Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 887 – Returning to the Truth

At the same time, within the Elder Hall of the Heavenly Dao Sect—

Mr. Tu, wearing the disguise of "Elder Shen," had just concluded his daily lectures and returned to his chambers. Activating a divine array to block out external perception, he sat alone at his desk, eyes reverently fixed on a single goat horn placed before him.

Under the dim candlelight, his gloomy face looked downright sinister.

"Mo Hua…"

Mr. Tu muttered the name softly, frowning deeply.

"Just who is this person? Where did he come from?"

"Why does his name sound so familiar, even though I'm hearing it for the first time?"

"What's the origin of this brat?"

He drew a short blade, cut his finger, and dripped fresh blood onto the goat bone, silently praying in his heart.

Moments later, a blood shadow in the shape of a goat horn emerged from the karmic threads and began tracing backward along the fate of the name "Mo Hua"—seeking his real name, his origin, his parents, his past…

But before it could glimpse the truth, a profound Great Void aura surged forth. Yin and Yang interwove, shifting like swimming fish—perfectly fused, sealing the entire karmic cycle. The blood shadow was blocked from progressing further, and all truths were locked away.

Mr. Tu's brow furrowed.

"Such powerful Yin-Yang Heavensight…"

"The Great Void Sect… actually still possesses such ancient fate-sealing artifacts?"

He considered forcibly breaking through the Duality Lock, but after brief hesitation, he gave up.

"Without drawing upon the power of the God-Lord, or erecting a full ritual altar with abundant sacrificial offerings, there's no way to crack this heavenly lock…"

"Besides, the time hasn't yet come for open confrontation."

Mr. Tu gave up on prying deeper.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling—this "Mo Hua," this freakishly talented array master, was no ordinary figure.

There was a good chance… he was linked to that fierce deity hidden within the Great Void Sect.

As Mr. Tu wiped the blood from his fingertip, a spark of realization flashed in his eyes.

"Of course… Spiritual Sense surpassing tiers!"

"Normal cultivators are bound by the Dao—they have no way to surpass limits without cultivation methods. It's impossible to exceed their realm!"

"This freak must have been blessed by that 'Fierce Deity.' He's using the god's divine sense—that's the only way he could wield Spiritual Sense three full tiers above his cultivation, drawing peak Foundation level arrays while only mid-Foundation himself…"

"Those divine senses don't belong to him. He must have prayed to the Fierce Deity, and been rewarded with a portion of its divine consciousness!"

"In other words, this brat, like me, is a Favored of the Gods."

"No… his divine favor far exceeds mine. He may even be one of those rare ones personally selected from childhood—a God's Companion, qualified to walk alongside divinity. A true God-Servant."

A mix of jealousy and awe filled Mr. Tu's heart.

In the hierarchy of his own faith—under the Great Wilderness Lord—he ranked far lower than this boy named Mo Hua.

Though Mr. Tu himself was favored, it was only a basic favor.

Not like this little monster, who could surpass three tiers of Spiritual Sense. That was tantamount to receiving the highest-grade divine blessing.

"In that case, his so-called genius isn't that remarkable…"

"Just a lucky brat blessed by a god, using borrowed divine sense to snag first place in array arts…"

He sneered coldly.

But in some sense, this was also a good thing.

That terrifying Fierce Deity of the Great Void Sect had finally begun to surface—no longer hiding in the shadows.

Even his core believers were starting to show.

"Time is running out…"

While that deity was still being parasitized by the God-Lord's divine embryo, plans must accelerate…

The thought made Mr. Tu's heart ache again.

So much had been sacrificed in this battle against the Fierce Gods.

The monstrous army he had raised for years was stolen and sacrificed by that deity—manipulated into death with no survivors.

Even the names on his blood oath list—those minions he had cultivated—were all mysteriously wiped out.

These minions were his life's work.

Using his status as a Heavenly Dao Sect elder, he'd recruited and nurtured them from every corner of Ganxue—linked in the shadows through sect ties, protected by Dao Court officials, committing atrocity after atrocity as dark followers of evil gods.

