Chapter 403: Absolute Formation

Mo Hua was already fourteen years old.

Cultivators had long lifespans; even ordinary Qi-Refining cultivators could live around one or two hundred years.

So a cultivator in their early teens was still quite young.

Bai Zisheng had told Mo Hua that in some of the major sects, cultivators under eighteen were still considered children.

Because cultivators from such families generally had high cultivation and long lifespans, a decade or so was nothing.

But in Tōngxiān City, or other lower-tier immortal cities, most cultivators were scattered practitioners, many of whom would never progress beyond the Qi-Refining stage in their lifetime.

So anyone over fifteen was already considered a young adolescent.

If one had no path in cultivation, and their cultivation could not advance, they would need to learn a craft to support themselves in the future.

Big Tiger and Da Zhu were examples of this.

The three Big Tigers learned demon hunting, while Da Zhu learned artifact forging—just enough to have a meal.

Mo Hua was already a First-Grade Formation Master and could support himself, but he still looked small.

One reason was his naturally weak constitution, which made him grow slower than his peers.

Another was that he had never trained his body, so he appeared more slender.

In contrast, Big Tiger and Da Zhu were naturally larger and taller, and they had undergone body cultivation. Although they were only three or four years older, they towered over Mo Hua.

Mo Hua couldn’t help but sigh.

He wished he could grow tall and strong.

Alas, he spent every day drawing formations, expending much effort. He ate well enough, but still didn’t grow much…

Now, at fourteen, he was only slightly taller than he had been at thirteen.

Little Senior Brother Bai Zisheng was a head taller than him, and Little Senior Sister Bai Zixi, tall and slender, was half a head taller.

And with Mo Hua’s delicate, fair, porcelain-doll-like face, he looked even younger.

“When will I finally grow taller?”

Mo Hua thought gloomily.

He glanced at Bai Zisheng to his left, then at Bai Zixi to his right, and silently thought:

“At the very least, I should be taller than Little Senior Sister…”

Bai Zixi eyed him suspiciously. “What are you thinking?”

Mo Hua shook his head. “Nothing at all!”

…

Besides that, Mo Hua’s cultivation had reached the eighth layer of Qi-Refining.

He was one step closer to Foundation Establishment.

The advancement slightly strengthened his body, but as he was not a body cultivator, the improvement was minimal.

His spiritual power had increased too, but his spiritual roots were poor. Though his cultivation method was unique, its uniqueness lay in Divine-Sense, not spiritual power.

So the spiritual power he cultivated was average at best.

Not much worse than other ordinary cultivators, but compared to his Little Senior Brother, Little Senior Sister, or disciples from major families and sects, he lagged behind.

He remembered Mister Zhuang saying that noble families and sects, using the study of hereditary spiritual roots, intermarried over generations to produce descendants with exceptional spiritual roots.

Among these families and sects, high-grade spiritual roots were common.

Mo Hua, with a mid-grade, slightly below-average spiritual root, could hardly compete.

But he didn’t need to worry; he didn’t rely on spiritual roots to make a living.

As a Formation Master, his life depended on formations.

Mister Zhuang had guided him to cultivate using “Proving the Dao through Divine-Sense.”

Furthermore, spiritual roots were innate; they couldn’t be changed. Obsessing over them was pointless.

At the eighth layer of Qi-Refining, Mo Hua’s spells had also grown stronger.

First was his Concealment Technique.

Now, even early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators could hardly detect it.

The Water Prison Technique had also improved.

It activated faster, trapped targets more accurately, and extended the restraint by a single breath.

A single breath might seem short, but in life-and-death combat, it could decide survival.

His Fireball Technique had become more potent as well.

Mo Hua tested it several times.

The fireball now burned a deeper red, with a touch of brilliance; compressed spiritual power surged within.

Subtle yet striking, dangerous within its beauty.

Mo Hua wondered: if he refined the Fireball Technique to its peak, how powerful would it become?

He had no clue. He would have to ask Old Kui later.

After all, Old Kui had taught him the Fireball Technique and the skills of spellcasting.

Then there was Divine-Sense.

With twelve Divine-Sense markings, it was noticeably stronger.

His awareness sharpened, calculations quicker, and perception of surrounding spiritual energy clearer.

