Great Sage
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Chapter 23
🕑 Added 2025-03-22 08:55:09 +0000 UTCDeep inside the Luo Xian Library, in an inconspicuous corner, Han Luo sat with a few books on the fundamentals of formation arrays, reading intently.
Formation arrays were auxiliary cultivation tools born from the natural laws of heaven and earth. They came in various types—the most common being offensive arrays, defensive arrays, and supportive arrays, among others.
Han Luo was already familiar with the foundational concepts of formations. After all, he had spent ten years preparing to join Luo Xian Sect. Now, he was simply reviewing the materials to ensure there were no discrepancies between his prior knowledge and the teachings of Luo Xian Sect.
Learning required focus.
To ensure he wouldn't be disturbed, he set up thirty alarm talismans around his study area. If anyone entered within a ten-meter radius, the talismans would emit a sharp, piercing sound to alert him of the intrusion.
Once everything was properly arranged, he picked up his book and began to study diligently.
Perhaps due to his advancement into the realm of cultivators, Han Luo found that his memory had vastly improved. After testing himself, he was shocked to discover that he now possessed photographic memory—he could read ten lines at a glance and never forget a word.
"Is this the true advantage of becoming a cultivator?"
Though thrilled, Han Luo remained humble. He had always been someone who focused deeply on his work. He continued to study meticulously, carefully taking notes as he progressed.
Unfortunately, his current soul strength was still too weak to engrave jade slips, so he resorted to using a handmade pencil and notebook to record his insights.
Time flew by when one was immersed in study.
After three days, Han Luo had finished reading and memorizing all the foundational knowledge on formation arrays stored in Luo Xian Sect's library.
"Ahhh…"
Setting down his book, he stretched, feeling the stiffness in his body.
Luckily, he was now a cultivator. His flesh and bones were nourished by spiritual energy at all times—otherwise, going three days without food or water, sitting still, and reading non-stop would have surely led to sudden death… or worse, a second reincarnation.
To shake off his fatigue, he silently recited the Luo Xian Technique in his mind.
Suddenly—his expression changed.
He immediately stopped reciting the technique.
But it was too late.
A warm flow of energy surged within him.
He had broken through.
Now at the third level of the Qi Refining Stage.
"Not again!"
Han Luo held his head in frustration.
Why did this keep happening?
Why did he accidentally break through every time he let his guard down?
What if someone had been talking to him just now? What if something had distracted him?
This kind of uncontrollable cultivation progress was extremely dangerous.
A single misstep could turn a pleasant surprise into a disaster.
Han Luo despised unexpected surprises. He despised being caught off guard even more.
He firmly reminded himself to stay vigilant and disciplined.
After composing himself, he resumed his studies.
Even though he had already memorized all the fundamental theories of formations, he hadn't fully internalized them yet.
He demanded absolute mastery—99% was not enough.
Formation arrays were directly linked to the laws of heaven.
Even the slightest mistake in an array’s construction could lead to catastrophic failure.
At best, the array would self-destruct.
At worst, it could trap and kill him in an inescapable death formation.
To be cautious, Han Luo restarted his studies from the very beginning, ensuring he completely absorbed and understood every concept.
Time passed like fleeting youth.
By the time he realized it, a month had gone by.
Closing his book, Han Luo exhaled deeply.
This time, he was careful not to recite the Luo Xian Technique.
Good.
No signs of an impending breakthrough.
After an entire month of studying, he had fully mastered the fundamentals of formations.
"Now, I can finally move on to first-tier formation arrays."
Han Luo was feeling confident.
However, a problem soon presented itself.
There were over 5,000 first-tier formation arrays.
And many of them were… completely useless.
For example—
The Bathing Formation: A formation that created a controlled temperature zone in a basin of water, turning it into a makeshift bathtub.
The Bonfire Formation: A formation that summoned a small bonfire. It was apparently used during annual festivals but had no real value for cultivators.
Roughly one-third of all first-tier formations were practically useless in serious cultivation.
Should he skip them or study them anyway?
For Han Luo , this was not a question.
It was an obvious answer.
He would learn them all.
