Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 925 – Bloodlust

Once Mo Hua fully accepted that thought, the overwhelming killing intent in his heart finally began to subside.

But as it faded, Mo Hua suddenly snapped back to his senses:

"Wait… I'm only at Foundation Establishment. How the hell am I supposed to wipe out an entire Demonic Sect full of Third-Grade Golden Core devils?"

That decision he made earlier had clearly been a heat-of-the-moment impulse. Now that he'd calmed down, he realized how wildly unrealistic it was.

Yet the bloodlust in his heart still refused to settle.

The urge to "slay demons and purge evil" roiled within him like a tide.

It felt like unless the Demonic Sect was annihilated—unless rivers of blood flowed and bodies piled up—

this craving would never be sated.

The problem was:

He simply didn't have the strength to make it happen.

Mo Hua thought for a bit, then pulled out the Reverse Spirit Array Diagram.

"Maybe… if I can deploy the Reverse Spirit Array, collapse a Grade-Two formation, and destroy the sect in one fell swoop?"

Honestly, if he really wanted to wipe out the demonic cultivators en masse, this was the only feasible method.

Once a grand formation collapses, all beings are equal.

Even karmic retribution itself could be subdued—what chance did mere mortal cultivators have?

"But then again… the Demonic Sect might not have built a large array at all. And ordinary Grade-Two formations might not collapse with that much force."

Mo Hua looked again at the diagram and sighed.

"Besides, I can't even use this Reverse Spirit Array yet."

It was a Grade-Two, 20-pattern formation—requiring a 20-pattern divine sense to grasp.

He could try studying it now, perhaps train a little with it…

But to fully master it and personally deploy it to collapse other formations, he'd have to elevate his divine sense to the Golden Core level.

He was Foundation Establishment in cultivation—but to control the Reverse Spirit Array, his divine sense would have to be a whole major realm ahead.

To most cultivators, that was utterly impossible.

But Mo Hua was different.

He had to walk this path.

Still, he had a vague feeling—his divine sense was indeed just one small step away from condensing into a Core…

But even that single step would not be easy to cross in the short term.

After all, this was Core Formation.

Even cultivating to Golden Core physically wasn't easy, let alone forming one's divine sense Core ahead of time.

"If that's the case… how can I destroy the Demonic Sect?"

After a long period of thought, Mo Hua decided:

"Borrow someone else's blade."

A true strategist isn't necessarily different in nature—he simply knows how to leverage others.

If he couldn't do it himself, he'd push the situation in the right direction through networks and planning.

He couldn't personally destroy the Demonic Sect…

But someone else could.

In the end, as long as those demons were wiped out cleanly—who killed them didn't matter.

That alone should be enough to appease the hunger inside him.

Mo Hua fell into deep thought—then gradually made up his mind.

If the Demonic Sect isn't eliminated, who knows how many innocent cultivators will continue to be butchered? How many rogue cultivators will be enslaved as blood slaves?

He no longer hesitated and immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai.

Several days later. Rest day.

Within a restricted intelligence chamber of the Fifth-Grade Dao Court of Qianxue Province—

Even the usually aloof Gu Changhuai couldn't help but whisper suspiciously:

"You need to be really careful. No sound. Don't let anyone find out you were here."

He added:

"This is the Privy Chamber of the Dao Court. No outsiders are allowed. Me sneaking you in is already a serious breach. If someone finds out… I'm finished as an Inspector."

"Does Sister Xia know?" Mo Hua whispered.

"Of course she does!" Gu Changhuai snapped. "She has the key! You think I could get in here without her opening the door?"

"Oh…" Mo Hua's expression turned a little strange.

Gu Changhuai frowned, "Just find what you're looking for. Don't waste time."

"Mm-hmm." Mo Hua nodded earnestly.

Now, while the Dao Court was notoriously bloated—full of corruption, bureaucracy, and lazy officials—

that didn't mean it was useless.

On the contrary, their intelligence network ran deep and wide. It had always been formidable.

Previously, Mo Hua had used the Primordial Magnetic Array to steal confidential data from the Demonic Sect and even orchestrated the death of several Golden Core devils.

But he never assumed he was the only one who could steal secrets.

After all, the large-scale suppression of the Demonic Sect had always been coordinated by the Inspectors and Executors of the Dao Court.

There had to be other intelligence channels within their ranks.

The more sources of information, the clearer the picture.

Mo Hua needed to consolidate all this intelligence—combine it with what he had personally spied from within the Demonic Sect—

and deduce their headquarters, their structure, and how to destroy them efficiently.

That's why both Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia had agreed to break the rules and let him into the chamber.

They too wanted this righteous war between Dao and Demon to end.

They too wanted fewer innocent lives lost.

The Privy Chamber held a vast, chaotic collection of intelligence—scrolls, records, jade slips, even portraits.

Mo Hua's pale fingers flipped lightly through the materials, like a swan gliding over water, brushing over every document and jade slip one by one.

His powerful divine sense and sharp mind allowed him to memorize everything at a glance.

And since he often eavesdropped and spied on the Demonic Sect himself, he had a deep understanding of their operations.

