Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 920: One-Stop Service

"Eight hundred thousand spirit stones!"

Even for Golden Core cultivators, that wasn't a small number.

Sure, Golden Core cultivators had many ways to earn spirit stones—but their expenses were equally massive. Many of them might be worth several million, even ten million spirit stones…

But that net worth included their caves, artifacts, spiritual tools, pills, and other cultivation assets. When it came to liquid cash, they might not even be able to cough up 800,000 on the spot.

Let alone someone like Mo Hua, still just at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He'd never even earned money before—hadn't even seen that many spirit stones in one place.

Strictly speaking, that reward technically belonged to "Mr. Yuan."

But Mr. Yuan was long gone, and all the "duties" after him had been handled by Mo Hua—so naturally, he was entitled to the payment.

There was no response from the guest elder token.

Elder You had gone silent.

Mo Hua remained calm on the surface, but couldn't help feeling a little uneasy inside.

"Elder You… wouldn't go back on his word, right?"

"Surely the Demonic Sect wouldn't be that stingy—cheating me out of 800,000 spirit stones… right?"

Just as he was starting to feel nervous, Elder You finally sent a message back—very straightforward:

"No problem. That is a reward Mr. Yuan rightfully earned."

Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.

Elder You: "How should I deliver these spirit stones to you?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then replied:

"The heat is on. Other methods are too risky. I must trouble Elder You to place the spirit stones in a storage box, bury it on the hillside fifty li south of Lone North Mountain, and mark the spot with a blank stone stele. I will find my own way to retrieve it…"

Elder You paused briefly, then said:

"Mr. Yuan's caution is indeed admirable."

Mo Hua: "I must ask Elder You not to go back on your word."

Elder You: "Of course."

"Then we have a deal."

"Deal."

After reaching an agreement, the conversation ended. Mo Hua put away the guest elder token, feeling great.

Eight hundred thousand spirit stones—almost in the bag!

He was filthy rich!

Sure, there had been a bit of trickery involved… but only a little. And besides, this was about "robbing the demonic to aid the righteous"—a noble cause!

But just as he was basking in joy, a sliver of doubt surfaced in his mind:

"Wait a second… is it really that easy to earn spirit stones from bloodthirsty demonic cultivators?"

"Is Elder You going to stab me in the back?"

Mo Hua imagined himself in Elder You's shoes—and, well, if he were Elder You…

He'd absolutely set a trap. No way he'd just hand over 800,000 spirit stones that easily.

This trade… was not that simple.

But with such a huge chunk of spirit stones right there—it was impossible not to take a bite.

"How would I know if it's bait or meat unless I try biting it?"

Eight hundred thousand spirit stones!

Even if it was bait, it was worth the risk.

"Problem is… how do I retrieve it?"

If Elder You had indeed set an ambush, then showing up would be incredibly dangerous.

Mo Hua thought and thought, until finally—he had a solution.

He found Elder Xun Ziyou, and whispered secretly:

"Elder, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Xun Ziyou replied readily. "What is it?"

"Help me retrieve something," Mo Hua said.

"There's an empty grave fifty li south of Lone North Mountain. On the hill there, there's a blank stele. Dig beneath the stele, and there's a buried box. Please bring that box back for me."

Xun Ziyou stared at him for a long moment.

"Empty grave… blank stele… a box?"

What kind of nonsense was this?

He looked at Mo Hua suspiciously.

"What kind of shady business are you messing with this time?"

"It's a side hustle," Mo Hua replied earnestly.

"Side hustle?" That got Xun Ziyou's interest. "How much does it pay?"

"Hard to say," Mo Hua said in a hushed voice. "Depends on whether I get scammed. But if it pays out—I'll give you a share!"

Xun Ziyou couldn't help but laugh.

A cut, he says.

A Foundation Establishment disciple's side hustle… what, he's going to earn one or two thousand? Maybe ten thousand max?

After the split, what would be left?

"You keep it," Xun Ziyou said casually. "I'm an elder. I'm not going to take a disciple's spirit stones."

