Chapter 569: Second Grade

The realization of the Tao with divine consciousness is based on divine consciousness and establishes oneself with formations.

Only by learning the second-level formation techniques and becoming a second-level formation master can you have the capital to establish yourself in the vast world of cultivation and the vast nine states.

But Mo Hua currently lacks the basic inheritance of the second-grade formation.

He thought for a while and went to visit Yan Jiaoxi.

Yan Jiaoxi was born in Xiaolingyin Sect.

Although Xiaolingyin Sect has declined, it has produced second-grade formation masters. There should be some formation diagrams and formation books of second-grade formations handed down.

But the ink painting was empty...

Yan Jiaoxi was not at home, so only Mo was in charge, drinking tea leisurely by himself.

"Where's the teaching?" Mo Hua asked.

Manager Mo shook his head, "I don't know. Senior brother seems to have something on his mind these past few days. He has been nagging. He leaves early and comes back late. I don't know what he is busy with..."

"When will the teacher come back?"

"Later..." Mo Guanshi said, then looked at the ink painting and asked doubtfully: "Do you have anything to do with senior brother?"

Mo Hua nodded, "I want to ask something about the second-grade formation..."

"Second-grade formation..."

Manager Mo was a little surprised and a little envious.

When he first met Mo Hua, Mo Hua could only draw an open fire formation with three formation patterns. He went to his formation pavilion to draw some formations and earn some hard money.

Even because of his young age, he lied about his identity and made up a non-existent brother.

Unexpectedly, within a few years, he would already be learning the second-grade formation...

In the past few years, I have not improved even a single line of my formation attainments.

But ink painting has advanced by leaps and bounds, skipping a major level...

It's really annoying to compare people to each other...

Manager Mo murmured in his mind.

"No worries, do you know how to draw the second-grade formation?"

Mo Hua asked curiously.

Mo Guanshi is Yan Jiaoxi's junior fellow apprentice and a disciple of the Xiaolingyin Sect. Logically speaking, he can be regarded as a serious formation master from the sect.

Manager Mo shook his head quickly, "Don't praise me. I have a hard time painting the seven or eight pattern formations..."

He is a normal monk and a normal formation master.

You can't compare with a "little monster" like Mo Hua...

"but……"

Manager Mo touched his chin and said, "You mentioned the second-grade formation. I remembered that there was a formation master before who was not good at learning. He failed to draw nine out of ten formations. He couldn't afford the spiritual stone, so he lost it. An ancestral second-grade formation chart was given to me as compensation..."

"Second-grade array pattern map?"

"Yes." Manager Mo nodded, "It just contains some basic second-grade formation patterns, as well as related variations of these formation patterns."

Mo Hua was startled, "Isn't that quite precious?"

Manager Mo shook his head, "Not really. This kind of thing, as long as the family has a formation inheritance, will have it. It can be regarded as a kind of... relatively unpopular formation experience."

"Can I take a look?" Mo Hua said.

"Waiting..."

Manager Mo put down his tea cup and stood up with a fat belly, "I'll go back and look for it. It's been a while. I don't know where I left it..."

Manager Mo ran back in a hurry and came back about an hour later, holding an old book in his hand.

"Look..."

Manager Mo handed the book to Mo Hua.

"Thank you, steward!" Mo Hua said happily.

On the book, the words "Second Grade Formation Pattern Illustration" are written in neat handwriting.

Mo Hua opened the book and glanced at it.

It does contain some second-grade formation patterns, mostly the Five Elements formation patterns, mixed with other parts, system formation patterns that Ink Painting has never touched.

In addition, it also explained in detail the difference between the first-grade formation pattern and the second-grade formation pattern, as well as the changes from the first-grade formation pattern to the second-grade formation pattern.

It's well illustrated and well-written, and although it's not profound, it's very detailed.

The owner of the catalog must be a very serious and meticulous second-grade formation master.

But the ancestral background is probably very thin.

Therefore, any bit of formation knowledge should be carefully written down and collected in a precious and important way.

From shallow to deep, rich and detailed.

This also helped Mo Hua a lot.

