259: Cave_1
Cultivators generally have two methods of dealing with formations: one is breaking the formation, and the other is solving the formation.
Breaking the formation involves cultivators forcibly destroying the formation’s eyes, media, pivots, or patterns by relying on their cultivation or martial arts.
Only a Formation Master can solve a formation, and even then, it is used only by a minority of Formation Masters with a broad experience in formations and high level of attainment.
Using the generative and destructive interplay of the formation patterns, the opening and closing structure of the formation pivot, or the proper or reverse flow of spiritual power within the formation eye to remove the formation is what constitutes solving a formation.
Currently, Mo Hua only knows one technique for solving formations, which is through the generative and destructive relationships among the formation patterns.
Just now, having inspected it with Divine Sense for half a day through the stone wall, Mo Hua approximately determined the formation painted inside. The formation inside the stone wall seems to be mainly the Five Elements Earth and Stone Formation, mixed with other scattered small formations.
For a Sin Cultivator, this formation would already be considered not bad.
But in Mo Hua’s eyes, it was not really impressive.
Mo Hua took out ink and brushes from the storage bag and started to draw formation patterns on the stone wall.
In practice, using the generative and destructive relationships among formation patterns to dissolve a formation can result in two scenarios: solving from within and solving from without.
When solving from within, one can see the patterns, and the patterns drawn to solve the formation are on the same side as the formation media.
What Mo Hua regularly practiced, self-drawing and self-solving, actually falls under solving from within.
This, relatively speaking, is a bit easier.
When solving from without, it is done through the formation media, without the ability to see the formation patterns.
One must rely on their experience with formations and understanding to guess the type of formation, sense the location of the formation patterns with Divine Sense, and at the corresponding location, draw the counteracting patterns that will nullify each other, rendering the formation ineffective.
The current situation belonged to solving from without.
Before this, Mo Hua had never tried to solve a formation this way.
Luckily, the formation painted on the stone wall wasn’t complicated, and with Mo Hua’s experience in formations and the strength of Divine Sense, pinpointing the exact locations of the formation patterns was possible.
The next step was simply to draw the counteracting patterns, which was quite straightforward.
In the time it took to brew two cups of tea, Mo Hua had finished drawing the formation patterns to solve the formation on the stone wall.
These patterns, similar in structure to the formation but with a special brushwork, contained the principles of generation and destruction, resembling a reflection of the formation in a mirror—peculiar and profound.
Zhang Lan watched, clicking his tongue in amazement.
With Mo Hua’s final brush stroke, the solution to the formation was complete.
Patterns on the stone wall flashed with flowing light as spiritual power permeated the interior; then, the earth and stones rustled as if bark dried up and tree patterns fell off. The entire stone wall gradually cracked and showed a weathered tan color.
Zhang Lan was secretly astonished, “It was actually successful…”
Moreover, looking at how Mo Hua handled it with such ease, it was clear this was not a fluke; it was a genuine depth of skill in solving formations that allowed success on the first try.
Zhang Lan sighed. He realized he had underestimated Mo Hua’s talent for formations.
Now, it could no longer be considered just a talent for formations but a solid attainment in them.
If he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes, he would never believe that a young cultivator in their teens had already learned to solve formations.
Zhang Lan felt quite emotional in his heart.
With the formation on the stone wall solved, its protection was also lost.
Someone needed to break through the wall.
Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Lan, who quietly said:
“I am not a Body Cultivator.”
Mo Hua looked at him somewhat disdainfully and called out to Mo Shan, “Dad.”
Mo Shan, who was in the distance, came over upon hearing her, “What is it?”
Mo Hua pointed at the stone wall and said, “Dad, this needs to be broken through.”
Mo Shan nodded, his spiritual power invigorated his physical strength, and with one punch, the stone wall was shattered. Once the dust settled, the inside of the wall was revealed.
It was a large cave, dark and very dry.
The cave was filled with spirit stones, various types of spiritual artifacts scattered about, and corners stacked with numerous bottles and jars, mostly pills, as well as some fine wine.
Mo Hua looked on, somewhat shocked, then felt a bit uncomfortable inside.
The more Taoist cultivation resources there are here, the more cultivators have been robbed, and the more people that have died at the hands of these sin cultivators.
Zhang Lan’s expression was grave as he sighed, “No wonder no matter how we interrogated those sin cultivators, they all refused to speak. Now that this cave has been discovered, even if they hadn’t previously committed capital crimes, they are now certainly doomed.”
A cave full of stolen goods, how many people have they robbed and killed…
“How should we deal with these things?” Mo Hua asked.
Zhang Lan pondered for a moment before saying, “Still, we should categorize them and register them in the record.”
He then explained:
“There are many missing merchant caravans and cultivators whose whereabouts are unknown. The items here can be used to confirm identities, to know which merchant caravans were robbed by this group of sin cultivators and which cultivators were killed by them.”
“Many of the families of the missing cultivators are still waiting for them to return. Whether alive or dead, at least they deserve an explanation.”