Immortality Through Array Formations

When Mo Hua truly started learning, he realized that the Water Passing Step wasn’t as difficult as he had initially thought.

The difficulty of the Water Passing Step lay in controlling spiritual power with one’s Divine Sense to lead the physical body. The stronger the control of the Divine Sense over spiritual power, the more agile the movement of the physical body.

The Heaven Yan Jue, an ancient cultivation technique, according to Mr. Zhuang, doesn’t boost spiritual power or strengthen the Five Elements but specializes in enhancing control over Divine Sense.

And Mo Hua was already a Formation Master who drew formations daily, making his use of Divine Sense stronger than that of the average cultivator. After practicing Heaven Yan Jue, it was like adding wings to a tiger, controlling spiritual power and driving the movement technique wasn’t a difficult task at all.

The reason he had found it difficult before was mainly because of his inherently weak constitution, which made it easy to lose balance and thus restricted the use of his movement technique.

For the average cultivator, even if the physical body isn’t strong, it is sufficient for practicing movement techniques. The difficulty lies in how to intricately control spiritual power, ensuring its precise circulation through the limbs, meridians, and acupoints.

For Mo Hua, however, the most challenging part was his weaker physical body. Circulating spiritual power to the meridians and acupoints presented no difficulty for him.

Not only that, but Mo Hua’s circulation of spiritual power was even more detailed and intricate than those required by the mental image maps of the Water Passing Step. In some complicated movements of the technique, Mo Hua could even execute more complex variations.

In just over ten days, Mo Hua had almost mastered the movements of the Water Passing Step.

But merely learning the movements wasn’t enough; Mo Hua felt that he needed real combat practice.

So, one day, Mo Hua went to the foot of the mountains outside Tongxian City and found a deep-rooted, leafy tree.

The tree was full of wild fruits that were quite small and tasted tart, which made them inedible. That was why the tree could bear so many fruits; they were hanging nearly from every branch.

Mo Hua kicked the tree hard, but the tree didn’t budge, while his own foot ended up feeling numb.

With no other choice, Mo Hua reluctantly drew a simple Earth Movement Formation and buried it under the tree.

The Earth Movement Formation was a fundamental formation of the Earth Series with not many patterns to include, which made it simple to draw. Once activated with spiritual power, it produced vibrations.

Mo Hua infused some spiritual power to trigger the formation. The Earth Movement Formation flashed a dull earthy light, followed by vibrations that also made the tree tremble; plenty of wild fruits began falling from the branches.

The falling wild fruits targeted Mo Hua, who was standing right below the tree.

His spirits lifted, Mo Hua began to employ the Water Passing Step technique to dodge the falling fruits.

About a dozen wild fruits fell, and Mo Hua managed to avoid most of them, getting hit only twice: once on the shoulder and once on the head.

Mo Hua clutched his small head, inhaling sharply due to the pain.

He hadn’t anticipated the pain that getting hit by the fruit would cause.

Mo Hua glanced at the towering tree and then walked away somewhat angrily. After nearly two hours, he came back with a small helmet on his head, looking as proud and fierce as before.

He had just been to see Master Chen.

This small helmet was specially and hastily made for him by Master Chen; it was simple and light, not sufficient to protect against an attack by a cultivator, but more than enough to withstand a few falling wild fruits.

Feeling fearless, Mo Hua again activated the Earth Movement Formation and started to use the Water Passing Step to dodge the falling wild fruits.

Initially, Mo Hua was completely focused and barely got hit, but as time passed, despite his still clear Divine Sense, fatigue set in his limbs, and his movements were no longer agile, while his spiritual power also weakened, resulting in getting hit by the wild fruits more frequently.

As evening approached, Mo Hua patted the big tree and said, “I’ll be back tomorrow,” before heading home.

When he got home, Liu Ruhua, while applying medicine to Mo Hua, said with concern, “Where did you go to play to end up with so many bruises and swellings on your body…”

“It’s nothing, Mom, it doesn’t hurt,” Mo Hua assured her.

