The Quest for Immortality

He was actually somewhat inclined to believe, and willing to believe, yet logic made it difficult for him to do so.

Yuan Magnetic Formations were classified as secret formations, which general cultivators would not learn, and even if they did, mastery was unlikely.

Even if they mastered them, most were adept at constructing formations.

To reverse-engineer a formation, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter.

The categories of formations were diverse and boundless; even some Great Formation Masters could not master all of them.

Specialization is pivotal in any craft.

And so it was with formations.

Mo Hua was too young; it would be impressive enough if he had solidly learned some basic formations.

The restoration of Magnetic Patterns was a niche method, requiring profound specialty—where would he have found enough Divine Sense and time to delve into it...

Gu Changhuai shook his head.

”Uncle Gu, you don’t believe me...” said Mo Hua.

”Nonsense...”

Mo Hua, confused, asked, ”What’s there not to believe...”

”You expect me to believe whatever you say?” Gu Changhuai glared at Mo Hua irritably, ”Why don’t you also claim you’ve led the construction of a Large Formation?”

Mo Hua’s expression became slightly difficult to read.

Gu Changhuai sneered, ”What, have you really led the construction of a Large Formation?”

”If I say yes, would you believe me?”

Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua expressionlessly, ”I only lack mastery in formations, not genuinely ’Formation Blind’...”

Leading the construction of a Large Formation...

You little brat, what are you thinking?

You’re blowing your own trumpet to the skies...

”I truly have learned to restore Magnetic Patterns!”

Gu Changhuai remained skeptical.

Mo Hua sighed.

There was nothing he could do.

Actions speak louder than words, it seemed he would only have to prove himself after all.

Mo Hua took out a Letter Token and handed it to Gu Changhuai:

”Uncle Gu, use this Letter Token to send a secret message on it without letting me know, then erase it, and I’ll ’restore’ it for you to see...”

Before Mo Hua could finish, he saw Gu Changhuai’s expression abruptly change, staring at the Letter Token with a face full of disbelief.

”This...”

”This is...”

Gu Changhuai pointed at the Letter Token, which was riddled with cracks and tattered, his hand trembling, his voice tinged with anger,

”Is this the Letter Token I gave you?”

”How did you break it so soon?!”

Mo Hua felt a bit guilty, but still corrected him:

”It’s not broken!”

Gu Changhuai coldly looked at Mo Hua, his face saying ”keep talking, let’s hear how you try to justify this.”

Mo Hua blinked and said:

”It’s just... Accidentally, I happened to take it apart and it got a bit cracked, not very pretty, but I have fixed it!”

”While it looks a bit worn, it’s fully functional and won’t affect its use.”

Mo Hua said earnestly, ”A person of Tao Cultivation should not be blinded by appearances but should instead value the true utility of things...”

Gu Changhuai replied coldly, ”You seem to know quite a lot, breaking things and still being able to spout all sorts of justifications...”

Seeing Uncle Gu still angry, Mo Hua quickly added, ”That’s not the point...”

”I did it to learn how to restore Magnetic Patterns...”

”The sacrifice of this Letter Token was worthwhile!”

Mo Hua said with conviction.

”Alright, alright...”

Gu Changhuai, still fuming, took back the Letter Token, sent several messages, erased them himself, and then tossed the Letter Token back to Mo Hua.

”Restore it and tell me what words I just sent.”

”Okay, okay.”

Mo Hua was confident.

He took out a compass, copied the Fixed Formation Patterns at the bottom layer, then with his Divine Sense peeked and recorded the Secondary Thunder Patterns.

Through the Array Plate, combining Fixed Magnetic Patterns with Secondary Thunder Patterns, he proceeded to infer.

Gu Changhuai saw Mo Hua’s composed expression, his skillful hands drawing a bunch of Formation Patterns he had never seen before, and performing the complex inference with finesse; his anger slowly turned to amazement.

Although he couldn’t understand, he knew that such a method of inference was nothing common...

On the Array Plate beside him, Magnetic Ink began to coalesce, slowly revealing a few words:

”Little scoundrel...”

Mo Hua’s face brightened, then he paused and looked at Gu Changhuai unhappily.

”Little scoundrel... You’re not talking about me, are you?”

Gu Changhuai ignored Mo Hua’s displeasure.

He was utterly stunned, looking at Mo Hua with disbelief, ”You... really restored it?”

Such a feat was something only a Great Formation Master of the Heaven Shu Pavilion could do...

You, a junior Foundation Establishment cultivator, learned this too?

Mo Hua, seeing his shock and his inexperienced demeanor, decided not to fuss about being called a ”little scoundrel.”

Mo Hua spoke proudly:

”I’ve been learning formations from Elder Master Xun...”

”Elder Master Xun...”

Gu Changhuai paused, then showed respect.

Although he didn’t know the exact status of Elder Master Xun mentioned by Mo Hua, to teach formations at Taixu Gate, one of the Eight Great Gates, and being referred to as ”Elder Master,” his seniority was undoubtedly profound, and so must be his mastery of formations.

With such a Formation Master teaching Mo Hua, everything seemed to add up...

Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with newfound regard.

But to truly let Mo Hua attempt to ”restore” the Flower Gentleman’s Letter Token, Gu Changhuai still felt uneasy.

Seeming to read Gu Changhuai’s mind, Mo Hua asked:

”Uncle Gu, where is the Flower Gentleman’s Letter Token now?”

Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment before slowly speaking:

”It has been returned from the Heaven Shu Pavilion...”

Gu Changhuai, displeased, ”The formation masters at the Heaven Shu Pavilion, they’re either too high in status for me to request assistance, or they don’t have time, or they find it troublesome... In any case, no one is willing to take on this task for the Taoist Court...”

”Then you’ll just have to rely on me, huh...”

Mo Hua’s eyes gleamed brightly.