Chapter 623: Unspoken Yet Passed Down - The Quest for Immortality

Chapter 623: Unspoken Yet Passed Down Thus began Xiaoyu's life within the sect. Every day, he lived and ate alongside Mohua, though classes were a different matter. Because he was just beginning the Qi refining stage, he needed to nurture his meridians and solidify his foundation. This foundational method was costly, requiring numerous celestial treasures and precious spiritual elixirs. The specific approach varied from person to person, and each family's hereditary method differed. Even Tai Xu Sect didn't teach these. So, while Mohua attended classes at the Dao Transmission Pavilion, Yuer stayed in the disciples' residence to work on his foundation, cultivate, and complete assignments, later guided by Wen Ren Wei to learn various Daoist texts. After class, Mohua returned to the disciples' residence. Yuer, holding a small bowl, would sit beside Mohua and eat with him. The other disciples were astounded by the small Yuer. Dressed in a miniature Tai Xu Sect robe, he looked like a disciple of the sect but was far too young to actually be one... Cheng Mo curiously asked Mohua, "Mohua, who is this little one?" Yuer, not pleased, retorted in a childish voice, "I'm not a little one, I'm Shangguan Yu!" "Shangguan Yu?" Cheng Mo furrowed his brows, "From the Shangguan family?" Yuer ignored him, mimicking Mohua as he began shoveling rice into his mouth. Cheng Mo, helpless, could hardly argue with a child, so he turned back to Mohua and asked, "Is he your brother?" Mohua gently patted Yuer's head, replying, "Sort of..." Cheng Mo scrutinized them both, mumbling, "They do look quite alike..." "Shangguan family..." Another disciple exclaimed in surprise and quietly asked, "Mohua, do you have Shangguan family blood?" Mohua shook his head, "No." Cheng Mo chastised the other disciple in a low voice: "Idiot, such things aren't said out loud! Clearly, it needs to be kept secret. If you ask me, Mohua must be an abandoned illegitimate child of the Shangguan family..." Mohua, also displeased, said, "If you have time, focus on your studies and practice formations. I think you should spend your limited time researching the Eight Trigrams rather than gossiping here..." At the mention of formations, Cheng Mo's head started to ache. He immediately became obedient, smiling awkwardly: "No, no, 'little senior brother,' I was just joking..." Seeing how a single sentence from Mohua could subdue the tall, robust man so completely, Yuer's eyes shone with admiration. "It seems that Brother Mo is quite formidable within the Tai Xu Sect!" With this realization, Yuer, who had been a bit anxious and uneasy due to the new environment and multitude of strangers at Tai Xu Sect, instantly straightened his back. He scooted closer to Mohua, contentedly holding his small bowl, and resumed eating. Thereafter, Yuer settled in the disciples' residence. His adorable appearance and pure-hearted nature made him a beloved, almost mascot-like presence. Yuer and Mohua were very close. And since Mohua was considered the "little senior brother" among them, this relationship made everyone especially caring towards Yuer. Moreover, Yuer was accompanied by a bodyguard, whose aura was subdued yet distinguished, like a mountain in repose—indicating profound mastery. Special admission with a bodyguard—this was no ordinary child. Some disciples, with familial ties to the Shangguan family, inquired with their elders and discovered Yuer's identity, which left them even more astonished. Through them, the name "Shangguan Yu" came to signify something of great import, making their gaze toward Mohua more laden with meaning. The Shangguan family sent their heir into Tai Xu Sect to be your "little follower." What kind of deep "connections" and powerful "backing" does that entail... Claim you have no background? You're fooling no one! These disciples became increasingly polite toward Mohua. Mohua, in contrast, was somewhat puzzled... ... With Yuer residing in the disciples' quarters, Mohua's life underwent some changes. However, after a few days of adjustment, things quickly settled back into a routine. By day, he continued attending classes, cultivating, and learning. Occasionally, he substituted for Old Mister Xun. What was supposed to be "occasionally" became more frequent. Old Mister Xun grew increasingly lazy, claiming advanced age and declining energy, essentially handing over his duties. Now, Mohua basically conducted all formation teachings. The truth of this was uncertain. After class, returning to the