The previous Eleven-Marking Profound-Earth Formation had been familiar but still slightly taxing.

Now, drawing the Profound-Earth Formation was effortless.

With twelve Divine-Sense markings…

Mo Hua decided to ask Mister Zhuang:

“Master, could you teach me how to annihilate Divine-Sense?”

He recalled Mister Zhuang saying that when his Divine-Sense became stronger, he would learn how to counter parasitic or intrusive Divine-Sense, non-human consciousness, or evil thoughts within the Sea of Consciousness, and even destroy them.

With twelve markings, his Divine-Sense was strong enough.

Mister Zhuang calculated with his fingers:

“Not yet, wait until your Divine-Sense grows stronger.”

“Stronger still…” Mo Hua murmured.

“Haste makes waste,” Mister Zhuang said gently.

Mo Hua nodded.

Then he asked:

“Master, I have twelve markings now. I’m tired of drawing the Eleven-Marking Profound-Earth Formation. Should I start learning the Twelve-Marking Absolute Formation next?”

“Yes,” Mister Zhuang nodded slightly. “With your current Divine-Sense, drawing ordinary formations no longer challenges you…”

Eighth-layer Qi-Refining, twelve Divine-Sense markings.

Both his Divine-Sense and Absolute Formations were far beyond the norm…

Ordinary methods couldn’t improve them further.

Besides, there were no cultivation methods for Divine-Sense.

Divine-Sense was elusive, unpredictable, and unique to each individual, making enhancement extremely difficult.

Using observation diagrams was a shortcut, borrowing someone else’s Divine-Sense, and risky at that. Better not to rely on it.

Mo Hua nodded, then asked another question:

“Master, would it be easier for a high-grade Formation Master to learn low-grade Absolute Formations?”

He had always wondered.

Absolute Formations required high Divine-Sense.

But that threshold applied to cultivators of the same rank.

For a high-grade Formation Master with strong Divine-Sense, learning lower-grade Absolute Formations should be easier.

So why did Mister Zhuang say even First-Grade Absolute Formations were rarely mastered?

Mister Zhuang said: “It’s somewhat easier, but not by much.”

Mo Hua asked: “Why?”

“Divine-Sense is the foundation of a Formation Master,” Mister Zhuang said slowly. “But having Divine-Sense doesn’t automatically make one a Formation Master or guarantee learning formations.”

“Divine-Sense grants the qualification to learn, but mastery requires study, thought, practice, and insight.”

“This demands persistence and immense time, effort, and focus.”

“Not all cultivators are willing or able to do so.”

“Even sticking to a minor task consistently is difficult. Formations are far more complex.”

“Absolute Formations are even more so. Their strokes are unique, hard to learn and draw.”

“Many masters have sufficient Divine-Sense but refuse to practice, and thus never learn them.”

Mister Zhuang sighed lightly.

“That’s the first point: having Divine-Sense alone is not enough without practice.”

“Like talent wasted without effort—nothing comes of it.”

“Second point: even with practice, mastery isn’t guaranteed.”

“The path of formations relies on Divine-Sense. Only with sufficient skill can one comprehend them.”

“Ordinary formations require practice to learn the patterns; little insight is needed.”

“Absolute Formations differ. They surpass normal ranks, have unique traits, and contain special formation principles…”

Mister Zhuang looked at Mo Hua gently:

“You should understand this.”

Mo Hua nodded.

The two Absolute Formations he studied were the Reverse-Spirit Formation and the Profound-Earth Formation.

The First-Grade Ten-Marking Reverse-Spirit Formation involved spiritual power reversal calculations, requiring Divine-Sense to function.

The First-Grade Eleven-Marking Profound-Earth Formation contained derived spiritual power, requiring comprehension of Earth Dao to master.

These formations required more than memorizing patterns.

They demanded deep understanding of spiritual power, refined Divine-Sense application, and clarity of Dao comprehension.

Without Mister Zhuang’s guidance—or his Dao Monument—true mastery was unlikely.

“Many high-grade Formation Masters, despite sufficient Divine-Sense and practice, lack the insight needed, and so fail to master Absolute Formations,” Mister Zhuang said.

“This insight is the finishing touch. Without it, the formation is just a shell, lacking spirit.”

