Chapter 9: Bright Fire Formation_1

In the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua's form looked identical to his external physical body; it moved freely according to his will, but it was not made of flesh, nor even constructed of Spiritual Power. Instead, it was merely a shadow of Divine Sense.

Mo Hua's shadow held his breath and focused, using his finger as a brush to draw the Formation Patterns of the Bright Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele.

Pale blue lines danced nimbly with Mo Hua's finger, gradually appearing on the pitch-black Taoist Stele. The strands started simple but grew increasingly intricate, coalescing into profound and mysterious Patterns.

After finishing the second Formation Pattern, Mo Hua continued to draw, but he began to feel a fatigue and pain he had never experienced before.

The Sea of Consciousness seemed as though its dam had been breached, with Divine Sense surging outward like relentless tides.

The more Divine Sense flowed out, the closer the Sea of Consciousness came to drying up, resembling a riverbed drained of water, slowly cracking under an unknown pressure and producing a stinging pain. Even his scalp tingled faintly.

Mo Hua began to feel his thoughts stagnating, and drawing the third Formation Pattern grew increasingly slow.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain shot through the Sea of Consciousness, momentarily causing Mo Hua to lose focus. He faltered, and one of the Patterns on the stele went awry.

Mo Hua had no choice but to stop. He clutched his head, waiting for the pain to subside.

Only after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea did Mo Hua recover. He pondered for a moment before coming to a realization:

"Cultivators require vast amounts of Divine Sense to paint Formations. Far more than other Tao Cultivation disciplines require! Much more than I ever imagined!"

"That's why the diagrams specifically marked in red ink that those lacking sufficient Realm should proceed with caution. If one's Realm is insufficient and their Divine Sense is weak, forcing oneself to paint Formations could lead to overconsumption of Divine Sense and even complete depletion..."

Depleting Divine Sense would bring immense pain to the Cultivator, and could even cause the Sea of Consciousness to crack. If the cracks became too severe, the Sea would shatter entirely, leading to death and the dispersion of one's Dao.

This had been mentioned in the Formation class by the Instructor. Mo Hua hadn't paid much attention during the lecture, but as he recalled it now, a faint chill crept into his heart.

"The Bright Fire Formation requires the Qi Refinement third layer, yet I'm only at the second layer. My Divine Sense is indeed slightly lacking..."

Mo Hua cradled his head as he lay on the ground of the Sea of Consciousness, slowly turning the problem over in his mind:

"Although my level is slightly insufficient, it shouldn't be by much. My Divine Sense is naturally slightly stronger than others, and after studying Formations for so long, practicing more might eventually pay off."

"If I can't complete it on the first try, I'll draw it a second time, then a third time... Each attempt will strengthen my Divine Sense little by little. Even if I only manage one additional stroke each time, I'll eventually complete the Formation..."

After sorting through his thoughts, Mo Hua stood up and wiped away the incomplete Formation Patterns on the Taoist Stele. Immediately, his Divine Sense replenished itself.

It felt as though he had never attempted to paint the Formation, yet every stroke and detail remained vividly carved into Mo Hua's mind.

*Mo Hua couldn't help but marvel.*

Fortunately, he had this Taoist Stele; otherwise, with his Divine Sense nearing depletion, who knew how long he would need to rest before trying again. By the time he mastered the Bright Fire Formation, ten days or half a month could have passed, and if he exceeded ten days, the Spirit Stones he had pawned would be forfeited.

*The thought made Mo Hua's heart ache. His focus sharpened as he began painting the Bright Fire Formation again...*

In the endless white void of the Sea of Consciousness, time seemed nonexistent.

Mo Hua painted for a while, paused for a while, and rested for a while. When he couldn't continue, he wiped everything away and restarted from the beginning.

He didn't know how many attempts it took, but eventually, he completed the Bright Fire Formation in its entirety.

Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief, his limbs collapsing to the ground. He felt like a tiny salted fish, with his Divine Sense entirely drained.

After resting for half the time it takes to drink another cup of tea, Mo Hua finally had the energy to stand up and admire the first Formation he had ever successfully drawn—the Bright Fire Formation.

On the pitch-black Taoist Stele, an intricate pale blue design shone vibrantly. The Patterns were both meticulous and elegant, exuding an inexplicable air of mystery. The alternating brightness and dimness of the Patterns seemed to contain indescribable rules and powers.

