Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 909: A Simple Thunder-Magnetic War

The Thunder-Magnetic Battle!

This was a duel between masters of formation!

Mo Hua's expression grew solemn, and his fighting spirit steadily surged. But after pondering for a while, he suddenly realized a serious problem:

He had no idea how a thunder-magnetic battle was actually supposed to work.

He had never formally studied thunder-magnetic formations, never fought another thunder-magnetic formation master, had zero experience in this realm—he didn't even know how to defend or attack using thunder-magnetism.

Mo Hua considered throwing the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet back into the base layer of the Magnetism Array, but quickly hesitated.

Even if he did... so what?

The Thunder-Magnetic Puppet could only eavesdrop and tweak magnetic runes. It had no combat capabilities and could easily be tracked or corrupted by the enemy's thunder-magnetic countermeasures—a total loss. And as for the enemy formation master—who he was, where he was, what methods he used, what he was trying to do, or how he'd attack back—Mo Hua had no clue.

Some types of knowledge aren't necessarily difficult—but if you don't know it, you just don't know it. You can't even guess.

That's the barrier of cultivation disciplines.

And right now, between Mo Hua and this thunder-magnetic expert, there was exactly this kind of barrier.

His opponent was clearly a seasoned thunder-magnetic formation master, deeply versed in its principles, with full mastery over detection, countermeasures, offense, and defense. All things Mo Hua lacked.

As long as that master continued "maintaining" the core Thunder-Magnetic Array beneath the Demonic Sect's token system, then Mo Hua had no real way to sneak in and steal information or permissions anymore.

Even if he somehow did, he'd be like a rat scurrying across the street—constantly on edge. One slip-up, and the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet would be in danger.

"This is a serious problem..." Mo Hua frowned.

After some thought, he admitted: this wasn't something he could solve alone.

If you don't understand, you ask.

And among the people he knew—there was someone who could help.

A few days later, he invited Elder Zheng out to a tea house in the Great Void City to discuss formation arts.

"Thunder-magnetic combat?" Elder Zheng took a sip of tea, surprised by Mo Hua's question.

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded. "I was just messing around with some theories on magnetism and thunder-magnetism, and suddenly thought of something…"

"The magnetic runes are surface-level applications, while thunder-magnetism deals with the deeper principles. If both formation masters understand the thunder-magnetic fundamentals, wouldn't that mean they could both revise runes within the same array, fight over control, and launch attacks or defenses?"

"You were messing around…"

Elder Zheng couldn't help asking: "Don't you have other formations to study?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "I've basically finished everything on Tier-2. So now I'm studying stuff I've never touched."

Elder Zheng was speechless for a moment… then sighed and nodded.

If it were any other disciple saying that, he would've scoffed at their arrogance.

But since it was Mo Hua, he just felt this was a genuine, motivated scholar trying to grow.

He figured—why not let Mo Hua expand his knowledge early?

Elder Zheng took another sip of tea and began explaining:

"Thunder-magnetic combat does have formal systems behind it."

"Thunder and magnetism are one. Where there's thunder, there's magnetism—and vice versa. Thunder flows can affect magnetic runes, and magnetic runes can in turn create specific thunder flows."

"Thunder-Magnetic Formations operate on this: creating thunder from magnetism."

"This 'thunder' refers to secondary thunder flows, and their residue is what we call secondary thunder runes."

"Skilled thunder-magnetic masters use these formations to generate diverse thunder flows that they use to steal, rewrite, attack, defend, detect, or purge magnetic runes."

"In thunder-magnetic battles, formation masters rely on: their foundation in arrays, their divine sense, their computational deduction skills, and their secondary thunder runes as their blades. The Magnetism Array is their battlefield."

"This kind of duel is really a contest of array mastery, thunder-magnetic insight, divine sense strength, and strategic cunning."

"It is a war waged in the microcosmic world of thunder-magnetism—a war without smoke, but with real danger."

Mo Hua was stunned—completely enlightened.

Elder Zheng added seriously:

"But these duels must remain subtle. As I've said before:"

"Anything involving thunder-magnetism involves secrets. All conflict must happen within the thunder-magnetic realm. If you're exposed, death may follow."

