The deposit for the Solid Earth Formation was twenty spirit stones. Mo Hua took ten spirit stones out of the ones he had earned before and gave them to Fatty Steward, receiving the Solid Earth Formation Diagram and ten sets of paper and ink materials, with a due date of twenty days.
After leaving the business, Mo Hua went to a cake shop and spent two spirit stones on ten Five-color Cakes, then he headed straight back to the Sect and shared a few pieces with Da'hu and the other two.
The Sect's meals were not exactly good, and the three often craved something tasty, but there wasn't much to eat.
Mo Hua bought some pastries as a way to satisfy their cravings.
A few evenings later, after Mo Hua had finished a day's lessons, he was shut inside his Disciple's Residence, absorbed in studying the Formation of the Solid Earth Formation, when he suddenly heard someone knocking on his door.
As soon as Mo Hua opened the door, he saw Shuanghu standing outside, looking sneaky.
Shuanghu stealthily handed a greasy paper package to Mo Hua and whispered,
"I saved this specially for you, don't tell anyone else."
Having said this, he looked around cautiously, then ran off like a thief.
The Disciple's Residence at Tongxian Gate was a dormitory provided for the disciples, with two people per room. The rooms were small, featuring just two simple wooden beds and two somewhat worn wooden desks, just enough for the disciples' daily lives.
There were also more luxurious and comfortable Disciple's Residences within Tongxian Gate, but they cost extra spirit stones.
Originally, Mo Hua had a roommate from the Sect, but he had dropped out this year. It wasn't because he couldn't pay the fees; he just found Cultivation too dull and didn't want to continue learning, so now Mo Hua was the only one in the room.
Mo Hua closed the door, opened the still warm greasy paper, and found a freshly roasted chicken leg inside.
The chicken leg was the size of a fist, steaming hot, slightly burnt, and emanating a tempting aroma, especially with a faint trace of spiritual energy on it.
It was the meat of a spirit beast.
"This...couldn't be stolen from somewhere, could it..."
Meat imbued with spiritual energy was something Shuanghu and the others definitely couldn't afford. Given Shuanghu's sneaky demeanor, it must have been stolen.
Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then took a bite. It was a bit burnt and aromatic but not fully cooked through, and without seasoning, the flavor was somewhat bland.
In the Tao Cultivation World, the cooking of food was a matter of precise craft. Without specialized learning, it would be difficult to make something delectable.
Because the ingredients in the Tao Cultivation World were challenging to prepare, like the toughness of meat, and some, such as the meat of herbivorous monster beasts, required a lot of spiritual power to ignite the flame and a long time of steaming before becoming tender.
Spiritual meat had a finer quality, but cooking it also required some effort.
Besides meat, other vegetables and plant-based dishes naturally tasted good but also contained some spiritual energy. When this energy was mixed with the inherent flavors, if not matched correctly, the taste could turn out quite bizarre.
The chicken leg in Mo Hua's hands was merely roasted simply, probably done in secret for fear of discovery, which is why it couldn't have been that delicious.
But Mo Hua, who hadn't had meat for over a month, wasn't that fussy. It was good enough to have something to eat.
Mo Hua somewhat struggled to finish the chicken leg, then lit a fire to burn the greasy paper and threw the bones into a creek outside the house to completely eliminate the evidence.
After eating to his fill, Mo Hua spent some time digesting the spiritual energy contained in the chicken meat, then buried his head back into studying formations.
Indeed, a couple of days later, Mo Hua heard that a few disciples in the Qi Refinement Realm had stolen an Elder's colorful chicken, plucked it clean, and roasted it to eat.
The Elder was furious, caught the disciples, and severely punished them.
A couple more days passed, and Mo Hua saw Da'hu and the other two with bruised faces and two big swellings on their heads.
They were all from Tongxuan Peak, and the Elder could easily trace it back to them. They couldn't escape, and punishment was inevitable.
However, they just looked miserable; it was mostly superficial wounds. The Elder wouldn't really go too far, not wanting to seriously harm them.
It was simply a mild reprimand with a bigger lesson, serving as a warning to the other disciples.
Da'hu and his two companions looked pitiful but stood tall and proud, even appearing somewhat triumphant. After all, stealing a chicken right from under the Elder's nose was not something ordinary disciples could accomplish.
When they saw Mo Hua, they pretended not to, and Xiaohu even gave Mo Hua a secret gesture, telling him to pretend he didn't know them as well.
Mo Hua found this both amusing and sad, thinking that the next time he had a break, he would buy some more pastries for them.
There are still seven days until the next decade break, and it has been thirteen days since Mo Hua received the formation materials from Fatty Steward, but his comprehension of the Solid Earth Formation was not going smoothly.
