The Quest for Immortality

Occasionally, a Golden Core Instructor was responsible for substitute teaching.

This Golden Core Stage Instructor was a direct disciple of Elder Gongsun and also a true disciple of the Inner Gate.

However, other courses focused on Tao Cultivation skills were not so strict.

For example, the one teaching Refining Rune was an externally hired Golden Core Instructor;

The one teaching Alchemy was a Guest elder in the Feather Transformation Realm;

The one teaching Artifact Refining was an ordinary elder of the Inner Gate;

There were also ones teaching general knowledge of the Cultivation World, history books, and classics, some of whom were externally hired instructors with low cultivation levels but had traveled extensively outside for years, broad in knowledge, old in age, but only at the Golden Core stage.

Without understanding these, one would never know who, standing in the Tao Teaching Room, was lecturing them, whoever the sacred figure might be.

Even if one did understand these, it was sometimes hard to recognize them.

And what Mo Hua could not understand most was the ”old Elder” mentioned by Senior Brother Shangguan Xu.

”The one teaching Formation Method is very old and quirky, extremely strict, cannot tolerate the slightest fault, and absolutely does not allow disciples to be negligent...”

This old Elder was respectfully called ”Elder Master Xun” by the students.

Elder Master Xun wore the Taixu Gate Taoist Robe, extremely simple, without any embroidered Sword Patterns, and the style was very old, who knew from how many years or generations ago.

He was old and frail, with a weak aura, seemingly not of high cultivation.

The only impression left was truly ”old.”

His face was full of wrinkles, somewhat hunched, hair and beard all white, with only his eyes shining, stubborn and strict.

Even stricter than Instructor Yan.

Elder Master Xun taught Mo Hua Formation principles.

Mo Hua was extremely serious when attending Elder Master Xun’s classes at first, sitting up very straight.

But after a few times, he began to slacken off.

Because he found the introductory Formation classes for the initial stage of Foundation Establishment at Taixu Gate were only teaching First-grade Formation Methods...

For the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, learning First-grade Formations was considered standard.

Moreover, some disciples were not good at Formation Methods at all, teaching them First-grade Formations was even considered ”overly advanced” for them as they found it very difficult to learn.

But for Mo Hua, it was very boring...

He already knew these things by heart.

Elder Master Xun’s voice was hoarse and serious, emphasizing the importance of the basics of Formation Methods:

”Formation Methods value the fundamentals; without a solid foundation, rashly learning more difficult Formation Methods is nothing but rootless vines climbing aimlessly, lacking one’s own foundation.”

”Any basic array formation must be firmly memorized, drawn hundreds and thousands of times, refining through forging a thousand times to enhance one’s Array Formation Skill...”

Mo Hua felt this was right, but he had already practiced these...

At first, Elder Master Xun’s classes still had something new, and his understanding of First-grade Formation Methods was profound, so Mo Hua could still listen.

But after all, they were only First Grade, using the generic Five Elements Formation as examples.

Mo Hua understood most of it after listening once or twice, and afterwards, it was just repetitive and dull.

Mo Hua began to slacken off.

Unable to do anything else, and without anything to do during class, he could only study on his own.

While he appeared to be attending the class on the surface, he was actually performing Calculations in his mind and Drawing Second-Grade Formations, occasionally studying ahead for the harder Formation Method courses to see if there was any knowledge he hadn’t learned.

But Calculation greatly drained one’s Divine Sense.

That day in class, while Calculating, Mo Hua wasn’t paying attention and nearly exhausted his Divine Sense.

Since it was during class, he couldn’t meditate to restore his Divine Sense and felt it becoming difficult to focus, his eyelids constantly battling to stay open.

Mo Hua had to forcibly persist.

But at that moment, Elder Master Xun’s monotonous and rigid voice echoed by his ear, hypnotic.

”Formation Methods value the fundamentals, without a solid foundation...”

Unaware, Mo Hua quietly dozed off, his head drooping low.

When he opened his eyes, he realized the room was very quiet.

Even frighteningly quiet.

Mo Hua raised his head and discovered, as expected, that Elder Master Xun stood before him with a deep frown, clearly restraining his anger.

Mo Hua felt a little guilty.

Elder Master Xun also did not rebuke him first, but according to routine said,

”Go up there and draw the Formation Diagram I was just talking about.”

It was a chance for him.

If he could draw it correctly, it would be good; if not, he was in big trouble...

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.

Drawing the Formation would be easy...

At the front of the Formation Method Room was a Large Array Plate where Elder Master Xun would draw Formation Diagrams while explaining the principles.