Mo Hua thanked Guanshi Mo again.

Mo Guanshi waved his hand quickly, "It's a small matter, it's a small matter!"

But Mo Guanshi was happy to be able to help Mo Hua.

After that, Mo was drinking tea, painting and reading.

After Mo Hua looked at it for a while, Yan Jiaoxi came back. He looked busy and was a little surprised when he saw Mo Hua.

The ink painting indicates the intention.

Yan Jiaoxi thought for a moment, nodded and said: "Yes, please wait..."

He went back to his room, rummaged around for a stick of incense, and found two formation books.

One is "Preliminary Explanation of Second-Rank Formation" and the other is "Illustrated Second-Rank Formation".

"The formation book "Primary Interpretation" talks about the basic knowledge of the second-grade formation, which is about the formation theory; "Illustration" uses actual formation diagrams to explain in detail how to draw the formation patterns to form the second-grade formation... …”

"This is the inheritance of Xiaolingyin Sect. It is the orthodox formation technique. Compared with the inheritance of those big families and sects, it may be a little thinner, but there is nothing wrong with it..."

"It's just a pity..."

Yan Jiaoxi sighed, "For so many years, no one in Xiaolingyin Sect has been able to use it..."

Including himself.

Yan Jiaoxi handed the two formation books to Mo Hua as a precious and precious thing, and warned:

"Watch well and study hard..."

Inheriting these to Mo Hua can be regarded as repaying the debt of Mo Hua to the Xiaolingyin Sect, eliminating traitors and recovering the remains of their ancestors.

Yan Jiaoxi said silently in his heart.

"Um!"

Mo Hua nodded seriously.

With the array pattern atlas, and the "First Explanation" and "Illustrated Explanation" of the second-grade array, I should be able to have a preliminary understanding of how to draw the second-grade array.

However, before that, Mo Hua still had one thing that puzzled him...

"Teacher, where did you go just now?" Mo Hua asked quietly.

Teacher Yan, who was always serious and rigid, actually looked guilty for a moment.

Looking at Mo Hua's watery and curious eyes, Teacher Yan coughed, looked away, and said vaguely:

"Nothing... nothing, just relax."

"Oh..."

Mo Hua looked puzzled, but did not ask any more questions.

...

After returning, Mo Hua began to look through the three array books and study the drawing method of the second-grade array.

The second-grade array is composed of more than ten second-grade array patterns.

The second-grade array pattern is somewhat similar to the first-grade array pattern, but it is different.

By looking through the "Second-grade Array Pattern Atlas", Mo Hua discovered that the second-grade array pattern is more like a combination of two first-grade array patterns in a peculiar form similar to Taoism.

The second-grade array pattern is more complex and profound, with more lines and strokes, and the changes and directions contained are twice as difficult as the first-grade array pattern.

The spiritual consciousness consumed by drawing the second-grade array pattern is also twice that of the ordinary first-grade array pattern.

"So that's it..."

Mo Hua murmured in his heart.

After building the foundation, the spiritual consciousness doubles.

And in the array, the amount of spiritual consciousness consumed from the first-grade nine patterns to the second-grade ten patterns is also doubled, and the power and effect of the array will also double.

According to the general array grade standard, the array with ten patterns is the second-grade array by default.

The first-grade array pattern has a thin structure and cannot constitute an array with more than ten patterns.

Arrays with more than ten patterns must be built on the foundation of second-grade array patterns with deeper spiritual consciousness, stronger structure, and more complex patterns.

Except for the Absolute Array...

Absolute Array contains the laws of the Great Dao, which exceeds the category limit and is different from ordinary arrays...

Mo Hua frowned.

If you count it this way, the first-grade Absolute Array and the second-grade array have the same number of array patterns, but the ranks of the array patterns are very different.

For example, the first-grade ten-pattern Niling Absolute Array and the second-grade ten-pattern second-grade array, both have ten patterns, but one is composed of first-grade array patterns and the other is constructed of second-grade array patterns.

Obviously, the spiritual consciousness required for the second-grade array pattern is twice that of the first-grade array pattern.

