Chapter 805: Chapter 593 Laying the Foundation
Elder Master Xun began the Formation class by saying,
“Today, we will not study Formations, I will first teach you something more fundamental.”
Mo Hua appeared slightly startled.
The other disciples exchanged glances.
As noble family descendants with diverse Tao Cultivation heritages, they had been exposed to these teachings from a young age. Although not experts, they were still familiar with some basic Formation knowledge.
What else fundamental could be taught?
Elder Master Xun surveyed the room with a stern voice,
“I know that you all come from noble clans with exceptional heritage and are mostly aware of various Tao Cultivation professions…”
“But Formations are different; the basics you know are merely superficial, not even the tip of the iceberg, just one or two bricks on top of the foundation.”
“If you seek to reach higher in the world of Formations, your foundation is still far from sufficient.”
Elder Master Xun’s glance briefly met Mo Hua’s as he continued, “Today, I will speak to you about all the sources and streams of Formations under the heavens…”
The disciples sat up straight.
Mo Hua also sat upright, listening intently.
Elder Master Xun’s murky eyes gleamed as he slowly said,
“The path of Formations is vast and profound.”
“There are many Formations in the world, from Ancient Formations handed down through the ages to modified Formations that have gradually evolved, and even new Formations innovated by later generations atop the efforts of their predecessors…”
“Not only are the categories of Formations complex and numerous, but the types of Formation Patterns are also diverse…”
“Even within the same Formation, there can be different variants.”
“Between different traditions, even the same Formation—from the Formation Patterns to the Formation Pivot, right down to the construction of the Formation Eye—will have slight discrepancies.”
“Even the simplest First Grade Bright Fire Formation, which contains only three Formation Patterns, has no less than eighteen different depictions in the records of various Formation schools…”
“This is the first point I want to make to you…”
“There are no fixed rules in the Tao, no fixed form in Formations!”
“What you learn are basic Formation Formations defined and broadened by the Taoist Court’s assessment.”
“The Taoist Court’s assessment and standard setting are based on the most common, most frequently used Formation formats to define the type and grade of a Formation. This is to standardize them, to make them easier to learn, use, and popularize…”
“For assessment purposes, you must learn this ‘uniform’, ‘standardized’ style of Formation.”
“Even because of the stringent assessment, the efforts and hard work expended are so great that you will spend your lives within these ‘standardized’ Formation Formations, exhausting your intellect…”
“You will consider them the standard…”
Elder Master Xun paused, his gaze suddenly sharp, “You must understand that this is not the essence of Formations, not the original appearance of Formations…”
“Mistakes abound, Formation Patterns are complex, Formation principles are chaotic, and contradictions abound. This is the real, original state of Formations…”
“This reflects the recognition of the universe from different eras, different state boundaries, different Realms, different Cultivators, their insight into Formations, and the manifestation of the Great Dao…”
“Mistakes are the norm.”
“Complexity is correct.”
“The myriad things in the human world are just this complex…”
“Formations are inherently chaotic, obscure, and difficult to understand, manifesting the myriad paths of the Great Dao…”
“If one seeks the true Great Dao, studying just the standardized Formations of the Taoist Court is not sufficient.”
“Those Formations have been ‘artificially’ modified, ‘artificially’ normalized, represent an artificial ‘correctness,’ not the true form of Formations, nor the essence of the Great Dao…”
“Everything is bizarre and wonderful; Formations are as vast as the universe, encompassing myriad forms.”
“A truly top-level Formation Master must transcend standardized formats and see and experience for themselves.”
“Eliminate the coarse to preserve the essence, discard the false to retain the truth, observe the traces of the Great Dao amongst the numerous and complex Formation Patterns, and comprehend the flow of the Great Dao from the endless variations of Formations…”
“Thus, to comprehend the most real, most fundamental Formations, to develop their own Formation principles, to walk their own path of proving the Dao!”
“This is the foundation of Formation principles!”
Elder Master Xun’s words resonated powerfully.
The disciples seemed perplexed yet intrigued.
Mo Hua, however, appeared profoundly moved.
Similar words had been spoken by his master as well.
Yet, his master’s words differed slightly and stressed different points from Elder Master Xun’s…
His master encouraged him to find his own path and develop his own “Formation Flow.”
Elder Master Xun urged broader observation, free from frameworks, to establish a foundation from the most extensive range of Formations.
Both seemed to aim for the same goal through different paths.
The specifics were beyond Mo Hua’s current understanding.
But from these words, Mo Hua could feel that Elder Master Xun’s Array Formation Skill was extraordinarily profound!
“The Tao has no fixed rules, Formations have no fixed forms…”
Capture the essence, discard the form…
Use the Formation as a raft; the other shore is the Dao, abandon the raft once crossed, attain the Dao, and see Formations as formless.
Mo Hua silently nodded his head.
Elder Master Xun glanced at Mo Hua and nodded slightly before continuing,
“The world of Formations is full of varied categories.”
“Next, I will tell you about the various categories of Formations in this world…”
“Some you may already know, but for others, even if you are aware of them or have heard about them, you might not have a clear understanding…”
“So, listen carefully to the following, and make sure to remember it well…”
Elder Master Xun’s glance lingered on Mo Hua.
Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, understanding the implications.
Elder Master Xun silently nodded, thinking “Quite clever…,” and then continued with a solemn voice: