Chapter 25: Instruction

Mo Hua returned to the cultivation room and sat down, only for a group of disciples to lean their heads over and crowd around him again.

"Mo Hua, Mo Hua, what did the instructor want with you?"

"Did the instructor punish you?"

Mo Hua answered truthfully, "The instructor told me to go see him every day after class."

One disciple said, "It must be because you've become slack with your formations. The instructor is angry and wants you to practice formations every day so you don't regress."

Another disciple expressed great sympathy, "Then you're in terrible shape. You have to draw formations under the instructor's watchful eye every single day."

"Yeah, it's too miserable. I get nervous just when the instructor glances at me, let alone staring at me while I draw formations..."

Mo Hua also let out a sigh.

Seeing this, the disciples all began to comfort him.

Mo Hua's sigh wasn't because he had to draw formations under the instructor's gaze, but because going to the instructor every day meant he wouldn't have much time left to draw formations for the Formation Pavilion to earn spirit stones.

However, since the instructor had asked if Mo Hua wanted to become a formation master, he would likely offer some guidance, which was a good thing in itself.

The next day after class, Mo Hua arrived at Instructor Yan's residence on Tongming Peak on time.

Instructor Yan got straight to the point, placing a volume titled *An Introductory Explanation of Formation Theory* directly in front of Mo Hua.

"If you wish to walk a long path in the Way of Formations, your foundation must be solid. This foundation includes not only your grasp of basic formation patterns, the proficiency of your brushwork, and the stability of your divine sense, but also the theoretical treatises regarding formation research in the cultivation world."

"The so-called 'Formation Theory' refers to the insights and theoretical summaries of countless formation masters regarding the myriad formations in the cultivation world. They seek the unchanging principles within the infinitely changing formations."

"Some cultivators draw formations quite well, but they are completely ignorant of theory. Once they reach advanced levels, they hit a wall of fog and find it difficult to make any further progress in the Way of Formations."

"I am only one step away from being a First-Rank Formation Master, and most of my sect's heritage has been lost. I cannot teach you overly profound theories, and my teachings naturally cannot compare to those of the great families and sects. However, given your current level, it should be sufficient."

Mo Hua sat up straight, his expression becoming increasingly respectful. "Please guide me, Instructor."

Instructor Yan nodded and flipped open the *Introductory Explanation of Formation Theory*, saying

"This introductory text records some basic principles of formations, such as the concept of 'Heaven is round and Earth is square,' the Eight Trigrams directions, the generating and overcoming cycles of the Five Elements, and the composition of single, compound, and grand formations..."

"Formations are the manifestation of the laws of Heaven and Earth. The principle of 'round exterior and square interior' symbolizes that Heaven is round and Earth is square; the arrangement of different patterns follows the laws of the Eight Trigrams; different elemental patterns generate or overcome one another. A single formation is a 'single formation,' a combination of multiple single formations is a 'compound formation,' and a structure linked by a vast number of single and compound formations is a 'grand formation'..."

"Grand formations possess immense power; the so-called Sect-Protecting Grand Formations are typically this type. A grand formation contains hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of individual formations, created through the cooperation of dozens or hundreds of formation masters. Only a formation master of extremely high attainment can serve as the Chief Formation Master, leading the design and inscription of a grand formation..."

"To become a Chief Formation Master and design a grand formation is the lifelong aspiration of many formation masters."

Instructor Yan spoke with a hint of emotion before changing the subject. "But that is too far off. Even becoming an ordinary First-Rank Formation Master is no easy feat."

Mo Hua listened with a sense of longing. If a single formation was already so profound, he wondered what a grand formation containing thousands of formations would look like when activated.

With a hint of hesitation and solemnity, Instructor Yan handed the *Introductory Explanation of Formation Theory* to Mo Hua. "Take this introductory text for now and study it well. Remember, you must not pass it on, nor can you speak of it to anyone else."

Afterward, Instructor Yan explained some basic theories regarding formations and dismissed Mo Hua.

Returning to the disciple quarters, Mo Hua held the thin volume of the *Introductory Explanation* in his hand, yet it felt heavy. For the first time, he realized the importance of cultivation heritage; without guidance, these things would take a lifetime of wandering to figure out.

Since he was merely an ordinary disciple, Mo Hua felt even more grateful that Instructor Yan was being so dedicated.

Mo Hua calmed his mind and read the *Introductory Explanation* word by word, noting down anything he didn't understand so he could ask the instructor the next day.

Before sleeping, Mo Hua pulled out the *Gold and Stone Formation Diagram* to memorize the patterns within. Upon closing his eyes and entering his sea of consciousness, he practiced the Gold and Stone Formation on the stone tablet.

The Gold and Stone Formation only had four patterns and wasn't too difficult, but it required time to familiarize himself with the patterns and practice them.

Thanks to the *Introductory Explanation*, Mo Hua found that his thought process while drawing the Gold and Stone Formation diagram had become much clearer.

The reason the four patterns were positioned toward the west was because the west belongs to the Metal element, which matched the attribute of the Gold and Stone Formation; the specific drawing methods also followed many nuances of the Eight Trigrams.

In the past, Mo Hua only knew to draw according to the diagram without knowing why; now, he had a deeper understanding.

The next day, Mo Hua went to Tongming Peak.

Instructor Yan pulled several questions from the *Formation Theory* to ask Mo Hua. Mo Hua answered them one by one. Confirming that Mo Hua had indeed read the *Introductory Explanation* seriously, Instructor Yan couldn't help but nod.

Afterward, Mo Hua raised some of the questions he had noted down to ask Instructor Yan. Instructor Yan answered them all, his expression visibly more relieved.

When Mo Hua returned on the third day, Instructor Yan used specific formations as examples to analyze them for Mo Hua, helping him understand the basic theories.

Instructor Yan began with formations involving a single pattern, including the Bright Fire Formation that Mo Hua had drawn before, as well as several formations Mo Hua had never learned. Next were formations containing two patterns, all of which were new to Mo Hua. He listened very intently.

Among the four-pattern formations, the first one the instructor mentioned was the Earth-Solidifying Formation. Mo Hua had asked about this before, and although he had become quite proficient at drawing it, listening to the instructor's explanation now made him realize he had only known *how* to do it without understanding *why*. His understanding of formations was still quite lacking.

After explaining the Earth-Solidifying Formation, Instructor Yan mentioned the Gold and Stone Formation

"The Gold and Stone Formation has a similar function to the Earth-Solidifying Formation. Among the Five Elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—Earth generates Metal. Therefore, when cultivators build cave dwellings, they use the Earth-Solidifying Formation to stabilize the foundation and simultaneously use the Gold and Stone Formation to reinforce the structure. Because Earth generates Metal, the effect of the formations will be even better. These two formations can be understood by referencing one another..."

Mo Hua felt a sudden moment of enlightenment.

Instructor Yan lectured for an hour, then assigned a few pieces of homework, asking Mo Hua to find some examples of the generating and overcoming cycles of formations before letting him go.

After returning to the disciple quarters, the more Mo Hua thought about it, the stranger it felt.

In the examples Instructor Yan gave, many of the formations were ones he had helped the Formation Pavilion draw.

The Bright Fire and Earth-Solidifying formations went without saying, and the Gold and Stone Formation was one that Fat Manager had asked him to draw. Today, the instructor had even specifically explained the Gold and Stone Formation diagram to him. Although it was to illustrate the relationship of the Five Elements, it was still too much of a coincidence.

"Does the instructor have some kind of connection with Fat Manager? Could it be that the instructor already knows that I was the one who drew all those formations for the Destiny Pavilion?"

Mo Hua pondered this secretly in his heart.