Chapter 474: Within Reach
Chapter 474: Within Reach
Mo Hua furrowed his brows, feigning a look of shock, while his mind raced, committing every detail of the Spirit Pivot Formation to memory.
He was completely engrossed in studying the formation.
Lu Chengyun sensed something amiss and was about to say something when Mo Hua suddenly clasped his head, his face contorting in pain as he murmured, "My spiritual sense... it's depleted..."
Lu Chengyun was slightly startled and quickly put away the Spirit Pivot Formation, asking, "Young Master Mo, are you alright?"
With a pale face, Mo Hua weakly replied, "I'm fine..."
He glanced at the Spirit Pivot Formation and shook his head in awe. "I never expected that this formation would require such an enormous amount of spiritual sense. I've only observed it for a short while, and my spiritual sense is almost depleted..."
This was within Lu Chengyun's expectations.
He nodded slightly and said, "This formation is called the Spirit Pivot Formation, an ultimate formation of a hidden aristocratic sect. The complexity of this formation is indeed beyond imagination."
"It's so difficult..." Mo Hua's expression turned dejected.
A smile played at the corners of Lu Chengyun's mouth, but his tone was comforting. "This formation consumes a lot of spiritual sense. One must have reached the Foundation Establishment stage to learn it."
"It's normal for Young Master Mo, who is still at the Refining Qi stage, to be unable to learn, draw, or comprehend it due to insufficient spiritual sense. There's no need to be discouraged."
"The path of cultivation is long, and there's plenty of time ahead. As long as Young Master Mo continues to hone his skills in formations and strengthens his spiritual sense, he will eventually be able to understand this formation." Lu Chengyun encouraged Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was inspired by his words, and his expression became more determined as he nodded firmly. "Okay!"
Lu Chengyun smiled and said, "It's getting late today, and Young Master Mo has overexerted his spiritual sense. It's best to get some rest first. When you're feeling better, we can continue with the formation eye..."
Mo Hua felt a bit guilty. "I overestimated my abilities and delayed Master Lu's grand plan..."
"It doesn't matter," Lu Chengyun said. "The way of formations is vast and profound, and we shouldn't rush it. A grand plan of a hundred years won't be affected by a single day's delay."
A hundred-year grand plan...
This Lu Chengyun is plotting something that far-reaching...
Mo Hua's thoughts stirred, and he nodded, bidding his farewell. "Then I'll take my leave and get some rest."
Lu Chengyun nodded. "Alright."
Mo Hua covered his head, pretending to have a headache, and left the secret chamber. His steps were unsteady as he walked out of the main hall and returned to his stone chamber, lying down on the bed.
Lu Chengyun's spiritual sense followed Mo Hua.
Seeing that Mo Hua was lying still and quiet, Lu Chengyun retracted his spiritual sense after a moment.
As soon as Lu Chengyun's spiritual sense vanished, Mo Hua sat up, his face flushed with excitement.
He rushed to the table, took out paper and brush, and attempted to recreate the Spirit Pivot Formation—from the formation patterns to the formation pivot, and even the formation eye and similar weighted formations—in its entirety based on what he had memorized earlier...
...
On the other hand, within the Ten Thousand Corpse Formation depicted in the mural, Zhang Quan frowned at Lu Chengyun. "Brother Lu, do you think we're being too hasty?"
Lu Chengyun's eyebrows rose slightly. "In what way?"
"Regarding the Spirit Pivot Formation..." Zhang Quan said, "Do you think we're letting him know about it too soon?"
Zhang Quan had always been wary of Mo Hua, and he also harbored murderous intentions.
"He'll find out sooner or later," Lu Chengyun said nonchalantly.
"But what if..." Zhang Quan hesitated, "what if he learns it?"
Lu Chengyun let out a cold laugh. "This is a first-grade formation with twelve spiritual lines."
Zhang Quan was taken aback. "So?"
A hint of disdain flashed in Lu Chengyun's eyes as he spoke to Zhang Quan, who was like a "blind man" when it came to formations.
With a patient tone, Lu Chengyun explained, "First-grade twelve spiritual lines. First-grade refers to the rank of the formation, and twelve spiritual lines indicate the requirement for spiritual sense."
"In other words, to learn this first-grade formation, one needs to possess twelve spiritual lines of spiritual sense."
"Above ten spiritual lines, the spiritual sense is considered to have reached the Foundation Establishment stage."
"And many senior cultivators in the early Foundation Establishment stage don't even have twelve spiritual lines of spiritual sense."
Zhang Quan's expression changed upon hearing this. "A first-grade formation requires Foundation Establishment spiritual sense to learn? That's ridiculous!"
"That's why I said that the way of formations is profound," Lu Chengyun said.
Lu Chengyun glanced at Zhang Quan. "My spiritual sense just now was at twelve spiritual lines, while yours is only at ten..."
"So, how is this young Master Mo supposed to learn it?" Lu Chengyun said indifferently.
Zhang Quan fell silent, his heart stirred by these revelations.
