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Chapter 1389: Third-Grade Formations
Bai Zixi asked Mo Hua, “It really doesn’t consume your divine sense?”
Mo Hua nodded. “I’ll read slowly, it won’t consume much.”
Bai Zixi pondered for a moment, then took out a formation manual from her storage ring and handed it to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua accepted it and took a look, discovering it was a set of formation notes. In exquisitely delicate and elegant handwriting, it recorded, in neat and detailed fashion, the foundational array patterns of the introductory stage of third-grade formations, along with many insights on formations.
These were Little Senior Sister’s formation notes.
“Take it and read slowly. Don’t strain your divine-sense too much,” Bai Zixi instructed.
Mo Hua said gratefully, “Thank you, Senior Sister.”
Bai Zixi seemed to want to say more, but suddenly paused. Her gaze dimmed slightly as she said, “I’ll go cultivate,” then turned and left.
Mo Hua watched her departing figure, his thoughts stirring slightly.
His Divine-Sense was too strong, his perception too sharp. He could clearly sense that just now, a strand of Divine-Sense had suddenly swept over. Little Senior Sister, who had been about to continue speaking with him, had her gaze dim and turned to leave.
That Divine-Sense belonged to True-Person Rong.
She seemed to be reminding Little Senior Sister to be mindful of something…
Mo Hua pondered for a while, sighed, and temporarily set the matter aside. Holding Little Senior Sister’s formation notes, he returned to his room.
...
After returning to his room, Mo Hua sat at the table and flipped through the formation notes.
His injuries had improved somewhat again. Though his bones and meridians were still eroded by evil qi, the contamination at the level of flesh had already been mostly removed. He could move about on his own now and no longer needed to remain bedridden in the alchemy room.
True-Person Rong had also arranged a guest room for him, allowing him to cultivate and recuperate on his own.
The guest room was quiet and comfortable. Opening the window revealed a full view of the blessed land’s mountain scenery... so beautiful it was beyond words.
Thus, Mo Hua sat by the window, facing the verdant green mountains and clear waters, the rising glow of rosy clouds, and colorful birds soaring in flight, as he read through the Third-grade formation notes personally compiled by Little Senior Sister.
As he flipped through them, Mo Hua couldn’t help but mutter inwardly:
“Little Senior Sister’s handwriting… is so beautiful…”
Although when he was young, he had cultivated and studied formations together with her and was quite familiar with her handwriting... back then, they were still young. Her writing, though graceful, carried a trace of childishness; some strokes were still rounded and slightly plump.
Now that she had grown up, her handwriting had become even more refined and slender, like finely carved jade. Each stroke was naturally perfect, possessing an ethereal elegance like jade skin and immortal grace.
No wonder people often said that handwriting reflects the person…
As Mo Hua continued looking, he became somewhat absent-minded. After quite a while, he suddenly slapped his cheeks and exclaimed in shock:
“How did I get distracted?”
His Dao-heart had always been firm, and his focus had always been sharp.
“Study formations, study formations…”
Mo Hua silently reminded himself. Then he cast aside all stray thoughts and began carefully studying the third-grade formations from Little Senior Sister’s notes.
Bai Zixi’s notes were extremely neat, meticulous, and exceptionally clear.
The key principles of third-grade formations, their structural foundations, the transformations of spiritual power, basic array patterns, formation hubs, formation cores, and more... everything was categorized and recorded in precise detail, as if carving fine jade.
As Mo Hua read, he couldn’t help but marvel.
He considered himself already diligent and careful in studying formations, yet compared to Little Senior Sister’s focus and meticulousness, he still fell short.
But thanks to this, learning third-grade formations became much easier for him.
Compared to second-grade formations, third-grade formations were far more profound in both structure and scale.
Third-grade array patterns were derived from the fusion of second-grade ones. Their structures were more complex, with more patterns, and the consumption of Divine-Sense required increased exponentially.
The sections on third-grade formation hubs were also longer, with more “pathways” to trace. Correspondingly, the structure of spiritual power was more stable, and the total amount of spiritual power it could carry was more than double that of second-grade formation hubs.
On the level of qualitative transformation of spiritual power, it was similar to cultivators forming a Golden Core, i.e. condensing spiritual power into a solid state.
The spiritual power formed by third-grade formations could almost reach a “materialized” state.
First-grade spiritual power was gaseous; second-grade was liquid; third-grade could condense into solid form.
Just like Golden Core spiritual power, third-grade formations shared this characteristic, perhaps even more distinctly than ordinary spiritual power or spells.
Because formations were closer to the Dao.
In other words, third-grade formations—especially mid to high-tier ones—could almost reach the level of using spiritual power to create “real objects.”
If a formation generated fire, then it was fire.
If a formation generated water, then it was water.
Likewise, if one used formations to construct mountains and rivers, one could create a “mountain” out of thin air.
Moreover, these formation-generated “water, fire, mountains, and rivers,” being purely composed of spiritual power, contained immense spiritual energy and even a trace of laws, making them more powerful than natural elements.
Ordinary cultivators, and even formation masters, might not care about this.
