Chapter 624: Leek
The completely unaware Elder Xun had no idea what he had just done right in front of Mo Hua…
When he finished modifying the permissions, a strange ripple of unease rose in his heart.
But that sensation was faint—fleeting—and vanished almost immediately.
Elder Xun paused in confusion.
"I didn't do anything outrageous… why do I suddenly feel a little unsettled?"
He'd just adjusted the permissions on Mo Hua's Great Void Token. That wasn't exactly breaking sect rules or violating ancient laws, right?
Besides, some of those sect rules? He wrote them himself...
"Could there be another reason?"
But when he tried to chase that unease down again—it had vanished without a trace, like a forgotten dream. Whatever had been taken… was already gone.
What had been secretly learned… was already learned.
Because the "effect" had already been cast.
On Mo Hua's fair, youthful face was an expression of pure joy, his eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.
Merely storing up "Secondary Thunder Runes" wasn't enough. He had to deeply understand them—and truly grasp their applications.
When Elder Xun had just finished modifying Mo Hua's Great Void Token, he'd casually glanced into it and discovered over a hundred merit points.
The recent captures and kills Mo Hua had performed—especially against criminal cultivators—had all been credited by the Dao Court. And those deeds? They lined up.
This… this was a true application of Secondary Thunder Runes.
So Elder Xun gave him a reminder out of goodwill.
And without realizing it… pointed him straight down a brand-new path.
The first step? Master Secondary Thunder Runes.
Then Elder Xun turned back to return the token to Mo Hua—only to pause.
He wasn't sure how many formations he'd drawn in his life… how many staircases he'd swept… how many sect gates he'd stared at…
But looking back now, it was like he'd been randomly gathering "keys" and hoping to guess which ones would open someone else's lock.
Crude. Incomplete.
"But… other sects' matters, I'm just an old man—I've no place to interfere…"
After all, what could someone even learn from just watching me tweak a permission field?
Elder Xun furrowed his brows, unable to figure it out.
In the past, his own method of dealing with these runes was mostly guesswork—choosing the right Secondary Thunder Runes to break seals or decrypt scripts.
Sure, that "guessing" was based on a solid formation foundation, and enhanced with layers of complex calculations and spiritual deduction techniques…
But a hundred merit points? That'd take a long time to earn!
"What… has this kid figured out again?"
"I didn't even teach him anything!"
Mo Hua nodded seriously. "Don't worry, Elder!"
"Well then, I won't worry."
(Hmph, formation stuff isn't that hard anyway…)
Mo Hua added proudly, "Yes, it took me a ton of work to save all that up!"
"Keep that token safe," Elder Xun reminded.
Then suddenly, something struck him:
"Wait… you've saved quite a lot of merit points, haven't you?"
He frowned and thought for a moment, mentally reviewing the number.
And finally—he sighed in relief.
"If he ends up on the road to the Yellow Springs, he could already lead a team…"
The token was updated. The "forbidden knowledge" had already been swiped. Mo Hua gave his farewell and was about to leave.
But Elder Xun couldn't shake a strange nagging doubt in his chest.
Still, he nodded approvingly and praised:
"Not bad. Keep it up."
Meanwhile, Mo Hua—on the way back—was mentally replaying the entire process of Elder Xun modifying the token, again and again.
He started distilling the key principles.
Before, he had been storing up and deducing Secondary Thunder Runes without fully understanding their true nature or purpose.
This… probably has nothing to do with the Great Void Sect, right?
After bidding farewell, Mo Hua returned to his disciple's quarters and wasted no time diving back into the topic of "tampering"—no wait, let's call it "modifying" permissions.
"Why's that kid so darn happy?" Elder Xun muttered back in the hall.
Meanwhile, Mo Hua was nodding earnestly and receiving the token with a big smile on his face.
He'd earned over a thousand merit points.
Even after buying six Grade Two sixteen-pattern formations, he still had some left!
Mo Hua's face practically screamed: I'm amazing!
Elder Xun was briefly stunned.
Most entry-level merit missions only earned a few points at a time.
Now? He felt justified in washing his hands of this whole situation.
But Mo Hua…
He had seen something new.
A whole new method demonstrated by Elder Xun right in front of him:
Using Secondary Thunder Runes to reverse-influence indeterminate magnetic patterns, then alter fixed-pattern magnetic structures, thus reconstructing the core array architecture, and rewriting privilege permissions.
It wasn't like opening a lock…
It was like rewriting the lock.
Transforming someone else's lock into your lock.
