Chapter 228: Chapter 228: 227_1

Mo Hua was completely dumbfounded.

To become a Foundation Building Cultivator, he needed Foundation Divine Sense, and he must possess Foundation Divine Sense to become a Foundation Building Cultivator…

As the saying goes, even the best swimmers may drown, and the best riders may fall.

Originally, his strong Divine Sense was an advantage, but now it had become an obstacle.

Mo Hua silently counted the ways to strengthen it:

First, his current realm was the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, and a breakthrough to the eighth or ninth layer would increase his Divine Sense.

Secondly, he could practice Formations on the Taoist Stele.

Normally, Drawing Formations can train the Divine Sense, which would lead to some increase. That’s why a Formation Master’s Divine Sense is stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator.

However, Drawing Formations on the Taoist Stele would provide clarity of thought and an inkling of understanding, resulting in a more noticeable enhancement of one’s Divine Sense.

Besides that, Mo Hua couldn’t think of any other methods to strengthen his Divine Sense.

Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask, “Gentleman, is it really possible for me to have Foundation Divine Sense before establishing my foundation?”

“How will you know without trying?”

Mr. Zhuang’s eyes flickered slightly, “Given the speed at which your Divine Sense is growing, it’s not impossible.”

Mo Hua nodded, but he still wasn’t quite sure, “Gentleman, are there any other methods to enhance Divine Sense?”

Thinking, Mo Hua’s eyes suddenly lit up, “For example, the Contemplation Map you mentioned before.”

“Contemplation Map…” Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, his gaze intensifying, “The Contemplation Map is extremely rare, and it contains great peril. It’s best not to touch it unless absolutely necessary, and certainly not to rely on it.”

A chill went through Mo Hua’s heart.

Mr. Zhuang continued, “There are no other good methods. You can only rely on Drawing Formations, practice more and learn more. However, the things you practice can be somewhat different.”

Mr. Zhuang took out a booklet and an ancient Formation Diagram from his chest, “This is ‘Analysis on Formation Breakdown,’ and a special Formation method.”

Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang, “Gentleman, have you prepared these in advance for me?”

Otherwise, how could he produce them from his chest as soon as the topic was finished…

Mr. Zhuang looked helplessly at Mo Hua. The child was too clever.

“To be prepared is to have success assured, to be unprepared spells failure. The pursuit of learning and teaching is the same,” Mr. Zhuang instructed.

Mo Hua nodded in agreement. It was the same with Monster Hunting; one must be thoroughly prepared to handle matters with discretion.

Mr. Zhuang pointed to ‘Analysis on Formation Breakdown’ and said, “This is a Formation Book on breaking down Formations. It contains some complex principles, more challenging than the book I gave you before. You take it back, have a careful look, and practice breaking down Formations when you have time.”

“Drawing Formations can train Divine Sense, and breaking down Formations can do the same, with even better training results.”

Mo Hua then turned to look at the other Formation, “And what about this Formation method?”

“This Formation method is also for training your Divine Sense,” Mr. Zhuang replied.

Mo Hua glanced at the Formation, puzzled, “This Formation method seems to be incomplete?”

Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, “Incomplete is enough; you wouldn’t be able to complete it.”

“Unable to complete?” Mo Hua looked closer, startled, “Gentleman, is this a First-grade Formation Method? Why are there nine-and-a-half Formation Patterns?”

Isn’t it said that a Single Formation of First-grade could only contain up to nine Formation Patterns?

Mr. Zhuang’s gaze became deeper, his expression more solemn:

“Do you remember what I told you? The grades in the Taoist Court are set by their rules, but the Heavenly Dao has its anomalies and does not operate within the confines of human standards.”

“Nine patterns are First-grade, ten patterns are Second-grade, and a First-grade with ten patterns is one of the Heavenly Dao’s anomalies!”

“This Reversed Spirit Formation contains ten First-grade Formation Patterns, an anomaly of the Heavenly Dao, not within the traditional scope of Taoist Court Formations.”

Mo Hua was shocked beyond words; this was his first contact with such profound Formation knowledge.

With a serious demeanor and a solemn gaze, Mo Hua looked at the Reversed Spirit Formation Diagram again, holding it with a sense of reverence.

The paper was rustic, the Patterns arcane, the Formation Pivot obscure, and just at a glance, he felt an indescribable mystique.

As Mr. Zhuang often said, it was filled with a sense of the anomalies in the evolution of the Heavenly Dao.

Moreover, the Formation Diagram was missing a corner, further indicating its profound and weighty origins.

Mo Hua cautiously asked, “Is this Formation Diagram incomplete because it was damaged during its transmission?”

“No,” Mr. Zhuang said casually, “I just tore it off.”

“Ah…” Mo Hua’s thoughts were thrown into disarray for a moment.

“A complete Reversed Spirit Formation is too difficult; you wouldn’t learn it, so I tore off a corner, leaving nine-and-a-half Patterns to make it easier for you to learn.”

For a moment, Mo Hua didn’t know what to say.

It’s hard to say whether Mr. Zhuang is considerate or simply always full of surprises.

