Chapter 441: Spirit-Pivot Formation

“Instructor Yan, what exactly is the Spirit-Pivot Formation?”

Mo Hua couldn’t help asking.

Instructor Yan was about to answer but paused abruptly. “How do you know about the Spirit-Pivot Formation?”

He looked a little puzzled.

The Spirit-Pivot Formation diagram should be the secret art of the Little Lingyin Sect. How did Mo Hua come to know about it?

“Manager Mo told me!”

Mo Hua immediately gave up Manager Mo.

Instructor Yan’s mouth twitched.

He mentally made a note about Manager Mo.

This chubby junior brother had such a loose tongue, revealing something so important to Mo Hua.

“Instructor Yan, can you tell me?”

Mo Hua’s expression was full of expectation, his large eyes blinking eagerly.

Instructor Yan didn’t want to speak at first, but looking into Mo Hua’s eyes, he couldn’t refuse. After a moment of hesitation, he sighed deeply.

The Little Lingyin Sect had already fallen; keeping these secrets now had little meaning.

“All right.” Instructor Yan nodded and began to explain the origin of the Spirit-Pivot Formation:

“When I was studying in the sect, I earned my master’s trust. During casual conversations, I heard fragments of the sect’s past secrets…”

“The Little Lingyin Sect’s inheritance comes from the Great Lingyin Sect of old.”

“Most of the sect’s inheritances are merely remnants from the ancestors, incomplete and fragmented; they’re not particularly rare…”

“Only this Spirit-Pivot Formation is extremely profound, unusually difficult, and is a true formation capable of defending the sect.”

“But the Spirit-Pivot Formation is far too profound, far too complex. In the hundreds of years since, not a single disciple of the Little Lingyin Sect has been able to comprehend it.”

Instructor Yan sighed. “A first-grade formation has nine patterns, yet this Spirit-Pivot Formation has twelve…”

“Twelve patterns of Divine-Sense! One cannot reach it without Foundation Establishment, and a second-grade formation master could not possess it!”

Mo Hua, at Qi Refining stage eight and with twelve Divine-Sense patterns, remained silent.

After thinking for a moment, he asked again:

“Has the Little Lingyin Sect ever produced a second-grade formation master?”

“Yes,” Instructor Yan nodded. “Two hundred years ago, there was an ancestor, mid-stage Foundation Establishment, with second-grade formation skills at the initial level.”

“So he didn’t learn the Spirit-Pivot Formation?”

Instructor Yan shook his head regretfully. “No.”

Mo Hua frowned, puzzled.

“A mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator should have around fourteen Divine-Sense patterns. And he still couldn’t learn the Spirit-Pivot Formation? Is it really that hard?”

“It’s not that simple…”

Instructor Yan collected his thoughts and explained to Mo Hua:

“For a formation master, Divine-Sense is the threshold, the reliance, but that’s all.”

“If your Divine-Sense isn’t enough, you cannot learn a formation.”

“Even with sufficient Divine-Sense, it only grants the qualification to study formations—it doesn’t guarantee comprehension.”

“You must study, practice, contemplate, and understand deeply…”

“Without effort, no matter how gifted your Divine-Sense is, you will only waste your years, squander your talent, and never become an extraordinary formation master.”

Mo Hua nodded.

Mister Zhuang had taught him the same.

Instructor Yan’s expression turned solemn, then he sighed:

“And the Spirit-Pivot Formation is such a formation—even with sufficient Divine-Sense, it is extremely hard to comprehend…”

Mo Hua asked, “Is it because it involves understanding the Dao and the essence of spiritual energy?”

Instructor Yan looked surprised, then nodded:

“Yes.”

Then he felt a sense of admiration:

“Mister Zhuang truly is a master. This child Mo Hua, at such a young age, already understands these deep insights of formation arts.”

It seemed his choice back then was right; otherwise, he would have wasted such a promising formation talent.

Mo Hua asked again, “So the second-grade ancestor of the Little Lingyin Sect didn’t learn the Spirit-Pivot Formation because he couldn’t comprehend its fundamental Dao?”

Instructor Yan nodded bitterly:

“Yes. The ancestor probably knew the essence of the Spirit-Pivot Formation, but he couldn’t truly grasp it, and couldn’t draw the formation…”

“Sometimes, even if it was drawn, it only had the form, without the spirit or effect.”

