Chapter 4

However, Mu Mu is not too concerned; over the past two months, he has been completely immersed in the wonderful world of formations, occasionally making new discoveries. His understanding of formations has deepened significantly; he has now fully mastered all the basic formations and most of the solid formations, being able to draw them effortlessly. Currently, he is also focused on studying more complex solid formations and illusion formations. Therefore, a substance called crystal stone is required.

Mu Mu trembled with excitement, for this significance was extremely profound. With spiritual power, he would no longer need to rely on a pen to draw formations; he could use intent to form arrays instead. Mu Mu had studied the method of intent formation countless times and had long memorized it thoroughly, but he had always struggled without spiritual power to practice. If he possessed spiritual power, he could learn intent formation, and his speed in setting up arrays would greatly increase. At that time, Ru Yue had set up an array in less than a few seconds, while it took him at least thirty minutes to draw a floating array. If he possessed spiritual power, he could learn intent formation, and his speed in setting up arrays would greatly increase. At that time, Ru Yue had set up an array in less than a few seconds, while it took him at least thirty minutes to draw a floating array

Mu Mu ran around the house in shoes, moving from the floor to the roof, and then from the roof to mid-air. He did so with even greater ease than those at the Nascent Soul stage, as he did not expend any magical energy at all. If he could find a formation for rapid movement, he would be able to soar through the skies like those at the Nascent Soul stage, flying thousands of miles.

If you want to do it, just do it. Mu Mu quickly stripped himself bare, preparing to take action with a fountain pen dipped in vermilion. However, upon seeing his body as pure and white as a lamb, Mu Mu suddenly felt at a loss for how to proceed

Mu Mu is a highly imaginative person, capable of drawing formations on his belly. He also associates this with the Spirit Gathering Formation. Through his observations, he concludes that the Spirit Gathering Formation is perhaps the most widely used formation among all formations. Many complex formations cannot do without the presence of the Spirit Gathering Formation. The primary function of the Spirit Gathering Formation is to gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. If we assume that a formation is like a car, then the Spirit Gathering Formation is the engine of the car, providing spiritual power for the entire formation. Liu Yue has also mentioned that spiritual power is the most fundamental strength for cultivators. Cultivation is a process of converting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into one's own spiritual power. Therefore, spiritual power is extremely important for both formations and cultivation.

Mu Mu quickly pushed open the door and rushed into the room, kicking off his shoes and jumping into bed, curling up tightly as if only in this way could he calm his excited heart. His mind was filled with the image of Liu Yue's shy and blushing expression. Each time it flashed in his mind, it brought Mu Mu a feeling of palpitations. At just fifteen years old, he was at the age of budding emotions, and Liu Yue, in his heart, was like a fairy, yet she revealed such a charming demeanor. This undoubtedly had a shocking impact on Mu Mu; this expression was like an invisible hand stirring the pure lake of his heart.

Crystals are stones formed by the condensation of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, containing powerful spiritual force that can quickly replenish the energy consumed by cultivators, proving very useful during battles. Liu Yue spoke with her head down, unable to look at Mu Mu's face, only daring to gaze at the part below Mu Mu's neck. The originally frail Mu Mu, for some reason, now appeared to her to be 'tall and slender.' Although Mu Mu seemed very thin and appeared to have little flesh, in reality, his bone structure was quite robust. Coupled with the good food, sleep, and fulfilling life he had enjoyed over the past two months, his once frail body had become considerably sturdier, and he no longer exuded the previous impression of being weak and fragile. Suddenly, an inexplicable thought arose in Liu Yue's mind: it turned out he was no longer a child.

Why is this happening? Mu Mu is puzzled, but he knows that there is a key issue involved. As long as he can clarify this key issue, his understanding of the formation will experience a significant leap.

However, after searching through the entire array book, he could not find a single formation that could be used for rapid movement. Nevertheless, Mu Mu did not feel discouraged, as he was able to fly in mid-air like a master at the Nascent Soul stage despite having no spells at all. This was already quite satisfying for him. Moreover, he now had other ideas he wanted to put into practice

That young man, not overly sentimental, at the eve of his fifteenth spring, sometimes finds himself infatuated by a gentle smile from the girl sitting next to him. How much more so for Mu Mu, who has never encountered a beauty! In this moment, Mu Mu has deeply fallen for the gentle, beautiful, and understanding Liu Yue.