"I'm telling you this to help you grow in your formation skills. But if you end up getting killed because you studied thunder-magnetic arrays… that would be on me."

Mo Hua nodded sincerely. "Don't worry, Senior Zheng. I'll remember this."

Elder Zheng gave a slight nod. "Good."

The two of them continued chatting. Mo Hua asked every question he had, and Elder Zheng carefully broke things down and explained everything.

By evening, Mo Hua—having learned a great deal—gratefully bid Elder Zheng farewell.

Back at the Great Void Sect, Mo Hua followed his usual habit, recording everything he learned into a jade slip, then sitting down to analyze it deeply.

Elder Zheng's teaching lived up to his reputation—a fourth-tier master with a deep family lineage in arrays and mastery of lightning arts. His guidance was clear, precise, and profound.

Mo Hua learned a lot.

He also came to understand the difference between himself and regular thunder-magnetic formation masters.

Typical thunder-magnetic masters had formal, comprehensive systems of thunder-magnetic array techniques. They used these to control thunder flows, manipulate secondary thunder runes, and alter magnetic runes or launch offensive/defensive maneuvers.

But Mo Hua was different.

He didn't know any thunder-magnetic arrays yet.

His method of modifying runes bypassed traditional formations and directly used source-calculated secondary thunder runes, restructured into the form of a Thunder-Magnetic Puppet.

Others used arrays—he used a construct.

Thunder-magnetic arrays were powerful for their established rules, inheritance, and versatility—they were complete systems.

In contrast, Mo Hua's puppet drew on something far more forbidden: the "source algorithm," "array flow," and "source runes"—a system from the Five Elements Sect so dangerous, it was considered taboo.

From a theoretical standpoint, Mo Hua's Thunder-Magnetic Puppet—or rather, his Source Thunder Rune—was clearly more advanced.

But the problem was simple: his cultivation was too low.

It took the full power of the Five Elements Sect to source and refine their elemental rune models.

And Mo Hua?

He was just one guy—with limited divine sense, limited computation power, little experience, and not much time. His rune library was tiny.

The puppet was still just a prototype. Its functions were basic. While it had future potential, right now it couldn't compete with a thunder-magnetic master with formal training.

In this Thunder-Magnetic battle... he had no chance of winning.

And if the enemy was skilled in even Tier-2 thunder-magnetic arrays, they'd likely be at Golden Core level—meaning 20+ divine runes in their consciousness.

More power. More experience.

Mo Hua had a Thunder-Magnetic Puppet—but it couldn't fight.

And this kind of duel also required practical array experience, something he severely lacked.

He sighed.

He had to admit—he was outclassed.

He just couldn't win this Thunder-Magnetic War.

And that stung.

He was just two Divine Remnants away from breaking into late Foundation Establishment. The day he could master the God-Slaying Sword wasn't far either…

But right now, this thunder-magnetic master was in his way, blocking him completely.

"I have to figure something out…"

No matter how he calculated, his current thunder-magnetic skill simply wasn't enough to win.

After racking his brain for a long time, a bold idea came to him:

Just kill the guy.

If you can't beat him in the thunder-magnetic battlefield—then take him out in real life.

Can't solve the problem? Solve the person causing it.

Use thunder-magnetic tracking and magnetism-based positioning to locate him—then call Uncle Gu and Sister Xia and hunt him down together.

After all, the highest form of thunder-magnetic warfare… often requires the simplest solution.

One mountain cannot contain two tigers.

One Magnetism Array cannot tolerate two thunder-magnetic masters. If he exists, I can't function.

That thunder-magnetic master has to die.

And anyway—he worked for the Demonic Sect.

His death would be well-deserved.

The issue now was, Thunder-Magnetic Tracing and Magnetism Positioning were also high-level techniques…

So, Mo Hua went to consult Elder Zheng again.

And Elder Zheng, as always, answered every question thoroughly.

Mo Hua also subtly hinted at his situation and theories about the enemy formation master—and got confirmation.

