Chapter 525: Life Gate
Chapter 527: Life Gate
Mo Hua began studying the Five Elements Sect’s Mountain-Protecting Grand Formation.
But this grand formation was, after all, a second-grade formation, and even among those, a second-grade grand formation. Mo Hua had no foundation in such things—truly researching it was quite strenuous.
However, after pondering for a long time, he managed to glean a few patterns.
Second-grade formations differed entirely from first-grade ones.
Their formation patterns were more complex, more profound, and they required far stronger spiritual power to operate. Even the nature of the spiritual power circulating within them was fundamentally different from that of a first-grade formation.
The difference was like the difference between Qi-Refining spiritual power and Foundation Establishment spiritual power.
Qi-Refining spiritual power was still “qi.”
But Foundation Establishment spiritual power was like mercury.
Spiritual power like mercury—Condensed into liquid form, like liquid silver.
The spiritual power of a second-grade grand formation was of that nature.
Even his Divine-Sense derivative calculations were of no help.
Though Mo Hua already possessed a thirteen-rune peak Divine-Sense—reaching the limit of early Foundation Establishment—second-grade formations were qualitatively different from first-grade ones.
Thus, after derivation, the formation patterns appearing in his Sea of Consciousness were just a dense, heavy, incomprehensible mass of complex lines.
Fortunately, although the patterns were hard to understand, the core structure of formations had common principles.
Mo Hua couldn’t deduce the exact patterns, but he could roughly outline the foundational framework of the second-grade Five Elements Mountain-Protecting Grand Formation by comparing it to the Five Elements Demon-Slaughtering Grand Formation and drawing on experience.
After spending several days, Mo Hua managed to grasp a shallow, rough understanding of the grand formation’s skeleton.
As for more specific, deeper details—he had no idea.
But that was enough.
At the very least, he now had a preliminary understanding and grasp of the Five Elements Mountain-Protecting Grand Formation.
As its name implied, the formation focused primarily on defense.
The many sub-formations linked within it were mostly second-grade formations of Wood–Earth and Metal attributes.
Their purpose was to fortify the sect, protect disciples, and repel outside enemies.
As Mister Zhuang had said, in a third-grade prefecture, a second-grade grand formation of this level meant that no matter what force attacked, as long as the formation was activated, the sect would stand nearly unbeatable.
There were also limits imposed by the Heavenly Dao.
Within a third-grade prefecture, with Mo Hua’s limited cultivation experience, he couldn’t even imagine how one might break such a grand formation.
In addition, Mo Hua discovered a problem.
It seemed the grand formation had been renovated.
The Five Elements Sect had been expanding buildings, constructing caves and palaces, disturbing the sect’s foundation. Naturally, that influenced the grand formation.
Now, it appeared that many parts of the Five Elements Mountain-Protecting Grand Formation had been altered.
Mo Hua asked Mister Zhuang about it.
Mister Zhuang nodded with a sigh:
“Indeed. They don’t know how to cherish the formation left by their ancestors…”
He glanced at Mo Hua and asked:
“How is your study going?”
Mo Hua then told him about the formation patterns, the core nodes, and the structural insights he had figured out on his own.
Mister Zhuang nodded approvingly: “Not bad.”
Mo Hua grinned.
Mister Zhuang asked again, “Do you still remember the Life Gate?”
Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded.
He remembered Mister Zhuang once saying: where there is life, there is death; where there is death, there is life.
When dissolving a formation using a Spirit-Reversal Formation, the collapse of the formation was the “death” in formation principles—but even within that dead end, there existed a single thread of vitality. That thread was the Life Gate of a formation.
Thinking of this, Mo Hua jumped in fright and whispered:
“Master, you’re not planning to collapse the Five Elements Sect’s grand formation… right?”
Mister Zhuang froze, then couldn’t help laughing:
“What are you imagining…? Collapsing a grand formation causes tremendous destruction. It harms the natural order—it cannot be used so casually.”
On paper, Mister Zhuang drew a mountain, outlining several lines along the mountain’s natural terrain:
“This is the meridian structure of the Mountain-Protecting Grand Formation. Memorize it.”
“When the formation circulates, the core nodes will reveal a Life Gate.”
“This section, though a second-grade core node, has a structure similar to the Five Elements Demon-Slaughtering Grand Formation. And your Divine-Sense is sufficient—you should be able to deduce the Life Gate yourself.”
