Immortality Through Array Formations

Chapter 733: Chapter 570 “Windfall”_2

“So…”

Master Luo continued, “Sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of firewood. First, elevate your realm and strengthen your Divine Sense, then go back to learning formation methods. With a full Divine Sense, learning will become easier.”

“I see…”

Mo Hua nodded his little head and then his eyes shone brightly:

“That means, if I reach the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment and become a Second Grade Junior Formation Master, that would be… pretty impressive, wouldn’t it?”

“Foundation Establishment Initial Stage… Second Grade Initial Stage…”

...

Master Luo was taken aback, somewhat not wanting to converse with Mo Hua.

But then he thought about it and realized that such a possibility wasn’t entirely out of the question for Mo Hua…

A sense of anticipation grew in Master Luo.

If Mo Hua, at such a young age, reached the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment and became a Second Grade Junior Formation Master, perhaps he could achieve even greater feats in the future…

Master Qian also praised, “If the little gentleman becomes a Second Grade Junior Formation Master at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, even among the Noble Clans, he would be considered a rare formation genius…”

“Only…”

Master Qian sighed, a tinge of regret in his voice:

“In Tongxian City, the heritage and resources for Second-Grade formations are far too scarce…”

Formations were rare, and the costs of brush, ink, and paper were exorbitant.

Considering Mo Hua’s family background, if he really wanted to continue learning, the difficulties would be immense.

Master Luo also felt a sense of regret for Mo Hua.

After discussing formations, everyone had more tea.

As noon approached, the disciples from the school began to leave class and respectfully said their farewells to Master Qian before heading home for a meal.

Suddenly, a five- or six-year-old child in the crowd caught sight of Mo Hua and brightened up, dashing into Mo Hua’s embrace and calling out in a babyish voice:

“Brother Mo!”

Mo Hua was startled and then realized that the child was actually Zhouer.

Zhouer, with the surname Chu, was the child of Uncle Chu, a Monster Hunter skilled in using traps who had taught these trapping techniques to Mo Hua.

Zhouer’s mother, Aunt Jiang, had been helping in Mo Hua’s family restaurant.

Years ago, Uncle Chu suffered grievous injuries and was unable to continue Monster Hunting. He had asked Mo Hua to teach his son some formation methods so that in the future, he could earn a living without risking his life in battle.

Later, when Mo Hua went on a journey, he entrusted Zhouer to Master Qian.

Seeing Zhouer behave this way, Master Qian helplessly said:

“No manners, not proper at all.”

Zhouer then hid behind Mo Hua, only his little head peeking out.

Master Qian was strict in tone, but his expression was devoid of blame, showing that he was quite fond of this little disciple.

Mo Hua patted Zhouer’s head and asked Master Qian:

“Master Qian, how is Zhouer’s formation studies coming along?”

Master Qian responded, “He is young and just started. He should first memorize some text to understand the principles of formations. Learning one or two Formation Patterns will suffice for now…”

Mo Hua nodded in acknowledgment.

As it was nearing noon, having asked all he wanted, Mo Hua stood up and took his leave.

Zhouer clung to Mo Hua, so Mo Hua took him home, picked out some tasty and easily digestible food from the restaurant, and fed Zhouer until he was full before letting Aunt Jiang take him back home.

…

In the days that followed, Mo Hua began to practice Second-Grade formations with undivided attention.

Every time night fell, he would sit upright on his bed, his Divine Sense delving into his Sea of Consciousness, ceaselessly practicing formations atop the Taoist Stele.

During these days, the formation he practiced was the “Second-order Thorn Formation.”

The Thorns Formation is part of the Wood series.

Once activated, it produces vines and thorns, trapping enemies; it is one kind of the Five Elements Trapping Formation.

The Thorns Formation includes eleven Formation Patterns, making it one of the simpler Second Grade Initial Stage formations.

This formation was one that Mo Hua had deciphered and created by reversing the source from the “Five Elements Formation Flow Map.”

This was the only Second-Grade formation suitable for Mo Hua that he had decoded in reverse from the source so far…

The “Five Elements Formation Flow Map” originates all of the Five Elements Sect’s Five Elements Formations from a single, eccentric “Five Elements Source Pattern.”

However, these formations have solidified into one “Source Pattern.”

This Source Pattern is very bizarre and dangerous. But since it has been suppressed by the Taoist Stele, it has become much more subdued…

Nonetheless, for Mo Hua to “decode” the Five Elements Sect’s formation legacy from this Source Pattern is still very challenging.

Firstly, this kind of reverse sourcing is very consuming of one’s Divine Sense.

As Mo Hua still needed to study formations and his Divine Sense was powerful but finite, he could only partake in this process in his spare time, or when he was bored with his pattern drawing.

Secondly, the formations “decoded” from the Source Pattern are random…

Mo Hua did not know the principles or laws by which the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect had managed to distill the Five Elements Formations into this Source Pattern.

So the formations he derived in reverse were disordered, chaotic.

It was like a “lottery draw…”

The Five Elements were varied, with First and Second Grades mixed in.

Mo Hua had no idea what formation he would “decode” next, what properties of the Five Elements it would be, if it would be First Grade or Second Grade, or how many Formation Patterns it would contain…

Mo Hua could only guess.

The only thing he could deduce was that the “Decoded” formation’s upper limit was related to the strength of his Divine Sense.

The number of patterns in Divine Sense corresponds to the maximum number of patterns he could “decode.”

With a fourteen-pattern Divine Sense, in theory, Mo Hua should be able to “decode” up to a fourteen-pattern Five Elements Formation.

But theory is just theory, and reality is reality.

So far, the best formation Mo Hua had deciphered was the ten-plus-pattern Thorns Formation he was practicing.

This was still acceptable, but what truly baffled Mo Hua was that this “Source Pattern” guaranteed nothing!

Its lower limit was even alarmingly low!

Most of what he had deciphered so far were First-Grade formations, including a great number of formations without grading and even one, with just three patterns, the most basic Bright Fire Formation!