Chapter 530: The Shrine
Chapter 532: The Shrine
“I, of the Five Elements Sect, speak truthfully and honorably; I accept the outcome of the bet.”
The Grand Elder glanced at Mo Hua warily, then continued, “Young friends, you may study here the highest inheritance of our Five Elements Sect—the Five Elements Spiritual Formation.”
“The Five Elements Spiritual Formation, first-rank with thirteen patterns, is a top-tier absolute formation.”
“The value of this formation surely needs no further explanation.”
“But there are some rules you must follow to learn it…”
“First, you may study for only five days, two double-hours each day. If you succeed, the Five Elements Sect has nothing to say. But if you fail, you must accept the consequences…”
“Second, during the learning of this formation, do not damage a single brick or beam in this room; do not move any furnishings.”
“Third, show proper respect to the shrine; do not insult the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect.”
“Fourth, whether you master the formation or not, and no matter how much you learn, it must never be passed outside!”
“Fifth…”
The Grand Elder went on, rambling and listing numerous rules.
Mo Hua found it tedious but tolerated it, considering the importance of the Five Elements Spiritual Formation.
When the Grand Elder finished, he glanced at Mister Zhuang and politely said,
“The third floor has some rare Lishan Cloud Mist Tea; please, sir, take a seat and enjoy it.”
This was essentially a polite way of clearing the room.
No outsiders were allowed in front of the shrine while the formation was being studied.
Mister Zhuang nodded, his gaze sweeping over Mo Hua and the other two, and said, “Study well.” Then he brushed his sleeves and went downstairs for tea.
The Grand Elder followed him.
Before leaving, the Grand Elder burned incense, looked at the three, his gaze enigmatic, and locked the door.
Now, in the quiet, solemn shrine, only the three of them remained.
They had five days, two double-hours per day, to comprehend the thirteen-pattern Five Elements Spiritual Formation.
They had to make the most of their time.
In front of the shrine were five meditation cushions.
“Sit on the cushion, visualize the shrine, and comprehend the formation.”
This was the Grand Elder’s instruction.
He had also specifically said that “sit” on the cushion meant “kneel and sit.”
But kneeling was impossible.
The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect had no connection to Mo Hua and weren’t worth kneeling to.
So Mo Hua sat cross-legged on his cushion.
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, then did the same, sitting cross-legged on their cushions.
Mo Hua sat in the middle, Bai Zixi on the left, Bai Zisheng on the right.
The three focused their minds and visualized the shrine.
The shrine was made of black lacquered wood, ornate yet solemn.
Golden reliefs adorned it—sculptures of ancestors, spiritual beasts, ceremonial chariots, exotic plants, carved beams, painted rafters, various magical treasures…
Mo Hua was dazzled but didn’t fully understand their purpose.
Only the center of the shrine seemed like a proper Daoist hall.
In the hall, a massive formation plate was displayed.
Formation masters gathered around respectfully.
Above the hall, an elderly figure pointed to the sky, seemingly teaching and imparting knowledge.
The shrine taught.
The hall held the formation plate.
This was the area most closely related to formations in the entire shrine.
“Could it be that the Five Elements Spiritual Formation is engraved on the formation plate in the center?”
Mo Hua focused his mind, visualizing the shrine, placing his attention on the central formation plate.
Sure enough, after a moment, it seemed as if a Buddhist bell tolled.
Smoke rose from the incense burner before the shrine, drifting before Mo Hua. Strand by strand, it formed patterns, materializing on the formation plate.
Mo Hua’s spirit lifted.
“So it is true!”
He was about to concentrate on the formation patterns when an old, hoarse voice sounded in his ears:
“I will teach you the formation…”
The feeling was familiar.
Back in Nanyue City, when Mo Hua had stolen Zhang Quan’s ancestral diagram and visualized it, a similar ethereal, aged voice had whispered, repeatedly reciting phrases like “I transmit to you the Dao,” “Assist you in ascending immortality,” “Long life and everlasting sight…”
Instinctively, Mo Hua rejected it.
Another trickster!
His eyes flickered; his Divine Sense moved, clearing his mind and dispelling the illusion.
After a moment, all vanished.
The incense smoke remained, but it was just ordinary smoke—no formation patterns, no visual manifestations.
The old voice disappeared.
The shrine returned to normal.
The formation plate was empty.
It seemed everything had disappeared because Mo Hua saw through the illusion…
Mo Hua stared in disbelief.
Even after more time visualizing, nothing changed.
He pondered aloud, “Did I ruin it myself…?”
“Was that voice really trying to teach me the formation?”
“The smoke in the incense burner, the patterns forming within it, they were truly the profound Five Elements formation…”
“But because I saw through the illusion, the ancestors were displeased and refused to teach me?”
“Impossible…”
He tried several more times, but it was futile.
It seemed the shrine truly did not want to teach him the formation.
The smoke was now just ordinary smoke, no longer forming patterns…
Mo Hua sighed.
Was it his own fault? Was his Divine Sense too strong, his Daoist heart too steadfast, too perceptive of changes in spiritual consciousness?
He turned to look at his junior brother and sister.
