Chapter 452: Divine-Sense Combat
Chapter 453: Divine-Sense Combat
Zhang Quan, the Spiritual-Pivot Formation, and the traitor from the Little Lingyin Sect.
These three must be connected.
But the clues were few, making it difficult to trace.
For now, the formation was the priority.
In the courtyard where a gentle breeze blew, Mo Hua was still practicing the Spiritual-Pivot Formation.
Yet as he practiced, he suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something.
Forgotten what?
Mo Hua paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered.
Zhang Quan’s ancestor statue was still stuffed in his storage pouch…
That statue of the Zhang family patriarch!
The image should depict the Zhang family’s ancestor.
When Zhang Quan held a ritual, burning incense before the ancestor statue, he could borrow the ancestor’s Divine-Sense to refine the Corpse-Control Bell.
The image contained latent Divine-Sense.
This indicated that the ancestor statue was likely a visualization diagram.
And the offering for the ritual was a human’s Divine-Sense.
Thus, whatever resided within this visualization diagram, even if it wasn’t a ghost like the blue-faced little demon, would still be some kind of impure, malevolent thought.
Zhang Quan practiced corpse refinement.
His method of corpse refinement was passed down by his ancestor.
Then that ancestor must not have been a good person either.
Mo Hua touched his storage pouch, looking somewhat hesitant.
“Should I take a look?”
There would probably be danger in doing so.
Just like in the Black Mountain Fortress, the ancestor diagram could harbor evil spirits that might invade his Sea of Consciousness the moment he let his guard down.
And the Dao Monument was only half-restored.
If the monument couldn’t suppress the evil, letting the malevolent thoughts in would be like inviting a wolf into the house—it would be disastrous.
It could also reveal the secrets of the Dao Monument, which would be even more dangerous.
But not looking at it wasn’t ideal either.
This diagram couldn’t be left behind.
If it fell back into Zhang Quan’s hands, it would aid evil.
If another cultivator obtained it, it could still endanger lives, providing the evil spirits in the diagram with Divine-Sense to feed on.
If he kept it, the risk was high.
One day, at a critical life-or-death moment, the malevolent thoughts in this diagram could cause havoc.
So it couldn’t be kept.
If it couldn’t be kept, it had to be destroyed.
A single fire would burn Zhang Quan’s ancestor, and the ashes would scatter.
If Zhang Quan knew, he would probably die of anger.
Mo Hua couldn’t help muttering in his mind.
Yet thinking further, he felt a little reluctant.
After all, visualization diagrams were rare.
So far, Mo Hua had only encountered two:
One was the landscape Dao Child diagram in Black Mountain Fortress.
The other was this Zhang family ancestor diagram.
Both were extremely valuable, carefully preserved, and hard-earned.
Destroying it seemed like a waste.
More importantly, if he could refine the Divine-Sense within the visualization diagram, it could strengthen his own consciousness.
Currently, his strongest asset was Divine-Sense—and also his greatest deficiency.
His Divine-Sense far exceeded that of a Qi-Refining cultivator, and compared to an average early Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was at least on par, if not deeper.
Yet even so, it wasn’t enough.
He had to find a way to advance his Divine-Sense to mid-Foundation Establishment.
That is, to the level of fourteen-pattern formations.
Only then could he begin Foundation Establishment, building the Dao-Foundation of his Divine-Sense and walking the path of proving the Dao through Divine-Sense.
At present, he lacked high-level formations to temper his Divine-Sense.
The Spiritual-Pivot Formation was twelve-patterned, but incomplete.
Obtaining a complete Spiritual-Pivot Formation diagram would take some effort.
Under these circumstances, refining the visualization diagram could accelerate his Divine-Sense improvement.
It would also allow him to begin Foundation Establishment sooner.
Mo Hua thought it over and decided to consult Mister Zhuang.
He placed the crumpled, incense-stained, wrinkled Zhang family ancestor diagram in front of Mister Zhuang.
Mister Zhuang looked at the dirty bundle, his expression difficult to read.
“How did it end up like this?”
Mo Hua, wearing a serious expression, said:
“I was afraid it would trick me!”
Mister Zhuang was silent for a moment, then asked: “Did it trick you?”
“Yes,” Mo Hua nodded.
“How did it trick you?”
“It praised my talent, promised me a chance, and even wanted me to look at it…” Mo Hua snorted, “Not a chance!”