These followers served as sacrifices to the God-Lord.

Their sins themselves were offerings.

Originally, everything had gone smoothly. But in just a few short years, they were hunted, captured, or slain. The losses were catastrophic.

Now, even the root of the network had been purged—not a single follower remained.

Mr. Tu's heart bled. He also began to truly fear.

The Great Void Sect, and its Fierce Deity, might be the greatest obstacle in the resurrection of the God-Lord.

His expression twisted in the dark.

"No matter…"

"The game of Foundation Establishment is over. I lost this round."

"So let's play a game above Golden Core…"

"For grand plans, what's a few sacrifices? It's time to use the foundation I've hidden away…"

"The day of the God-Lord's awakening… is close."

His figure slowly faded into the shadows—like a beast poised to devour.

Within the Heavenly Dao Sect, fate itself was beginning to rot from the inside.

And across Ganxue, shadows stirred.

Meanwhile, the ripples Mo Hua had stirred up at the Array Conference… had only just begun to spread.

Far away—thousands of miles beyond—

Dao Prefecture, Sky Pivot Pavilion.

An old Pavilion Elder with a head full of silver hair sat at the top of a lofty tower, dozing off at a chessboard—half-asleep, half-awake, like an old man whose mind was dulled by age.

He looked completely ordinary—like a tired elder napping through his twilight years.

A disciple entered quietly, not daring to disturb him. Respectfully placing a jade slip on the desk, he bowed and withdrew without a sound.

The jade slip lay untouched. The room was silent.

Fragrance lingered in the air as the elder continued dozing.

Eventually, he opened his eyes, seemingly waking from his nap. Glancing sideways, he saw the jade slip and casually picked it up.

At a glance, he froze.

"Ganxue Prefecture, Array Champion: Mo Hua of the Great Void Sect. Mid-Foundation stage. Nineteen-Pattern Spiritual Sense..."

All drowsiness vanished. He straightened, suddenly intrigued.

"Mid-Foundation with nineteen patterns? That's… unusual…"

"Did he cultivate it himself? Or borrow it from something?"

"If it's his own… how? If borrowed… from whom?"

For the first time in years, the elder showed genuine interest.

The Ganxue Array Conference was held once every three years. Every time, a new champion.

Most cultivators idolized these champions.

But in Dao Prefecture, in Sky Pivot Pavilion—and especially to him, a being who had lived far beyond ordinary measure—such champions were mere trivialities.

Talented, yes. But also selfish. Mundane.

He'd seen too many. It got boring.

But this one…

Exceeding Spiritual Sense by three tiers? That was rare.

Even he, as an ancient Pavilion Elder, hadn't encountered that before.

"Let's do a little divination…"

Just as he made the hand seal, he paused, then scowled.

"The Great Void's Duality Lock? When did they get so generous…"

"They wouldn't even let me peek back then!"

A bitter pang hit his heart.

But now, curiosity only grew stronger.

"If they're willing to use the Duality Lock, the karma involved must be huge."

Without breaking the lock, he lightly brushed against it—just to sense its presence. The Great Void wouldn't notice that.

He cast a more serious hand seal.

But a few moments in, he froze again. His ancient face was filled with disbelief.

"How many layers of disguise is this brat wearing?"

"Why is the fate so convoluted? And some of this karma… it feels familiar."

"Some of it… even I fear touching."

He was stunned.

After a moment, he let go of the spell altogether. He didn't continue.

Instead, he stared at the name written on the jade slip—his gaze growing brighter.

"Mo Hua…"

"I'll remember that name."

Then he murmured to himself: "But… the Array Champion… in that case…"

The Pavilion Elder turned his aged gaze back toward the chessboard in front of him.

Upon it, a chaotic mesh of black and white stones interlocked—tangled and inseparable.

"…The game's state has changed again?"

He stared long and hard at the board. Then, in a sudden moment of clarity, he seemed to glimpse three slender dragons, faintly coiling, showing signs of convergence.

His expression stiffened. Slowly, he sat up straight and muttered:

"No way…"

Within the Great Void Sect.

