Chapter 349: The Eleven Trigrams
Chapter 349: The Eleven Trigrams
Mo Hua paused, his thoughts drifting as he calmed himself.
Even though he had successfully drawn the complete formation core, he still felt uneasy.
He wondered if it was merely a coincidence that he had managed to do so. With a swipe of his hand, he erased the formation core and began redrawing it, letting out a soft sigh.
Indeed, it seemed that his previous success was due to a momentary flash of insight and heightened concentration. This time, his focus wavered, and his spiritual sense was slightly lacking, resulting in an unsuccessful attempt.
However, his spiritual sense was not far off the mark; he just needed to be more meticulous and gain a deeper understanding.
In life, there is always a first and a second time.
Since he had successfully drawn it once, he would undoubtedly be able to do it again.
Mo Hua focused his attention and continued drawing.
Time passed slowly, and by the fourth attempt, he had finally reproduced the formation core of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Grand Formation perfectly and accurately.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.
He withdrew his spiritual sense from his sea of consciousness.
The night was still deep, and the sky had not yet brightened.
Mo Hua let out a long breath, feeling the exhaustion of a month's worth of tireless effort and dedication. He sprawled out on his bed and fell into a deep sleep.
He slept until noon, waking only to the aroma of food.
Liu Ruhua, seeing his emaciated appearance and hollow cheeks, felt a pang of heartache. She had prepared a table full of delicious dishes to nourish him.
Mo Hua's mood instantly improved.
He devoured the food heartily and then returned to his task of drawing the grand formation's core.
This time, it was different from drawing in his sea of consciousness. He had to recreate the formation core on paper, using ink and brushstrokes to form the intricate patterns.
The formation core in his sea of consciousness was essentially a manifestation of his spiritual sense; in reality, the formation core was a tangible construct, with paper serving as the medium, and spiritual ink outlining the complex formation patterns.
Condensing formations in one's sea of consciousness was relatively easier;
Drawing formations on paper in the physical world was more challenging;
And when it came to actually constructing the grand formation, drawing the formation on a special medium would require even more spiritual sense and be considerably more difficult.
Therefore, Mo Hua had to first master drawing it on paper.
He needed to translate the formation core from his sea of consciousness onto the physical formation paper, and only then could he truly establish the grand formation between heaven and earth.
The formation core of the grand formation was sizable, and the paper used as its medium was even larger than Mo Hua's entire body.
In the courtyard, Mo Hua spread out the enormous sheet of paper, several times his size, and began drawing the formation core stroke by stroke.
Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua stood by, assisting their son by laying out the paper, handing him brushes, mixing ink, wiping his sweat, and serving him tea.
They didn't know exactly what Mo Hua was drawing, but they watched in awe as their young son, barely in his teens, meticulously and solemnly drew such a complex, profound, and grand formation with each careful stroke.
Both Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua felt a mix of astonishment and pride.
Mo Hua spent the entire afternoon drawing, wasting two sheets of paper before finally completing the formation core as night fell.
Mo Hua asked his parents to help him carefully store the large sheet of formation paper into his storage bag, and then he eagerly ran off to find Mr. Zhuang.
As dusk settled, the mountains took on a deep hue.
Mr. Zhuang sat in his house, his fingers tapping lightly as he studied the blood aura of the deep mountain demon. His eyes narrowed in concentration, deep in thought.
Seeing Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang was surprised.
It was already evening, and Mo Hua rarely disturbed him at this hour.
Just as Mr. Zhuang was about to say something, his expression froze, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. "You... you've learned it?"
Mo Hua, breathless from running, nodded eagerly.
He took out the sheet of formation paper from his storage bag and carefully unfolded it, laying it out on the ground before Mr. Zhuang.
There, in front of Mr. Zhuang, the intricate formation core of a first-rate grand formation slowly unfolded...
Mr. Zhuang took a deep breath, his emotions stirred.
He stood up slowly, his expression solemn as he examined the formation core carefully. A sense of awe filled his heart.
While this outcome was something he had anticipated, he still felt astonished when it actually happened.
Even though he had taught Mo Hua and instructed him to draw the formation, he couldn't help but question if this was truly something a young cultivator in their early teens could accomplish.
A sliver of doubt crept into Mr. Zhuang's heart as he looked at Mo Hua.
The Cultivation Realm was vast, spanning the Nine Provinces.
He had merely ventured to a remote corner of the realm, taking temporary residence in a secluded little immortal city.
By chance, he had taken on this disciple with a mediocre spirit root but an exceptional talent for formations, who was also clever, agile, and endearing.
Yet, this disciple seemed to defy his expectations at every turn.
From his exceptional spiritual sense to his rapid progress in formation techniques, from breaking through mazes to establishing his foundation through contemplation, and even learning formation derivation—Mo Hua had accomplished all of this.
Now, with only the cultivation base of a Qi Refining cultivator and a first-rate formation level, he had managed to learn and reproduce the grand formation's core in just one month.
Such comprehension and speed of learning in formations were truly... unfathomable.
A cloud of suspicion began to form in Mr. Zhuang's mind:
While it was not unusual to find cultivators with exceptional talent for formations in the Cultivation Realm, he couldn't help but question his own involvement.
Why had he, of all people, encountered such a disciple?
Why had he, who had decided never to take on disciples, suddenly changed his mind and accepted this named disciple?
