Chapter 2: The Dao Monument

From the moment Mo Hua could remember, this Dao Monument had existed within his sea of consciousness, along with some faint, indistinct memories. In those memories, Mo Hua had lived a brief life in another world where spiritual energy didn’t exist. In that life, Mo Hua's family was ordinary, but he was a diligent student with decent grades. He was accepted into a university, majoring in Fine Arts, with a passion for studying Chinese painting and calligraphy. After graduation, he worked as a graphic designer for a large company, often working overtime until he died of overwork in his twenties. His life was spent studying as a student, then working after graduation, all the while burdened with stress and anxiety. When he looked back, he realized he had lived a confused and rushed life, and his death came so suddenly that he hadn't even had time to process it. In the final moments before his death, his entire life flashed before his eyes like a fleeting lantern. He realized that in all those years, he had never done anything truly meaningful: he hadn’t honored his parents, hadn’t pursued his dreams, hadn’t experienced love, nor had he ever seen the vast wonders of the world... These memories were vague, and sometimes Mo Hua couldn't distinguish between truth and illusion. Like the dream of Zhuang Zhou, who couldn't tell whether he had dreamed of being a butterfly, or whether the butterfly had dreamed of being him. As time passed, Mo Hua stopped obsessing over it. The past was the past. Now, he was only ten years old, living in the world of cultivation. And he was a cultivator. A cultivator who could comprehend the Dao, soar across the Nine Provinces, pluck the sun and moon from the sky with a wave of his hand, or even bury the stars with a turn of his palm! Or... he could just be a lowly cultivator, stuck in the Qi Refining stage for his entire life, unable to fly, without any martial prowess, barely able to use a few spells, and struggling to make a living... Without the Dao Monument, Mo Hua figured that he would most likely be the latter. The Dao Monument floated in Mo Hua's sea of consciousness. It was broad and ancient, with a strange, broken form. The monument's surface seemed both illusory and real, exuding an immense, profound aura that occasionally flickered in and out of perception. One moment, it seemed to contain boundless mysteries, and the next, it was as silent as a void, utterly empty... On the monument’s blank surface, Mo Hua could draw formation diagrams, and every time he drew one, his divine sense would strengthen. In the vast array of cultivation disciplines, formation masters stood supreme! Formation mastery was the most difficult field to learn, and the most crucial aspect of mastering formations was one’s divine sense! Formations were composed of formation patterns, which ancient cultivators had painstakingly inscribed after comprehending the Dao. These patterns were like ancient texts or simple paintings, containing endless mysteries. When a cultivator drew a formation, their divine sense connected with the profound secrets of the Dao, consuming vast amounts of mental energy. If a cultivator’s divine sense wasn’t strong enough, they wouldn’t be able to complete a formation, and attempting to do so could lead to divine sense exhaustion, or worse, the collapse of their sea of consciousness, resulting in death. To become a formation master, one had to continuously study and practice various formation diagrams. This is why formations were difficult to learn and practice, and why formation masters often perished from overexerting their divine sense. When Mo Hua drew formations on the Dao Monument, it consumed his divine sense, but when he erased the formations, his divine sense was instantly restored, leaving him mentally refreshed. From something to nothing, and back to something again—it was like the Dao itself, full of profound mysteries. And every time Mo Hua drew a formation, his divine sense would increase slightly. Though the increase was minuscule, it was there. As far as Mo Hua knew, the cultivation world didn’t have any techniques for directly cultivating divine sense. For most cultivators, their divine sense only grew stronger when they broke through to higher stages. Thus, even the smallest increase in divine sense was extremely precious. As long as Mo Hua continued drawing formations on the Dao Monument, he could steadily improve his formation skills. And as long as he kept practicing, his divine sense would continue to grow. With a powerful divine sense, Mo Hua would be able to study more complex and advanced formations. Someday, Mo Hua believed he could become a powerful formation master through this process. Formation masters were highly respected. Even an ordinary, uncertified formation master could earn a significant income by drawing formations for others in exchange for spirit stones. Once Mo Hua became a