Amidst the elders, the Sect Master of the Great Void Sect turned to Venerable Elder Xun and said:

"The Tai'a Sect and the Chongxu Sect have been confirmed… they're going to fall out of the Eight Major Sects."

"The previous concerns weren't unfounded. Tai'a's sword-forging, and Chongxu's sword energy, lack purity. They don't meet the standards of the Twelve Traditions. Plus, the Four Great Sects interfered behind the scenes. So they weren't even included in the Twelve."

"Most likely, Tai'a and Chongxu will drop down into the Hundred Sects of Ganxue…"

The Sect Master sighed inwardly, but also felt a trace of relief.

Had Mo Hua not suddenly appeared, and with monstrous talent taken first place in the Array Conference, the Great Void Sect's fate might've followed the same downward spiral.

And that wasn't even the end of it.

"Already, a number of disciples from noble families who had joined Tai'a and Chongxu… are preparing to withdraw."

Venerable Elder Xun frowned.

"Withdraw?"

"Yes," the Sect Master nodded. "Those noble heirs joined Tai'a and Chongxu for the title of being in the Eight Major Sects. Now that those two are falling into obscurity, soon to be indistinguishable among the hundred, those with high backgrounds naturally want to seek higher ground…"

That's just how noble families worked—cold and calculating.

Even if the disciples themselves didn't want to leave, their parents or elders would force them to.

Elder Xun nodded, then asked:

"What about the elders? None of them want to leave?"

The Sect Master replied:

"The elder ranks are holding—for now. After all, they draw pay from the sect, and many have deeply tied interests. Jumping ship isn't easy."

"But that's just for now. Later… who knows."

"At the very least, a large batch of guest elders will resign. Some neutral ones are likely already looking for new places to land…"

He shook his head:

"The sect reform is like rowing against the current—if you're not advancing, you're retreating. Once you step back, climbing back up the rapids will be nearly impossible."

"What's worse, with core disciples leaving, and elders quitting, and the 'Major Sect' title gone… even the quality of future disciples will decline. That's practically a death spiral. I fear Tai'a and Chongxu may never recover again…"

His voice carried sympathy.

Elder Xun merely nodded and said:

"Good."

The Sect Master blinked.

"Good?"

Xun nodded again.

"Very good."

The Sect Master was stunned.

Weren't the three sects originally from the same lineage—bound by blood and breath?

Why did the old ancestor sound almost… pleased?

Elder Xun muttered:

"I expected them to fall… but not this hard. That actually makes things easier."

"Those two sects… have stiff spines. As long as they could still breathe, they were hard to negotiate with."

The Sect Master's heart skipped a beat.

"Ancestor… don't tell me…"

Xun waved a hand.

"Let's observe the situation. Don't speak of it yet."

The Sect Master nodded—half in awe.

This was indeed a true old ancestor: far-sighted, deep in strategy, bold of heart… and possessing an appetite few could imagine.

Of course, this plan wouldn't be simple.

Resistance would come from all sides, and there was still much to plan.

Elder Xun frowned and thought for a moment. Then, seeing the Sect Master still standing nearby, asked:

"Anything else?"

The Sect Master nodded.

"It's about Mo Hua."

"Mo Hua? What about him?" Elder Xun's expression turned serious.

The Sect Master hesitated for a beat, then asked:

"Ancestor, do you know how many merit points that child has now?"

Elder Xun blinked.

"How many? A few tens of thousands?"

"Forty-eight thousand—no, four hundred eighty-six thousand nine hundred and twelve…"

The number he gave was utterly staggering.

Even Elder Xun was stunned.

"How much? Four hundred eighty-six thousand!? How?!"

The Sect Master sighed bitterly:

"Back then, I promised that if anyone placed in the Array Conference, they'd receive quadruple merit points."

"At the time, the Great Void Sect was on the brink. I had to go all in. I never imagined Mo Hua would appear out of nowhere, seize first place with monstrous ability…"

"The merit for first place was already huge. Quadrupled, on top of the many merits he already had… It ballooned into something terrifying."

When he first checked the total, the Sect Master nearly thought he'd gone blind.

