614 unsealing - The Quest for Immortality

Chapter 614: Unsealing Mo Hua had only experienced opening a shell with thunder patterns, shattering the divine consciousness skull, and the light golden divine marrow flowing from the head of the Ram Horn Enforcer. This "divine marrow" resembled the blood of an evil god. Though the quantity was small, it had an excellent taste. Mo Hua pondered, wondering what form a truly refined evil god would take. After "eating" it, how much would his divine consciousness be enhanced... Mo Hua contemplated for a moment, then suddenly frowned. No... He realized he was becoming too "arrogant"... An evil god, estimated to be very powerful and terrifying, would pose unknown dangers upon confrontation. Even if he did indeed plan to target an evil god... He would need his divine consciousness to be quite profound, his divine slaying abilities powerful, requiring careful planning, meticulous preparation, and stealth, to quietly "eat" undetected... It was premature to fixate on "eating" an evil god now... Moreover, such an idea was quite "disrespectful" to the evil god. Mo Hua buried this idea deep within his heart. "It's not that evil gods are unaffordable, but those monsters and demons offer better value." Evil gods are too strong; avoid provoking them if possible. However, these lesser monsters and demons, lacking strength, could easily be dealt with en masse, making consuming them more acceptable. Besides, once devoured, there was no worry about them tattling. Moreover, since they targeted Yu'er, he had no reason to be courteous. Casting a glance at the sleeping Yu'er, Mo Hua mused: If he were to keep Yu'er by his side, would it consistently attract monsters and demons for him to feast on? This would ensure a constant supply of "rations." His divine consciousness could continue to grow. It was akin to fishing. Those sinister, horrifying monsters and demons were the "fish." In this scenario, little Yu'er would be... A "little bait"? Mo Hua hesitated, immediately shaking his head to dispel such an impolite thought regarding Yu'er... In his slumber, Yu'er lightly murmured, seemingly discontent. Mo Hua laughed, gently patting Yu'er's head. Feeling the calm and serene aura, Yu'er smiled contentedly in his sleep and drifted back into a deep slumber. Mo Hua continued to stay by Yu'er's side, diving into his mental sea to simulate the primordial magnetic array and deducing the secondary thunder pattern... The entire night passed without any monsters appearing. The next day, Mo Hua followed his routine of training, drawing arrays, and spent some time playing with Yu'er. At night, he remained vigilant beside Yu'er. Though the room was empty, it was tranquil, free from patterns of causality, chains of void, or monsters and demons. Only the peaceful night and serene moonlight were present. The night was calm once more. Mo Hua realized the current "crop" had been harvested and needed time to regrow... The following day, Mo Hua bid farewell to Wen Ren Wan, setting off back to Tai Xu Sect. Little Yu'er clung to Mo Hua's sleeve, reluctant to part. However, compared to before, Yu'er appeared noticeably healthier. Although somewhat saddened, his eyes sparkled with brightness, and his cheeks were flushed with color. Mo Hua waved goodbye to everyone, with Yu'er mimicking his gesture. After Mo Hua's departure, Wen Ren Wan pondered for a long time, eventually making a firm decision and said to Shang Guan Yi: "I want to send Yu'er to Tai Xu Sect!" Shang Guan Yi, midway through sipping his tea, choked momentarily, coughing twice before expressing his resignation: "How come you're acting on a whim..." "I've made up my mind!" Wen Ren Wan's gaze was resolute, indicating that she had given it considerable thought. Shang Guan Yi was momentarily taken aback, raising an eyebrow as he softly spoke: "Yu'er has excellent potential. In the future, he could join one of the 'Four Great Sects'..." "Joining the Four Great Sects means his learning and connections would be superior to those of the Eight Major Sects..." Wen Ren Wan shook her head, “I don’t care about Yu'er's potential, how he cultivates, or what he achieves. I am his mother, and I only wish for his safety and happiness..." "I don't want Yu'er deeply involved in your family ambitions, destiny, and causality. I'm afraid..." Wen Ren Wan's face turned slightly pale. "...I'm afraid there will come a day when I can no longer see Yu'er..." She closed her eyes briefly. Or perhaps... Little Yu'er, coldly lying in her embrace... During