Satisfied, he returned to the sect and carefully reviewed his entire plan:

First step: Pinpointing the enemy with magnetism tracing…

The Demonic Sect Token was carried by demonic cultivators, and its location frequently changed. While it was possible to track, it was extremely difficult.

More importantly, locating a Demonic Sect Token required access from the central core of the underlying Magnetism Complex Array.

That array supported the entire Demonic Sect's infrastructure—highly secretive and deeply hidden. Mo Hua simply didn't have the authority or strength yet to breach that core and pinpoint its location.

So for now, both the Demonic Sect Token and the underlying Magnetism Complex Array were impossible to track.

But the Thunder-Magnetic Formation Master on the other side?

He could be traced.

Mo Hua had asked Elder Zheng and learned that constructing a Thunder-Magnetic Formation required a complex and interconnected set of components: formation mediums, formation runes, array cores, formation eyes…

They were expensive, precisely tuned, and integrated into one whole. Once deployed, unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn't be moved lightly.

Which meant that this Thunder-Magnetic Master's entire setup—his "thunder-magnetic base"—must be located somewhere hidden within Ganxue Prefecture or the surrounding areas.

Elder Zheng had also told him one thing: Thunder-Magnetic Masters are never public.

So Mo Hua deduced: this guy must be a lone wolf, isolated from others.

Even in righteous sects, Thunder-Magnetic Masters were feared. In the Demonic Sect, full of distrust and bloodshed, someone like that would never dare show their face.

He likely avoided contact with other demonic cultivators altogether. They might not have even seen each other in person—just kept minimal channels open for contact.

Mo Hua nodded to himself—he was probably right.

Then, following Elder Zheng's advice, he began tracking the Thunder Flow to perform magnetism-based positioning.

He first took out the map of Ganxue Prefecture and its surroundings and marked his current location.

Then began the calibration.

He sent the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet into the Demonic Sect Token to sense the odd thunder-magnetic energy flow.

Thunder-magnetism was a kind of world energy. And if it flowed through the world, it had to have direction.

Tracking this wasn't exactly easy—but for Mo Hua, who could control the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet and sense its flows, it wasn't too hard.

Still, since the Magnetism Complex Array was under the enemy's "surveillance," Mo Hua had to be very cautious.

He hid the puppet in the magnetic rune sea. Every few minutes, he'd pop it out once—sense the current—and then hide it again immediately.

After half a day, he managed to narrow the source direction to somewhere southeast.

Still, that was too broad. He needed to leave the sect, investigate in person, and narrow things down from multiple angles.

Mo Hua originally wanted to wait until the weekend—but this was urgent, so he requested two days' leave.

After all, his real priority was to reach late Foundation Establishment as soon as possible. If he missed a few days of that curriculum—it wouldn't matter.

He didn't even need to trouble Venerable Elder Xun—Elder Song approved it right away, even asking kindly if two days would be enough, and whether Mo Hua needed an elder to accompany him.

Mo Hua said no.

But he later noticed—a Golden Core elder was still secretly following him. The sect must've arranged this for his safety.

Mo Hua was touched, so he pretended not to notice and let the elder follow in secret.

He then left Ganxue Prefecture, crossing mountains and valleys. At each stop, he'd take out the token, control the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet, sense the flow, and mark the direction on his map.

For two days straight, he wandered—day and night without sleep—scanning from every angle.

Finally, he locked onto a remote mountain range.

An unnamed mountain.

No cultivators nearby. Desolate. Overgrown.

Mo Hua hid himself again, tested the thunder-magnetic flow from several angles within the mountain, and eventually narrowed it down to a specific peak.

That peak was surrounded by nearly imperceptible Magnetism Arrays.

Clearly—an expert of magnetism arrays was hiding here.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up. He didn't make a move—he simply returned to the sect.

Once back, he sent the location to Uncle Gu:

"Uncle Gu—southeast of Ganxue Prefecture, north of Lone Mountain City. There's a nameless mountain here hiding a Golden Core formation master from the Demonic Sect.

This person is crucial. He must be killed."

