Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 922: Dao and Grade

Elder Zheng patiently explained to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua nodded slowly, deep in thought. "So what you're saying is, even a Grade Two formation master might be able to activate a Grade Three formation?"

"In theory, yes," Elder Zheng replied, "but the conditions are rather strict. First, the formation must have been designed from the beginning with rune downgrading in mind, purposefully constructed to reduce cost and difficulty."

"Second, a Grade Two formation master wouldn't be able to draw such a formation—at most, they could only use it."

"After all, it's still a Grade Three formation. If your cultivation level isn't high enough, even if you can activate it, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced."

"And third, the most important condition to use a formation is spiritual sense."

"You can only use formations that match the strength of your divine sense. Even downgraded, a Grade Three formation still requires peak Foundation Establishment level spiritual sense, which is simply too difficult for the average cultivator."

"If you don't study formations or temper your spiritual sense, most Foundation Establishment cultivators won't have peak-grade divine sense even if their cultivation reaches that level."

"So, for someone in the Foundation Establishment realm to use even a little bit of a Grade Three formation is practically impossible. Even if they can, the formation's effectiveness would be negligible—hardly worth the effort."

"But..."

Elder Zheng glanced at Mo Hua, and after a moment of thought, his eyes lit up as he suddenly understood what Mo Hua was getting at. He couldn't help but ask with a faint smile,

"You're trying to activate that Thunder-Magnetic formation disk you 'acquired' through that little treasure hunt?"

"I didn't kill anyone!" Mo Hua emphasized again. "And it wasn't treasure hunting!"

He was a proper cultivator and didn't go around doing shady business.

...Unless he really had no choice.

Elder Zheng clearly didn't mind. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "While the conditions for using downgraded formations are harsh, with your talent, you surprisingly meet all of them…"

Especially the fact that Mo Hua's spiritual sense was three tiers higher than normal—completely abnormal.

To this day, Elder Zheng still found it shocking.

Sometimes he even had the urge to knock open Mo Hua's skull to see what sort of monster was living in there—how could someone in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment have peak-stage divine sense?

"Thunder-Magnetic formations work on the micro-level forces of thunder and magnetism. Unlike typical formations, they don't rely heavily on sheer power or spiritual energy scale, so using downgraded runes doesn't affect them too much."

"However, you're still only Grade Two. Even if you activate the Thunder-Magnetic disk, you'll only be able to harness a small portion of its power. Its true potential won't even show one-tenth."

Mo Hua nodded. "Even a little bit is enough."

He wasn't placing all his bets on the Thunder-Magnetic disk.

The disk was just his "entry pass." What he really relied on was the Secondary Thunder Source Rune from the Source of Return—in other words, that little Thunder-Magnetic puppet.

"As long as you know your limits," Elder Zheng said.

Smart kids didn't need too many restrictions. Let them explore freely, and they'd often surprise you.

Of course… it'd be best if those "surprises" didn't turn into "frights."

Elder Zheng gave Mo Hua a quiet look, then after a moment of reflection, took out a jade slip. With a flick of his divine sense, he recorded a few pieces of knowledge into it and handed it over.

"I've recorded some insights on rune downgrading in this jade slip. Read it when you have time. That's all I'll say."

Mo Hua was overjoyed. He accepted the jade slip with a grateful bow. "Thank you, Elder!"

The discussion finished, jade slip in hand, and with the tea gone, Elder Zheng prepared to leave. Mo Hua rose to bid him farewell.

"Mo Hua,"

Elder Zheng suddenly called out, eyes thoughtful, as though something was on his mind but he hesitated to say it.

"Senior, is there something else?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

Elder Zheng paused, then sighed and began slowly:

"Rune downgrading isn't recognized by orthodox formation masters. Most of them pursue loftier formation paths. They wouldn't stoop to mixing lower-grade formations."

"But you must understand: downgrading isn't a shortcut. It's not a compromise in dignity—it is a Dao in itself."

"This world is filled with both high and low grades. Formations are no different. Especially when it comes to large-scale, high-capacity formations."

"Grade One, Grade Two, Grade Three and even beyond—they can and should be integrated, supporting one another within a grand formation."

"It's just like this world, where Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, even Ascension and Hollow Void realm cultivators all live under the same sky."

"The way of Heaven is vast and inclusive. It embraces all things and nourishes all beings."

"True great causes are those that affect all of existence—from Qi Refining to Hollow Void—across all cultivation levels."

"Even cultivators in the Hollow Void realm—despite their high cultivation—can only do so much on their own."

