Master Qian smiled wryly upon hearing this, "Little Master Mo is too courteous. I don’t dare claim the word ’review’..."
With Mo Hua’s level of expertise in formations, he truly had no place to "review" anything.
But Master Qian was curious about what kind of formation book Mo Hua would compile.
He opened the "Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method" and after a few glances, he was stunned.
This was no ordinary formation book.
It was a comprehensive guide to learning all the principles of first-grade formations and below, from a single formation pattern up to nine patterns, with depth and simplicity, progressively explaining the principles of first-grade formations and the laws of Spiritual Power operation.
Plain yet profound, with a deep foundation in Formation knowledge.
It’s even more valuable because it isn’t limited to basic Formation principles; it teaches how to advance further and learn more complex Compound Formations after mastering the Nine-Pattern Formation.
All of this is explained in this "Comprehensive Explanation."
It means that this "Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method" can not only help Cultivators who are unfamiliar with Formations to learn First-grade Formation Methods from scratch, step by step.
But also for someone like me, a "pseudo-First-grade" Formation Master who is stuck at the assessment threshold, it’s beneficial, teaching higher-level Formations that can help me cross the threshold and gain the ability to pass the assessment and become a true First-grade Formation Master.
This book represents a continuous and comprehensive transmission of Formation inheritance.
Even the Formation tradition collected by the Qian Family over hundreds of years cannot compare to it.
Master Qian’s hands trembled, feeling the heavy weight of the book in his hands, he couldn’t help but ask,
"Is this... really for me to take?"
He felt unworthy of it.
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Formations, if hoarded selfishly, become nothing but stale knowledge. They only become true Formations when they are passed down, allowing more people to understand and benefit more Cultivators. This is how it conforms to the Heavenly Dao."
Mo Hua’s eyes were clear, and his tone sincere.
In that moment, Master Qian even felt somewhat ashamed. He sighed and said solemnly,
"Rest assured, Mr. Mo, I will keep my promise and pass on these Formation Methods for the rest of my life!"
Mo Hua felt greatly relieved and gave a bow,
"Then I must thank Master Qian for his trouble!"
Master Qian hurriedly returned the bow, "Mr. Mo, you are too polite!"
After a moment of thought, Mo Hua said, "There is one more thing, I’d like to ask Master Qian for a favor."
"Please don’t call it a ’trouble,’ Mr. Mo, just let me know."
Mo Hua said, "I’d like to ask Master Qian to take in a child and teach him Formations personally."
Master Qian was slightly startled, "Who is this child?"
"His last name is Chu, and his nickname is Zhouer. I once promised his father, Uncle Chu, to teach him Formations, but at that time, Zhouer was too young to learn."
"Having made that promise, I cannot go back on my word."
"I will be traveling and I don’t know when I will return, so I’d like to ask Master Qian to help and teach Formations on my behalf, so he will have a means to make a living in the future."
"Chu Zhouer..." Master Qian repeated the name then nodded, "Rest assured, Mr. Mo, I will teach him well."
"Then I am very grateful to Master Qian!"
Afterwards, Mo Hua got up to leave, and Master Qian respectfully saw him to the door.
After leaving, Mo Hua went to find Master Luo and also gave him a copy of the "Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method."
Master Luo treasured it, filled with gratitude.
The basic Formation techniques inside didn’t mean much to Master Luo, but the insights into Formations included in the appendix were invaluable to him and might even help him break through the bottleneck of becoming a First-grade Formation Master.
Mo Hua mentioned to Master Luo his request for Master Qian to teach Formations to Loose Cultivators. Master Luo, somewhat surprised, thought for a moment, then nodded his approval, saying,
"That’s a very good idea!"
It passed on Formation knowledge and eased tensions as well.
Seeing Master Luo relaxing at home, leisurely drinking tea, Mo Hua became curious and asked,
"Aren’t you going to Lanshan Sect anymore?"
Previously, when a Big Demon appeared and Tongxian City had to relocate, Master Luo found a way out by taking a position as an Outer Gate Elder at Lanshan Sect.
Master Luo shook his head, "Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. I know my own worth."
"If it weren’t for no other choice, I wouldn’t want to leave Tongxian City."
Master Luo smiled wryly, "It’s not embarrassing to say to you, Mr. Mo, that here in Tongxian City, I am revered as a First-grade Formation Master. But outside, I would simply be an ordinary Outer Gate Elder, in a position neither high nor low and subjected to others’ control. It may look impressive, but it’s not comfortable. I would not subject myself to that hardship."
Mo Hua questioned, "But aren’t the Formation inheritances better outside? Don’t you want to advance further?"
"Just because you want to progress further doesn’t mean you can," Master Luo shook his head. "When a power grows large, so do the interests involved. And with more interests come inevitable backstabbing and scheming."
"Formations, sometimes, are better pursued outside the limelight, seeking tranquility and distance. When your mind is disturbed, it’s not easy to learn well, and you might even end up learning the wrong way."
"Besides, getting a Formation inheritance from outside is not easy," sighed Master Luo. "You might exert a lot of effort to get just scraps and leftovers that can scarcely fill your stomach, all the while enduring disdain from others..."
Then Mo Hua realized that Master Luo had his own story.
Perhaps he too had once ventured out, weathered the storm, struggled bitterly, yet still ended with nothing and faced others’ cold looks.
That’s probably why he returned to Tongxian City, to lie on his bamboo chair, drink tea, and live a steady and stable life.
"You don’t feel resentful?" inquired Mo Hua curiously.
"Everybody has their fate; it cannot be forced," Master Luo seemed at peace with this, "and as for inheritance, sometimes it’s a matter of chance..."
He gently patted the copy of the "Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method" that Mo Hua had given him, "See, chance has just arrived, hasn’t it?"
Mo Hua was startled, then couldn’t help but laugh, finding Master Luo to be quite an interesting person.
After sharing several cups of Master Luo’s cherished tea and discussing some Formation knowledge, as the sky grew dark, Mo Hua got up to leave.
Master Luo also stood up and personally saw Mo Hua out.
Watching Mo Hua’s retreating figure, Master Luo muttered to himself,
"To follow his mentor and travel, that’s to receive personal instruction..."
"If he returns after learning well, having advanced even further in Formations, that would truly be... boundless..."
Master Luo murmured appreciatively, then with an expectant expression, watched Mo Hua’s silhouette and whispered,
"Study hard..."