Opening a lock leaves the house unchanged—you're still entering their home.
But modifying the lock means the entire core array changes, and the access control updates.
After that? Who owns the "house" built by a Primordial Magnetic Array… becomes unclear.
Who gets in, who doesn't—that's entirely up to you now.
And at the core of it all was a connection between magnetic runes: weak, subtle, but incredibly fundamental—
Secondary Thunder Currents, or simply: Secondary Thunder Runes.
Mo Hua's Summary of Key Insights:
1. Secondary Thunder Runes (次雷紋)
The essential link behind all magnetic arrays. Control them, and you can influence even the deepest array permissions. But it's not enough to collect them—you must understand how they work.
2. Magnetic Pattern Structures (磁紋形製)
To alter magnetic patterns via Secondary Thunder Runes, one must learn a broad range of Primordial Magnetic Arrays, mastering how fixed and variable patterns align. Only then can you rewrite a formation correctly—and know what the change will do.
3. Primordial Magnetic Array Cores (元磁陣樞)
Mo Hua didn't fully understand this yet.
The formations he'd learned so far didn't involve core control nodes.
But based on Elder Xun's vague hints, he speculated that all large-scale Primordial Magnetic Arrays had central control hubs. Every node was influenced by these control cores.
The very heart of permission management lay in these cores.
Simple jade slips and transmission arrays didn't involve core authority.
But things like the Message Tokens or the Great Void Token definitely did.
Unfortunately, those were formations of seventeen-pattern level and above.
For now, Mo Hua's spiritual sense wasn't strong enough. He could only wait until he improved, learned more, and slowly worked his way up…
...
Chapter 624: Leek
Mo Hua took a moment to summarize everything in his heart.
From the Secondary Thunder Runes, to the Dual-Law Magnetic Patterns, all the way to the Thunder-Magnetic Hierarchical Array Cores…
This was clearly Elder Xun's painstakingly crafted, step-by-step demonstration: a clear, structured, progressive walkthrough of Thunder-Magnetic Array comprehension and application—starting from Secondary Thunder Runes.
Mo Hua silently thanked Elder Xun and then made a learning plan for his Primordial Magnetic Array studies:
Next, he would focus on learning more Primordial Magnetic Arrays, accumulating Secondary Thunder Runes, and then begin his first attempts at altering magnetic patterns with them.
Once his spiritual sense strengthened further, he would move on to the seventeen-pattern and more advanced Primordial Magnetic Arrays.
Then, he'd begin learning compound magnetic formations that contained core nodes (阵枢).
When he had fully mastered the patterns, grasped the structure of cores, and could wield Secondary Thunder Runes as naturally as his own limbs…
Then, step by step, he would seek to comprehend and eventually control the large-scale Thunder-Magnetic Arrays used in the sect's merit system!
He would become a shadow hidden among the encrypted magnetic runes, a master commanding the flow of thunder and magnetism.
Once he could crack the grand arrays, he would stand above all array core permissions.
All of Qianxue Prefecture's sect secrets… would be within his reach.
Mo Hua grinned with sweet anticipation.
Though for now, it was just a dream.
He had only just built his foundation, only just begun learning the sixteen-pattern Flamecore Primordial Magnetic Array. That goal was still very far away…
"Food has to be eaten one bite at a time; formations have to be learned one by one."
Enhancing spiritual sense was even less something that could be rushed.
So Mo Hua calmed his mind and, as always, continued studying formations and deducing Secondary Thunder Runes.
But now that he had a roadmap, his learning wasn't as confused or aimless as before. His connection to the Secondary Thunder Runes grew deeper.
Each rune began to feel almost… alive—resonating with him subtly.
He felt like he could sense within these complex runes, within their weak magnetic flows, faint and obscure laws of the Dao.
They were slowly syncing with his divine sense…
Profound. Mysterious.
But limited by the strength of his spiritual sense, the process was still slow.
Mo Hua could clearly feel it—his spiritual sense still wasn't strong enough.
There were so many things he wanted to learn… but simply couldn't yet.
He had sixteen-pattern spiritual sense.
While that was leagues ahead of his peers and others in the same realm…
When it came to true spiritual calculation, and high-level array comprehension, even this level of divine sense—despite its qualitative improvements—was still barely sufficient.
It couldn't yet support his study of the deeper layers of formation theory.
But the growth of divine sense was like a stream slowly forming a river—steady and deliberate. You couldn't rush it.
Mo Hua sighed.
