Cultivation is Creation

The thing about cultivation world libraries is that they're simultaneously more and less organized than you'd expect.

On one hand, everything is meticulously cataloged and preserved with spiritual techniques that would make museum curators weep with joy. On the other hand, the organization system seems to have been designed by someone who was high on enlightenment and decided that "logical progression" was too mundane a concept for their elevated consciousness.

After about an hour of searching (and one awkward incident where I accidentally activated a defensive formation on a restricted scroll), I'd managed to gather a decent collection of formation texts.

I wasn't surprised these books were freely available. As Elder Chen had implied, formations were one of those fields where having access to knowledge wasn't the same as being able to use it. You could memorize every word in a dictionary and still not be able to write poetry.

But instead of studying, I was absently tracing my finger along the grain of the wooden surface of the table, my mind still dwelling on yesterday's events with Wu Lihua and Wu Kangming.

"You're doing that thing again," Azure commented.

"What thing?"

"That thing where you stare into space and brood about problems you can't immediately solve."

I snorted. "I'm not brooding. I'm... contemplatively planning."

Through our soul bond, Yggy sent what felt like the vine equivalent of an eye roll, followed by an impression that roughly translated to 'less thinking, more doing.'

Sometimes I wondered if having such pragmatic companions was the universe's way of keeping me from getting too lost in my own head.

"They're right," I muttered to myself. "Can't let myself get distracted. Wu Kangming can have his dramatic protagonist training montage, and Wu Lihua can play her manipulation games. I've got work to do."

I had a few days before my next formation lesson with Elder Chen Yong and team training with Wei Lin and Lin Mei. While I was curious about that golden fruit growing in my inner world, that could wait. Right now, I needed to focus on either runes or formations.

Given how much progress I'd made with runes in the Two Suns' world, it made sense to shift my attention to formations for a while.

Besides, while runes were great for personal power, formations seemed better suited for teamwork. Considering the first stage of the Outer Disciple Tournament was a group exercise, it wouldn't hurt to develop some skills that made me more valuable to a team.

I turned my attention back to the stack of formation manuals I'd gathered.

"Formation Study for Beginners," I read the title of the first book. "Well, that's straightforward enough."

"At least they're not trying to be dramatic about it," Azure agreed. "Though I'm a bit disappointed. Where's 'Ten Thousand Ways to Make Things Go Boom' or 'Formation Mastery or Death: A Gentle Introduction'?"

I chuckled as I opened the book. "I think those might be reserved for Core Disciples."

The first chapter was titled "Understanding Formation Language: The Basic Components."

Perfect. If formations were truly a language for communicating with spiritual energy, then learning its alphabet seemed like the logical place to start.

It began with what was essentially a recap of my first lesson with Elder Chen Yong.

Formation craft is often called the language of reality itself. Like any language, it has its own alphabet, grammar, and rules of composition. This text will introduce you to the fundamental components that make up all formations, from the simplest ward to the most complex world-binding array.

The book laid out what it called the "Primary Strokes" – the basic lines and curves that formed the building blocks of all formation patterns. Each one had its own spiritual resonance and purpose:

Straight lines channeled qi directly, like pipes carrying water

Curves guided qi in smooth flows, perfect for gradual energy transitions

Spirals concentrated or dispersed qi depending on their direction

Angles redirected qi sharply, useful for sudden changes in energy flow

Dots served as qi collection or distribution points

"It's like what I said to the elder, formations are similar to musical notes. Each stroke is a different sound, and combining them creates melodies of spiritual energy."

Yggy sent an image of itself growing in a spiral pattern, followed by a questioning sensation.

"Yes, exactly like that!" I nodded. "Natural growth patterns often match formation fundamentals. It's all about efficient energy flow."

The next section covered what the book called "Resonance Shapes" – basic geometric patterns that formed the core of most formations:

Circles for containment and cycling energy

Triangles for stability and force distribution

Squares for grounding and energy storage

Pentagons for transformation and change

Hexagons for harmony and balance

"This explains why Elder Chen's Protection Barrier used triangles for stability," I mused. "They're literally load-bearing structures in terms of energy distribution."

The next chapter in "Formation Study for Beginners" revealed something that I had wondered about.

True formation experts didn’t need to rely on physical tools, they could weave formations directly with spiritual qi, creating and modifying arrays in real-time during battle. The book didn't go into much detail, noting that such techniques were far beyond the scope of a beginner's text. But still, this was good news for me.

"Master," Azure interrupted my reading, "please tell me you're not planning to experiment with formations."

"Of course not," I replied, turning the page. "That would be reckless and potentially explosive."

"...but?"

"But I might experiment with them in my inner world. We can weave runes there, so formations shouldn't be too different. Manipulating qi is probably easier than the red sun's energy, anyway."