“And then?”
“I gave it a little lesson, and it behaved afterward.”
Mister Zhuang glanced at the diagram again.
It was now full of creases from Mo Hua’s small hands, stained with incense ash, and even had a few tiny footprints.
It looked like it had indeed been “disciplined”…
Mister Zhuang couldn’t help but chuckle.
Mo Hua quietly asked:
“Master, can I look at this diagram?”
Mister Zhuang thought for a moment, then shook his head:
“Not yet.”
Mo Hua was slightly disappointed, then his eyes brightened as he asked:
“Not yet… then Master, when will I be able to?”
Mister Zhuang didn’t answer, instead countered:
“How is your understanding of the Spiritual-Pivot Formation?”
“I’ve grasped a little…”
Mo Hua explained his comprehension of the Spiritual-Pivot Formation to Mister Zhuang.
Mister Zhuang nodded slightly.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but say:
“Master, isn’t this Spiritual-Pivot Formation a bit too simple…”
Mister Zhuang paused, then tapped Mo Hua’s forehead with a finger, saying: “Don’t say that outside.”
Otherwise, any formation master listening would get angry and want to hit you.
Mo Hua smiled awkwardly, still puzzled:
“Master, I thought the Spiritual-Pivot Formation would be harder…”
“Like a first-grade ten-pattern Reverse-Spirit Formation, or a first-grade eleven-pattern Profound-Earth Formation, which require deeper understanding to master…”
“But the Spiritual-Pivot Formation… I barely needed to comprehend anything, I just got the gist…”
Mister Zhuang gave a half-smile: “How do you know you didn’t comprehend?”
Mo Hua was stunned. “Comprehend what?”
I don’t even know myself…
Mister Zhuang asked: “What is the core of the Spiritual-Pivot Formation?”
“Spirit-force control,” Mo Hua blurted out.
“How to control it?”
“Through the formation, analyze the essential structure of spirit-force, then divide the spirit-force into threads. The Divine-Sense uses the formation as a hub to control these threads, thereby controlling external objects.”
Mister Zhuang smiled meaningfully:
“Does that sound familiar?”
Mo Hua frowned, thinking.
Controlling spirit-force with Divine-Sense…
After a moment, he suddenly realized.
“The Celestial Evolution Art!”
The Celestial Evolution Art was also a technique to train and manipulate Divine-Sense.
The deeper the cultivation, the more precise the control of Divine-Sense.
“Exactly!” Mister Zhuang nodded. “The Spiritual-Pivot Formation emphasizes controlling spirit-force, while the Celestial Evolution Art trains Divine-Sense control. They share the same origin and are related…”
“You didn’t fail to comprehend the Spiritual-Pivot Formation.”
“Rather, the principles of these formations, over time, were gradually understood while you practiced the Celestial Evolution Art.”
“Therefore, grasping the Spiritual-Pivot Formation isn’t very difficult for you.”
“After comprehending the absolute formation, it’s just routine insight, a little deepening, no sudden enlightenment…”
Mo Hua nodded slowly, understanding.
After a moment, he frowned again and asked:
“But Master, the spirit-force control in the Spiritual-Pivot Formation and the Celestial Evolution Art is still different, right?”
The two were still quite distinct.
That was why he hadn’t realized this at first.
Mister Zhuang looked approving, nodding:
“They converge in principle but diverge in method. Essentially similar, but with different focus…”
“The Celestial Evolution Art emphasizes Divine-Sense manipulation, focusing on Divine-Sense itself.”
“The Spiritual-Pivot Formation emphasizes controlling spirit-force, focusing on Divine-Sense controlling objects, or rather, controlling spirit-force with Divine-Sense, meticulously manipulating spirit-force.”
“One is inward, the other outward, complementing each other.”
“You trained in the Celestial Evolution Art, so your Divine-Sense control is strong, making the Spiritual-Pivot Formation principles easier to grasp and understand thoroughly.”
“Divine-Sense controlling objects…” Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked: “Is this related to object manipulation in the Foundation Establishment stage?”
Mister Zhuang explained:
“The principle is the same—both are object manipulation, but the forms differ. Foundation Establishment object manipulation emphasizes strength, while Divine-Sense control emphasizes precision.”
Mo Hua asked: “Can I manipulate objects with my Divine-Sense now?”