the times when Yu'er was tormented by nightmares and wasted away, Wen Ren Wan repeatedly had dreams like these. Sometimes even more terrifying ones... Her body trembled uncontrollably. Seeing his wife's distress, Shang Guan Yi felt a deep sense of guilt. Allowing his son to suffer and his wife to worry was a failing on his part as a husband. However, he was still hesitant about letting Yu'er join Tai Xu Sect. Contemplating, Shang Guan Yi slowly said: "Wan'er, you wish for Yu'er to join Tai Xu Sect because of… Mo Hua?" Wen Ren Wan didn’t deny it: "That's right, I want Yu'er by Mo Hua's side." Shang Guan Yi frowned even more. He didn’t dislike Mo Hua. On the contrary, he found Mo Hua to be polite, sincere, and endearing. He was grateful for Mo Hua's assistance with Yu'er. Nevertheless, Shang Guan Yi harbored a faint concern, even… A sense of dread. He felt that Mo Hua's seemingly innocent eyes concealed something enigmatic, a depth hiding beneath their transparency. As someone who had met countless people, a prospective head of the Shang Guan family of Qianzhou, Mo Hua remained inscrutable. At times, Shang Guan Yi considered consulting others to probe Mo Hua's causal connections more deeply. But such actions would be taboo, an affront to Mo Hua. Moreover, every time he entertained the thought, a shiver of fear coursed through him, as though peering would transgress an immensely dreadful taboo... The clarity of this fear was unmistakable. Shang Guan Yi recalled Elder Mei from Xuanji Valley. Elder Mei, responding to Shang Guan Yi's request, had seen some causality taboo which drove him mad, ranting about being bitten by a zombie, transforming into one, and uttering nonsense about mountains of corpses and some great terror. Unaware of whom Elder Mei was calculating for, Shang Guan Yi feared the causality wrapped around this person was profoundly terrifying. This individual might indeed be a master of heavenly algorithms, potentially one of the shadowy figures orchestrating events. Mo Hua might not even be aware himself, yet he could be connected to this person. After a long hesitation, Shang Guan Yi shared his concerns with Wen Ren Wan. Wen Ren Wan laughed it off, "That's you, accustomed to intrigue, seeing causality and schemes in everyone and everything..." "But I see Mo Hua as a good child." "If you engage with him sincerely, he will reciprocate with sincerity. If you find him unsettling, it's likely you who are unsettled..." Shang Guan Yi smiled ruefully, then solemnly sighed: "Think about it. Yu'er was kidnapped. With so many people unable to locate him, how did Mo Hua succeed?" "Yu'er was plagued by nightmares, and the elders labeled it an incurable causal curse." "Yet, why could Mo Hua, upon arrival, ensure Yu'er could sleep peacefully..." "There's definitely something peculiar here..." "I'm worried..." Shang Guan Yi did not explicitly state his fears. Upon hearing this, Wen Ren Wan's expression grew heavy, pondering for a long while until she realized: "That's because Mo Hua is Yu'er's 'blessing'!" Shang Guan Yi was taken aback, unsure how to respond. Wen Ren Wan, however, grew more convinced, nodding: "Mo Hua definitely has a deep blessing!" "Thus, when Yu'er was taken, Mo Hua could find him despite others' failures, and he could save when others could not." "When Yu'er was disturbed by nightmares, I witnessed Mo Hua fainting, his face ashen, ensnared by malevolent spirits, yet clearly shielding Yu'er from 'disasters.'" "But, as I mentioned, Mo Hua possesses profound blessings, rendering these 'disasters' powerless against him!" "Mo Hua's blessing is also Yu'er's blessing." "For Yu'er, to grow up safely despite adversity, he must stay close to someone with such profound blessings like Mo Hua!" Wen Ren Wan spoke with unwavering conviction and sound logic. Shang Guan Yi nearly believed her... Although Shang Guan Yi was aware of concepts like causality and malevolent entities, he knew the so-called "blessing" was far from being such a straightforward matter. Shang Guan Yi still wanted to refuse, "Yu'er is still very young, and only at the Qi Refining stage; Tai Xu Sect wouldn’t accept him..." "He wouldn’t be a formal disciple, just living there for early childhood learning..." "Tai Xu's headmaster would never agree..." "With the Shang Guan and Wen Ren family lineage, and his excellent spiritual roots, why wouldn't he agree? Even if an exception needs to be made, they'll accept him..." "This…" Shang Guan Yi felt a headache coming on, adding: "It might disrupt