Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 873 – Opening the Box

At the end-of-year sect assessments, Mo Hua performed as steadily as ever—one Grade A and six Grade C marks. Nothing too exciting, but nothing disappointing either.

The six C grades? He could only get C's in those categories anyway.

But that single A—that was different.

He earned that A because in the Great Void Sect's formation evaluation, A was the highest possible score.

And Mo Hua's A? It had serious weight. The kind of shining excellence that could cover up a dozen flaws. Unfortunately, the grading sheet couldn't truly capture its brilliance.

Mo Hua felt a bit regretful about that.

After the exams, Mo Hua followed custom and wrote a letter home.

It was filled with mundane chatter—sect life was peaceful, fellow disciples were kind, teachers were gentle, and there were many good people in the Dry Studies Prefecture. All the kinds of things that would reassure his parents.

As for the dangerous parts? He conveniently left those out. No point in making them worry.

After finishing the letter, he sent it off through the Great Void Sect's relay station.

What he didn't expect—was that he would receive a letter as well.

It was from his parents.

A letter from home, when you're far away, is worth more than gold.

Mo Hua was elated. He hurried back to his quarters and tore it open to read.

The handwriting was delicate—clearly from his mother.

But Mo Hua guessed his father, Mo Shan, must have been hovering beside her while she wrote, occasionally chiming in with a suggestion or two.

The content of the letter wasn't anything special. It simply said everything at home was fine, and that Mo Hua shouldn't worry.

He couldn't even be sure which year this reply was written in.

Still, Mo Hua was content.

The Nine Provinces were vast. The distance between Departure Province and Dry Studies Prefecture was enormous—mountains, rivers, endless miles.

And in low-ranked provinces, communication was painfully slow due to cultivation restrictions.

A letter from their Grade-2 Dahuai Prefecture in Departure Province to Dry Studies Prefecture took years to arrive—likely only that "quick" because he was a disciple of the Great Void Sect, using their private channels.

Otherwise, it might have taken decades to reach him.

Mo Hua read the letter again carefully, then treasured it away.

He sat quietly in his quarters, a vague melancholy washing over him.

Memories slowly surfaced.

He thought of his younger years in Tongxian City, of those bits and pieces of daily life that drifted up like smoke—sweet, a little sour, like candied hawthorn.

It felt like ages ago… and yet also like yesterday.

In his ears, he could almost hear his childhood friends calling out his name—

Calling him to cultivate at the sect.

Calling him to the lantern festival.

Calling him to wander the streets.

Calling him to ogle pretty girls...

The ones who called the most were always Da Hu and the other two.

After all, they'd grown up together and spent the most time playing.

"I wonder how Da Hu and the others are doing now in Tongxian City…"

Mo Hua muttered to himself.

"Wait… that's not right."

He froze for a moment. Then it hit him—they're not in Tongxian City anymore.

He furrowed his brow, trying to recall… and finally remembered what Da Zhu had told him.

After the Qian Clan fell and the demon was slain, Tongxian City had become a much safer, wealthier place thanks to its cultivation industries.

More cultivators passed through—merchants, wanderers, refugees…

Even some impressive "big shots" occasionally passed through the city.

One day, a towering elder from a sect happened to see Da Hu and his friends. Though they were from poor backgrounds, their determination was firm and their physique strong—ideal for body refinement.

So, the elder took all three in as disciples and brought them back to his sect for cultivation.

That sect was called…

The Great Wilderness Sect.

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.

Things like this—fated, coincidental memories suddenly resurfacing—always carried deeper meaning.

Was it possible that something had happened to Da Hu and the others?

He frowned.

And the name Great Wilderness…

Mo Hua had grown very sensitive to those two words. Anything associated with "Great Wilderness" almost always had some connection—clear or murky—to evil gods.

The Great Wilderness Sect was located just south of Departure Province, bordering the Savage Wastes.

Which… put it right next to the nest of the Great Wilderness Evil Gods.

But with the distance so vast and the roads so treacherous, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even gather any information.

Mo Hua sighed and pushed the matter to the back of his mind… for now.

Then came the New Year.

Mo Hua's New Year was as busy as ever. Sword practice, formation studies—no change in pace.

Still, Venerable Elder Xun gave him a day off to visit the Gu family and join their New Year's Eve dinner.

In Elder Xun's words:

"The Gu family are an honest lot—rare and admirable. It's good to keep close ties."

So, Mo Hua paid them a visit.

He had a great meal and was "reluctantly" forced to accept a whole pile of New Year gifts before he returned to the sect, his hands full and heart slightly smug.

The next day, he got back to sword and formation practice…

But to his surprise, someone came bearing gifts specifically for him.

And the sender? Not who he ever expected—

Wang Chen from the Yin Water Sect.

