Formation Path

Tu Shi Cheng places formation path’s creation in the later period of the Remote Antiquity Era, in the same broad era as qi path and wisdom path, though its true founder cannot be verified. The essence of formation path is that it contains countless paths: a Gu formation can use space path and time path Gu worms, and also metal, wood, fire, water, and other paths. That breadth makes formation path the most complex path among all the paths. Formation path Gu worms are only the foundation and framework; the rest of a formation needs large numbers of Gu worms from other paths, so cultivators need at least basic knowledge of those paths and deep understanding of the Gu they actually use. In the Gu Immortal world there have always been very few Gu Immortals who specialize in formation path, though that rarity is relative and still leaves more formation path Gu Immortals than wisdom path Gu Immortals. ^{ch. 1323}

In the Late Antiquity Era a prevailing formation path concept treated earth, water, wind, and fire as the four basic elements. The concept held that those four could keep a Gu formation stable, could build most basic Gu formations, and made the most inclusive formations of all. As formation path developed, people found that formations made from those four were not the most inclusive after all, and after dozens of years the concept went out of favor. Fang Yuan privately likens its fall from favor to how, on Earth, Darwin’s theory of evolution broke a belief that had long dominated people’s thinking, that divine beings made humans, while allowing that as science develops people may in time find flaws in Darwin’s own theory. ^{ch. 1325}

Fang Yuan’s formation path attainment cannot even be counted as ordinary until succeeding through two stages of a dream realm raises it at once to quasi-master, a level most Gu Masters find difficult to reach in their lifetimes no matter how much effort they put in. He senses that finishing the dream realm’s next stage would carry him one further step, to master. ^{ch. 1326}

After exhausting dream realms, Fang Yuan’s listed attainments include formation path at grandmaster, alongside blood path, strength path, star path, dark path, soul path, sword path, and others in that band. ^{ch. 2154}

When Wu Shuai activates a newly constructed immortal formation in the sovereign immortal aperture, the narration notes that he cultivates enslavement path and only sets formations because he shares attainment levels with the main body. If the formation errs, it would be hard for him to deal with the backlash because he is not a formation path Gu Immortal. ^{ch. 2254}

Although Star Constellation Immortal Venerable cultivates wisdom path and star path, she is not weak at setting up formations. Later narration places her above most rank eight formation path experts, though in formation path alone she still cannot compare with legendary formation path great experts. Because she is not a formation path venerable, creating her rank nine derivation formation forces her to expend a vast number of thoughts. ^{ch. 2274}