Chapter 35: All Present

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

On this day, Mo Hua rose early. The morning sunlight shone upon the table, fresh and bright, without the sweltering heat of midday.

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

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

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

In his sea of consciousness last night, Mo Hua had already been able to draw the Molten Fire Array on the broken stele, which meant his divine sense was sufficient to support him in drawing five array lines.

Furthermore, through repeated practice and having repaired the array on the blacksmith shop's furnace once before, Mo Hua had already mastered the Molten Fire Array by heart.

Mo Hua drew with care and caution. An hour later, when he felt a slight stinging sensation in his divine sense and felt it beginning to run dry, the final stroke of the Molten Fire Array was completed.

Mo Hua injected a tiny bit of spiritual power. The spiritual power flowed slowly along the red array lines, moving from the first stroke of the first line to the last stroke of the fifth line, eventually connecting the entire array without any obstruction.

Success!

Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a sense of natural fruition brought about by days of accumulation.

"An array with five lines!"

A cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement could draw an array with five lines.

Mo Hua knew that a normal cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement could draw at most three lines. Those from great clans and sects had higher talent and better inheritances; at the same realm, their array proficiency would likely be stronger than his.

But even if they were stronger, they probably wouldn't be much stronger.

Mo Hua nodded.

Moreover, as long as he drew more, his divine sense would inevitably grow stronger, making it easier to learn arrays. Becoming a First-Grade Array Master would likely just be a matter of time.

Once he truly became a First-Grade Array Master, even if he only became an ordinary Array Master without passing the formal grading, he would earn a significant income in spirit stones, and his parents would no longer have to work so hard.

Thinking of this, Mo Hua couldn't help but feel happy.

Then, the fatigue from several days of repetitive practice washed over him. Mo Hua collapsed onto his bed and fell fast asleep.

Liu Ruhua entered the room carrying several washed wild fruits. Seeing the freshly drawn array on the table and Mo Hua snoring away on the bed, she tidied up the table for him, covered his little belly with a fur blanket, and stared at him for a long time.

Seeing Mo Hua sleeping so sweetly, seemingly eating something in his dream with glistening drool at the corners of his mouth, Liu Ruhua couldn't help but smile. She wiped the corner of his mouth with her sleeve before getting up to leave.

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

Da Zhu was Master Chen's eldest disciple—tall, sturdy, and possessing a very honest smile.

Following Da Zhu to Chen's Blacksmith Shop, Mo Hua saw a man-sized stove displayed in the shop. Its design was ancient yet robust, featuring three legs and a round belly with a covered mouth.

The lid of the stove was open, as the array had to be drawn inside before it could be sealed.

"The stove is forged. Little brother, take a look and see if you are satisfied."

Mo Hua walked around the stove, looking at it from all sides and touching it with his hands. It felt heavy and solid; one could tell at a glance that the materials used were exquisite and the details were meticulously polished.

Mo Hua nodded in praise, "As expected of Master Chen. This is the best spiritual tool I have ever seen."

Of course, he hadn't actually seen many spiritual tools himself.

Master Chen stroked his beard. "Naturally. Since it's something you requested, little brother, I will of course make you the best."

"Thank you, Master Chen!"

Mo Hua said happily, then took out a storage bag. "Inside are sixty spirit stones; this is for your hard work."

For twenty-odd days of labor, the cost should have been over a hundred spirit stones, but Mo Hua had applied a fifty percent discount and added a little extra.

Master Chen originally wanted to refuse, but remembering that business had been slow at the blacksmith shop for the past few months and that disciples like Da Zhu often struggled to eat, he accepted it. However, he said to Mo Hua

"If you need blacksmithing work in the future, come find me. I'll give you the lowest price in Immortal City."

"Mhm, thank you, Master Chen!" Mo Hua said happily.

"However," Master Chen hesitated, "this stove still needs an array drawn on it to be usable. Who are you going to find to draw that array?"

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

Master Chen was both surprised and not surprised.

The array on the blacksmith shop's furnace had been repaired by Mo Hua. Since the processes for a furnace, a pill furnace, and a stove are similar and their core arrays are closely related, there was no problem with Mo Hua drawing it himself.

But...

Master Chen advised kindly, "Repairing an array and drawing an array are different things, aren't they? I've heard that drawing an array consumes much more divine sense. Your cultivation is not high; your divine sense might not be enough. Don't force it, or you might damage your sea of consciousness."

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

Master Chen said no more; when it came to arrays, he didn't know more than the young cultivator before him.

Since Mo Hua was not tall, Master Chen disassembled the finished stove and laid it flat on the ground to make it easier for Mo Hua to draw the array.

Da Zhu and the other disciples also lent a hand, then stood to the side, stretching their necks to watch Mo Hua draw the array with curiosity. They rarely saw cultivators drawing arrays and found it novel, especially since the one drawing was much younger than them.

Mo Hua first dipped his brush in water and tried drawing array lines on the inner wall of the stove to familiarize himself with the brush and adapt to the feeling of drawing on an actual spiritual tool.

He also mentally rehearsed the problems he might encounter during the actual drawing process.

Preparation is the key to success. More preparation beforehand could greatly increase the success rate of the array.

After preparing, Mo Hua spread out the Molten Fire Array diagram to use as a reference, then took out his brush and a small bottle of ink.

The ink was a bright crimson and thicker than usual. It was said to be blended from the blood of fire-type tiger demons. Although its quality was only medium, it was better than what Mo Hua had used before and was 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 perfectly prepared to avoid failure.

Once he failed, the cost of the wasted ink alone would make his heart ache.

Mo Hua held his breath, calmed his mind, and began to draw. The previously innocent and childish Mo Hua gradually took on a serious expression; his clear black-and-white eyes became bright and spirited, as if containing starlight.

Master Chen and the disciples stood to the side. Seeing Mo Hua's solemn expression, they didn't even dare to breathe loudly for fear of disturbing him, looking even more nervous than Mo Hua himself.

Mo Hua's fair, small hand held the brush, his wrist moving flexibly to guide the tip across the furnace wall, sketching vivid array lines with rhythm and order.

Though the onlookers could not understand the arrays or the lines, they were mesmerized by the sight of the wondrous patterns flowing from the tip of the brush.

After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua finally stopped his brush and let out a long sigh of relief.

Seeing this, for some reason, the others also let out sighs of relief.

Master Chen hesitated and whispered, "Little brother, is this... a success?"

A radiant smile once again appeared on Mo Hua's serious, small face.

"Yes, it was a success!"