Formations were indeed complex.
First-grade, twelve spiritual lines...
That little brat was still at the Refining Qi stage, so he definitely couldn't learn it.
But could he really not learn it? Zhang Quan furrowed his brows.
Mo Hua's face appeared in Zhang Quan's mind once again.
He looked adorable but also extremely hateful, and at the same time, there was an air of inscrutability about him that made him hard to fathom.
With a furrowed brow, Zhang Quan voiced his concern: "Brother Lu, what if his spiritual sense...?"
Lu Chengyun let out a cold laugh. "Are you suggesting that he might have reached the Foundation Establishment stage in his spiritual sense?"
Zhang Quan lacked confidence in his own question: "Well, it's not...impossible..."
Lu Chengyun huffed impatiently. "There's a vast difference between having one's spiritual sense at the Foundation Establishment stage and possessing twelve spiritual strands."
"Moreover, even if he had the required spiritual sense, it wouldn't matter. Do you really think he could master a formation of this complexity just by looking at it twice?" Lu Chengyun's gaze turned icy. "A supreme formation like this requires both practice and comprehension."
"Even I had to toil for decades, studying and researching tirelessly, before I could grasp a mere fraction of it."
"And then I had to resort to unorthodox methods to lower the threshold..."
"Integrating heretical thoughts to reduce the spiritual sense requirement. Using human blood for the formation, lowering the threshold for spirit control. Employing corpses as mediums to simplify the formation drawing process..."
"Only then could I master it and incorporate this Spirit Pivot Formation into the Ten Thousand Corpse Formation."
"Without years of dedication and a profound understanding of unorthodox formations, without merging heretical thoughts into one's consciousness, without using bones as brushes, blood as ink, and corpses as mediums, how could anyone hope to master it?"
"Do you think he can just memorize the formation patterns and mindlessly practice a few times to learn it?"
"You underestimate the intricacies of formations!" Lu Chengyun's tone was frosty, reflecting his memories of the arduous journey he had undertaken to learn this formation.
He had infiltrated the Lu family, enduring humiliation and biding his time to rise in power, killing and refining corpses, using their bones as brushes and their blood as ink... He had stopped at nothing to achieve his goal.
Zhang Quan, fearing he might anger Lu Chengyun, took a step back and said, "I apologize for my shallow understanding, Brother Lu. Please forgive my ignorance."
Lu Chengyun snapped back to the present and, realizing his momentary loss of composure, resumed his usual gentle demeanor. "You're too kind, Brother Zhang. It's always prudent to consider all possibilities."
Zhang Quan breathed a sigh of relief, but the shadow of Mo Hua still lingered in his mind.
After some hesitation, Zhang Quan lowered his voice and said, "Brother Lu, even if that young boy can't learn the formation, there's no need to show it to him. It only increases the risk..."
"How else would he willingly stay?" Lu Chengyun countered.
Zhang Quan frowned.
Lu Chengyun's expression remained indifferent as he explained, "Everyone has their desires... I, Lu Chengyun, desire power, and you, Brother Zhang, desire women."
"But that young master is different. He hasn't delved deeply into the ways of the world and doesn't understand the allure of power, sensual pleasures, and fame. He hasn't tasted their sweetness and thus won't be attached to them."
"Spiritual stones, women, and authority may not move his heart..."
"But formations are different!"
"That young master has an innate yearning for formations."
"That is the pursuit of a formation master!" Lu Chengyun's expression turned wistful.
"He will do anything to learn formations, especially those that are profound, intricate, and mysterious."
"If I give him the hope of learning the Spirit Pivot Formation someday, he will willingly serve me."
"This formation is the bait."
"And that young master is the fish."
"A young, extraordinarily talented formation master, willing to devote himself entirely to me, is far more valuable than a dozen iron corpses." Lu Chengyun's eyes gleamed with determination.
Zhang Quan's eyes reflected a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of dissatisfaction at how highly Lu Chengyun regarded that young boy, making it difficult for him to take action against Mo Hua.
However, until the very end, nothing could be certain...
Zhang Quan composed himself and bowed, his hands clasped. "Brother Lu, your foresight and strategic thinking are admirable."
Lu Chengyun's gaze rested on Zhang Quan, his eyes flickering with unreadable emotions. Finally, he sighed. "You flatter me, Brother Zhang."
Each man retreated into his own thoughts, their expressions veiled...
...
Meanwhile, in the stone chamber, Mo Hua's face was wreathed in a smile. Before him lay a formation map.
The map encompassed three types of formations, stemming from the same source and sharing a common goal, yet differing in structure and significance.
The three formations were similar yet distinct, interconnected yet clearly delineated in terms of rank and importance.
They appeared intricate and profound, intricate and aesthetically pleasing.
This was the complete Spirit Pivot Formation, a first-grade formation with twelve spiritual strands, recreated by Mo Hua using his memory of the formation's control over spiritual power!
Finally, the formation map was in his hands!
(End of Chapter)
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