Chapter 2: The Daoist Stele

Ever since Mo Hua could remember, this Dao Stele had appeared in his sea of consciousness, along with some vague, lingering memories.

In those memories, Mo Hua had spent a short life in another world devoid of spiritual energy.

In that life, Mo Hua’s family was ordinary, but he studied hard and achieved good grades. He was admitted to a university, majoring in fine arts, and enjoyed studying traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy.

After graduation, he joined a large company as a graphic designer, working overtime constantly until he died of overwork in his twenties.

He spent his life as a student studying, and after graduation working, living his entire existence in tension and anxiety.

When he finally came to his senses, he realized he had lived his life in a muddle and died caught off guard.

In the moments before death, the experiences of his entire life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

He hadn't done a single thing of true value: he hadn't been filial to his parents, hadn't pursued his ideals, had no dreams, no love, and had never seen the scenery of the vast world...

These memories were hazy, and sometimes Mo Hua couldn't tell if they were real or fake.

Zhuangzi dreamed of a butterfly, and he did not know if it was Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuangzi.

As time passed, Mo Hua stopped dwelling on it.

The past was the past. Now, he was only ten years old, and the world he lived in was the world of cultivation.

And he was a cultivator.

A cultivator who could comprehend the Heavenly Dao, soar above the Nine Provinces, pluck the sun and moon with a wave of his hand, and bury the stars by turning his palm!

Of course, he could also be a cultivator who spent his whole life in the Qi Refining stage, unable to fly, unable to fight, unable to use more than a few spells, and struggling humbly to make a living...

Without the Dao Stele, Mo Hua reckoned he would likely be the latter.

The Dao Stele floated within Mo Hua’s sea of consciousness.

It was broad and primitive, strangely shaped and incomplete. The body of the stele seemed ethereal, yet it appeared to pulse with a vast and obscure aura. In a trance, it also seemed silent and void, as if it were nothing at all...

On the void surface of the stele, one could draw arrays, and every time Mo Hua drew an array, his divine sense would strengthen.

Of the hundred trades in cultivation, array formation is the most esteemed!

Array formation is the most difficult category to learn among all cultivation professions, and the most important requirement for learning it is divine sense!

Arrays are composed of array patterns, which are patterns of the Heavenly Dao traced by ancient cultivators after painstakingly comprehending the laws of the universe.

The lines of an array resemble both primitive characters and minimalist paintings, containing infinite mysteries.

When drawing an array, the sea of consciousness communicates with the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao, which consumes a massive amount of divine sense.

If a cultivator’s divine sense is insufficient, they cannot draw arrays; otherwise, they risk exhausting their divine sense, or even shattering their sea of consciousness, leading to death. To become an array master, one must constantly study various array diagrams and practice various arrays.

Therefore, arrays are difficult to learn and practice, and array masters are prone to death from the collapse of their sea of consciousness due to forcing themselves to draw arrays with insufficient divine sense.

When Mo Hua draws arrays on the Dao Stele, it consumes divine sense, but when he erases the completed array, that divine sense is instantly returned, leaving his sea of consciousness full once more.

From existence to void, and from void back to existence—it is like the Great Dao, exceptionally profound.

At the same time, every time Mo Hua draws an array, his divine sense increases slightly. Though the increase is minute, it is indeed growing.

As far as Mo Hua knows, there are no cultivation techniques in the world of cultivation to train divine sense; most increases in divine sense rely on breakthroughs in cultivation realm.

Therefore, even a tiny increase in divine sense is extremely rare.

As long as he keeps drawing arrays on the Dao Stele, Mo Hua can improve his array skills, and as long as he keeps drawing, his divine sense will continue to grow.

With a powerful divine sense, Mo Hua can learn more, higher-level, and more powerful arrays.

One day, Mo Hua could use this to become a powerful array master.

The status of an array master is noble. Even an ordinary array master who hasn't reached the first grade can earn a considerable amount of spirit stones by drawing arrays for others.

