"The Cultivation World esteemed Formations."
"While Cultivation emphasizes slaughter, only empowering oneself, Formations, on the other hand, can influence thousands of Cultivators."
"This is even more so for those Cultivation clans with significant strength and a multitude of Cultivators."
"Five Elements Sect, skilled in Formations, settled here, drawing numerous Cultivators, clans, and Sects to seek Formations, with some Cultivators even choosing to reside here permanently."
"Some Cultivation powers, in order to curry favor with Five Elements Sect, would station an Elder here, presenting gifts and paying visits during holidays and festivals."
"As interactions increased, the price of the residences here soared."
Mr. Zhuang spoke with some emotion, "Donât be fooled by its remoteness; the caves in this city are really beyond what ordinary Cultivators can afford."
"The high cost of caves leads to soaring prices for everything else."
"The Loose Cultivators of Li Mountain City rely on the blessings of their ancestors, barely scraping by in shelters, barely getting by; otherwise, they would not survive."
"In the long run, the number of Cultivators in the whole Li Mountain City has dwindledâŠ"
Mo Hua expressed his doubts, "I see the streets bustling though."
Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Cultivators live long lives, so one shouldnât just look at the present but must take a longer view."
"Hundreds of years ago, I came here, and there were many more Cultivators than now."
"These days, the number of Cultivators is fewerâŠ"
"The bustling pavilions and towers are only surface-level prosperity; without people, they are ultimately just as fleeting as the moon reflected in water or flowers in a mirror."
Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully. Explore more stories with
Then he asked, "But all this has nothing to do with Five Elements Sect, right? They canât control others buying caves at high pricesâŠ"
Mr. Zhuang shook his head, "Five Elements Sect has been fanning the flames..."
"Fanning the flames?" Mo Hua didnât quite understand.
Mr. Zhuang explained, "Hundreds of years ago, Five Elements Sect had fallen into decline. It was the founder of Five Elements Sect who, wanting to revitalize the Sect, moved the Sect to the remote Li Mountain City."
"Li Mountain City is remote and free from disturbances."
"The founder of Five Elements Sect wanted the disciples to focus on their studies of Formations without distraction and also attract other Formation Masters to exchange and study Formation knowledge, making Li Mountain City a place for Formation Masters to pursue their studies, truly a city of Formation Study."
"Indeed, this move had a significant effect."
"Five Elements Sect steadily grew stronger, the atmosphere of Formation Study intensified, and Li Mountain City flourished, becoming a favored place among Formation Masters."
Mr. Zhuang sighed, "But later on, it was no longer so..."
"As Formation Masters gathered, the value of residences skyrocketed, and Li Mountain City became worth its weight in gold."
"Their founderâs painstaking efforts ultimately proved of less importance than real Spirit Stones..."
"The later generations of Five Elements Sect disciples began to have other ideas; they tore down buildings that were once for the use of Formation Masters to study and exchange ideas, and built luxurious caves instead, which they sold and rented out at high prices to make enormous sums of Spirit Stones."
"They didnât have to do anything, Spirit Stones simply rolled into their accounts."
"This abundance of easily acquired Spirit Stones led the Sectâs disciples to become indolent and indulgent, no longer devoted to studying Formations or seeking the truths of the Heavenly Dao."
"However, while Five Elements Sect seemed to profit immensely from this, that wealth was bought with the hardships of their ancestors and their prospects for the future."
"The lifework of their ancestors was also lost in the process."
"Caves became too expensive, ordinary Cultivators couldnât afford them, and gradually left."
"And the talented Formation Masters from modest backgrounds who couldnât afford such expensive residences had no choice but to leave as well."
"The disciples of Five Elements Sect, being all too rich in Spirit Stones and indulging in luxury, also stopped bothering to learn Formations."
"The Formation atmosphere in the entirety of Li Mountain City thinned as well."
"The standard of Formations at Five Elements Sect declined time and again, and some Formations were lost..."
Mr. Zhuangâs expression turned grave as he remarked:
"Whether itâs Formation Masters or Formation Sects, in the end, they must root themselves in Formations and not be short-sighted in the pursuit of profit; otherwise, once prosperity fades, what remains is desolation."
Mo Hua also felt a chill in his heart.
A place where Formation Masters converged to study⊠What kind of scene that must have been...
Mo Hua both longed for and regretted it, prompting him to ask:
"Teacher, didnât Five Elements Sect think about changing?"
A Sect that large, with so many Formation Mastersâyouâd think that while some may be profit-driven, there would still be those who could see the bigger picture.
Mr. Zhuang sighed:
"Itâs too late to turn back now..."
"The entire Sect, accustomed to making Spirit Stones with ease, from top to bottom, is entrenched in their interests; whoever thinks about change, faces the opposition of the whole Sect."
"They lack both the courage and the ability to do so."
"Even if there is someone with the ability to change, they might not wish to, because those with the power to make a change are likely those who have profited the most..."
Changing longstanding habits is a painful process that starts with oneself.
Mo Hua couldnât help but sigh.
The affairs of this world are indeed complex.
Still, one matter weighed on his mind.
Mo Hua inquired, "Teacher, you mentioned that Five Elements Sect was in decline, and it was the old founder who moved the Sect to Li Mountain City..."
"What was Five Elements Sect like before its decline?"
Mr. Zhuangâs demeanor became solemn as he reflected:
"That was thousands of years ago..."
"Back then, even if Five Elements Sect wasnât considered the top Sect, it was still one of the paramount Formation Sects in the entire Cultivation World."
Mo Huaâs mouth hung open in surprise.
He had never imagined that the ancestry of Five Elements Sect was so illustrious!
A premier Formation Sect in the entire Cultivation World.
That level of prestige...
"Was their inheritance that formidable?" Mo Hua asked in amazement.
"Indeed," Mr. Zhuang nodded:
"What Five Elements Sect was best known for, and what they relied upon, was a complete set of Formations ranging from low to high grade, capable of amplifying the Spiritual Power of the Five Elements!"
Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a grave expression:
"And it is precisely the set of first-grade Thirteen Patterns Five Element Ultimate Formation that you must go learn and master."