Chapter 591: Laying the Foundation

Chapter 593: Laying the Foundation

In the next formation class, Elder Xun opened by saying:

“Today, we won’t be studying formations. I’ll first teach you something more fundamental.”

Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.

The other disciples exchanged glances.

They were all scions of great clans, with complete cultivation inheritances. From a young age, they had been immersed in such teachings. Even if they weren’t masters, they were at least well acquainted with the basics of formations.

What other fundamentals could there be to teach?

Old Mr. Xun swept his gaze across the hall and said solemnly:

“I know that you come from prestigious clans, with respectable inheritances. In the hundred paths of cultivation, most of you already have a sense of things…”

“But formations are different. The ‘basics’ you know are merely surface-level—no, not even surface-level. They’re just one or two bricks laid atop a foundation.”

“If the path of formations is to reach great heights, your foundation is still far from sufficient.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Old Mr. Xun glanced at Mo Hua.

“Today, I will explain to you the myriad origins and streams of formations under heaven…”

The disciples immediately straightened their backs and sat upright.

Mo Hua’s small waist straightened as well, his focus fully sharpened as he listened.

A faint sharpness surfaced in Old Mr. Xun’s clouded eyes as he slowly spoke:

“The Dao of formations is vast and profound.”

“There are countless formations in this world—ancient formations passed down since antiquity; improved formations that gradually evolved and branched off; and brand-new formations created by later generations, building upon the painstaking efforts of their predecessors…”

“Not only are the categories diverse and the numbers numerous, the structures of formations are also varied beyond measure…”

“Even the same formation can have many different variants.”

“In different lineages, even for the exact same formation, the formation runes, the formation pivot, and even the structure of the formation eye will all differ somewhat.”

“Take the simplest example: a First-Grade Bright Flame Formation, containing only three formation runes. In the formation records of different schools, there are no fewer than eighteen distinct ways to draw it…”

“This is the first point I want to tell you…”

“The Dao has no fixed rules; formations have no fixed form!”

“What you are learning are the basic formation patterns standardized and graded by the Dao Court, then widely disseminated.”

“The Dao Court’s grading and standardization are merely based on the most common and most broadly applicable formation forms. The forms and grades were set this way for the sake of regulation—for ease of learning, ease of use, and ease of popularization—thus they were unified.”

“In order to be graded, you must learn these ‘unified’ and ‘standardized’ formation patterns.”

“And some people, because the grading standards are so strict and demand such immense effort and dedication, will spend their entire lives exhausting their minds and whitening their hair, trapped within these ‘standard’ formations…”

“You will treat them as sacred canons…”

“But—”

Old Mr. Xun paused, his gaze suddenly sharp.

“You must understand that this is not the essence of formations. It is not the original face of formations…”

“Riddled with flaws, complex runes, chaotic principles, and internal contradictions—this is the true, original form of formations.”

“This is the manifestation of how cultivators from different eras, different regions, different realms, and different backgrounds have each understood heaven and earth, comprehended formations, and expressed the Great Dao…”

“Flaws are normal.”

“Complexity is correct.”

“All things in the human world are this complex…”

“Formations themselves are the manifestation of the myriad Daos—chaotic, obscure, complex, and difficult to fathom.”

“If you wish to seek the true Great Dao, merely studying the standardized, graded formations of the Dao Court will not suffice.”

“Those formations have been ‘artificially’ trimmed, ‘artificially’ domesticated. They are an artificial ‘correctness’, not the original appearance of formations, nor the true face of the Dao…”

“All things are strange and multifarious; formations are vast and innumerable, encompassing all phenomena.”

“A truly top-tier formation master must transcend standardized grades and patterns—see with their own eyes and experience with their own body.”

“Discard the coarse and retain the refined; reject the false and preserve the true. From the many and complex formation runes, observe the traces of the Dao’s evolution; from the endless variants of formations, comprehend the flow of the Dao…”

“And thus come to grasp the most real, most essential formations; form your own formation principles; and walk your own path of proving the Dao!”

“This is the foundation of formation principles!”

…

Old Mr. Xun’s words struck the ground with force.

The disciples half-understood, half-confused.

But Mo Hua was deeply shaken.

His master seemed to have said similar things to him before.