disciples' quarters, Mohua would sometimes complete assignments with Yuer. He would study spells and practice formations. Yuer, meanwhile, earnestly tackled foundational coursework. During the day, his nerves and unease prevented him from focusing on work. However, in the evening, being with Mohua brought tranquility, allowing him to learn more intently. By midnight, Yuer slept. Mohua also slept, though he remained vigilant, guarding against demons disturbing Yuer next door. He simultaneously immersed his consciousness in his sea of awareness to continue learning formations. Fortunately, no demons foolishly disrupted Yuer's peace. Regrettably, no reckless demons provided Mohua with "food" either... Thus, the sect life unfolded in a calm, peaceful, busy, and fulfilling manner. During rest periods, Mohua accompanied Murong Senior Sister and others on bounty missions. Originally, his idea was to specify tasks himself, have Uncle Gu issue them, then Murong Senior Sister would accept the tasks, and he would tag along. Catching a criminal cultivator meant gaining both legacy and merits. But that was overly idealistic. He rarely visited the Dao Court Department, rarely encountered Uncle Gu, and thus couldn't have Uncle Gu issue tasks. Fundamentally, this plan failed. Mohua sighed. He could only come up with something once he chanced upon Uncle Gu. With no path to the Dao Court Department for now, Mohua could only rely on opportunities to accept bounties. Diligently monitoring the Tai Xu Order, he contacted Murong Caiyun whenever he came across tasks that felt "suspicious." Through time spent together, Mohua was pleasantly surprised to discover that Murong Senior Sister held much higher standing in Tai Xu Sect than he had anticipated. High prestige, popularity, top-notch background, talent, and capability made her the undisputed "Senior Sister" of her cohort. Her authority in accepting tasks was correspondingly high. The missions Mohua sought were always within Murong Caiyun’s reach. Thanks to this, even relying on "coincidences" to take on bounties, Mohua frequently managed to capture a few criminal cultivators and acquire some spells. Murong Caiyun gradually got used to having her junior disciple, Mohua, accompany her on tasks. Since she accepted the tasks, she was frequently alongside Mohua, thus knowing him best. Although Mohua’s physique was weak, with limited spiritual power and a relatively low personal combat ability... He excelled in stealth, had superb evasive techniques, ensuring survival... Scouting, investigating, tracking, setting traps, coordinating ambushes, spell control—he mastered each skill. He was a whiz at formations, possessing an impressive variety, ranging from unheard-of, niche formations to widely accepted ones. Apart from lacking in destructive power, he was practically a treasury of formations; a versatile little junior brother... Every time she undertook a mission with Mohua, tasks ran smoothly. Yet she felt a pang of regret associated with that Five Elements Augmenting Formation. Murong Caiyun never mentioned it, but she couldn't forget the sensation of augmentation, of spiritual power boiling. She longed to experience the swift flow of spiritual power again, craving that enhanced spell power under the Five Elements augmentation. Unfortunately, such opportunities were few. Enemies that could be defeated without the Five Elements augment were already won without it. Undefeatable foes warranted the wise choice of avoiding confrontation. Even originally equal adversaries were weakened through Mohua's reconnaissance, ambush setting, and control tactics. Similarly, these did not necessitate augmented spells. Nor did they call for high-spending upper-tier spells for decisive outcomes. Only a truly formidable enemy or a desperation-fueled life-or-death battle might demand it... ... Two more months passed, with Mohua continuing to partake in missions. Completing numerous bounties, capturing seven or eight criminal cultivators, acquiring several Five Elements spells, his merit points accumulated, reaching one thousand one hundred and thirty. Five hundred points stemmed from Old Hidden Second’s task. Old Hidden Second’s task originally couldn't yield so many merit points, but he was wanted by the Dao Court Department. Master of concealment and assassination, with numerous lives taken. All these various charges accumulated into a substantial sum of merit. Mohua was overjoyed. The subsequent captures were merely typical offenders, yielding at most a hundred-plus points, the least only tens. Yet Mohua