Immortality Through Array Formations - Chapter 21
Chapter 21 â Spiritual Pivot Formation_1
Afterward, Mo Hua continued to draw the Solid Earth Formation, tirelessly for two months.
Whenever there was something unclear about the formation, he would seek guidance from Instructor Yan. Instructor Yan was a serious person with strict demands, but he always answered his discipleâs questions thoroughly and earnestly.
Instructor Yan naturally felt that Mo Huaâs foundations were not yet solid and that studying such advanced formations was premature, but whenever Mo Hua asked, he would still patiently explain, which Mo Hua greatly appreciated.
Sometimes, Mo Hua skipped classes to secretly draw formations and earn Spirit Stones, but Instructor Yan didnât pursue the matter too strictly, only reminding Mo Hua:
âCultivators can have specialties, but you shouldnât be too biased. There are some spell points you may not master, but you must understand them, otherwise, after graduating and leaving the Sect to venture into the Tao Cultivation World, you will easily suffer losses and be deceived due to blind spots in your cultivation knowledge.â
Mo Hua humbly accepted the instruction and benefited a great deal from it.
However, since he had no Spirit Stones to learn cultivation techniques, he could only continue to skip classes and draw formations to save up Spirit Stones.
A single Solid Earth Formation included four formation patterns and could earn two Spirit Stones, and thanks to this, Mo Hua was able to accumulate Spirit Stones much faster.
Two months later, on a certain day, Mo Hua went to the Fatty Steward as usual to deliver the orders. Upon entering, he discovered that in the normally quiet Fated Gathering sat a middle-aged man in a green Taoist robe drinking tea.
The man had his back to Mo Hua and looked familiar; when he turned around, Mo Hua was stunned.
The man in the green Taoist robe was Instructor YanâŠ
Mo Hua suddenly had the feeling of being caught skipping classes.
âMo Hua?â
Instructor Yan also saw Mo Hua and appeared somewhat surprised.
Fatty Steward, who was seated opposite Instructor Yan and pouring tea, looked up upon hearing this and expressed his surprise, âYou know each other?â Diiscover new đtories at nđve/lbin(.)c/ođ
Instructor Yan replied, âHe is one of my disciples from Tongxian Gate.â
Mo Hua bowed and said, âDisciple pays respect to Instructor!â
Instructor Yan nodded in acknowledgment and asked, âWhat are you doing here?â
Before Mo Hua could speak, Fatty Steward explained, âHeâs running errands for his elder brother, who draws formations for our Formation Pavilion. Once completed, he delivers them here.â
Instructor Yan nodded and did not inquire further.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, then handed over the formation to Fatty Steward, took the Spirit Stones, and quickly said, âDisciple will take his leave now, so as not to disturb Instructor.â
Instructor Yan must have had matters to discuss with Fatty Steward. Seeing how tactful Mo Hua was, he couldnât help but nod and said, âReturn to the Sect early and be careful on your way.â
Mo Hua respectfully agreed, bowed, and then left the Formation Pavilion.
Watching Mo Huaâs departing figure, Fatty Steward said to Instructor Yan:
âThe boy is quite polite and very smart. Youâre lucky to have taught such a good disciple.â
Instructor Yan uttered a soft âHmmâ and then asked, âYou said his elder brother draws formations for you?â
Fatty Steward took out the Solid Earth Formation that Mo Hua had delivered and handed it to Instructor Yan to look at. âItâs quite well drawn.â
When Instructor Yan saw that it was a Solid Earth Formation, he was slightly taken aback and said, âWas this drawn by his elder brother?â
âWhat else?â Fatty Steward said. âDo you really think he drew it? At his age, even if he drained all his divine sense, he still couldnât produce a complete formation.â
Instructor Yan nodded, recalling that Mo Hua had come to consult with him on the Solid Earth Formation. It seemed likely that Mo Hua had seen his elder brother working on the Solid Earth Formation and, with doubts in mind, came to seek his advice.
âHaving a thirst for knowledge in the realm of formations is good,â Instructor Yan thought to himself, âIf he can maintain such a mindset, he might indeed achieve something in formations one day.â
Thinking thus, Instructor Yan decided not to pry further. He glanced at the deserted and quiet shop, then looked at Fatty Steward and asked, âIs this really how you want to spend your whole life?â
Fatty Steward replied, âAs fellow disciples in the pursuit of Tao cultivation, you should understand me. Iâm different from you. You are now an instructor of Tongxian Gate, with a proficient grasp of formations, a mere step away from the realm of a first-grade formation master. Once you step over that threshold, you will have both connections and status in Tongxian City, and you definitely wonât lack spirit stones. Tongxian Gate will surely offer you the position of an elder.â
âAs for me,â Fatty Steward took a sip of tea, âIâm just someone who gets by, dabbling superficially in formations, lacking the patience for solitary cultivation practice. If I can live carefree every day, Iâm satisfied. Donât look down on me. Look at those loose cultivators bustling and toiling on the streets; this kind of leisurely life is something they yearn for but cannot attain.â
Instructor Yan stayed silent.
Seeing Instructor Yanâs silence, Fatty Steward sighed helplessly and said, âWhat do you want me to do for you?â
Instructor Yan said gravely, âHelp me find the âSpirit Pivot Formation Chart.â
Fatty Steward pinched the bridge of his nose, âAfter all these years, you still havenât given up. If you ask me, youâre not young anymore. You should find a partner and settle down.â
âPersonal matters are minor, the transmission of formations is significant.â
âSo what if you find it? Our great-grandmaster couldnât master it, nor could your master. Do you think you can? A first-grade formation method with twelve formation patterns is preposterous! Even first-grade formation masters need only master nine patterns. You havenât even become a first-grade formation master yet. What use would the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart be to you? Even if you had it, you might not master it by the time youâre in your grave.â
Instructor Yan remained quiet.
Fatty Steward earnestly advised, âElder brother, let it go. Besides, you wonât be able to find it. The one who betrayed our sect and stole the formations all those years ago has left no trace, and even the Taoist Court officials couldnât track him down. You are a formation master, not skilled in Taoist skill; what can you do?â
Instructor Yan was unmoved and said hoarsely, âMaster had shown me great kindness, all my knowledge of formations came from him. Now that master has passed away, the sect has scattered, and the teachings are lost. The thought keeps me up at night. As long as I can retrieve the formations and pass them on, fulfilling masterâs last wish, nothing else matters.â
Instructor Yan looked at Fatty Steward and continued, âI know you prefer comfort and wonât ask too much of you. Just let me know if you get any leads on the âSpirit Pivot Formation Chart,â and Iâll take care of the rest.â
âHow do you know there would be clues about the âSpirit Pivot Formation Chartâ here in Tongxian City?â Fatty Steward frowned.
Instructor Yan didnât respond.
Fatty Steward waved his hand, âAlright, knowing too much isnât good for me either. Iâll agree to this, but I also want to remind you kindly that after all your efforts, you may still end up empty-handed.â
Fatty Steward, sensing trouble ahead, couldnât help but say,
âIf you ask me, it would be better to focus on finding a partner, having a child. Even if you canât find it, your child could continue the search in the future, and you wouldnât die lonely. Take advantage of your age now and quickly find a partner. Just find one, lest in the futureâŠâ
âThe tea has gone cold. I must go.â
Instructor Yan rose to his feet, swept his sleeves, and left without paying any further attention to Fatty Stewardâs incessant chatter behind him.