Only, what his master said differed somewhat from Old Master Xun’s words, with a different emphasis…

His master had told him to walk his own path, and to form his own “formation flow.”

Old Master Xun, on the other hand, urged him to observe broadly and extract judiciously, unbound by rigid frameworks, laying a foundation from the widest possible spectrum of formations.

The two paths seemed different, yet led to the same destination.

As for the specifics, Mo Hua’s current knowledge was still too shallow to fully grasp them.

But from these words alone, Mo Hua could clearly sense that Old Master Xun’s attainment in formations was absolutely profound!

“The Dao has no fixed rules; arrays have no fixed forms…”

Grasp the spirit, discard the shell…

Using arrays as a raft, the farther shore as the Dao—once crossed, the raft is abandoned; upon attaining the Dao, all arrays become formless.

Mo Hua silently nodded.

Old Master Xun glanced at Mo Hua, nodded slightly in return, and continued:

“There are countless categories of formations in this world.”

“Next, I will tell you what kinds of formation schools exist under heaven…”

“Some of them you should already know. Others—even if you’ve heard of them—you may not truly understand…”

“So listen carefully to what follows, and engrave it firmly in your memory…”

From the corner of his eye, Old Master Xun looked toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua immediately understood and nodded repeatedly.

Old Master Xun nodded silently, thinking to himself, Quite a sharp one… Then he continued solemnly:

“In this world, all things differ in countless ways. The Great Dao contained within them is likewise complex and multifarious, changing endlessly…”

“When these Daos manifest as array patterns and converge into formations, they give rise to many fundamentally different systems of formations…”

“Chaos, Two Principles, Three Talents, Four Symbols; Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars…”

“These are eight major categories of formations—ancient in origin, long in transmission, with clear lineages and prominent array principles…”

“I will now explain them one by one…”

…

“Chaos and Two Principles—these two categories are ancient formations, first derived and manifested by ancient cultivators from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.”

“These formations are extremely old. Their structures are simple in form, yet the principles they contain are exceedingly complex, embodying the truth that the Dao is both supremely simple and supremely profound.”

“Because their forms are plain—甚至 crude—their simplicity makes them obscure, and modern cultivators find them difficult to understand.”

“Though concise in form and meaning, the Divine-Sense consumed in comprehending them is immense, and even with painstaking contemplation, one may gain nothing at all…”

“And precisely because they are so obscure—hard to learn, hard to understand, and even harder to pass down—Chaos and Two Principles formations gradually fell into obscurity.”

“What remains today are but fragments and scraps, treasured and studied by various Dao Courts or aristocratic clans, yet nearly impossible to learn in a systematic way…”

…

“Three Talents formations…”

“Some disciples, when first learning formations, may have studied a ‘Three Talents Array,’ but that was merely for introductory purposes—quite crude, not even scratching the surface.”

“In other words, it is a basic ‘fixed form’ used by the Dao Court for foundational array instruction…”

“The true Three Talents Array concerns ‘Heaven,’ ‘Earth,’ and ‘Human’—its scope is vast, its derivations extremely broad.”

“But with your limited experience and tender age, it is impossible for you to comprehend the boundlessness of the Heavenly Dao, the profound virtue of the Earthly Dao, or the elusive transformations of the Human Dao…”

“Let alone the unity of the Three Talents.”

“From this alone, you should understand that Heaven, Earth, and Human are not matters ordinary cultivators can contemplate. This is knowledge by which the Dao Court governs the world…”

“Therefore, the core inheritance of Three Talents formations is tightly controlled by the Dao Court and not transmitted externally.”

“Unless you enter the Dao Court in the future, or reach Dao Prefectures and gain access to its upper echelons, you will not be able to learn the true essence of Three Talents formations…”

…

“Four Symbols formations…”

“These are rather special—formations passed down through generations among the荒族 cultivators of the Desolate Wilderness south of the Nine Provinces.”

“This category of formations is related to certain demonic beasts with special bloodlines.”

“The array patterns themselves more closely resemble beast markings.”

“Beasts are close to demons. Before mastering Five Elements and Eight Trigrams formations thoroughly, it is best not to study Four Symbols—otherwise, one may easily develop warped temperament and lose one’s humanity.”

…

“Five Elements formations—these need little explanation.”

“The Five Elements are the most widespread and most practical type of formations in the cultivation world.”

