Chapter 43

Chapter 43 – Chapter 43 Seeking Knowledge_1

Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Seeking Knowledge_1

Translator: 549690339

Mo Shan’s couple was overjoyed when they heard that Mo Hua was referred by Instructor Yan and accepted as a student by a highly skilled Formation Master.

Mo Shan originally had some concerns, but after thinking it over, he felt there was nothing to worry about.

Instructor Yan had taught at Tongxian Gate for many years and had a good reputation, and a person recommended by Instructor Yan surely had extraordinary status.

Mo Shan’s family were just ordinary Loose Cultivators, with neither Spirit Stones nor family wealth, so naturally, they did not have to worry about others coveting anything from them.

Besides, they wouldn’t normally have the chance to even meet a Formation Master of such status, so this really was a serendipitous opportunity.

Now that Mo Hua was studying Formations and living at home, Liu Ruhua could see her son every day and even cook meals for him, which made her even happier.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast prepared by Liu Ruhua, Mo Hua set off for Southeast Mountain to visit Mr. Zhuang and learn from him.

Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain this time, Mo Hua took the path to the bamboo gate and realized that there actually was a signboard in front of the courtyard.

The signboard read “Forgetful Residence,” a detail Mo Hua somehow had not noticed the day before.

As Mo Hua entered Forgetful Residence, he found Mr. Zhuang idly sitting by the pond, holding his cheek with one hand and fishing with the other, using a piece of bamboo as a rod and a bare hook without bait.

Mo Hua peered into the pond and discovered that there weren’t even any fish in it.

Mo Hua thought Mr. Zhuang must have some deeper meaning, and looked up at him again, only to find that Mr. Zhuang was not really fishing at all but merely dozing off with his cheek propped up.

Fortunately, the old man from the day before saw Mo Hua and called him over, saying:

“The gentleman often dozes off. When he’s dozing, just ignore him and don’t disturb him.”

“Oh, okay.”

Mo Hua nodded with an air of not fully comprehending yet respecting the advice.

The old man added, “I am the... steward here, taking care of the gentleman’s daily needs. You can call me Old Kui.”

Mo Hua politely said, “Grandpa Gui.”

Old Kui glanced at Mo Hua but said nothing further and took out a chessboard, asking, “Do you play chess?”

There was a refreshing breeze around them, along with the sound of bamboo rustling.

“I have taken on disciples before, but what they learned was different from you, so it cannot be generalized. Let’s see what level you’ve reached in your formation studies.”

Mr. Zhuang then asked Mo Hua several questions, to which Mo Hua responded one by one.

After Mo Hua had answered, Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, then took out a thick tome and instructed Mo Hua:

“Your knowledge of formation theories is too shallow, and what you’ve learned is mostly basic formation patterns, disjointed and not comprehensive. With such a shaky foundation, it’s hard to understand more profound formations later on, and you won’t make it far on the path of formations.”

Mr. Zhuang handed the book to Mo Hua and said:

“You need to start from the most basic concepts. This book contains the basic theories about formations in the Tao Cultivation World, encompassing different schools, characteristics, and lineages. Familiarize yourself with these first. Understand what you can and come to me with what you can’t. Once your foundation in formation theory is solid, I will teach you how to draw formations.”

Mo Hua accepted the thick tome of formation knowledge and said, “Thank you, sir!”

Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, “Feel free to find a comfortable spot in the yard to read, I’m going to close my eyes and rest my spirit.”

Mo Hua took his leave, then, hugging “On the Source of Formation Techniques,” found a shady spot under a tree on a patch of cool grass, and began to flip through it.

At the beginning, “On the Source” clarified its purpose, stating that ancient immortals observed the heavens and scrutinized the earth, gaining enlightenment about the Heavenly Dao from the evolution of all things, and manifested this understanding into formations. These formations operated in a way that mimicked the movements of the Heavenly Dao, thus possessing unfathomable power.

In all the fields of Tao Cultivation, only formations offer the most direct and fundamental understanding of the Heavenly Dao, and they also place the most stringent demands on one’s divine sense.

Formation Masters were classified from one to nine grades, with those above the ninth grade being immortals, known as Immortal Formation Masters.

However, Immortal Formation Masters are merely legends; in nearly twenty thousand years, no one has genuinely achieved immortality, and thus no one has become an Immortal Formation Master. Nobody knows what the world-altering formations of an immortal might look like.

Not just Immortal Formation Masters, but even the recorded ninth-grade masters are unaccounted for; the eighth grade is but legend. Records exist of a few sixth and seventh-grade masters, all from noble clans, ancient sects, or figures like the Chief Elder of the Taoist Court, each an unreachable pinnacle of power among cultivators.

After the fifth grade down to the third, records of formation masters become more abundant. Below that, such records cease, evidently because any masters of lower grade, unless they achieve unprecedented innovation in formations, are not worthy of mention in historical texts.

Following historical accounts, the book delves into various schools of formations and a preliminary analysis of formations jargon.

The flow of formation disciplines differs greatly among noble clans, sects, and regions. Even within the same lineage of a particular formation, multiple minor lineages might emerge. These different lineages show subtle variations in the study, research, application, and effectiveness of their formations.

All major powers consider their core formations a closely guarded secret, and through independent research and application, the state of formations in the Tao Cultivation World has become both richly diverse and insular.

Formations are categorized by their Formation Pivot types, including but not limited to Eryi Formations, Three Talents Formations, Four Symbols Formations, Five Elements Formations, Six Harmonies Formations, Seven Stars Formations, and Eight Trigrams Arrays. The Five Elements Formation and Eight Trigrams Array are the most widely propagated and used, yet each formation has its specific purpose.

Mo Hua spent a good part of the day roughly flipping through “On the Source of Formation Techniques,” feeling enlightened yet also keenly aware of his insignificance.

To Mo Hua, becoming a first-grade Formation Master was already challenging, let alone striving for the seventh, eighth, ninth, or even Immortal Grades. The path of formations was as vast as the sea, and Mo Hua, not even a first-grade Formation Master, was now just a speck in that vast ocean.