“No,” said Mister Zhuang. “That requires Foundation Establishment. Your Divine-Sense is sufficient, but your cultivation isn’t.”
Mo Hua was slightly disappointed, but it made sense.
Foundation Establishment techniques weren’t easy for Qi-Refiners.
After Mister Zhuang’s explanation, Mo Hua understood much, yet still had doubts.
“Master, how does this relate to the visualization diagram?” Mo Hua asked.
Mister Zhuang’s gaze sharpened:
“Remember I said I would teach you the method of Divine-Sense combat?”
Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat, his face eager, nodding repeatedly.
Mister Zhuang’s eyes were deep as he slowly said:
“Divine-Sense combat is based on consciousness, manifested in form, and Divine-Sense controlling objects is the method.”
“Consciousness as the base, manifested in form, Divine-Sense controlling objects—that is the method…”
Mo Hua repeated it silently.
Mister Zhuang asked: “Do you understand?”
Mo Hua shook his head obediently.
He understood the words “consciousness,” “manifestation,” and “object control” separately, but together, he didn’t quite follow.
“No matter,” Mister Zhuang smiled, “we’ll go step by step…”
“Divine-Sense combat is an extremely esoteric technique, very difficult and dangerous. Ordinary cultivators wouldn’t attempt it.”
“Even among demonic cultivators, few master it.”
“I teach you because you are proving the Dao through Divine-Sense, and in the future, you will inevitably face deadly attacks at the level of Divine-Sense.”
“In fact, you have already encountered them…”
For example, the blue-faced little demon in the Black Mountain Fortress visualization diagram…
Mister Zhuang thought silently.
He didn’t know how Mo Hua resolved it, and didn’t ask.
Some secrets were meant to be kept.
Mister Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua and meaningfully instructed:
“Use it when you have it, let go when you don’t.”
“You may rely on external objects, but never depend on them.”
“You must constantly strengthen your Divine-Sense, master the method.”
“Learn to rely on your own power to face all the hidden dangers within Divine-Sense…”
“The one proving the Dao through Divine-Sense is you, not any external object.”
Mo Hua paused, then his expression brightened, seriously nodding.
Seeing Mo Hua’s clear gaze, Mister Zhuang felt reassured and nodded slightly.
Then he pointed at the crumpled Zhang family ancestor diagram on the table:
“When you’ve learned the method of Divine-Sense combat, you can use this diagram to practice…”
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Repeated (NEED EDITING)
Chapter 453: Divine-Sense Combat
Zhang Quan, the Spirit-Pivot Formation, the traitor of the Little Lingyin Sect—
These three were definitely connected.
But the clues were few, making it difficult to trace.
For now, the priority was the array.
In the courtyard, with a gentle breeze flowing through, Mo Hua continued practicing the Spirit-Pivot Formation.
But as he practiced, he suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something.
Forgot what?
Mo Hua paused for a moment, then it suddenly came back to him.
Zhang Quan’s ancestral figure—he had stuffed it in his storage pouch…
The Zhang family Patriarch Portrait!
The painting should depict the ancestors of the Zhang family.
Zhang Quan would open a ritual altar, burn incense, and bow to the patriarch portrait, drawing on the ancestors’ divine-sense to refine the Corpse-Control Bell.
Divine-sense was contained in the image.
This meant that the patriarch portrait was very likely a visualized contemplation diagram.
The ritual offerings? Human consciousness.
So the entity dwelling in this visualization diagram—even if not a ghost like the Green-Faced Little Demon—must be some kind of impure, malicious thought.
Zhang Quan practiced corpse refinement.
His methods had been passed down by his ancestor.
So his ancestor could not have been a good person either.
Mo Hua touched his storage pouch, his expression hesitant.
“Should I take a look?”
If he did, it would probably be dangerous.
Just like in the Black Mountain Fortress, that patriarch image might harbor some evil spirit, waiting for the chance to invade his Sea of Consciousness.
And the Dao Monument had only recovered halfway.
If it couldn’t suppress the evil spirit, a reckless invasion by malevolent thoughts would be like inviting a wolf into the house—disaster would be severe.
It might even reveal the secrets of the Dao Monument, which would be even more dangerous.
But not looking at it wasn’t ideal either.
The painting couldn’t be kept.
If it fell into Zhang Quan’s hands again, it would be aiding evil.
