Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 913: A Tiny Smiling Face

Demon Sect.

Before the Blood Pool.

All the Demon Sect elders were present. Cloaked in black robes, some looked like humans, some like beasts, others bore fangs and blood-red pupils—each with an appearance more grotesque than the last.

The atmosphere was heavy and eerie.

"The Eighth Elder ran away?"

"Yes."

"Why'd he run?"

"What do you mean why? If he didn't, he'd be dead."

"But how did he know he needed to run? Who warned him?"

Elder You, whose body bore the engraving of a hound sigil, spoke coldly:

"According to Mister Yuan, someone 'anonymous' tipped him off."

"Mister Yuan again…"

"Another anonymous person? Just who is this guy?"

"Are we saying that aside from Eighth Elder, there's another mole in our Demon Sect?"

"Not necessarily…"

While everyone was speculating, a bloated elder with a flabby face said,

"Let's be honest—can we really trust this 'Mister Yuan'?"

All the Golden Core demon cultivators turned their gaze toward Elder You.

Elder You shot a bland look at the fat elder and said,

"Half a month ago, when the Dao Enforcement Division attacked, your hundreds of disciples only survived because Mister Yuan intercepted the intel. Otherwise, you wouldn't even have any blood rations left."

The fat elder fell silent.

This was the man responsible for his food and drink—not someone to offend.

A short, thin elder asked,

"What about this Mister Yuan's expertise in formations?"

Elder You's expression grew solemn.

"Exceptionally profound."

The short elder nodded.

"Then he's a talent. Should be kept and used by our sect. Any idea what he likes? Human blood? Flesh? Spirit stones? Treasures? Women?"

Elder You replied coolly,

"That's none of your concern."

The elder's gaze turned cold and unpleasant.

"Enough," said an aged elder seated above. His cloudy, bloodshot eyes swept across the room.

"...First, deal with the Eighth Elder."

Silence followed for a few moments. Then someone asked,

"By the way… are we sure the Eighth Elder really is the mole?"

"The Dao Enforcement Division had him surrounded but let him go. If he's not the mole, who is?"

"If he was their mole, then when the Demon Sect was exposed, why didn't he just defect to them?"

"Good question…"

"Good question? It's obvious. The Dao Enforcement Division bribed him to leak intel. Now that he's exposed, he's worthless to them. You think those watchdogs are benevolent? They probably want to flay him alive and dig out any secrets he's still hiding."

"So he's dead either way. Stay in the Demon Sect—dead. Run to the Dao Division—still dead. All that's left is to flee."

"Then we must catch him before they do. We can't let him fall into Dao Division hands."

"So… who'll go kill him?"

That question caused the crowd to go silent, their breaths held.

Killing a fellow sect member, while also risking exposure to the Dao Enforcement Division? A thankless, dangerous task.

"Let Elder Four go."

"Blood Elder?"

"Exactly. He's been locked up for a year, hasn't had fresh meat in a long time. Letting him out to kill the Eighth Elder is just right. He's simple-minded—just tell him there's something to kill."

Elder You frowned.

"Elder Four isn't easy to unleash. If he kills too much, the thing lodged inside him…"

He paused, unwilling to say the final two words aloud, then continued:

"If the slaughter gets too heavy, the evil thoughts in him will grow boundlessly. Once it exceeds the limit, his Golden Core body won't be able to hold it. If he goes berserk, we—the followers of the Divine Lord—will all die by our own master's hand."

The room went pale.

As tension thickened, the usually silent sect leader finally spoke from above:

"Let Elder Four go."

His voice was low and raspy, filled with unquestionable authority.

Elder You didn't understand the decision, but a command was a command.

"Understood. I'll go make arrangements and release Elder Four."

So it was decided.

Someone then questioned,

"But we don't even know where Eighth Elder is. How do we track him?"

Elder You said,

"Mister Yuan is an expert in Primordial Magnet Arrays. He has ways to track the Eighth Elder."

"Him again?"

The crowd frowned.

Second Elder, the old man on the seat above, turned to confirm with Elder You:

"Third Brother… this Mister Yuan—can he be trusted?"

Elder You considered carefully, then said slowly:

"He's the perfect… tool."

Second Elder nodded.

"Good."

After the meeting ended and they left the Blood Pool, Elder You sent a message to Mo Hua:

"Mister Yuan, the sect will be sending Elder Four to kill the Eighth Elder. Please show him the way."

Mo Hua hesitated.

"This is… not easy to do…"

"Then, Mister Yuan—?"