Without any "extra meals" (external boosts), he could only quietly endure—studying formations, tempering his divine sense slowly…
About half a month later, at midnight.
Mo Hua lay slumped over his desk, having finished his studies for the day. He had just completed a few lessons on Eight Trigram Arrays and was about to enter his consciousness to simulate Primordial Magnetic Arrays and deduce more Secondary Thunder Runes when—
He paused.
He sensed movement next door.
It was a subtle, cold, and eerie sensation.
It was as if some demonic karmic force was quietly taking root… grotesque spirits, drooling and twisted, slowly descending from the ceiling, upside down…
Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
"The leeks… they've sprouted!"
He immediately stood up—and the moment he opened his door, he bumped into Wenren Wei.
Wenren Wei, tall and broad-shouldered, was standing just outside, looking grave and somewhat hesitant—clearly unsure whether or not to disturb Mo Hua.
Seeing him come out, Wenren Wei was a little surprised, then cupped his hands and said:
"Young Master Mo… Young Master Yu seems to be having a nightmare again…"
Mo Hua nodded, then emphasized once more:
"I'm not from a noble family. No need to call me 'Young Master.'"
Wenren Wei nodded respectfully, "Understood."
But his serious expression clearly said: I'll agree out loud, but I'm not changing what I call you.
Mo Hua gave up arguing and went to check on Yu'er.
Yu'er's room was warm and cozy, with a screen dividing it. Wenren Wei lived on the outer side, while Yu'er stayed inside.
His bed was soft and clean, with a plush blanket. A scenic folding screen stood nearby, and a calming incense burner gave off a gentle fragrance.
Visually, everything seemed peaceful and serene.
But on the bed, Yu'er was frowning deeply, arms and legs flailing—clearly terrified in his sleep.
Wenren Wei looked worried. He could sense something was wrong but didn't know what.
Mo Hua looked up—his pupils deepened.
And in that moment, he saw causal threads in the void, thick black water seeping from the ceiling…
And countless demon arms and claws, like leeks, sprouting from the cracks in space…
Mo Hua subconsciously licked his lips, then said to Wenren Wei:
"Uncle Wei, you go rest outside. I'll keep an eye on him."
Wenren Wei was momentarily stunned. "Young Master Mo, this…"
"It's fine."
Mo Hua smiled and sat on a meditation cushion next to Yu'er, calmly placing himself between Yu'er and the demonic presence.
His face was relaxed—almost eager.
Like someone waiting at a banquet… for the next dish to be served.
Wenren Wei frowned, hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands:
"Then I'll trouble you, Young Master Mo."
He moved outside, eyes sharp as he surveyed the area. At the same time, he left a wisp of his divine sense to monitor the room.
His heart was uneasy.
He'd heard of Yu'er's condition before, but this was his first time seeing it for himself.
It truly was bizarre. Yu'er looked like he was tormented by some evil force in his dreams.
Yet Wenren Wei—despite scanning with divine sense—could see nothing.
As if it existed only in the realm of cause and effect, in the gap between reality and illusion.
Even with his late-stage Golden Core cultivation, he couldn't detect a thing…
But that young Mo cultivator had clearly "seen" something.
What sort of twisted force was this…?
Why can't someone like me see it, but a mere Foundation Establishment junior can?
Wenren Wei's expression turned solemn, his heart full of doubt.
And at that moment—the atmosphere inside the room suddenly changed.
Wenren Wei sensed something… a great, furious presence, radiating malicious intent, stirring a wind of evil energy.
Then came a moment of blurriness—
And he saw the young Mo cultivator's face turn pale. A shadow crossed his features, and he slowly closed his eyes…
As if he had used his own body as a shield… to block something vile for Yu'er.
Wenren Wei's heart shook. He looked at Mo Hua with newfound respect.
"For someone so young… to have such selfless courage and righteous heart—it's truly rare…"
...
Mo Hua opened his eyes in the sea of consciousness.
What greeted him was the same as always—
Black water spreading. Twisted demons. Hideous, grotesque grins. A hellish and chaotic realm filled with evil and madness.
When the demons and ghouls saw Mo Hua's spiritual projection—so "young," so "pure"—they all licked their lips with greed.
In their eyes, Mo Hua was just a tasty little appetizer.
But very quickly… Mo Hua showed them who was really the appetizer.
He gave a cold smile. With a flick of his finger—like a merciless judge delivering a verdict—he swung an invisible iron brush and sentenced those demons to death.
A grand formation burst forth.