But these two, both of which are ten-pattern arrays, seem to have no difference in the spiritual consciousness required.

Mo Hua thought about it, but still had no clue, so he could only put it aside for the time being.

Thinking that when he really learned the second-grade array, he would compare the similarities and differences between the first-grade Absolute Array and the second-grade array at the spiritual consciousness level.

Next, it was time to learn the second-grade formation.

To learn the formation, you must first learn the formation patterns.

Mo Hua first read the "Second-grade Formation Pattern Atlas" several times, memorized several basic second-grade five-element formation patterns, and simply copied them on paper several times.

Then, he began to try to draw the first second-grade formation according to the "Second-grade Formation Diagram":

"Second-grade Bright Fire Formation".

Bright Fire Formation, a fire formation, is used for heating and lighting. It is basically one of the most basic formations of all grades.

The first formal formation that Mo Hua drew at the beginning was also the Bright Fire Formation.

However, that Bright Fire Formation had three formation patterns and was not yet of grade.

Today's Bright Fire Formation is a second-grade formation with a full ten formation patterns.

Of course, ten formation patterns are not difficult for Mo Hua, who now has fourteen patterns of qualitative transformation.

The difficulty lies only in the fact that Mo Hua is still unfamiliar with the understanding and mastery of the second-grade formation system.

Mo Hua carefully memorized the diagram of the second-grade bright fire array.

At 10:00 p.m., he practiced the second-grade bright fire array on the Dao stele in his sea of ​​consciousness.

One person, one stele, one array.

Just like when he first learned the array.

Mo Hua was in a trance for a moment.

It seemed that he had learned a lot of arrays, but it also seemed that he had not learned much.

The more he learned, the more he felt that he had learned very little.

Now that the array is close to the second grade, everything starts again.

To learn a new array pattern, to understand a deeper array theory, to comprehend a more ancient avenue...

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, calmed his mind, maintained a humble and peaceful state of mind, and did not forget his original intention. He began to draw his first second-grade array on the Dao stele:

Bright Fire Array.

The second-grade array pattern has more complex patterns, more sophisticated brushwork, and consumes more spiritual consciousness.

The structure of the array also has many more changes.

Mo Hua was still unfamiliar with it at first. He made many mistakes after drawing it several times.

Either the array pattern was wrong, or the array pivot conflicted, or the layout was not well controlled...

Mo Hua had to erase the array pattern, trace back his consciousness, and continue to draw.

Over and over again.

Boring and mechanical.

But Mo Hua had long been accustomed to it.

His brushwork became more and more proficient, and the array pivot structure became more and more proficient. He also gradually understood the composition of the second-grade array...

If you don't know, learn, and if you are not familiar with it, practice.

Draw the "array" a hundred times, and its meaning will be clear.

Mo Hua kept drawing, and kept drawing, until he drew the second-grade bright fire array dozens of times, and stepped on all the pitfalls that could be stepped on, and then he felt that he had some enlightenment.

The array pattern and the array pivot were integrated.

The details of the brushwork were clear in his mind...

He also wrote more calmly and with spirit, and advanced and retreated in moderation.

Finally, after an unknown period of time, Mo Hua drew the last stroke and the array was completed.

On the Dao Monument, the second-grade bright fire array, the array pattern glowed, glittering, and flashing bright light.

This light was more condensed and more brilliant.

Just like before, it also illuminated Mo Hua, the first step of the second-grade array master...

Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but smile.

Second-grade array!

I finally drew it!

Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a little complacent. He admired the second-grade bright fire array he drew on the Dao Monument for a while, and then he reluctantly erased it, waiting for his consciousness to trace it back, and continued to draw it.

The first time is new, the second time is familiar.

The first time Mo Hua drew, he was still unfamiliar, and there were many mistakes.

Because the second-grade array is different from the first-grade array, the array pattern is very different, so it took a lot of effort.

But after drawing it for the first time, with his spiritual consciousness strength and array comprehension, he drew it much faster.

After that, Mo Hua was familiar with the bright fire array and was at ease.

The second-grade array has cognitive barriers.