Mo Hua nodded in understanding.

When he first learned the Profound-Earth Formation, he hadn’t realized the need to connect with the Dao of the earth. The formation he drew was only the pattern, without the formation’s fundamental effect.

Like a design that had lost its spirit.

“So what exactly does the Spirit-Pivot Formation do?” Mo Hua asked curiously.

Instructor Yan said: “Specifically, I don’t really know, because no one in the sect has learned it…”

“But according to the ancestors’ insights, the core of this formation should be a single principle: ‘control’.”

“Control?”

Instructor Yan nodded. “Control over spiritual energy.”

Mo Hua thought of Zhang Quan, the corpse-controlling cultivator.

It seemed his guess was correct—Zhang Quan first refines corpses, then uses the Spirit-Pivot Formation to increase the number he can control.

But…

“This… doesn’t seem that formidable…” Mo Hua muttered weakly.

It’s just the effect of controlling spiritual energy.

Although Zhang Quan used it to refine corpses, controlling many and causing harm, it wasn’t something to fear excessively.

If one were to act decisively, there were many ways to counter it.

“No,” Instructor Yan’s expression turned grave. “The Spirit-Pivot Formation is actually very powerful.”

Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.

Instructor Yan explained:

“Controlling spiritual energy is crucial. Controlling corpses is only a minor application.”

“In other areas of cultivation, from wooden and stone puppets, to mechanical beasts, to giant Daoist constructs, all require formations like the Spirit-Pivot Formation for central control.”

“Ordinary formations do not have such powerful spiritual control.”

“This formation may not seem remarkable for a single cultivator, but as the number of cultivators grows, the influence expands, the schemes deepen, and the mechanisms, devices, and Daoist engineering involved become immense—the Spirit-Pivot Formation becomes indispensable!”

Mo Hua felt shocked inside.

He realized his understanding had been shallow.

The cultivation world is vast and wide; there is still so much he has yet to grasp.

The Spirit-Pivot Formation is truly formidable…

“Instructor Yan, do you know Zhang Quan?” Mo Hua asked.

Instructor Yan’s expression turned sharp. “You’ve met him?”

“Yes.” Mo Hua nodded.

Instructor Yan frowned. “This person is cunning and ruthless. It’s best not to have any conflict with him.”

Mo Hua whispered:

“It’s already too late. He probably dreams of killing me…”

Instructor Yan’s mouth fell open. “You… what did you do to him?”

Mo Hua thought a moment. “Not much. Mainly, he’s petty and holds grudges.”

He had only tried to catch him and failed, tried to snatch his bell and failed, and in the end only took a few zombies.

And it was all with the help of senior brothers and sisters.

Yet Zhang Quan, picking on the weak, held no grudge against the senior brothers and sisters, only against him.

Mo Hua grumbled in his heart.

Instructor Yan didn’t know what to say.

Zhang Quan is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a corpse cultivator, dealing with corpses for years, likely taking countless lives.

Yet he held a grudge against Mo Hua…

Instructor Yan was deeply worried.

Mo Hua quietly asked: “Instructor Yan, is the Spirit-Pivot Formation on Zhang Quan himself?”

Instructor Yan was slightly startled, then nodded slowly:

“I suspect so…”

Mo Hua nodded, then remembered something and asked:

“Instructor Yan, how did you end up at the Walking Corpse Stronghold?”

Instructor Yan’s expression turned wistful. After thinking, he said slowly:

“Two years ago, I went to Nanyue City to find the traitor who betrayed the sect…”

“But in Nanyue City, there was no trace of him.”

“I concealed my identity and investigated for a long time, but found nothing. Just as I was about to leave, I noticed something strange at the mine. I thought the traitor was causing trouble, so I rented a room nearby to investigate.”

“One night, I heard some movement and went out quietly. After some effort, I discovered a few cultivators transporting coffins near the mine…”

“I was careful enough, but unexpectedly, there was a Foundation Establishment cultivator among them.”

“Was it Zhang Quan?” Mo Hua asked.

“Yes.” Instructor Yan nodded, then looked embarrassed. “I focused only on learning formations, my Daoist skills were insufficient. I was no match for them, unable to escape, and fell into their hands.”