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi sat cross-legged, their postures straight, eyes focused, gazing at the formation plate in the center of the shrine.
Their eyes flickered with pattern lights, seemingly comprehending something.
They appeared to be learning the Five Elements Spiritual Formation…
Mo Hua didn’t dare disturb them.
He glanced right at Bai Zisheng, then left at Bai Zixi, thinking inwardly:
“Junior Sister is really beautiful!”
Fair-skinned, delicate features, eyes like stars in the sky, serene and sparkling.
And this was after she disguised her original appearance.
The original would have been even more stunning…
After a moment, he refocused:
“Almost forgot, serious business first—the Five Elements Spiritual Formation…”
He concentrated again on visualizing the shrine.
But no matter how he focused, the shrine remained unchanged.
Even trying to “play dumb,” closing his Divine Sense and silently thinking, “Go ahead, try to deceive me, I won’t see through you,” was useless.
The shrine ignored him.
Mo Hua sighed, staring at the shrine, a thought arising:
“Does this shrine relate to the visualization diagrams?”
Visualization diagrams could host spiritual consciousness.
These spirits were varied.
They could include understanding of the Dao, insight into Heaven’s way, remnants of cultivators’ consciousness after death, or evil spirits, zombies, and other malign consciousness.
Mo Hua had never seen a proper visualization diagram.
What he had seen were all improper, filled with unclean spirits.
Could this shrine be a proper “visualization diagram”?
He also remembered his master saying that “visualization diagram” was a general term. Not all visualizations were “diagrams.” Every blade of grass, every brick, magical treasures, could contain the Dao, spirits, or evil.
“So this shrine is an alternative kind of ‘visualization diagram’?”
“But instead of a ‘diagram,’ it’s a ‘shrine’?”
“Could something reside in the shrine?”
“Is it some kind of divine consciousness? Or the secret of the Five Elements Spiritual Formation?”
“Either way, it’s valuable…”
Mo Hua’s eyes brightened, though he was also disappointed.
“Too bad it’s so big; I can’t take it with me…”
“And the Five Elements Sect would never allow me to move it anyway.”
Mo Hua murmured,
“If I could move the shrine, it’d be perfect—study it every day, visualize it, I’d surely learn the Five Elements Spiritual Formation…”
Alas, it was only a thought.
Moving the ancestors’ shrine of the Five Elements Sect would be outrageous…
But now the problem was how to actually learn the Five Elements Spiritual Formation…
Mo Hua was troubled, staring blankly at the shrine.
The incense smoke gradually dissipated.
Time passed bit by bit…
Unknowingly, the double-hour ended.
The incense burned down completely.
Mo Hua realized that two double-hours had passed, yet he hadn’t learned a single pattern…
It was like an exam, about to submit, and he hadn’t written a word…
His heart thumped.
Then he realized the trial would last five days; today had failed, but four more days remained. He sighed in slight relief.
The incense burned out.
All lingering smoke vanished.
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi came back to reality, blinking, their eyes slightly brightened, stepping out of the visualization state.
They both glanced at Mo Hua, only to see him looking as if he had attended a class, learned nothing, and given up entirely—leaving them momentarily stunned.
At that moment, the Grand Elder opened the door.
His gaze swept over the three, asking nothing, only saying faintly:
“Today’s double-hours are over. Come back tomorrow.”
The three bowed politely and followed Mister Zhuang out.
Back in the room, Mo Hua felt a bit guilty:
“Master, I didn’t learn anything at all…”
Mister Zhuang was surprised and curious, asking with interest:
“What did you see?”
Mo Hua explained honestly:
“I saw the formation patterns on the plate, then heard an old man speak, and out of habit, I dispelled distractions… after that, I saw nothing at all…”
Aside from sneaking a glance at the junior sister briefly, the rest of the time had been spent pondering the visualization or spacing out…
“Master, why is that?” Mo Hua asked.
Mister Zhuang thought for a moment and sighed:
“Perhaps your Divine Sense is too strong…”
Too strong a Divine Sense discerns the essence.
A clear Dao-Heart resists deception.
But because of this, you cannot see the illusions of the shrine, and therefore cannot perceive the Five Elements Sect inheritance.
Mo Hua muttered, “The Five Elements Sect is ridiculous, using such a strange method to pass down an absolute formation…”
Mister Zhuang quietly glanced at him, thinking that it wasn’t the sect that was ridiculous—it was his Divine Sense that was too extraordinary.
Even a first-grade Qi-Refiner could manifest thirteen-pattern Divine Sense?
The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect probably never expected this…
Mister Zhuang then asked Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, “How about you two?”
They nodded.
Bai Zisheng said, “We both studied, sat on the cushions, visualized the shrine, and formation patterns appeared on the plate in the hall…”
“There was also an elder explaining some key points about learning the Five Elements Spiritual Formation…”
Mister Zhuang said, “Draw it for me.”
Bai Zisheng hesitated, “I didn’t learn it all…”
“No matter,” Mister Zhuang said, “Draw draw as much as you can.”
“Okay.”
Bai Zisheng nodded, then took out paper and brush, beginning to draw the Five Elements Formation he had learned from the shrine.