Mo Hua's cultivation..." Wen Ren Wan paused. That point... She hadn't considered it. Mo Hua seemed quite busy with cultivation, certainly unable to care for Yu'er. After a brief consideration, Wen Ren Wan came up with a plan: "I'll assign a guardian to look after Yu'er, supervise his cultivation, not bothering Mo Hua daily. If Yu'er is tormented by nightmares and can't sleep, then we'll ask Mo Hua to check on him..." Shang Guan Yi sighed, "There's no precedent for this at Tai Xu Sect..." "Then let's make it a first." Wen Ren Wan said resolutely. "Father will not agree, and there'll likely be many obstacles at Tai Xu Sect, especially from elders who strictly adhere to the sect's rules; they won't consent..." "How will we know if we don't try?" "Wan'er..." Wen Ren Wan stated firmly, "I've decided! Yu'er must be sent to Tai Xu Sect!" Shang Guan Yi replied, "Yu'er now... rarely experiences nightmares. It’s unnecessary to go to such lengths..." Wen Ren Wan's gaze turned somber, "What about the future?" Shang Guan Yi was taken aback. Wen Ren Wan furrowed her brow, deeply concerned, her voice cold: "How do you know that in the future there won't be even more terrifying nightmares?" "If Yu'er encounters something stronger and more despairing in his dreams..." Her voice trembled, as if recalling a terrible vision from her dreams of a grim future, "...what will we do then for our child?" Wen Ren Wan gripped Shang Guan Yi's arm tightly, her slender fingers whitening with tension. Caught off guard by her intensity, Shang Guan Yi was stunned. Looking deeply into his wife’s eyes, he saw the profound love and fear for the unknown, causing his heart to waver. He nodded deeply, speaking tenderly: "Alright, I'll find a way to get Yu'er into... Tai Xu Sect!" ... Unaware of the situation concerning Yu'er, Mo Hua would soon find himself with a "little neighbor." Upon returning to the sect, Mo Hua continued his relentless study of the Primordial Magnetic Array and the deduction of secondary thunder patterns. The number of patterns recorded in his secondary thunder pattern jade slip grew steadily. Although still complex with numerous variations and details, the "patterns" were becoming increasingly clear and familiar to Mo Hua. Like unknown fellow daoists, the more one meets, the more familiar they become... And this daoist had a large family. Though differing in appearance, they shared a common lineage, and by seeing them often, they became recognizable... Patiently and methodically, Mo Hua continued to deduce and summarize, eventually recording about a hundred different secondary thunder patterns in the jade slip. His deductions had become more skillful. The integration of celestial calculations and derivations also became more adept. His understanding of secondary thunder patterns deepened. Mo Hua felt he should find something to practice on... The "Communication Talisman" remained too profound... Through his studies, consulting senior brothers and sisters, and even exchanging ideas with fellow disciples knowledgeable in arrays, Mo Hua expanded his understanding of the Primordial Magnetic Array, and by extension, similar arrays. The Primordial Magnetic Array forms the basis for recording, messaging, and communication among cultivators. Besides recording on paper and transmitting books, the other most common medium is the jade slip. All jade slips in the cultivation world fundamentally use the Primordial Magnetic Array to display text, record data, and convey messages. Fixed magnetic patterns, secondary thunder currents, unfixed magnetic patterns, magnetic ink characters... This entire setup not only forms the foundational array structure for "communication" spiritual tools, like the Communication Talisman, but also underlies all jade slips for cultivation. Jade slips depend on the Primordial Magnetic Array for preserving their teachings. Mo Hua recalled the two jade slips from Jiang Laoda. Those likely contained the Duan Jin Sect’s core legacy, the Duan Jin Sword Technique! However, those jade slips were sealed, preventing any examination. Unsealing them would be simpler than restoring them. Mo Hua planned to gradually apply his knowledge by first unraveling the sealed inheritance jade slips of the Duan Jin Sect, then advancing step-by-step to tackle the restoration of the Communication Talisman... The Duan Jin jade slips were made of white jade with gold patterns etched along the edges. Mo Hua took out the jade slips and spent hours in his quarters at night, secretly studying them, yet