"Formations are the same as people. Sometimes, a purely high-grade formation won't necessarily benefit all of society."

"To create truly great formations, you must incorporate all kinds of runes, regardless of their grade."

"To accomplish truly great things, you must gather strength from all sources—from Qi Refining to Hollow Void. Nothing can be overlooked."

Elder Zheng looked deeply at Mo Hua. "These are just musings. But…"

"Your talent is too strong, and you're learning formation too fast. I'm afraid that as you climb ever higher, you might unconsciously start neglecting the foundations below…"

Mo Hua froze, lost in thought.

He couldn't help but recall something his mother once told him, back when he was first learning formations and forging a stove for her:

"It's not just formation masters—any cultivator, once they start climbing upwards, stops looking down…"

Back then, those words had stirred something complicated in him.

Now, as he thought back to them, a faint alertness bloomed in his heart.

"Am I already walking upward so fast… that I've forgotten to look downward?"

Mo Hua frowned.

Elder Zheng saw the dazed, thoughtful expression on Mo Hua's face and felt both surprised and gratified.

Indeed—if one's Dao Heart was absent, no amount of words would make a difference.

But if it was there… then a small reminder could be enough for clarity.

After parting with Elder Zheng and returning to his residence, Mo Hua sat on his meditation cushion, deep in thought.

Elder Zheng may have brought it up on a whim, just a kind-hearted reminder—but those words had struck deeply.

Cultivation was a path taken one grade, one realm at a time.

Cultivation, formations, alchemy, forging, talismans—everything was governed by grades. Cultivators followed this hierarchy, climbing step by step.

Each step up meant greater power, higher status.

Realms had their heights. Cultivation had its strengths. But these "grades"—they seemed more like artificial standards enforced by people.

Now that he thought about it… his master had mentioned something like this before:

"Grades are man-made rules—human definitions of the Dao, not the Dao itself."

Cultivators spend their whole lives chasing these grades.

They train tirelessly, cross thresholds, and improve their power and skill—but… does that change their nature?

Are higher-tier cultivators still human, while lower-tier ones are not?

Does greater power grant the right to look down upon, exploit, or even slaughter those beneath you?

More importantly—if "grades" are man-made,

Will chasing them really lead to the Dao? Will they truly lead to immortality?

Doubt took root in Mo Hua's heart.

For the first time, the concept of "grades" began to blur within him.

And at the same time, a new insight began to bloom:

"A cultivator should seek the Dao, not just the grade."

Grade Two is built from Grade One.

Foundation Establishment is forged from Qi Refining.

The Grand Dao embraces all things—it doesn't draw rigid lines between grades.

One shouldn't only study high-grade formations while neglecting lower-grade applications.

Nor should one only pursue higher realms while ignoring the masses below.

But then Mo Hua thought again:

"But the problem is… I still need to cultivate those grades…"

Yes, the rules may be man-made.

But after tens of thousands of years, they've become the backbone of the entire cultivation system.

If he wanted to keep progressing, to grow stronger step by step—

He would have to follow that framework.

With his current strength and understanding, he couldn't break free of it yet.

He still had to walk upward, one step at a time.

From Grade One to Grade Two, then to Grade Three…

From Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, then to Ascension…

But…

"If I keep climbing higher, always following this framework…

Will I one day become like those other high-level cultivators—

Aloof, arrogant, blinded by my own power?"

"Wouldn't that mean I ended up chasing 'grades' again, and not the 'Dao'?"

It wasn't impossible.

Mo Hua knew well—environment changes people.

If one day he truly stood at the top for too long…

Who's to say what his heart would desire then?

Would he stray from his original path? Forget today's insights?

He couldn't be certain.

"When people climb higher, they no longer look down..."

His mother's words echoed once more in his ears.

Mo Hua sat quietly for a moment, then murmured in his heart:

"As long as I remember this phrase—

No matter how high I climb or how strong I become—

If I can always remember to look down once in a while...

Then maybe… it'll be fine."

"And if I ever stand so high that I can reach the heavens—

Yet still remember to look down from there…

Then maybe, just maybe, I'll truly understand what the Dao is.

And what it means to be Immortal."

In the path of cultivation, one climbs step by step.

These thoughts and insights might seem useless now,

But they would settle into his heart—becoming the foundation of his future pursuit of the Dao and eternal life.

Mo Hua nodded lightly, eyes bright with clarity.

Only then did he realize—he still had unfinished business.

"The Thunder-Magnetic Disk!"

That was his current priority.

Mo Hua calmed his thoughts and refocused on the Thunder-Magnetic Array Disk.

