Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 910 – An Unfair Victory

No one understood better than him just how precious the Thunder-Magnetic inheritance truly was.

He was well aware: to comprehend array formations to the point of birthing spiritual awareness, even creating life—no matter if it was just a "prototype," just an empty shell—was monumental.

The black-robed array master was burning with a fire-like desire.

"I must have it... I will have it."

That thought completely consumed his mind.

Suppressing his excitement, his trembling fingers manipulated the Thunder-Magnetic array disc, pushing the magnetic currents to their limit as he traced the aura of that "Thunder-Magnetic figure," attempting to locate its origin on the map of the Ganxue State and find out who was controlling it.

This strange little Thunder-Magnetic humanoid held supreme mysteries of array dao—it was extraordinarily profound, yet clumsy and immature. Clearly, it had only just come into being. The one controlling it had to be a fledgling, newly treading the path of Thunder-Magnetism.

Otherwise, no one would have been foolish enough to recklessly expose such a miraculous creation.

The black-robed array master quickly concluded: this was some lucky fool who'd stumbled into an extraordinary inheritance by sheer chance and, not yet proficient, foolishly decided to show it off.

"Really courting death! Doesn't even understand the simplest rule: a man's treasure invites his doom."

Lucky for him, I'm the one who found him…

As long as I track him down using Yuan-Magnetic positioning, kill him, and steal his inheritance—then that miraculous Thunder-Magnetic humanoid will belong to me!

This was the greatest opportunity of his entire life.

Greater even than when his master once favored him and guided him into the path of Thunder-Magnetic formations. He was nearly trembling from excitement.

He continued to focus fully on the disc, watching the thunder runes rotate and magnetic fields shift and converge—slowly narrowing in… until, finally, with a flash of light, the magnetic lines coalesced into a single point.

The black-robed array master shuddered, face lighting up with delight:

"Got you!"

But when he focused on the result—his smile froze. His brows slowly furrowed.

"Is the location... wrong?"

"Why is it... showing my location?"

He checked the array disc. Everything seemed fine—disc intact, thunder-magnetic flow stable, no deviation in coordinates...

Then, he stiffened.

His pupils widened in terror.

"It's me... I've been targeted…"

He wasn't the one doing the hunting—someone had been fishing for him!

At that instant—BOOM!

The stone wall collapsed.

A sharp wind blade howled through the air and struck his chest before he could react. A cold flash followed, stabbing through his shoulder.

A large, burly cultivator wielding twin hammers charged in, swinging them toward his head. Two more golden core cultivators stood outside, suppressing the area.

Five Golden Core Enforcers.

The array master spat blood and instantly paled.

It was only now that he understood—this had been a trap all along, and he had fallen for it like an idiot.

"That shameless bastard! He used that Thunder-Magnetic puppet to bait me, lure me in, draw all my focus… and while I was completely distracted, they broke in and surrounded me!"

"Damn it! Ambushed like this?! Who the hell set me up—and brought five Golden Core cultivators?! What kind of monster would do that?!"

He raged inwardly, but there was nothing he could do.

In formation battles, the array master's strength lies in preparation—ambushes, traps, killing formations. But once caught off guard, once the enemy gets close, an array master is little more than a corpse-in-waiting.

Worse still, the people surrounding him weren't novices—they were experienced Golden Core officers, each steady and ruthless.

He seethed with hatred.

But Gu Changhuai and the others didn't give him a chance to retaliate. They attacked with full force, activating their artifacts and spells.

The array master could only go all-out, using what little formations he had left to delay the inevitable.

But in a five-on-one? He was only prolonging his suffering.

Far away, Mo Hua was watching the fight like an eager theatergoer.

This was a Tier-3 state—Golden Core cultivators could go all-out here. Not only could they unleash spirit energy as dense as crystal stones, but they could also wield their life-bound artifacts with devastating effect.

Mo Hua hadn't seen many Golden Core battles before, so he was watching intently to learn. After all, once he reached late Foundation Establishment, the Golden Core realm would be within reach.

Senior Elder Xun Ziyou stood three feet away, acting as his personal bodyguard—ready to block anything that might harm the "precious gem of the Great Void Sect."

By now, Xun Ziyou was certain:

Mo Hua's life was more valuable than his own.

