Chapter 109
“Young Lady Baek, please rest comfortably.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Jin-Wi exchanged farewells and left the area.
Perhaps due to the disappointment of touring the Formation schools all day, she felt strangely tired.
Even her steps heading inside the Guest Quarters toward her Abode were heavier than usual.
“Phew.”
As soon as Baek-Cheong entered the Abode, she took a Seat in front of the tea table.
She took out a small jade slip from inside her Storage Platform and placed it on the tea table.
It was the Formation Introduction jade slip given to her by the Formation Master who managed the Unmihwanjin.
While fiddling with the jade slip with her fingertips, the events from the Formation pavilions she had toured all day came to mind.
“What a truly boring day.”
When she first set foot on Jinmunbong Peak, a corner of her small heart had been full of anticipation.
She had assumed there would be something worth learning if she compared the formations of the Formation masters.
However, as she moved through a couple of pavilions, that anticipation gradually scattered.
Most of the Formation masters claimed to have handled formations their entire lives, yet they had never actually unraveled the principles of formations with their own minds.
They only knew the method of learning the Formation diagrams passed down in their schools through jade slips, carving Formation glyphs whose meanings they didn’t even know into the Formation eye, and infusing spiritual energy.
They were essentially just memorizing and operating already-made formations as they got their hands on them.
“So in the end, they just memorize and use everything.”
Of course, memorizing and operating a Standardized Formation also required a certain degree of understanding of formations.
Even if one copied the Formation glyphs exactly onto paper, the Formation wouldn’t activate just like that, so one at least had to learn how to flow spiritual energy and what kind of balance to strike between the Formation glyphs.
Still, memorizing and using a Formation could not compare to handling Formation glyphs by hand.
If one knew the usage of Formation glyphs, one could unfold formations however one wanted.
It was possible to create various formations depending on the situation, and one could even slightly twist the Formation Structure of an existing Formation to add new effects.
On the other hand, a Standardized Formation could only be unfolded exactly as memorized.
If they didn’t have a useful Formation, they had no choice but to buy Formation diagrams or make requests to Formation masters of other Schools to borrow jade slips.
‘No, does it make sense that people called Formation masters don’t know Formation glyphs?’
Occasionally, there were Formation masters who held lectures on the principles of formations.
Out of curiosity, she had also stopped her steps and listened to a lecture.
The content of the lecture did point out certain parts regarding the principles of formations.
They had realized the fact that the Formation glyphs drawn on the Formation Diagram formed the framework of the Formation.
However, it was only to the extent of noticing the existence of Formation glyphs; their understanding did not reach their usage or how they gathered and flowed spiritual energy.
In the end, she hadn’t met a single Formation Master who had enlightened to Formation glyphs and handled them.
“This kind of thing is a Formation Master?”
Due to these circumstances, the number of formations that Formation masters could operate was equal to the number of formations they had learned.
Fortunately, the Formation diagrams passed down in the Cultivation World were overflowing.
She heard that just counting the 1st-tier standardized formations easily exceeded ten thousand.
“What is this, a memorization subject?”
Since there were over ten thousand formations memorized even without an understanding of Formation glyphs, they generally didn’t lack anything when responding to usual Sect matters or external requests.
Because of this, not all Formation masters reached the same level.
While there were Formation masters who learned many formations and operated them freely, there were also Formation masters who barely managed to learn a couple of formations.
It was a sight no different from other arts.
Because not everyone was smart just because they were cultivators.
They were merely born with more Spiritual Ability than a mortal thanks to their spiritual roots.
They were by no means born with smart brains either.
‘If they were that smart, there wouldn’t be any stupid cultivators either.’
It could only be called a fantasy about cultivators created by mortals.
Even if a cultivator had the aptitude of a spiritual root, in an art that required academic knowledge like formations, their brain ultimately had to keep up.
As a result, there weren’t that many cultivators who could learn the art of formations in the first place.
It was also common for someone, barely enlightened to one or two formations, to groan with a Formation Diagram in hand and take the position of a Formation Master.
‘There’s just no answer.’
The thoughts she had organized while touring various schools were converging into a single conclusion.
Among the Formation masters, there was no one who directly handled Formation glyphs.
The vast majority of Formation masters hadn’t even noticed the existence of Formation glyphs, and the Formation masters who vaguely knew of their existence were an extreme minority.
“Phew.”
Baek-Cheong let out a small sigh while keeping her gaze on the tea table.
Since the Biun Sect was the only Great Sect in the Southern Continent, she had thought it would have a certain degree of depth in formations as well.
Even if there were no Formation masters who handled Formation glyphs, she had guessed there would at least be some views that explained the usage of Formation glyphs seriously.
“To think that being a Formation Master ultimately means copying formations without knowing Formation glyphs.”
The disappointment that had filled a corner of her small heart was naturally shifting into a desire for the Nameless Forum.
It was most refreshing to unleash this frustration in front of the Dao Friends of the Nameless Forum.
“I should just act like a troublemaker.”
Baek-Cheong got up from her Seat and lay down on the bed.
Then, she moved her Divine Sense and connected to the Nameless Forum.
Because she hadn’t connected for several days, the accumulated notifications popped up.
However, she needed a place to unleash the disappointment that filled her small heart.
Moving her Divine Sense, she began writing a new post on the Chat Board.
『Dao Friend (913.14): They’re Formation masters but don’t know Formation glyphs.』
[Can they even be called Formation masters when they don’t even know Formation glyphs?]