Crimson runes lit up across the ground, tangled and wild like burning magma.
Jagged cliffs rose around them, forming a prison.
The array turned into blazing flames that burned, trapped, and refined the horde of demons alive.
Then Mo Hua opened his mouth and casually swallowed the refined essence whole.
After eating, he smacked his lips with slight disappointment. He searched the surrounding area for a while… but his face fell.
The thick demonic energy and black water had made him think there might be some horned enforcer hiding—like a ram-horn or ox-horn demon general.
If so, he could've enjoyed some nice, golden spiritual marrow to boost his divine sense.
But alas—there was nothing.
Only low-level trash demons good for filling the stomach, not the mind.
"I wonder when the horned enforcers will show up…"
Mo Hua shook his head and exited his consciousness. When he opened his eyes, the darkness on his face had vanished, and the pale hue gave way to a healthy, rosy glow.
His eyes gleamed with renewed spirit—divine sense revitalized.
Wenren Wei, who had been watching the whole time, was stunned. Shock flickered in his eyes.
"What in the world… just happened?"
He'd been watching carefully. Just moments ago, this little Mo fellow had been deathly pale, his brow shadowed with ominous energy. Yet in a short time, it had all vanished like snow under hot water.
Wenren Wei was dazed.
Could it be… this child truly was a body immune to all evil, a child of fate, as the young lady had said? The one destined to bring blessings to Young Master Yu?
Mo Hua glanced at Yu'er. Seeing that the child now slept peacefully without fear, he gently tucked in the blanket, stood up, and walked over to Wenren Wei.
"Uncle Wei, it should be fine now. I'll head back."
Wenren Wei couldn't hide the amazement in his eyes. He cupped his hands solemnly.
"Thank you, Young Master Mo."
As Mo Hua turned to leave, Wenren Wei suddenly called out to him. After a moment of silence, he said:
"If you ever need anything, Young Master Mo—just say the word."
Mo Hua was surprised but didn't turn down the goodwill. He smiled:
"Thank you, Uncle Wei."
Back in his room, Mo Hua returned to meditation.
He had eaten a lot—so he needed to "digest."
He sat still, focused his heart, and cleared away stray thoughts. The strands of demonic spiritual energy he had consumed were gradually refined and absorbed.
And with it, his divine sense grew stronger—a gain equivalent to a month's worth of array grinding.
He was still far from reaching the seventeenth-pattern, but this kind of "accidental harvest" was nothing to scoff at…
"If only I had this kind of meal every day…"
Mo Hua couldn't help but think.
Then he shook his head, chuckling at himself for being greedy.
Once in a while was nice. But daily meals?
"Demons aren't actual 'leeks'…"
Even if they were, no crop could grow a new batch every single day.
Mo Hua returned to his cultivation, focusing his mind—but as he meditated, the scene of the demon invasion resurfaced in his mind.
The twisted void patterns… the karmic chains… the oozing black water…
Mo Hua furrowed his brow and muttered:
"Who sent those demons… and how are they using karmic chains to send them to Yu'er?"
He thought for a moment—and suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"If I could figure out how they're controlling those demons…"
"Could I… maybe hijack it? Redirect them to send more?"
"And maybe… not send them to Yu'er at all?"
"He's just a little kid. Getting scared every night. Poor guy."
"Just send them to me instead."
"I don't need sleep. I can keep them company all night."
Clack-clack-clack—you could practically hear the sound of Mo Hua's mental abacus.
He silently made a mental note.
If he had the time later, he'd definitely investigate the karmic spell involved—and change the address.
"Demons and evil spirits are dangerous. You can't just keep having the neighbor accept your deliveries."
"They should come straight to me. One stop service. Right to my door."
Mo Hua nodded to himself, fully convinced of the logic.
Meanwhile—just moments earlier…
In the restricted back mountain of the Great Void Sect.
Within the solemn Sword Tombs nestled in the cliffs…
An old man with a skeletal frame and a beard that touched the ground opened his eyes.
It was as if chaos had just parted, as the Great Void swirled in his pupils. A single flash of sword light burst forth—carrying a boundless, overwhelming presence.
"What wicked creature dares show itself in Great Void territory?"
He snapped his fingers, invoking heaven's secrets, ready to trace the cause and sever the evil.
But the moment he began his deduction—he frowned.
"Gone…"
"It disappeared…"
"Was it… eaten?"
The old man was stunned.
"Since when… did our Great Void Sect raise a divine beast that feeds on evil spirits?"
(End of Chapter)