Through various observations, he truly discovered numerous issues. Firstly, he found that most composite formations contain one or more spirit gathering arrays, such as the floating array and the sunlight array. Moreover, all solid arrays invariably include a spirit gathering array. Many formations also possess very practical functions. For instance, in a solid array, Mu Mu drew a preservation array on paper, placed a plate of food inside, and after two days, when he took it out, it surprisingly tasted almost as good as when it was freshly cooked. The sunlight array can change with the light, and at night, it emits a strong white light, illuminating the room as if it were daytime. Additionally, Mu Mu discovered that the formations are effective not only when drawn on paper but also when drawn on walls. Therefore, he simply drew a sunlight array on the wall in front of the stone table, eliminating the need to turn on the lights at night. When going to sleep, he could casually use the cap of a pen to slightly alter the formation, rendering it ineffective.

The body is relatively flat, with only the back and chest being prominent. The back cannot be reached or seen, so there is no need to consider it. Therefore, the focus must be on the chest and abdomen. But should I emphasize the chest or the abdomen in the drawing

Life has been quite fulfilling. Although Mu Mu cannot learn the more complex formations due to the lack of spirit stones, he meticulously studies each formation he has learned, analyzing the function of every stroke and detail of those basic formations. Sometimes, he removes a part of a basic formation to observe the effects, and at other times, he overlaps two basic formations to see what results arise. He thoroughly analyzes the function of every stroke and detail of those basic formations. Occasionally, he removes a part of a basic formation to observe the effects, and sometimes he overlaps two basic formations to see what results arise. Then, he disassembles those composite formations made up of multiple formations to see what effects occur when a certain part is missing.

"Yes, can you help me find some?" Mu Mu asked eagerly. With the crystal stones, he would be able to proceed to the next part of his studies. Many of those illusion formations required crystal stones to activate.

Looking at Mu Mu's sincere gaze, Liu Yue felt an inexplicable flutter in her heart, and her fair face flushed red. Liu Yue was a very beautiful woman; although she was in her thirties, her appearance, preserved through years of cultivation, still resembled that of a twenty-one or twenty-two-year-old. Her skin was fair, and her demeanor was noble, akin to a fairy who did not partake in the mundane world. In truth, most cultivators were like this. However, in Mu Mu's eyes, who had rarely seen a cultivator, Liu Yue appeared as beautiful as a celestial being. Usually distracted, Mu Mu had not noticed this before, but at this moment, Liu Yue's blushing and bashful demeanor left Mu Mu in a daze. In her heart, she marveled: Sister Yue is truly beautiful.

"Sister Yue, what is a crystal?" In the reception room, Mumu asked Liu Yue. Liu Yue is now equivalent to Mumu's half-master; whenever Mumu has any unclear questions, he is accustomed to asking Liu Yue to teach him. There is no other option, as Liu Yue is the only person Mumu can find here. The others have long been hiding in the inner courtyard and rarely come to this entrance. Occasionally, when Mumu sees one or two, they are always in a hurry, disappearing in a flash, leaving only a fleeting shadow. Moreover, Mumu's inexpensive master has not appeared even once in the past two months. Therefore, the only person Mumu can consult is Liu Yue.

The path of cultivation is such that the higher one's level of attainment, the slower the progress becomes. In addition to factors like talent, it is also related to opportunities, experiences, and one's mood and personality. Some individuals may spend their entire lives without reaching the Nascent Soul stage, while others may practice for hundreds of years without any significant advancement. For instance, the sect leader Li Xuan took a full one hundred and eighty years to transition from the Nascent Soul stage to the Out-of-Body stage.

Two diagrams of formations suspended in mid-air, one entirely drawn in blood and the other in cinnabar, with a drop of fresh blood placed at the center of the formation. Observing the diagram drawn in cinnabar with a touch of blood, Mu Mu seemed to understand and nodded slightly.

Oh. Mu Mu's expression darkened; without the crystal, the subsequent formation could not be studied, and it would be strange not to feel disappointed

Thus, Mu Mu drew a spirit gathering array on his abdomen, with the core of the array positioned above the dantian. As soon as it was completed, the array immediately emitted a burst of white light. A cool stream of air slowly flowed from the core of the array into the dantian.

