Chapter 732 -570 “Windfall”_1 Master Luo said no more, having reached the extent of his advice. “As the saying goes, ‘Only through enduring the most bitter hardships can one become the best amongst men.’ If Mo Hua were to join the Family Sects and Clans in the future, becoming ‘the best amongst men,’ then these words would be of no use.” If Mo Hua upholds his Taoist Heart and remains true to his original aspirations, with his intelligence, he ought to know what to say, and naturally, he will have a measure in his heart.” Master Luo looked at Mo Hua and saw his furrowed brows, a reflective look upon his face. Knowing that he understood his meaning, he nodded slightly and said nothing more. ... The discussion among the few then returned to Formation Mastery. Master Luo said: “Second-Grade Formations are categorized by the Divine Sense of a Cultivator during the initial, middle, and late stages of Foundation Establishment into initial, intermediate, and high stages.” “Upon entering Foundation Establishment, a ten-pattern is the entrance-level Second-Grade Formation…” “Entrance-level Formations are relatively simple, and though they are Second Grade, they are not considered within a stage…” “In the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, from eleven to thirteen patterns are considered Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations;” “In the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, from fourteen to sixteen patterns are considered Intermediate-level Second-Grade Formations;” “In the late phase of Foundation Establishment, from seventeen to nineteen patterns are considered High-Grade Second-Grade Formations…” “Formation Masters are categorized the same way, into initial, intermediate, and high stages.” “The threshold for a First-Grade Formation Master is very high, focusing only on the rank and not on the stages, but in truth, all First-Grade Formation Masters should be considered ‘High Stage First-Grade Formation Masters,’ it’s just that these detailed divisions have been eliminated by the Taoist Court…” “The categorization becomes more detailed and stringent at the Second-Grade Formation level.” “It’s not easy to become a Second-Grade Formation Master, and advancing from there is even harder, involving an assessment with each advancement…” Master Luo frowned, sighing deeply. Master Qian felt equally helpless. If passing the First Grade assessment is already difficult, what more for the Second Grade… Mo Hua pondered for a moment before asking, “So, to become a Second-Grade Junior Formation Master, is it enough just to know how to arrange the Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations?” Master Luo shook his head and said with a wry smile: “It’s not that simple. The Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations encompass those with eleven to thirteen stripes, and the difficulty varies greatly within them…” “With each additional pattern, the Formation’s difficulty increases significantly.” “One must master the most difficult Thirteen Pattern Formation at the initial stage, and not just one or two sets.” “According to the Taoist Court rules, one must learn at least four or five sets of the Thirteen Pattern Formations before they can apply for assessment and be promoted to a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master…” “The same applies to the subsequent stages.” “Mastering the Sixteen-Pattern Formation advances one to Middle Stage Second Grade; mastering the Nineteen-Pattern Formation advances one to High Stage Second Grade…” “Therefore, any Formation Master who truly passes step-by-step assessments and advances to a High-Stage Second-Grade Master is incredibly rare and exceptionally proficient in Second-Grade Formations…” Mo Hua nodded, then said, “So basically, at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, one can become a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master?” His statement was somewhat conservative. Because his Divine Sense had already reached thirteen patterns, if judged by Formation standards, learning a Fourteen-Pattern Second-Grade Formation would bring him to the threshold of a Middle Stage Second-Grade Formation Master… Master Luo, however, shook his head and said: “That’s not the case…” “Generally speaking, it’s only possible to become a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master during the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, a Middle Stage Second Grade in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, and as for a High Stage Second Grade Formation Master…” Master Luo paused and sighed: “…either one has already broken through to the Golden Core stage or one’s cultivation has stagnated for too long in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, unable to make further progress, and thus, spends a hundred or two hundred years painstakingly learning Formations to be promoted to a High-Stage Second Grade Formation Master…” Mo Hua opened his mouth in surprise, “Is it that difficult…” “Difficult indeed…” Master Luo’s eyebrows knitted together in a “川” shape. Even though he considered Mo Hua exceptional, not bound to common convention, some fundamental “common sense” of Tao Cultivation still needed to be understood by him. He is who he is, and others are who they are. Not everyone is a little monster like him. “Even if one’s Formation skill is only a small realm behind one’s cultivation level, such a Cultivator can still be considered a highly talented Formation Master. Ordinary Cultivators start learning First-grade Formations at Foundation Establishment and only go on to Second-Grade Formations at the late stage of Foundation Establishment or even the Golden Core stage. That’s also normal…” Mo Hua asked, “Is it because their Divine Sense isn’t strong enough?” Master Luo nodded, saying weakly, “Yes, the Divine Sense isn’t enough…” “Blood Qi and Spiritual Power can be enhanced through Cultivation Techniques, but not Divine Sense.” “Most Cultivators cannot train Divine Sense; aside from those born with an extraordinary Divine Sense, generally, they possess a Divine Sense matching their stage of cultivation, and rarely more than that…” “At the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, one can have at most a Divine Sense of thirteen patterns. To become an initial stage Formation Master, one must learn a Thirteen Pattern Formation…” “Learning this way can be very strenuous.” “The consumption of Divine Sense is immense, and recovery is extremely slow. Moreover, learning Formations this way is like groping one’s way across a river by feeling the stones, careful and cautious, with no room for error. One wrong step could even lead to the hazard of Divine Sense depletion.” “Even so, after completely exhausting Divine Sense for a whole day, one might only be able to practice it two or three times…” “The Second Grade Thirteen Pattern Formations are complex and profound. Practicing only two or three times a day—how could that be enough?” “By the time one truly comprehends it, how long will it take…” Master Luo said bitterly. Mo Hua nodded in agreement. He had the Taoist Stele, allowing him to practice Formations far more often, sometimes even twenty or thirty times in a single night. Two or three times a day was indeed too little, hardly enough to even fill the gaps between his teeth… With such a low frequency of practice, it would indeed be difficult to grasp the essence of Formations. Moreover, Cultivators needed to cultivate and earn Spirit Stones. Even for Cultivators of noble clans and sects, it’s unlikely they would have the leisure to focus solely on Formations every day, as they would be preoccupied with various tasks within their Clan or Sect.