Chapter 66: A Thousand Formations
Chapter 66: A Thousand Formations
By the time Mo Hua arrived at Mr. Zhuang's mountain retreat, the Bai siblings had already settled in, reading and cultivating under the trees by the pond. As was customary, Xue Yi did not enter the residence, opting to wait outside.
Upon seeing Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng hastily tossed aside his book and rushed over, brimming with excitement.
Mo Hua handed him a small food box and a flask of fruit wine, saying, "You should eat this later. We just finished breakfast."
With his mouth full of meat, Bai Zisheng replied contentedly, "It's fine. I told Xue Yi I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't eat much this morning."
Mo Hua shook his head and offered some pastries and osmanthus rice wine to Bai Zixi. She thanked him with a crisp, pleasant voice and proceeded to eat daintily and sip her wine with graceful elegance.
Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng and then at Bai Zixi, thinking that despite being siblings, their table manners were worlds apart.
While Bai Zisheng had initially maintained the pretense of a refined scion of a noble family, he soon abandoned any pretense of decorum after becoming familiar with Mo Hua. His current ravenous eating demeanor was a disservice to his handsome features.
Mo Hua distributed some of the food and drinks to Mr. Zhuang and Kui Lao before turning to his queries about formation breaking.
He had already discussed some basic questions with Bai Zisheng, and now he sought clarification on the more intricate challenges. These complexities were difficult to decipher solely through his own cultivation knowledge.
For instance, he wanted to understand how to rely on formation eyes and formation pivots to break formations, grasp the fundamental principles of formation breaking, and tackle formations that seemed incomprehensible.
Mr. Zhuang was quite pleased with the questions Mo Hua posed, "The fact that you're asking these questions indicates that you've carefully studied the books I gave you."
"Breaking formations through formation eyes is exceedingly difficult. Reversing spiritual formation patterns is hard to learn and even harder to master. They are closely guarded secrets passed down within noble families and rarely shared. Even if one manages to learn them, their application is challenging. Each spiritual gathering formation pattern varies depending on the formation, and when it comes to practical usage, adjustments must be made accordingly. Striking the right balance is a delicate matter. Attempting to break a formation using its spiritual gathering formation pattern can easily lead to a loss of control over the formation's spiritual energy, damaging the formation and endangering the cultivator."
"You need not concern yourself with breaking formations through formation pivots either. Unless you're at least a third-rank formation master or higher, it's pointless to consider it. Utilizing a formation pivot to break a formation requires an exceptionally profound understanding of formations. One must have studied the formations of various noble families, sects, and schools to recognize their structural nuances. Otherwise, when confronted with an entirely unfamiliar formation system, you'd be at a complete loss."
"For you, it's best to focus on breaking formations using formation patterns. While it may seem intricate, it's the most fundamental and straightforward method."
"Oh, I see," Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.
"Mo Hua, in your opinion, what is more important for a formation master: specializing in a specific aspect or having a broad knowledge of formations?" Mr. Zhuang asked abruptly.
"Isn't it ideal to have a broad knowledge while also achieving mastery?" Mo Hua replied weakly.
A mature cultivator would strive for both.
Mr. Zhuang smiled, "The Dao is boundless, but our lives are finite. It's rare to find someone who can achieve both breadth and depth in their studies. Most formation masters tend to make a choice: they either focus on excelling in a specific type of formation, prioritizing depth over breadth, or they strive to learn a wide range of formations, sacrificing depth for breadth."
"In that case," Mo Hua said, "specializing in a specific type of formation is definitely preferable."
"Why is that?" Mr. Zhuang asked with a hint of amusement.
"Formations are profound and intricate. If one tries to learn everything, they will likely only scratch the surface. By specializing in one type, we can gain a deeper understanding and make connections to other types of formations. This way, we can grasp the true essence of formations and won't be at a loss when encountering complex and abstruse formations in the future..."
Mr. Zhuang nodded in agreement, "You've made a valid point. That's why noble families emphasize specialization and discourage excessive diversification in their formation legacy."
Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment before asking, "Is it because of my cultivation technique?"
Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval. "Indeed. Since you're cultivating the Heavenly Derivative Technique, you'll need to break through puzzles and mysteries when you reach a new realm. Only by solving these puzzles can you cultivate your technique, improve your abilities, and advance your cultivation base. Without breaking through these mysteries, your foundation will be lacking, and all your efforts as a cultivator will be in vain."
"Moreover, solving these puzzles requires you to learn a vast number of array patterns and master a multitude of arrays. Many of these puzzles aren't inherently difficult; it all depends on whether you know the related array patterns and arrays. If you do, solving them will be effortless. But if you don't, even with exceptional talent and profound knowledge of arrays, you won't be able to make any progress."
"As the saying goes, even a skilled cook can't prepare a meal without rice," Mr. Zhuang added. "When faced with a puzzle array you've never encountered before, even the most brilliant array master would be at a loss."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up with understanding, but then he scratched his head, asking, "So, what should I do, Master?"
Mr. Zhuang handed Mo Hua a classic tome, on whose pages were four ancient, bold characters: Record of a Thousand Arrays.
As Mo Hua flipped through the book, he found it filled with records of bizarre arrays, all of which were first-grade or lower. Most of these arrays consisted of nine or fewer array lines, with a few containing exactly nine.
Most of them were elemental arrays, but there were also some with peculiar functions that Mo Hua had never seen before.
Mo Hua's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "This is..."
"This is a collection of arrays of the first grade and below," Mr. Zhuang explained. "It records the names, grades, and purposes of various arrays. Feel free to browse through it, and if you find one you wish to learn, you can find the corresponding array map in the library on the first floor."
"I've taught you the basics of arrays, so you should be able to study on your own now. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me. Just remember one thing: make sure to return the array maps after you're done studying them, and don't lose them. That's very important."
"I understand, Master," Mo Hua nodded solemnly.
"Alright, you may go now," Mr. Zhuang waved his hand.
Mo Hua bowed respectfully once more, carefully tucked the Record of a Thousand Arrays into his bosom, and turned to leave. But just as he was about to depart, Mr. Zhuang called out to him again.
"Mo Hua," Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I should have chosen a safer cultivation technique for you, at least one that wouldn't require so much effort to cultivate... I was negligent in this regard."
Kui Lao, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them, looking slightly surprised as he glanced at Mr. Zhuang.
Mo Hua was taken aback, but he soon smiled shyly and said, "My family is ordinary, and we don't have many spirit stones. This technique doesn't require any precious resources for breakthroughs, and it doesn't consume many spirit stones either. For me, it's the most suitable technique imaginable. In my eyes, Master, the technique you chose for me is the best in the world."
"Is that so..." Mr. Zhuang mused, looking at Mo Hua's youthful and handsome face, his clear and sincere eyes. He couldn't help but smile, his demeanor returning to its usual carefree state, though his voice grew even gentler. "Go and study your arrays then."
Mo Hua bowed obediently and then scampered off, his short legs carrying him away.
(End of Chapter)
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