What sect had a disciple in mid-Foundation stage sitting on 486,912 merit points?!

"At this rate," the Sect Master muttered, "if he keeps going for another year or two, he might not even need to graduate—he could directly become an inner sect elder…"

Even Elder Xun sucked in a sharp breath.

His focus had been on Mo Hua's array talent—he'd completely forgotten about merit point balance.

And now, without noticing, they'd given way too much.

The worst part: they couldn't take it back.

What ancestor would dock his own disciple's merit?

Elder Xun thought for a moment, then said slowly:

"No matter. Just don't show him the full amount."

The Sect Master blinked.

"Don't show him?"

But the merit token was in his hand. How could he not show it?

Xun said:

"Hide a few digits. Display only up to 99,999."

"Don't deduct any of it—just don't let him see the rest. If he asks, say his merit has exceeded sect system limits. The exact overage is confidential."

"Then praise him a bit, flatter him—he'll be happy and won't press further."

"Besides, he always has more than enough merit. He'll never use it all, and he's not the type to obsess over numbers."

The Sect Master nodded stiffly.

Then, with some unease, asked:

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Don't worry," Xun replied.

He knew Mo Hua's personality well.

And this wasn't a bad thing, either.

They weren't taking his merit—just temporarily hiding it, to prevent him from growing arrogant or lazy.

The Sect Master nodded.

Still, inside, he felt a little conflicted.

An ancestor and a sect master, teaming up to dupe a junior disciple…

It just didn't feel entirely… noble.

...

Among the disciples.

Mo Hua also furrowed his brow.

He had a faint feeling:

"Is someone plotting something against me?"

But after pondering carefully for a moment, he didn't sense any real malice or danger, so he dismissed the thought.

What was more important was that, recently, he'd frequently felt ripples in the threads of karma.

It was as if many people were secretly scheming about him.

He even sensed a vague presence—an ancient figure, with unfathomable aura and terrifying karma—an "old grandfather" who had looked at him with amused curiosity.

Of course, that feeling lasted only a moment before vanishing completely.

Nothing happened afterward either.

So, over time, Mo Hua paid it no mind.

Still, with so many people peering into his fate, it was hard not to grow cautious.

That was why he'd been obediently following Venerable Elder Xun's instructions lately—staying within the Great Void Sect, quietly cultivating and studying formations, not going anywhere.

At the moment, he was writing a letter.

It was addressed to Elder Zheng.

Elder Zheng had sent word through Zheng Fang, explaining that his cloud ferrying had been delayed, and he'd likely be staying in the Ganxue Province for a few more months.

He also told Mo Hua that if there was anything he wished to ask or learn about formations, he could seek him out freely.

Mo Hua was overjoyed.

But since he couldn't leave the sect to visit Elder Zheng in person, he could only write a letter, recording his doubts about the Primordial Magnetic—or more properly, Thunder-Magnetic—arrays, and ask Elder Zheng for guidance.

A good teacher is rare.

A good teacher willing to teach you is even more precious.

Mo Hua deeply treasured this opportunity.

Once he finished writing, he handed the letter to Zheng Fang to deliver to Elder Zheng.

Then he went off to class as usual.

Along the way, every disciple he passed in the Great Void Sect was startled and delighted to see him. Some called him "Senior Brother Mo," others "Brother Mo," and all greeted him enthusiastically.

At this point, practically everyone in the sect knew who Mo Hua was.

First in the Array Conference. Array Path Champion.

Even setting aside his mid-Foundation cultivation and beyond-tier divine sense, just the title of "Array Path Champion" was unprecedented in the history of the Great Void Sect—

—since their sect was never known for formation arts to begin with.

What's more, thanks to Mo Hua's first-place achievement, the Great Void Sect had leapt into the top three of the Eight Major Sects, which meant every disciple's status had risen with it.

Even when bragging outside, they now had bragging rights.

Mo Hua was like a living lucky charm—everyone lit up with joy just seeing him.

And that wasn't all.

Since Mo Hua rose to fame, even while remaining inside the sect, a steady stream of invitation cards and gifts kept arriving for him.

