After returning, Mo Hua continued to cultivate and practice drawing formations.
Following Mr. Zhuang's instructions, Mo Hua had learned the Celestial Expansion Technique, which strengthened his spiritual control. He also learned the Meditation Technique, which sped up his spiritual recovery.
As a result, Mo Hua could now draw formations faster during the day, recover his spiritual energy quickly, and thus draw more formations each day, though he also felt more fatigued.
When he got tired of drawing formations, he would take out the book "Introduction to Composite Formations" given by Mr. Zhuang and read it as a way to relax and alleviate his fatigue.
One day, while Mo Hua was lying on a table in the courtyard of the eatery reading his formation book, he saw a man in a green robe walk in. The man ordered a pot of wine, a plate of beef, and two dishes of vegetables, then sat down to eat.
Since it was not mealtime, the eatery was sparsely populated, with only a few cultivators eating noodles, all of whom were locals, either demon hunters or small merchants. Their attire was fairly ordinary.
The man in the spotless green robe stood out among them.
Mo Hua glanced at the man and noticed that he was handsome, probably in his thirties, but clearly well-cared-for, making him look much younger. The man wore a jade pendant, and his clothes were mainly green. Though the style was not ostentatious, the material seemed expensive. Mo Hua could vaguely see formations drawn on the man's clothes.
Robes made of soft material were not easy to use as formation mediums, and materials that could serve as formation mediums were not cheap.
The man in green seemed to notice someone looking at him and glanced over, spotting a simply dressed boy with picturesque features and clear, black-and-white eyes observing him.
The man smiled slightly and beckoned to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua closed his book and walked over. The man then said gently, "Little friend, what would you like to eat? I'll treat you."
Mo Hua shook his head, "This is my family's place. I can treat you."
The man was slightly taken aback, then looked at the sign at the entrance and smiled, "Your surname is Liu?"
Mo Hua, sensing no malice from the man, replied, "My surname is Mo. My mother's surname is Liu."
The man nodded and then, noticing the book in Mo Hua's hand, asked, "What book are you reading? Is there something you don't understand? I can teach you."
Mo Hua skeptically looked at the seemingly idle man in green and asked, "Do you know formations?"
"Of course. Formations are involved in many aspects of cultivation. Even if you don't become a formation master, you need to know the basics. Although I don't claim to be an expert, I certainly know more than you," the man said.
Mo Hua, thinking that the man didn't seem to be lying, handed him the "Introduction to Composite Formations."
The man in green took it and, upon seeing the words "Composite Formation" on the cover, couldn't help but twitch his eyelid.
Mo Hua skeptically asked again, "Do you really know?"
"Of course," the man said confidently, though his fingers trembled slightly as he held the book. Internally, he thought:
"Damn, this is about Composite formations! What kind of adult gives a kid a book on Composite formations for fun? Aren't they worried about exhausting the kid's spiritual energy?"
He couldn't lose face in front of the child, so he braced himself and opened the book.
"This kid is probably just casually looking at it and doesn't understand. I'll just say a few things to satisfy him," the man thought, then opened the first two pages and asked, "What don't you understand? Ask away."
Unexpectedly, Mo Hua flipped two more pages and pointed to a passage, asking, "'Combining formation patterns into a single formation, and single formations into Composite formations,' why not directly accumulate formation patterns to enhance the formation's effect? Wouldn't reconstituting a formation be redundant?"
The man in green felt a twinge of tension and tried to recall what his formation teacher had said in class.
Fortunately, he had studied diligently and hadn't forgotten this.
"Within the same realm, a cultivator's spiritual awareness is limited, and the number of formation patterns that can be accommodated in formations of the same grade is also limited. Once the number of formation patterns exceeds a certain limit, a cultivator's spiritual awareness won't be enough to draw these formations, and forcing it could lead to exhaustion and death..."
"To break through the limit of formation patterns, single formations are recombined to form Composite formations. This not only enhances the formation's power but also allows different formations to interact, creating more varied effects..."
"Oh, I see..." Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully.
The man in green wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.
Before he could catch his breath, Mo Hua's white hand flipped a few more pages and pointed to another passage:
"'The formation core of a single formation is simple, while that of a Composite formation is complex.' What's the difference between the formation cores of single formations and Composite formations? Shouldn't the arrangement of formation patterns and cores be similar for both?"
"Ahem, well... it's a long story. Just as there are different types of monsters and cultivators, there are different types of formation cores. Just because they are both formation cores doesn't mean they are the same..."
The man said some irrelevant things to buy time for his mind to race, then continued:
"A single formation's core is simple, primarily used to connect various formation patterns. But the core of a Composite formation is more complicated. It not only has to connect single formations but also regulate the flow of spiritual energy, balance the strengths and weaknesses of different attributes, and stabilize the entire Composite formation's structure..."
The man racked his brains and finally managed to finish his explanation.
He now deeply regretted not studying more when he needed it the most! He had lived this long and was now forced to realize this by a young cultivator!
"Oh, I see."
Mo Hua nodded, then quickly flipped through the pages again.
With each page he turned, the man's heart beat faster. He almost wanted to grab Mo Hua's hand and stop him from flipping any further. If Mo Hua kept going, he might not be able to answer the next question.
Finally, Mo Hua's hand stopped, his fingertip resting on a formation diagram.
The man's heart sank.
Great, it's a formation diagram.
He only knew the theory; he had never actually drawn one. Except for those cultivators who were dedicated to becoming formation masters, who would spend time drawing these things?
"Ahem, this formation diagram... it's not something you should be drawing at your age..." the man in green said tactfully.
Mo Hua said, "I tried drawing it, but I don't know why the Composite formation never works..."
The man felt faint.
Tried drawing it?
What do you mean?
What's your level, your cultivation stage, and how deep is your spiritual awareness? How bold are you to attempt drawing a Composite formation?! Who gave you the courage?!
Mo Hua took out a piece of paper from his storage pouch. On it was a formation diagram that had clearly been drawn recently. Although it hadn't been activated, all the formation patterns were present, and every line was precise.
The man in green was speechless.
Once he calmed down, he carefully examined the formation in Mo Hua's hand and felt a glimmer of relief.
"Although it's a Composite formation, I recognize the individual formations within it, and they're quite simple, containing only two or three formation patterns each. They're not beyond my level."
The man regained his composure, coughed, cleared his throat, and said with some confidence:
"Formation theory is one thing, but drawing it is another matter. Your problem lies in the formation core. You used the core of a single formation for a Composite formation, so naturally, it wouldn't work..."
Mo Hua suddenly understood, nodding repeatedly, feeling he had underestimated the man in green, then...
He stretched out his hand and was about to flip the pages again.
The man's previous composure melted away like snow in hot water.
Please, don't turn the page...
Luckily, Mo Hua flipped a page, saw that he hadn't read it yet, and decided not to continue. He closed the book and said admiringly, "Uncle, you know so much."
The man in green breathed a sigh of relief.
Mo Hua pointed at the wine pot on the table with his small finger and said, "This pot of wine is on me."
The man felt completely at ease, couldn't resist taking a sip of the wine to calm his nerves.
As the wine entered his mouth, it spread through his entire being, and he felt he had never tasted such clear and sweet wine in his life.
(End of the Chapter)