So, even though the info was a mess of good and bad, to Mo Hua it all sorted into clear layers.

He could spot the problems the Dao Court missed.

He could notice clues they overlooked.

What they saw as ordinary, he could interpret for its true meaning.

Mo Hua was calm and focused, fingers flying as every detail fell under his control.

Gu Changhuai stared in a daze, secretly thinking:

"This kid… if he ever joins the Dao Court, he'll definitely rise to greatness…"

After some time, Mo Hua selected a jade slip and copied certain key pieces of information onto it.

He handed it to Gu Changhuai, then circled a few locations on the regional map:

"Yanluo Mountain."

"If I'm right, the Demonic Sect's headquarters is deep within Yanluo Mountain. The Smokewater River runs through it, the terrain is complicated, and there are signs of a Blood Pool."

"These three locations are the most suspicious. I can't confirm them with certainty, so the Dao Court will have to investigate further."

Gu Changhuai nodded, "I'll handle it. Good work."

"It's nothing," Mo Hua paused, then asked:

"Uncle Gu, are you really planning to launch a full-scale campaign against the Demonic Sect?"

Gu Changhuai was surprised. "You want them all dead?"

Mo Hua nodded firmly.

"All evil must be slain. It is everyone's duty."

Gu Changhuai frowned slightly, then sighed.

"We've looked into it. The Demonic Sect still has over ten Golden Cores—some permanent elders, some guest elders."

"Thanks to your earlier intel, we've already taken out a few of their full-time elders. But the true leaders are still out there…"

"The remaining guest elders are temporary members, powerful rogue Golden Cores whose exact strength and abilities are completely unknown."

"Also… the sect's Foundation Establishment disciples likely number around four to five hundred—and that's just the transmission disciples. If you include the outer sect, and all the blood slaves who joined the sect, the total could be double that."

"Blood slaves fight for them?" Mo Hua frowned.

"The key word is 'slave'," Gu Changhuai said darkly.

"Slaves are pitiful. But also hateful. Once someone becomes a blood slave, they no longer dare disobey their 'master.'"

Mo Hua's emotions were complicated.

Gu Changhuai continued:

"The issue is that this demonic force is just too massive. They've spread across multiple Grade-Two provinces.

The Dao Court can strike them… but to completely annihilate them? That's almost impossible."

"If the extermination isn't thorough, once their base is broken, all those scattered demons will flee in all directions…

unleashing chaos and death wherever they go."

Mo Hua furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and then asked:

"Then… what if I asked my sect elders to help?"

Gu Changhuai blinked.

"Your elders… will listen to you?"

"Of course not." Mo Hua shook his head.

"I'll just go ask. Maybe I can convince a few Golden Core elders to lend a hand."

Gu Changhuai's eyes lit up.

The Great Void Sect's Golden Cores…

That would be a powerful boost.

But this was a serious matter—he hesitated.

Mo Hua asked:

"Has the Dao Court ever invited sects to help with things like this?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head.

"Very rarely."

"This kind of large-scale operation targeting Golden Core devils only happens once every century or two."

"Plus, major sects are full of complicated bloodlines and agendas.

Inviting them in can easily lead to side issues."

"And exterminating evil… that's the Dao Court's duty. Most sects are busy with their own affairs. They're not obligated to help us."

Mo Hua nodded in understanding.

"Then here's what we'll do: Uncle Gu, talk to Sister Xia. If you decide to move on the Demonic Sect and are short on people—let me know."

"I'll handle the Great Void Sect side. I'll talk to the elders ahead of time."

"If both sides agree—then we'll join forces and wipe this wicked Demonic Sect off the face of the earth!"

Mo Hua's voice was calm, but cold and determined.

Gu Changhuai only paused for a moment before nodding firmly.

"Alright!"

At present, this truly seemed like the best plan.

The Great Void Sect was still trustworthy.

And if Mo Hua could convince their elders to get involved, then the operation to wipe out the Demonic Sect would have a high chance of success.

After finalizing their discussion, the two immediately left the Privy Chamber.

A highly sensitive place like that wasn't one to linger in—if they were discovered, there would be no way to explain it.

Gu Changhuai carefully checked through all the documents and jade slips in the chamber. He also searched Mo Hua's person to confirm he hadn't hidden anything. Only then was he at ease.

Afterward, Gu Changhuai quietly led Mo Hua out of the chamber.

Once they exited, there was no longer a need to sneak around—they walked openly through the corridors of the Dao Court.

Suddenly, Gu Changhuai seemed to recall something and turned to Mo Hua:

"Right, about that guy—Li San… I had someone give him a rather rough interrogation."

"Learn anything?" Mo Hua asked.

"No. He didn't say a word."

"Tough guy, huh?"

"It's not that," Gu Changhuai's expression turned strange.

"It's more like… he's completely given up. Nothing left to live for. He'd rather die than say anything."

Mo Hua was briefly stunned.

"Given up on life?"

"Yeah."

Mo Hua frowned, fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly said seriously:

"Uncle Gu, give him back his token."

