Chapter 523: The Grand Elder
Chapter 525: The Grand Elder
Mo Hua and the others temporarily settled within the Five Elements Sect.
Their residence was the sect’s most prestigious guest quarters—refined in style, lavish in decoration.
Every aspect of their stay was arranged to the highest standard:
Spirit cuisine, century-aged wine, Cloud-Mist tea, Hundred-Flower pastries—anything one could imagine was provided.
Though the Five Elements Sect spared no expense in hospitality, their attitude was far from warm. Everything was surface-level politeness: stiff smiles, cold eyes, distant manners.
Food and accommodations were great…
but Mo Hua wasn’t here to enjoy himself—he was here to learn formations.
His mind kept circling back to the Five Elements Spirit Formation.
Yet the sect master of the Five Elements Sect made excuses:
“By right, since this is an ancestral agreement between both sides, we naturally have no reason to refuse…”
“But centuries have passed…”
The sect master’s face showed difficulty.
“Some of the elders from that time have already passed. As juniors, we are unclear about the exact details of the agreement. We must discuss it and deliberate on related matters.”
“We ask Senior Zhuang for understanding.”
“In the meantime, please rest within the Five Elements Sect and enjoy our heritage and beautiful scenery.”
“As for learning the formation, we will discuss it as soon as possible.”
The sect master’s surname was Sect Master Liao. Dressed in gold crown and jade robes, pale-faced and clean-shaven, his appearance matched the image of a dignified sect master.
His words matched the image too.
They sounded impressive—but said absolutely nothing.
Mo Hua pursed his lips and was about to speak, but Mister Zhuang said instead:
“Then we’ll trouble Sect Master Liao.”
Sect Master Liao looked startled and quickly bowed.
“I do not dare—this is only what this junior ought to do.”
After a bit more polite chatter, he excused himself and left.
Once he was gone, Mo Hua frowned.
“Master… are they playing tricks?”
Mister Zhuang nodded. “A sect’s supreme formation—how could they let someone else learn it so easily? Dragging things out is normal.”
“They won’t go back on their word, right?”
“They won’t. And they don’t dare.”
“So… we wait?”
Zhuang nodded. “We wait.”
Seeing Mo Hua’s furrowed expression, he smiled gently.
“The journey was long. Rest a while. You all can take this chance to enjoy yourselves within the Five Elements Sect.”
“Enjoy…?” Mo Hua blinked.
“Mhm. The scenery here is quite good. Go take a look. Don’t worry about the formation right now.”
Zhuang clearly had his own plan.
Mo Hua couldn’t guess it, so he simply said, “Alright…”
Then they would play for now…
…
Sect Master Liao left the guest courtyard, walking through wide corridors and past elaborately crafted pavilions—beautiful, but a bit empty.
He passed palaces luxurious to excess, but impractically so.
Eventually, he reached a quiet mountain peak.
A cave residence sat atop the peak.
It was somewhat old—clearly built long ago—but the craftsmanship and materials were expensive.
Just understated rather than ostentatious.
Sect Master Liao stood respectfully and rang the carved jade bell at the entrance.
A crisp chime drifted into the cave.
He waited silently.
After an unknown amount of time, light flashed—the formation at the entrance dissolved, and the door opened.
A deep, elderly voice came from within:
“Enter.”
Sect Master Liao straightened his robes, spirit lifting, and walked inside.
The cave interior was also refined and luxurious.
In the main hall sat an elderly man with snowy hair—his aura thick and heavy, presence commanding.
This was the Grand Elder of the Five Elements Sect.
And the last remaining Golden Core cultivator of the sect.
Sect Master Liao bowed deeply.
“I apologize for disturbing Grand Elder’s seclusion.”
The Grand Elder opened his eyes—sharp as blades.
“He has arrived?”
Sect Master Liao bowed again. “Yes.”
The Grand Elder’s brows drew together.
His expression grew heavy.
He fell silent, lost in thought.
Sect Master Liao asked softly:
“Should we… pass on the formation?”
The Grand Elder’s gaze turned cold.
“We cannot.”
Sect Master Liao hesitated.