This... this was Formation!

*Mo Hua's heart wavered as he gazed at it, almost feeling that there was nothing in the world more beautiful than this web of rules embodied in these Patterns. Merely looking at it compelled him to immerse himself in its intricacies...*

As Mo Hua gazed, he suddenly realized something was off.

While painting, the Patterns had been pale blue, but now they seemed to grow increasingly dim. Their color turned dull, gradually fading into a light gray.

It was as if... the Taoist Stele was signaling to Mo Hua that he had made a mistake...

Mo Hua froze.

"I made a mistake?"

"That can't be..."

Mo Hua felt deflated but rallied his spirits to carefully examine every stroke, finding, in the end, that he had indeed made mistakes—not just one, but multiple.

Some Patterns had extraneous strokes, some angles of connection were incorrect, and some fusions between fire runes were flawed...

Because of these errors, the consumption of Divine Sense had been lower, enabling him to complete the Bright Fire Formation.

Scratching his head, Mo Hua could only note the mistakes, wipe away the Formation, and start again.

...

Repeating this cycle over and over, Mo Hua couldn't help but feel dizzy and fatigued. His Sea of Consciousness throbbed with pain, and he became somewhat numb; the Patterns on the Taoist Stele blurred into overlapping shadows.

At some unknown point, in a state of semi-confusion, Mo Hua completed the final stroke.

The Taoist Stele seemed to tremble lightly, its pale blue Patterns glowing warmly with pristine white light. Within the white light, faint flickers of fire danced, like the gleam of a candle illuminating the night.

The Bright Fire Formation!

Mo Hua couldn't contain his excitement; a night of weariness was swept away in an instant.

For the first time in his life, Mo Hua tangibly felt the power of a Cultivator—the ability to derive understanding from the self, then create from that understanding, embodying the rules of the Heavenly Dao through Formation and wielding the forces of the world.

Though it was merely a small step, a tiny measure of power, it was like the first drop of water that would accumulate to form the vast rivers of the Great Dao!

Mo Hua felt immense pride. Although the Bright Fire Formation was only used for illumination, perhaps the simplest and cheapest Formation in Tao Cultivation, it had nonetheless illuminated Mo Hua's first step forward on his journey.

Brimming with enthusiasm, Mo Hua wished he could paint it a few more times, though he knew that his fragile Divine Sense was now like a candle in the wind, unable to endure further strain.

*If he persisted, his Sea of Consciousness might not deplete entirely, but he himself might go mad.*

*After all, despite Divine Sense recovering over time, the process of drawing Formations constantly drained it, and the experience was far from pleasant.*

This was Mo Hua's first time successfully painting an official Formation, but it certainly wouldn't be the last.

He planned to practice the Bright Fire Formation every evening. Once he truly mastered it in a few days, he would use the materials from the Formation Pavilion to create Formations, trading them for Spirit Stones. With any luck, he could contribute to the Sect's tuition fund, reducing the burden on his parents.

"That's enough for tonight..."

The Bright Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele radiated brilliantly, and Mo Hua admired it for a while longer, nodding unconsciously before reluctantly wiping it away.

In the instant he wiped it away, Divine Sense surged like tides ebbing and flowing, like the waxing and waning of the moon, like seawater breaching a dam only to retreat, like the setting of the sun followed by its rise. The exhausted Divine Sense rapidly replenished itself, refilling Mo Hua's Sea of Consciousness!

Standing before the Taoist Stele, his Divine Sense alive and vigorous, Mo Hua felt the same as he had several hours earlier when he first entered the Sea of Consciousness.

This feeling of Divine Sense ebbing to emptiness only to return to fullness remained profoundly wondrous, no matter how many times he experienced it.

This time, the sensation was deeper than ever before.

As Mo Hua gazed at the Taoist Stele, its surface was pitch-black and rich, appearing like the Void, yet seeming to encompass everything; it appeared barren, yet held the potential to manifest all things.

To transform Divine Sense into Formation, to invert Formation back into Divine Sense—all giving rise to and transforming through one another.

Mo Hua's mind couldn't help but recall a line from an ancient text:

"Presence is valued for utility; absence is valued for possibility!"