Immortality Through Array Formations

Chapter 298: Chapter 297 Divine Sense Proving the Dao_1

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What kind of Taoist Foundation should be established?

Mo Hua had never considered this question before, so he asked:

“What’s the difference between Foundation Establishment and Foundation Establishment?”

“Cultivators differ greatly from one another, and so naturally do the Foundations they establish.”

Mr. Zhuang continued to explain:

“The foundation of a cultivator relies on Divine Sense, Spiritual Power, and the physical body.”

“Different cultivators have inherent distinctions in their Sea of Consciousness, Qi Sea, and physical body from birth, and the Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills they practice are also varied. With different choices, the path of their cultivation will naturally differ as well.”

Mo Hua was a bit worried now.

He originally thought that just being able to establish a Foundation was good enough, but he hadn’t expected that there’d be so much to consider even for Foundation Establishment, including the need to choose what to cultivate.

He had never thought about these matters before and had no idea what to do at the moment.

“Gentleman, can’t I just take it one step at a time?” Mo Hua said quietly.

Mr. Zhuang replied, “For Cultivators practicing Tao Cultivation, Qi Refinement nurtures the foundation, and Foundation Establishment paves the way. Every step lays a footprint. You must consider from the beginning which path you want to take and which Dao you want to cultivate. It will be extremely difficult to change course later on.”

Mo Hua paused, then asked weakly, “Gentleman, what do you think I am better suited to cultivate?”

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and stated bluntly:

“Your physical body isn’t up to par, and your Spiritual Root… isn’t that great either.”

Mo Hua knew all too well about being innately frail and having a median Spiritual Root, but hearing Mr. Zhuang say it out loud still made him feel uncomfortable. He tentatively asked:

“Is it really that bad?”

He thought it wasn’t too bad; at least his Spiritual Root was below average.

Seeing Mo Hua’s watery eyes, Mr. Zhuang found it hard to be direct.

“Not exactly bad…” Mr. Zhuang said euphemistically, “but there is great potential!”

Mo Hua was stunned; his expression grew complex.

Mr. Zhuang’s words were indeed very euphemistic…

Great potential for the future means that his abilities are lacking now…

“Is there any possibility for me to engage in Body Refinement in the future, or to have any advantages with Spiritual Power?” Mo Hua still harbored a glimmer of hope.

Mr. Zhuang stroked his chin, “It depends on who you compare yourself with.”

“How so?”

Mr. Zhuang explained, “First of all, you have an inferior median-grade Spiritual Root, which seems not too bad. But that is only when compared to Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City. Compared to Cultivators from Clans or Sect Disciples, especially those from the third or fourth rank powers and above, you would be considered subpar.”

Mo Hua nodded; this was indeed the case.

The Spiritual Roots of some Clans and Sect Disciples were definitely much better than his.

“Do you know about the inheritance of Spiritual Roots?” Mr. Zhuang asked.

“Mm.” Mo Hua nodded.

He had heard from An Xiaofu that when spouses had different Spiritual Roots, there were patterns to follow in the grades and types of Spiritual Roots their children would inherit. This was Spiritual Root inheritance.

Mr. Zhuang said, “More than twenty thousand years ago, when the Taoist Court was first established, Superior Spiritual Roots were indeed extremely rare, and even the lowest grade of Superior Spiritual Roots would be given great importance and cultivated with considerable effort…”

“But since some Noble Clans discovered that Spiritual Roots could be inherited and that this inheritance can be controlled, all Clans and Sects have followed this principle for arranging marriages and unions for their children.”

“Because of this, in today’s larger Family Sects and Clans, Superior Spiritual Roots are commonplace, and even the lowest grade of Superior Spiritual Roots is no longer considered a rare type.”

Mr. Zhuang silently looked at Mo Hua again, without speaking.

If even the lowest grade of Superior Spiritual Root wasn’t rare, what about Mo Hua’s inferior median-grade Spiritual Root?

An inferior median-grade is three thresholds away from a median-grade Superior Spiritual Root.

Mr. Zhuang considerately didn’t say it aloud.

Yet Mo Hua understood what Mr. Zhuang meant and couldn’t help but hang his head, letting out a long sigh.

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Mr. Zhuang, however, hadn’t finished speaking and continued,

“This is only when compared to the average disciples of noble clans and family sects. If you further compare yourself to their most distinguished talents, the gap between you and them is even larger.”

