"Today, we study the formation canon!"
A shaft of clear sunlight filtered through a gap in the dense branches of the towering trees overhead, falling to the ground in hazy circles of light.
The old man lay in his reclining chair, his eyes closed, and said in a raspy voice, "In cultivation, you can do without pills, but you cannot do without formations!"
"Formations are absolutely crucial!"
"Have you studied them?" The old man slowly opened his eyes, turned his head slightly, and glanced sidelong at He Pingsheng.
Standing respectfully beside him, He Pingsheng shook his head. "I've never had any dealings with formations!"
He Pingsheng's knowledge of formations was practically nonexistent.
He did know how to set up that first-grade defense formation.
But when you bought the materials for a first-grade defense formation, they gave you a set of assembly instructions. All you had to do was place the materials in the positions specified in the instructions, then activate the formation plate.
That was enough to get a first-grade formation running.
No knowledge of formations was required. You simply copied the gourd in front of you, stroke for stroke.
"Let me ask you!" the old man continued. "What should we cultivators fear most in our cultivation?"
"Fear most?" He Pingsheng had genuinely never considered that question. He thought for a few breaths. "I'm too slow-witted to know. Would it be our enemies?"
"Heh heh heh..."
The old man chuckled. "What's so frightening about enemies?"
"Just hide from them!"
"On the path of cultivation, what you must fear most is the human heart."
"Whether you're cultivating within your sect or traveling outside, keeping your wealth hidden is the most basic principle. But this world has every kind of bastard imaginable. So what if you keep your wealth hidden? Other people