Once he becomes an array master and can draw various profound arrays, he will have a foundation to stand on, allowing him to continue his cultivation so he won't be stuck as a Qi Refining cultivator for his entire life.

Mo Hua said silently in his heart.

But becoming an array master is equally fraught with difficulties.

Arrays are hard to learn, and array masters are hard to become.

Among the cultivation categories established by the Dao Court, the certification for array masters is the strictest, even harsh.

Arrays are composed of array patterns. A basic array contains only one pattern. For every additional pattern, the array rises in grade, its utility increases, and the required divine sense increases significantly.

Drawing one to five patterns qualifies one as an array apprentice.

Drawing six to eight patterns allows one to be called an array master, but such array masters are merely ordinary and are not recognized by the Dao Court’s grading system.

Only by drawing nine patterns and passing the Dao Court’s grading examination can one become a true First-Grade Array Master.

For a Qi Refining cultivator, becoming a First-Grade Array Master is almost like ascending to heaven in a single step.

First-Grade Array Masters are basically honored guests of every major family and sect. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators dare not easily offend them. Even if they do nothing, they receive a monthly spirit stone stipend from the Dao Court’s Heavenly Pivot Pavilion, and countless young, beautiful female cultivators would trample the threshold of their doors, vying to become their cultivation partners.

However, besides the extremely difficult examination, each state has a quota for First-Grade Array Masters. To become one, it depends on both effort and destiny.

If one is unlucky and the state quota is full, even with the skill of a First-Grade Array Master, one will not receive a spot for grading and must wait for the next examination.

Some array masters waste their entire lives waiting.

Countless bottom-tier cultivators rack their brains and study until their hair turns gray, yet never achieve their wish of being promoted to a First-Grade Array Master.

The so-called quota limit of the Dao Court is generally just an excuse for major families and sects to reserve spots. They need the title of First-Grade Array Master to add luster to their own direct descendants or disciples, making them the geniuses that everyone looks up to.

Those bottom-tier cultivators who bleed and sweat to become First-Grade Array Masters are merely dust beneath their feet, unworthy of a glance.

It was already night. Mo Hua lay in his dormitory in the disciple quarters, his divine sense submerged in his sea of consciousness, drawing arrays on the Dao Stele without pause.

The array Mo Hua was drawing was called the Dual-Origin Array, which contained two array patterns and was considered one of the basic arrays.

However, Mo Hua had never successfully drawn this array before.

Disciples in the early stages of Qi Refining usually can only learn arrays containing one pattern because their divine sense is insufficient. Among the outer sect disciples of the Tongxian Sect in the early Qi Refining stage, very few could even master a single array pattern.

But Mo Hua had long since mastered the single array pattern, drawing it with ease.

Mo Hua wanted to learn more difficult arrays, so every night, he practiced the Dual-Origin Array on the Dao Stele.

After dozens of nights of repeated practice and the perseverance of water dripping through stone, Mo Hua finally succeeded.

For an array master learning arrays, every array pattern is a threshold. Drawing one more pattern is like climbing a step higher.

Since Mo Hua could draw two patterns, it meant that both his divine sense and his array level were already significantly higher than those of his peers.

Among the outer sect disciples of the Tongxian Sect in the early Qi Refining stage, his level of array mastery could be considered unique.

Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief. When the sky brightened at the hour of Mao, his divine sense left his sea of consciousness, and Mo Hua opened his eyes.

Despite drawing arrays all night, Mo Hua’s mind remained clear, and he felt no fatigue, as if he had simply slept soundly.

He pushed open the window, and the morning sun shone on his delicate, fair face.

Outside the window, the morning sun rose, casting a glow across ten thousand miles.

Ten-year-old Mo Hua took a light breath, looking at the scenery on the horizon with a determined gaze.

As long as he kept practicing arrays and honing his divine sense, one day, he would surely become a First-Grade Array Master.

When that day came, like the rising sun, he would take a great step toward seeking the Dao.

He would no longer be just a Qi Refining cultivator for the rest of his life!

(End of chapter)