remained baffled... His predictions were correct. The Duan Jin jade slips utilized the Primordial Magnetic Array, contained fixed and unfixed magnetic patterns, with secondary thunder patterns as the "bridge." The "sealing" indeed tampered with the Primordial Magnetic Array, obscuring the original text within the jade slip. A "secret pattern" was required to unseal the inheritance jade slip. This "secret pattern" essentially was the "secondary thunder pattern"… But theories were just theories, and when it came to actual application, Mo Hua found himself at a loss... How exactly were the Duan Jin jade slips "sealed"? How should they be unsealed? While the secret pattern was a secondary thunder pattern, which type was it? Without the secret pattern, how could one achieve unsealing? "Without guidance, figuring it out on my own is indeed challenging..." Mo Hua sighed. Considering further, he realized it would be best to seek advice. Originally, he planned to consult Mr. Xun, but after contemplating, he shook his head. Unsealing and decryption were not matters to discuss with Mr. Xun. Merely inquiring would tip off Mr. Xun that he was up to something clandestine... In the sect, unsealing most likely pertained to lifting the "seal" of inheritance jade slips. This wasn’t ideal, potentially harming the image of being "obedient" and "well-behaved" in Mr. Xun's eyes. Without doubt, he believed Mr. Xun viewed him as a "dutiful," "upright," "diligent" disciple. He wished to avoid any misconceptions that might close off access to Tai Xu Sect's secrets in the future... Thus, he opted to consult someone else. After contemplating for a long time, Mo Hua found a suitable candidate: Zheng Fang. Zheng Fang was a member of the Zheng family from Zhenzhou. The Zheng family preserved a long-guarded lineage of true thunder pattern formations. Secondary thunder patterns are a derivative of thunder patterns. Though Zheng Fang did not practice thunder patterns, being raised in the Zheng family meant he had absorbed much about secondary thunder patterns or related Primordial Magnetic Arrays. Mo Hua decided to approach Zheng Fang. Zheng Fang bore a slight grudge against Mo Hua. For he had lost to Mo Hua. His pride in the Zheng family's supposedly hard-to-master proprietary array formations, albeit foundational, had been shattered when Mo Hua mastered them easily. Adding insult to injury, being from a family specializing in arrays, he found himself learning and calling Mo Hua "Little Senior Brother." However, Zheng Fang knew Mo Hua’s array skills far exceeded his, making his feelings of discomfort great and causing reluctance to converse with Mo Hua, fostering a somewhat poor relationship. Aware of Zheng Fang’s straightforward personality, Mo Hua "sweet-talked" and praised him. He lauded the notable reputation of the Zheng family, "renowned" far and wide. Their undying commitment to uprightness, demonstrated by preserving their thunder pattern legacy, spoke to the upright, straightforward nature of Zheng family members. Further praising Zheng Fang’s youth and talent with boundless future prospects in arrays... Caught in Mo Hua's "sugar-coated" praises, Zheng Fang’s grievances dissipated, unable to hide his pleased smile despite trying to maintain composure. Mo Hua seized the opportunity to inquire about the Primordial Magnetic Array. Zheng Fang's impression of Mo Hua improved significantly, and given Mo Hua had imparted much knowledge about arrays to him as his "Little Senior Brother," he felt obligated to "repay" this kindness. Thus, Zheng Fang and Mo Hua conversed about the Primordial Magnetic Array. Equipped with the Zheng family’s broad heritage and Mo Hua’s in-depth self-study, they both benefited greatly from the discussion. Zheng Fang increasingly recognized the impressive genius of Mo Hua, his "Little Senior Brother," in arrays, acknowledging him more in his heart. Mo Hua then posed his question: "Suppose I have a jade slip, and I want to seal it so no one else can see it, how would I do that?" "Sealing a jade slip?" "Yes." Mo Hua nodded. Zheng Fang explained, "It's actually quite simple. You just overlay another 'array pattern' to obscure the content, leaving a 'sealing pattern' as a key..." "A sealing pattern?" Mo Hua was slightly taken aback. "Is it the same as a 'secret pattern'?" Zheng Fang shook his head, "They're not the same. Generally, cultivators not versed in arrays, or array masters not specialized in Primordial Magnetic Arrays, might confuse them and refer to such patterns collectively