Mu Mu felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this, and looking at Liu Yue's face, he emotionally said: "Sister Yue, you are truly a good person." Arriving alone in this unfamiliar place among the scholarly students of a prestigious sect, although he was exceptionally accepted as a disciple, no one truly regarded him as a member of the sect. Not only was he not allowed to enter the main gate, but the elders and disciples of the sect had never come to see him. Even his own master had only spoken a long stream of nonsense on the first day and then disappeared without a trace. These people had never considered him a disciple of the sect. Only Liu Yue, in front of him, not only insisted on calling him 'Uncle Master,' but also arranged living necessities and meals for him, delivering food to him every day and doing her best to answer any questions he had. Even for the crystal stones that were clearly unavailable in the sect, she promised to help him find them. This level of care was enough to make Mu Mu feel deeply touched.

These shoes and the clothes he is wearing were brought to him by Liu Yue. His own set was torn during the mountain climb, and his luggage had long been lost. These shoes are cloth-covered with rubber soles, the soles being about half an inch thick. Mu Mu took a knife and split the rubber sole in half, drawing a levitation array on the side of the shoe upper. After some thought, he also drew one on the sole side. Since the sole is quite small, he couldn't draw a large array, so he had to draw several smaller ones to make do. Then he reattached the rubber sole. Thus, the world's first pair of airborne running shoes was born

As soon as this thought arose, Liu Yue immediately realized that it was a very embarrassing notion, and her face instantly turned bright red. She lowered her head more and more, deeply afraid that Mu Mu would see the blush on her face

Upon careful consideration, Mu Mu decided to draw on the abdomen, as he had read many martial arts novels that mentioned concepts such as gathering energy in the dantian and the energy sea being the vital point for martial artists. In short, the dantian is indeed very important

This thought flashed through Mu Mu's mind, instantly exciting him to jump up. If this idea of his could work, he would no longer need to be taught by his cheap master and would be able to cultivate spiritual power on his own

Moreover, the later large-scale formations are so complex that they can rival genetic blueprints, and cannot be depicted through drawing at all. Once one masters the concept, it will only take a thought to execute. What method of drawing could possibly be faster than visualizing it in one's mind

After this day, the relationship between Liu Yue and Mu Mu suddenly became delicate. Mu Mu liked to run to Liu Yue's place for no particular reason, going at least twice a day. Although Liu Yue appeared to be unaffected on the surface, the number of times she blushed increased day by day. Thus, the days passed one after another.

Liu Yue's delicate hand pressed against her chest, attempting to calm her wildly beating heart, as her gaze followed Mu Mu's departing figure, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. Having practiced in seclusion since childhood, Liu Yue had rarely interacted with men. Although she often received numerous guests from all directions, they were all individuals of ethereal demeanor, akin to immortal beings who seemed untouched by the mundane world. Their eyes, though clear, held no trace of emotion. It had been a long time since she had encountered a gaze as sincere and full of feeling as Mu Mu's. This gaze was like a small stone thrown into Liu Yue's tranquil heart lake, creating ripples that spread outward. In her more than thirty years of life, Liu Yue had never experienced a moment that stirred her heart so profoundly.

Unable to bear seeing Mu Mu in this state, Liu Yue hurriedly comforted, "Don't be like this. How about I help you ask around? Perhaps we might find a clue."

Liu Yue shook her head and said, "Master Mu Mu, you will be disappointed; there are no crystal stones in the sect."

Extract a few more sheets of white paper, one to be painted with vermilion and the other with ordinary Hero brand fountain pen ink. On both sheets, drop a drop of blood at the center of the formation. The sheet painted with vermilion immediately glows with white light and floats up, while the one painted with ink shows no reaction at all

However, Mu Mu was also in a daze and did not notice at all. It was unclear whether Liu Yue's words were heard clearly, but he instinctively responded with a "Oh"

Cinnabar and fresh blood are the two key elements. After clarifying the issue, Mu Mu proceeded to draw several diagrams with cinnabar, conducting repeated experiments. Ultimately, he discovered one thing: regardless of where the blood is dropped, as long as it comes into contact with the cinnabar, even if just a tiny bit, it is sufficient to activate the formation. In other words, adding a little blood to the cinnabar is enough. There is no need to worry about whether it is at the focal point of the formation.

The two individuals silently gazed at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward

The Spirit Gathering Array can gather spiritual energy for the use of the formation. Can it also gather spiritual qi for one’s own cultivation?