“Zhang Quan checked my storage bag, saw that I was a formation master, and forced me to work for them.”

“I didn’t want to serve evil, but the sect’s deep grievances had to be avenged. I had no choice…”

Instructor Yan looked ashamed. “…I had to submit and enter the Walking Corpse Stronghold, drawing formations for them.”

Mo Hua asked, “Did you see the Spirit-Pivot Formation diagram on Zhang Quan?”

Instructor Yan shook his head helplessly. “No…”

“I suspect the corpses he refined have the Spirit-Pivot Formation, but Zhang Quan never let me draw formations on the corpses, nor touch them…”

Mo Hua asked: “Is he afraid of secrets being exposed?”

Instructor Yan nodded. “Very possible.”

Mo Hua rested his chin on his hand, pondering.

Zhang Quan has many secrets. He needs to figure them out.

The Spirit-Pivot Formation diagram is extremely important; he must obtain it.

This Walking Corpse Stronghold, killing and refining corpses, must also be dealt with.

Mo Hua planned his next steps and said:

“Instructor Yan, stay a few more days. I’ll come get you out in a few days.”

Instructor Yan was taken aback. “How… will you get me out?”

This is the Walking Corpse Stronghold: bandits, corpse cultivators, walking corpses, iron corpses, and the Foundation Establishment Zhang Quan could return at any time.

“Don’t worry,” Mo Hua assured.

He wanted to get Instructor Yan out immediately.

The stronghold is no good place.

But Mo Hua had sneaked in invisibly and didn’t have the strength to fight openly. Even with the cover of senior disciples, he couldn’t guarantee Instructor Yan’s safety in a fight.

It’s better to plan thoroughly and strike when fully prepared.

With Instructor Yan’s status as a formation master, these corpse cultivators shouldn’t mistreat him.

Mo Hua made up his mind, then added earnestly:

“Instructor, the Little Lingyin Sect is gone. Don’t focus only on revenge. Think of yourself, live well, find a Dao partner, and build a family…”

“These words…” Instructor Yan frowned. “Why do they sound so familiar?”

Mo Hua said crisply, “Manager Mo told me to say them.”

Instructor Yan’s expression was complicated. He mentally added another note about Manager Mo.

Not only does he nag, but he also gets Mo Hua to nag.

He’ll settle the score later.

Mo Hua reminded him a little more, then said goodbye:

“Instructor Yan, I’ll leave first. I’ll come back in a few days.”

Mo Hua’s tone was light and casual, leaving Instructor Yan dazed.

It felt as if this weren’t the Walking Corpse Stronghold, but an inn in Nanyue City, and Mo Hua was just coming to visit in a few days…

Then Mo Hua disappeared right before Instructor Yan’s eyes.

Instructor Yan’s pupils contracted.

Though he had anticipated it and knew Mo Hua had invisibility techniques, he was still shocked.

When Mo Hua entered, he hadn’t sensed it; when he left, there was no trace.

This concealment method was highly advanced.

Who taught him?

Mister Zhuang…?

Instructor Yan stood stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized a question:

Why did Mo Hua want the Spirit-Pivot Formation diagram?

This curious child constantly asked questions at Tongxian Sect.

As the instructor, he was used to answering.

So he answered whatever Mo Hua asked.

But now, he suddenly realized…

Why did Mo Hua go to all this trouble to get this formation diagram?

A wild thought flashed through his mind.

Could it be that Mo Hua actually wants to learn it?

Impossible…

A first-grade, twelve-pattern formation requires… Divine-Sense…

Instructor Yan was stunned.

He realized that when Mo Hua entered, he completely evaded Divine-Sense detection, and when he left, he was silent and invisible.

His aura was obscure, unfathomable.

A sign of a strong Divine-Sense.

Could it be…

Instructor Yan stared at the empty room where Mo Hua had just vanished, feeling a sudden tremor in his heart.

“The Spirit-Pivot Formation…”

He murmured, his eyes revealing a glimmer of hope.

He wanted to see if anyone could truly master this formation, a first-grade, twelve-pattern Spirit-Pivot Formation of the Little Lingyin Sect, never comprehended in hundreds of years!