Even the Patriarch would rather lose an arm than let a hair fall from Mo Hua's head. And honestly, he felt the same now.

With Xun Ziyou guarding him, Mo Hua could enjoy the show in peace.

But he didn't get to watch for long.

The battle was one-sided. Gu Changhuai and Xia Jianhai were from major clans, and all five had Mo Hua's detailed intel. Not to mention, Mo Hua's Thunder-Magnetic puppet had completely drawn the enemy's attention.

Under such overwhelming advantage, it took less than a dozen rounds before the black-robed array master was defeated.

The hammer-wielding officer shattered his limbs, Gu Changhuai covered his face with the Five Elements Diagram, and Xia Jianhai pierced his heart with a sword.

Just like that, the black-robed array master died—utterly humiliated.

He never even saw Mo Hua's face.

If he had known the mastermind behind his death was a Foundation Establishment junior, he might've died again from sheer indignation.

Mo Hua felt quite satisfied.

After waiting a while to ensure he was truly dead and no allies were nearby, he finally approached.

The black-robed man had died horribly—limbs destroyed, chest impaled and frozen stiff, eyes wide in disbelief. No signs of god-remnant infestation, though, which was a pity.

Mo Hua had considered keeping him alive.

But in the end, he decided a dead enemy was the best kind—no mind games, no trouble. And honestly, who has time for scheming right now?

He nodded in satisfaction.

This Thunder-Magnetic array master was dead.

As a "half-step" Thunder-Magnetic master, Mo Hua had won his first duel in this field—and he had won against a Golden Core!

Sure, maybe it wasn't exactly a "fair fight"...

But an unfair win is still a win.

That's something his father, Mo Shan, a seasoned demon hunter, had drilled into him since he was young.

And Mo Hua never forgot.

Meanwhile, the Dao Enforcement Division was cleaning up the area.

After a while, Gu Changhuai walked over to report:

"I've checked his face. He's not on our wanted list. Either he changed his appearance or stayed well-hidden."

Mo Hua glanced at the corpse:

A sinister, antisocial face... completely unfamiliar. And—very sparse hair.

"...Do Thunder-Magnetic masters all go bald?" he muttered.

Then asked, "Was he really with the Demon Sect?"

Gu Changhuai replied, "His cultivation method was standard, but his spiritual energy is tainted. He's clearly dabbled in unsanctioned paths. His storage ring had some demonic array materials."

"Even if he wasn't officially part of the Demon Sect, he was definitely affiliated."

"There were also jade slips showing repeated contact with demon and heretic cultivators. Seems he took paid jobs from the Demon Sect using his array skills."

"Now that he's dead, one more threat is gone."

Mo Hua nodded.

Then the Dao Enforcement Division finished sweeping the stone chamber. An hour later, everything was wrapped up.

Only one thing remained: the Thunder-Magnetic array disc and formation materials.

Mo Hua had specifically asked for these.

Gu Changhuai was ready to hand them over.

Xia Jianhai, who was friendly with Mo Hua and knew all the intel came from him, had no objections. It made sense for Mo Hua to take some loot as payment.

The hammer-wielder, Fan Jin, had been transferred in and was hoping for Gu or Xia's recommendation, so he turned a blind eye.

But the other two officers weren't so agreeable.

Both came from big clans in Ganxue, one even from the Xiao family.

As fellow candidates for promotion, they saw Gu as competition—and they didn't hold back.

"These formation tools were criminal contraband. Shouldn't they be confiscated?" one asked coldly.

Gu Changhuai fell silent.

Because… technically, they should be.

He was about to explain when Mo Hua piped up brightly:

"Elder Xun! This thief stole from our Great Void Sect—shouldn't we take our stuff back?"

Xun Ziyou froze.

"Our Great Void Sect's… stuff?"

Mo Hua elbowed him.

Elder Xun suddenly got it.

"Ah—yes. Our Great Void Sect's… items!"

His gaze turned cold. Sword intent flared from his Golden Core cultivation, and his voice dropped into a dangerous chill:

"That scoundrel dared to steal our sect's formation inheritance. He deserved to die. Of course we must reclaim what's ours."

The two other officers paused, startled.

"Elder Xun, are you sure about that?"