Mu Mu was completely oblivious; at this moment, his heart felt as if it were a startled deer, racing uncontrollably. After hearing Liu Yue's words, he instinctively replied, "Thank you, Sister Yue," and hurriedly ran towards the house.

"Oh, why do you ask that? Do you want crystal stones?" Liu Yue asked in confusion. For more than two months, Mu Mu had been staying in the room all day, and she had no idea what he was doing. Every time she brought him food, she saw him sprawled on the stone table, drawing chaotic symbols. It was only because Liu Yue's cultivation was insufficient that she was not yet qualified to learn formations, so she did not realize that what Mu Mu was drawing were formations; she thought they were talismans. However, as he was merely drawing some random talismans, she did not understand why Mu Mu would ask about crystal stones. She had never heard of needing crystal stones to draw talismans.

One can only fly in the air after reaching the Nascent Soul stage, but Mu Mu, having no magical power at all, surprisingly managed to fly with the help of a formation. Although this method of flying is exceedingly slow, it consumes no magical energy, which left Mu Mu overjoyed. After the excitement, Mu Mu pondered whether the formation would become ineffective if it changed shape. After all, the belly is not as fixed and unchanging as a stone; it can deform. Thus, Mu Mu began to contract the abdomen and twist the waist, pulling the floating formation on the belly into a circle and then flattening it, yet it still did not fail. At this point, Mu Mu understood that once the formation is activated, it will not become ineffective due to changes in shape.

Mu Mu is a very strong person; perhaps it is more appropriate to describe him as stubborn. Once he has made a decision, not even a train could pull him back. This is evident from the way he, with the body of an ordinary person, persevered in climbing the perilous mountain path that resembled a heavenly ladder, and then insisted on kneeling at the door for three days and nights. He resolved to learn the formations in the book, and even though he lacked spiritual power and could only draw with his hands, he never lost heart. For the next two months, Mu Mu locked himself in his room, continuously copying the formation diagrams from the book. From the simplest Spirit Gathering Formation to the more complex Defensive and Teleportation Formations, he meticulously copied each one. Of course, he did not attempt to draw the more intricate Illusion Formations and Killing Formations, primarily because he lacked one very important thing—crystal stones.

Having understood a bit more, Mu Mu was overjoyed. However, having the formation drawn on her belly was not a viable solution. Mu Mu examined her entire body, and finally her gaze landed on her shoes

After a long while, Liu Yue finally came to her senses, realizing her own lapse in demeanor. She quickly cleared her throat and turned her head away, not daring to look into Mu Mu's stunning eyes. This slight cough also brought Mu Mu back to her senses, and she immediately recognized that staring at Sister Yue like that was quite disrespectful, so she hurriedly turned her face away. Both averted their gazes, and Liu Yue softly said: "Mu Mu, Master Ancestor, weren't you asking me about the crystal stones?" One could easily detect a slight tremor in Liu Yue's voice.

That night, Mu Mu had no mind to do anything; she simply lay awake, filled with longing and anticipation, her heart sweetly wandering in fantasies, before finally drifting into a deep sleep after a long while

Finally, Mu Mu attempted to drop a drop of blood into the aluminum tube, allowing the blood to mix with the cinnabar inside the entire tube. In the future, every formation drawn with the cinnabar inside would be effective. Upon discovering this, Mu Mu finally set aside the concern of blood leading to the demise of humanity.

What excited him the most was that he had drawn a floating array on his abdomen, which surprisingly proved effective. The array lifted his entire body into the air, and he found himself swimming through the air by moving his arms and legs as if he were in water. It is important to note that flying is a highly advanced spell; to soar through the air, one must reach the Nascent Soul stage. Only after the Nascent Soul is condensed within the body can one harness its power to fly. Cultivators who have not reached the Nascent Soul stage must rely on flying swords for assistance. Even within the Xianyin Sect, there are not many individuals who have reached the Nascent Soul stage; aside from the eight elders, there are only over thirty disciples from the second and third generations. Among these individuals, only Ruyue has reached the Spirit Severing stage, while Li Xuan and three other elders have attained the Out-of-Body stage. The remaining elders have reached the late Nascent Soul stage, and the rest of the second and third generation disciples have just barely entered the early Nascent Soul stage.