Chapter 25: Instruction
Chapter 25: Instruction
Mo Hua returned to the cultivation room, and a group of disciples gathered around him again.
"Mo Hua, what did the instructor want with you?"
"Did the instructor punish you?"
Mo Hua told the truth, "The instructor asked me to go to him after class every day from now on."
One of the disciples said, "It must be because you've been slacking off in your formation practice, so the instructor is angry and wants you to practice formations every day to ensure you don't regress."
Another disciple sympathized, "In that case, you're in a tough spot. It must be nerve-wracking to have the instructor watching you draw formations every day."
"Yes, it's terrible. Just one glance from him makes me nervous, let alone having him stare at me while I draw formations..."
Mo Hua sighed.
Seeing this, the other disciples offered him comfort.
Mo Hua's sigh wasn't because he had to draw formations under the instructor's watchful eye, but because he would have less time to draw formations for the Formation Pavilion to earn spirit stones.
However, since the instructor had asked if he wanted to become a formation master, he would surely offer some guidance. This was a good thing.
The next day, after class, Mo Hua arrived at Instructor Yan's residence on Tongming Peak as instructed.
Instructor Yan got straight to the point and placed a scroll titled "Introduction to Formation Canon Explanations" in front of Mo Hua.
"If you want to go far in the path of formations, you must have a solid foundation. This foundation includes not only a grasp of basic formation patterns, proficiency in brush techniques, and a strong spiritual sense but also a understanding of the canonical discussions on formations within the cultivation world."
"These canonical discussions on formations are the insights and theoretical summaries of countless formation masters about the myriad formations in the cultivation world. They seek to find the unchanging principles within the ever-changing world of formations."
"Some cultivators may be adept at drawing formations, but if they don't understand the canonical discussions, they will eventually hit a wall in their studies and find it difficult to progress further."
"I am just a step away from becoming a first-rate formation master myself, and much of our sect's legacy has been lost. I cannot impart to you the more profound formation canon discussions, and our teachings naturally cannot compare to those of the major aristocratic families and sects. However, what I can teach you should be more than sufficient for your current level of formation skill."
Mo Hua straightened his posture and bowed respectfully, "Please instruct me, Instructor."
Instructor Yan nodded and opened the "Introduction to Formation Canon Explanations," saying, "This introductory text records some basic principles of formations, such as the concept of a round heaven and a square earth, the eight trigrams' orientations, the five elements' generation and overcoming, as well as the composition of single formations, compound formations, and grand formations..."
"Formations are manifestations of the laws of heaven and earth. The outer circle and inner square symbolize the round heaven and square earth. The arrangement of different formation patterns follows the theorems of the eight trigrams, and formation patterns of different attributes generate and overcome each other. A single formation pattern constitutes a singular formation, multiple singular formations combined form a compound formation, and when numerous singular and compound formations are linked together, they create a grand formation..."
"Grand formations possess immense power, and the protective grand formations used by sects often fall into this category. A grand formation may contain hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of individual formations, requiring the cooperation of dozens or hundreds of formation masters. Only formation masters of the highest caliber can serve as the lead formation master, overseeing the design and engraving of the grand formation..."
"Becoming the lead formation master and designing a grand formation is the aspiration of many formation masters throughout their lives."
Instructor Yan spoke with a hint of emotion, then added, "But I'm getting ahead of myself. Even becoming an ordinary first-rate formation master is no easy feat."
Mo Hua listened with a sense of awe. Even singular formations were already profound, and he could only imagine the spectacle that would unfold when a grand formation comprising myriad formations was activated.
Instructor Yan hesitated for a moment, then solemnly handed the "Introduction to Formation Canon Explanations" to Mo Hua, saying, "Take this introductory text and study it well. Remember, you must not share it with anyone outside of our sect, nor discuss it with anyone else.
And he was just an ordinary disciple. The fact that Instructor Yan was so dedicated to teaching him made Mo Hua feel deeply grateful.
Mo Hua calmed himself and carefully read through the "Introduction to Formation Canon Explanations," taking notes on the parts he didn't understand so that he could ask the instructor about them the next day.
Before bed, Mo Hua took out the "Golden Stone Formation Chart" again and memorized the formation patterns within. He then closed his eyes and entered his sea of consciousness, practicing the Golden Stone Formation on the stone tablet.
The Golden Stone Formation only had four formation patterns, which wasn't too difficult, but it required time to familiarize himself with the patterns and practice them.
With the help of the "Introduction to Formation Theory," Mo Hua found that drawing the Golden Stone Formation Chart became much clearer and easier to understand.
Why were the four formation patterns positioned towards the west? Because the west corresponds to metal, which is compatible with the attributes of the Golden Stone Formation Chart. There were also many intricate considerations based on the trigrams when it came to the specific method of drawing.
Previously, Mo Hua only knew to follow the diagram and draw it a certain way but didn't understand the reasoning behind it. Now, he had a deeper understanding.
The next day, Mo Hua went to Tongming Peak.
Instructor Yan asked him some questions from the "Treatise on Formations," and Mo Hua answered them one by one, confirming that he had carefully read the "Formation Canon Treatise." Instructor Yan couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.
Mo Hua then asked some of the questions he had noted down, and Instructor Yan answered them one by one, his expression clearly more relaxed.
On the third day, when Mo Hua came again, Instructor Yan used specific formations as examples to explain and help Mo Hua understand some basic formation theories.
Instructor Yan started with several formations that used a single formation pattern, including the Bright Fire Formation that Mo Hua had practiced before, as well as a few formations that Mo Hua had never learned. He then moved on to formations that used two formation patterns, all of which were new to Mo Hua, who listened attentively.
Among the formations with four formation patterns, the first one Instructor Yan mentioned was the Solid Earth Formation, which Mo Hua had asked about before. Although Mo Hua had already become quite skilled at drawing it, he realized as he listened to Instructor Yan's explanation that he had only understood the mechanics of the formation before, but not the underlying principles. His understanding of formations had been lacking.
After explaining the Solid Earth Formation, Instructor Yan brought up the Golden Stone Formation:
"The Golden Stone Formation and the Solid Earth Formation have similar functions. Among the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, earth generates metal. So when cultivators build their cave residences, they will use the Solid Earth Formation to consolidate the foundation and simultaneously use the Golden Stone Formation to reinforce the structure. Because earth generates metal, the effects of the formations will be enhanced when used together. These two formations can be understood in conjunction with each other..."
As he listened, Mo Hua felt as if a light had been switched on in his head, illuminating his understanding.
Instructor Yan explained for an entire hour before assigning Mo Hua some homework: to find some examples of formation counters and then dismiss him.
After returning to the disciples' residence, Mo Hua found himself pondering the instructor's words even more.
Many of the examples Instructor Yan had used were formations that Mo Hua had drawn for the Formation Pavilion.
The Bright Fire Formation and the Solid Earth Formation were obvious examples, and the Golden Stone Formation was the one that Fat Manager had asked him to draw. Today, the instructor had specifically explained the Golden Stone Formation Chart to him, admittedly to illustrate the relationship of generation and overcoming between the five elements, but it was still too much of a coincidence.
"Is there some connection between the instructor and Fat Manager? Could the instructor already know that I'm the one drawing the formations for You Yuan Hall?"
Mo Hua pondered these questions in his heart.
(End of Chapter)
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