Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life-Chapter 144: Formations: So Easy to Learn

At this moment, Su Ming slowly opened his eyes from his cultivation state.

His face carried a trace of irrepressible joy.

"Master!"

He called out with his spiritual sense.

"I... I think I've done it! I can now make that wisp of spiritual energy travel back and forth three times within the meridians of my arm without losing control!"

"Hmm, acceptable."

Lin Yu immediately suppressed his inner outburst and adopted that demeanor as still as an ancient well, the tone of a master.

"Controlling spiritual energy is like herding horses; this is the first step. But, do you know why we herd horses?"

Su Ming was taken aback.

"Why... to make it obedient?"

"Superficial." Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of perfectly measured guidance.

"Herding horses is to make them pull a cart. Spiritual energy is your horse. Formations are the cart you want to build."

"Your previous failure in setting up a formation was because you tried to build a complex cart before you had even tamed the horse. Putting the cart before the horse, how could you not fail?"

This analogy, simple and easy to understand, instantly enlightened Su Ming.

A look of sudden realization appeared on his face.

"This disciple understands! This disciple was too impatient for success before!"

"To know one's mistake and be able to correct it shows promise in a young man." Lin Yu said calmly.

"Now, look at that 'dust-repelling formation' again. Don't act yet, just look at its 'principle'."

"Master, what is 'principle'?"

"Look, why does that formation use three stones as its foundation?" Lin Yu guided patiently.

Su Ming answered without thinking. "The jade slip says it's for 'Three Powers Positioning', drawing on the meaning of Heaven, Earth, and Man."

"That is its 'name', not its 'principle'."

Lin Yu's voice held a hint of guidance.

"Your teacher asks you, when you were in the mortal world, you saw craftsmen making objects. Why does a table need at least three legs? Why does a tripod have three feet?"

Su Ming frowned in thought.

He remembered Old Man Wang, the village carpenter, whose three-legged stools were always more stable than four-legged ones, never wobbling.

A thought flashed through his mind.

"Because... three points provide the greatest stability!"

"Exactly!"

Lin Yu praised.

"So-called 'Three Powers' is merely a pleasant-sounding name given by the ancients. Its true 'principle' is the two words: 'stability'! Formations are constructs of energy. If the foundation is unstable, everything is a castle in the air. This is the first layer of 'principle' in the path of formations—the principle of form."

Su Ming's heart was struck hard.

So... that's how it is?

Not some mysterious, abstruse explanation, but the most plain, simplest truth?

"Now look at the core 'Gathering' character rune." Lin Yu continued to guide.

"Before, when you inscribed it, you only knew its shape, not its meaning. Now, look at it again with your mind, break it apart. Each stroke, each line, what do you think they are respectively doing?"

Su Ming immediately closed his eyes, visualizing that rune in his mind.

This time, he no longer treated it as a complete picture.

He followed his master's guidance and deconstructed it.

The first stroke, like a primer, 'hooks' the external energy in.

Those few complex, interweaving strokes in the middle were like a sieve, or a whirlpool, causing the hooked-in energy to spiral and compress within.

The final downward stroke was like an outlet, guiding the compressed energy out.

The more Su Ming thought, the brighter his eyes became.

"Master! I... I think I understand!"

"Good."

Lin Yu's voice finally carried a trace of genuine smile.

"This is the second layer of 'principle' in the path of formations—the principle of energy."

"The way of formations, despite myriad changes, never strays from its core. It's nothing more than 'stable form' and 'energy flow'. Only by comprehending these two points have you truly stepped through the gate of formations."

Su Ming's mind was suddenly enlightened.

All the fog that had shrouded his heart before was completely swept away at this moment by his master's few words!

He looked at that jade slip again, his gaze now completely different.

Those originally obscure runes were no longer incomprehensible scribbles in his eyes.

But rather, exquisite and interesting little...

spiritual energy toys, constructed from the most fundamental principles.

He eagerly extended his finger.

"Master, this disciple wants to try again!"

"Go ahead."

Lin Yu's voice carried a note of encouragement.

"Remember, this time, feel it with your heart. Feel how the spiritual energy at your fingertip resonates with the 'principle' of this world."

Su Ming took a deep breath and extended his index finger.

This time, his fingertip did not tremble in the slightest.

That docile wisp of cyan spiritual energy gathered at his will, as easy to command as his own arm.

He looked again at the three ordinary pebbles before him, his gaze now completely different.

Those were not stones.

They were vessels for the principle of "stability", the most solid foundation of the entire formation.

His finger slowly traced across the ground in the center of the three pebbles.

No longer constrained by the rigid stroke order from the jade slip.

In his mind appeared the "energy funnel model" his master had described.

The first stroke was "luring".

With a slight movement of his will, the spiritual energy at his fingertip gave a gentle flick, as if casting an invisible bait into the void.

The sparse spiritual energy in the surrounding air was actually 'hooked' by this action, a wisp of it drawn in and converging into the trace he was inscribing. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The second stroke was "compressing".

The spiritual energy at his fingertip swirled, constructing a small vortex that firmly locked that wisp of drawn-in heaven and earth spiritual energy within, continuously spiraling and squeezing it.

The third stroke was "guiding".

The final downward stroke was like opening a sluice gate, precisely directing that compressed-to-the-limit spiritual energy towards the formation's core node!

*Hum—*

A faint hum, almost imperceptible.

In the center of the three pebbles, that 'Gathering' character rune he had inscribed—still somewhat crooked—suddenly lit up!

The light was no longer as dim as before, but a stable, soft cyan glow!

Success!

Su Ming's heart gave a powerful thump!

Suppressing his excitement, he followed the procedure and gently sprinkled a small pinch of wood shavings onto the rune.

The moment the wood shavings touched the rune's light, a sudden change occurred!

An invisible, gentle force rippled out from the center of the rune.

The force spread outward like a circle of transparent ripples, extending about three feet.

Wherever the ripples passed, the dust accumulated on the ground seemed to be gently brushed away by an invisible hand, instantly disappearing without a trace.

Even the fine dust particles floating in the air seemed to encounter their nemesis, scattering and avoiding the area.

A perfectly clean circular area with a three-foot radius clearly appeared before Su Ming!

The effect was stable.

The glow persisted.