“A First-grade Formation Method with ten patterns should be very precious, just tearing it up like that…” Mo Hua whispered.

“It’s not something that ordinary cultivators can learn anyway. Keeping it would be just to collect dust.” Mr. Zhuang said, “You study well, and if you master these nine-and-a-half patterns, I’ll give you a complete set.”

“Yes, gentleman!”

Then Mo Hua remembered something. The words “Reversed Spirit Formation” seemed familiar. After pondering for a moment, his eyes brightened as he asked:

“Is the Reversed Spirit Formation used for breaking down the Formation eye?”

The Formation eye of a Formation is typically a Spirit Gathering Array, and to dissolve a Spirit Gathering Array one would use the Reversed Spirit Formation.

However, Mo Hua had browsed through many Formation Books without finding any records of the Reversed Spirit Formation.

It is said that the Reversed Spirit Formation is a profound kind of pattern, usually passed down within the aristocratic families and clans skilled in Formations, and not easily shared with outsiders.

Only now did Mo Hua understand. First-grade with ten patterns, one of the Heavenly Dao’s anomalies, a legacy of great clans—no wonder it’s not recorded in ordinary Formation Books.

Mr. Zhuang nodded, “So these two tasks are actually one—breaking Formations.”

“Using breaking Formations to train one’s Divine Sense: one is to learn to break down the patterns, and the other is to learn the Reversed Spirit Formation, to break down the Formation eye. They converge to the same goal by different paths.”

Mo Hua suddenly realized and admired in his heart, truly fitting of Mr. Zhuang’s foresight.

Next, he thought, all he had to do was to focus on practicing breaking Formations and concentrate on sharpening his Divine Sense.

As long as his Divine Sense was strong enough, there was hope for reaching Foundation Establishment.

“By the way, gentleman,” Mo Hua had another doubt and asked, “Besides ‘for intellectual amusement’ and training the Divine Sense, is there any practical use for breaking Formations?”

Mo Hua adhered to the principle of “applying what he learned,” believing that it would be pointless to learn something if it couldn’t be put to use.

Mr. Zhuang’s gaze carried a hint of amusement, “Of course, breaking Formations naturally serves to break other Formations.”

“Normally, you can also break a Formation using brute force or Spiritual Power, right? Does breaking Formations offer any advantage?”

“Breaking them is too brutish and makes too much noise.”

Mr. Zhuang said dismissively and then added, “Breaking Formations is much more clever. The methods are extremely covert; unbeknownst to gods and ghosts, you could have broken someone’s Formation, and they might not even realize it.”

Mo Hua nodded, beginning to understand.

“There’s one more thing,” Mr. Zhuang continued, “breaking Formations can destroy not just the Formation method but also the opponent’s Taoist Heart.”

“Taoist Heart?”

“When the Formations that other Formation Masters take pride in are broken down by you, pattern by pattern, their Taoist Heart will shake. Those with a weak Taoist Heart might even collapse outright.”

Mr. Zhuang’s lips curled into a smile, his handsome face revealing a touch of mischief.

Mo Hua looked at him oddly, “Gentleman, have you often done things like this before…”

Mr. Zhuang ran his slender fingers through Mo Hua’s hair, “You’re asking too many questions again.”

Mo Hua chuckled.

Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, “Go on and study properly. A skilled Formation Master must not only know how to draw Formations but also be proficient in breaking them.”

“Yes, gentleman!”

Mo Hua carefully placed the “Analysis on Formation Breakdown” and the incomplete “Reversed Spirit Formation” into his Storage Bag, then bowed to Mr. Zhuang before taking his leave.

Watching Mo Hua walk away, Mr. Zhuang couldn’t help but shake his head and sighed, “This disciple is not easy to teach…”

Old Kui appeared beside him, his demeanor calm as he said, “You have chosen a good Cultivation Technique for him.”

Mr. Zhuang, detecting the irony in his tone, was not bothered, but instead remarked:

“If he aspires to become a Formation Master, Divine Sense is most important. Sharpening the Divine Sense is convenient for learning Formations and breaking through cultivation levels—it’s a matter of killing two birds with one stone.”

“Have you ever seen a cultivator with a Divine Sense strong enough for Foundation Establishment before even reaching Foundation Establishment?”

“There are records of it in the scriptures, but I haven’t seen it myself…”

Mr. Zhuang’s gaze traveled beyond the corridor, through the courtyard, and settled with expectation on Mo Hua, who was speaking with the siblings from the Bai Family beneath the large locust tree.

“That’s why I want to see it with my own eyes.”

Old Kui’s gaze became slightly intense, “That won’t be an easy task.”

Mr. Zhuang said, “I am well aware. However, I underestimated the potential of this technique before. This ‘Heaven Yan Jue,’ if it can lead to a breakthrough, any cost is worth paying.”

Old Kui was taken aback upon hearing this.

Mr. Zhuang looked into the distance, his gaze locked on Mo Hua, his eyes gradually taking on a profound depth:

“Heaven Yan, Heaven Yan… the Heavenly Dao evolves…”