“But this is the ancestral agreement… if we don’t pass it on, wouldn’t that be difficult to explain…?”
“You don’t understand.”
The Grand Elder’s voice was low and stern.
“The Five Elements Sect is no longer what it once was. This is not the time to blindly obey the rules of our ancestors.”
Sect Master Liao did not understand, but he did not dare contradict.
He bowed again.
The Grand Elder glanced at him—and sighed inwardly.
The Five Elements Sect had truly declined.
Once, experts filled the sect; a mere late Foundation Establishment would never have qualified to be sect master.
Even he—now the only Golden Core—had merely been an ordinary elder then.
Times had changed.
He had no choice but to make do.
Still, some things needed to be explained clearly.
His expression hardened.
“Our prosperity—building cave mansions, earning massive amounts of spirit stones—at its root, all comes from formations.”
“With formations, we founded our sect.”
“Because of our formations, cultivators gathered here, and Lishan City became prosperous. Our mountain gates became priceless land.”
“With these external benefits, our disciples can lie down and still earn spirit stones.”
He frowned.
“But now—our sect’s formation arts have declined.”
“Lingshi has become too easy to earn. Too much fat. Everyone grew lazy. No one cultivates. No one studies formations.”
“As long as those cave mansions outside stand, spirit stones flow endlessly.”
“No effort needed.
So who would work?”
“We no longer rely on formations—we rely on construction.”
“And because of that, our formation attainment has plummeted!”
“Now, forget second-grade formation masters—even producing a few first-grade ones is already rare…”
Sect Master Liao straightened with a serious expression.
“This junior deeply agrees, and has already begun making changes.”
“The sect has decided to reform its practices—renew our cultivation industry, encourage disciples to study formations, cultivate formation masters, and restore the Five Elements Sect to its rightful place as a grand formation sect!”
His tone was earnest.
The Grand Elder, however, looked calm—and slightly indifferent.
These empty slogans had been repeated for over a hundred years.
Interests ran deep through the whole sect; tugging on one thread shook the entire foundation. No one dared touch it.
Disciples’ dao hearts had eroded.
Trying to make them suffer again, relearn formations—it was a fantasy.
Practical benefits were hard to change.
Formation culture involved the dao heart; once corrupted, correcting it was incredibly difficult.
And for years, the two who profited the most were—
himself,
and Sect Master Liao.
The butcher’s knife was in the pig’s own hooves.
How could they cut the meat themselves?
The Grand Elder said mildly:
“This is not something that can be solved overnight.”
“What matters now is protecting our sect’s heritage.”
“Especially the Five Elements Spirit Formation—the very foundation of our sect. It must never be passed out!”
His gaze sharpened.
“This supreme formation must remain firmly in our hands—monopolized by the Five Elements Sect.”
“We may fail to master it—but no outsider may ever learn it. Even if it decays, it will decay in our sect.”
“Even if it is lost, it must not fall into another’s hands.”
“Otherwise—it will shake our foundation.”
Sect Master Liao’s eyes lit up.
“Grand Elder is truly farsighted!”
A harmless compliment.
The Grand Elder remained expressionless.
Sect Master Liao thought for a moment, then said:
“But this formation is extremely difficult. Over the years, only a handful in our sect have learned it—and most were elders of past generations.”
“Ever since the previous sect master passed away, none among our current disciples have truly mastered the Five Elements Spirit Formation.”
“If even our own disciples cannot learn it, how could outsiders hope to?”
A flicker of dread surfaced in the Grand Elder’s eyes.
“They can!”
Sect Master Liao looked startled.
The Grand Elder’s brow twitched.
“You don’t know… that back then, that man named Zhuang nearly learned the entire Five Elements Spirit Formation!”
Sect Master Liao’s expression froze.
“How is that possible?”
The Grand Elder recalled the memory—and still felt chills.
“I was only a normal disciple then. I saw it with my own eyes…”
“That man’s talent was heaven-defying. Before the sect master and all elders, he recreated the formation’s runes bit by bit, discerned the formation’s core, and step by step comprehended the Five Elements Spirit Formation…”
“He was a hair’s breadth away from mastering it. If not for…”
If not for—
the sect master and elders secretly interfering,
he truly would have learned it.