“Yes, Master,” Mo Hua nodded.
But he felt puzzled.
Why did Master want him to calculate the Life Gate?
Mo Hua thought for a bit, then worriedly asked:
“Master… could it be that the Five Elements Sect plans to use the grand formation against us?”
Mister Zhuang blinked and patted his head.
“Don’t worry. It’s just preparation.”
Seeing Mo Hua still uneasy, he explained:
“Second-grade grand formations are rare. This is a good opportunity—I might as well use it to teach you some key points about second-grade grand formations.”
Mo Hua’s eyes brightened.
“Thank you, Master!”
Mister Zhuang nodded happily and continued teaching him more key principles.
There were no specific diagrams—just explanations of core nodes, formation eyes, and large-scale conceptual frameworks.
Mo Hua listened with great interest.
He had already constructed a first-grade grand formation.
So although this was a second-grade grand formation, he could understand the principles.
He just didn’t know if he’d ever have the chance to construct one himself in the future.
When Mister Zhuang finished, he instructed:
“Remember these things well. When you have time, think them over. Then visit the Five Elements Sect’s grand formation to verify them.”
“And that segment of the core node I pointed out—keep deducing it, and find the Life Gate.”
Mister Zhuang’s tone was unusually serious.
Mo Hua didn’t understand why, but he nodded earnestly.
After that, Mo Hua followed his Master’s instructions—observing the Five Elements Sect’s second-grade grand formation daily.
Whenever he had free time, he deduced the segment of the core node on the mountainside that Mister Zhuang had pointed out.
From the ever-flowing core node, he sought the ever-shifting Life Gate…
When Mo Hua’s observation and deductions finally became proficient—
Mister Zhuang summoned Sect Master Liao:
“We’re rested. You may now fulfill your promise.”
Sect Master Liao froze.
The promise…
Naturally, it referred to the agreement to let Mister Zhuang’s disciple learn the Five Elements Absolute Formation.
Sect Master Liao smiled stiffly:
“There’s still time, senior. Why not rest a few more days? I still need to discuss this with the inner sect elders—”
Mister Zhuang said flatly:
“What I said was a notice, not a negotiation.”
Sect Master Liao forced a smile, trying to stall—but suddenly, his heart tightened.
He looked up.
Mister Zhuang’s gaze was withdrawn and sharp—his entire presence like an unparalleled divine sword, awe-inspiring and domineering.
No spiritual power.
No technique aura.
Yet the oppressive pressure was overwhelming.
It crushed all will to resist.
In Mister Zhuang’s eyes seemed to gleam countless sword rays—
as though he could see through Sect Master Liao’s very soul.
In sheer terror, Liao lowered his head and did not dare meet his gaze.
A moment later, everything vanished.
No pressure.
No killing intent.
Just a gentle breeze.
But Sect Master Liao was drenched in cold sweat, trembling:
“P-pardon me, senior… I… I’ll report to the Grand Elder…”
……
Sect Master Liao fled in panic, returning to the rear mountain cave to report to the Grand Elder.
The Grand Elder slammed the table in fury.
“Outrageous!”
“Divine-Sense oppression!”
“Does he truly think the Five Elements Sect has no one?!”
Sect Master Liao quietly thought:
The Five Elements Sect… does seem to have no one…
But he had no resentment.
He just didn’t understand:
That man clearly had no spiritual power, and his Sea of Consciousness was shattered—
so how could he still unleash such terrifying Divine-Sense pressure?
It felt as though the man didn’t need to attack at all.
Just one glance, and Sect Master Liao might die from sheer fear.
He shivered at the memory.
And this was the man in decline, with only a tenth of his former power left…
What would he have been like at his peak?
No wonder so many people, when dealing with him, acted with extreme caution.
The man was truly terrifying.
After calming down, Sect Master Liao asked:
“Grand Elder, what should we do now?”
The Grand Elder glanced at him coldly—annoyed.
“Something happens, and you immediately ask what to do. Is this the demeanor of a Sect Master?”
“How will you ever revive the Five Elements Sect like this?”
He said, “We stall—”
Before he finished, Sect Master Liao cut in with a bitter smile:
“We can’t stall any further…”
If that man glanced at him a few more times, he would either collapse in terror or have his Dao-heart shattered.