"It'll cost extra."

Elder You paused, then immediately said,

"Three hundred thousand spirit stones."

Mo Hua responded briskly:

"Deal!"

Elder You then sent him a strand of magnetic markings.

"Elder Four loves killing. His mind is twisted and barely rational, but he can still understand orders through his sect token."

"Once you locate Eighth Elder, pass the data to Elder Four. He'll handle the rest."

"As for how to locate and use the magnetic imprint… Mister Yuan, you're the professional. No need for me to explain further."

Truthfully, Mo Hua wasn't entirely sure either.

He'd used thunder-magnetic streams for tracking before, but using a sect token and a Primordial Magnet Relay Array? That was new.

Still, this wasn't the time to show weakness. Mo Hua confidently replied:

"Of course."

"Much appreciated, Mister Yuan."

"Rest assured, Elder You. The Eighth Elder won't escape."

Elder You sent Mo Hua a strand of magnetic data.

Mo Hua studied it for a while, then realized it contained a Primordial Magnetic Sequence—one belonging to an elder-level token.

With that sequence, he could use the relay hubs in the magnet array to locate the position of the Eighth Elder's sect token.

Not too difficult.

Mo Hua, having been thrown into the role, figured it out after some tinkering.

Besides, right now, the entire Demon Sect's Primordial Magnet Array was under his control.

The thief… was also the gatekeeper.

With no one stopping him, studying this stuff was easy.

Once he understood the principles, Mo Hua officially began orchestrating the deadly "hunt" that involved the Dao Enforcement Division, the Demon Sect, and two Golden Core elders.

Lone North Mountain.

The Eighth Elder, having just fled the Dao Division's pursuit, was now hiding in a remote mountain forest, panic written all over his face.

He had no idea how things had escalated so fast.

Not long ago, he was still a revered Golden Core elder of the Demon Sect—drinking the blood of slaves, worshipped by disciples, feared and respected.

In a flash, he'd become a stray dog.

The Dao Enforcement Division wanted him.

The Demon Sect wanted him dead.

The change had been too fast—so fast he couldn't react.

He was beginning to suspect someone had been plotting against him this entire time.

Just then, his elder token trembled. A message appeared:

"Dao Enforcement Division is southwest of you. They'll reach your location in about half an hour."

"You must flee north."

"The Demon Sect also wants to kill you. Blood Elder has already been released…"

The moment he saw the name Blood Elder, Eighth Elder's face went pale.

Gritting his teeth, he sent a message through the sect token:

"Who are you?"

The anonymous sender replied:

"Someone trying to help you."

"Why are you helping me?"

"You don't need to know."

Eighth Elder sneered coldly.

"You think I'll believe you that easily? How do I know you're not just lying to me?"

"You have no choice. I'm your last lifeline. If you don't grab it, death is all that awaits you. Either at the hands of the Dao Enforcement Division, or at the hands of the Blood Elder."

Eighth Elder's mind whirled.

"No… That's not right. The Dao Enforcement Division wouldn't kill me. They just—"

"That was because I lied to them," Mo Hua said calmly. "I told them you knew secrets about the Demon Sect, that you were still useful. That's why they spared you. But now they know the Demon Sect has abandoned you. You're as good as dead."

"Impossible. I don't believe it! You're just saying whatever you want!"

"Then let's make a bet."

"What bet?"

"Half an hour from now, the Dao Enforcement Division will find you. Let's see if they try to kill you—just like I said."

Eighth Elder shivered.

"Who the hell are you? How do you know all this?"

"Why would the Dao Enforcement Division listen to you?"

"And how do you know the Demon Sect's movements so clearly?"

"Who are you?!"

But the sect token fell silent—his questions sank into the void with no reply.

What now?

Eighth Elder was at war with himself.

Run? But where to?

The Demon Sect? Out of the question.

His corruption and embezzlement had already been exposed. Going back would be suicide.

Follow the anonymous person's directions?

What if it was a trap?

"Maybe… I should test it first. See if the Dao Division really is after me like he said?"

After a moment's thought, Eighth Elder decided to gamble.

He pulled out a blood puppet, dressed it in his Demon Sect elder's robe, and buried himself deep in the earth using an earth escape technique, hiding far away.

Roughly half an hour later, a group of figures appeared in the distance—it was indeed cultivators from the Dao Enforcement Division.

Leading them was none other than Gu Changhuai.

The moment he spotted the puppet, he sent out a blade of wind, slicing it clean in half. Blood and flesh splattered.