He first read through Elder Zheng's formation insights—every word, every diagram, carefully.

Then he mentally simulated the process again and again.

Only after all that did he begin to handle the Thunder-Magnetic Disk before him.

The disk was crafted from jade, with crimson-gold inlays and silver-thread engravings.

It was covered in dense magnetic runes—intricately designed and finely crafted.

This was clearly a Grade Three formation disk.

However, due to the limited skills of the deceased "Mister Yuan,"

he had incorporated downgraded runes into its structure.

So its actual grade was somewhere between Grade Two and Grade Three—what you'd call a "quasi-Grade Three."

A sign of Yuan's limited ability…

But it also conveniently worked in Mo Hua's favor.

Following Elder Zheng's guidance, Mo Hua began channeling his power into one of the Grade Two formation cores inside the disk—

forcibly activating a Grade Three-level device.

Just as Elder Zheng said, this was a rule-breaking operation.

Even with Mo Hua's spiritual sense—reaching the peak of nineteen runes—

activating it was exhausting.

And the spirit stone cost? Astronomical.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of spirit stones melted away into the disk like water…

And the consumption wasn't stopping anytime soon.

Mo Hua winced a little inside.

If this failed, those spirit stones were gone for good.

But for the sake of researching Thunder-Magnetic formations…

And for the sake of forging his lifebound artifact…

This price was necessary.

Luckily, the formation had already been built by someone else.

All Mo Hua had to do was give it a nudge—not redesign the whole thing.

So the difficulty was manageable.

And fortunately, the disk didn't disappoint.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, it gave a faint tremor—

Emitting a soft blue glow of thunder-magnetic energy.

A trace of secondary thunder current, carrying a specific instruction, flowed through the disk, infiltrating the Guest Token, and linked with a small portion of preset magnetic patterns.

Mo Hua's power was still insufficient to activate the full Thunder-Magnetic Disk.

But this much… was enough.

The sect-issued token's internal structure—especially the Merit Repository—

was the most heavily fortified section.

Countless dense magnetic runes stacked like bricks, forming a city to protect the secrets within.

It was, essentially, a fortress of primordial magnetism.

Mo Hua didn't intend to break through this "city."

Frankly, he couldn't.

His Thunder-Magnetic Puppet could only tamper with patterns—

It wasn't capable of direct combat or destruction.

So he needed this quasi-Grade Three Thunder-Magnetic Disk—

to generate secondary thunder currents with "dissolution" commands,

and open a tiny breach in this "fortress wall."

With that breach, his Thunder-Magnetic Puppet could bypass the defensive structure and infiltrate the Demonic Sect's core Merit Repository.

The disk would handle the assault.

The puppet would handle the infiltration.

Together—they were a perfect pair.

Under Mo Hua's precise control, the Thunder-Magnetic Disk emitted a stream of fine secondary thunder currents,

like a thunder-tipped arrow, shooting along preset magnetic channels,

and striking against the "walls" of the demonic sect's magnetic fortress.

In an instant—

Lightning surged, and primordial magnetism stirred.

But all of this occurred on the microscopic level of thunder and magnetism.

No one could perceive it—except for Mo Hua, who was manipulating it from behind the scenes.

Soon enough, the ironclad magnetic wall—

was punched through by that thunder arrow,

creating a small but clear breach.

With a quiet zip, the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet slipped inside—

leaving behind only a faint thread of static.

"Success!"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

This was his first successful activation of a Thunder-Magnetic Disk—

his first step toward becoming a true Thunder-Magnetic Array Master.

More importantly, this experiment helped him solidify his vision:

To combine the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet with Thunder-Magnetic formations—

complementing each other for attack, defense, and infiltration.

Now that the puppet had infiltrated the "Magnetic Rune Fortress,"

Mo Hua got to work.

Normally, such a blatant breach would immediately be noticed by other Thunder-Magnetic Array Masters.

But Mister Yuan was dead.

The Demonic Sect's magnetic arrays were unmanned.

And the interface token for the array—the Guest Token—was right in Mo Hua's hands.

He was both thief and gatekeeper. Why would he care?

Now inside the Merit Repository, the Thunder-Magnetic Puppet allowed Mo Hua to perceive the magnetic runes all around him—

neatly aligned, like rows of tofu blocks, meticulously organized.

At this point, Mo Hua's understanding of magnetic rune annotations was already quite advanced.

In just a few breaths, the runes before him automatically "translated" in his mind into text:

"Blood Lotus Art, Level 3. Entry-level demonic cultivation technique. Absorbs the fresh blood of others to enhance one's own blood essence. Maximum effect: twelve circulations.

