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A house should not face a mountain that curves like a drawn bow, nor one that stretches out like a long neck. Both shapes are considered inauspicious in classical spatial design.

A tall, pointed tree near the home suggests strong literary talent. If the surrounding hills have elegant, branching forms, the household may produce scholars who excel in classical studies.

The Giant Gate, a single mound of earth, is rarely understood. When properly formed, it appears graceful and refined, like a moth's eyebrow. Sometimes it resembles a crescent moon rising beyond the sky; other times it lies low and level across the plain. Such a site produces heroes who serve wise rulers—loyal, upright, and virtuous like ancient sages. If the land rises steeply like a hanging bell, it brings both wealth and honor, along with widespread fame.

This text describes an ideal burial or residential site shaped like a golden star. A tall, upright landform rises like a ceremonial tablet, symbolizing military authority and strategic wisdom. High layered ridges form a screen, suggesting scholarly refinement. Towering buildings and rugged cliffs dominate the landscape. The passage advises not to hesitate in choosing such a site, as it promises lasting honor and prosperity across generations.

A certain type of land formation is to be avoided in home placement. If the peak rises sharply like a clenched fist, or sits low and damp like a cow's nose, it brings misfortune. Shapes resembling a drifting coffin or a corpse lying flat are also bad. Such sites cause illness, madness, and injury. Descendants become lazy, wander away, and fall into vice and crime.

A winding stream that stands alone, with branching paths like centipedes, is unlucky. Scattered mounds and disconnected slopes, with irregular clusters like scattered petals, suggest instability. The land resembles a startled snake or a goose’s neck forcing water. Ravines that face away or are cramped bring restlessness. Burying here leads to wandering spirits, unfaithful men, and unvirtuous women.

A sharp, fiery peak in the home's surroundings brings great misfortune. It rises jagged and ugly, barren and towering. Branches spread like peach-shaped talismans, splitting open at both ends. The form resembles armor plates set apart. Its substance is murky, like clotted blood. Withered veins scatter energy; water flows in harsh, thunderous bursts. This brings plague, death, and official ruin—truly a force that destroys families and nations.

This passage describes a dangerous site for a home. Sharp, metallic rock formations bring bad fortune. The mountain's yin and yang energies are unbalanced. Jagged peaks and scattered boulders dominate the landscape, or the ground is broken and dug up. The terrain may resemble bamboo poles, horsewhips, weapons, or tangled ropes. Left and right sides are steep and treacherous. The burial site sits like a gourd in a hollow. The courtyard slopes downward with flowing water, and the two flanking hills stretch out like legs. Such a star pattern brings ruin, causing descendants to waste away.

A residential site should follow the stars' pattern, with protective hills flanking the main hall. Sometimes the terrain dips into clear water, forming a curved barrier to the west. Features like turtle, snake, or fish shapes appear, with ridges linked like threads. Thick, fertile hills bring wealth; thin, eroded slopes breed deceit. The layout must be enclosed and sheltered, not open to rushing water.

Three auspicious peaks follow the dragon vein into a site, standing tall and distinct. They may rise as towering peaks piercing the sky, gather in the main hall, line up at the water mouth, or stand on flanking hills. Sometimes they hide subtly in streams, nurturing dragon energy in stillness. Great formations produce heroes and capitals; smaller ones create prosperous villages and towns. Such sites ensure generations of wealth and mastery in both civil and military arts.

The Seven Stars shift endlessly, yet their patterns repeat—most fail to see this. The four corners, eight stems, and twelve branches transform into countless forms. All stem from two sources, but without a wise teacher, confusion persists. Study these divisions carefully; no need for extra effort. A star of misfortune brings disaster; a star of fortune attracts blessings. Creation lies in the palm of your hand—this is the true immortal's rule.

Water winding around a hill is like a dragon coiling in an open palm. The center of that palm, or a nipple-like rise, marks a perfect spot for a dwelling, aligned with the heavens. On gentle slopes, water and hills embrace each other—distant ridges, a nearby river. What matters is the hill cradling the site, not water flowing away. Where water encircles, the hill also embraces; where water turns aside, the hill does not reach.

The Greedy Wolf star has twelve forms. Pointed, round, flat, and straight—small ones are best. Slanted, tilted, sideways, jagged, collapsed, or hollow—each brings different degrees of fortune or disaster.

A mountain's energy transforms as it descends—like a person changing clothes, a cicada shedding its shell, or a silkworm leaving its basket. The "dragon" (vital force) reveals itself through gradual reduction: from large peaks to smaller ones, from high ridges to flat plains. Even a modest hill can still carry the original power.

A star-shaped hill should be located outside the outer wall of a settlement. Such a hill often serves as a low table-like feature in front of the main site. A dragon-shaped ridge begins only where this star hill appears. If the star hill sits inside the wall, it signals an adopted child, illness, or miscarriage.

The Great Gate Star represents dignity and form. As soon as it leaves the ancestral range, it rises high and proud. Its peak stands apart from other stars—neither sharp nor round, but square in shape. At its summit, it resembles a ceremonial tablet held upright. Yet it has no branching ridges extending to either side.

A peak with four flower-shaped hollows marks a rare dragon vein. The true dragon path runs straight ahead, while four directions falsely suggest dragon and tiger lairs. This formation comes from a narrow, pinched passage of the Wuqu star, where a secondary energy occasionally creates a gorge.

The First Lu Cun star resembles a drum set upright, with paired limbs trailing behind. Its parallel extensions are sword-like, arranged in orderly banners and pennants. Such star formations emerge from great rivers, containing smaller versions of the Tan Lang and Ju Men stars.

A winding, snake-like layout in a home suggests flexibility and harmony. If distorted or tangled like a net, it indicates disorder. This star pattern represents gentle, yielding energy—best embodied by a smooth, eel-like form.

This type of dragon formation is the most valuable and hard to find. The five auspicious peaks must rise tall, with the "canopy" peak standing out. Such a true dragon formation is rarely encountered. The canopy appears as three peaks arranged like the character for "rank" or "grade."