Approaching to examine it, Gu Changhuai frowned.

"A fake?"

He scanned the surroundings and barked out:

"Search the area! Find the Eighth Elder of the Demon Sect and execute him on the spot!"

A subordinate approached quietly.

"Sir… Are we really going to kill him?"

Gu Changhuai's expression was ice-cold.

"He's no longer of any use. What else would we do with him?"

Though they were far away, some of their words reached the Eighth Elder's ears in fragments, and his heart went cold.

"That anonymous person… wasn't wrong at all!"

Just then, his elder token trembled again.

Another anonymous message came:

"Run. They've already spotted you."

Eighth Elder's heart froze. He swept his spiritual sense around—and sure enough, the Dao Enforcement cultivators had detected his hiding place long ago.

They were pretending to search, but were in fact carefully surrounding him.

You bastard, Gu Changhuai—acting so damn well!

Eighth Elder didn't hesitate anymore. In a flash of escape light, he turned into a bloody mist and shot off toward the north.

Gu Changhuai silently watched the light vanish, then calmly ordered:

"Pursue him—but not too closely."

"Yes, sir!"

The mountain winds howled. Trees and shadows raced past. The air carried a foul stench of rotting beasts.

Eighth Elder was burning with anxiety, fleeing for his life.

At this point, he was certain the anonymous person wasn't lying.

He still didn't know their name, identity, or background, but they were clearly helping him.

If not for them tricking the Dao Division, and warning him about the Demon Sect's betrayal, he would've already been dead.

After that, Mo Hua continued to give him precise directions, helping him evade several interception squads from the Dao Division as he bolted northwest.

Eighth Elder finally felt slightly more at ease.

What he didn't know was—on the road ahead, clad in a bloodstained robe, radiating killing intent like an executioner—the Blood Elder was also charging in his direction.

Mo Hua, the invisible puppeteer, was guiding them both straight toward each other.

Eventually, after several hours of relentless pursuit, the gap between Eighth Elder and Blood Elder had narrowed to less than ten li.

Feigning innocence, Mo Hua sent another message:

"Bad news. The Blood Elder is right behind you."

Eighth Elder, who had thought he was in the clear, felt like he had been plunged into an icy pit.

"How?! How could he have caught up so fast?!"

Because I've been leading him to you…

Mo Hua mused silently.

But the truth was too cruel. Mo Hua couldn't bring himself to say it.

"No time! Turn left!" Mo Hua instructed.

Eighth Elder clenched his jaw. He had no other options and darted left.

He definitely didn't want to encounter the terrifying Fourth Elder.

After a while, Mo Hua messaged again:

"Dao Division incoming on your right!"

Eighth Elder veered right.

Soon after:

"Blood Elder is within five li. Go left!"

Panicking, Eighth Elder turned again.

And so it went—left, then right, then left again—Mo Hua kept sending him in circles. All the while, Gu Changhuai had already ordered the Dao Division cultivators to set up a trap exactly where Mo Hua directed.

Step by step, Eighth Elder was being herded toward his doom.

Even he began to sense something was off.

He'd been running in circles, not escaping the mountains at all. In fact, the more he ran, the more dangerous the terrain became.

Looking up, he realized he'd somehow been led into a narrow canyon surrounded by sheer cliffs.

Three sides were towering rock walls—impassable even for birds. Death trapped in stone.

Where is this place…?

Eighth Elder's heart turned cold. His hands trembling, he pulled out his elder token and sent a message to Mo Hua:

"Where do I go now?"

Mo Hua:

"Guess."

Eighth Elder's blood pressure skyrocketed.

Guess your mother's damn head!

"Tell me! Where the hell do I go now?!"

"Left."

"There's a wall on the left!"

"Then go right."

"All three sides are walls!!"

"Huh… That's odd. Why would it be all cliffs…"

The fragile trust Eighth Elder had built in "Mo Hua" all this time—bit by bit—began to collapse.

A horrifying thought crept into his mind.

"You… You've been lying to me all along? Were you… playing with me?!"

He sent the message in a fury.

But the token went quiet again, like a grave. No reply.

His heart grew colder by the second.

After who knows how long, the token trembled again.

Eighth Elder immediately looked.

There was a message. But no words.

Only… a tiny face. A simple smiley, drawn with magnetic ink.

That little face was pure and childlike… yet radiated a bone-chilling, twisted malice.

Eighth Elder's face went pale. His knees gave out beneath him.

"It's over…"

He turned to flee—but the moment he spun around, he saw him.