They didn’t care about the deeper mysteries within formations. They only cared which formation was higher grade, stronger, and more lethal.
Formations, talismans, and spirit artifacts were merely tools of slaughter.
But Mo Hua, whose Divine-Sense had undergone Dao-transformation and whose mastery of formations was profound, could almost instinctively sense that within this lay a complete and subtle evolution of laws.
From gas, to liquid, to solid objects...
This was not merely a matter of power or destructive strength.
Rather, third-grade formations already possessed a rudimentary ability akin to “creation.”
By controlling spiritual energy and following formation evolutions, one could condense objective matter…
Mo Hua was secretly astonished.
He had seen quite a few third-grade formations before, but at the time his realm had been insufficient. He had only observed their surface, without deep understanding.
Now, truly studying them himself and reflecting on them in continuity, he realized that beneath their surface lay profoundly deep mysteries.
The Dao of formations was vast and profound.
Each breakthrough, each ascent to a new realm, felt like opening a new door, glimpsing an even more mysterious world beyond.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but feel excited.
Afterward, he forgot his injuries, forgot his fatigue, and devoted himself completely—neglecting food and sleep—to studying Little Senior Sister’s notes and exploring the domain of Third-grade formations.
Comprehending third-grade formations was, in truth, extremely difficult.
Most formation masters, upon just entering the Golden Core realm, lacked sufficient Divine-Sense and simply could not touch the domain of third-grade formations.
But the problem was, Mo Hua’s Divine-Sense was simply too powerful.
Even though he was injured and not at his peak, the foundation of his twenty-nine-pattern Golden Core peak Divine-Sense was still overwhelmingly strong.
When Divine-Sense was too strong, brute force worked wonders.
Thus, what should have been extremely difficult—third-grade formations—posed little challenge to Mo Hua.
All he needed was time to learn.
And Mo Hua learned extremely quickly.
In less than half a month, he had already firmly grasped the introductory knowledge of third-grade formations.
As for Little Senior Sister’s notes, he had read them from beginning to end more than twenty times.
Many of the entries and insights, he had practiced to the point where he could practically recite them by heart.
He had also tried drawing formations ranging from twenty to twenty-two patterns within the Third Grade formations and each stroke was perfectly accurate.
Mo Hua closed Little Senior Sister’s notes and slowly let out a breath.
As for Third-Grade formations, he could now be considered to have entered the field.
The foundational knowledge framework of Third-Grade formations had already been preliminarily constructed.
From here, he would proceed from shallow to deep, from simple to complex, step by step learning more intricate formation patterns and studying higher-level formations.
Then, through the continuous process of learning formations and applying them in practice, he would accumulate experience and summarize insights.
Relying on these insights to in turn nourish himself, deepening his Third-Grade formation knowledge framework, and laying an even more solid foundation in formations.
Given enough time, he too would become a powerful Third-Grade formation master, one with a solid foundation, well-versed in many schools, broad-minded and inclusive, and possessing profound attainments.
This framework for learning formations was something that had been instilled in him and gradually shaped by Old Mister Xun when he was in the Great Void Sect.
Back then, in the Great Void Sect, Old Mister Xun had personally taught him.
Now that he had left the Great Void Sect, everything depended on himself.
The general direction had already been sorted out. Mo Hua nodded slightly, and his heart settled.
He lay on the bed for a while, then sat in meditation to recover some Divine-Sense. After a moment, he suddenly realized a problem.
These past days, Little Senior Sister seemed to have rarely come to see him.
On one hand, it was naturally because he had been focused on studying formations, but on the other hand, it seemed that Little Senior Sister was also deliberately… keeping some distance from him?
Especially after that day, when True-Person Rong used Divine-Sense to remind her, Little Senior Sister had seldom come to visit him.
And now, his injuries had improved significantly; he could already move freely.
Little Senior Sister indeed had no reason to continue taking care of him.
At the beginning, when his condition was poor, she would still come to see him and even personally feed him medicine. Now that he was somewhat better, such treatment gradually disappeared.
Mo Hua felt a bit regretful. Sure enough, everything had its pros and cons.
There was another matter that concerned him as well.
“That dignified True-Person Rong… perhaps by staying beside Little Senior Sister, she also carries… some kind of duty and mission?”
Mo Hua frowned, then suddenly paused, thinking to himself:
“What does that have to do with me?”
Mo Hua shook his head. After pondering for a moment, he opened Little Senior Sister’s notes again, copied down several key insights onto paper, then calculated the timing before going to find her.
Bai Zixi’s cultivation was very diligent and hardworking. Most of her time each day was spent either cultivating, refining pills, or studying formations.
Mo Hua had known this since he was young.
He did not want to disturb her cultivation, so he carefully calculated the time, choosing specifically when she would be studying formations to go find her.
The place where Bai Zixi studied formations was an elegant bamboo chamber. Seeing Mo Hua, she was somewhat surprised and asked:
“Is something the matter?”
With a serious expression, Mo Hua said, “Senior Sister, there are some parts of Third-Grade formations that I don’t quite understand.”