Xun Ziyou's expression grew icier: "Otherwise, why would a proper Elder of one of the Eight Great Sects waste his time in these remote hills watching you catch demon cultivators?"

"Exactly."

"This…"

The two officers hesitated. When framed like that… it did make sense.

Hunting demonic cultivators was the Dao Enforcement Division's duty. If not for the matter being related to the Great Void Sect, why would a busy inner elder like Elder Xun show up in the middle of nowhere just to meddle?

Still, something about the situation felt off.

Elder Xun Ziyou's expression turned completely cold.

"What? Are you saying the Dao Enforcement Division intends to confiscate my Great Void Sect's formation inheritance?"

The two Golden Core officers jolted at his words and hurriedly cupped their fists:

"Elder Xun, please calm your anger! That's not what we meant…"

The Great Void Sect was one of the Eight Great Sects.

They wouldn't dare seize its inheritance, much less offend a late-stage Golden Core sword cultivator elder.

Especially now—after the merging of the three sects—the Great Void Sect's power and prestige were at an all-time high.

Gu Changhuai stepped in to smooth things over:

"The Dao Enforcement Division must follow protocol. We ask Elder Xun for understanding."

"But since these items are indeed the Great Void Sect's inheritance, it's only right that you reclaim them."

Hearing Gu say that, the other two officers didn't push further.

Elder Xun looked to Mo Hua, who gave a subtle nod.

Only then did the elder nod back:

"Very well, then I must thank you all for your help."

He paused, then added:

"Only these formation arrays and media were stolen from our sect. The rest of this thief's belongings, naturally, should be handed over to the Dao Enforcement Division."

Among the seized items were many spirit stones and treasures—standard "side benefits" from enforcement missions, also exchangeable for personal merits and contributions.

Elder Xun knew the value of leaving others a little "profit." No need to take everything and make enemies.

Sure enough, the other two officers felt somewhat appeased.

A bit of loot was enough. As for the array tools and discs—they couldn't make sense of those anyway. If the Great Void Sect wanted them back, so be it.

And so, a full set of Thunder-Magnetic formation plates, along with several Thunder-Magnetic formation diagrams, were ceremoniously returned to the Great Void Sect—as "reclaimed stolen property."

"I should report this to the Patriarch," Elder Xun said. "Since it involved the Dao Enforcement Division and invoked the sect's name, the path must be made clear."

"Mm-hmm," Mo Hua nodded.

Indeed, this needed to be discussed with Elder Xun Senior.

So, Elder Xun Ziyou and Mo Hua brought the formation diagrams and array plates to report to the Venerable Elder Xun.

Even Elder Xun Senior was visibly surprised when he saw them.

"These are excellent things. Where did you get them?"

Elder Xun Ziyou blinked.

He thought they were just second- or third-grade formations that Mo Hua had grabbed out of curiosity. He didn't expect the ancestor—at Hollow Void Realm—to actually call them "excellent."

Seeing his confusion, Elder Xun Senior explained:

"These are…" He trailed off, suddenly remembering this disciple of his was formation-illiterate. Explaining would be pointless—like playing a zither to a cow. So he waved a hand:

"Go tend to your business."

"But Ancestor, I—" Elder Xun Ziyou gave a helpless smile.

"I understand. I'm aware of the situation. You've done well." The old man gave rare praise.

Elder Xun Ziyou was flattered and tactfully took his leave.

After he was gone, Elder Xun Senior turned to Mo Hua, frowning.

"Where did you get these things?"

Mo Hua gave a clipped summary, sharing only what was safe to tell.

He always spoke in circles—just enough to be believable, never the full truth. Elder Xun Senior was long used to this.

The old man pondered a moment, then said:

"You'd best not learn this."

Mo Hua replied honestly:

"Elder, I've run out of formations to learn…"

Elder Xun choked slightly.

This mid-Foundation Establishment disciple was saying—in the mighty Great Void Sect—that he'd run out of formations to study?

"Sigh…" Elder Xun sighed, waving his hand.

"Fine, go ahead and learn it. You're too curious. If you want to study it, no one can stop you anyway."

"But you must understand: mastering Thunder-Magnetic formations means carrying their consequences. Once you've learned them, no one must know. If word gets out, you'll be marked for death."