Liu Ruhua put a little more force into her application of the medicine, causing Mo Hua to cry out in pain.

Liu Ruhua said irritably, “Still say it doesn’t hurt?” After speaking, she felt pity for him and gentled her touch.

Mo Hua said, “They’re just superficial wounds, nothing serious.”

“You didn’t get into a fight with someone, did you?”

“Don’t worry, Mother, I’ve been practicing my movement technique so that I can run away if I’m ever in danger…”

“Really?” Liu Ruhua asked.

“Mm.” Mo Hua nodded.

Liu Ruhua breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good to hear.” Seeing the bruises on Mo Hua’s body, she couldn’t help saying, “Just be careful, okay?”

Mo Hua said confidently, “Mother, rest assured, I’ve just started learning it. Soon, even if it pours rain from the sky, it won’t even dampen the hem of my clothes…”

Liu Ruhua laughed softly, shook her head, and couldn’t help but pinch Mo Hua’s nose, “You’re quite bold!”

The next day, Mo Hua’s “injuries” had not healed, and the bruises on his shoulders had not faded, causing pain with every move. Despite becoming more proficient with the Water Passing Step, he didn’t perform any better than on the first day.

On the third day, Mo Hua’s pain had eased somewhat, and his movement technique had improved a step further, so there were fewer wild fruits that managed to hit him.

Every day thereafter, Mo Hua kept practicing his movement technique under the tree. With each wild fruit that vanished from the branches, his Water Passing Step improved.

By the time Mo Hua had gotten somewhat proficient with the Water Passing Step, there were only a few wild fruits left on the tree.

In front of Mo Hua, the towering tree stood silently. A few unripe wild fruits hung forlornly on the once lush branches.

The sight was somewhat desolate…

Feeling a bit guilty, Mo Hua drew a Water and Wood Formation and buried it at the base of the tree.

The Water and Wood Formation could accumulate moisture and nourish the spirit wood, helping flowers and trees grow. It was Mo Hua’s way of offering an apology.

Bathed in the moisture from the Water and Wood Formation, the tree’s leaves seemed to turn a darker shade of green.

Although Mo Hua had become proficient with the Water Passing Step, how it would fare in actual combat was another question.

After all, the falling wild fruits followed a predictable path, but in real combat, the trajectories of an enemy’s punches and spells might not be so fixed.

He still needed to find someone to practice sparring with to know for sure.

But whom could he ask?

Mo Shan was about to go into the mountains for monster hunting, and whether in terms of cultivation or actual combat experience, he was far superior to Mo Hua, making him unsuitable. Since becoming Monster Hunters, Da’hu and his two companions often entered Big Black Mountain, staying for at least three to five days or as long as half a month. Even when they returned, they had a pile of things to get busy with, so they certainly couldn’t be bothered.

Dazhu and the others were also busy learning artifact refining with Master Chen every day.

Zhang Lan?

Mo Hua thought for a moment and then shook his head. Although he seemed to have a lot of free time, he was, after all, a Supervisor at the Taoist Court Office and couldn’t possibly do nothing all day long. Moreover, Zhang Lan had taught him the movement technique himself, and asking him to spar again would be somewhat presumptuous.

Mo Hua couldn’t think of a suitable candidate.

A few days later, Mo Hua delivered some food and wine to Mr. Zhuang and asked a few questions before taking his leave.

When he reached the big pagoda tree, he found Bai Zixi, serene and elegantly reading a book with the glistening, snow-white blossoms gently falling upon her.

Meanwhile, Bai Zisheng lay sprawled under the tree, a book covering his face, portraying the epitome of idleness and listlessness, occasionally rolling about, his demeanor less than dignified.

Mo Hua sighed.

Hearing the noise, Bai Zisheng immediately sat up, his eyes bright and focused on Mo Hua.