Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2092 Chapter 993: Odds of Victory (Part 3)
Previously on Immortality Through Array Formations...
Thus, exchanging ideas and verifying them together is essential, allowing our perspectives to widen gradually and our insights to deepen bit by bit.
Mo Hua gained plenty from Xie Ling's teachings, and Xie Ling had thoughtfully gathered some Jade Slips and books especially for him, leaving Mo Hua filled with deeper thanks.
"If anyone picks on you at Taixu Gate down the line, just come straight to me..."
Mo Hua gave a firm promise.
In other spots, he wouldn't dare make such a strong vow.
Yet inside Taixu Gate's bounds, he carried some real weight.
Xie Ling chuckled lightly, feeling touched as well, "Thanks, Junior Brother."
Mo Hua stored the Jade Slip away, planning to study it whenever he found a spare moment, then he and Xie Ling headed back along the same route to the Disciple's Residence side by side.
Along the path, they talked casually for a bit, and the conversation shifted to the Sword Discussion Conference coming up in a few months; Xie Ling's tone brimmed with longing.
Mo Hua felt a touch of interest, "You not joining in?"
Xie Ling gave a nod.
"How come?" Mo Hua inquired.
Xie Ling answered, "I know my limits. The clan skills I've practiced since young focus on feng shui and tombs, not suited for head-on fights."
"With my mid-to-low grade Spiritual Root aptitude, I could place decently in the Xie family back in Gen State. But in the Qianxue State Boundary here, I'd just scrape the bottom."
"My Spiritual Root's just so-so," Mo Hua remarked.
Xie Ling smiled faintly, "Junior Brother, you're not the same. Your Spiritual Root may not be top-notch, but you're a master at Formations. Me, though..."
Xie Ling let out a sigh, "I'm lacking in all areas; showing up there would only turn me into fodder and shame our Sect."
Mo Hua gazed at Xie Ling, pausing briefly before he questioned:
"Do you wish to join the conference?"
Xie Ling fell quiet.
A beat later, he breathed out steadily:
"Junior Brother, in this realm, certain folks are fated to stay on the sidelines."
As bystanders, they must linger at the edges, witnessing the "protagonists" dazzle under the spotlight.
All that's left for them is to applaud.
Xie Ling's face stayed composed as he spoke these lines.
This harsh fact had dawned on him since stepping into the Qianxue State Boundary, and he'd slowly come to terms with its chill.
The Sword Discussion platform bursts with endless splendor.
Yet the majority can merely watch from the seats as onlookers.
And through most of their days, they remain faceless figures in the crowd.
Just like him.
A shadow of sorrow crossed Xie Ling's features.
Mo Hua froze, at a loss for words to lift his spirits.
He could offer soothing phrases, but empty "clichés" like that would ring hollow.
Upon arriving at the Disciple's Residence, they bid farewell.
Xie Ling's spirits bounced back swiftly.
It was merely a dash of yearning, a hint of letdown, a trace of irritation, a smidge of unwillingness, and a touch of resignation.
As one of those ordinary "low-rank" disciples, he'd long since gotten used to emotions like these.
"Junior Brother, give it your all at the Sword Discussion!" Xie Ling urged Mo Hua with genuine warmth.
Mo Hua nodded, his face a mix of feelings.
Deep down, though, a pang of unease stirred in him.
The whole trip back to the Disciple's Residence left Mo Hua with a sour taste in his heart.
In this world, every soul yearns to claim the spotlight as the lead.
No one craves obscurity.
But for pupils like Xie Ling, who can't even assemble a squad, he basically has no clue how to vie against rivals.
They hail from esteemed lineages.
Still, in the Qianxue State Boundary, they count as "low-rank" disciples without question.
And being "low-rank," countless others must share that status...
Mo Hua sank into quiet reflection.
He settled at his desk, eyes fixed on the Formation diagram he'd sketched, deep in reverie; time slipped by unnoticed until inspiration hit like lightning.
Mo Hua jolted upright.
He abruptly saw that his earlier approach had been way off.
He'd fixated on plotting to seize "first place in the Sword Discussion."
That mindset, at its core, missed the mark.
It ought not to center on him grabbing first.
A single person's strength has bounds.
No matter his prowess, he couldn't truly match the elite geniuses from the Four Great Sects.
What he needed was to rally every disciple in Taixu Gate and push them all to excel.
It shouldn't hinge on his squad taking first.
Rather, Taixu Gate as a whole should claim first.
Provided Taixu Gate secures first, the "Wood Revitalization Formation" landing in their grasp equals it being his own.
His personal ranking doesn't matter.
His aim boils down to the Formation alone.
"For Taixu Gate to snag first..."
Mo Hua mulled over it with fierce concentration, his look intent.
The Sword Discussion Conference runs on a "points-based victory" setup, where each win earns specific points, and the Sect amassing the highest total takes the top Sword Discussion spot.
So, the heart of the Sword Discussion Conference is truly "Sect rivalry."
It's designed to crown the Sect that trains its followers most effectively.
Not to pick the mightiest "disciple" from any one Sect.
That's precisely why the Sword Discussion uses teams, letting wins add points to the Sect's tally.
The elders who first crafted the Sword Discussion in the Qianxue State Boundary likely aimed for exactly that.
They hoped disciples would unite for the Sect's glory, gauging its progress that way.
This forms the Sect's battle in the "Sword Discussion."
However, as the Cultivation World advanced and the Sword Discussion format shifted, that founding spirit faded into memory.
Today's Sword Discussion boils down to which Sect boasts the keenest disciples.
The two ideas look alike on the surface, yet their essence diverges sharply.
And presently, while Taixu Gate lacks standout "prodigies," the Three Sects Unification has swelled their disciple numbers.
If sufficient low-rank disciples pull off wins, Taixu Gate's points will pile up, boosting their chances naturally.
Mo Hua remembered his master's early guidance.
The master told him to play a "support" role in battles, dodging conflicts to stay unbeatable.
But the master spoke of aiding, without limiting the scale.
Aiding one counts as support.
Aiding a single team qualifies as support.
Yet aiding a whole cohort, or even every disciple in a Sect, still falls under "support."
"Support" all of Taixu Gate's disciples, harnessing vast manpower, unite the entire Sect in the fight for top honors!
He mustn't overlook his fellow Junior Brothers.
Only through this can he genuinely embody Taixu Gate's "Junior Brother"!
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled brighter and brighter.
A route brimming with profound mysteries and weaving fates sharpened into focus ahead.
Wasting no moment, Mo Hua dove into arrangements right away.
One scheme after another—Formations, tactics for Spiritual Artifacts—he reworked and refined them all.
Come the following day, Mo Hua sought out Cheng Mo:
"Round up all the Junior Brothers, I've got words for them."