Mo Hua had nearly forgotten this guy.

But Wang Chen hadn't forgotten him.

He came with Hao Xuan, bringing carefully prepared gifts and offering his thanks again and again.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for guiding me out of the darkness. Without you, my life would've been over."

Mo Hua blinked.

"What did I do?"

Wang Chen smiled bitterly.

"The Rouge Boat incident. If you hadn't led Hao Xuan and the others to beat some sense into me and forced me to leak the news to atone for my crimes, I'd still be stuck on that sinking ship that was the Yin Water Sect…"

"Oh, that thing?" Mo Hua waved it off. "Just a small matter. No need to dwell on it."

Wang Chen, however, remained solemn.

"To you, maybe. But to me—it was everything."

He was a scion of the Wang family, sure, but with weak bloodlines and no real standing in the clan. Usually ignored—but when things went wrong? He became the perfect scapegoat.

If the Rouge Boat incident had brought shame to the clan, the consequences would've been unimaginable.

His father's hard-earned seat as a low-ranking elder would've vanished overnight.

He'd truly become the family's "disgraceful failure."

So, he'd had his father prepare an extra gift for Mo Hua.

"It's nothing too fancy, but I hope Senior Brother will accept it," Wang Chen smiled.

Mo Hua glanced at it. A bunch of formation books, pastries, dried meats, and fruit wines—all clearly chosen with Hao Xuan's input.

Not expensive—but all things he liked.

So Mo Hua nodded and accepted.

He then chatted briefly with Wang Chen, asking about the Yin Water Sect.

Wang Chen didn't hold back.

He whispered:

"The Dao Court Office—no, actually, the Dao Court itself—has fully purged the Yin Water Sect. From top to bottom. Executed, imprisoned, banished…"

"The current Yin Water Sect is no longer the one you remember."

"It's not one of the Twelve Outer Sects anymore. It's more like…"

He paused, searching for the words.

"More like… a sect directly subordinate to the Dao Court. Practically a Dao Court military branch. If a disciple performs well in the sect, they can directly join the Dao Court Office after graduation. And once they're in, they answer directly to the central Dao Court—less interference from the local aristocratic clans…"

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.

So in a strange twist of fate, the Yin Water Sect had actually… Reforged itself in fire.

So then… the Yin Water Sect had actually undergone a complete transformation?

In a way, it had gone from a bottom-tier Twelve Stream sect to something akin to a "direct subordinate sect of the Dao Court."

Of course, from the perspective of the Dry Studies Prefecture, this could also be seen as a form of Dao Court infiltration.

And most likely, this was only the first step.

Still, Mo Hua had some doubts and asked:

"But aren't most disciples of the Yin Water Sect from aristocratic families? If so, how are they avoiding influence from those families?"

Wang Chen explained,

"Not all aristocratic families are the same. There are major clans, minor families, some local, some from other regions."

"When people talk about 'aristocratic families,' they lump them all together, but in truth, the differences between them are wider than between men and dogs. They all have their own agendas and schemes—some are even outright enemies."

"It's the same in the Dry Studies Prefecture. The situation is extremely complicated."

"This reform of the Yin Water Sect mainly targeted the local major clans, especially those of rank four or five and above."

"After the Rouge Boat incident, a good number of those families' elders and disciples were 'cleansed.' The rest were either suppressed, demoted, or quietly pushed out."

"What's left in the Yin Water Sect now are mostly disciples from non-local clans or minor local families below third rank…"

Mo Hua understood and gave a slight nod.

The Dao Court's strategy was to fracture the concept of the aristocracy itself.

It drew lines between major local clans and smaller or non-local ones, turning the aristocrats against one another—undermining the influence of the powerful local families in the process.

Even if they couldn't completely eliminate that influence, they had weakened it within the Dao Court's jurisdiction.

As expected, all things in the world contain contradictions—and the best way to dismantle your enemy is to do it from the inside.

Mo Hua had learned something new again.

He asked Wang Chen another question:

"But what about you? The Wang clan is considered a local aristocratic family too, right? Doesn't that put you in a tough spot?"

Wang Chen replied,

"I'm actually fine. Sure, the Wang clan is powerful—but my status within it is low. I'm not one of the core bloodline, and no one really cared about me."

"Besides, in the Rouge Boat matter, I technically rendered a service. And thanks to you, Senior Brother, speaking on my behalf to the Dao Court magistrate, even after the reform, I wasn't really affected."

"Actually…" —he gave a small smile— "if I'm being honest, I'm doing better than before. Since I showed my face in front of Magistrate Gu, I got involved in helping the Dao Court handle a lot of matters during the reform. One thing led to another, and I became pretty familiar with them."

"Now that everything's settled, I've even gained a bit of influence in the sect."

