Chapter 43: Seeking Knowledge

The Mo Shan couple was overjoyed to hear that, through the recommendation of Instructor Yan, Mo Hua had been taken on as a disciple by a high-level formation master.

Mo Shan had initially harbored some concerns, but after much deliberation, he felt there was nothing to worry about.

Instructor Yan had taught at the Tongxian Sect for many years and possessed great prestige; naturally, anyone highly regarded and recommended by him would be of extraordinary status.

The Mo family were merely ordinary rogue cultivators with neither spirit stones nor family assets, so there was no reason to suspect anyone would have ulterior motives toward them.

Moreover, they might not even get to see a formation master of such status in their lifetime; this was a rare opportunity.

As for Mo Hua, since he was studying formations at home, Liu Ruhua could see her son every day and cook for him, which made her even happier.

Early the next morning, after Mo Hua finished the sumptuous breakfast prepared by Liu Ruhua, he set off for Southeast Mountain to visit Mr. Zhuang to begin his studies.

When Mo Hua arrived at the foot of the mountain this time, he followed the small path to the bamboo gate, only then noticing that there was actually a plaque in front of the courtyard.

The plaque read "Zuowang Residence." For some reason, he hadn't noticed it yesterday.

Mo Hua entered the Zuowang Residence and found Mr. Zhuang sitting by a pond, looking utterly bored. He was resting his chin on one hand while fishing with the other. The fishing rod was merely a piece of green bamboo, and the line hung empty, without any bait.

Mo Hua peeked into the pond and discovered there weren't even any fish in it.

Thinking that Mr. Zhuang might be acting with some profound intention, Mo Hua looked up at him, only to find that the man wasn't even fishing—he was simply dozing off with his chin in his hand.

Fortunately, the old man he had met yesterday called Mo Hua aside and said

"The Master often dozes off. When he is napping, just leave him be; of course, do not disturb him."

"Oh, okay."

Mo Hua nodded, feeling that the instruction was profound despite not quite understanding it.

The old man continued, "I am the... housekeeper here, looking after the Master's daily needs. You may call me Old Kui."

Mo Hua said politely, "Grandpa Kui."

Old Kui glanced at Mo Hua but said nothing. He produced a chessboard and asked, "Do you know how to play?"

Mo Hua looked at the board. "Is this Five Elements Chess?"

There were many types of chess in the cultivation world, such as Bagua Chess, Five Elements Chess, Tianyuan Chess, Sancai Chess, and so on. Five Elements Chess was the simplest and most common, primarily used as an introductory tool for children to help them memorize the basic principles of the generation and overcoming cycles of the Five Elements.

The rules were simple: each side held two types of pieces, and different elemental pieces would be randomly generated on the board, revealed only when flipped. Pieces that were generated in a cycle of generation to one's own were stronger, while pieces that were in a cycle of overcoming could consume each other.

It was simple, fun, and required little thought, making it an excellent intellectual game for the children of cultivators.

Mo Hua didn't mind playing Five Elements Chess himself, but for a weathered-looking man like Old Kui to play it...

Old Kui seemed to read Mo Hua's thoughts. "Do you think Five Elements Chess is too simple?"

Mo Hua hesitated for a moment before saying, with a guilty conscience, "The Great Dao is simple; one must return to simplicity. The simpler a thing is, the more complex it often proves to be."

Old Kui froze. After a moment of thought, he realized, "That is a good reason. Next time I find someone to play with, I shall say exactly that."

Mo Hua: "..."

Thus, Mo Hua began playing chess with Old Kui.

At first, Mo Hua assumed Old Kui must be a master of the game and played with utmost concentration. However, after a few rounds, he realized that Old Kui was his equal—neither was better than the other—so he let go of his burden, and the two played with great enthusiasm.

Before they knew it, it was noon, and Mo Hua suddenly remembered why he had come here...

Mr. Zhuang, who had been napping by the pond, opened his eyes after a morning's sleep. He looked at the sun and nodded. "It is time for lunch."

And so, having spent the entire morning playing chess and wasting half a day, Mo Hua treated himself to another meal.

The meal was prepared by Old Kui, consisting of meat, vegetables, and rice. It was rich in spiritual energy, but the taste was difficult to describe.

Judging by Old Kui's appearance, he certainly did not seem skilled in culinary arts.

However, Mr. Zhuang did not care. Once the grains entered the stomach, they turned into vital energy; the sensations of the palate were all illusions. Regardless of the taste, his movements with every chopstick and spoon were quiet and elegant, as if he were consuming not mere grain, but the wind and dew of heaven and earth.