If the old ancestor found out, he'd skin him alive.

"I'll go grab it for you in a few days," said Xun Ziyou.

"Thank you, Elder Xun!" Mo Hua beamed.

Then he added a warning:

"But please be cautious. There might be an ambush… or someone might tail you with bad intentions."

Xun Ziyou's eyelid twitched. "Ambush?"

Mo Hua nodded, then sighed:

"These days, even earning a bit of spirit stones is dangerous. Every profitable deal comes with risk."

That's exactly why he asked a late-stage Golden Core elder to run the errand.

In the entire Third-Grade Province, even if there was a demonic ambush—Xun Ziyou would probably be fine.

As the saying goes: It's good to enjoy the shade under a big tree.

With the Great Void Sect backing him, Mo Hua didn't need to shoulder every risk himself.

"Do I need to kill anyone?" asked Xun Ziyou.

"If some blind fools cause trouble, I'll cut them down with one strike."

"No, no!" Mo Hua frantically waved his hands.

If he killed anyone, it might expose Xun Ziyou's swordsmanship and tip off the Demonic Sect. Then Mo Hua's cover would be blown.

"Just quietly grab the box and bring it back. Avoid showing your face, don't engage anyone, sneak in and out… like…"

Mo Hua paused.

"Like when you secretly followed me before."

Xun Ziyou: "…"

That embarrassing "bodyguard" past? He'd rather forget it.

After a few more reminders, Mo Hua left the job to Elder Xun.

A few days later, a wind-worn and dusty Xun Ziyou returned, carrying a redwood box and handed it to Mo Hua.

"There was an ambush. Two Golden Cores, cloaked in black with masked faces. Bloodthirsty and clearly demonic cultivators. They tailed me the whole way."

"I wanted to kill them, but I held back. I just led them in circles through the mountains and shook them off."

"Here's your box—buried under the grave, just like you said."

Mo Hua checked the box. The seal was intact, clearly untouched. After examining it thoroughly to ensure nothing was off, he finally opened it.

Elder Xun Ziyou didn't leave. He stood nearby, watching closely.

Not because he was curious—he was just worried that the box might contain a hidden trap that would hurt Mo Hua.

After all, he had brought the box into the sect. If something went wrong, the blame would fall on him.

Mo Hua didn't hide anything from the elder either.

One must act with integrity.

Elder Xun had taken the risk to retrieve the box. Naturally, Mo Hua wouldn't let him be kept in the dark.

If there are benefits—share them. That way people are willing to help you again in the future. That's how you build connections.

In front of Elder Xun, Mo Hua undid the array seal on the box and opened it—

Only to find… a pile of dark, grimy broken stones.

Elder Xun picked one up and examined it.

Then turned to Mo Hua and said with a straight face:

"Your business… is quite unique.

Not sure if these rocks are even worth ten spirit stones."

Mo Hua's expression turned pitch-black.

"Well played, Elder You!"

That damned old rat—didn't give him the spirit stones and tried to fool him with a box of worthless rubble!

Mo Hua sighed in frustration:

"Miscalculated. The human heart is truly treacherous—can't handle even a shred of trust."

Elder Xun's face twitched slightly. In his mind:

Kid, don't act like you're pure—you've got plenty of schemes in that belly of yours.

"What was supposed to be in the box?" asked Elder Xun.

"Spirit stones," Mo Hua answered.

"Spirit stones?"

"Yeah. Eight hundred thousand of them."

Elder Xun froze.

"How much…?!"

"Eight hundred thousand," 

Mo Hua nodded.

Elder Xun couldn't help but ask, "Did you go rob someone?"

"No," Mo Hua replied with a perfectly serious expression. "I earned it the hard way—through my own array skills."

Elder Xun's mouth twitched.

What kind of "hard-earned money" could net someone eight hundred thousand in one go?

"And now?" Elder Xun asked. "Can you get it back?"

Mo Hua sighed. "I'll try to think of something…"

"If you need anything, come find me. Don't take risks on your own," Elder Xun said.