"Those born out of wedlock or with distant bloodlines from local families who still want to stay in the sect now come to me for help."

"And the non-local and minor clan disciples? They all show me a little respect, since they know I've got some pull with the Dao Court."

Mo Hua nodded.

This Wang Chen had truly turned a disaster into a blessing.

He patted Wang Chen on the shoulder and encouraged him:

"Keep working hard. If you manage to get into the Dao Court someday, you might find yourself valued. If I get the chance, I'll put in a few good words for you."

After all, he had strong ties with both Uncle Gu and Magistrate Xia.

Uncle Gu was from the Gu clan, with a deep background in law enforcement.

Magistrate Xia came from the central Dao Court's Xia clan.

Now that Xiao Zhenhai was dead, Uncle Gu and Magistrate Xia had become the two most powerful Dao Court magistrates in the Dry Studies Prefecture.

And Wang Chen, being a Yin Water Sect native, might become a solid asset for them if he proved himself.

Wang Chen was overjoyed and quickly bowed,

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

That one promise—was the kind of opportunity he couldn't have earned even if he clawed for it with everything he had.

The two chatted for a bit longer.

Eventually, Wang Chen took his leave—but right before leaving, he hesitated, then turned back and said:

"Senior Brother, there's something you should know…"

"What is it?"

"It's about the Tai'a Sect and Chongxu Sect…"

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.

Wang Chen continued,

"There were quite a few disciples from those two sects on the Rouge Boat. Once they started investigating… the implications were huge."

"The biggest issue is the Dao Discussion Conference."

"Tai'a and Chongxu have been trying to leverage the Dao Court to secure some sort of outcome—but it doesn't look like things are going well. If negotiations fail, those two sects might really suffer during the conference…"

He shook his head, sighing.

"And the Great Void Sect has always been closely aligned with Tai'a and Chongxu. If those two sects fall, the Great Void Sect probably won't be able to hold up on its own…"

He seemed genuinely worried, which was why he made the effort to inform Mo Hua.

Mo Hua nodded.

"I understand."

After some thought, he said seriously:

"There may be some major upheaval in the Dry Studies Prefecture soon. Unpredictable and possibly dangerous. If you hear anything while you're in the Yin Water Sect, let me know—quietly."

"And if you ever get into trouble—even life-and-death trouble—come find me. I might be able to point you toward a way out."

If anyone else had said this, Wang Chen might've just brushed it off.

But this was Mo Hua.

He immediately bowed solemnly,

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

After Wang Chen left, Mo Hua returned to his quarters, his mind a tangle of thoughts.

The Yin Water Sect…

Thinking of it led him to think of the Water Prison Sect.

And with that thought, he suddenly remembered—

He still had something very important in his possession:

The Water Prison Forbidden Box.

He shut his doors and windows, sealed the formation around his quarters, and pulled the forbidden box out of his storage ring.

This box was the Water Prison Sect's sect master's personal lockbox, sealed by forbidden arts. Only Xiao Zhenhai had known how to open it.

Mo Hua suspected the box had to be opened using a special secret technique—likely involving nurturing it with blood essence while cultivating the technique. Once the cultivation reached a certain level, and the blood essence had suffused the box enough, it would unlock.

But that was just a theory.

He didn't know the real method at all, so all he could do was "pluck the fruit early" and steal the box before the "Water Yama" could open it.

But he had underestimated the difficulty.

Even with the box in hand, Mo Hua couldn't open it for the longest time.

So he tossed it into his storage ring, planning to study it later.

Then life got busy… and he forgot about it.

Until now.

Mo Hua set aside half a day—not for formation study, but to sit down and focus entirely on the Water Prison Forbidden Box.

After half a day of trial and error… he finally figured out how to open it.

The key was pupil arts.

But this wasn't just any normal pupil technique.

It involved a sort of embedded "code"—you had to activate a specific part of your soul within your Fate Soul, and visualize the Water Prison Diagram to unlock the box.

Originally, this shouldn't have been too difficult.

However, due to the Evil Embryo residing in Mo Hua's Fate Soul, he had to proceed with extreme caution, testing things little by little.

Fortunately, this was only a "lockpicking" process—he wasn't truly using pupil arts in combat.

Mo Hua tested it lightly. No major issues cropped up.

After about two incense sticks' time, a golden gleam flashed through Mo Hua's eyes, and the red glow on the forbidden box faded. Its entire surface shimmered with a crystalline, watery blue light.

A watery ripple appeared, slicing the box neatly in two.

This once-seamless treasure of the Water Prison Sect… was finally opened.

Mo Hua couldn't help feeling a little excited.

He released his divine sense to make sure there was no danger, then solemnly opened the box and peered inside—only to find a few jade slips resting within.