"Kill him, and no one can block me again…" Mo Hua thought to himself.

Uncle Gu replied simply:

"Understood."

After several successful Demonic Sect hunts, Uncle Gu now fully trusted Mo Hua's intel and replied without hesitation.

Mo Hua then relayed several important details—especially about the Magnetism Arrays.

"This person is skilled in magnetism. The area is full of Magnetism Arrays. Even the slightest movement may alert him—so be cautious.

When the time comes, I'll distract him—you strike fast."

"Also—he can be killed, but try to preserve his formations and array components. I still need them…"

Mo Hua gave a long list of instructions.

Uncle Gu noted it all but hesitated slightly:

"Everything's fine… but the formation tools—if they're related to the Demonic Sect—might get confiscated by the Dao Court."

"Can't keep them?"

"Not easy to justify…"

"But aren't you and Sister Xia in charge of this? Who do you have to explain it to?"

Uncle Gu was silent for a moment… then sighed:

"Fine. I'll see what I can do."

"Mhm!"

The Dao Court began preparations.

A few days later, everything was ready—and it just so happened to be a weekend.

Mo Hua originally didn't plan to go—but in the end, he couldn't resist the thought of what might soon become his: an entire Thunder-Magnetic setup.

So he decided to go in person.

This time, he didn't bother hiding it—he directly asked Elder Xun Ziyou to accompany him, saying it was a Dao Court mission and he needed help.

Elder Xun, worried for Mo Hua's safety, once again assumed his role as a "bodyguard."

The day of the operation was bright and clear.

Everyone gathered on the nameless mountain. The Dao Court operatives waited in hiding, awaiting Mo Hua's signal.

Mo Hua, from a scenic vantage point far away, took out the Demonic Sect Token, connected it to the Source Jade Slip, and directed the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet to infiltrate the base layer of the Magnetism Complex Array.

This time, he didn't hide at all.

He charged in boldly and openly.

And the moment he let the puppet loose in the Magnetism Sea…

—

Inside the nameless mountain…

In a dark stone chamber—

A narrow-eyed, sparse-haired black-robed formation master suddenly opened his eyes, his voice venomous:

"Bastard! Finally caught you slipping!"

"That little rat's been dodging me for days!"

He had been watching the thunder-magnetic array non-stop, determined to root out the pest causing trouble. But this thunder flow's pattern was strange and slippery.

Unlike anything he'd seen before—cunning and evasive. Every time it appeared, it would vanish before he could grab it.

"That's fifty thousand spirit stones on the line—I can't afford to fail."

He was hired by the Demonic Sect, yes—but like all these gray-zone freelance formation masters, he'd do anything for spirit stones.

"You damn thing, you slipped up this time. Let's see where you run!"

The black-robed man focused fully, activating a Thunder-Magnetic Formation Disc made of magnetism jade—delicate and precise.

He began tracing the anomalous secondary thunder flow.

But even after a long time, he couldn't catch it.

It darted around like a living eel—flitting through the magnetic sea, dodging his senses.

Sometimes it even paused to mess with a few runes—as if taunting him.

"Mocking me? Bastard!"

Formation masters were arrogant. The stronger they were, the more so—and the one thing they couldn't stand was mockery on a formation level.

He poured all his divine sense into the task.

The formation disc blazed blue with flowing runes.

And finally—he caught that thunder flow.

The disc slowly revealed the true form of the creature messing up the array—

A being formed entirely from thunder-magnetism…

A small figure.

A silhouette?

A person?

"What the hell… is that?!"

He froze. His pupils shrank violently. His voice trembled:

"Not a secondary rune… but a human figure?!"

"Why would the base layer of a Magnetism Complex Array… contain something like this?!"

"What kind of thunder-magnetic formation could create a living thunder-magnetic humanoid?!"

He was horrified—then suddenly, realization struck.

Legacy!

This must be a supreme thunder-magnetic inheritance!

It might even involve formations that could generate divine sense—or even create life!

"I must obtain it! By any means necessary! Even if I die—it must be mine!"

His eyes turned blood-red with obsession.

(End of this Chapter)