Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 871 – Expectation

In the days that followed, Mo Hua found himself a bit distracted.

The experience at the Sword Tomb was still vivid in his mind.

That pitch-black night, the desolate graves, the scattered broken swords, the terrifying ancestor—each detail resurfaced in his thoughts again and again.

Of course, what mattered most was that this unfathomable forbidden ancestor… had actually agreed to teach him the Divine Mind Sword Technique!

But deep down, Mo Hua still felt a little uneasy.

He wasn't sure whether the ancestor would really keep his word and pass down the sword technique.

"That old ancestor… he wouldn't lie to me, right?"

"Probably not…"

Mo Hua shook his head.

"He's an ancestor, at the Void Stage! Why would someone like that waste time tricking a little Foundation Establishment disciple like me?"

"But… what if he breaks his promise?"

Mo Hua frowned deeply.

The Divine Mind Sword was right in front of him…

Yet it felt as though it were still floating far away—uncertain and elusive.

He spent the next few days caught in this constant tug-of-war between hope and anxiety.

Until seven days later.

Mo Hua had tidied up, dressed neatly, and sat up straight in his quarters—waiting for the ancestor to come "grab" him.

But he waited… and waited… and the spatial rift he hoped for never appeared.

A faint sense of restlessness rose in his heart.

Still, it wasn't too late yet, so he took a deep breath and kept waiting.

Finally, just before noon and midnight could meet—a terrifying ripple surged through the air.

The void was ripped open.

A spatial crack appeared—and a shriveled hand reached through.

Mo Hua, having experienced it once, wasn't nervous this time. He obediently let himself be grabbed and pulled into the rift.

The surrounding space was pitch-black and dazzling, the void flickering in and out of existence, chaotic with fragmented laws.

When he opened his eyes, the night was dark as ink. The moon hung high.

All around were grave mounds and shattered swords.

The forest stood silent in its darkness.

He had returned to the forbidden ground behind the mountain.

There, amidst countless sealing formations and restraining chains, the Great Void Ancestor sat alone upon the mountain slope.

Mo Hua let out a breath of relief.

It looked like this powerful ancestor had indeed kept his promise—and would truly teach him the Divine Mind Sword.

Meanwhile, the long-bearded elder silently gazed at Mo Hua, memories of seven days ago resurfacing—

The moment he returned the bamboo sword etched with "Mo Hua" to the tomb.

The sudden surge of sword intent, the hum of broken blades, the rising white mist from ancient sword graves, merging into a breathtaking sword cloud…

"Was that strange sword-tomb vision… really caused by this little brat?"

The elder's gaze turned serious.

But why?

Could this mean… the legacy of the Divine Mind Sword Technique truly belonged in this boy's hands?

Was this the sign… that the Great Void Sect's sword path—was about to rise again?

Mo Hua stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Ancestor."

The long-bearded elder slowly said:

"My surname is Dugu."

Mo Hua blinked, then quickly cupped his fists:

"Greetings, Ancestor Dugu."

Dugu Ancestor gave a faint nod.

"From today onward, I will pass on to you a technique that has now been deemed forbidden, a secret art of the Great Void Sect… the Divine Mind Sword Technique!"

Mo Hua's spirit soared. He bowed deeply in respect.

"Disciple thanks Ancestor for your grace in passing on the Dao."

Dugu Ancestor nodded solemnly, then spoke directly:

"The Divine Mind Sword of the Great Void—begins with the sword, ends with the spirit."

"Temper qi with the sword, nurture heart with qi, enter soul through heart, refine spirit through soul, project the spirit outward—only by turning divine sense into sword intent, can you kill."

"Once perfected, sword, qi, and spirit become one. Flesh, spiritual power, divine sense—nothing cannot be severed. Demons, beasts, spirits—nothing cannot be slain."

Nothing cannot be severed. Nothing cannot be slain…

Mo Hua was stunned.

This sword art… was far more powerful than he had imagined!

"Did you understand?" Dugu Ancestor asked.

Mo Hua nodded seriously.

He engraved those words deep into his memory. After pondering a bit, combining them with his own shallow understanding, he slowly said:

"Ancestor, when you mentioned 'temper qi with the sword,' does it mean to train in sword techniques to condense sword qi?"

"'Nurture heart with qi'—means after long practice, once sword qi becomes refined, your heart will naturally resonate with the sword. That's how the Sword Heart is born."

