at Yan Jiaoxi with astonishment, a look of disbelief on her face, not recovering for a long time…

The wedding was lively and noisy, joyful and happy. After the wedding ended, Guan Shi Mo also had a gratified expression, as if a matter of the heart had been settled.

“Worthwhile of my Shixiong…” Guan Shi Mo sighed. When he truly determined to do something, it was with the force of thunder and wind, without any hesitation.

Guan Shi Mo felt emotional and said to Mo Hua: “You should also learn well in the future. When you should give up, don’t be reluctant. When you should grasp, absolutely don’t let go!”

Mo Hua was startled, “Grasp what?”

Guan Shi Mo had the expression of an experienced person: “You’ll know when you grow up…”

Mo Hua blinked, a little confused.

After the days passed peacefully and harmoniously like flowing water, but also like water, passing by little by little… Mo Hua didn’t feel how long had passed, and in a blink of an eye, it was time to say goodbye. Mo Hua was a little reluctant, but still packed his luggage and stepped onto the road of a long journey.

Before leaving, Mo Hua seriously exhorted Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua: “Dad, Mom, you must cultivate well!”

“You can’t be lazy!”

“The future road is still very long, absolutely cannot slack off!”

“Cultivate to Foundation Establishment, then cultivate to Golden Core…”

“Then be safe and sound, forever and ever, live happily…”

“When I go to Qian State and learn good arrays, I’ll come back to see you…”

Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were a bit exasperated. Shouldn’t these words be from them, as parents, to their child? However, the sorrow of parting was also diluted somewhat by this.

After that, Mo Hua got on the carriage and was about to leave Tongxian City to go to Yunzhou City. The carriage stopped outside the city. Just like when he first left, many cultivators from Tongxian City came to send Mo Hua off, their gazes full of anticipation and wishes. Mo Hua also smiled and waved to them.

In this world, everyone has their own story, and their own life. Mo Hua hoped that everyone in Tongxian City would have a safe and happy life, and also hoped that their life stories would be substantial and colorful. And he himself would also step onto a journey, walk on an unknown road, and seek his own Dao…

The carriage gradually went far, leaving Tongxian City and entering Dahei Mountain. When passing through the deep mountains, Mo Hua was suddenly startled, walked out of the carriage, and waved his hand towards the distant mountain forest. There was a big tiger in the mountain forest. The big tiger also came to send him off.

A few days before, Mo Hua had said goodbye to the big tiger in advance. This trip to Qian State required taking a cloud ferry and crossing nine states. The big tiger was a demon beast and lived in the deep mountains, so it was impossible for it to follow along. Mo Hua was worried that the big tiger wouldn’t eat enough, so he entrusted his father, Mo Shan, to bring some big fish jerky when he entered the deep mountains and feed a big tiger with black and white patterns for him.

And this farewell, he didn’t know when he would see the big tiger again. Mo Hua stood on the carriage, waving his hand to the big tiger in the distance. The big tiger silently looked at Mo Hua, its gaze a little blank, until Mo Hua went far away and his small figure disappeared. Only then did it droop its big head, turn around and walk into the mountain forest, only its back was a little lonely.

(End of this chapter)