Immortality Through Array Formations

“Our Zhang Family is a legitimate noble clan with strict family traditions; how could we possibly silence someone at every turn? Although the Water Passing Step is an ultimate technique, it’s not completely forbidden to pass on. I’ll teach you stealthily, and you’ll learn stealthily—there won’t be any trouble. If anyone finds out, just say it was me who taught you, and push all the responsibility onto me…” Zhang Lan said rather boldly.

“If it’s not going to be a big deal, why should I pin it on you? I’ll just say I learned it by a lucky coincidence—wouldn’t that work?” Mo Hua asked with a blink, speaking softly.

Zhang Lan frowned and said, “What you’re saying… seems to make some sense…”

Why should he step forward to take responsibility if the Zhang Family wouldn’t make it difficult for Mo Hua?

If this matter were exposed and the clan elders found out, being confined for a few months was almost customary for him. But after all, being grounded and kneeling in the ancestral hall was not something to be proud of; if it could be avoided, so much the better.

“Then you’ll need an excuse,” Zhang Lan said.

“I’ll just say it was a kind-hearted uncle passing by who taught me. If they ask for a name, I don’t know. If they ask what he looked like, I’ve long forgotten,” Mo Hua replied.

“Alright, as long as that kind-hearted uncle isn’t me.”

With no worries left in his mind, Zhang Lan said, “I’ll teach you the Water Passing Step right now, practice it whenever you have the chance.”

“The Water Passing Step is a movement technique specifically for spiritual cultivators, which uses spiritual power to guide the body, achieving nimbleness and freedom to advance or retreat in tight spaces.”

“The key to movement technique lies in using divine sense to control spiritual power with extreme precision, directing the spiritual power to corresponding meridians, and then guiding the body. This way, you can quickly move and shift within mere inches, and avoid your opponents’ swords within fractions of a breath.”

Zhang Lan explained the essentials of practicing the movement technique to Mo Hua, and then handed him a meridian chart.

“This chart records the sequential pathways and specific spell points of spiritual power circulation in the meridians for different movements of the Water Passing Step. Take it home, study it carefully, and commit it firmly to memory. Remember to burn it afterwards so you don’t leave any traces.”

“On the back of the meridian chart, there’s also a simple body refinement technique…”

“Isn’t it a spell? Why do I need body refinement as well?”

Mo Hua had little confidence in his body cultivation talent.

Zhang Lan corrected Mo Hua’s understanding: “Spiritual cultivators are those who rely on spiritual power to activate spells for attack, not those who only cultivate spiritual power. Both the physical body and spiritual power are fundamental to a cultivator; you can’t lack either. Even for spells, they are not completely separated from the body. It’s just that spells are so important for spiritual cultivators that physical cultivation might seem optional in comparison.”

After explaining, Zhang Lan offered Mo Hua some reassurance:

“Don’t worry, the body refinement technique that comes with the Water Passing Step isn’t about strengthening the body’s toughness; it’s a body refinement method that makes the limbs flexible and the physique coordinated.”

“Since the Water Passing Step relies on spiritual power to drive the body, if the body is uncoordinated or the legs and feet are stiff, you could end up injuring your tendons and bones due to the spiritual power pulling on you before you even use the technique properly…”

Zhang Lan gave a detailed explanation, and Mo Hua listened carefully. Before long, Zhang Lan had finished teaching, and then he said:

“Try it now to see how much you’ve grasped.”

Mo Hua channeled spiritual power, operating it according to the intricacies recorded on the chart of the Water Passing Step, and indeed felt more light-footed and agile.

Mo Hua, being a Formation Master with a powerful divine sense, and also stronger than the average Formation Master, plus the cultivation of Heaven Yan Jue, had strong control over divine sense. Thus, the circulation of spiritual power in the Water Passing Step was unimpeded.

The technique seemed simpler than Mo Hua had imagined.

Mo Hua attempted to take a step forward using the Water Passing Step, but his right leg moved the spiritual power too quickly while his left lagged slightly, resulting in a slip…

And he tumbled face-first onto the ground.

