Wang Ming sat cross-legged in his quiet room, the wooden floor beneath him cool to the touch. A soft breeze passed through the open window, rustling the edge of the formation manual in his hands. Moonlight spilled across the pages, casting faint shadows over the carefully drawn diagrams.
He looked down at the manual and nodded slightly.
He had fully memorized the Dance of the Sword Qi formation given by the clan. Alongside it lay two other formation scrolls higher-grade formations he had acquired in the cave weeks ago. One of them, the Three Phantom Sword Formation, had already been practiced.
"To learn a formation is one thing... to integrate it is another," he thought silently. "Anyone can memorize the patterns and execute it with spiritual energy. Even a mortal could do it,barely. But its power would be shallow."
His gaze remained fixed on the formation mark drawn on the page.
"To truly use a formation—to make it yours,you need to integrate it into your Sea of Consciousness. That requires comprehension... and something more."
He let out a quiet breath.
"Will. A factor not known to many."
His fingers slowly traced the diagram.
"Elder Wang Kai spoke only of comprehension. He doesn't know the other half of the truth."
The room remained still.
"Will isn't just determination," Wang Ming thought. "It is the merging of one's own inner resolve with the will of the formation itself. Every true formation has its own intent. Its own presence."
He shifted his posture slightly, setting the scroll down before him.
"One can still advance without this integration of will. But reaching the rank of Formation Master without it is ten times harder."
He closed his eyes.
"My past life's experience helps with comprehension... but this part, the will, the spiritual resonance ,I must walk that road on my own."
A soft sigh escaped him as he opened his eyes.
"With my current pace, it will take at least eight months to reach the first stage of Formation Apprentice rank."
His expression didn't change, but a flicker of emotion passed through his gaze.
"I may lose my place at the top of the class. Others will surpass me for a time. But if I try to cut corners now, I'll cripple my future."
His voice was quiet as he murmured to himself:
"Benefits... One must know when to grasp them and when to let them go for something greater."
With that, he placed the manual aside and began his cultivation, the soft hum of spiritual energy slowly filling the room.
Meanwhile, In Another Land
Far away, on another continent, Lin Fan sat in the center of a stone courtyard. Around him, the earth was cracked, and broken debris scattered across the ground. The aftermath of a spiritual storm lingered in the air, dense and heavy.
For half a day, no one had dared to approach him.
Now, as the wind settled, Lin Fan opened his eyes. A faint glow flashed across his irises.
He smiled.
"First stage of Formation Apprentice rank... three months earlier than my previous life."
His eyes looked ahead calmly.
"This advantage will help me in the coming competition. At this pace, I could reach Rank Five in ten years."
But his expression shifted.
The smile faded.
"It's still not enough."
He clenched his fists slowly.
"To stand against him, I need more."
His thoughts turned inward. A single name echoed in his mind—one that brought with it caution and intensity.
Wang Ming.