Chapter 1459: Yin and Yang Divided
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Chapter 1457: Yin and Yang Divided
In the following period, Mo Hua lived a rather fulfilling life.
The Tian Clan’s Spiritual Plant Formation Compendium and the Shadow Division Earth-Ground Formation manual provided Mo Hua with a vast number of previously unknown and novel Third-Grade Formation Diagrams.
The sheer quantity of these Formation Diagrams could already be described as “luxurious.”
Mo Hua was learning new Formations almost every day.
If not for having to exchange insights on Formations with his little senior sister at a fixed time each day, he wouldn’t even have stepped out of his door.
Thus, after some time passed, Mo Hua’s proficiency in Third-Grade Formations had once again made significant progress.
Especially in the realm of Spiritual Plant Formations.
Apart from the final, messy formation draft named “Xīrǎng,” the other Spiritual Plant Formations were not too difficult for Mo Hua.
Having studied the Profound Earth Absolute Formation, comprehended the Dao essence of the earth, and possessing a high affinity with the land—moreover, having personally planned and promoted the construction of the livelihood-oriented “Profound Earth Grand Formation” during his time in the Great Wilderness—few could surpass him in terms of aptitude and comprehension regarding “Spiritual Plants” and earth-based Formations within the Golden Core Realm.
Therefore, for the vast majority of Spiritual Plant Formations, even if they only had a single obscure Formation Diagram without annotations or detailed explanations, Mo Hua could grasp the general idea after just a few glances.
With the benefits from the Tian Clan’s Formation Compendium, Mo Hua had already established a quite solid foundation for his Spiritual Plant system.
His expertise in Spiritual Plant Formations, purely in terms of “theoretical” skill, also began to advance by leaps and bounds in a short period.
However, progress in the other category of Formations—namely, the Shadow Division’s Earth-Ground Formations—was relatively much slower.
Earth-Ground Formations constituted a rather unconventional system of Formations.
To integrate this previously unfamiliar and somewhat peculiar category of Formations into his own Formation system required a long “break-in period.”
Moreover, each Earth-Ground Formation recorded in the manual held by Smiling Face was actually not simple.
Every Earth-Ground Formation had extremely unique principles, and their uses were also quite strange.
For example, the “Finding Soil Acupoint Locating Formation” was used for “tomb seeking.”
It determined the location and auspiciousness of a tomb based on the terrain of the land and the flow of earth veins.
It could be used for “acupoint locating,” acting as a feng shui master to find burial sites for others.
It could also be used for “tomb exploration,” acting as a tomb raider to seek others’ tombs and steal their belongings.
The “Murky Soil Spiritual Disrupting Formation” was used to confuse others.
It used the Formation to make the earth qi murky and disrupt spiritual perception, thereby concealing the tomb and preventing others from detecting it.
This was used to “protect the tomb.”
Conversely, it could also be used to make the earth qi within the tomb murky and chaotic through the Formation, causing the tomb’s occupant to be immersed in turbid earth qi for years, resulting in chaotic spiritual energy within the corpse and unpredictable ominous transformations.
The “Earth-Breaking Mountain-Splitting Formation,” as the name implied, was used for tomb breaking.
Used well, it could open tombs without damage.
Used poorly, it could also ruin the feng shui.
The “Sinking Soil Life-Slaying Formation” was set up by the tomb’s occupant to kill those who trespassed into the tomb—especially to kill tomb raiders.
It would kill and sink the corpse into the earth, burying all karma along with it.
As for that “Filthy Soil Three-Baleful Formation,” Mo Hua had only recently begun learning it and hadn’t yet sorted out any clues. However, from the formation’s name and its pitch-black Formation Patterns, it was clear that this was undoubtedly a “baleful and ominous” formation, not to be used lightly.
All these Formations were Third-Grade, belonging to the “Earth-Ground Formation” category, sharing certain “earth-type” Laws, each profound and mysterious in its own way.
The more Mo Hua studied, the more astonished he felt.
In fact, these Earth-Ground Formations gave him the impression that they leaned toward the realm of “Absolute Formations.”
It was just that in terms of the number of formation patterns, they weren’t as absurdly complex as Absolute Formations.