Could all of this truly be mere coincidence?
Mr. Zhuang's face remained impassive, his silence heavy.
Seeing Mr. Zhuang's pensive expression, Mo Hua couldn't help but worry. "Teacher, did I do something wrong?"
As Mr. Zhuang gazed into Mo Hua's eyes, he was momentarily taken aback, and the doubts in his heart gradually faded.
'In my life, I've never been good at judging people, and I've never had much luck with disciples.'
'Perhaps this named disciple is a gift from the heavens, allowing me to have a clever and obedient disciple in this lifetime.'
'Whether it's a coincidence or some scheme, or if it's part of a grand plan, why bother worrying about it?'
'Since I'm on the path of cultivation, I should follow my heart's desire. At my age, why should I hold back?'
Mr. Zhuang's expression cleared, and he glanced at the formation core Mo Hua had drawn. "Not bad at all!" he said with satisfaction.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but smile, his eyes curving like crescent moons.
Mr. Zhuang's mood also seemed to lift, and he wore a faint smile.
Suddenly, Mr. Zhuang paused again. He had figured it out!
Mo Hua was his named disciple, and he had just drawn the formation core of a first-rate grand formation. With a little more effort, he might even be able to construct it! A Qi Refining cultivator who could create a first-rate grand formation...
And this young formation master was his named disciple...
Mr. Zhuang straightened his back and felt a sense of pride. He had never taught any remarkable disciples in the past. Now, as a mere teacher, he had inadvertently achieved such a "great accomplishment."
Mr. Zhuang's expression remained calm, but he felt a sense of pride within.
Soon, however, he felt a pang of regret.
'I'm in a sorry state now. All those old acquaintances, friends, brilliant rivals, and confidants with whom I stayed up late into the night—I no longer have any connection with them, and I fear I will never see them again in this lifetime.'
'If I could brag about this, I would surely be invincible, suppressing everyone around me. No one would dare to look me in the eye.'
The more Mr. Zhuang thought about it, the more regretful he felt. He sighed, "What a pity..."
"What's a pity?" Mo Hua asked curiously.
"It's nothing," Mr. Zhuang replied vaguely.
He couldn't tell Mo Hua about his boasting; it might spoil the boy and have a negative influence on him. It would also damage his image as a detached and transcendent mentor in Mo Hua's eyes.
Mo Hua, unaware of Mr. Zhuang's thoughts, asked tentatively, "Teacher, can I start preparing to build the grand formation now?"
The foundation for building a grand formation was to be able to draw it, and the key to drawing it was to master the formation core.
Although Mo Hua had drawn the formation core, he didn't fully understand grand formations, so he lacked confidence and wanted confirmation from Mr. Zhuang.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhuang's expression turned solemn. He carefully considered the entire process of building the grand formation, as well as the formation core that Mo Hua had drawn. After a long moment of thought, he nodded slightly and approved, "Yes, you can!"
Mo Hua's eyes lit up instantly.
Mr. Zhuang looked at him with a gentle gaze and said with a hint of emotion, "You can start figuring out how to build the grand formation."
"Thank you, Teacher!" Mo Hua expressed his gratitude.
"You're welcome," Mr. Zhuang shook his head. 'It's your own talent that got you this far...'
After a moment's thought, Mr. Zhuang added a word of caution, "However, don't get too excited too soon. Preparing for the grand formation may be even more difficult than drawing it."
"As I mentioned before, constructing a grand formation requires a massive amount of manpower and resources. Operating the formation will also require a large number of spirit stones. These are all tangible cultivation resources and aren't easy to come by..."
"Taking someone's wealth is like taking their life. People won't just hand over their possessions because you ask nicely."
"You should consider this carefully and be prepared for challenges."
Mo Hua nodded, "Teacher, I've already thought it through!"
Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, "Good, it's best that you have a plan."
He then offered a few more tips, including advice on gathering resources, mobilizing manpower, coordinating the formation's external connections, and ensuring compatibility between individual formations.
Mo Hua committed everything to memory and then bid his teacher farewell.
As he watched Mo Hua's small figure leave with a determined stride, Mr. Zhuang couldn't help but shake his head with a soft laugh.
In the pitch-black night, within the silent bamboo room, the wizened face of Old Gui suddenly appeared.
Mr. Zhuang's smile faded, and he couldn't help but complain, "Can't you appear in a less eerie manner? It's unnerving."
Old Gui ignored him and looked toward the deep mountains, where the blood-colored demonic aura lingered. "The blood aura is even denser now, and there's also death aura."
Mr. Zhuang remained silent for a moment before sighing, "Yes."
The presence of death aura complicated matters...
"Will the first-rate ten-trigram grand formation really be able to trap and kill this powerful demon?" Old Gui asked, a hint of doubt in his voice.
"No," Mr. Zhuang replied flatly.
Old Gui was taken aback, and his gaze sharpened as he looked at Mr. Zhuang, wondering if he had heard correctly. "No?"
"No," Mr. Zhuang reiterated.
Old Gui frowned, "But you still..."
"Ten trigram formations won't be enough," Mr. Zhuang interrupted.
In the darkness of the night, Mr. Zhuang paused, his gentle gaze gradually sharpening. "That's why I'm teaching him not the ten-trigram formation... but the eleven-trigram demon-slaying grand formation!"
Old Gui's heart trembled, and his face reflected his disbelief.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