How could he dare stall?
The Grand Elder frowned.
Sect Master Liao stood silently, hardly daring to breathe. Only after a long pause did he say:
“Why don’t we… let them learn?”
“No!”
The Grand Elder was firm.
He glared coldly at Sect Master Liao:
“Absolutely not!”
“I said before—this formation, even if it rots, will rot within our Five Elements Sect!”
“Even if no one ever masters it and it becomes lost forever—it must never fall into outsider hands!”
Sect Master Liao felt troubled.
“Then…”
They couldn’t let them learn it.
But they also didn’t dare not let them learn it.
They absolutely could not offend that man.
The Grand Elder understood the dilemma. His murky eyes flickered.
“We will set up… some tests.”
“Tests?”
Sect Master Liao hesitated.
“There’s no such rule in our sect…”
“There is now,” the Grand Elder said calmly.
Sect Master Liao silently cursed the man’s shamelessness—but did not dare say it aloud.
Then he asked:
“And these tests… who will take them? Mister Zhuang? Or his disciple?”
The Grand Elder’s eyes turned cold.
“Use your brain. Who can test him? Who is qualified?”
Sect Master Liao fell silent.
So—they would test the disciple.
“How do you intend to test him?” he asked.
The Grand Elder replied solemnly:
“Hold a Dao-Debate Assembly.”
“A Dao-debate… comparing formation skills?”
The Grand Elder nodded.
Sect Master Liao hesitated.
“But… who will compete?”
The Grand Elder frowned:
“The elders and instructors cannot. That would clearly be bullying juniors—Mister Zhuang would never agree. Therefore… only disciples can compete.”
“Inner sect disciples will face off.”
“That man’s disciple must surpass all our inner sect disciples in formations—only then can he learn our Five Elements Sect’s sect-guarding Five Elements Spirit Array!”
Sect Master Liao whispered:
“Grand Elder… are you serious?”
The Grand Elder was displeased.
Sect Master Liao reminded:
“Whatever else we say, that young disciple is already a first-grade formation master…”
A genuine first-grade formation master…
Among the current inner sect disciples, none had achieved first-grade while still in Qi-Refining.
How could they compete?
Wouldn’t this just be offering their face for him to slap?
Sect Master Liao was speechless.
But the Grand Elder shook his head.
“Not necessarily.”
Sect Master Liao was confused.
The Grand Elder countered:
“Are there not inner sect disciples who are at first-grade level, yet have repeatedly failed official grading?”
Sect Master Liao nodded. “Yes.”
The Grand Elder exhaled in relief. “Good.”
Sect Master Liao asked, “You mean…?”
The Grand Elder said: “The Dao Court’s grading has quota limits. Standards vary by region.”
“In remote areas with few formation masters, the grading is lax, and the formation masters themselves are weaker.”
“And some clan youths, to gain the reputation of ‘genius,’ use connections. Even if their skill is lacking, they can still get certified as first-grade.”
“In those cases, the ‘first-grade’ has… a lot of water mixed in.”
Sect Master Liao frowned. “You’re saying that the surname-Mo youngster is one of those watered-down first-grades?”
The Grand Elder nodded slowly.
“Even if he didn’t use connections, he most likely got graded in some remote region.”
He continued: “Our Five Elements Sect is different.”
“Here in Mount Dali Prefecture, many sects are founded upon formations; this land was once a holy ground of formation arts. Though no longer in its golden age, the foundation remains—there are many formation masters.”
“To obtain first-rank here is as difficult as ascending to the heavens.”
“Even if someone achieves First Rank here, it’s akin to scaling the heavens.”
“Because ranking isn’t about comparing with peers of the same age, but with all Qi-Refiners, and even some Foundation Establishment array masters, selecting the best among them.”
“Others may have longer cultivation, stronger Divine Sense, years immersed in formations, and drawn far more arrays than you. How could ordinary disciples compete?”
“So it’s normal if they don’t reach First Rank.”
“Also, don’t assume that failing to rank first means their formation skills are poor.”
“In smaller Immortal Cities or Second-Grade prefectures, they are already genuine First-Rank array masters.”
“Therefore, some unranked disciples in our sect, in terms of formation strength, may not necessarily be inferior to that First-Rank junior disciple of the Zhuang family.”