"Mm-hmm," Mo Hua agreed readily.

After seeing Elder Xun off, Mo Hua returned to his quarters, and immediately sent a message to Elder You with a cold sneer:

"Elder You, quite the schemer, aren't you?"

That old thing really had tried to screw him over.

Elder You played dumb:

"Mr. Yuan, whatever do you mean?"

Mo Hua sneered:

"Let's not play coy. If you weren't going to give me the spirit stones, fine—but why have people lying in wait to ambush me? Do you really take me for an easy mark?"

Elder You's tone softened:

"Please forgive me, Mr. Yuan. I merely wished to invite you for a conversation, to discuss important matters. A grand plan does not fuss over the details. If I've offended you, I beg your pardon."

Mo Hua replied coldly:

"You know the rules in our line of work, don't you?"

Elder You went silent for a moment, then asked in return:

"Mr. Yuan, can someone who achieves great things afford to be afraid of risk?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Those who seek the Great Dao must be resolute. How could they fear for their own safety? Those with grand ambition must think bigger—why quibble over short-term gains and losses? Mr. Yuan, if you truly aspire to greatness, why get hung up over minor slights?"

"You think this is my first day in the underworld?"

"Mr. Yuan…"

"Are you giving me the spirit stones or not?"

Elder You tried again:

"Mr. Yuan, surely your ambitions are greater than this? You're telling me you'd let a mere eight hundred thousand spirit stones bother you? If you join us, not just spirit stones—anything you want will be yours."

Mo Hua snorted.

"Elder You, no offense, but you're just a Golden Core Elder of the Demonic Sect, aren't you? Can you really make such big promises?"

Elder You chuckled softly.

"The Demonic Sect? That's nothing. Mr. Yuan, join us in this great undertaking, and your future will be limitless. We need top-tier array masters like you."

Mo Hua's brow furrowed.

"The Demonic Sect is nothing?"

This Elder You had some audacity.

And judging by how smoothly he delivered his lines… he'd clearly been a recruiter more than once.

"What can you offer me?" Mo Hua asked.

"What do you want?"

"I want women," Mo Hua said casually, spouting nonsense.

Elder You immediately replied:

"Any physique, any talent, any age—furnaces of all kinds for your choosing. Even noble daughters of major clans—yours to enjoy…"

Mo Hua cursed him inwardly.

Won't give me my spirit stones, but you sure can paint a fancy dream.

But Mo Hua didn't have time to banter with Elder You. He had more important things to focus on—like forming his Golden Core.

He'd only asked for the spirit stones as a final parting gift, one last fleece. There was no way he was buying into their big plans or wasting more time in endless talks.

"I don't believe you," Mo Hua said. "Unless you show me some sincerity."

"And what sort of sincerity would Mr. Yuan like?"

"Give me my eighty thousand spirit stones."

Elder You's brow twitched.

And so they'd circled right back to the beginning.

If he handed over those eighty thousand spirit stones, the debt would be settled—and this "Mr. Yuan" would no doubt vanish instantly. Finding him again would be near impossible.

And they'd lose a rare Thunder-Magnetic Array master in the process.

"Mr. Yuan, perhaps you could consider the bigger picture…"

Mo Hua ignored him.

Anyone talking about 'the bigger picture' but not paying up is a scammer.

But Elder You clearly didn't want to let him go. After a moment of thought, he offered:

"Very well. Let's extend the contract—Mr. Yuan will work with our sect for three more years. When all is done, your total reward will be 1.8 million spirit stones. How does that sound?"

Mo Hua froze. Then spat inwardly:

1.8 million?

You didn't even give me 800k—and now you're dangling 1.8 mil?

"Really?" he asked.

Elder You replied solemnly:

"Absolutely. I speak not a word of falsehood."

Mo Hua paused, hesitating for a long while—then finally, as if reluctantly giving in:

"Alright. This is the last time I'll trust you. Elder You, don't disappoint me again."