Lifting his head and wiping the mud from his face, with his mouth still full of dirt, Mo Hua grumbled, “This doesn’t seem so simple…”

Zhang Lan saw this and thought to himself that seemed more like it, that learning formations quickly was one thing, but it wouldn’t be the same with spells.

Mo Hua tried several more times, but still failed to succeed, either because the spiritual power in his hands and feet were out of sync and he slipped, or he moved his same hand and foot together and plopped down onto the ground on his butt.

Zhang Lan watched the dust-covered Mo Hua with an unchanged expression, feeling secretly delighted in his heart and thought to himself, “Now you know it’s not easy to learn spells…”

Zhang Lan’s main practice was other movement techniques, and he wasn’t very skilled at the Water Passing Step, mainly because this movement technique in the Zhang Family’s ultimate techniques was the kind that wasn’t outstanding in either offense or defense. Offensively, the technique wasn’t sharp enough, and defensively, it was too difficult to control spiritual power, so there weren’t many cultivators in the Zhang Family who primarily practiced the Water Passing Step.

That was precisely why he dared to secretly teach it to Mo Hua.

If it had been one of the Clan’s mainstream movement techniques like the Falling Flower Steps, which everyone in the family learned, anyone would have recognized the origin of the movement technique as soon as it was used, and that would have caused him big trouble.

The Water Passing Step was just right. The technique itself wasn’t bad and was sufficiently low-key. Not many learned it, so it wasn’t easy to recognize, and it was okay to secretly use it.

After half a day’s practice of the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua once again fell on his butt.

Zhang Lan picked up Mo Hua, dusted him off, and then said, “Alright, you go back and practice on your own. Learning spells and formations are similar, it’s all about practice makes perfect. If it doesn’t work once, just practice a few more times and it will be fine.”

“Oh,” Mo Hua nodded.

Zhang Lan returned Mo Hua to the eatery, then warned him a few words, telling him not to say to anyone that he was the one who taught him the technique. He should quietly practice on his own. After that, Zhang Lan happily accepted several jugs of wine and a few pounds of meat as “bribes” from Mo Hua, then contentedly left.

Liu Ruhua brought out a cloth, dampened it with water, and as she wiped Mo Hua’s face, she said, “Did Court Leader Zhang teach you something?”

“Uncle Zhang told me not to tell,” Mo Hua said, smiling.

“Alright, then you just practice well. When you have time, don’t forget to thank Court Leader Zhang,” Liu Ruhua spoke gently.

“Mhm,” Mo Hua nodded.

After that, Mo Hua started the days of practicing the Water Passing Step.

Mo Hua found a corner in the courtyard and began trying to control his limbs with spiritual power, just making simple movements.

This was the simplest part and was the foundation for all subsequent movements in the Water Passing Step.

Initially, the practice felt uncomfortable and he’d fall if he lost balance. However, after practicing several times and becoming familiar with the pulling of spiritual power along the meridians of his flesh, his movements gradually became smoother.

So, in the corner of the backyard, one could see Mo Hua’s legs entwined with pale blue spiritual power, like water and mist, capable of moving forward or backward without even moving his feet.

Mo Hua tried several more times and found it fun like sliding on ice in the dead of winter.

Subsequently, Mo Hua attempted several more complex movement techniques, such as front somersaults, back somersaults, headstands, and back handsprings, and unsurprisingly, he took a few more falls…

Mo Hua analyzed the reasons and realized that his own body was too weak, lacking strength and agility in his movements.

Mo Hua took out the Body Refinement Realm techniques that Zhang Lan had given him.

These techniques were simple, only including basic movements. Unlike the Body Cultivation techniques that focused on strength, these techniques cultivated the body’s flexibility and coordination.

The illustrations showed a figure moving naturally and lightly, as graceful as flowing water.

Mo Hua had an epiphany, no wonder it was called the Water Passing Step.

Mo Hua then began practicing the movements depicted in the illustrations, one by one.

Initially, his limbs would feel sore and hurt so much that he couldn’t get out of bed, but after persevering for a few days, the soreness dissipated, and his circulation improved. Even though his physical strength was still weak, his every move became light and fluid, as natural and graceful as water.

Feeling that the time was ripe, Mo Hua began to officially practice the more difficult techniques of the Water Passing Step.