Even if other cultivators obtained it, it could still harm lives, providing spiritual nourishment to the evil residing in the image.
Keeping it carried too high a risk.
One day, in a life-or-death moment, the malicious thoughts in the portrait might emerge to wreak havoc.
So it couldn’t be kept.
Not keeping it meant it had to be destroyed.
A single fire could burn Zhang Quan’s ancestor to ashes.
If Zhang Quan knew, he would probably be livid enough to die from anger.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
But after thinking a while, he felt a bit reluctant.
After all, a visualization diagram was rare.
So far, Mo Hua had only encountered two:
One was a landscape Daoist child painting from Black Mountain Fortress.
The other was this Zhang family Patriarch Portrait.
Both were extremely precious, deeply stored, and hard to acquire.
Burning it felt wasteful.
More importantly, if he could refine the divine-sense contained within the visualization diagram, it could enhance his own divine-sense.
Right now, Mo Hua’s strongest attribute was his divine-sense—but it was also what he lacked the most.
His divine-sense far surpassed that of Qi-Refining cultivators and was on par with most early Foundation Establishment cultivators, even somewhat deeper.
But it was still far from enough.
He had to find a way to break through his divine-sense to mid-Foundation Establishment.
That was the realm of fourteen patterns.
Only then could he truly establish his foundation, cultivating the Dao of divine-sense itself.
At present, he lacked high-level arrays to refine his divine-sense.
The Spirit-Pivot Formation had twelve patterns, but it was incomplete.
Acquiring a complete Spirit-Pivot Formation diagram would take some effort.
Under these circumstances, if he could refine the visualization diagram, his divine-sense would advance much faster.
He could also establish his foundation sooner.
After considering, Mo Hua decided to ask Mister Zhuang.
He placed the crumpled, ash-stained, wrinkled Zhang family Patriarch Portrait before him.
Mister Zhuang looked at the dirty bundle, his expression a mix of helplessness and amusement.
“How did it end up like this?”
Mo Hua, with a serious little face, said solemnly:
“I was afraid it would seduce me!”
Mister Zhuang paused, then asked: “Did it seduce you?”
“Yes,” Mo Hua nodded.
“How?”
“It praised my talent, promised me opportunities, even wanted me to look at it…” Mo Hua snorted. “Dream on!”
“And then…”
“I taught it a lesson, and it behaved after that.”
Mister Zhuang looked at the image again.
Mo Hua’s little hands had crumpled it into folds, with incense ash smeared all around and a few tiny footprints.
It did look like it had been “taught a lesson.”
Mister Zhuang couldn’t help but chuckle.
Mo Hua whispered:
“Master, can I look at this diagram?”
Mister Zhuang thought for a moment, then shook his head:
“Not yet.”
Mo Hua was a bit disappointed, but then his eyes brightened as he asked:
“Not yet… then Master, when will I be able to?”
Mister Zhuang didn’t answer directly, but asked in return:
“How’s your understanding of the Spirit-Pivot Formation?”
“I’ve grasped a little…”
Mo Hua explained his insights and comprehension of the Spirit-Pivot Formation to Mister Zhuang.
Mister Zhuang nodded slightly.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask:
“Master, isn’t this Spirit-Pivot Formation a bit too simple…”
Mister Zhuang paused, then tapped Mo Hua’s forehead with his finger: “Don’t say that aloud.”
Otherwise, any array master listening would get angry and probably want to hit you.
Mo Hua smiled awkwardly but persisted:
“Master, I thought the Spirit-Pivot Formation would be more difficult…”
“Like a first-grade ten-pattern Reverse-Spirit Array, or an eleven-pattern Profound-Earth Array, where you need deeper comprehension to master the array…”
“But this Spirit-Pivot Formation… I didn’t seem to need much comprehension, I just learned the gist of it…”
Mister Zhuang smiled faintly, “How do you know you didn’t comprehend it?”
Mo Hua was startled: “What did I comprehend?”
Even he didn’t realize it…
Mister Zhuang asked: “What is the core of the Spirit-Pivot Formation?”
“Spirit-force control,” Mo Hua blurted.
“How to control it?”
“Through the array, analyze the essence of the spirit-force, divide it, form wandering threads, and have the divine-sense act as the hub to control the threads, thereby controlling external objects.”
Mister Zhuang smiled meaningfully:
“Does that sound familiar?”
Mo Hua frowned, thinking.
