Chapter 75: The Man in Blue Robes
After returning home, Mo Hua continued both cultivating and drawing formation diagrams.
According to Mister Zhuang, after learning the Celestial Evolution Art, Mo Hua's control over his Divine-Sense had become sharper; coupled with the meditation technique he'd practiced, his Divine-Sense also recovered much faster.
As a result, his formation drawing speed during the day increased, his Divine-Sense recovered more quickly, and thus he could draw even more formations per day—though it also left him feeling exhausted more often.
Whenever he grew tired from drawing arrays, he would take out the book Mister Zhuang gave him, An Introduction to Compound Formations, to read as a way to relax and ease his weariness.
One day, while Mo Hua was leaning over a table in the courtyard of the eatery, reading the book on formations, he saw a man in a blue robe walk in. The man ordered a pot of wine, a plate of beef, and two small dishes of fruits and vegetables before sitting down to eat.
Since it wasn't yet noon and far from mealtime, only a few cultivators were eating noodles inside. Most were those making a living nearby—beast hunters or petty merchants—dressed in plain and practical attire.
Among them, that spotless man in blue stood out like a crane among chickens.
Mo Hua gave him a glance. The man was handsome, seemingly in his thirties, though his refined demeanor and well-maintained complexion made him look much younger. He wore a jade pendant at his waist, and his robes, though not ostentatious, were clearly made from costly materials. Mo Hua could faintly discern faint formation patterns woven into the fabric.
Common daoist robes were made of soft material, unsuitable for acting as array mediums—but fabrics that could serve as array mediums were far from cheap.
The man in blue must have felt Mo Hua's gaze. Looking up, he saw a small boy dressed simply but with features as delicate as a painting, eyes bright and clear as ink and snow, calmly observing him.
The man smiled faintly and beckoned.
Mo Hua closed his book and walked over.
The man spoke gently, "Little one, what would you like to eat? It's on me."
Mo Hua shook his head. "This is my family's place. I can treat you."
The man blinked, then looked toward the sign at the door and chuckled. "Your family name is Liu?"
Seeing that the man meant no harm, Mo Hua replied, "My surname is Mo. My mother's is Liu."
The man nodded. Then, noticing the book in Mo Hua's hands, he asked, "What are you reading? Is there something you don't understand? I can teach you."
Mo Hua eyed the seemingly idle man suspiciously. "You know formations?"
"Of course," the man replied casually. "Formations touch upon all aspects of cultivation. Even if one doesn't walk the path of a formation master, one must still know the basics. I won't claim to be a master, but I certainly know more than you, little one."
Mo Hua found his tone confident but not deceitful, so he handed him An Introduction to Compound Formations.
When the man in blue saw the two characters "Composite Formation" on the cover, his eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
Mo Hua noticed and asked doubtfully, "You really know how?"
"Of course," the man replied with composure, though his fingers trembled slightly. Internally, he cursed:
"This... this is about Compound Formations! Which adult in their right mind gives a child such a book? Aren't they afraid the kid will drain his Divine-Sense dry and die reading it?!"
But of course, he couldn't lose face before a child. So, with a forced calm, he opened the book.
"He's probably just flipping through it for fun. He won't really understand. I'll just bluff a little—it'll be fine."
He turned the first two pages and said, "So, what part don't you understand?"
Unexpectedly, Mo Hua didn't even glance at the beginning. He flipped a few pages ahead, pointed at a line, and asked, "It says, 'Gather runes to form a single array; gather single arrays to form a compound array.' Why not just keep stacking formation runes to strengthen an array instead of building single arrays and then combining them into a compound one? Isn't that redundant?"
The man in blue stiffened, racking his brain to recall what his clan's formation instructor had once taught.
Thankfully, he'd paid at least some attention back then.
"Within the same cultivation realm, a cultivator's Divine-Sense is limited. Likewise, for formations of the same grade, the number of runes that can be contained is limited. If that number is exceeded, the cultivator's Divine-Sense won't suffice to complete the array—and forcing it could dry up one's Sea of Consciousness, even leading to death…"
"To overcome this limitation, single arrays can be interlinked to form compound arrays. This not only amplifies the formation's power but allows multiple arrays to interact, producing diverse effects."
"Oh, I see!" Mo Hua nodded sincerely.
The man wiped an invisible bead of sweat from his brow.
(TN: This novel was translated by "Aberto D. Tempest". Read latest chapters at "AbertoVerse.com")
But before he could relax, Mo Hua's pale little hand flipped two more pages and pointed again:
"It says, 'The core of a single array is simple; that of a compound array, complex.' How exactly are they different? If runes are arranged according to a core to form a single array, and single arrays arranged by a core to form a compound one, then shouldn't their cores be similar?"
"Ahem—well, that's… a long story. Just as no two beasts or cultivators are identical, neither are formation cores. You can't assume that because they're both called cores, they're the same thing…"
While saying this nonsense, the man's Divine-Sense whirled furiously before he continued,
"The core of a single array is simple, it merely links runes together. But the core of a compound array must also connect multiple arrays, harmonize the flow and balance of spiritual energy, suppress conflicts between different elemental attributes, and stabilize the structure as a whole…"
He barely managed to finish before sighing inwardly.
When you actually need it, you realize how little you studied!
All his life, he had never been so forcefully reminded of that fact—by a child, no less.
"Oh, oh," Mo Hua nodded again.
Then his little hand flipped yet another page.
With every page turn, the man's heartbeat quickened. He nearly reached out to stop the boy—if he flipped any further, he truly might not be able to answer.
Finally, Mo Hua stopped, finger pointing at a formation diagram.
The man's heart sank.
Damn. A diagram.
He only knew theory—he'd never actually drawn one! Who, aside from professional formation masters, had time to draw these things?
"Ahem, this formation diagram… isn't something someone your age should be attempting," he said tactfully.
Mo Hua replied, "I tried drawing it once, but it doesn't work…"
The man nearly blacked out.
You tried—what?! What realm are you even in? How deep is your Divine-Sense? How big is your gall, to be drawing Compound Formations already?! Who gave you that kind of courage?!
Mo Hua took out a sheet of paper from his storage pouch. On it was a freshly drawn formation—unlit, but every rune was complete and precise.
The man was speechless.
After a while, he calmed himself enough to study the formation carefully—and was suddenly delighted.
"Although it's a compound array, each single array within it is simple, containing only two or three runes—nothing beyond my level."
He straightened his posture, cleared his throat, and said with newfound confidence,
"Theory is one thing, but practical execution is another. The issue here lies in your core—you used the core of a single array to construct a composite one. Naturally, it won't activate."
Mo Hua's eyes lit with understanding, nodding rapidly. He clearly admired the man's insight, and then—
His small hand moved again, preparing to flip the next page.
The man's composure shattered like hot water meeting snow.
Please, no more…
Thankfully, Mo Hua flipped one page, saw that the rest he hadn't read yet, and stopped. Closing the book, he looked up with genuine admiration. "Uncle, you really know a lot."
The man in blue exhaled deeply in relief.
Mo Hua pointed to the pot of wine on the table. "This pot of wine is on me."
The man fully relaxed and took a sip to steady himself.
The instant the wine touched his tongue and flowed down his throat, pure and mellow, his eyes widened slightly...
He felt as though, in all his life, he had never tasted such clear and sweet wine.
(End of Chapter)