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?”

Mo Hua looked at the chessboard, “Is this Five Elements Chess?”

In the Tao Cultivation World, there are many varieties of chess, including Bagua Chess, Five Elements Chess, Heaven Yuan Chess, Three Talents Chess, and more. Five Elements Chess is one of the simplest and most common, mainly used to enlighten children in their early Tao Cultivation and help them memorize the knowledge of the generation and restraint among the Five Elements.

The chess pieces are simple to play; each side holds two types of pieces, and the board randomly generates different attributes of Five Elements Chess pieces that only reveal themselves when flipped. A player’s pieces that generatively support each other become stronger, while pieces that restrain each other can capture each other.

Simple, fun, and not requiring much thought, it is an excellent game for cultivating intelligence in cultivator children.

Mo Hua himself had no issues playing Five Elements Chess, but the thought of the weathered Old Kui playing it…

Old Kui seemed to read Mo Hua’s mind, “Do you think Five Elements Chess is too simple?”

After hesitating for a moment, and against his better judgment, Mo Hua said, “The Great Dao is the simplest, returning to purity and truth. Often, the simpler things are, the more profound they become.”

Old Kui was stunned, pondering for a while before suddenly realizing, “That’s a good reason. Next time I play chess with someone, I’ll say the same.”

Mo Hua: “…”

And so, Mo Hua and Old Kui began their game of chess.

At first, Mo Hua thought Old Kui must be a master of the game and went all out, but after a few rounds, he found their skills matched evenly and neither was superior to the other, so he relaxed and the two enjoyed their game.

Unknowingly it was already noon, by which time Mo Hua remembered what he had come there for…

Mr. Zhuang was by the pond, having taken a nap while fishing all morning, and now he opened his eyes, looked at the sun, and nodded, “It’s time for lunch.”

So, after playing chess all morning and whiling away half a day, Mo Hua managed to scrounge a meal as well.

The food was cooked by Old Kui; it included meat and vegetables, as well as rice, rich in spiritual energy, but the taste was indescribable.

Seeing how Old Kui conducted himself, it was clear he wasn’t particularly adept at cooking.

However, Mr. Zhuang didn’t mind; grains turned into blood qi upon consumption, and sensory pleasures of the mouth and stomach were mere illusions. No matter the taste of the meal, with each spoon and chopstick, he moved with tranquility and grace, as if he were not consuming grains, but the dew and breezes of the world.

Mo Hua found Mr. Zhuang’s manner both proper and carefree, and felt a bit envious inside.

Mo Hua tried to mimic Mr. Zhuang’s way, eating slowly and gracefully with each chopstick lift, but couldn’t quite manage it. It felt awkward, and finally, he just honestly held up his bowl and ate heartily.

Although the taste of the food was not great, the ingredients were of high quality, and they contained spiritual energy; besides, Mo Hua was not too picky with food.

Old Kui watched Mo Hua eating with relish, and added a few more pieces of meat to Mo Hua’s bowl.

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

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.