"Of course," Elder You replied. "You have my word."

The conversation ended. The agreement was made.

Mo Hua severed the Primordial Magnetic connection and set the guest token down, grinding his teeth.

"You damn scheming mutt… you dare mess with my spirit stones."

Talk about 1.8 million spirit stones—Mo Hua wouldn't believe that even if it was written in blood.

"You dare owe me? Just you wait…"

Originally, he'd planned to take the money and bail—cut all ties with the Demonic Sect. But now?

They owed him spirit stones.

Not just 800k anymore—now it was 1.8 million.

A complete write-off of a debt—and Mo Hua wasn't the type to let that slide.

"Even my Senior Uncle never owed me a bowl of noodles…"

"And now a mere demonic sect wants to owe me 1.8 million spirit stones?"

Mo Hua spent some time strategizing. That night, he took out the Return-to-Source Jade Slip, plugged into the guest elder token, and used his Thunder-Magnetic Puppet to start infiltrating the Demonic Sect's foundational Primordial Magnetic Array.

Time to dig deeper.

The guest token carried "quasi-elder" level permissions—higher than disciples, just below full elders.

Which meant the security restrictions were that much tighter.

To make it worse, the token had previously been "cracked" by the original Mr. Yuan using a unique Thunder-Magnetic inheritance—overwriting the magnetic patterns with a mix of 2nd and 3rd grade symbols, following something like a "downgrade" array logic.

Mo Hua hadn't figured that part out yet, so he'd shelved it temporarily.

But now—after getting screwed over by that dog-headed tactician from the Demonic Sect—Mo Hua was angry. He picked up the token again, ready to do something big.

First step: Infiltration.

Mo Hua extended his spiritual sense to study the base-level Primordial Magnetic construction of the token.

The quasi-elder-level magnetic structure was an interlocked matrix of 2nd- and 3rd-grade magnetic patterns, like bricks of iron and steel forming a wall—sealing all foundational permissions inside.

These magnetic patterns formed walls of steel—solid and unbreakable.

Especially the 3rd-grade patterns—they were far beyond what Mo Hua's 2nd-grade Thunder-Magnetic mastery could crack.

But his Thunder-Magnetic style was… unique.

His Thunder-Magnetic Puppet was a proto-form of a Thunder-Magnetic Array lineage. Though still immature, it wasn't bound by traditional formations—it could freely swim through the magnetic sea and alter patterns.

In terms of infiltration and sabotage, it was far superior to ordinary Thunder-Magnetic array masters.

Mo Hua guided the Puppet across the walls of magnetic patterns—walls that belonged to full elders or above—probing each pattern, searching for weak points.

No matter how perfect the interlock between 2nd- and 3rd-grade runes, there would always be gaps.

If he could find one—just one chink in the wall—he could start prying it open, step by step infiltrating deeper levels of the Primordial Magnetic array, and steal more and more secrets.

This was, in truth, cheating.

Other array masters could only influence magnetic patterns by generating thunder-magnetic force through fixed formations.

But Mo Hua had essentially "personified" thunder-magnetism—giving it a will of its own. His Thunder-Magnetic Puppet could act independently and alter magnetic patterns at will.

However… this method was also incredibly dumb.

It took a lot of time—trying one magnetic pattern at a time.

Mo Hua's time was precious. Normally, he wouldn't waste it like this. But after being schemed against by Elder You, he decided it was time to dig deep—start prying away at the Demonic Sect's foundations.

Over the next few days, Mo Hua devoted all his free time to this task.

His control over the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet became smoother and more precise, and his understanding of thunder-magnetism grew ever deeper.

And at last—through relentless effort—Mo Hua managed to pry open a few faint cracks in what had seemed like impenetrable magnetic "walls."

Cracks meant permission gaps.

Mo Hua tried to direct his puppet through those cracks, to infiltrate deeper into the Primordial Magnetic matrix—but failed.

The Primordial Magnetic field was sealed and repelled outsiders.