The Grand Elder’s reasoning was sound, making Sect Master Liao suddenly see things clearly.
He praised, “As expected of the Grand Elder—thorough and thoughtful!”
“Now that you mention it, that First-Rank junior array master may not be all that clever. Perhaps he just got lucky…”
Sect Master Liao pondered further:
“It makes sense. Array mastery, though partly based on talent, is also a matter of practice. That junior disciple is barely over ten; even if he’d been drawing arrays since the womb, practicing daily without pause, how many arrays could he have actually drawn?”
“Few arrays drawn means shallow comprehension.”
“No matter the talent, without painstaking practice, it’s all an empty tower in the air, unsustainable.”
These words struck the Grand Elder to the heart.
He nodded approvingly, but also warned,
“Even so, we mustn’t be careless. Even a lion must give full force when catching a rabbit—don’t underestimate him.”
Sect Master Liao cupped his hands. “Grand Elder speaks wisely.”
Then he frowned. “This junior array master is manageable, but his senior brother and sister…”
Thinking of the sibling pair with profound cultivation, unparalleled spiritual roots, and almost divine talent, the Grand Elder’s expression grew grave.
After a moment, he sighed and said slowly,
“In that case, we can only call for reinforcements…”
“Reinforcements?”
The Grand Elder nodded. “In the Dali Mountain Prefecture, many formation sects and families have good relations with our Five Elements Sect. Among them are highly talented disciples with exceptional array comprehension. We can borrow their aid to bolster the ranks and suppress that person’s prestige!”
“Could they defeat that sibling pair?”
“Gathering all the formation prodigies in Dali Mountain Prefecture, it should be feasible…”
Sect Master Liao nodded, then asked with curiosity,
“But could they defeat the Zhuang Master of the past?”
The Grand Elder snorted coldly. “Don’t even think about it. No matter how gifted, they cannot beat him…”
His gaze carried fear, and he admitted,
“How many Zhuang Masters exist in this world?”
Sect Master Liao hesitated. “Could it be noticed?”
The Grand Elder shook his head. “They are visitors, not members of our Five Elements Sect. How could they possibly discern who belongs to us?”
“Then, can we actually enlist these prodigies?”
“Offer them benefits, that’s all.”
“The price… must be considerable.”
“If it can be solved with spirit stones, then it’s not a problem.”
Sect Master Liao winced at the cost but nodded.
With the plan settled, the Grand Elder exhaled and said coldly,
“At the Dao-Discussion Assembly, we’ll have a formation contest. If that person’s disciples can’t surpass our sect’s disciples, given his proud nature, he won’t dare show up boldly again. Instead, he’ll have to learn our Five Elements Sect’s absolute formations…”
Sect Master Liao still felt uneasy.
“With such an obvious scheme, would he agree?”
The Grand Elder sneered. “If he wants his disciples to learn our sect’s formations, he has no choice but to agree!”
“We didn’t refuse; we simply made a reasonable request.”
“If you can’t surpass our disciples, why should you learn our absolute formations?”
“In other words, if you can’t beat our disciples, you won’t be able to master the absolute formations!”
“I’m saying this to save time for both sides, for the good of our sect and for his benefit…”
The Grand Elder looked dignified as he spoke.
Sect Master Liao, however, chuckled inwardly.
The older they get, the thicker their skin.
The Five Elements Sect is declining precisely because of scheming old parasites like this.
But there was no other way.
He just didn’t know if Zhuang Master would agree…
Uneasy, Sect Master Liao went to inform Zhuang Master of the plan.
To his surprise, Zhuang Master was not shocked or angry, simply calm, and nodded:
“Fine!”
Sect Master Liao felt a weight lift off his shoulders.
As long as he agreed.
Yet in his eyes, Zhuang Master became even more enigmatic.
He couldn’t fathom what Zhuang Master was truly thinking, or what he planned…
…
After Sect Master Liao left, Zhuang Master called Mo Hua and the other two.
“In a few days, you’ll have a formation contest against the Five Elements Sect disciples…”
“No—not you all…” Zhuang Master looked at Mo Hua and smiled faintly. “Mo Hua, you just need to compete.”
He showed a look of anticipation:
“You’ll lead the charge, and also bolster the ranks for your senior brother and sister…”
“…and help me save face a bit too…”