"'Enter soul through heart'—refers to merging one's sword path into the soul through the visualization of one's sword intent…"

He likened it to the Yin Water Sect's Sevenfold Blood Prison Eye, which used a "Prison Diagram" as a mental projection, fusing it into the soul to cultivate a mind-affecting eye technique.

"To merge the mental image with the soul is 'refining spirit through soul.'"

"And if one wants to unleash the true power of the Divine Mind Sword, then they must project their divine soul—turn divine sense into sword intent."

Mo Hua's explanation was clear and articulate.

Dugu Ancestor was surprised.

This kid's comprehension of divine sense and the transition from sword qi to sword intent was incredibly thorough—almost effortless.

Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but ask:

"Have you studied this before?"

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat. He quickly shook his head.

"No!"

After a brief pause, he added,

"Disciple has just… studied divine sense quite a bit, inquired around, and tried to figure some of it out myself. That's how I gained some superficial understanding of how the Divine Mind Sword might work…"

Dugu Ancestor didn't confirm or deny, but chose not to press further.

"Since you understand, that makes things easier. You walk the path of divine sense cultivation, so transforming sword qi into sword intent—and eventually projecting your divine soul—should come a little easier to you."

"Projecting the divine soul will be the hardest part. But that's not something you can practice now anyway. It has to wait until you reach the Golden Core stage…"

Mo Hua really wanted to say he could already do that.

But thinking again—his out-of-body ability was still crude. It might not even register to someone like the ancestor.

Better to keep quiet than embarrass himself.

Also, more importantly—his Demonic Embryo was parasitizing his divine soul.

And his soul was currently sealed. He couldn't leave his body.

Dugu Ancestor didn't know any of that, and continued:

"Your divine sense foundation is sufficient. But if you want to cultivate the Divine Mind Sword, the biggest problem isn't your divine sense—it's your weak sword foundation. Your sword qi is too frail. Your understanding of the sword is too shallow."

Mo Hua muttered,

"Ancestor… if my sword qi is weak… can I still learn the Divine Mind Sword?"

Dugu Ancestor shot back,

"Can someone learn to run without learning to walk?"

Mo Hua was taken aback, then nodded after thinking it through. That… made sense.

But his situation was a bit special.

"Then what if…" Mo Hua asked, "someone did learn the Divine Mind Sword, even though their sword skills were weak?"

Dugu Ancestor frowned.

He wanted to say "Impossible," but with his experience and knowledge, he knew—nothing in this world was truly impossible.

After all, a mid-Foundation disciple with nineteen-rune peak divine sense… that was supposed to be impossible too.

And yet, here he was.

So if someone did manage to learn the Divine Mind Sword with shallow sword skills…

It wasn't impossible.

Though… he had certainly never seen it happen before.

But at the end of the day, trying to learn the Divine Mind Sword without a solid sword foundation was like trying to fly without wings.

"Even if someone truly did manage it…" Dugu Ancestor's eyes gleamed,

"Then the sword intent they forged from divine sense would be crude. Their sword path shallow. They'd never enter the true hall of mastery. They'd never be able to unleash the full might of the Divine Mind Sword."

Mo Hua suddenly felt guilty.

The old ancestor really nailed it…

He had learned the "Sword Manifestation" technique.

But the sword he forged from divine sense was indeed—crude, just like the ancestor said.

He'd even learned the Sword of Divine Dread…

But that technique was patched together using elements from the Yin Water Sect's eye arts—it was a bit of a frankenstein creation, clever maybe, but hardly refined.

Mo Hua let out a sigh.

The Dao of formations was vast and profound—yet it seemed the path of the sword was no less demanding.

For any cultivator, no matter their chosen Dao, reaching mastery—truly stepping into the inner sanctum—was never easy. It demanded time, effort, and tireless dedication.

It wasn't something one could achieve through random fumbling and half-hearted attempts.

This realization made Mo Hua feel significantly more humble.

But then again—he thought to himself—even without having truly learned the Divine Mind Sword, with just bits and pieces, scraps of insight, he'd already unleashed terrifying power and rampaged through the divine path.

Then what if one day… I truly master the real Divine Mind Sword Technique?

If he used a divine sense refined to rival the gods themselves, and channeled it through the Great Void Sect's most orthodox sword scripture…

Couldn't he even slay a true Evil God?

Mo Hua's heart thudded hard in his chest.

In that moment, his thoughts drifted—to the demonic embryo parasitizing his Fate Soul…

Dugu Ancestor glanced at Mo Hua and frowned faintly.

This kid… sighing one moment, downcast the next, and then suddenly looking excited and filled with anticipation.

Are all divine sense cultivators this mentally… energetic?