Thus, almost every Earth-Ground Formation required Mo Hua to spend a considerable amount of time slowly “gnawing” through it.
Moreover, if the opportunity arose later, he would have to try applying what he had learned, and only then might he achieve the unity of knowledge and action, fully integrating and mastering it.
After studying for a while, especially by mixing the Spiritual Plant Formations with the Shadow Division’s Earth-Ground Formations, Mo Hua suddenly felt dazed. A stroke of inspiration struck him, giving rise to some very subtle insights:
“Spiritual Plant Formations are Soil Formations, nurturing all things, representing ‘life.'”
“Shadow Division Formations are Earth-Ground Formations, burying the dead, representing ‘death.'”
“Life and death…”
(TN: Huáng Pízǐ was previously translated as Yellow Weasel, Chapter 1424: “Jinx” )
In the introductory booklet on Earth-Ground Formations he had obtained from Huáng Pízǐ, there were also some words:
“Qian and Kun unite in the Great Dao, all things divide into Yin and Yang… yet the Kun hexagram of the great earth also inherently possesses Yin and Yang.”
“Above the earth, soil nurtures all spirits, endlessly giving life—this is Yang.”
“Beneath the earth, soil buries the deceased, concealing their divine souls—this is Yin.”
“The Dao transforms into Two Forms, using formations as its application… thus, above the earth, nurturing the living is the Soil Formation; beneath the earth, burying the dead is the Earth-Ground Formation.”
When Mo Hua had read these words in Huáng Pízǐ’s booklet before, he found them somewhat ethereal and abstract, lacking any tangible sense.
But now, having actually obtained both types of formation diagrams—the “spiritual plant earth formation” and the “Shadow Division Earth-Ground Formation”—and personally studied them while comparing them, he felt somewhat bewildered.
This insight was related to “Yin and Yang.”
Old Mister Xun had once told him that the categories of formations in this world were divided into: Yin-Yang, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Yao Lines, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams… and so on.
And the origin of all formations in the world was the ancient Yin-Yang.
Yin-Yang Formations had been lost for a long time, with very few surviving formation diagrams.
Moreover, because their formation patterns were too “simple,” they were paradoxically too “profound,” and few could comprehend them.
Discussions about Yin-Yang Formations were mostly based on individual opinions, with no one knowing what was true or false.
But there was no doubt that Yin-Yang was an extremely powerful category of formations. Many Formation Masters spent their entire lives diligently seeking it, yet were unable to glimpse its true nature.
“Yin-Yang is an extremely powerful category of formations.”
That was what Mo Hua had thought before.
But now, after deeply studying the “Yang” Soil Formations and the Earth Sect’s unique “Yin” Earth-Ground Formations, Mo Hua suddenly felt deep doubt.
Some incredible insights also surfaced in his mind.
“Kun divides into Yin and Yang: Soil Formations are Yang, Earth-Ground Formations are Yin…”
“Does this mean that Soil Formations and Earth-Ground Formations are also part of ‘Yin-Yang Formations’?”
“And if we extend this further…”
“If soil is like this, what about the other Five Elements?”
“Are Metal Formations also divided into Yin and Yang? Does fire also have Yang fire and Yin fire? Do Wood and Water formations also have distinctions of Yin and Yang?”
“If Kun divides into Yin and Yang, what about ‘Qian’?”
“Does the Dao of Qian also divide into Yin and Yang? What about the other trigrams? Can each of them also be further split into Yin and Yang?”
“If the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams can all be divided into Yin and Yang, and if this extends to all other formation schools, can they all be further divided using Yin and Yang?”
“If all the categories of formations in the world can be divided once more using Yin and Yang…”
“Then can Yin-Yang… truly be considered a ‘category’ of formations?”
“What exactly is the Yin-Yang Formation used for?”
“What techniques did ancient cultivators create using the concept of yin and yang?”
As Mo Hua pondered these questions, he felt a slight sense of awe and trepidation.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t quite figure it out yet.
This was the first time he had seriously contemplated the concept of the “Yin-Yang Formation,” and he had gained some vague insights into it.
“If only I could get my hands on a Yin-Yang Formation.. perhaps then I could understand something,” Mo Hua thought to himself.
As far as he knew, he had never actually seen a Yin-Yang Formation before.
(TN: …. )
But it wasn’t hopeless.
Mo Hua considered, “Since I don’t have a real Yin-Yang Formation, I’ll have to compare the ‘Soil Formation’ and the ‘Earth-Ground Formation,’ studying them side by side to uncover the connection between the two.”
“If what’s written in that little booklet passed down by Huáng Pízǐ’s ancestors is true…”
“If my intuition in this area is correct…”
“If earth and ground are divided into yin and yang… then as long as I thoroughly study the Soil Formation and the Earth-Ground Formation separately and then simulate the coupling of their formation Laws, I might truly catch a glimpse of some clues about the Yin-Yang Formation.”
“If I can really achieve this…”
“Wouldn’t that mean I could begin to touch upon the Yin-Yang Formation?”
“And use yin and yang to encompass all formations of heaven and earth?”
Mo Hua’s heart trembled slightly, his eyes brightening with inexplicable excitement.
In the days that followed, to comprehend the changes of “yin and yang,” Mo Hua adjusted his approach to studying formations.
During the day, when the sun was bright and life flourished, he studied the spiritual plant earth formation.
At night, when the earth was quiet and yin energy grew, he studied the Shadow Division Earth-Ground Formation.
This way, he aligned the formations with the qi of heaven and earth, day and night, life and death, personally experiencing the changes of yin and yang within this flow.
But after studying like this for six or seven days, the results were minimal, and he still hadn’t grasped the Laws related to yin and yang.
Mo Hua didn’t know whether his direction of comprehension was wrong, the time spent was too short, or his cultivation realm and Divine-Sense were insufficient.
However, having been tempered by formations for a long time, he had great patience and understood that insights into the Heavenly Dao never came overnight.
The more profound the Heavenly Dao and Laws, the more difficult and time-consuming they were to comprehend.
This was especially true for anything related to “yin and yang.”
So Mo Hua abandoned his desire for quick results, no longer expecting immediate effects, and simply persisted in practicing and drawing formations every day.
The slow, persistent effort of water dripping through stone was often the shortcut.
Another ten or so days passed like this, and Mo Hua’s understanding of yin and yang showed no growth.
But his mastery of spiritual plant formations and burial ground formations had improved significantly.
After establishing a certain system of spiritual plant formations, one day, Mo Hua took some time to bring Xiao Ju and reconstruct the spiritual plant formations for her beloved orange tree.
This was the initial application of his expertise in spiritual plant formations.
He selected several spiritual plant formations and, combining them with Elder Tian’s previous insights on spiritual plants, added many formations around Xiao Ju’s orange tree.
He used the Soil Moistening Formation to nourish the soil and water.
He employed the Minor Cloud-Rain Soil Formation to ensure moisture.
He applied the Earth-and-Wood Nourishing-Growth Formation to stimulate the growth of the orange tree.
Mo Hua wasn’t sure how effective these formations would be, but he decided to give them a try anyway.
Unexpectedly, the results were remarkably good.
Under the nurturing and growth of Mo Hua’s “Spiritual Plant” Formation Formations, Xiao Ju’s orange trees actually grew a little taller at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Although it was only a tiny bit, it couldn’t escape Xiao Ju’s eyes.
These orange trees were all Xiao Ju’s treasures. She wished she could stare at them all day long, twenty-four hours a day.
Unfortunately, these orange trees gave Xiao Ju no face at all—they only consumed Spiritual Liquid without growing an inch.
Now that Mo Hua had redrawn the Formation Formations, the orange trees had actually grown taller in a short time. Xiao Ju was overjoyed, circling the trees several times, her face still beaming with excitement.
Feeling deeply indebted to Mo Hua, Xiao Ju patted her chest and declared: “Next time you see something you want in True Person Rong’s Repository, just tell me, and I’ll steal it for you!”
Mo Hua naturally couldn’t actually let Xiao Ju steal for him, but he still asked: “What if True Person Rong finds out?”