Merit cost: 100 points."

"Blood Lotus Fruit. A vile item required for cultivating Blood Lotus Art. Nourished with human blood. Takes three years per cycle.

Merit cost: 20 points…"

"Ten-Year Blood Lotus Fruit. Fed with blood and cultivated for ten years…

Merit cost: 200 points."

"Blood-Drinking Saber, Grade Two demonic weapon. Kills and absorbs blood—the more it drinks, the stronger it grows. A standardized demonic weapon, simplified from the supreme demonic treasure: Heaven-Devouring Blood Blade...

Merit Points: 400."

Below that, line after line was densely packed with a staggering variety of demonic cultivation techniques and items.

"So it really is the Demonic Sect's merit repository."

"Could the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram be hidden in here?"

Mo Hua silently pondered.

If that legendary Azure Dragon array diagram—one of the pinnacle Four Symbols formations that contained the power of divine beasts—was actually hidden within this treasure vault of the Demonic Sect…

Then it would save him an enormous amount of effort.

It would also mark the first real lead for his lifebound artifact.

"Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram… Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram…"

"Please be here… Please, be here..."

He chanted it over and over in his heart, almost like a prayer, and began to methodically scan the magnetic patterns, one by one.

Line by line.

Each magnetic rune he encountered was cracked and translated into words, then transcribed into a jade slip.

Unbeknownst to the entire Demonic Sect, their most precious merit repository was being silently "peeped through" by Mo Hua.

As for this blood-hungry Demonic Sect, who knew where they inherited their traditions from—

their merit storehouse was surprisingly extensive.

Mo Hua had to sift through it piece by piece, decoding each rune by hand.

There was no shortcut, no skimming—

which made the task quite time-consuming.

Just like that, half a month passed.

By then, Mo Hua had deciphered about 70–80% of the Demonic Sect's merit vault, and transcribed most of the item entries.

The vast majority of the techniques and tools were deeply tied to demonic cultivation, and utterly useless to him.

A handful of righteous path inheritances had clearly been plundered through murder.

They were low-grade, not particularly rare—

and compared to the deep resources of a Grade Five sect like the Great Void Sect, they simply couldn't compare.

Mo Hua didn't even bother with them.

And among all of it, there was no sign of the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram.

As the number of remaining items dwindled, Mo Hua couldn't help but grow tense.

If he couldn't find the Azure Dragon Diagram in this merit repository,

then his plan for crafting his lifebound artifact would hit a major wall.

That would mean…

he'd have to figure out how to kill that late-Stage Golden Core cultivator in the Demonic Sect—

the one who was known to possess the Azure Dragon formation, and whose strength was terrifyingly deep.

The difficulty would skyrocket.

And in a Grade Three province, killing a late-stage Golden Core demonic overlord...

was way, way beyond what a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Mo Hua could even imagine doing.

"Come on, let me catch a break…"

"Please… just let me find the Azure Dragon Diagram in here…"

He prayed in his heart.

But the Azure Dragon Array Diagram—never showed up.

All Mo Hua could do was hold onto his patience, continuing to search and decode to the very end.

And finally, he arrived at the last item.

This one had the highest encryption level of them all.

From the looks of it, it was an array formation of some kind—

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, hope flaring once more.

"Azure Dragon Diagram… Azure Dragon Diagram…"

He chanted again silently and began decrypting.

This one took a little longer.

And when it finally revealed itself—

It was a three-character name.

As expected—it wasn't the Azure Dragon Diagram.

Mo Hua's heart sank.

Completely dashed.

"Of course. There's no such thing as meat pies falling from the sky…"

Something like the Azure Dragon Array Diagram— a formation empowered by a divine beast, created by Mister Tu using the lives of countless beast cultivators in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley…

How could it possibly fall into his hands so easily?

Mo Hua sighed, disappointed, as he finished translating the final three characters— then took one glance at them— And froze.

For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating.

This was— "Reverse Spirit Formation (逆靈陣)?!"

Beneath the name of the formation, a line of annotation appeared:

"Grade Two, Twenty Runes. An unconventional formation containing a portion of spiritual law power. Extremely difficult to comprehend. Effect: Unknown. Use: Unknown.

Merit Points: 3,000."

Mo Hua sucked in a sharp breath.

He never would have expected— that the final item in the Demonic Sect's merit repository…

Would turn out to be— A Grade Two, Twenty Rune… Forbidden Reverse Spirit Formation?!

(End of this Chapter)