“Without even going far, just take Zisheng and Zixi as examples. In terms of the innate talents of your physical body and spiritual root, there is also a vast difference between you and them.”

“Is the gap really that big?” Mo Hua asked quietly.

Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment but decided to tell the truth, “The gap isn’t just big, in fact, it’s even bigger than what I’ve said…”

Mo Hua was shocked.

He didn’t realize that the talents of Zisheng and Zixi were so high.

Or rather, that his talent was so low?

Thinking of Mr. Zhuang’s previous talk of the “Heavenly Dao” and “Divine Sense,” Mo Hua said,

“Then should I focus on cultivating my Divine Sense?”

Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, “Correct, since you can’t compete with others in terms of the physical body and spiritual root, then simply give up on competing in those areas and just focus on your Divine Sense instead.”

“Your physical body and spiritual root are weaker than you think, but your Divine Sense is actually stronger than you think.”

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and thought to himself, “It might even be much stronger than I imagine…”

Mo Hua, unaware of Mr. Zhuang’s thoughts and still somewhat fixated on the natural talents of his physical body and spiritual root, asked,

“Then can my physical and spiritual root issues be improved?”

Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly and said,

“Physical weakness is an innate issue, it can be improved, but no matter how much it’s improved, it won’t change the fundamental nature. At most, after improvement, the body wouldn’t be so weak, but it also won’t become much stronger. It cannot compare with cultivators born with innate body refinement capabilities.”

“As for the spiritual root, it’s predetermined at birth. Whatever spiritual root you’re born with, you’ll have for life. It can’t be changed, and if it’s inferior to others’, then it’s inferior, and there’s no other remedy.”

“So, I should focus on what I’m strong at and avoid my weaknesses, is that it?” Mo Hua said.

Mr. Zhuang nodded, “Divine Sense, spiritual power, and physical body are the foundations of a cultivator’s cultivation. These three are indispensable, but the path of the Heavenly Dao is harsh, and a person’s innate abilities are limited. Ultimately, it’s impossible to excel in everything. In Tao cultivation, you don’t need to be stronger than others in every aspect, just being profound in one aspect is good.”

Mo Hua nodded, feeling like his mind had suddenly cleared, and then curiously said,

“Then, are there people who excel in all aspects?”

Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a moment, then slowly said, “There are, but such individuals with heaven-defying talents are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Even when looking across the entire Tao Cultivation World, they are peerless geniuses that come once in a thousand years!”

Mo Hua felt a bit envious, but then thought better of it.

Without even thinking about it, he knew that cultivating Divine Sense, spiritual power, and physical body all at once would require a profound Tao cultivation legacy, vast resources of spirit stones, and extremely precious Heaven and Earth spiritual items for sustenance.

Even if he possessed such peerless genius, without the legacy and resources, he would be a pearl covered in dust, wasting his talents.

One shouldn’t be too greedy; cultivating his Divine Sense was good enough for him.

But if he were to focus on cultivating Divine Sense, could he really aspire to the Great Dao? Moreover, he seemed not to have heard any cultivators focusing solely on Divine Sense.

After thinking for a while, Mo Hua asked, “Gentleman, are there other cultivators who focus on Divine Sense?”

“Very few.”

“How few?”

Mr. Zhuang said, “Normal cultivators wouldn’t cultivate Divine Sense.”

Mo Hua was stunned, feeling conflicted. Did that mean he was an “abnormal” cultivator…

Mr. Zhuang smiled a bit, “The strength of the physical body and spiritual power are obvious, while the strength of Divine Sense is subtle and, being abstract, hard to grasp. Besides some Formation Masters who, due to the needs of Formation techniques, must possess a strong Divine Sense and thereby have no choice but to focus on it, other cultivators seldom choose this path.”

“I see…” Mo Hua sighed softly.

Mr. Zhuang’s gaze became intense, “But you are different. With an inherently weak body and ordinary spiritual root, Divine Sense is almost your sole advantage, and it’s far too strong…”

“If that is the case, then cultivate your Divine Sense to the extreme, to a level so profound that other cultivators can only look on from a distance and even behold it with awe…”

Gazing at the small figure of Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang said with a far-reaching look,

“As long as you cultivate your Divine Sense strong enough, one day, you will be able to prove the Dao with Divine Sense, and with Supreme Divine Sense, you will glimpse The True Meaning of the Dao!”