These slips were finely polished, incredibly thin and intricate—almost like jade paper—snugly fitted into the delicate interior of the forbidden box.

Each jade slip bore the forbidden seal of the Water Prison Sect.

The mark clearly indicated: Exclusive to the sect. Not to be passed on externally.

…But with the Water Prison Sect wiped out, the rule kind of didn't matter anymore.

Mo Hua examined the slips one by one—and was genuinely shocked.

These were indeed the Water Prison Sect's highest-level inheritances. Each one was immensely valuable.

One of them recorded a movement technique called "Water Shadow Phantom Body".

At first glance, it resembled the Water Shadow Steps… but the resemblance was superficial.

In fact, by the Water Prison Sect's internal classification, Water Shadow Phantom Body was one of their most elite and top-tier techniques.

It far surpassed what the likes of Water Yama or Xiao Zhenhai had mastered.

The "phantom water shadows" that this technique could produce were eerie and ghostlike—its potential far higher than anything the common Water Shadow Steps could offer.

In other words, what Water Yama and Xiao Zhenhai had practiced was essentially a watered-down, downgraded version of this technique, cut from the original to suit lesser disciples.

Another jade slip recorded a cultivation technique titled "True Water Prison Method".

The name sounded simple enough…

But any technique with the words "True Method" in its name—whether it be a cultivation law, Dao art, or sword scripture—was always of high importance in sect inheritance.

Mo Hua flipped through a few lines and couldn't help feeling greedy.

However, he wasn't a pure water spiritual root, and even his root grade wasn't good. On top of that, there was no way he could give up the Heavenly Derivation Method to restart with this one.

Even if he could learn it, a sect-master-level cultivation method like this required countless spirit stones and rare heavenly treasures—stuff he couldn't afford.

Just from a casual glance, he already saw the technique needed seven or eight spiritual herbs or elixirs that he hadn't even heard of—and they all looked ridiculously rare.

Mo Hua shook his head.

"No 'rich man's fate'… no way I can afford a technique like this."

Better stick with Heavenly Derivation.

He put down the True Water Prison Method and moved on to the next jade slip.

As soon as he placed his divine sense into it, a name appeared—unexpected, yet not entirely surprising:

"Water Prison Technique".

This was the Water Prison Sect's premier Dao art. One of the rare few in the cultivation world capable of ignoring golden bodies and forcibly restraining cultivators.

So this was where the original scripture was kept.

But… this raised a question.

Xiao Zhenhai never opened the Water Prison Forbidden Box. So how did he learn this elite Water Prison Technique?

Was there another method?

Or had he, too, only studied a "cut-down" version?

Mo Hua wasn't sure.

Unfortunately, Xiao Zhenhai was dead now, so there was no way to ask.

Shaking his head, he moved on to the final jade slip.

He placed his divine sense into it… but to his surprise, the slip seemed entirely blank.

"Empty?"

"No way… How could a forbidden artifact like this contain a blank jade slip?"

Mo Hua frowned.

"Encrypted?"

Luckily, when it came to encryption and decryption, Mo Hua was no slouch.

He examined this seemingly ordinary, "blank" jade slip from every angle—and finally sighed in relief.

It wasn't magnetically encrypted…

If it had been encoded using Primordial Magnetism, there was no way he could have cracked it with his current understanding of magnetic formations.

Given what he knew about the Water Prison Sect, it was probably a form of pupil-art encryption.

The Water Prison Sect had incredibly strict hierarchies in their inheritance system—not only in levels of power, but also in ranks of authority.

Their Seven Soul Blood Prison Pupil Art was easily one of their most core legacies. Since it dealt with divine soul manipulation, using it for encryption was probably the safest method available.

Of course, the ancestor of the Water Prison Sect had likely never expected the Dao Court would one day raid and dismantle the entire sect.

Now that these legacies had been scattered, the strict rules he had once set… had fallen apart.

Which meant—at least for Mo Hua—this "top-tier encryption"… was basically useless.

After spending a bit more time unravelling the illusionary mist around the jade slip, Mo Hua finally saw its contents.

As he read on, his brows furrowed deeply.

This was a very strange jade slip.

It seemed to contain a Dao technique… but an incomplete one.

As if someone had been repeatedly experimenting, simulating, revising, iterating on a single Dao art—recording every variant and prototype formula into the slip as they went…

Mo Hua's pupils shrank. A chill ran down his spine.

This is… a forbidden art?

So the real treasure hidden within the Water Prison Forbidden Box—wasn't just elite techniques…

It was the developmental notes for a forbidden technique.

Mo Hua flipped to the very end— where he found a line scrawled in savage, bloody characters:

Forbidden Art: Abyssal Water Prison. (禁術·森羅水獄 can also be translated as Forbidden Art: Forest of Endless Water Prisons)

(End of this Chapter)