Hearing this, Bai Zixi’s gaze flickered slightly, and she asked:
“What is it that you don’t understand?”
Mo Hua walked to her side, handed over the notes he had copied, and pointed to several lines:
“These parts… regarding the mutual generation and restriction relationships of the Five Elements formation hubs, I don’t quite understand.”
“And when integrating Second-Grade and Third-Grade formation patterns, the spiritual power gets a bit chaotic…”
“And also…”
Bai Zixi took a look and indeed, they were all rather tricky and obscure issues encountered in comprehending Third-Grade formations. She said:
“Sit over here.”
Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.
Bai Zixi glanced at him.
Mo Hua then obediently moved over and sat beside her.
Then Bai Zixi patiently, word by word, explained and resolved Mo Hua’s doubts.
She was the senior sister, and Mo Hua the junior brother. Naturally, it was only proper for a senior sister to explain some formation knowledge to her junior.
Bai Zixi explained very seriously.
And Mo Hua listened just as seriously.
But as he listened, something went wrong... Mo Hua suddenly realized that his attention was starting to drift.
Little Senior Sister was very close to him. With just a gentle breath, he could catch that faint, elegant fragrance, like orchids.
Her hand moved across the notes before him, pointing at the formation patterns. Her fingers were slender and fair, her fingertips crystal-like, as if they were tender jade, making Mo Hua involuntarily think of the phrase, “By the wine furnace stands one like the moon, her fair wrists like congealed frost and snow.”
His attention completely refused to stay focused.
Mo Hua could only slightly turn his head, but the moment his gaze shifted, he saw Little Senior Sister’s face, like a blooming begonia, teeth like white jade. As she spoke, her breath carried a faint orchid scent, her voice crisp and pleasant, explaining the profound mysteries of formations word by word.
Mo Hua’s heart trembled, and he completely lost focus.
When he came back to his senses, he realized the air had grown very quiet, and Little Senior Sister’s voice had stopped.
Mo Hua slowly raised his head, only to see Little Senior Sister looking at him. In her clear and beautiful eyes, there seemed to be a trace of cool amusement.
Mo Hua’s face couldn’t help but turn red.
Bai Zixi said lightly, “Are you listening?”
Mo Hua shifted his gaze away, not daring to look at her, and replied softly, like a mosquito, with a faint “Mm.”
“Alright then,” Bai Zixi extended her jade-like finger, pointing at a line of text before them, and asked in a cool tone:
“What does this sentence I just explained mean?”
Mo Hua suddenly became extremely nervous.
Back at the Qianxue Dao Debate Tournament, when he competed against countless heavenly geniuses for the top spot in formations, he had never been this nervous.
Mo Hua immediately focused his mind and looked at the line Little Senior Sister pointed to. It read something along the lines of: “Third-grade metal-element formations and earth-element formations evolve within the Five Elements system, thereby transforming metal into jade and achieving material transformation…”
Mo Hua’s divine sense spun rapidly, recalling everything he had ever learned, and then he stammered:
“Third-grade… formations, through spiritual energy and formation structures, can convert into tangible matter. Metal and jade share similar properties, and under specific conditions, mutations may occur…”
After Mo Hua finished, Bai Zixi’s gaze sharpened slightly. She then pointed at two more lines and asked:
“And this?”
Mo Hua quickly glanced at them, racked his brain, and began to explain.
Afterward, Bai Zixi asked a couple more questions.
Though Mo Hua stumbled a bit, he managed to answer them all.
He had indeed been distracted and hadn’t heard what Little Senior Sister said, but his foundation in formations was solid, and he had studied extensively beforehand. So although his answers had slight deviations, they weren’t wrong.
Bai Zixi nodded slightly, her expression softening a bit. In a cool voice, she said:
“Next time, focus more.”
Mo Hua felt ashamed, lowered his head, and softly replied with an “Mm.”
After that, Bai Zixi did not question him further and continued her explanation.
Mo Hua no longer dared to keep staring at Senior Sister and letting his mind wander.
An hour later, after Bai Zixi finished explaining the formations, the lesson ended.
Mo Hua returned to his room, frowning as he sank into deep thought.
He felt something wasn’t quite right.
Why was it that when he looked at Little Senior Sister, he would lose focus?
He clearly wasn’t that kind of person.
When he looked at those alluring women from the Joyous-Union Sect, his heart had remained completely unmoved.
Why?
After thinking for a long time, Mo Hua finally had a sudden realization and found the “culprit”: The Heart-Tugging, Emotion-Arousing, Desire-Falling Golden Needle!
In his Sea of Consciousness, the Huá Clan’s old ancestor had planted this golden needle. It could stir his mind and provoke his emotions... so that was why he lost focus in front of Little Senior Sister.
“It must be the needle’s problem, not mine!”
Mo Hua nodded to himself.
Then he realized that this couldn’t continue.
For a cultivator, mental fortitude was essential, without it, cultivation would not work.
“I must find opportunities to spend more time with Little Senior Sister and train my concentration!”
Mo Hua’s gaze grew firm as he silently resolved in his heart.
(End of Chapter)