Fortunately, the newly written post drew the attention of the Dao Friends.
[Dao Friend (214.5): Dao Friend, what are you talking about? What’s a Formation Glyph?]
[Dao Friend (888.32): You just need to learn the Formation Diagram first. I don’t know anything specific like Formation glyphs.]
[Dao Friend (46.111): Formation Glyph??? Where did you hear that word?]
[Dao Friend (72.18): formations are about memorizing diagrams. Aren’t Formation glyphs just the patterns drawn inside the Formation?]
A whole bunch of Formation Master Dao Friends who had been lingering in the Nameless Forum came out and left replies.
“No, even the Dao Friends of the Nameless Forum…”
Not a few Dao Friends who had supported the Formation Faction during the Cultivation Hundred Arts Debate were also leaving replies, but their understanding of Formation glyphs was no different from that of the Formation masters of the Biun Sect.
[Dao Friend (46.111): You have to learn many formations to be a Formation Master, Formation glyphs or whatever. It seems Dao Friend hasn’t even done a Formation Introduction.]
[Dao Friend (72.18): I’ve learned my whole life that copying Formation diagrams is the standard, so where are you coming from by shoving this unheard-of Formation Glyph nonsense?]
[Dao Friend (888.32): Dao Friend, you haven’t even bought a single Formation Jade Slip, have you?]
[Dao Friend (214.5): A post asking if Formation masters don’t know Formation glyphs is ridiculous. Formations are all about the diagram and the Formation eye.]
While looking through the continuously posted replies, she let out a small sigh.
‘It comes up with just a little search, and they don’t know this?’
It seemed the frustration Baek-Cheong had tried to relieve by stirring trouble was only piling up.
Just as her temper was about to flare up at the numerous lazy askers - no, Incantation Beggars.
[Dao Friend (33.3): If Formation glyphs were easy to learn, the Jinmun Formation Diagram wouldn’t be rotting in the Marketplace like that.]
A reply from a familiar Dao Friend was posted.
It was Dao Friend (33.3), who had once been severely burned after trying to scam her with the Jinmun Formation Diagram.
There was no way Dao Friend (33.3) would keep his mouth shut at the discussion of Formation glyphs.
“Hehe… Formation Glyph Dao Friend.”
Only then did Baek-Cheong feel at ease, as a Dao Friend who knew about Formation glyphs had appeared.
However, she felt strangely pitiful for him.
Although it was Dao Friend (33.3) who had been severely burned trying to scam her.
Seeing him clinging persistently to the bait of Formation glyphs in the Nameless Forum was somewhat pitiful.
“Just for today.”
Baek-Cheong left a reply for the first time, as if doing him a favor.
[Dao Friend (913.14): I found it easy though?]
As soon as the reply was posted, Dao Friend (33.3) also quickly replied.
[Dao Friend (33.3): Grmblqshk hueeoh.]
In the end, Dao Friend (33.3) broke down without even being able to write a coherent message.
‘…He won’t come looking for me, right?’
She had gone out of her way to leave a reply, only for him to show a bizarre reaction.
Other Dao Friends who were watching the spectacle also left replies.
[Dao Friend (11.23): At this rate, he’s going to turn into something dangerous.]
[Dao Friend (553.24): Dao Friend (33.3), how is it that you are so swayed every time Formation glyphs are mentioned…]
[Dao Friend (22.81): His usual replies were fine except for the lack of spaces, but this time he completely broke down.]
Soon, Baek-Cheong withdrew her attention from Dao Friend (33.3), who had ignored her sincerity.
If push came to shove, he might come looking for her Lower Realm, but she wasn’t worried.
‘How could someone who hasn’t even learned Formation glyphs cross between realms?’
Leaving behind her well-founded confidence, she exited the Nameless Forum.
It was short, but her Desire to Stir Trouble was sufficiently resolved.
“Today was fruitful as well.”
Baek-Cheong withdrew her Divine Sense and exited the Nameless Forum.
Then, while rolling around on the bed, she looked at the jade slip placed on the tea table.
“But who made the Unmihwanjin?”
Suddenly, a pure question raised its head.
It was highly likely that the foundational Formations were created in the Ancient Era, but if it was a Formation specialized for the Biun Sect like the Unmihwanjin, it was also highly likely that it was created recently.
Of course, even if it was recent, it dated from the time of the Founding Ancestor, so one would have to estimate ten thousand years generously, but it was relatively close compared to the Ancient Era.
‘Even so, it’s nothing more than a modification.’
She thought that the Peak Lord of Jinmunbong Peak might perhaps be different.
Since he was a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator and a quasi-5th-tier Formation Master, the more she thought about it, the more certain she felt.
However, not only did she have no connection with him, but going to find him and ask would also look strange.
“Well, it has nothing to do with me anyway.”
The important thing was that she had acquired a decent excuse to handle Formations naturally.
It seemed she just needed to take her time and subtly reveal her prominence.
Above all, she decided to drop by the Artifact Forging Peak early tomorrow and then watch the opening ceremony of the Martial Arts Competition.
“Finally.”
Baek-Cheong was eagerly anticipating the Concealment Art, a Movement Technique that posed no problem even for a clumsy person.
Of course, combining it with the Spirit Rain Art to sprinkle rain on people was merely a bonus.
If done well, she could even make lightning strike.
“I should be careful with this.”
Handling lightning qi was not common, so it was not a Talent to be revealed carelessly.
Especially since the Pacheon Sword Saint had also urged her to ensure her safety.