Chapter 2: dao tablet
Ever since Mo Hua could remember, this dao tablet appeared in his Sea of Consciousness, along with some vague memories.
In his memories, Mo Hua lived a short life in another world without Spiritual Qi.
In that life, Mo Hua came from an ordinary Family but studied diligently, achieved good grades, and was admitted to university, majoring in fine arts, with a particular interest in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy.
After graduation, he worked as an artist in a large company, working overtime until he died of overwork in his twenties.
He spent his student years studying and his post-graduation years working, living a lifetime filled with tension and anxiety.
When he came to his senses, he realized he had lived a muddled life and died unexpectedly.
Moments before his death, his entire life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
He hadn't done a single truly valuable thing in his life: he hadn't shown filial piety to his parents, hadn't pursued his ideals, had no dreams, no love, and hadn't seen the scenery of the Major Thousand Worlds...
These memories were hazy, and Mo Hua sometimes couldn't distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, and he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou dreaming he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuang Zhou.
As time passed, Mo Hua stopped agonizing over it.
What was past was past; now, he was only ten years old, and the world he lived in was the Cultivation World.
And he was a Cultivator.
A Cultivator who could fully comprehend the Heavenly Dao, soar through the Nine Provinces, pluck the sun and moon with a wave of his hand, and bury stars with a flick of his wrist!
Of course, he could also be a Cultivator who spent his entire life in Qi Refining, unable to fly or fight, barely able to use a few Spells, and living a humble existence...
Without the dao tablet, Mo Hua estimated he would likely be the humble latter.
The dao tablet floated in Mo Hua's Sea of Consciousness.
It was vast and ancient, strangely incomplete, its body seemingly ethereal, yet imbued with a profound and obscure Qi, at times appearing as silent as the Void Gazer, utterly empty...
On the ethereal surface of the tablet, one could draw Formations, and with each Formation drawn, Mo Hua's Divine Sense would strengthen.
Among the hundred trades of Cultivation, Formations reign supreme!
Formations are the most difficult branch of Cultivation to learn, and the most crucial element for learning Formations is Divine Sense!
Formations are composed of Array Runes, which were patterns of the Heavenly Dao meticulously drawn by ancient Cultivators after profoundly comprehending the Heavenly Dao.
The patterns of Formations resemble both ancient characters and simplified paintings, containing infinite mysteries.
However, drawing Formations, which involves connecting the Sea of Consciousness to the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao, consumes a massive amount of Divine Sense.
If a Cultivator's Divine Sense is insufficient, they cannot draw Formations, otherwise, their Divine Sense might deplete, or even their Sea of Consciousness shatter, leading to their death and the dissipation of their Dao. To become an Array Master, one needs to constantly learn various Formation diagrams and continuously practice various Formations.
Therefore, Formations are difficult to learn and practice, and Array Masters can easily die from the collapse of their Sea of Consciousness if they forcibly draw Formations with insufficient Divine Sense.
When Mo Hua drew Formations on the dao tablet, his Divine Sense would be consumed, but when he erased the drawn Formation, that Divine Sense would instantly return, replenishing Mo Hua's Divine Sense.
From existence to non-existence, and then from non-existence to existence, it was like the Great Dao, profoundly mysterious.
At the same time, each time Mo Hua drew a Formation, his Divine Sense would increase slightly; though minuscule, it was indeed increasing.
As far as Mo Hua knew, there were no Cultivation Techniques in the Cultivation World for cultivating Divine Sense; its enhancement mostly depended on Breakthroughs in Realm.
Therefore, even a tiny increase in Divine Sense was extremely rare.
As long as he continuously drew Formations on the dao tablet, Mo Hua could improve his Formation skills, and as long as he kept drawing Formations, his Divine Sense would continue to strengthen.
With powerful Divine Sense, Mo Hua could learn more, higher-tier, and more powerful Formations.
One day, Mo Hua could become a powerful Array Master through this.
Array Masters hold a revered status; even an ordinary Array Master who has not yet reached the First Grade can earn a considerable Spirit Stone income by drawing Formations for others.
Once he became an Array Master, capable of drawing various profound Formations, he would have a means of living, allowing him to continue to Cultivate and not remain a Qi Refining Cultivator his entire life.