The Grand Elder swallowed the rest of the sentence.
Sect Master Liao was still stunned.
“Qi-Refining?”
“Qi-Refining!”
Sect Master Liao frowned.
“The Five Elements Spirit Formation is a first-grade thirteen-rune formation. How could he comprehend it at Qi-Refining? Did he have thirteen-rune Divine-Sense? Impossible…”
The Grand Elder sighed.
“He did not have thirteen runes—but he still nearly mastered it…”
Sect Master Liao was dumbfounded.
“He could learn it even without sufficient Divine-Sense?”
The Grand Elder’s gaze turned solemn.
“The lineage he comes from possesses a heritage that allows them to see the origins of formations—understand one formation, and understand ten. Even with insufficient Divine-Sense, they can comprehend formations ordinary cultivators cannot.”
Sect Master Liao went blank.
“There’s such a heritage in the world?”
The Grand Elder’s expression grew reverent.
“In the Dao of Formations, this is one of the absolute supreme inheritances. It requires monstrous perception and top-tier aptitude—ordinary cultivators cannot learn it.”
“And among them… he was the best of his generation.”
“That is why, with only Qi-Refining cultivation, he was allowed to attempt comprehending a first-grade thirteen-rune formation—and nearly succeeded.”
The Grand Elder sighed again.
“Our Five Elements Spirit Formation, though rare and powerful, is still inferior to that level of true non-transmittable knowledge…”
Sect Master Liao lowered his head—eyes flickering with greed and yearning.
But the Grand Elder saw it instantly.
His expression hardened.
“Do not even think about it. Even if their lineage declines, they are not something we can afford to offend.”
Sect Master Liao shuddered.
“Y-yes, Grand Elder.”
But he still appeared unconvinced.
After some thought, he asked:
“But this time, it’s not he who wants to learn… he must have come to let his disciples learn. Do we really need such caution?”
The Grand Elder said calmly:
“Caution keeps one safe for ten thousand years.”
Sect Master Liao nodded.
“Grand Elder speaks true…”
He recalled the scene at the mountain gate.
“That little formation master among his disciples looked around ten years old, yet is already a certified first-grade formation master. His talent is truly impressive…”
“I wonder where he found such a good seedling…”
Why didn’t our Five Elements Sect ever have one?
Sect Master Liao felt deeply resentful.
“A child, already first grade…”
The Grand Elder frowned and shook his head.
“For ordinary cultivators, that is indeed exceptional. But in their lineage—it is merely average.”
“Especially when compared to that Zhuang fellow… it’s not even worth mentioning.”
Sect Master Liao froze.
What an outrageous statement.
A first-grade formation master “not worth mentioning”?
But he didn’t dare argue.
He was only Foundation Establishment—the Grand Elder was Golden Core.
After thinking for a moment, the Grand Elder suddenly said:
“Rather than the little formation master, what you should truly be wary of—are his senior brother and senior sister.”
“Senior brother and sister?”
Sect Master Liao recalled the two disciples beside Mister Zhuang…
One with sharp heroic brows and bright eyes.
The other as beautiful as a lotus emerging from clear water.
They looked like a pair of siblings. And though spirit artifacts blocked his Divine-Sense from probing them, their noble bearing, the depth of their cultivation, and their extraordinary temperament…
Flawless.
Top-grade cultivation seedlings.
And at a glance, clearly the kind of disciples the Five Elements Sect was not worthy of having.
Sect Master Liao’s expression also grew solemn:
“Great Elder, you mean… they are actually Senior Zhuang’s true formation inheritors?”
The Great Elder nodded. “Correct.”
He pondered for a moment, his eyes flickering with insight, as if he had seen through Mister Zhuang’s intentions:
“That little formation master is just the vanguard.”
“A boy of a bit over ten, Qi-Refining ninth level, a First-Grade formation master—meant to give us an opening display.”
“But that little formation disciple likely isn’t that important.”
“If he were truly important, he wouldn’t have stepped forward first.”
“It’s obvious: the real trouble is his senior brother and senior sister.”
