Chapter 349: Eleven Runes

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then suddenly calmed down.

Although he had drawn the complete formation’s pivot, he still wasn’t entirely at ease.

Could it have just been a fluke this time?

He erased the pivot and drew it again, sighing to himself.

Sure enough, it had only been a moment of brilliance, a flash of inspiration that allowed him to draw the pivot. The second time, lacking the same focus and with slightly weaker divine-sense, he failed to draw it successfully.

However, his divine-sense hadn’t weakened much; he simply needed more care, more thorough comprehension.

Where there is a first, there must be a second.

Since he had succeeded once, he could succeed again.

Mo Hua focused and continued drawing.

Time passed slowly. By the fourth attempt, he finally drew the pivot of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Grand Formation completely, without a single flaw.

Mo Hua let out a long breath.

He withdrew his divine-sense from the Sea of Consciousness.

The sky had yet to brighten; the night remained deep.

Feeling the exhaustion of a month spent pouring his heart and soul into this effort, Mo Hua collapsed on his bed, sprawled out, and fell asleep soundly.

He slept until noon, waking to the smell of food.

The room was already filled with dishes.

Seeing how thin he had grown over these days, her small face filled with concern, Liu Ruhua had prepared a table full of delicious food for him.

Mo Hua’s mood instantly lifted.

He devoured the meal with gusto, then returned to drawing the formation pivot.

This time, unlike in the Sea of Consciousness, he had to draw the pivot on paper.

The pivot in his divine-sense was essentially a formation condensed from his mind;

the pivot on paper, however, was a tangible formation, drawn with spiritual ink onto a medium.

Condensing a formation within the mind was easier.

Drawing it on paper in reality was slightly harder;

And truly constructing a grand formation on a special medium would consume even more divine-sense and be even more difficult.

So, in any case, Mo Hua had to first draw it on paper.

He had to bring the pivot from his divine-sense into the physical formation paper, in order to construct the grand formation in the world.

Because the grand formation’s pivot was large, the paper used as the medium had to be even bigger.

In the courtyard, Mo Hua spread sheets several times his own size on the ground and began carefully drawing the pivot, stroke by stroke.

Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua watched, helping lay out the paper, passing him brushes, mixing ink, wiping his sweat, or serving tea.

They had no idea exactly what he was drawing.

Yet seeing this child, barely ten years old, draw such a complex, profound, and massive formation with such seriousness and precision left them both amazed and proud.

Mo Hua drew all afternoon, wasting two sheets of paper before finally completing the pivot of the grand formation just as night fell.

He asked his parents to carefully store the formation paper in a storage bag, then eagerly ran off to see Instructor Zhuang.

The evening sky deepened, the mountains darkened.

Instructor Zhuang sat inside, observing the blood aura of a great mountain demon, fingers twirling as if calculating something.

Seeing Mo Hua, Zhuang looked surprised.

It was already evening; Mo Hua rarely came to bother him at this hour.

Zhuang was about to speak when his expression froze, a trace of astonishment in his eyes: “You… learned it?”

Panting from the run, Mo Hua nodded.

He took the pivot paper from the storage bag, carefully spread it on the ground.

A complete pivot of a first-rank grand formation slowly unfolded before Instructor Zhuang…

Zhuang took a deep breath, restraining his emotions.

This was within his expectations.

Yet when the expected came to pass, he was still extremely shocked.

Though he had taught him and guided him to draw it…

Was this really something a ten-year-old junior cultivator could create?

Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, a trace of doubt forming.

The cultivation world spanned nine provinces, vast and boundless.

He himself had only temporarily resided in a remote little immortal city.

By chance, he accepted a disciple with a normal spiritual root, but sharp formation insight, quick-witted and adorable.

Yet this disciple had exceeded his expectations.

Exceptional divine-sense, fast at learning formations, breaking mysterious formations with Celestial Evolution Art, even mastering derivative formation calculations…

Now, in the Qi-Refining stage, with only first-rank formation skill, he had mastered and drawn the pivot of a grand formation in just one month.

Such formation aptitude, such speed of learning—it was incredible.

A shadow of doubt crossed Zhuang’s mind:

He didn’t doubt the existence of such talented young disciples.

But why had this disciple crossed his path?

Why had he, having sworn never to take another disciple, impulsively accepted this one?

Was it truly a coincidence?

Zhuang’s expression grew as still as water, silent.