formation master and had a stable source of income, he would be able to continue his cultivation and wouldn’t have to remain a mere Qi Refining cultivator for life. Mo Hua made this promise to himself. But becoming a formation master was no easy task. Formation mastery was difficult to learn, and the path of a formation master was filled with obstacles. The Dao Court had established strict, even harsh standards for recognizing formation masters among the various cultivation disciplines. Formations were composed of formation patterns, with basic formations consisting of a single pattern. Each additional pattern elevated the formation’s level, increasing its power and the divine sense required to draw it. If a cultivator could draw between one to five patterns, they could be considered a formation apprentice. Drawing six to eight patterns would qualify one as a formation master, though such a master wouldn’t be ranked by the Dao Court. Only by successfully drawing nine patterns and passing the Dao Court’s rigorous certification exam could one become a true Grade One formation master. For a Qi Refining cultivator, becoming a Grade One formation master was like ascending to the heavens in a single step. A Grade One formation master would be a valued guest of any major clan or sect. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn’t dare offend them lightly. Moreover, a Grade One formation master would receive a monthly stipend of spirit stones from the Dao Court’s Tianxu Pavilion, not to mention the countless young and beautiful female cultivators who would line up to become their Dao companions. However, aside from the difficulty of the exam, there were also quota restrictions for Grade One formation masters in each region. So even if one possessed the knowledge and skill to qualify as a Grade One formation master, they might still be denied certification and forced to wait for the next exam. Many formation masters spent their entire lives waiting, only to see their opportunity slip away. Countless low-level cultivators devoted their lives to studying formations, only to reach old age without ever achieving their dream of becoming a Grade One formation master. The so-called quota restrictions imposed by the Dao Court were often just an excuse for the major clans and sects. They needed the prestigious title of Grade One formation master to elevate their heirs or inner disciples, making them the focus of admiration and envy. As for the low-level cultivators who worked tirelessly to become formation masters, they were nothing more than dust beneath the feet of the elite. It was already late at night. Mo Hua lay in his disciple’s quarters, but his divine sense had sunk into his sea of consciousness, where he continued practicing formations on the Dao Monument. The formation Mo Hua was practicing was called the "Dual Essence Formation," which contained two formation patterns and was considered one of the basic formations. However, Mo Hua had never successfully drawn this formation before. Most Qi Refining disciples, due to their limited divine sense, could only learn formations with a single pattern. Even among the outer disciples of the Tongxian Sect in the early stages of Qi Refining, only a few had fully mastered formations with a single pattern. But Mo Hua had already mastered single-pattern formations to the point of ease and proficiency. He wanted to learn more challenging formations, so every night, he practiced the two-pattern Dual Essence Formation on the Dao Monument. After dozens of nights of repeated practice and gradual refinement, Mo Hua finally succeeded. For a formation master, every additional pattern was a threshold. Drawing one more pattern meant climbing one more step on the ladder. The fact that Mo Hua could now draw two patterns meant that his divine sense and formation skills had already surpassed most of his peers. Among the early-stage Qi Refining disciples in the outer sect of the Tongxian Sect, his formation skills were likely unmatched. Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. When dawn arrived at the hour of Mao, his divine sense left his sea of consciousness, and he opened his eyes. Despite having practiced formations all night, Mo Hua’s divine sense remained clear and sharp. He didn’t feel fatigued at all, as though he had merely enjoyed a peaceful night’s sleep. He pushed open the window, and the morning sunlight bathed his fair, delicate face. Outside, the rising sun illuminated the sky with a thousand radiant beams. Ten-year-old Mo Hua took a deep breath, his gaze firm as he looked out at the horizon. As long as he continued practicing formations and refining his divine sense, he believed that one day he would become a Grade One formation master. When that day came, it would be like the rising sun, marking the first great step on his journey to seek immortality and the Dao. He would no longer be just a Qi Refining cultivator for life!