Is it because they cultivate spiritual consciousness? Their divine minds are abundant, so their thoughts are too?

Dugu Ancestor fell into a brief silence.

On the other side, Mo Hua seemed to have figured something out. He nodded to himself, eyes glittering, and said:

"Ancestor, I understand now. Please, tell me—what should I specifically be learning next?"

Dugu Ancestor paused, then said:

"As you've probably realized by now, true Divine Mind Sword isn't just about divine sense alone—it's the fusion of sword, qi, and spirit. Only by combining all three can its full power be realized."

"As for the techniques of Divine Mind Sword, there are currently four known forms:

Sword Manifestation,

Divine Dread,

Spirit-Break,

and God-Slay."

"But… these sword forms are too advanced for you right now."

"Your biggest problem is your weak sword foundation. So your current task is to fix that—deepening your understanding of the sword path and building a solid base for cultivating the Divine Mind Sword."

"I have here a manual titled Intro to Sword Dao—it contains my insights into swordsmanship accumulated over the years, as well as several beginner techniques for refining sword qi. It's suitable for novices."

"Take it, study it carefully, and try training your sword qi. In seven days, come back, and I'll see how far you've come."

Mo Hua received Intro to Sword Dao as if it were a sacred relic, bowing respectfully:

"Many thanks, Ancestor!"

Dugu Ancestor nodded, then tore open a spatial rift and sent Mo Hua back to his disciple quarters.

Now, only Dugu Ancestor remained in the forbidden ground.

He fell into deep thought.

"This child… his sword foundation is weak, but his comprehension is outstanding. His grasp of the soul is particularly profound, and his Dao Heart—truly exceptional."

"Could it be… that the hope for the Great Void Sect's Divine Mind Sword legacy really rests on this child?"

The old ancestor, whose heart had long since turned to ash, couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope.

But that hope… would soon be tested.

Seven days later—

When he pulled Mo Hua back into the forbidden ground to assess his progress, Dugu Ancestor's face turned ashen.

Mo Hua's understanding of sword theory—fluent and thorough.

Clearly, he had read Intro to Sword Dao carefully, even memorized it.

But his actual sword qi… was unbelievably weak.

"Did you actually practice?" Dugu Ancestor frowned.

"I did," Mo Hua answered firmly.

"How?"

"Just like it said in the manual. I followed every instruction to the letter. Practiced every day, from dawn to dusk. Anytime I had a moment, I was training."

"And this is the result?"

Mo Hua's expression was solemn:

"I can only be responsible for putting in the effort. As for the results… I leave it to the will of Heaven. But clearly, Heaven has failed me."

These seven days of training had felt like a waste.

No matter how hard he practiced, his sword qi barely improved.

Though honestly, that wasn't so surprising.

His foundation was weak, and his aptitude for swordsmanship was poor. He was basically starting from scratch. Only seven days of practice?

It would be a miracle if there was any progress.

Dugu Ancestor was silent for a long moment, then sighed.

"Forget it. We'll take it slow."

He knew that mastering sword techniques and forging a solid sword path was no overnight affair. Perhaps he had rushed things too much.

In the past, every disciple qualified to learn the Divine Mind Sword in the Great Void Sect had been a genius among geniuses in sword cultivation—one in a thousand, even one in ten thousand.

These prodigies learned sword techniques with lightning speed.

Dugu Ancestor had spent his life teaching those kinds of disciples.

So naturally, he had underestimated the pace of normal sword cultivators.

And Mo Hua… wasn't even a normal sword cultivator.

Judging by his spiritual roots and sword talent, he might as well be a complete dud in the sword department.

If the Great Void Sect recruited disciples based solely on sword aptitude—Mo Hua wouldn't just be denied access to the forbidden ground.

He wouldn't even qualify to sweep the courtyard, let alone learn a technique.

Mo Hua also looked a little helpless.

He had studied, and he had practiced—but when it came to sword qi… you either had it or you didn't.

And he clearly didn't.

There was nothing he could do.

Dugu Ancestor gave him a silent glance but didn't scold him.

Instead, he patiently gave a few more pointers and said:

"Go back and keep practicing. I'll bring you back in seven days."

"Alright, Ancestor."

Mo Hua responded respectfully, but after listening to Dugu Ancestor's explanation, there was still a trace of confusion on his face.

Dugu Ancestor was a powerhouse at the Void Fusion realm—his mastery of the sword path had reached the pinnacle.

Compared to him, Mo Hua's understanding of swordsmanship was utterly… elementary.

