Chapter 30: The Melting Fire Array Diagram
Mo Hua returned home under the scorching sun, grabbed the teapot on the table, and gulped down several mouthfuls before finally feeling the heat subside. Then he headed to his room, took out paper and brush, and began planning.
First—was the cooking furnace.
A cooking furnace was a type of spiritual artifact.
The spiritual artifacts cultivators used came in all kinds—offensive weapons like swords, sabers, spears, and staffs; defensive gear like armor and robes; spell-based items like hairpins and jade pendants; and even everyday items like pots, bowls, and stoves.
Mo Hua's knowledge of artifact forging was limited to the basic theories taught in the Tongxian Sect's course "Foundations of Artifact Crafting," things like smelting, forging, and quenching.
But actually forging an artifact? That was beyond him.
The sect's course did require students to personally forge items, but since Mo Hua was physically weak and couldn't even swing a hammer, he had never passed the basic forging step—so the instructor didn't force it.
Now, if he wanted to make a cooking furnace, it wasn't just any ordinary spiritual tool—he'd have to commission a professional artifact forger.
Next was the formation. The Melting Fire Array contained five array runes, which was already quite a challenge for Mo Hua.
Up until now, the most complex arrays he had drawn had only included four runes.
In Qi Refining stage formations, each additional rune made a significant difference in effectiveness. And the jump from four to five runes? That was a serious threshold for any formation master.
Mo Hua practiced array drawing daily, refining his skill at the Dao Tablet, which had also strengthened his spiritual sense. Four-rune formations were easy for him now, but five-runers… that was another matter.
Another tricky point: the Melting Fire Array had to be drawn onto the furnace.
The body of an artifact furnace was made of refined iron, which didn't absorb ink as well. Drawing an array on iron was far harder than on paper—it consumed more spiritual power and taxed the spiritual sense heavily.
According to Instructor Yan's "Primer on Array Theory," the medium used to carry an array—called the array medium—was crucial.
For most array masters, the most common array medium was paper. Others included iron, wood, earth, and stone.
Mo Hua had only ever drawn arrays on paper. He wasn't sure what issues might arise trying to draw one on an artifact furnace.
After a moment of thought, he sighed. Better take it one step at a time.
The most pressing matter now: figure out how to obtain the complete Melting Fire Array diagram.
—
The next day, Mo Hua got up, ate breakfast, and went straight to find Manager Mo.
Manager Mo was a plump man who hated the heat. He was slumped across his desk, next to a fan inscribed with an array that was spirit-powered and constantly waving—but in this heat, it only blew hot air.
Mo Hua said, "Manager Mo, I noticed other shops have ice-element formations on their walls for cooling. Why don't you get one too?"
Manager Mo gave him a weary glare. "Those arrays cost a fortune. If you give me the spirit stones, I'll get one installed right away!"
Mo Hua just chuckled and poured himself a cup of tea at the side table.
In this slow, almost-abandoned Fated Pavilion, Mo Hua was practically a regular. Manager Mo didn't mind letting him hang around. He buried his head back in the desk.
After sipping his tea, Mo Hua asked, "Manager Mo, do you have the array diagram for the Melting Fire Array?"
Manager Mo lifted his head, annoyed. "This is a formation shop! What array diagram don't we have?"
Mo Hua raised an eyebrow. "Even second-grade arrays?"
Manager Mo slammed the desk. "Brat! Don't try to be clever with me!" Then paused and asked, "What do you want the Melting Fire Array for anyway?"
"I saw it drawn on a restaurant's cooking furnace. Got curious, so I thought I'd ask," Mo Hua said. Then added, "Do you know if there are any special requirements when drawing that array on a furnace?"
Manager Mo replied listlessly, "It's just a Melting Fire Array—what's there to fuss about? A few restaurants had furnaces made last year and bought the array from me. I even have their custom furnace design diagrams."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Can I take a look?"
"No!"
"Just a quick look!" Mo Hua pleaded.
Manager Mo tried to refuse again, but after a moment's hesitation, he sighed. He reluctantly pulled a large blueprint from the cabinet and laid it on the desk.
"You can look at it here only. Technically this is confidential—it shouldn't be shown to outsiders."
Mo Hua opened the diagram. It was a full schematic of a cooking furnace, densely annotated with notes detailing materials, rune placements, and even stroke orders and array dimensions.
Mo Hua asked curiously, "Are these different from normal array diagrams? Why are the strokes and sizes marked?"
"Of course they're different," Manager Mo explained. "The array runes may be standardized, but their application varies. Some artifacts are mass-produced and uniform in size, so standard arrays work fine. But custom-made artifacts need customized arrays."
"For example, this furnace is a special commission from that restaurant. It's completely different from others, so the internal Melting Fire Array had to be adjusted for its size, shape, and design."
"I see…" Mo Hua nodded.
He studied the diagram carefully, doing his best to memorize the key parts for reference.
Once Manager Mo saw he'd looked enough, he put the blueprint away.
Mo Hua then asked, "Can I borrow a copy of the Melting Fire Array diagram?"
Manager Mo had expected this. He pulled out a scroll. "Normally this one costs ten spirit stones, but I'll lend it to you for free. Just return it when you're done, and don't damage it."
Mo Hua was surprised. "Ten spirit stones? That expensive?"
"Of course! You think it's like those low-tier diagrams with two or three runes? Those are everywhere. But once you go above four runes—especially five—the diagrams become much rarer. The more runes, the stronger the effect, and naturally, the higher the value."
Manager Mo fanned himself and continued, "Some arrays with ten runes are literal heirlooms—secret techniques of major clans or sects. You wouldn't be able to buy one, much less see one."
Mo Hua clicked his tongue in amazement. Mastering formations really was a difficult path. Without a proper lineage or access, it'd be nearly impossible to learn anything advanced.
He took the Melting Fire Array diagram and thanked Manager Mo sincerely.
Manager Mo waved it off, "It's nothing—don't be so formal." But he looked rather pleased.
As Mo Hua left, Manager Mo added,
"Study is fine, but don't overdo it. And don't get tunnel vision either. If you exhaust your spiritual sense and damage your sea of consciousness, the consequences are serious for any array master."
He paused, coughed, and added, "Pass that message along to your older brother too…"
Mo Hua smiled, gave a proper bow, and left Fated Pavilion.
—
Once home, he sat down and transcribed the furnace schematic from memory.
There had been a lot of information—he didn't catch everything, but he got the critical parts. That would be enough.
He didn't need to copy the exact design anyway. Even if he wanted to, he didn't have enough spirit stones to forge something like it.
Mo Hua internalized what he could, then headed out again—to a small forge shop at the end of the street.
It was a humble place, but fairly spacious. The walls and floor were lined with various spiritual tools and household items—candleholders, teapots, cookware, hairpins, bracelets, even weapons and armor—all arranged in a rather chaotic manner.
A worn-out banner hung out front: Chen's Forging Hall. The sign was old and stained with soot—clearly it had seen many years.
This was the shop Mo Hua had heard about from Da Hu and the others. Supposedly, it had the best craftsmanship in the area and had been open the longest.
The artifact forger's surname was Chen—everyone called him Master Chen.
He had no wife or children, and his whole life was spent hammering iron. Though he hadn't reached first-tier artifact master status, his tools had a great reputation. Many demon hunters came to him for vine armor and blades.
When Mo Hua entered, Master Chen was in the middle of forging, swinging a massive hammer with a few apprentices beside him, the sound of metal clanging filling the air.
(End of Chapter)