These were from various clans and sects:

Some hoped to visit.

Others invited him to gatherings.

Some wanted to establish connections.

A few even sought marriage alliances—or tried to poach him.

Mo Hua declined most of them.

After all, courtesy comes at a price.

There's no such thing as a free gift.

Taking someone's gift was equivalent to owing them a favor—one that had to be repaid.

Mo Hua wasn't greedy, nor was he stupid.

Still, he accepted a few of the gifts—selectively.

For instance, from the Gu Clan.

He often visited them for meals and had good relationships with many of their elders and disciples, so he made sure to give them face.

The Shangguan and Wenren families also sent gifts.

Mo Hua thought it over and declined.

As expected, a few days later, Wenren Wan personally came, representing the two clans, to present the gifts at the Great Void Sect.

Only then did Mo Hua accept.

Wenren Wan herself gave Mo Hua many gifts, showing great care and attention.

Then she silently looked at him, her beautiful eyes filled with both gratitude and admiration.

She never imagined Mo Hua would bring her such a tremendous blessing.

Now, her position in the Shangguan family was on par with Elder Shangguan Wang of the Nascent Soul realm.

Her heart brimmed with emotion.

She gave Mo Hua a few more thoughtful reminders before reluctantly leaving the sect.

Mo Hua personally walked her to the mountain gate.

Other forces also had their gifts selectively accepted depending on the situation.

And many clans and sects, even if Mo Hua didn't accept their gifts, still tried again and again to show goodwill and sent gifts to the sect regardless.

So much fame and fortune suddenly at his doorstep.

Even Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a little high-spirited.

But after some time, he realized something was off.

This… wasn't what he truly sought.

Cultivators pursue truth, not praise.

He couldn't allow fame and wealth to cloud his heart—couldn't let comfort and vanity erode his Dao Heart.

What he was truly chasing was the profound mysteries of formation, the laws of heaven and earth, the ability to pierce through all illusion, to seek the Dao of immortality.

Only then could he alter yin and yang, reverse life and death, glimpse fate, master karma, and endure countless tribulations without perishing—to attain the Dao and become immortal.

Fame and wealth… weren't necessarily blessings.

If he got drunk on them, complacency would follow. And with that, he'd slowly drift away from the true Dao.

Looked at another way, this too was a kind of trial.

Not only suffering tempers the Dao Heart—so do temptations of power and luxury.

One must not be drowned by suffering, nor be lost in fame.

"Do not forget who you are. Do not lose your way."

"Without simplicity, one cannot clarify the will. Without tranquility, one cannot reach the distant path."

No matter how the world changes—whether fortune favors or turns against him—he must remain himself.

Mo Hua was stunned for a moment.

Then came a flash of enlightenment.

He felt his once-agitated heart gradually settling down.

His Dao Heart, stripped of some of its worldly dust, became clearer and stronger.

"First place in the Array Conference? Array Path Champion? That's all in the past. It's nothing. What I pursue is the higher Dao."

Mo Hua nodded silently to himself.

Then he calmed his mind and continued, as always, to cultivate and study formations in pursuit of truth.

Elder Xun saw all of this.

He had originally thought to let Mo Hua enjoy some carefree days before urging him back into formation study.

After all, it was only natural that a young man who'd earned such glory and admiration would want some indulgence.

But to his surprise, it hadn't even been long before Mo Hua had already resumed his day-and-night dedication to formations.

His gaze remained pure, his temperament calm—no different from before.

As if he'd never taken part in the Array Conference, never crushed the Four Great Sects, never won the title of Champion, never gained such renown.

From start to finish, he was still that ordinary, sect-bound boy —obsessed with formations, devoted to the Dao.

Elder Xun stood frozen for a long time, eyes trembling slightly.

Then he suddenly recalled an eight-character ancestral teaching left behind by the founders of the Great Void Sect:

"A natural Dao Heart—returning to simplicity."

Murmuring those words, Elder Xun looked at Mo Hua, who sat there like a pure-hearted child, undistracted and serene…

And felt a deep, indescribable awe stir within his heart.

(End of this Chapter)