Pretending to not hear Azure’s sigh, I flipped the next book, "Spiritual Geometry”, open. It went into excruciating detail about exactly how precise these measurements needed to be:

A variance of more than 0.3 degrees in any major angle can result in catastrophic formation failure. For this reason, all serious formation practitioners must master the use of spiritual calipers and measurement tools. Many an aspiring formation master has met their end due to sloppy geometric alignment.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Well, that's comforting," I muttered, making careful notes. "Nothing like the threat of immediate death to motivate precise penmanship."

"At least you have steady hands from all that rune practice," Azure offered helpfully.

"Fortunately." I turned to the section on formation scripts – the way different strokes and shapes could be combined to create specific effects. It was fascinating how small changes in arrangement could completely alter a formation's purpose:

Clockwise spirals drew energy in

Counter-clockwise spirals pushed energy out

Nested circles created layers of effect

Intersecting lines formed energy nodes

Parallel lines created channels for qi flow

"It's like programming," I realized suddenly. "Each pattern is a function, and combining them creates more complex operations.”

The book went on to explain how these basic components could be combined into what it called "Formation Words" – standard patterns that achieved specific effects:

The simplest Formation Words are those that deal with basic energy manipulation: Gather, Disperse, Store, Release, Transform. These form the foundation of all higher formation craft, much as simple words form the basis of complex sentences.

"So that's why the Qi Gathering Circle uses inward spirals," I nodded, things starting to click into place. "It's literally writing 'gather' in formation-speak."

I spent the next few hours studying the relationships between different patterns, making careful notes and sketches. The more I learned, the more I understood why formation masters were so rare – this wasn't just about memorizing patterns, it was about understanding an entire new language of reality.

The third book was about not blowing yourself up, it proved to be particularly enlightening:

Common Mistake #1: Inconsistent Line Weight

When scribing formations, maintaining consistent pressure is crucial. Variations in line thickness create uneven qi flow, leading to energy buildups and eventual catastrophic failure. Many novices make the mistake of pressing harder at the beginning of strokes and lighter at the ends, creating what we in the field call "boom points."

"Boom points," I repeated, sharing an amused glance with Azure. "At least they're keeping it simple."

Common Mistake #2: Rushed Connections

The points where different formation components meet are critical junctures for qi flow. Rushing these connections is like trying to join two pipes without proper welding – the result is usually a spectacular mess. Take your time, ensure clean intersections, and maybe consider writing your will first.

"I'm starting to see why Elder Chen Yong drinks so much," I muttered, turning the page.

Common Mistake #3: Ignoring Resonance Harmony

Different formation components have their own spiritual frequencies. Combining incompatible patterns is like trying to play a symphony with instruments that are all in different keys. Except instead of hurting your ears, it hurts everything within a fifty-meter radius.

The book went on to list several more ways aspiring formation masters could accidentally remove themselves from the cultivation world's gene pool, each with helpful illustrations of what not to do.

"Some of these diagrams are surprisingly detailed for things that supposedly obliterated everyone nearby," Azure noted dryly.

"I'm guessing they're reconstructions based on the scorch marks," I replied, carefully copying down the safety guidelines. "Though I have to wonder about the one labeled 'The Tang Valley Incident' – how does a mistimed formation create a new mountain range?"

Finally, I reached the section comparing Level 1 and Level 2 formation practitioners. The difference was actually quite fascinating:

Level 1 practitioners work with static formations – patterns that, once activated, maintain a single, unchanging effect. Think of them like a painting: beautiful and useful, but fixed in form and function.

Level 2 practitioners learn to create dynamic formations that can respond to external stimuli. These are more like living artwork, capable of adapting and reacting to their environment. However, this reactivity also makes them more complex and potentially unstable.

"So that's the next step," I mused, thinking about the tournament ahead. "Static formations are useful, but being able to create ones that can react and adapt would be a huge advantage in the tournament."

"Perhaps we should master the basics before attempting reactive formations," Azure suggested.

I nodded, closing the books. "Let's start with perfecting what Elder Chen taught us before we try anything too ambitious."

I returned the books to their proper places (after another minor adventure with the library's organizational system) and headed back to my quarters. The sun was high in the sky now, and the courtyards were filled with disciples practicing various techniques. I noticed a few of them giving me curious looks – word of my encounter with Wu Lihua and Wu Kangming had apparently spread.

"Wonderful," I muttered. "Just what we needed – more attention."

"At least they're not trying to challenge you to duels," Azure pointed out. "Yet."

"Don't jinx it."

Back in my quarters, I settled onto my meditation cushion, closing my eyes to sink into my inner world.

The familiar landscape materialized around me - mountains to the northwest, garden quadrant to the northeast, open space to the southeast, meditation plateaus to the southwest, and the Genesis Seed stood proudly at the center.

"Where should we set up our formation practice area?" I asked.

Azure materialized beside me. "The southeast quadrant has the most open space. Plus, if something goes wrong, there's less to damage."

"Such confidence in my abilities."

"I prefer to think of it as practical planning."

I chose a flat area in the southeast quadrant, well away from anything important.

"Now comes the interesting part," I muttered. "Trying to recreate formation patterns in here..."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!