was content. Even a small amount of progress is far better than painstakingly creating a first-grade formation, earning mere points at a time. 1,130 points! Mohua felt affluent! These merit points were painstakingly earned by him, and he felt reluctant to spend them. Yet, adhering to the principle of "making the most of resources," accumulating points only to leave them unused would render his efforts meaningless. Thus, he ventured to the Merit Pavilion. Under the astonished gaze of the Merit Elder, Mohua flamboyantly purchased six sets of second-grade sixteen-pattern formations in one go. He spent over a thousand merit points in total. The Merit Elder stood dumbfounded for a while before incredulously remarking, "Kid, did you rob someone?" Mohua shook his head. "Did you commit murder and robbery?" "Did you steal someone else's Tai Xu Order?" "Or did you... secretly alter the Tai Xu Order?!" Mohua looked helplessly exasperated, "Elder, do I seem like that kind of person?" The Merit Elder gazed at Mohua’s sharp features and shook his head, "You don't look it, but one never knows who people are behind closed doors..." "Pulling off murder and robbery, or altering the Tai Xu Order—I'd have to be capable of such feats first..." Mohua sighed in resignation. The Merit Elder pondered for a moment before nodding, "True, perhaps I overestimated you..." The Merit Elder deliberated further. Given Tai Xu Order's longstanding and entrenched system, there should be no discrepancies. Since he openly came to use his points, his conscience ought to be clear. As for the obscure origins... Since it's recorded within the Tai Xu Order, it must conform with regulations and protocols. There's no need to give this youngster a hard time. "Hang on..." The Merit Elder turned around and retrieved several formation diagrams, encapsulated together, from the densely packed jade cabinets. After marking down the records, he handed them to Mohua. However, curiosity got the better of him. "Eight-Merging Kan Water Formation, Floating Cloud Xun Wind Formation, Gen Earth Mountain Marsh Formation..." "These are all second-grade sixteen-pattern formations. You're still early in the Foundation Establishment stage—what do you need them for?" Mohua replied with a playful smile, "I'm just doing some research..." With a solemn expression, the Merit Elder warned, "This is no trifling matter. If your divine sense isn't sufficient, studying these formations might deplete your mental resources, damaging your foundation..." "Understood!" Mohua graciously accepted the elder's well-meaning advice, smiling. "Don't worry, Elder; Old Mister Xun is aware of my studies." He brought up Old Mister Xun again. Old Mister Xun's name indeed held sway; the Merit Elder eased up once he heard it: "Very well, go ahead. Keep learning diligently under Old Mister Xun." "Thank you, Elder!" Mohua bade farewell with a respectful bow. Back at the disciples' residence, during his time with Yuer for assignments, Mohua spread out the six sets of second-grade sixteen-pattern formations, poring over them with relish. A total of six. All were formations based on the Eight Trigrams, sixteen-patterned, a common formation type, and somewhat unfamiliar to Mohua. Yet, the underlying principles of formations often interconnected. Having studied the Eight Trigrams formations for some time, Mohua had developed his insights. Thus, even if the formations were unfamiliar, after some contemplation, he could discern the essence. After midnight, he practiced repeatedly on the Dao Tablet. About a month later, Mohua had largely mastered them. It was around this time that Mohua realized a forgotten task amidst his bustling schedule: the second-grade sixteen-pattern formation was a requirement for evaluating a second-tier mid-grade array master. But his current array master tier was merely first-grade, which seemed absurdly low. "Should I go and request second-grade Tian Shu Rings?" "I wonder if the second-grade Tian Shu Rings are appealing." With these musings, Mohua proceeded to the Elder’s residence. In Qianzhou, with its multitude of families and complex power dynamics, decisions regarding array master evaluations weren't up to Mohua alone; humility was required, thus he sought the counsel of Old Mister Xun. Within the Elder’s quarters, Old Mister Xun was leisurely sipping tea. Having entrusted the formation classes to Mohua, Old Mister Xun felt assured and found some leisure time, allowing him to reflect and compile his lifelong teachings on formation arts. This compilation would eventually be handed