When he first heard these words, he felt a complex mix of emotions.
Now, recalling them, a sense of alertness stirred within him.
"Am I, while climbing higher, unknowingly forgetting to look downwards?"
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
Elder Zheng observed Mo Hua’s dazed and thoughtful expression, feeling both surprised and gratified.
Indeed, something like a Taoist Heart cannot be understood without having one; however, once it is had, a mere hint can lead to enlightenment.
...
After taking his leave from Elder Zheng and returning to the Disciple’s Residence, Mo Hua sat on the meditation mat, lost in thought.
Elder Zheng’s words, perhaps said with momentary intention and good will, deeply affected him.
Cultivation, Formation, Pills, Artifact Refining, Runes—all have their "grades." Cultivators follow these "grades," advancing step by step.
With each step, with each grade surpassed, one becomes superior to others.
While realms have highs and lows, cultivation levels have strengths and weaknesses, yet "grades" seem to be a framework set by humans, forcibly delineated.
This point, my master also seemed to mention to me in the past.
Grades are man-made "rules," a limitation of the Dao by humans, not the Great Dao itself.
Cultivators spend their lives pursuing "grades."
Efforts in cultivation bring increased power and improved skills, but... does the essence of humankind change?
Are High-Rank cultivators human, while low-level cultivators are not?
Does elevating one’s realm entitle one to overlook, disdain, belittle, and even exploit, oppress, and slaughter low-level cultivators?
More importantly, grades are man-made rules.
Following such rules, is the end of "grades" truly the "Dao"? Can one truly become "immortal"?
Mo Hua began to harbor doubts.
The concept of "grades" for the first time showed signs of fading in his heart.
At the same time, he gained a subtle insight.
Cultivators should seek the "Dao," not "grades."
The Second Grade is formed from the First Grade.
Foundation Establishment is attained from Qi Refinement.
The Great Dao encompasses all things, so there’s no need to see grades as distinctly separate.
One should not only learn high-grade formations, ignoring the applications of low-grade formations.
Moreover, one should not only pursue higher realms, neglecting the myriad of beings below the High-Rank.
Mo Hua thought further: "But the problem is, the ’grade’ of this realm also cannot be ignored..."
Although rules are set by people, having been passed down for tens of thousands of years, they have become an established cultivation system.
If one is to cultivate step by step, gaining stronger power, this framework must be followed.
Given his current cultivation and understanding, Mo Hua cannot escape it.
He still needs to proceed step by step, ascending higher.
Formations progress from First Grade to Second Grade, from Second Grade to Third Grade... Cultivation follows likewise, from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, and then to Feather Transformation... ȒᴀN∅𝖇Ëš
Yet...
"If I keep moving upward, adhering to this framework, might I one day become like other High-Rank cultivators, relying on strong cultivation to look down on others, treating them with disdain?"
"Wouldn’t that mean I am pursuing ’grades,’ not the ’Dao’?"
It’s not impossible.
Mo Hua knew well that environment changes people.
If such a day comes when I hold a high position and power for a long time, what I still have in mind, whether it deviates from my original intentions, whether this current understanding will be forgotten, is hard to say.
"When people climb higher, they do not look down..."
His mother’s words resonated again in Mo Hua’s ears.
He pondered for a moment and thought in his heart:
"As long as I remember these words, regardless of how high my realm is, how strong my cultivation is, if I frequently remember to look down, there shouldn’t be a problem..."
"When my cultivation is high enough, reaching the heavens, yet I still remember to look down, perhaps then, I will truly know what the ’Dao’ is, what ’immortality’ is."
Tao Cultivation, step by step, all these thoughts and insights, though seemingly useless, will settle within his heart and lay the foundation for his future pursuit of the Dao and quest for eternal life.
Mo Hua nodded, his gaze bright.
When he returned to his senses, he realized he still had work to do.
"The Thunder Magnetic Array Plate!"
This was the current priority.
Mo Hua began to gather his thoughts and continued studying the Thunder Magnetic Array Plate.
He first meticulously reviewed Elder Zheng’s insights on formations from start to finish, simulated it once in his mind, and then began to personally manipulate the Thunder Magnetic Array Plate before him.
The Thunder Magnetic Array Plate, with jade as the base, trimmed with red gold, etched with silver threads, densely adorned with Magnetic Patterns, was intricately constructed.
This should be a Third Grade Array Plate.
However, due to the limited expertise of the now deceased "Mr. Yuan," a "down-grading" treatment was applied to the plate, so its true grade is somewhere between Second Grade and Third Grade, considered "Quasi-Third Grade."
This represents Mr. Yuan’s insufficient capability while also providing convenience for Mo Hua.
Following Elder Zheng’s guidance, Mo Hua forcibly activated this Third Grade Array Plate using the Second Grade Formation eye inside it.
As Elder Zheng said, this was a kind of "off-limits" usage.
Even with Mo Hua’s Divine Sense, reaching the limit of the Peak of Nineteen-Pattern, it was still quite exhausting to initiate.
Moreover, the consumption of Spirit Stones was enormous; in the blink of an eye, hundreds of Spirit Stones merged into the Thunder Magnetic Array Plate, continuing to deplete...
Mo Hua felt a little pained.
If he fails, all these Spirit Stones would be wasted.
However, to study the Thunder Magnetism Formation, and for his own Magical Treasure, these Spirit Stones must be spent whether he wants to or not.