Arrays of Immortality

Chapter 2: Dao Stele

Since the moment Mo Hua could remember, the Dao Stele had appeared in his sea of consciousness, along with some vague, indistinct memories.

In those memories, Mo Hua lived a short life in another world without spiritual energy.

In that life, Mo Hua had an ordinary family but was diligent in his studies. He performed well academically and was admitted to university, majoring in fine arts, with a particular interest in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy.

After graduation, he worked as a graphic designer in a large company, working overtime and under intense pressure, eventually dying from overwork in his twenties.

During his student years, he focused on his studies, and after graduation, his work was consumed by stress and anxiety, living a life in constant strain.

As he reflected, he realized that his life had been muddled and that he had died suddenly, without ever truly achieving anything of value: he hadn't been filial to his parents, hadn't pursued his dreams, hadn't experienced love, or seen the vast world's beauty.

These memories were hazy, and at times, Mo Hua couldn't distinguish what was real from what was not.

Zhuangzi dreamed of being a butterfly; Mo Hua wondered whether he was Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuangzi.

Over time, Mo Hua stopped dwelling on it.

The past was the past. Now, he was ten years old, living in a world of cultivation.

And he was a cultivator.

A cultivator who could fully understand the Dao, transcend the Nine Provinces, raise his hand to pluck the sun and moon, and turn his palm to bury the stars.

Of course, he could also be a cultivator who spent his whole life in the Qi Refining stage, unable to fly, unable to fight, using only a few spells, living a humble existence.

Without the Dao Stele, Mo Hua might have been the latter.

The Dao Stele floated in Mo Hua's sea of consciousness.

It was broad and ancient, with a strange, incomplete form. The surface of the stele seemed to be void, yet it gave off an air of vastness and mystery, flickering faintly, almost silent, empty, and formless.

The void surface of the stele could be used to draw formations. Every time Mo Hua drew a formation, his Divine Sense would grow stronger.

In cultivation, formations were revered!

Formations were one of the most difficult disciplines in cultivation, and the key to mastering them was Divine Sense.

Formations consisted of formation patterns, symbols that ancient cultivators had drawn after diligently comprehending the Dao.

The patterns resembled ancient characters or simple drawings, containing boundless mysteries.

While drawing formations, the sea of consciousness connected to the Dao's mysteries, consuming a vast amount of Divine Sense.

If a cultivator's Divine Sense was insufficient, they couldn't draw formations, as it could lead to spiritual depletion or even the destruction of the sea of consciousness and death. To become a formation master, one had to constantly study various formation diagrams and practice various formations.

Therefore, formations were difficult to learn, hard to practice, and formation masters often perished from exhaustion when trying to draw formations beyond their Divine Sense capacity.

When Mo Hua drew formations on the Dao Stele, it consumed his Divine Sense, but as he erased the formation, his Divine Sense would instantly return, replenishing him.

From existence to nothingness and back again, it was like the Dao itself, profound and mysterious.

Meanwhile, every time Mo Hua drew a formation, his Divine Sense would grow, albeit minutely, but it was indeed increasing.

Mo Hua knew that in the cultivation world, there were no methods to train Divine Sense. Most cultivators' Divine Sense grew as they broke through realms.

Therefore, even small increases in Divine Sense were extremely rare.

As long as Mo Hua continued drawing formations on the Dao Stele, his formation skills would improve, and his Divine Sense would keep growing.

With a powerful Divine Sense, Mo Hua would be able to learn more and stronger formations.

One day, Mo Hua could become a powerful formation master.

Formation masters held a respected position. Even a common formation master who had not yet reached the first rank could earn considerable spiritual stones from drawing formations for others.

Once he became a formation master, drawing powerful formations would provide him with a foundation to continue cultivating, and he would no longer be just a Qi Refining cultivator.

Mo Hua silently vowed in his heart.

However, becoming a formation master was also filled with challenges.

Formations were hard to learn, and becoming a formation master was difficult.

Among the categories set by the Dao Court, becoming a formation master was the most strictly regulated and the most challenging.

Formations were composed of formation patterns. Basic formations contained only one pattern. Each additional pattern raised the formation's rank and increased its power, but it also significantly raised the requirement for Divine Sense.

Drawing one to five patterns could make someone a formation apprentice.

Drawing six to eight patterns would make someone a formation master, but such a master was considered a common formation master, not recognized by the Dao Court's rank system.

Only by drawing nine patterns and passing the Dao Court's rank assessment could one become a true first-rank formation master.

Becoming a first-rank formation master was almost equivalent to a meteoric rise for a Qi Refining cultivator.

First-rank formation masters were treated as honored guests by major families and sects. Even foundation-building cultivators would not dare to offend them. Even if they did nothing, they would receive spiritual stone stipends from the Dao Court's Heavenly Pivot Pavilion each month and have countless young, beautiful female cultivators vying to be their Dao companions.

However, becoming a first-rank formation master was not just difficult because of the rigorous assessment; there were also limited spots in each region. To become a first-rank formation master, one needed both effort and luck.

If a cultivator was unlucky, they might not get a spot in their region despite their formation mastery, and they would have to wait for the next assessment.

Some formation masters spent their entire lives striving for it and died without ever achieving their dream.

The so-called limited spots in the Dao Court were often excuses for large families and sects. They needed the title of first-rank formation master to enhance the reputation of their direct disciples, making them the center of attention.

The lower-class cultivators, who worked tirelessly to become first-rank formation masters, were nothing but dust beneath their feet.

It was now night, and Mo Hua lay in his disciple dorm room. His Divine Sense, however, sank into his sea of consciousness, where he continued to draw formations on the Dao Stele.

The formation Mo Hua was drawing was the Dual Element Formation, containing two formation patterns, one of the basic formations.

But Mo Hua had never successfully drawn this formation before.

In the early Qi Refining stage, disciples usually only learned formations containing one pattern, as their Divine Sense was insufficient. Among the outer sect disciples of the Qi Refining stage, very few could fully master a formation with a single pattern.

But Mo Hua had long since mastered the single-pattern formations and was now striving to learn more advanced ones, practicing the Dual Element Formation every night.

After many nights of repeated practice and painstaking effort, Mo Hua finally succeeded.

Each pattern in a formation represented a hurdle. Drawing one more pattern meant advancing to a higher level.

By drawing two patterns, Mo Hua's Divine Sense and formation skills had surpassed those of most cultivators his age.

Among the outer sect Qi Refining disciples of Tongxian Sect, his formation abilities were likely unparalleled.

Mo Hua sighed with relief. At dawn, his Divine Sense left the sea of consciousness, and Mo Hua opened his eyes.

Despite drawing formations all night, Mo Hua's Divine Sense was still clear, and he didn't feel tired, as if he had merely rested.

He opened the window, and the morning sunlight illuminated his fair, delicate face.

Outside the window, the rising sun painted the sky with a myriad of colors.

Ten-year-old Mo Hua exhaled lightly, gazing at the scene in the distance, his eyes filled with determination.

As long as he kept practicing formations and refining his Divine Sense, one day, he would become a first-rank formation master.

When that day came, it would be the first step toward seeking immortality.

He would no longer be just a Qi Refining cultivator.

(End of this chapter)