Chapter 23 Talent_1

Instructor Yan asked, "In this world, is there a cultivator at the third layer of Qi Refinement who can draw formations?"

"Well, naturally, there should be." Fatty Steward pondered for a moment and added,

"The cultivation world is vast, and the number of prodigies are countless. If you said someone was born with the ability to draw formations, I'd believe it. But after all, these are merely rumors—I've never seen it with my own eyes."

"Even someone extraordinarily talented, ungrateful, rebellious, betraying their master and sect… ahem, who was born into a Formation Method Aristocrat family, started learning formations as a child, and by the time they reached the third layer of Qi Refinement, was able to draw simple formations containing three formation patterns."

"As for those large families and sects, their inheritances have been accumulating for who knows how many generations. Among their disciples, there must be geniuses in formations, but they simply don't reveal themselves often."

Instructor Yan said, "If that's the case, then it's not impossible for Mo Hua to draw formations at the third layer of Qi Refinement."

Fatty Steward didn't really want to admit it, but at this moment, he had no choice.

This Senior Brother Yan of his, though stubborn, was always meticulous and had a sharp eye.

"If this is truly the case, it's incredible. Would you consider taking him as a disciple?"

Fatty Steward thought for a while and continued, "I say, this child is indeed a promising talent. Why not formally take him as your apprentice? That way, the formations passed down by your master could be inherited properly."

Instructor Yan hadn't considered this before. Hearing Fatty Steward's suggestion, he was visibly tempted, but after careful thought, he shook his head and said,

"The sect is in decline, and the formations left behind are just fragmented patterns and incomplete records. What value is there in passing those down? Taking him as my disciple would only lead him astray. Furthermore, my master's last wish is still unresolved—there's no clue about that person yet. I really don't have the energy to concern myself with other things."

Fatty Steward wanted to persuade him further, but Instructor Yan simply waved his hand.

Fatty Steward sighed. "Fine, I won't argue with you anymore. You never listen to persuasion anyway. About this Mo Hua kid…"

"For now, don't tell anyone about him. 'A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be cut down'—this is an eternal truth. Besides, he's still young. We can't let him develop an arrogant attitude, or he'll surely go astray in the future."

Fatty Steward agreed, "That's true."

Instructor Yan continued, "Don't let him take on any formation commissions for now. Just come up with some excuse like poor business performance."

Despite the fact that their business truly wasn't flourishing, being called out like this made Fatty Steward feel a little embarrassed. He corrected him,

"It's not poor performance; it's called laid-back, passive business. We sell when fate allows!"

"And anyway, the kid is happily drawing formations, earning spirit stones, and supporting his family. Why stop him from doing that?"

Instructor Yan frowned and said, "At the third layer of Qi Refinement, even if he can draw formations, how much divine sense could he possibly have? Drawing too many will overstrain his divine sense, inevitably leaving behind hidden dangers and damaging the foundation of his sea of consciousness."

"Moreover, he's still young—this is the time to solidify the basics of Tao cultivation. It's not just formations; he needs to be well-rounded in all paths of cultivation, especially his cultivation level. He can't neglect it pursuing small gains."

Fatty Steward remarked, "Loose cultivators don't exactly have luxurious lives. They don't even have enough spirit stones."

"Even if the family is poor, you can't disregard the future…"

"Do you know just how poor ordinary loose cultivators are?"

Fatty Steward's expression turned uncharacteristically stern.

Looking at his demeanor, Instructor Yan's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Fatty Steward said seriously, "I know your childhood wasn't great. Though you were part of a family, you were merely born of a concubine and not valued within. Later, you joined the sect, received careful guidance from your master, put effort into learning, and made progress in formations—for that, your situation did improve slightly. But even with all of that, you had the family to fall back on; you had food and clothing, no worries about survival—at most, you lived a rather unhappy life."

"People often say 'cultivation is difficult,'" Fatty Steward sighed. "I've left the sect and stayed here in Tongxian City for over ten years, dealing with many loose cultivators, and only then did I understand… even if cultivation is difficult, the level of difficulty between people is worlds apart."

"Ordinary loose cultivators struggle to make a living, barely making enough to support their families. Artifact refiners scorched by furnace flames lose half their body; monster hunters have limbs bitten off by monster beasts. Those selling spiritual power to do odd jobs have damaged meridians to varying degrees. When injured or ill, they don't have spirit stones for treatment, and whether they survive depends entirely on luck."

"Surviving is best; not surviving means death. Worse still is lingering on half-life, draining spirit stones bit by bit, hollowing out the entire family. What can they do? All they want is to survive."

"Cultivators indeed shouldn't ignore their future, but these bottom-tier loose cultivators can't even afford to look ahead—they're too busy trying to stay alive now."

After finishing, Fatty Steward poured himself a cup of tea and gulped it down noisily.

Instructor Yan fell silent for a moment, then sighed after a pause and said apologetically, "I didn't think things through."

Fatty Steward rolled his eyes at him.

Instructor Yan pondered briefly before saying to Fatty Steward, "Let me see the list of formations you have here."

"What do you need the list for?" Fatty Steward asked, puzzled, but obediently got up, pulling a ledger from behind the counter and handing it to Instructor Yan.

Instructor Yan took the formation catalog, skimmed through it entirely, then picked up a pen and marked several formations, numbering them in order.

"What are you doing?"

Instructor Yan replied, "Next time Mo Hua comes, have him draw the formations I marked here, in order. This way, step by step, he'll learn more solidly. Afterward, I'll instruct him a bit in the sect—it's better than him blindly learning on his own."

"Doing so will allow him to earn some spirit stones for his household while mastering formations with structure and discipline."

After explaining, Instructor Yan reminded him, "One more thing: don't let him draw too many of these. Collect three or four every half a month—that's enough. Otherwise, if he drains his divine sense excessively, damages his sea of consciousness, it'll leave behind serious issues."

Fatty Steward glanced at the catalog in his hands and then at Instructor Yan, his expression complex as he said, "You're really not planning to take him as your apprentice?"

Instructor Yan simply shook his head. Rising to leave, he repeated once more before departing, "Make sure to have him draw in the order I marked."

With that, he walked out without looking back.

Fatty Steward stared at his retreating figure in silence, sighing helplessly after a long pause.

Suddenly, something occurred to Fatty Steward, and he called out for Instructor Yan.

Instructor Yan turned around and looked at him.

Fatty Steward hesitated, then finally said, "There's one thing—you might have been mistaken about…"

Instructor Yan frowned. "What did I get wrong?"

"When Mo Hua brought the Bright Fire Formation, he was only at the second layer of Qi Refinement. If those formations were truly drawn by him, then that means…"

Fatty Steward paused, carefully choosing his words before saying,

"He might have been able to draw formations at the second layer of Qi Refinement!"

Instructor Yan's pupils contracted sharply, revealing an expression of disbelief.