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 disciple's questions thoroughly and earnestly.
Instructor Yan naturally felt that Mo Hua's 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 didn't pursue the matter too strictly, only reminding Mo Hua:
"Cultivators can have specialties, but you shouldn't 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."
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 Yan...
Mo Hua suddenly had the feeling of being caught skipping classes.
"Mo Hua?"
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, "You know each other?"
Instructor Yan replied, "He is one of my disciples from Tongxian Gate."
Mo Hua bowed and said, "Disciple pays respect to Instructor!"
Instructor Yan nodded in acknowledgment and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Before Mo Hua could speak, Fatty Steward explained, "He's running errands for his elder brother, who draws formations for our Formation Pavilion. Once completed, he delivers them here."
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, "Disciple will take his leave now, so as not to disturb Instructor."
Instructor Yan must have had matters to discuss with Fatty Steward. Seeing how tactful Mo Hua was, he couldn't help but nod and said, "Return to the Sect early and be careful on your way."
Mo Hua respectfully agreed, bowed, and then left the Formation Pavilion.
Watching Mo Hua's departing figure, Fatty Steward said to Instructor Yan:
"The boy is quite polite and very smart. You're lucky to have taught such a good disciple."
Instructor Yan uttered a soft "Hmm" and then asked, "You said his elder brother draws formations for you?"
Fatty Steward took out the Solid Earth Formation that Mo Hua had delivered and handed it to Instructor Yan to look at. "It's quite well drawn."
When Instructor Yan saw that it was a Solid Earth Formation, he was slightly taken aback and said, "Was this drawn by his elder brother?"
"What else?" Fatty Steward said. "Do you really think he drew it? At his age, even if he drained all his divine sense, he still couldn't produce a complete formation."
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.
"Having a thirst for knowledge in the realm of formations is good," Instructor Yan thought to himself, "If he can maintain such a mindset, he might indeed achieve something in formations one day."
Thinking thus, Instructor Yan decided not to pry further. He glanced at the deserted and quiet shop, then looked at Fatty Steward and asked, "Is this really how you want to spend your whole life?"
Fatty Steward replied, "As fellow disciples in the pursuit of Tao cultivation, you should understand me. I'm 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 won't lack spirit stones. Tongxian Gate will surely offer you the position of an elder."
"As for me," Fatty Steward took a sip of tea, "I'm just someone who gets by, dabbling superficially in formations, lacking the patience for solitary cultivation practice. If I can live carefree every day, I'm satisfied. Don't 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."
Instructor Yan stayed silent.
Seeing Instructor Yan's silence, Fatty Steward sighed helplessly and said, "What do you want me to do for you?"
Instructor Yan said gravely, "Help me find the 'Spirit Pivot Formation Chart.'
Fatty Steward pinched the bridge of his nose, "After all these years, you still haven't given up. If you ask me, you're not young anymore. You should find a partner and settle down."
"Personal matters are minor, the transmission of formations is significant."
"So what if you find it? Our great-grandmaster couldn't 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 haven't 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 you're in your grave."
Instructor Yan remained quiet.
Fatty Steward earnestly advised, "Elder brother, let it go. Besides, you won't 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 couldn't track him down. You are a formation master, not skilled in Taoist skill; what can you do?"
Instructor Yan was unmoved and said hoarsely, "Master 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 master's last wish, nothing else matters."
Instructor Yan looked at Fatty Steward and continued, "I know you prefer comfort and won't ask too much of you. Just let me know if you get any leads on the 'Spirit Pivot Formation Chart,' and I'll take care of the rest."
"How do you know there would be clues about the 'Spirit Pivot Formation Chart' here in Tongxian City?" Fatty Steward frowned.
Instructor Yan didn't respond.
Fatty Steward waved his hand, "Alright, knowing too much isn't good for me either. I'll agree to this, but I also want to remind you kindly that after all your efforts, you may still end up empty-handed."
Fatty Steward, sensing trouble ahead, couldn't help but say,
"If you ask me, it would be better to focus on finding a partner, having a child. Even if you can't find it, your child could continue the search in the future, and you wouldn't die lonely. Take advantage of your age now and quickly find a partner. Just find one, lest in the future..."
"The tea has gone cold. I must go."
Instructor Yan rose to his feet, swept his sleeves, and left without paying any further attention to Fatty Steward's incessant chatter behind him.