as 'secret patterns'..." "But in proper lineage, these terms are strictly defined and cannot be mixed up..." "A 'sealing pattern' is used to undo a 'seal,' whereas a 'secret pattern' is used to undo 'encryption.'" "When a jade slip is sealed, you can't see the text within." "When it's encrypted, you can see the text, but what you see is actually 'disguised'..." "Both methods are based on the same array principles, but the forms are distinctly different..." Mo Hua was enlightened and praised Zheng Fang: "You know so much!" Zheng Fang's face reddened slightly, and feeling pleased, he went on to explain the differences between "sealing" and "encrypting": "Sealing involves adding a layer of 'unfixed magnetic patterns' over a complete Primordial Magnetic Array, forming a densely uniform 'magnetic ink mist,' which covers the true content within the jade slip..." "Encryption, on the other hand, involves distorting the currents between fixed and unfixed magnetic patterns, known as 'secondary thunder currents,' causing the magnetic ink to distort the displayed text..." "To unseal, you need to decode the 'sealing pattern' and unravel the 'unfixed magnetic patterns.'" "To decrypt, you need to decipher the 'secret pattern' and correct the 'secondary thunder patterns'..." ... Zheng Fang went on, sharing everything he knew. Although some of what he explained was memorized and not entirely understood by him, he had clearly studied diligently. Mo Hua gained a newfound respect for Zheng Fang. Indeed, in a group of three, one must be the teacher. Being humble, eager to learn, and asking questions often leads to gains. Mo Hua, with these insights, excitedly began contemplating how to "unseal." The Duan Jin Sect's jade slips appeared blank, as if obscured by clouds and mist, but upon closer inspection, showed fine magnetic ink spots. That was "sealing." With a clear understanding of the principle, finding the "sealing pattern" for unsealing became conceivable. The method was quite simple. These two jade slips were old, likely frequently reviewed by Jiang Laoda. During review, the "sealing pattern" must be used to unseal them. Once unsealed, magnetic current traces would surely remain. These traces, invisible to other cultivators, could reveal subtle signs to Mo Hua, using algorithms fused with celestial insights. He could detect the traces of magnetic currents, or secondary thunder currents. From there, based on experience, he could simplify the secondary thunder currents into secondary thunder patterns. Yet his simplification might not be entirely precise. Mo Hua had then to identify similar secondary thunder patterns from his "secondary thunder pattern library" and attempt each one... All the secondary thunder patterns shared the same domain. Out of a hundred secondary thunder patterns, there would ultimately be one serving as the "sealing pattern" for unsealing the Duan Jin jade slips. Should there be none, confirming the domain allowed trial and error with slight modifications. Secondary thunder patterns aren’t strictly array patterns; they lack standardization and aren’t entirely precise. As long as the general structure is similar, they can function as the "sealing pattern." Like two keys, even with slight differences, they can unlock the same lock. The only constraint was that this deductive process couldn’t be performed in the mental sea on the dao monument. It had to be tested in reality, involving the fusion of enigma calculations and derivations. Thus, Mo Hua had to proceed cautiously, making incremental trials to avoid overloading his mental sea with calculations, risking fractures in his divine consciousness… After several days, through his fusion of algorithms, Mo Hua began detecting traces of secondary thunder currents. Over half a day, he simplified these secondary thunder currents into "secondary thunder patterns." Then, spending another two days, Mo Hua identified several "similar" secondary thunder patterns from his jade slip. Using these "secondary thunder patterns" as potential "sealing patterns," he attempted to unseal the Duan Jin jade slips. The endeavor proved to be a success. After around ten attempts, a faint "hiss" was heard, hinting at a mild flowing of thunder currents and the circulation of magnetic currents. Simultaneously, the clouds obscuring the Duan Jin jade slip dissipated. The unfixed magnetic patterns used for sealing transformed and vanished, revealing five gilded characters etched on the jade slip: "Duan Jin Sword Technique!" (End of Chapter)