Mo Hua realized: “Like when I draw the Profound-Earth Formation; if I can’t perceive the Dao essence, just drawing repeatedly achieves nothing.”

Mister Zhuang nodded.

Mo Hua asked: “But even high-grade masters, can’t they gain this insight?”

“They may have strong cultivation, but their understanding of spiritual power and the Dao may be shallow,” Mister Zhuang explained.

“They may wield immense spells, but subtle formation principles challenge them.”

“Cultivators absorb spiritual energy, accumulate spiritual power, and wield Dao to exert strength. That suffices for most.”

“For Formation Masters, one must understand not only external force but internal principles. Knowing only how to wield spiritual power isn’t enough.”

Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully.

Mister Zhuang continued:

“These are matters of comprehension. Absolute Formations contain unique principles, and even high-grade masters may not learn lower-grade Absolute Formations.”

“Are there other reasons?” Mo Hua asked.

Mister Zhuang nodded. “Yes, and they’re more complex…”

He sighed slightly:

“First, time. Absolute Formations require time to comprehend, and a master’s time is precious.”

“If you spend all your time on lower-grade Absolute Formations, how will you learn higher-grade ones?”

“The art of formations is vast and complex. No master can fully grasp formations of their current rank and study others simultaneously. Anyone who does is likely mediocre.”

“The more one knows, the more one realizes how little one knows. This applies to formations as well.”

“The deeper a Formation Master’s understanding, the more they perceive the Dao’s boundlessness. High-grade formations are difficult, high-grade Absolute Formations even more so. Lower-grade Absolute Formations are not simple either…”

“They simply lack time.”

Mo Hua nodded, then realized he had plenty of time.

At night, he practiced on the Dao Monument, which was like never sleeping—double the time of other masters.

The Divine-Sense in the monument could retrace itself, constantly replenished.

In effect, he had multiple times more practice time than others.

Other masters had limited time, unable to focus on everything.

So perhaps he didn’t need to choose—he could study all of them.

Mo Hua blinked, secretly pleased and slightly embarrassed, as if cheating.

Mister Zhuang noticed but smiled and continued:

“Second, lower-grade Absolute Formations are less valuable to high-grade masters. Their effects are diminished due to lower rank. Studying them is time-consuming and yields little benefit.”

“The trickiest part is that some Absolute Formations are sequential in rank.”

“Sequential in rank?”

Mo Hua frowned. “If the rank is broken, can it not be learned?”

Mister Zhuang nodded:

“Ordinary formations don’t require this. For example, if you can’t learn a First-Grade Molten Fire Formation, you can start from Second-Grade. They’re connected but independent, no need for strict order.”

“Absolute Formations are different. Many are linked grade by grade.”

“You must start from First-Grade, then Second, Third, and so on, progressing step by step.”

“And Absolute Formations are rare; complete transmission is hard to find. Often, the full set is scattered across the Nine Provinces, in different regions and factions.”

“First-Grade in Li Province, Second-Grade in Kun Province, Third missing, Fourth in Qian Province… Fifth and above only rumored.”

“Without First-Grade, you cannot learn Second-Grade; even if you have diagrams for Third or Fourth, without the lower grades, learning is impossible…”

Mo Hua’s mouth dropped.

No wonder they’re called “Absolute” Formations…

Difficult to learn, sequential in rank, with any break in transmission cutting the lineage…

Mister Zhuang sighed:

“Therefore, during Qi-Refining, learn as many Absolute Formations as possible. Most are based on First-Grade foundations.”

“Understood, Master!”

Mo Hua agreed, then worried: “What about the future…”

Mister Zhuang patted his head:

“In the future, you’ll have to seek them yourself.”

Mo Hua paused, then understood why Mister Zhuang guided him but left him to find formations on his own.

It was to teach him Divine-Sense calculation, so in the future he could locate Absolute Formations scattered across the Nine Provinces.

Mister Zhuang sighed:

“Due to various reasons, very few masters truly master Absolute Formations. But you are different; your method is unique, so you must master them. The more you learn, the better. The harder, the better.”

“The more you learn, the deeper your understanding of formations, the stronger your Divine-Sense, and the farther your future path…”

Mister Zhuang’s tone was serious, his gaze expectant.

Mo Hua nodded solemnly, storing every word in his heart.