“As early as ancient times, Five Elements formations had already emerged, though they were quite rudimentary at first. Through generations of cultivators refining and developing them, they have grown into the vast and diverse systems seen today.”

“The greatest contributor to the development of Five Elements formations was the Five Elements Sect of old.”

“Unfortunately, the Five Elements Sect suddenly declined. Its remaining branches retreated to remote corners, lacking ambition, muddling through their days, and never regaining their former glory…”

“Yet even as the Five Elements Sect waned and nearly vanished, Five Elements formations spread widely, permeating all Nine Provinces and finding broad application across every cultivation discipline…”

“Only some of the core inheritances—those are likely without successors now…”

Old Master Xun sighed with regret.

Mo Hua blinked, pretending to know nothing.

The old foundation of the Five Elements Sect—the “Five Elements Source Pattern”—was now on his own body.

He had even mastered the Five Elements Absolute Formation.

But that was something he absolutely could not say out loud.

“Make a fortune quietly…”

Mo Hua silently warned himself.

After his moment of regret, Old Master Xun continued:

“Six Harmonies formations…”

“These are somewhat special and can be roughly divided into two types. One leans toward metaphysics, emphasizing the harmony of yin and yang and the convergence of Heavenly Stems; the other belongs to the Six Yao category—three yin and three yang, with trigrams and yao lines mutually generating…”

“Six Harmonies formations are relatively obscure. The Six Yao type in particular—if something goes wrong, it is easy for one’s mind to collapse, allowing unknown heavenly demons or evil gods to plant demonic thoughts, leading to a fall into the demonic path.”

“Six Harmonies formations—do not study them lightly.”

…

“And then there are Seven Stars formations…”

“Seven Stars formations are constructed by drawing upon the Northern Dipper’s seven-star configuration—Heavenly Pivot, Heavenly Jade Rotator, Heavenly Secrets, Heavenly Authority, Jade Balance, Opening Yang, and Shaking Light—condensing celestial phenomena into star-pattern inscriptions to form the array.”

“The Seven Pavilions of the Dao Court are named after the Northern Dipper’s seven stars.”

“Therefore, the orthodox transmission of Seven Stars formations lies in the Seven Pavilions at the Dao Court’s center, as well as in the Imperial Celestial Bureau that stands alongside them.”

“These formations observe celestial phenomena and derive heavenly secrets. When mastered deeply, they can even command the power of the stars…”

“However, like Three Talents formations, these are classified as confidential Dao Court arrays. In your lifetimes, the odds are high that you will never have the chance to learn them—and even if you did, you likely wouldn’t be able to master them anyway…”

“Moreover, Seven Stars formations involve celestial phenomena and derivation calculations. They are extremely profound—far beyond what ordinary cultivators, or even ordinary formation masters, can comprehend.”

“Of course, there’s no need to worry. Although Seven Stars formations are important, they are also quite niche. Most formation masters never learn them, so they’re not included in the formation types used for grading formation masters.”

…

“Lastly, there are the Eight Trigrams formations.”

“The Five Elements and Eight Trigrams are especially important—widely applicable, highly effective, and tremendously powerful. They are the two types of formations that must be tested in formation master grading.”

“Eight Trigrams formations are based on Five Elements formations, but they encompass more, contain more, and their formation principles are somewhat deeper. If learned well, they’ll benefit you for a lifetime.”

“Eight Trigrams formations will also be the primary category of formations you’ll be studying next.”

“As for the specifics, I won’t go into them now. When we actually teach formations later, I’ll instruct you bit by bit…”

…

“Besides these eight categories, there are also some special formation branches, such as the ‘Three Enclosures’ formations, which share the same origin as the Seven Stars, and the ‘Nine Nether’ formations, which follow the same structure as the Six Lines…”

“These formations are even more obscure, and they’re all secret, hidden formations. You don’t know where they’re kept—whether within some cultivation family or sect, in a lost Dao Court, or in some forbidden land rarely trodden by human feet…”

…

“The above are what this world calls the ‘prominent schools’ of formations.”

“I’m telling you all this to broaden your horizons and expand your knowledge—not to encourage lofty ambitions beyond your reach.”

“Meals must be eaten one bite at a time, and formations must be learned one array at a time.”