The formation patterns in the Solid Earth Formation were something Mo Hua had not learned before, and they were considerably more complex than the Earth Series basic formation patterns taught by the sect, which made them quite challenging to grasp.
Moreover, the Solid Earth Formation was composed of four formation patterns, and it demanded a high level of Divine Sense.
Remembering the formation patterns was not too difficult for Mo Hua, but when practicing on the stele, his consumption of Divine Sense was significantly greater, and it was very easy to make mistakes.
Either the drawn formation patterns did not combine into an effective formation, or the formation patterns were simply invalid and could not convey spiritual power.
After fumbling with this for about ten days, Mo Hua still had no clue, and at times, even when he seemed to understand, he would still make mistakes as soon as he started drawing.
Eventually, having no other option, Mo Hua decided to seek guidance from Instructor Yan.
One day, after Instructor Yan had finished teaching his class and was tidying up his desk, the disciples dispersed in pairs and groups.
Mo Hua approached Instructor Yan with several basic Earth Series formation patterns and respectfully asked for advice:
"Instructor, I am not quite clear about these Earth Series formation patterns; I would like to ask for your guidance."
Upon looking at the formation patterns that Mo Hua presented, Instructor Yan said,
"These are the Earth Series formation patterns from the basic Five Elements Formation, and they are rather standard and universal patterns. For you, they should not be too difficult. If you can't draw them well, more practice is the key."
The Earth Series formation patterns taught by the sect were very basic, and of course, they weren't difficult for Mo Hua. However, what he wanted to ask was actually something else.
Mo Hua brought out several Earth Series formation patterns from the Solid Earth Formation and said,
"I came across these formation patterns by chance and noticed they are different from those in the textbooks, but I cannot quite pinpoint what specifically differs. Moreover, when drawing them, I easily make mistakes. I am not sure where the problem lies."
Instructor Yan took a look and was a bit surprised as he said,
"These are variant Five Elements formation patterns. They are different from the standard ones formally taught by the sect; they are not standardized and not very universal. To draw such formation patterns, you need to change your brushwork, and the sequence is also different from that of the standard formation patterns. Basically, the sequence of these strokes needs adjusting…"
Taking a piece of paper, Instructor Yan casually sketched a few formation patterns while explaining as he drew.
Upon hearing this, Mo Hua suddenly had an epiphany.
The method of drawing formation patterns was somewhat analogous to calligraphy, where, alongside the standard models, there are various distinctive patterns, each with slight variances in brushwork.
These variant formation patterns were numerous and not classifiable, which is why normally the sect only taught the standard ones.
"No wonder they say that formations are profoundly intricate; the twists and turns within are just too many. If I hadn't asked the instructor, even with two heads, I wouldn't have figured it out…" Mo Hua secretly grumbled inwardly.
"To link these formation patterns together to form an actual formation, how about for a formation like this…"
Eventually, Mo Hua took out the Formation Diagram of the Solid Earth Formation and showed it.
Instructor Yan glanced at it and recognized it immediately, expressing his surprise, "This is the Solid Earth Formation," and then looking at Mo Hua, he continued,
"It is too soon for you to look at this now; this is not something you are capable of drawing at the moment."
"I am just curious and want to understand the rationale behind it," Mo Hua earnestly inquired.
"Well… yes, it is also good for you to learn some things in advance."
Instructor Yan's spirits lifted. Teaching basic formation patterns every day was somewhat monotonous, and now he had the rare opportunity to discuss a substantial formation, clearly becoming more enthusiastic.
"Formations are composed by arranging and connecting formation patterns; simple formations contain simple patterns and fewer in number, while the more complex formations have more patterns involved, with a sophisticated harmony in their arrangement, spatial representation, and interconnection. The Solid Earth Formation contains four patterns, and the patterns need to be drawn in a specific sequence and orientation, with the remaining Qian and Kun positions…"
Instructor Yan spoke with great fervor, and Mo Hua listened with equal interest. Even after the lesson was over, Instructor Yan seemed somewhat reluctant to stop, then he cautioned,
"The way of formations is vast and intricate; it's good for you to understand some of it in advance. What the sect teaches is merely the basics of the basics, not even considered elementary. To become a true Formation Master, the difficulty and effort required are beyond what you can presently imagine…"
Instructor Yan paused for a moment, then added,
"At the same time, you must also make sure not to overreach. Blindly attempting to draw formations that are beyond your grasp can be dangerous. It's fine to look at them, but if you really try to draw them, it is very easy to exhaust your Divine Sense, which you must always remember!"
Mo Hua bowed and said, "I have learned a lot, thank you, Instructor!"