"You already carry heavy karma. Add this, and you'll have enemies like fish in a river—countless."

Elder Xun warned gravely.

Mo Hua nodded solemnly.

"I understand, Elder."

He was already shouldering legacies far more terrifying than this. He couldn't even talk about many of them.

He'd even secretly learned a bit of his martial uncle's Heavenly Secrets Trickery and Heart-Demon Seeding techniques.

A Thunder-Magnetic formation? Honestly… it was small potatoes at this point. One more flea on the dog.

Elder Xun finally nodded.

"As for the array plates and diagrams…" Mo Hua asked quietly.

With a wave of his sleeve, Elder Xun erased their karmic ties and said:

"You already claimed they belong to our sect. Then take them. Study them well. Just don't let anyone else find out."

"Yes!" Mo Hua grinned.

With Elder Xun's full backing, Mo Hua boldly moved all the Thunder-Magnetic discs, intricate array media, and a storage pouch full of diagrams into his disciples' quarters.

Back at his quarters, Mo Hua began inventorying his loot.

First—the Thunder-Magnetic array disc.

Base of jade, edged with crimson-gold, etched with silver filigree and covered in magnetic runes, linked with intricate mechanical parts—unlike anything he'd ever seen. Just looking at it, he could tell it was expensive.

There were four Thunder-Magnetic formation diagrams:

Introductory Diagram of Thunder-Magnetism

Thunder-Magnetic Channeling Theory

Thunder-Magnetism Annotation Chart

Foundations of Thunder-Magnetic Offense and Defense

But each diagram was damaged—clearly the black-robed array master had tried to destroy them before dying, but didn't manage to finish.

Mo Hua noticed the array disc was also slightly deformed—he had tried to destroy that too, but couldn't bear to do it.

This disc held the man's life's work. He died with regret, unable to destroy it—so now Mo Hua benefited instead.

But as he flipped through the materials, Mo Hua realized a problem:

All the diagrams were third-grade. He couldn't study them yet.

And the array disc was also third-grade—completely unusable at his current level.

Strangely, though, the Thunder-Magnetic formations engraved onto the disc were a mix of second- and third-grade—mismatched and incoherent.

The structure was clearly third-grade, but the core nodes and array foci were second-grade.

It was like… a "downgraded array"?

Mo Hua frowned.

He guessed: maybe the Golden Core array master couldn't handle full third-grade formations yet. So he downgraded key components to second-grade to make them usable.

"Wait… that's a thing? Then how do you balance second- and third-grade elements? How do you reconcile the spiritual energy disparity? How do you harmonize conflicting runes and manage the control core's layout?"

Mo Hua couldn't figure it out. He decided to ask someone knowledgeable later.

In his view, this technique of "downgraded arrays" felt a bit… awkward. But something told him it could be extremely useful in the future.

For now, it was clumsy.

He was still below Golden Core—he couldn't draw third-grade runes or study third-grade formations.

Even downgraded, if the core was third-grade, he still couldn't use it.

So although this haul was immense, and the Thunder-Magnetic inheritance was extremely rare… at present, he couldn't do much with it.

Only one thing was immediately usable: a command token.

It wasn't technically part of the formation inheritance—so it should've been handed over to the Dao Enforcement Division.

But "Uncle Gu" had slipped it into his storage pouch.

Gu Changhuai knew Mo Hua well—knew he liked collecting tokens. Knew he could decrypt transmission tokens to steal intel.

So when Mo Hua stared at the token for a moment, Gu immediately understood and discreetly tucked it away with the formation diagrams—then handed the pouch to Mo Hua.

"Uncle Gu is truly a wonderful person," Mo Hua thought with gratitude.

He picked up the token and examined it carefully, his eyes gradually lighting up.

It was stained with dark blood, carved with a ferocious demonic visage, and covered in intricate runes.

It resembled previous Demon Sect tokens—but clearly of a much higher tier.

If Mo Hua's guess was correct, this was a "Guest Elder Token"—issued to official Guest Elders of the Demon Sect. It carried true elder-level authority.

"Finally…" Mo Hua's eyes narrowed.

He'd killed so many Demon Sect elders—yet never managed to loot an elder's token.

Now, at long last—he had one in hand.

(End of this Chapter)