Mo Hua thought silently to himself.
However, becoming an Array Master was also fraught with difficulties.
Formations are hard to learn, and an Array Master is hard to be.
Among the Cultivation categories defined by the Dao Court, the certification of an Array Master is the most stringent, even the most demanding.
Formations are composed of Array Runes; a basic Formation contains only one Array Rune. Each additional Array Rune elevates the Formation to a higher grade, enhances its effectiveness, and significantly increases the required Divine Sense.
Drawing one to five Array Runes allows one to be an apprentice Array Master.
Drawing six to eight Array Runes allows one to be called an Array Master, but such an Array Master is merely an ordinary Array Master, not recognized by the Dao Court's official grades.
Only by drawing nine Array Runes and passing the Dao Court's grading assessment can one become a true First Grade Array Master.
Becoming a First Grade Array Master is almost like reaching the heavens in a single bound for a Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator.
First Grade Array Masters are essentially honored guests of major Families and Sects; even Foundation Establishment Cultivators dare not easily offend them. Even if they do nothing, they receive Spirit Stone stipends from the Daoting Tian Shu Pavilion every month, and countless young and beautiful female Cultivators would break down their doors, vying to become their Dao Companion.
However, in addition to the extreme difficulty of the assessment, there are also quota limitations for First Grade Array Masters in each State Realm. To become a First Grade Array Master requires both effort and destiny.
If one is unlucky and the State Realm has a quota limit, even if they possess the Formation attainments of a First Grade Array Master, they will not receive a grading spot and will have to wait for the next assessment.
Some Array Masters spend their entire lives in assessments, wasting their youth.
Countless low-level Cultivators exhaust their energy and spend their lives studying until their hair turns white, yet never achieve their long-cherished wish of advancing to a First Grade Array Master.
And the Dao Court's so-called quota limitations are usually just excuses for internal appointments by major Families and large Sects. They need the title of First Grade Array Master to add luster to their direct descendants or true Disciples, making them celebrated Geniuses.
Those low-level Cultivators who pour their hearts into becoming First Grade Array Masters are merely unnoticed dust beneath their feet.
It was already night, and Mo Hua lay in his bedroom at the Disciple Residence, his Divine Sense immersed in his Sea of Consciousness, continuously drawing Formations on the dao tablet.
The Formation Mo Hua was drawing was called the Dual Yuan Formation, containing two Array Runes, making it one of the basic Formations.
However, Mo Hua had never successfully drawn this Formation before.
Disciples in the Early Stage of Qi Refining generally can only learn Formations containing one Array Rune due to insufficient Divine Sense. Among the Outer Sect Disciples in the Early Stage of Qi Refining at Tongxian Sect, only a handful could fully master a single Array Rune.
But Mo Hua had long since mastered single Array Runes, drawing them with ease.
Mo Hua wanted to learn more difficult Formations, so every night, he practiced the Dual Yuan Formation, which contained two Array Runes, on the dao tablet.
And after dozens of nights of repeated practice and persistent effort, Mo Hua finally succeeded.
For an Array Master learning Formations, each Array Rune is a threshold; drawing an additional Array Rune means climbing another step.
Mo Hua's ability to draw two Array Runes meant that his Divine Sense and Formation skills were already significantly higher than those of his peers.
Among the Outer Sect Disciples in the Early Stage of Qi Refining at Tongxian Sect, his Formation skill should be considered unique.
Mo Hua sighed in relief. As dawn broke at Mao hour, his Divine Sense left his Sea of Consciousness, and Mo Hua opened his eyes.
Despite drawing Formations all night, Mo Hua's Divine Sense remained clear, and he felt no fatigue, as if he had simply had a peaceful night's sleep.
He pushed open the window, and the morning sun shone on his delicate, fair face.
Outside the window, the morning sun rose, casting a rosy glow for thousands of miles.
Ten-year-old Mo Hua exhaled lightly, looking at the scenery in the sky, his eyes resolute.
As long as he continuously practiced Formations and honed his Divine Sense, one day, he would surely become a First Grade Array Master.
At that time, like the rising sun, he would take a significant step towards seeking immortality and the Dao.
He would no longer be just a Qi Refining Cultivator his entire life!