over to Mohua, allowing Old Mister Xun to fully embrace a managerial, hands-off role. Mohua was no stranger to Old Mister Xun’s abode. The boy at the gate didn't stop him either. The room was simple, elegant, and devoid of any clutter or excessive ornamentation, embracing a return to simplicity. After entering the room, Mohua paid his respects and softly inquired of Old Mister Xun: "Sir, is it appropriate for me to apply for a second-grade beginner array master evaluation now?" "Evaluation, eh..." Old Mister Xun took a sip of tea, pondered briefly, and nodded, "It’s feasible. Go for it..." As if recalling something, he put down his teacup and asked in passing, "How far have you progressed?" "Approximately up to sixteen patterns..." Mohua replied. "Sixteen patterns, indeed..." Old Mister Xun nodded, "Then that's roughly it. Study a bit more, consolidate your knowledge, and you'll approach second-grade medium..." Old Mister Xun paused, furrowing his brow, "How many patterns did you say?" "Sixteen..." Old Mister Xun was taken aback, staring at Mohua speechless. Mohua then recalled he hadn’t informed Old Mister Xun about his sixteen-pattern divine sense. Moreover, Tai Xu Sect elders did not pry into disciples' mental seas. "Sir..." Mohua softly called out. Old Mister Xun returned to his senses, his brow twitching, "When did this happen?" Fairly recently... That night guarding Yuer at the Shangguan family, after eliminating a host of demon ghosts and "devouring" a Horn Samsara, and subsequent digestion, his divine sense reached sixteen patterns. However, fearing Old Mister Xun couldn't comprehend, Mohua subtly replied, "Just these past couple of days..." "Mm." Old Mister Xun nodded, attempting composure, yet inwardly drawing a sharp breath... Sixteen patterns! How much time had passed, and already a sixteen-pattern divine sense! Early Foundation Establishment, sixteen-pattern divine sense, with no known limit! What little monster is this swap of our venerable ancestors? Opening Tai Xu Sect to recruits for over a millennium, probably never had they encountered such a prodigy! He ranked visiting Tai Xu’s ancestral grave in the secluded back hills to inspect for auspicious signs. Forcing himself to remain composed, Old Mister Xun furrowed his brows, recognizing the situation with clarity. Aha... "So, the previous time you inquired about the sixteen-pattern Beacon Fire Magnetic Formation..." "It was actually because your divine sense was nearing sixteen patterns, hence consulting preemptively for future comprehension..." "Solid and practical, yet foresightful... Impressive." Observing Old Mister Xun's perennial stern face shifting expressions unbeknownst to him, Mohua asked: "Sir, can I proceed with the evaluation?" Old Mister Xun flinched, his eyebrows lifting. Of course, you can! If you can't proceed, who can? With a sixteen-pattern divine sense and such profound formation arts skills, if you can’t secure an evaluation, I’ll personally remove the noses of those field examiners. However, just as Old Mister Xun was about to speak, he paused again, with a tinge of worry emerging between his brows. Sixteen patterns... It's extraordinary... If you do go through with the evaluation, an uproar is inevitable. He only recently joined, not even a year, and this much limelight would surely invite jealousy and undue attention. Such fame often breaches serenity of mind, leading to restlessness, making it difficult to delve deep into formations. It would also attract unwarranted attention from unsavory figures... This exceptional talent was too precious to be squandered prematurely... After careful contemplation, Old Mister Xun shook his head, sighing, "It might be challenging..." Mohua was shocked, "A sixteen-pattern evaluation is still challenging?" Old Mister Xun solemnly stated, "You should understand, strong divine sense is merely a solid foundation for learning formations; it doesn’t inherently mean stellar formation skills." "Formation arts demand talent, insight, and refinement." "This is the realm of Qianhou, teeming with geniuses and celestial talents in formations, numerous and varied..." "Maintain a heart of humility..." "Never underestimate others..." "Some individuals, their divine sense might not match yours, but they have been exposed to formations from a young age, with family teachings and solid groundwork; their understanding and experience may not pale in comparison..." Reflecting on this, Mohua couldn’t help but nod, recognizing the wisdom in Old Mister Xun's words. Never discount the formation talents of Qianzhou! Mohua earnestly declared, "Sir speaks the truth—always beyond oneself lays a higher sky and people; I understand these principles!" Old Mister Xun quietly appraised Mohua, thinking that while it’s suitable for others to utter such platitudes, perhaps he need not. Who knows what that remoter “sky” beyond people might entail... Regardless, such things were best left unsaid. Considering further, Old Mister Xun let out another sigh, adding: "And the most crucial point..." "Even though you have the capability for an evaluation, the Dao Court's ranking process depends on available slots and requires sponsorship. Considering your young age and lack of seniority, it's quite inconvenient to have you recommended for it..." "Moreover, the evaluation procedure is rather rigid and examination-like, entailing a host of cumbersome steps filled with standardized, procedural, yet unsubstantial content..." "This would be a colossal waste of time and, truth be told, wouldn't improve your formation skills." "Your current task is to continue learning formations diligently, enhancing yourself steadily, rather than wasting time on these rigid, examination-like processes." "When your expertise reaches a certain pinnacle and there's a necessity, you can then consider undergoing an evaluation." "In the face of absolute mastery in formations, these trivial, examination-like barriers won't matter at all..." Mohua nodded repeatedly as he listened. Yet he couldn't help but express a concern: "Sir, if I can't get a rank evaluation, I can't accept second-grade formation tasks, and it's quite slow to accumulate merit points..." Though, in reality, his current rate of accumulating merit points wasn't particularly slow. He merely wished to speed up the process... "Merit points..." Old Mister Xun stroked his beard and nodded slightly. This indeed presented a challenge. He had previously overlooked this. With Mohua’s sixteen-pattern divine sense, he naturally should be learning sixteen-pattern formations. But the merit points required to exchange for these formations were substantial. Relying on him to earn them through "entry-level" tasks would likely take an inordinate amount of time. This could significantly hinder Mohua’s progress in learning formations. And this was contrary to his initial purpose. The idea was for Mohua to earn merit points for the experience, to connect with fellow disciples, fostering mutual support and a sense of sect pride, not to deliberate obstacles. After a brief contemplation, Old Mister Xun declared: "No matter, I'll adjust your permissions. Within Tai Xu Sect, you'll be a second-grade array master." Mohua was taken aback. Is that even possible… In a low voice, Mohua asked, "If you adjust it to a second grade, will I be treated as such?" "Naturally," Old Mister Xun replied. "If you earn a title, the sect grants you corresponding permissions. Even though you haven't been evaluated, with my endorsement, the permissions can still be granted..." "Permissions from the sect essentially act as a form of approval." "With approval, you're able to accept tasks." "Otherwise, taking a second-grade formation task, would you have to present a second-grade Tian Shu Ring?" "Oh, I see." Mohua nodded in understanding. "Hand over your Tai Xu Order…” Mohua passed his Tai Xu Order to Old Mister Xun. Old Mister Xun took the Tai Xu Order. Without further ado, he performed the necessary adjustments to modify its permissions right in front of Mohua… Watching from the side, Mohua suddenly found himself dumbstruck. Shockwaves roiled within him. Granting permissions was straightforward and brief, but altering permissions was another matter entirely. Previously, Mohua wouldn't have comprehended this. Things were different now; he had learned the Yuan Magnetic Formation and used arcane calculations to amplify deductions, uncovering the essence within magnetic patterns—the sub-thunder patterns. He had even amassed a "sub-thunder pattern archive," using these patterns to unlock both seal and secret patterns. Presently, he could distinctly perceive... That the so-called "modifying permissions" involved Old Mister Xun utilizing a distinctly unique sub-thunder pattern, which reversed the formation effects, altering dual magnetic patterns, thus changing the foundational permissions within the Tai Xu Order!! Mohua was utterly astonished. This feeling was akin to… Witnessing someone openly demonstrate, with a gleaming golden key, precisely how to unlock a hidden treasure vault… I apologize for the delay, something came up~ (.) (End of Chapter)