He knew the how but not the why.
He had originally thought that mastering the "Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation" meant he had at least entered the gate of learning; yet he realized he had merely scratched the surface following a template.
The deeper he studied, the more complex and profound things became.
"The meanings behind the Fixed Magnetic Pattern..."
Mo Hua took out the Taixu Token again, flipped through the "Merit Roll," but after a long search, he found no Formation Diagrams, Formation Books, or Formation Explanation about the "Fixed Magnetic Pattern"...
"Taixu Gate doesn't have it?"
"It shouldn't be possible..."
After thinking it over, Mo Hua went to the Elder's Residence after class and found Elder Master Xun.
"Fixed Magnetic Pattern?"
Elder Master Xun was surprised.
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Elder Master, I want to know what meanings are behind the Fixed Magnetic Pattern..."
Elder Master Xun was somewhat conflicted.
This again exceeded the scope of formation teachings he expected...
And it was getting more detailed...
For those topics within the heritage scope, Mo Hua could ask, and he could answer without hesitation, freely sharing knowledge.
But this child always asked questions beyond the syllabus...
Not telling him would leave him to grasp blindly, which might lead to learning something misguided, which wasn't good.
But telling him—these things were not meant for someone of his age or cultivation level.
Learning too advanced concepts without a framework, no one knew what he might end up mastering...
Elder Master Xun frowned and pondered.
"Elder Master?" Mo Hua asked tentatively, "Is this kind of information too confidential for you to teach?"
Elder Master Xun came back to his senses and nodded slightly, "Generally speaking, it's not something that is taught..."
Formation Masters in the Sect usually wouldn't need to use it.
But since Mo Hua wanted to learn...
Elder Master Xun thought for a moment and sighed.
Then, he would teach...
This child was different from the others; his progress in formations was already very fast, and his foundation was solid; there was no need to restrain him.
If he wanted to learn, then let him learn.
If he didn't teach him, sooner or later, if Mo Hua encountered problems, he might not come to ask for his advice.
The child was clever, and left to his own devices, he would definitely discover some tricks.
But whether these tricks were good or bad, right or wrong, that was hard to say.
If he learned incorrectly or developed bad habits, and followed an evil path in formations, it would be too late for regrets.
By teaching him, if he had questions, he could still monitor and prevent him from straying onto the wrong path unknowingly.
He would also prevent the child from wasting time and talent on pointless minutiae.
However, he couldn't let others know...
To avoid others claiming favoritism.
After giving it some thought, Elder Master Xun whispered, "I will only teach you secretly, you must learn secretly, don't tell anyone..."
Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, "Rest assured, Elder Master."
He was familiar with this!
Elder Master Xun then explained gently,
"The Fixed Magnetic Pattern is a rather special Formation Pattern, which is different from the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, as well as other Eryi and Three Talents Formation Patterns..."
"Other Patterns are derived from nature, dictated by the universe."
"But the Fixed Magnetic Pattern is a product of the development of Formation Study, heavily marked by 'human customization'..."
"This means, if you don't understand the formation meanings 'artificially' imbued within Fixed Magnetic Pattern, it's very difficult to discern from just the pattern itself."
Mo Hua was taken aback.
He was used to observing the Fixed Magnetic Pattern through traditional formation thinking, which is why it felt so discordant.
Elder Master Xun continued, "Think of the Fixed Magnetic Pattern as a specific type of 'text'."
"Text?" Mo Hua was taken aback.
"Correct," Elder Master Xun nodded, "The Fixed Magnetic Pattern is actually a set of patterns, based on the foundational Eight Trigrams Patterns, that are custom-derived by humans to explain the functionalities of the Yuan Magnetic Formation which contain multiple variations and also have rich implications."
"So, it's more like a special set of 'texts'."
Elder Master Xun then took out a pen and on a blank space of a Formation Diagram draft, wrote a few Formation Patterns, and then asked Mo Hua,
"Do you know what these patterns mean?"
Mo Hua looked carefully and shook his head.
He only knew that these were types of Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns, but he had no idea about their specific meanings.
Elder Master Xun then picked up the pen again and added text annotations behind each pattern:
Taixu Gate entry-level disciple.
Place of origin: Li State, Second Grade Big Black Mountain State Boundary, Tongxian City.
Privileges: Taixu Gate Outer Gate Primary Rank Disciple;
Status: Second-grade Junior Formation Master.
"Is this..." Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, "the Fixed Magnetic Pattern in the Taixu Token?"
Elder Master Xun nodded, "Correct, the lowest layer of patterns in your Taixu Token, some of it consists of these Fixed Magnetic Patterns..."
"However, the Taixu Token is securely sealed, and you can't see these patterns."
"And even if you did see them, you wouldn't understand."
"Because you don't know what these Fixed Magnetic Patterns mean, more colloquially, you can't read these 'texts' that are 'compiled' from magnetic patterns..."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he suddenly understood, then promptly asked,
"So, Elder Master, how should I learn this Fixed Magnetic Pattern?"
Elder Master Xun's expression was subtle, "You want to learn?"
Mo Hua honestly nodded.
Elder Master Xun was reluctant, "It's too complicated and extremely time-consuming. You'd be better off practicing the Bagua Formation Method more often..."