Xiao Ju was still somewhat afraid of True Person Rong. She scrunched up her little face, putting on a look of facing death with equanimity, and said: “At worst… I’ll get beaten up by that woman and then be grounded.”
Mo Hua smiled, couldn’t help but pat Xiao Ju’s head, and said: “I won’t put you in a difficult position. Even if I ask for your help, it’ll only be with small matters.”
Little Lord Xiao Ju’s head was not allowed to be touched by anyone—except, of course, Sister Zixi, or rather, she would welcome it eagerly.
And Mo Hua was naturally not within the scope of this “privilege.”
But at this moment, Xiao Ju was completely immersed in the joy of the orange trees’ growth. In her carelessness, she forgot about this.
Xiao Ju, whose head was being patted by Mo Hua, nodded and said, “If you need anything in the minor blessed land, just tell me. I’ll definitely have your back.”
Mo Hua smiled and said, “Okay.”
Life in the minor blessed land was peaceful, serene, and fulfilling, with his little senior sister accompanying him in studying Formation Formations.
For Mo Hua, who had experienced many hardships and battles, this was almost the kind of good life one could only dream of.
But outside the minor blessed land, just a door away, things were not so peaceful.
Even an invisible, impending storm had begun to loom over Houtu City.
Elder Tian’s death was only the beginning.
When Mo Hua went to have tea with Manager Zhao, he learned that besides Elder Tian, over a dozen more elders of the Earth Sect had died in the following half-month.
Most of them were ordinary elders, but there were also some influential elders with status similar to Elder Tian’s.
The causes of death varied.
Some were publicly said to have died from severe injuries that could not be cured.
Others were said to have colluded with outsiders to steal the Earth Sect’s heritage, were discovered by the sect, and committed suicide out of guilt.
Still others were simply said to have gone missing or were assassinated by enemies.
Mo Hua asked Manager Zhao for details.
Manager Zhao wore an inscrutable expression and said, “It’s just infighting within a major sect, eliminating dissidents. Why ask so many questions?”
Mo Hua knew in his heart that there must be more to the story.
The killing of Elder Tian was likely only the beginning. The real undercurrents were still surging in unseen places.
In the graveyard, Elder Tian’s Fate Pattern was weak. Once he spoke of cause and effect, touching upon the darkness, his life flame would likely be extinguished instantly.
But even so, Elder Tian had still “passively” given Mo Hua many revelations.
He had also unveiled a corner of the unknown secrets hidden in the darkness of Kun Province to Mo Hua.
As for how things would develop from here, Mo Hua had no clear clues at the moment and found it difficult to make a judgment.
However, given Manager Zhao’s temperament, he certainly wouldn’t interfere.
Mo Hua also found it inconvenient to discuss too much with Manager Zhao.
After drinking tea for a while, Mo Hua left Fortune Pavilion. He hadn’t walked far when he ran into another group of people, and the leader was someone Mo Hua still recognized.
It was that person he had forgotten earlier but later remembered—the Wu Clan’s “Wu Ming.”
But unlike last time, this “Wu Ming” seemed well-prepared, with a completely different aura and spirit, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
He pointed directly at Mo Hua, his expression dark, and said: “Today, I will avenge my defeat in the sword debate from years ago!”
Beside him, his group of lackeys kept flattering him:
“Young Master, you possess a Superior-Grade Golden Core. With just a slight effort, you can defeat this inferior-grade Golden Core fraud.”
“Young Master, your Magical Treasure is unparalleled. With just a gentle strike, you can send this pretty boy’s soul flying.”
“Young Master, your Cultivation Method has few rivals among your peers. Even bare-handed, you can beat this Mo fellow black and blue.”
These flatteries were all quite reasonable, even flawless.
Wu Ming felt a surge of pride welling up in his heart.
Thinking about how he could defeat Mo Hua today—the most brilliant prodigy of Qianxue from back then—and break his own inner demon, Wu Ming felt a burning fighting spirit in his chest, as if his blood were about to ignite.
“Mo Hua, do you dare accept the challenge?” Wu Ming said coldly.
Mo Hua’s expression was somewhat subtle as he only asked: “Did you bring enough Spirit stones?”
He wouldn’t fight a battle without Spirit stones, lest he waste his time.