His puppet's grade was too low, and its Return-to-Origin level not deep enough. It was rejected outright—unable to breach the inner layers.

So Mo Hua settled for the next best thing: intercepting magnetic patterns from the cracks.

He jotted down the intercepted patterns and began decoding them—one by one—by cross-referencing his annotations.

These new magnetic inscriptions were far more complex, heavily encrypted.

But Mo Hua's foundation in Primordial Magnetism was solid—far superior to a half-baked character like Elder You—so deciphering them wasn't difficult.

One line at a time, the obscure, intricate magnetic inscriptions were decoded into text and recorded onto paper.

They appeared to be encrypted communications between several elders within the Demonic Sect. Since Mo Hua had only intercepted fragments, the lines were disjointed, with time stamps out of order:

"Too constrained, progress is too slow... Who knows when this will end…"

"Soon…"

"I don't get it—what's the point of this whole 'Demonic Sect'? It's just unnecessary window dressing."

"Without the sect, how would we recruit followers? You want us to lay those formations personally?"

"Spreading the Dao needs a system—blood-cultivation inheritance works best, easy to teach and spread."

"Can't believe Mr. Tu found that inheritance…"

"It's from the Blood Refining Sect. Don't speak of it—invites karmic backlash."

"The Blood Refining Sect…"

"If I'm not mistaken, that lineage traces all the way back to that Daoist, doesn't it?"

At this point, Mo Hua's heart turned cold.

That Daoist?

Again with the Daoist. Was it referring to his Senior Uncle?

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"No… Senior Uncle's Dao title was 'Gui'—related to illusion and deception, not blood. He wouldn't spread a doctrine like this. Besides, if he really were here to 'spread the Dao,' hardly anyone in the Demonic Sect would still be sane by now."

"Then could it be…"

Three characters surfaced in Mo Hua's mind—but he didn't say them aloud.

He also recalled that Third-Rank Divine Corpse he killed—the one who walked the path of blood and condensed "Slaughtered Blood"...

And the words "Blood Refining Sect"… they sounded awfully familiar. He was sure he'd encountered them before.

Some invisible thread seemed to be connecting things together…

Mo Hua frowned and continued deciphering:

"If it really is… that Daoist, doesn't that make this whole thing a little too suspicious?"

"Whatever that Daoist plots is never anything small."

"Enough of this. Have you all forgotten what kind of Dao that man walks? Get involved, and none of us will die a clean death…"

"Wasn't he supposed to be in slumber?"

"After all these years—he's still not dead?"

"Erase what you just said! Don't drag me down with you."

"Speaking so flippantly of a Daoist's life and death… only the ignorant are so fearless…"

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly—he was beginning to realize that this Demonic Sect… really wasn't as simple as it looked.

He wanted to read more about this Daoist, but the conversation threads cut off again.

The magnetic sea was vast, and his permissions limited—it wasn't easy to locate relevant content.

With no choice, Mo Hua had to be patient and keep intercepting magnetic patterns.

But the next batch of intercepted messages was talking about something else:

"Let's betray them."

That one simple sentence stunned Mo Hua.

So… there were quite a few traitors in this Demonic Sect.

He read on:

"Mr. Tu lied. He's definitely hiding something. He has his own agenda."

"We can't keep working like this. Ganxue Province isn't a place we can stay in much longer. A catastrophe is coming."

"There's no escape. Don't forget, our inheritances are suppressed by Big Brother…"

"Then we… take out Big Brother!"

Mo Hua: "…"

Things were really starting to get interesting…

Mo Hua read on, fully engrossed.

"You bastard, you've got some nerve—to even speak against Big Brother?"

"What goes around comes around…"

"Stop dreaming."

"Don't forget, Big Brother… has a dragon tattoo."

Mo Hua, in the middle of enjoying the drama, suddenly froze.

A dragon?

In that flash of insight, something sparked in his mind.

"Big Brother… has a dragon tattoo?"

"A tattoo of a dragon on his body?"

Mo Hua's heart jolted violently.

(End of this Chapter)