Mo Hua himself also lacked understanding of the second-grade array.

Otherwise, the second-grade ten-pattern bright fire array is actually easier to draw than the first-grade ten-pattern reverse spirit array.

Mo Hua kept drawing and drawing until he knew the bright fire array by heart, and then he withdrew from the sea of ​​consciousness.

At this time, the sky was already white, and the rosy clouds filled the sky, dyeing Mo Hua's cheeks red.

Mo Hua was in a good mood, with a smile on his face.

Drawing the second-grade bright fire array was also a small threshold.

Next, it was necessary to actually draw the bright fire array.

Drawing it on the Taoist stele, using the hand as the pen, the spiritual consciousness as the ink, and the Taoist stele as the medium, this cannot be completely considered as "drawing".

Naturally, it cannot be considered as a real "knowledge".

Mo Hua got up, spread paper on the table, took out the pen, dipped it in ink, and planned to try to draw the second-grade bright fire array.

But as soon as he started to write, Mo Hua was stunned.

He suddenly realized a serious problem:

The Bright Fire Formation is a second-grade formation...

But he doesn't have second-grade spiritual ink!

Not only spiritual ink, but also second-grade formation pens, formation paper, or other formation media, he doesn't have any of them!

A good cook cannot cook without rice.

How can he draw a formation without a pen, ink, or paper...

Mo Hua sighed.

Miscalculated...

He hasn't worried about pens, ink, paper, and inkstones for a long time, so he didn't think about it for a while.

"But...where can I find second-grade spiritual ink?"

"Shang Pavilion?"

Mo Hua went to various business pavilions in Tongxian City and visited the market, but found nothing.

Tongxian City has no second-grade formation masters, so naturally no one can draw second-grade formations, and there is no second-grade spiritual ink!

Even if some families and business pavilions have some inventory, the spiritual ink has completely expired after being stored for too long and cannot be used to draw formations.

Mo Hua was helpless, thought about it, and went to find Master Luo.

Master Luo has been a first-class formation master for a long time. He has a long history and many connections. After studying formations for so many years, he wants to become a second-class formation master. He must have prepared some second-class spiritual ink.

Mo Hua arrived at Luo Mansion, but learned that Master Luo was not there.

He went to find Master Qian for tea...

Mo Hua could only go to Qian Mansion.

The former Qian family had long been torn apart, the family declined, and the clan members made their own livings.

The huge Qian Mansion was divided into independent courtyards.

The courtyard where Master Qian now lives is in the southwest corner of Qian Mansion. It occupies the largest and most spacious area, but the plaque in front of the door has been changed to "Qian's School".

This is not only Master Qian's cave, but also a school he specially opened to teach formations.

Master Qian also remembered the agreement with Mo Hua, calmed down, studied formations, and taught formations to the children of Tongxian City.

And Master Luo would come here to visit when he had nothing to do.

Drink tea with Master Qian, exchange formations, and occasionally give guidance to other disciples.

When Mo Hua entered the door, Master Luo and Master Qian were in the courtyard with quiet flowers and pleasant scenery, making tea and drinking.

In the school, the children were concentrating on practicing basic formations.

When Mo Hua entered the door, Master Luo and Master Qian were surprised and delighted, and they stood up to greet him and said:

"Young master, rare guest, rare guest..."

Mo Hua's original formation attainment was higher than theirs, and now he has built a foundation, his status is even higher, and the two dare not neglect him.

Mo Hua also smiled and greeted them.

"Master Luo, Master Qian, long time no see."

Master Luo looked at Mo Hua and saw that although Mo Hua had already built a foundation, his eyes were deep, his spiritual awareness was stronger, and his attainments in formations were deeper, but he was kind to others, innocent and sincere, and seemed to be no different from before, and he couldn't help but admire him.

Master Luo said ashamedly: "In front of the young master, I am not worthy of the title of 'master'."

Mo Hua didn't mind it much.

After sitting down, Master Qian poured tea for Mo Hua and asked: "Young master, is there anything important for you to come here?"

Mo Hua nodded and said: "Two masters, do you have second-grade spiritual ink?"

