Manager Mo then smiled happily.
When Mo Hua was about to leave, Manager Mo took out a few boxes of expensive pastries and stuffed them into Mo Hua’s arms:
"Take these and try them."
Mo Hua was unable to decline and had to accept them.
After Mo Hua left, Manager Mo sat alone in the room, pouring and drinking tea by himself, drinking several cups. He looked somewhat melancholic as he mumbled to himself:
"Senior Brother, don’t blame me for being meddlesome..."
"I told Mo Hua about the Spiritual Pivot Formation, don’t be angry with me for that."
"Our sect is gone, so the formation is no longer a secret."
Manager Mo was silent for a while, then looking at the floating tea leaves in his cup, he slowly continued:
"Moreover, I also want to know if it is really possible for anyone to learn that outlandishly extreme first-grade twelve-pattern formation..."
...
Mo Hua bid farewell to Manager Mo, taking with him the memory of the name "South Yue City".
Thinking of Instructor Yan’s charge to him, his expectations, and the somewhat desolate figure he had left behind.
Mo Hua felt rather heavy-hearted for a moment.
Unsure of where Instructor Yan was now, whether he was doing well, if he had encountered any difficulties.
Whether he had found the mentor-killing traitor, and whether he might face any dangers...
```
But worrying now is useless; I hope I really can meet Instructor Yan in the future.
Mo Hua sighed.
Then he thought of another issue:
I originally studied Formation to become a First-grade Formation Master; now that I am about to set out on a journey, should I try to get assessed?
Mo Hua went to ask Mr. Zhuang.
Mr. Zhuang was not surprised and nodded, "You can give it a try."
"Really?" Mo Hua was suddenly nervous, "What if I fail?"
"Just go and take the test; whether you pass or fail doesn’t matter."
That’s what Mr. Zhuang said, but he thought to himself:
"You are now the lead Formation Master of a First-grade Large Formation; how can you possibly not pass the examination for a regular First-grade Formation Master."
"With something like Formation, whether it’s good or bad is clear at a glance, and an expert can see it right away."
"For the assessment, even if there is foul play, they wouldn’t dare to mess with you."
"If they really dare to be ’blind with open eyes’ and revoke your qualification for the First-grade, they will definitely regret it in the future..."
...
Mo Hua nodded, and after thinking, he agreed that a regular First-grade Formation really wasn’t something to worry about.
"When should I go for the assessment then?"
Mo Hua was clueless about the process of the assessment.
"Before you leave on your journey, you must finish the assessment," Mr. Zhuang said.
"Can’t I do it somewhere else?"
"That won’t work," Mr. Zhuang shook his head and patiently explained:
"The assessment of Formation Masters follows a recommendation system and is limited by state boundaries."
"If you want to get assessed, not only do you need a recommendation letter, the number of First-grade Formation Masters allowed is fixed for each state, each boundary, and each city; some places have more quotas, some have less."
"Here in Tongxian City, you have a recommendation; after the assessment, the quota for Tongxian City is taken."
"Once outside, unfamiliar with the place, firstly no one is willing to recommend, and secondly, if you pass the assessment, you take up a quota from another Immortal City, which others are even less willing to give up..."
"That sounds troublesome..." Mo Hua recalled what Mr. Zhuang had said before and asked:
"Is all this complexity designed to set barriers and make a profit?"
"Part of it is," Mr. Zhuang admitted.
"And the other part?"
Mr. Zhuang wanted to explain but didn’t; instead, he just said:
"You’ll gradually find out in the future; knowing now is of no use."
Mo Hua, only partially understanding, nodded and asked again, "Then how is the quota distributed?"
Mr. Zhuang sighed, "There are many factors, including the wealth of the state boundary, the number of Family Sects and Clans, personal connections, and so on... The poorer the state boundary with a weaker Formation heritage, the fewer the quotas, and the more effort one has to put in to become a First-grade Formation Master."
"On the contrary, in places with a deep foundation or entrenched power, there are many quotas given each year, and it’s relatively easier to become a First-grade Formation Master."