Mo Hua walked respectfully to the Array Plate, picked up the pen, looked up, and suddenly froze.

He had been a bit nervous just now and forgot to look; now when he looked up, he realized that there were four Formation Diagrams on the Array Plate.

”Draw the Formation Diagram I was just talking about...”

Which Formation Diagram was Elder Master Xun just talking about?

Mo Hua had dozed off; how would he know...

Holding the pen, Mo Hua was hesitant and indecisive, just standing there stupidly.

The disciples below also felt tense for him, whispering quietly to each other:

”Done for...”

”Elder Master Xun’s class, and he dares to doze off...”

”He can’t draw, now he’s really in for it...”

”No good, just watching makes me anxious...”

”Disaster, I just lost focus too... Did Elder Master Xun notice me as well? The next one won’t be me, right... Ancestor of the Cheng Family, please protect me, don’t choose me to go up there, I can’t do it either...”

...

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While Mo Hua was still hesitating, he suddenly felt a chill on his back.

Is this... Elder Master Xun’s Divine Thought?

Mo Hua was startled, and his heart skipped a beat.

It’s over, Elder Master Xun is really angry...

”Forget it, just guess one...”

With closed eyes, Mo Hua randomly chose the most difficult one, his little hand moved swiftly, the pen flowed like a dragon or snake, and in no time, he’d finished drawing it...

After he finished, the Tao Teaching Room instantly became quiet...

The chill on Mo Hua’s back also faded slightly.

”I guessed right...”

Mo Hua sighed in relief.

Suddenly, whispering started again, the disciples murmured softly:

”Just now...”

”His little hand moved so fast, I couldn’t see clearly...”

”He drew it so quickly!”

”How is he so proficient...”

”...But, he drew it wrong, didn’t he? It’s not that one...”

Mo Hua, with his keen Divine Sense, heard everything clearly and complained inside:

”If it’s not this one, then tell me which one it is!”

Helpless, Mo Hua glanced at the other three Formation Diagrams, and feeling the chill on his back intensify once more, he knew Elder Master Xun was getting angry again.

No point in stopping halfway!

Randomly guessing another, swish swish swish, in a few strokes, he finished drawing it.

The Tao Teaching Room became even quieter.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Before Mo Hua could relax, disciples started whispering again:

”Even faster...”

”Is that the hand speed of a Foundation Building Cultivator...”

”Did he grow up eating Formation Diagrams?”

”Which Noble Clan’s cultivator is he? His Formation Painting is both fast and excellent, is it the Ming Family? Or the Zheng Family?…”

”Jealous, I wish I could borrow those hands to draw a Formation just once...”

...

”But, the one Elder Master Xun mentioned wasn’t this one either…”

Mo Hua took a deep, silent breath.

Not this one either?!

Feeling helpless inside, he started to get a little angry.

Not this one either!!

Then I won’t guess anymore, I’ll just draw them all!

If I draw all four, that should definitely be correct!

Mo Hua’s little hand waved, creating afterimages with his wrist, his brushwork outlining like the wind, moving like clouds, flowing like water, and within moments, he had completed the other two Formation Diagrams...

Now the Tao Teaching Room was dead silent.

The disciples below were all agape, speechless, looking at Mo Hua as if they were seeing a ”Small Formation Evil Monster” wrapped in human skin...

Having finished the four Formation Diagrams, Mo Hua set the brush aside, bowed his head, and stood obediently to the side.

Elder Master Xun’s gaze was murky as he looked at Mo Hua, silent for a long moment, contemplating something, finally his voice stern but with a slight tremble said:

”Even with some talent, one mustn’t be conceited or complacent, and certainly not slack...”

”No repeat of this behavior!”

Despite the stern tone, he said ”No repeat of this behavior.”

Mo Hua knew he had dodged a bullet, took a long sigh of relief, and said respectfully:

”Elder Master’s teaching, the disciple will bear in mind!”

Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, ”That will be all for today’s lesson, you may leave.”

The other disciples, as if granted a royal pardon, quickly stood up, bowed respectfully, and said: ”Disciples taking their leave!” Then they quietly and orderly left the Tao Teaching Room.

Mo Hua also slipped away with the crowd.

Elder Master Xun didn’t say anything.

Not until all the disciples had left did he turn to look at the Array Plate on which Mo Hua, with quick, dragon-and-snake-like strokes, had drawn the four Formation Diagrams, meticulous and precise, befitting of a First-grade Formation.

Elder Master Xun’s murky eyes opened slightly, revealing a glimmer.