"Second-grade spiritual ink!"

Master Luo and the others looked at each other and were a little surprised, "Young master, do you know the second-grade formation?"

Although Mo Hua felt that he was very familiar with the second-grade bright fire formation, he had never actually drawn it, so it was not good to brag, so he said modestly:

"I know a little, I want to try to draw it."

When Mo Hua said he knew a little, Master Luo naturally would not think that it was just "a" little.

Master Luo smiled bitterly, and didn't know what to say for a while.

He is now over a hundred years old, and he is still only a first-grade formation master. Mo Hua is still young, but he has to learn the second-grade formation...

Although it is a good thing for Mo Hua to become a second-grade formation master, he still can't help but feel sour in his heart.

"Spiritual ink..."

Master Luo thought for a while and nodded, "I do have some second-grade spiritual ink, but not much, only two bottles..."

Master Qian also said, "I also have some, which are from the Qian family's collection back then, but there are only five bottles. If you don't mind, you can take them."

Mo Hua was overjoyed, "Thank you, Master Luo, thank you, Master Qian!"

"You're too polite, young sir..."

Master Luo and Master Qian took out the spiritual ink and handed it to Mo Hua.

These spiritual inks are also five-element spiritual inks, packed in jade bottles, with a stirring aura and containing amazing five-element spiritual power.

Mo Hua couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this spiritual ink expensive..."

Master Qian nodded, "Generally, a bottle of first-grade spiritual ink costs about ten spiritual stones. Due to its quality or scarcity, there will be some differences. The cheap ones cost two or three spiritual stones, and the more expensive ones cost dozens of spiritual stones..."

"Second-grade spiritual ink, generally speaking, the cheaper ones cost a hundred spiritual stones."

"The more expensive ones cost hundreds or thousands..."

Mo Hua was shocked, "So expensive?!"

One hundred spiritual stones per bottle...

The five small bottles in his hand cost at least five hundred spiritual stones...

Master Qian sighed, "Yes, so it's not easy to learn formations, and the higher you go, the more so... ”

“This small bottle of spiritual ink and 100 spiritual stones can be used to draw a formation. Even if it is foolproof and 100% accurate, it can only draw two sets of second-grade primary formations...”

“And if you really want to learn a formation, you need to practice it dozens of times or hundreds of times...”

“To learn a second-grade formation, the ink and spiritual stones consumed alone are not a small amount...”

“For big families and big sects, it doesn’t matter. This amount of spiritual stones is a drop in the bucket. They eat more than this for three meals a day...”

“For medium-sized families and sects, it’s nothing. ”

“But if a small family or a small sect provides a second-grade formation master, it will be much more difficult...”

“A casual cultivator...”

Master Qian smiled bitterly.

A casual cultivator can’t even support himself, so how can he provide a second-grade or higher formation master?

Mo Hua opened his mouth wide, looked at the bottles of spiritual ink in his hand, frowned, and asked:

"Aren't these spiritual inks made from demon blood? Why are they so expensive?"

Master Luo was silent for a moment, and slowly said:

"Second-grade demon beasts are difficult to hunt and draw blood from."

"Of course, this is not the fundamental reason..."

Master Luo's voice was a little lower.

"No matter how hard it is to kill a second-grade demon beast, only blood is used to make spiritual ink, and scarce materials such as inner elixir, heart, and demon marrow are not used..."

"Logically, it shouldn't be so expensive."

"However, the formula and method of making spiritual ink, as well as some rare spiritual herbs, are all in the hands of the great families and sects."

Master Luo pointed upwards, "Since they have a monopoly, they naturally have the final say."

"Whether it's ten spiritual stones, a hundred spiritual stones, a thousand, ten thousand... it's not up to us to decide."

"The real demon hunters, blood suckers, and ink mixers actually don't make spiritual stones. Most of the profits are exploited by the great families..."

"They do this, firstly for profit, and secondly..."

Master Luo paused, but looking at Mo Hua, who was born as a casual cultivator, he still made it clearer.

"...to prevent too many formation masters from the bottom, so as not to shake...the foundation."