Seeing Zhuang’s serious demeanor, Mo Hua worriedly asked:

“Instructor, did I draw it wrong?”

Zhuang returned to his senses and looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua’s eyes were clear, bright, like water from a heavenly pool, pure and untainted.

Looking into them, Zhuang’s doubt gradually faded.

He had been poor at judging people and taking disciples all his life.

Perhaps this named disciple was a gift from heaven, a clever and obedient junior for him in his life.

Whether coincidence, scheme, or hidden providence—what did it matter?

Having cultivated the Dao, one should follow their heart; at his age, why hesitate?

Zhuang suddenly felt enlightened and looked at the pivot, satisfied:

“Correct. Very good.”

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, smiling, his eyes curving like crescent moons.

For some reason, Zhuang also felt relieved, smiling faintly.

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

He realized!

Mo Hua was his named disciple.

Now he had drawn the pivot of a first-rank grand formation. With a bit more effort, he could even construct a full first-rank grand formation!

A first-rank formation master in the Qi-Refining stage, capable of constructing a grand formation.

And this formation master was his own named disciple…

Zhuang straightened his back, exhilarated.

He had never produced such outstanding disciples before.

Now, simply as a teacher with a named disciple, he had achieved such “great accomplishments.”

His expression remained calm, but pride swelled in his heart.

Then came a pang of regret.

He had fallen on hard times.

Old acquaintances, brilliant rivals, companions for night-long discussions—all lost to the years. He might never see them again.

Otherwise, showing off this feat would make him invincible, dominating all sides, with no one able to lift their head before him.

The more Zhuang thought, the more he regretted: “What a pity…”

“What’s a pity?” Mo Hua asked curiously.

“Nothing… just a pity,” Zhuang said vaguely.

Bragging would spoil Mo Hua, and he wanted to maintain his image as a detached, superior teacher.

Mo Hua, sensing Zhuang’s inner thoughts, asked nervously:

“Instructor, can I start preparing the grand formation now?”

The foundation for constructing a grand formation was mastering the pivot.

Though Mo Hua had drawn the pivot, he lacked confidence and sought Zhuang’s confirmation.

Zhuang’s expression turned solemn. He carefully reviewed the grand formation’s components and Mo Hua’s drawn pivot, then nodded after a long thought:

“Yes, you can.”

Mo Hua’s eyes lit up.

Zhuang looked at him gently, somewhat moved: “You can start planning the grand formation.”

Mo Hua thanked him: “Thank you, Instructor!”

“No need to thank me,” Zhuang shook his head. This was his own achievement…

He then reminded him:

“Don’t get too excited. Constructing a grand formation may be harder than drawing one.”

“As I told you before, building a grand formation requires massive manpower and resources. Its operation needs numerous spiritual stones—real cultivation resources, not easily obtained…”

“Forcing people to hand over wealth is like endangering their lives. A few kind words won’t make them willingly comply.”

“Be mentally prepared.”

Mo Hua nodded: “Instructor, I’ve thought it through!”

Zhuang smiled faintly: “Good, as long as you have a plan.”

He then offered a few pointers: gathering resources, mobilizing manpower, coordinating the pivot’s extension, compatibility between formations.

Mo Hua memorized everything, then saluted and departed.

Watching his small, spirited figure leave, Zhuang couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile.

Late that night, in the silent bamboo chamber, the aged, gnarled face of Old Kui appeared.

Zhuang’s smile vanished. He complained:

“Couldn’t you appear more naturally, without being so eerie…”

Old Kui ignored him, instead observing the deep mountain’s blood-colored demonic aura:

“The blood aura is stronger, with a hint of death qi.”

Zhuang was silent for a moment, sighing: “Yes…”

Death qi complicates matters…

“Can a first-rank ten-rune grand formation really trap and kill this demon?” Old Kui asked doubtfully.

“No,” Zhuang said calmly.

Old Kui was stunned, then narrowed his eyes, thinking he’d misheard:

“No?”

“No,” Zhuang repeated.

Old Kui frowned: “Then you still…”

“Ten runes aren’t enough.”

Zhuang paused, his calm gaze sharpening: “So what I gave him isn’t a ten-rune… it’s an eleven-rune Demon-Slaying Grand Formation!”

Old Kui’s heart trembled, disbelief flashing across his face.

(End of Chapter)