Bai Zixi held her brush gracefully, her posture elegant, and began drawing as well.
Once finished, they handed their work to Mister Zhuang together.
Mister Zhuang glanced at them and nodded: “Indeed, these are first-grade thirteen-pattern Five Elements Spirit Arrays.”
Mo Hua leaned over to take a look as well.
Bai Zisheng had drawn a fire-type Absolute Formation. It wasn’t complete, but it should be the Fire Spirit Array of the Five Elements Spirit Arrays.
Bai Zixi had drawn a wood-type Absolute Formation, thirteen patterns perfectly intact—a complete Wood Spirit Array.
Clearly, Bai Zixi’s talent in array arts was far superior to Bai Zisheng’s.
A complete first-grade thirteen-pattern Wood Spirit Array…
Even using the Immortal-Heavens Formation Flow, she had memorized it completely within two hours.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but praise, “Senior Sister, you’re amazing!”
Bai Zixi nodded, accepting Mo Hua’s compliment, her eyes sparkling.
Bai Zisheng pouted. Though dissatisfied with Mo Hua’s “flattering words,” he still worried:
“Junior Brother, if you can’t see the array diagrams in the dojo, won’t you be unable to learn the Five Elements Spirit Arrays?”
For him and Zixi, the Five Elements Spirit Arrays were just icing on the cake.
They didn’t rely on arrays.
But Mo Hua was different.
He had to follow the path of arrays, constantly learning and refining them, constantly strengthening his Divine Sense.
The Five Elements Spirit Arrays were crucial for him.
Mo Hua sighed again.
He didn’t have a good solution.
If the array diagrams never appeared in the shrine dojo, he would truly be helpless.
He couldn’t exactly smash the shrine…
Bai Zixi thought for a moment, her beautiful eyes lighting up: “I’ll teach you with my brother!”
Bai Zisheng was momentarily stunned, then understood:
“Right. Zixi and I will learn it first, then teach you once we understand it.”
Mo Hua was slightly surprised, then thought it over, his eyes brightening.
Seems… it could work.
Learning from anywhere is still learning.
Being taught by his Little Senior Brother and Little Senior Sister was only natural.
“But… does this count as passing down forbidden knowledge?”
According to the Grand Elder of the Five Elements Sect, one should learn and practice independently.
Bai Zixi shook her head: “It doesn’t count as forbidden.”
Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded. Makes sense—same sect, both qualified to learn Absolute Formations, so exchanging knowledge isn’t forbidden.
So Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng began teaching Mo Hua the Wood Spirit and Fire Spirit Arrays.
Bai Zixi remained calm.
Bai Zisheng, however, was full of excitement—rarely did he get to teach Mo Hua array arts.
While teaching the array patterns, they also explained the key points and insights they had heard from the elders.
Mo Hua focused on learning, memorizing the array patterns while listening, asking questions when needed.
By evening, he had roughly mastered the array patterns of both the Wood and Fire Spirit Arrays.
Though he could draw the arrays, they had little effect.
Like other Absolute Formations, they seemed to lack some crucial element—only the patterns remained, without the array’s spiritual essence.
This was expected.
But another question still bothered him:
“Why only the Wood and Fire Spirit Arrays?”
Where were the other three Five Elements Spirit Arrays?
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi exchanged glances and shook their heads.
“What I saw… was only this array…”
“Do you have to learn them one by one, mastering one before moving to the next?”
“If that’s the case, why isn’t the order consistent? Wood, Fire… why this sequence?”
None of the three could understand.
Mo Hua sighed: “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see…”
Bai Zisheng agreed: “Seems that’s the only way.”
Bai Zixi frowned, puzzled.
Mister Zhuang watched the three, smiling faintly, but said nothing.
…
Meanwhile, on the fourth floor of the Hidden Array Pavilion, before the ancient and solemn shrine,
the Grand Elder lit three incense sticks and placed them in the burner.
Wisps of smoke curled upward.
After a while, the three sticks burned unevenly—two short, one long.
The left stick had burned the most, leaving only a short stub, though still fairly long.
The right stick burned somewhat, but not too much.
The middle stick remained untouched.
The Grand Elder’s heart brightened, and he nodded:
“Hasn’t learned it… good…”
Not only hadn’t he learned it, he hadn’t learned anything at all!
The Grand Elder felt relieved, yet contemplative.
Talent was present, foundational array skills solid, knowledge correct, but at such a young age, learning too much would confuse him, and his comprehension was still lacking…
He hadn’t grasped the Five Elements Absolute Arrays at all.
It seemed his guess had been correct.
His senior siblings were indeed stronger.
But even so, no matter their talent, truly understanding the Five Elements Spirit Arrays was still far off…
Of the three sandalwood incense sticks in the burner, aside from the middle one, the other two still had a long way to burn before reaching the end…
The Grand Elder exhaled, clasped his hands to the shrine, and sincerely said:
“…Bless our Five Elements Sect, preserve the legacy, and may the path of arrays flourish!”
The shrine did not respond.
But the wooden elder within the dojo opened its eyes.