Draped in blood-red robes, radiating murderous intent like an executioner from hell—the Blood Elder—was already standing silently behind him.

With a slow rasp, the Blood Elder drew his bloodblade. His throat moved as he uttered one word:

"Traitor…"

Eighth Elder didn't even try to explain.

Before a madman like the Blood Elder, any words were meaningless.

He tore open his own arm and pulled out a pale, blood-dripping bone spike—his demonic life-bound artifact.

Things had come to this. A battle to the death was inevitable.

Without a word more, the Eighth Elder and Blood Elder clashed. Surging demonic energy roared between them, bloodblade and bone spike colliding in a deadly dance. Neither could gain the upper hand at first.

But it didn't take long—just a few dozen exchanges—for the Eighth Elder to fall behind. He simply wasn't a match for the bloodthirsty lunatic.

While fending off the Blood Elder, he bit down on a blood talisman and spat it out—summoning a skeletal blood-curse spirit that bit down on the Blood Elder, momentarily restraining him.

Taking this opportunity, Eighth Elder turned to flee.

But he had only dashed a few zhang before the shadows thickened in front of him. Dao Enforcement cultivators—late Foundation Establishment and several Golden Core Inspectors—had formed a wall, surrounding him completely.

At their head stood a handsome, cold-faced man—Gu Changhuai.

Eighth Elder's heart sank into ashes.

He understood now. This had all been a trap from the very beginning.

From the first step, he had been toyed with, manipulated like a puppet.

And even now, he still didn't know who had pulled the strings.

The last thing etched into his mind… was that simple, pure, yet deeply sinister little smiley face drawn with magnetic ink.

Far away, at the Great Void Sect.

Mo Hua quietly put away the Guest Elder Token.

He'd done everything he could. Now, the task of eliminating Eighth Elder—and the Blood Elder—was in Gu Uncle's hands.

Two Golden Core demons—far too strong for him to handle directly. For now, all he could do was remain behind the curtain, working his little tricks from the shadows.

"I hope everything goes smoothly. That Uncle Gu kills both of them and delivers my 'package.'"

"And I hope Uncle Gu and the others stay safe."

"Dao Enforcement has plenty of people in this operation. Uncle Gu probably won't die… right?"

Mo Hua was a little anxious, but all he could do was quietly wait for the result.

The wait ended up being unexpectedly long.

Maybe Eighth Elder had been too slippery… or the Blood Elder too hard to kill.

After nearly half a day of nervous anticipation, Gu Changhuai finally sent a message:

"Both dead. Went smoothly."

Mo Hua finally let out a sigh of relief.

"I'll bring you the diagram in two days," Gu Changhuai added.

"Got it."

"Still tying up loose ends…"

"Mm, no rush," Mo Hua replied, already familiar with the Dao Enforcement Division's procedures. "Uncle Gu, take your time."

After the chat, Mo Hua thought for a moment, then took out the Guest Token again and sent a message to Elder You of the Demon Sect, using his alias "Mr. Yuan":

"The Blood Elder completed the task—Eighth Elder has been eliminated."

"But the Dao Enforcement Division was too shameless and numerous. The Blood Elder didn't survive…"

There was a brief pause. Then a reply came:

"Understood. Thank you, Mr. Yuan."

Despite losing two Golden Core elders, Elder You's tone was unusually calm.

Mo Hua found it a bit strange.

Then again, Elder You might simply be deeply shrewd—able to conceal his emotions perfectly.

To reinforce his "persona," Mo Hua added another line:

"I've done my part. Don't forget the payment, Elder You."

"Rest assured, Mr. Yuan."

And with that, the conversation ended.

Mo Hua temporarily put the matter aside and turned to await his "delivery."

Two days later, Gu Changhuai personally arrived at the Great Void Sect and handed over the Five Elements Diagram sealed with evil spirits to Mo Hua.

"Killed two demons, sealed them both. Not sure if anything went wrong."

"Should be fine…" Mo Hua replied. "As long as you're sure."

"I've got other matters at the Dao Division, won't linger."

"Alright."

Mo Hua waved and said his goodbyes. With the Five Elements Diagram in hand, he went—just like before—to a secluded peak near the Great Void Mountain, his heart full of anticipation.

Two divine remains!

Once he consumed and refined them, his divine sense would reach the threshold for Spiritual Dao Transformation—breaking through the bottleneck of the Heaven Evolution Art.

Late Foundation Establishment… was within reach.

(End of this Chapter)