Mo Hua felt that Mr. Zhuang's bearing was truly dignified and free-spirited, and he felt a hint of envy.

Mo Hua tried to imitate Mr. Zhuang, attempting to eat slowly and elegantly with his chopsticks, but he couldn't quite manage it. It felt awkward no matter how he tried, so he eventually gave up and went back to eating his rice heartily from his bowl.

Although the food didn't taste great, the ingredients were of high quality and contained spiritual energy; besides, Mo Hua had never been a picky eater.

Seeing Mo Hua eating so heartily, Old Kui placed a few more pieces of meat in his bowl.

After the meal, Mr. Zhuang seemed to finally remember why Mo Hua had come. He led Mo Hua to a bamboo pavilion in the courtyard.

A gentle breeze blew from all sides, accompanied by the rustling of bamboo.

"I have taken disciples before, but their studies were different from yours, so I cannot generalize. First, I shall see what level you have reached in formation studies."

Mr. Zhuang asked Mo Hua several questions, and Mo Hua answered them one by one.

After Mo Hua finished, Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, took out a thick volume, and instructed him

"Your knowledge regarding the theoretical principles of formations is too thin. What you have learned are mostly basic formation patterns, fragmented and incomplete. With such an unstable foundation, it will be difficult to understand more profound formations later on, and you will not go far on the path of formations."

Mr. Zhuang handed the volume to Mo Hua and said

"You must start from the most basic elements. Inside this are the fundamental formation theories of the cultivation world, covering different schools, attributes, and lineages. Memorize these thoroughly. Understand what you can, and ask me about what you cannot. Once your foundation in theory is solid, I will teach you how to draw formations."

Mo Hua took the thick tome and said, "Thank you, Master!"

Mr. Zhuang waved his hand. "Find a comfortable place in the courtyard to read. I am going to close my eyes and rest."

Mo Hua took his leave, then hugged the *Foundations of Formation Theory* and found a shaded patch of soft grass under a tree to lie down and read.

The *Foundations* began with a clear premise: ancient immortals observed the heavens and surveyed the earth, perceiving the Heavenly Dao through the evolution of all things, and manifested this as formations. By operating formations, one mimics the movement of the Heavenly Dao, thereby wielding immeasurable power.

Among all the various paths of cultivation, formations are the most direct and fundamental method of perceiving the Heavenly Dao, and they are also the branch of cultivation with the most rigorous requirements for spiritual sense.

Formation masters are categorized into nine ranks, with those above the ninth rank being called Immortal Formation Masters.

However, Immortal Formation Masters are merely legends. In the past twenty thousand years, no one has truly ascended to immortality, and thus no one has become an Immortal Formation Master. No one knows what an immortal formation capable of altering heaven and earth actually looks like.

Not only are Immortal Formation Masters legendary, but even nine-rank formation masters are unrecorded. The eighth rank is also a legend. The only recorded ones are several sixth and seventh-rank formation masters, all of whom were giants of their era—great clans, ancient sects, or high officials of the Daoist courts—who were already unreachable paragons of cultivation.

Records only become more frequent from the fifth rank down to the third. Below that, there are none. Clearly, unless a formation master of a lower rank achieved an unprecedented breakthrough, they were not worthy of being recorded in books.

After detailing the history of formations, the book provided a brief analysis of various schools and terminology.

Due to differences in great families, sects, and regions, the schools of formations varied greatly. Even within the same inheritance, it could sometimes branch into several smaller lineages. These different lineages resulted in subtle differences in the learning, research, application, and effectiveness of formations.

All major powers treated their core formations as secrets, researching and applying them independently, which led to a state in the cultivation world where formations flourished in diversity yet remained isolated within their own traditions.

Formations are categorized by their central hubs, including Two-Polar, Sancai, Four-Image, Five-Element, Six-Harmony, Seven-Star, Bagua, and more. The most widely circulated and utilized are the Five-Element and Bagua formations, while other types serve their own specific purposes.

...

Mo Hua spent more than half the day skimming through the *Foundations of Formation Theory*. After finishing, he felt both enlightened and even more aware of his own insignificance.

For Mo Hua, even becoming a first-rank formation master would be difficult, let alone the seventh, eighth, ninth, or immortal ranks. The path of formations was like a vast ocean; as someone who wasn't even a first-rank master, Mo Hua was currently but a single grain of sand in that ocean.