His reasoning was simple—what if he needed them someday?
A cultivator's journey was long. He could live hundreds of years, and who knew what kind of bizarre situations he might encounter?
Better to be prepared than regret later.
Thus, he picked up the first-tier formation books and began his slow and steady study process.
Three months later.
Han Luo put down the 5,000th formation book.
He was confused.
Why?
Why was this happening?
Why was his talent so absurdly high?
He had just memorized all 5,000 first-tier formations in only three months.
On average, he had studied 55 formations per day.
For a normal cultivator, this would have been impossible.
But for a genius who had fully grasped the fundamentals of formations, this pace was actually him holding back.
If he went all out, he could have easily done 100 formations per day.
"This doesn't make sense…!"
Han Luo thought back to his previous life.
Back then, his intelligence was average at best.
In school, he had consistently ranked third from the bottom—never once falling to dead last.
But now, in this life, he was learning at an inhuman speed.
Then it hit him.
It was just like memorizing the multiplication table.
Once you fully mastered the core principles, solving basic arithmetic problems became effortless.
The 5,000 first-tier formations were nothing more than elementary exercises for him.
No wonder he learned them so quickly.
Now reassured, Han Luo moved on to review everything three more times, ensuring absolute mastery.
This time, it only took him two months to reinforce all his knowledge.
Now that he had perfected first-tier formations, he set his sights on second-tier formations.
However—he couldn't access them yet.
Second-tier formation manuals were located on a higher level of the library, and only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage could enter.
Currently, he was still at Qi Refining Level Three, a long way off.
Han Luo sighed.
Then, his gaze landed on a girl sitting across from him.
She had been in the same spot since the first day he arrived.
At first, he thought she might be a shy junior sister trying to muster the courage to confess to him.
But when he saw the ancient book she was holding, he realized—
She was also a formation master.
And she was reading one of the rarest formation books in the library—The Nine Scrolls of Formation Dao.
This book wasn't a compilation of completed formations, but rather, a theoretical framework—like a multiplication table for formations.
It was one of the most valuable texts in the library, but also one of the hardest to comprehend.
This girl must have been exceptionally talented.
After observing her for months, he judged her to be harmless.
Thus, he approached her.
"Excuse me… Junior Sister, my name is Han Luo from Xian Ding Peak."
The girl slowly lifted her head.
Her face was covered in freckles, and her messy hair looked like it hadn't been combed in ages.
She wore Piao Miao Peak’s robes, but she resembled more of a little sparrow than a phoenix.
"H-Hello, Senior Brother… I-I… My name is Jiu Li’er from Piao Miao Peak…"
She was clearly nervous.
Han Luo smiled warmly.
"Don’t be afraid. I just wanted to borrow the Nine Scrolls of Formation Dao for seven days."
Han Luo had confidence in himself.
Though the Nine Scrolls of Formation Dao was an incredibly profound text, he believed that with his talent, seven days would be more than enough to comprehend the first scroll.
“Seven days?”
Jiu Li’er’s voice stretched out, filled with clear skepticism.
She found it hard to believe that Han Luo could grasp in just a few days what she had been struggling with for weeks.
Han Luo didn’t bother explaining.
"Junior Sister, you've been studying this for quite some time now. Take a break, digest what you’ve learned—I’ll be right here. I promise I’ll return it to you in seven days.”
Jiu Li’er hesitated but found his words reasonable.
She had indeed read through half of the first scroll, but some of its esoteric concepts were still too complex to fully grasp.
Perhaps taking time to consolidate her understanding wasn't a bad idea.
“…Alright. Thank you, Senior Brother, for your advice.”
She politely handed over the first scroll of Nine Scrolls of Formation Dao.
Han Luo didn’t dare be careless.
Without wasting a second, he immersed himself in its contents.
Truth be told—
Perhaps it was because he genuinely enjoyed playing with these intricate and mysterious concepts, but Han Luo , who once hated studying, was now finding joy in learning.
It turned out—
The key to mastering a skill wasn’t just hard work—it was falling in love with it.
With that thought, he flipped open the first scroll and dove headfirst into the vast ocean of knowledge.