Even though Dugu Ancestor thought he'd explained things in the most "basic" way possible, it was still Void Fusion-level basics—to Mo Hua, it was advanced and hard to grasp.

Still, Mo Hua didn't feel discouraged.

After all, no one was born knowing things.

Anything difficult was something that needed to be learned.

You might not succeed just because you tried—but if you didn't even try, there was no chance at all.

So, Mo Hua clutched his copy of Intro to Sword Dao and dove back into studying it.

Back in the forbidden ground of the rear mountain, Dugu Ancestor was left alone once more.

He let out a long sigh.

"This child… can he really inherit the Divine Mind Sword?"

In the days that followed, aside from attending formation classes, Mo Hua spent all his spare time reading sword insights and training his sword qi.

His understanding of swordsmanship did improve gradually, but his control over sword qi remained slow and stagnant.

One day, after finishing a formation lesson, Mo Hua was deep in thought about sword techniques. He didn't even notice that Venerable Elder Xun had somehow appeared behind him.

Venerable Elder Xun silently observed him for a moment before suddenly asking, "What are you thinking about?"

Mo Hua jumped in fright. When he looked up and saw it was Elder Xun, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about formation stuff…"

Elder Xun's eyes narrowed slightly.

He couldn't help but feel… that something about Mo Hua had changed.

Something in his aura—whether it was fate or causality—seemed to have subtly shifted.

But Elder Xun didn't dwell on it.

Especially when he noticed Mo Hua looked a bit weary, as if he'd been overworking himself on something and hadn't rested well. Elder Xun felt a twinge of concern.

So he said in a gentle tone:

"It's good to be diligent in studying formations, but you must balance effort and rest. Don't overwork yourself—if your spiritual consciousness becomes depleted, you could damage your soul sea."

Mo Hua was deeply moved.

"Thank you, Elder."

Elder Xun nodded and turned to leave. Lately, he was swamped with countless matters—tangled karma and heavy burdens. There was still much he had to handle.

But after only a few steps, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask:

"Right—your divine sense…"

Before he could even finish, he seemed to sense the depth of divine will within Mo Hua. Elder Xun's expression changed instantly.

Before Mo Hua could respond, Elder Xun said solemnly,

"Come with me."

Mo Hua followed Elder Xun out of the lecture hall, along the mountain path, into the elders' residence.

Once inside, Elder Xun closed the door, activated formation wards, triggered a compass to isolate cause and effect—only then did he cautiously ask:

"Your divine sense…"

There was even a hint of hope in his voice—unconsciously so.

Mo Hua didn't hide anything. He nodded and said:

"It's grown a bit stronger—I'm now at peak Nineteen Marks."

Though he said it modestly, his eyes held a trace of pride.

Elder Xun's breath hitched. The hand hidden in his sleeve… was trembling slightly.

Nineteen Marks. Peak.

"You…" Elder Xun paused, trying to calm his emotions.

"Release your divine sense fully. Let me take a look."

Mo Hua did as instructed.

Elder Xun examined it nervously, and then—he let out a long sigh of relief. A moment later, his emotions surged, and he couldn't help but exclaim:

"Good. Good. Good!"

His gaze locked onto Mo Hua, his once-murky eyes now lit with brilliance. All the fatigue from recent days seemed to vanish in an instant.

Heaven truly has gifted the Great Void Sect with a treasure!

The ancestors are watching…

A turning point—finally.

In this chaotic chessboard of twisted karma and entangled fate… The Great Void Sect finally had a piece strong enough to overturn the entire board.

Elder Xun said seriously: "From now on, you stay in the sect. Go nowhere. Stop taking bounty missions. As for the classes—attend them if you want, skip them if you don't."

"You only need to do one thing: study formations."

"I'll teach you personally. Within a year, I'll pass on everything I can from the middle-grade second-rank formations—basic, intermediate, and advanced—across all Five Elements and Eight Trigrams systems."

"This task… is more important than anything else."

"Within a year, you must master all these formations. Push second-rank formations to their limit—become a grandmaster who blends all schools and traditions, with knowledge as vast as the sea."

Elder Xun's tone was nothing short of grave.

A second-rank formation grandmaster…

Mo Hua was stunned—caught between awe and disbelief.

This was the first time he had ever heard Elder Xun express such expectations. And never before had he seen the elder wear such a solemn expression.

It was as if… this mission truly concerned the legacy and survival of the entire sect.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then nodded with equal seriousness, his eyes clear and resolute.

"Yes, Elder!"

(End of this Chapter)