Divine-sense controlling spirit-force…
After a moment, he suddenly realized:
“Tianyan Art!”
The Tianyan Art was also a method for cultivating divine-sense control.
The more refined the Tianyan Art, the more sensitive the divine-sense control became.
“Exactly!” Mister Zhuang nodded. “The Spirit-Pivot Formation emphasizes spirit-force control, while Tianyan Art cultivates divine-sense control. They share the same origin and are connected…”
“Your learning of the Spirit-Pivot Formation isn’t without comprehension.”
“You’ve already accumulated understanding of these array principles through your practice of the Tianyan Art.”
“Thus, your insight into the Spirit-Pivot Formation isn’t very difficult.”
“After understanding a perfected array, it’s just a routine comprehension, deepening slightly without a sudden revelation…”
Mo Hua nodded slowly, understanding.
After a while, he frowned again and asked:
“But Master, the spirit-force control in the Spirit-Pivot Formation and in the Tianyan Art is still different, right?”
Indeed, there was a significant difference.
That’s why he hadn’t realized it at first.
Mister Zhuang’s eyes showed approval, and he nodded:
“They converge but diverge, essentially similar but focused differently…”
“Tianyan Art focuses on divine-sense control, emphasizing the divine-sense itself.”
“The Spirit-Pivot Formation emphasizes spirit-force control, focusing on controlling objects through divine-sense—or rather, controlling spirit-force intricately through divine-sense.”
“One is internal, the other external; they complement each other.”
“Since you have studied Tianyan Art, your divine-sense control is strong, making the principles of the Spirit-Pivot Formation easier and deeper to understand.”
“Controlling objects with divine-sense…” Mo Hua suddenly recalled something and asked: “Is this related to controlling objects in the Foundation Establishment stage?”
Mister Zhuang explained:
“The principle is the same—both control objects—but the forms differ. Divine-sense object control focuses on strength, whereas divine-sense manipulation emphasizes precision.”
Mo Hua asked: “Can I control objects with my divine-sense now?”
“No,” said Mister Zhuang. “You need to reach Foundation Establishment. Your divine-sense is enough, but your cultivation isn’t.”
Mo Hua was a little disappointed, but it made sense.
Foundation Establishment methods aren’t easy to learn.
After Mister Zhuang’s explanation, Mo Hua understood a lot, though some doubts remained.
“Master, how does this relate to the visualization diagram?” Mo Hua asked.
Mister Zhuang’s gaze deepened:
“Remember I said I’d teach you the method of Divine-Sense Killing?”
Mo Hua’s heart skipped, his eyes brightening, nodding eagerly.
Mister Zhuang looked at him deeply and slowly said:
“Divine-Sense Killing is based on the divine-sense, manifests into form, and divine-sense object control is the method.”
“Based on divine-sense, manifested into form, divine-sense object control—that is the method…”
Mo Hua muttered it quietly to himself.
Mister Zhuang asked: “Do you understand?”
Mo Hua honestly shook his head.
He understood the words “divine-sense,” “manifest,” “object control” separately, but together, he couldn’t quite grasp them.
“No matter,” Mister Zhuang smiled, “step by step…”
“Divine-Sense Killing is an extremely esoteric method, very difficult and dangerous; ordinary cultivators won’t attempt it.”
“Even among demonic cultivators, few master it.”
“I teach you because, as you cultivate the Dao through divine-sense, you will inevitably face lethal threats on the divine-sense level.”
“And in fact, you’ve already encountered it…”
For instance, the Green-Faced Little Demon in the Black Mountain Fortress visualization diagram…
Mister Zhuang silently thought.
He didn’t know how Mo Hua resolved it, and didn’t ask.
Some secrets must be kept.
He looked at Mo Hua and hinted:
“Use external objects as advantage, but do not rely on them.”
“You must continually strengthen your divine-sense and master the method.”
“Learn to rely on your own power to face the dangers hidden in divine-sense…”
“You cultivate the Dao through your divine-sense, not any external object.”
Mo Hua was slightly stunned, then suddenly enlightened, nodding seriously.
Seeing Mo Hua’s clear gaze, Mister Zhuang felt reassured and nodded slightly.
Then he pointed to the wrinkled, crumpled Zhang family Patriarch Portrait on the table:
“When you learn the method of Divine-Sense Killing, you can use this diagram to practice…”