“They’re from major clans, their cultivation far deeper, and their formation arts naturally far more profound.”
“And there are two of them.”
“If they really begin studying here… it’s very possible they’ll truly learn our Five Elements Sect’s Absolute Formation!”
…
The Great Elder’s gaze was grave, and Sect Master Liao looked anxious.
“Then, Great Elder, what should we do? We can’t actually take action to stop them—to forbid them from learning formations, can we?”
If it came to blows, it would tear their relationship completely.
And the consequences would be unpredictable.
The Great Elder thickened his face and said, “First, stall. Stall as long as we can—until they lose patience.”
“And if stalling fails?”
A glint flashed in the Great Elder’s eyes. “If we can’t stall… then we use other methods.”
Sect Master Liao’s gaze shifted slightly, and he nodded.
…
The Five Elements Sect began delaying.
Mister Zhuang looked utterly relaxed, not the least bit anxious.
Mo Hua had no choice but to obey his master’s instructions. Together with his senior brother and senior sister, he “played” around inside the Five Elements Sect.
The sect was huge, with more cave-dwellings than disciples—literally.
Clearly, they’d once been extravagantly wealthy, spirit stones overflowing so much that they built cave-dwellings everywhere just to spend them.
Aside from cave-dwellings, the usual cultivation buildings were all present: training rooms, meditation chambers, pill-refining rooms, artifact-forging rooms, formation pavilions…
They even built a number of facilities that had no actual purpose—unused, uninhabited, doors shut, echoing emptiness. No one knew why they were constructed in the first place.
Like most sects, the Five Elements Sect was divided into inner and outer sect.
The inner sect was the true core.
Inner-sect disciples and the sect itself rose and fell together. They learned the orthodox inheritance, followed the hierarchy, and were bound to the sect—interests fully aligned.
The sect’s industries were managed by inner-sect disciples.
All important positions were held by them as well.
Generally, inner-sect disciples were not allowed to leave the sect.
Outer-sect disciples were much looser.
They mainly paid a fee to study formation arts.
Their relationship with the sect had lineage but wasn’t tight; there were favors but not obligations.
As long as they paid spirit stones, they could study. If they didn’t want to anymore, they could leave freely. The sect didn’t restrain them.
The outer sect was essentially a form of revenue.
The sect offered part of its inheritance outward, expanding its influence and earning tuition and spirit stones.
And being a Third-Grade sect, the Five Elements Sect was famous—and its fees were expensive. At least for Mo Hua, far beyond what he could pay.
Mo Hua and the other two wandered leisurely through the Five Elements Sect.
Most people they met were inner-sect elders and disciples.
The elders completely ignored them.
Some disciples, though warned by elders, not knowing the situation, secretly pointed and whispered behind their backs.
Mo Hua’s Divine-Sense was strong, so he heard every word clearly.
To his surprise, the male disciples held hostility toward them, while the female disciples were much more benign.
The male disciples grumbled:
“That little brat—the one on the big horse—crushed the gate threshold when he swaggered into the sect, making all our elders lose face!”
“Way too arrogant!”
“Just because he’s a First-Grade formation master, he has no one in his eyes!”
“His senior brother, the one in white, is even more arrogant than him!”
“I heard a few senior brothers wanted to spar with him, and he ignored them.”
“No, I heard those senior brothers challenged him, and he beat them black and blue!”
“That’s because he hid his cultivation! Fighting above his level isn’t fair!”
“He’s Qi-Refining but has Foundation Establishment strength—yet he refuses to admit it!”
“Utterly shameless!”
…
The male disciples were indignant.
The female disciples, on the other hand, whispered:
“That white-clothed boy is so handsome!”
“I heard he’s from a major clan…”
“No wonder, his temperament is completely different.”
“I wonder which clan… if I married into it, would I still get to visit home sometimes…”
“And that little formation apprentice—he’s so fair and cute!”
“And he’s a First-Grade formation master, they say.”
“So impressive!”
…
Mo Hua heard it all.
And so did the male disciples.
Which only made those male disciples despise them more…
Mo Hua let out a helpless sigh.