“Three Talents and Four Symbols, Six Harmonies and Seven Stars, including some niche formation types—you won’t be able to learn them for now, nor is there any need to spend too much effort on them.”

“The urgent task is to learn well the most basic and most practical Five Elements and Eight Trigrams formations.”

“But…”

Old Master Xun changed his tone and continued.

“Among all formation categories, the most basic formation patterns are ones you must be thoroughly familiar with.”

“This is foundational. It’s also so that in the future, when you encounter unfamiliar formations, even if you don’t know their background, you can identify their formation category through the patterns and respond accordingly—rather than being completely at a loss and panicking…”

“I’ve compiled a collection of the most basic formation patterns from all categories. Of course, they’re only patterns—they don’t constitute complete formations.”

Old Master Xun handed out a thick set of lecture notes, one copy per person.

Including Mo Hua.

On the title page of the notes were written the words:

Annotations on Formation Patterns of the Great Void Sect.

Mo Hua flipped open the notes and immediately saw countless formation patterns he had never studied before—indeed, had never even seen.

Their forms were varied, their profundity boundless.

Though they were merely formation patterns, they formed an incomparably vast foundation within the myriad paths of formations.

Mo Hua’s little heart began thumping wildly. He couldn’t help but raise his head to look at Old Master Xun, his eyes shining brilliantly—so bright they were almost dazzling.

Old Master Xun was taken aback and muttered inwardly,

“Is he really that happy… this kid?”

After distributing the lecture notes containing formation patterns from all eight categories, Old Master Xun said:

“From today onward, every formation pattern in this Annotations—you are to study them and practice them alongside your lessons…”

“Grains of sand build a tower; streams converge into a sea.”

“All formations in the world are composed of the most basic formation patterns.”

“Only by mastering formation patterns can you draw formations well…”

“I’ll periodically check how many formation patterns you’ve learned…”

“If you slack off, you’ll be punished…”

The disciples wore miserable expressions.

Mo Hua, however, looked at the notes in his hands, his heart blooming with joy.

Annotations on Formation Patterns of the Great Void Sect!

A compilation, across generations of the Great Void Sect, of the formation patterns of all formations under heaven!

To a formation master, this was among the most basic, most complete—and also most important—inheritances.

Although it was only First Grade, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

No matter how high-end a formation is, one must start learning from First Grade.

Mo Hua treated it as a priceless treasure and could not put it down. From that day on, whenever he had free time, he held it in his hands and read.

When no one was watching, he practiced all kinds of formation patterns on his own.

While eating, he drew them on the table with his fingers; passing through mountain grasslands, he drew them on the ground;

before sleeping, he drew them on paper; after falling asleep, his Divine-Sense sank into the Sea of Consciousness and continued drawing them on the Dao Monument…

Because they were only First Grade formation patterns, drawing them was simple and effortless.

After finishing on the Dao Monument, his Divine-Sense could rewind.

So in a single night, Mo Hua could practice formation patterns thousands upon thousands of times.

He remembered Old Master Xun’s guidance: formation patterns are the foundation, and the foundation must be solid.

Thus, even though he already knew these patterns like the back of his hand, he continued drawing them again and again…

Mo Hua wanted to carve every formation category and every formation pattern firmly into his heart, imprinting them in the Sea of Consciousness without the slightest error.

Even to the point of integrating them into instinct.

No matter how complex, obscure, or easily confused a formation pattern was, as long as he glanced at it, without thinking, he could immediately discern which formation category it belonged to.

The more Mo Hua practiced, the more proficient he became—and the more proficient, the more he practiced…

After practicing so much, in a hazy moment, he even felt an illusion of “man and formation becoming one.”

As though these formation patterns were not external, unfamiliar, objective inscriptions, but merely a part of his own thoughts—a part of his Divine-Sense, fused with the traces left behind by the Dao.

The feeling was mysterious beyond mystery.

Mo Hua couldn’t quite comprehend it, so he simply ignored it and continued burying himself in practice, over and over again.

Eight gates of formations, tens of thousands of formation patterns, were born again and again beneath his brush.

And again and again, they manifested within his Sea of Consciousness.

What Mo Hua did not know was that, unknowingly, he had truly begun to lay the foundation for exhausting all formations of the heavens and mastering the boundless myriad of divine abilities…

Author Notes:

Everyone, Happy New Year~ (^～^)