Gu Changhuai immediately shook his head.

"That breaks regulations."

"Just do it discreetly. No one will know."

Gu Changhuai's frown deepened.

Mo Hua added,

"It's for something important."

Gu Changhuai hesitated for a few moments… then sighed.

"Fine."

"Then I'll head back to the sect. Uncle Gu, I'll leave this to you."

"Mm."

Mo Hua bid farewell and returned to the Great Void Sect.

Meanwhile, Gu Changhuai didn't delay. He called over one of the Gu Clan's executors and gave him a few quiet instructions.

The executor was startled at first, but eventually nodded and went straight to the Dao Prison—a dark, damp, underground facility used to imprison evil cultivators.

The Dao Prison was cold, humid, and thick with the stench of blood and rot.

Inside one of the cells, Li San, now bloodied from brutal interrogation, lay limp on the cold stone floor. His eyes were vacant, his expression lifeless—he looked like a man waiting for death.

"Elder You… he lied to me… betrayed me…"

"This was all a trap…"

"Loyalty? Elder status? It was all fake."

"He wanted me dead…"

"All of it… fake…"

Blood dripped from the corners of Li San's mouth as he gave a crazed, broken smile.

Just then, footsteps echoed faintly. An executor approached and spoke coldly:

"Mealtime."

He placed a rough wooden tray on the floor and pushed it into the cell.

On the tray was a single ceramic bowl filled with an unidentifiable, barely-edible porridge.

The executor spared Li San a glance before turning and walking off.

Li San remained motionless, slumped on the floor, as if waiting in darkness for death to come.

For someone like him—a demonic cultivator once imprisoned in the Dao Prison—there was only one end: death.

Just as his soul began to wither, an extremely faint—but unmistakably familiar—vibration reached his ears.

"That's… a sect token?"

A flicker of light returned to his dull eyes. Disbelieving, he began to crawl.

Using his broken body, he slowly dragged himself across the cold stone toward the source of the sound.

Eventually, he reached the tray… and from the underside of the ceramic bowl, he fished out a token.

He knew this token all too well. It was his Demonic Sect medallion, the one that had accompanied him since the day he joined the sect.

When the Dao Court had arrested and imprisoned him, that damned Inspector Gu had confiscated it.

But now… someone had returned it to him.

Li San trembled. With what little divine sense he still had, he sensed the words etched within the token:

"All suffering is a trial."

"As long as you remain loyal, you will not die."

"The winds of change are coming to Qianxue Province. You must hide in the Dao Prison and act for me."

"When the time is right, I will give you a sign."

"This is a heavy responsibility. Only one with unwavering will and proven loyalty can bear it."

Li San's pupils slowly dilated. His body trembled. And in that moment, a surge of strength welled up from within him.

But then, his expression shifted—he muttered:

"No… no, something's wrong…"

"He's lying to me. He already lied once. He's lying again!"

Then his expression changed again:

"No… he's not lying."

"Because I'm still alive…"

"I should have died. But Gu Changhuai didn't kill me. The Dao Court didn't kill me.

I was thrown in prison, yes—but no one ended my life. And now… someone smuggled my sect token back to me."

"All suffering is a trial…"

"Stay loyal, and you won't die…"

"I'm not dead. That means Elder You didn't betray me. This is all part of his test. Sending me into prison… is just one part of the trial."

"The reason for this… must be because Elder You has some grand plan.

One so deep and vast that I can't possibly comprehend it."

"Yes! Elder You never lied to me!"

In that instant, Li San's gaze became obsessive and fanatical. His trembling hands clutched the sect token as he sent a message:

"Disciple Li San shall follow Elder to the ends of hell, even unto death!"

Then he collapsed back on the cold stone floor, eyes fixed on the ceiling, a flame reigniting in his gaze.

Great Void Sect.

Mo Hua saw the message Li San had just sent and nodded faintly.

This man—Li San—was a demonic cultivator.

Originally, Mo Hua planned to discard him after using him. Let the Dao Court execute him and be done with it.

But the moment that thought arose, it quietly dissolved on its own.

It was as if this demonic cultivator had a… peculiar fate—one that marked him as still useful in the future.

It simply wasn't time for him to die yet.

It was a vague and indescribable feeling.

Mo Hua himself didn't quite understand it. He didn't even know what "fate" truly was.

But in that instant, a whisper from the threads of Heaven's Will and karma passed through his heart.

And it said: "Li San… fate-bound…"

"Since Heaven does not yet wish him dead, then let him live… for now." Whether he lived or died in the Dao Prison… Whether he could endure it or not…

That would be left to his own fortune.

Mo Hua put away the guest elder token and organized the intelligence on the Demonic Sect.

The next morning, he paid a visit to Venerable Elder Xun.

There were some matters that needed Elder Xun's personal approval.

"Exterminate the Demonic Sect?" Elder Xun raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Mo Hua nodded.

"The intelligence is all gathered. The Dao Court also has a plan, but they're short on manpower. They need reinforcements."

"And this plan—was it something you negotiated with the Dao Court?"

"Yes," Mo Hua replied frankly.

"I discussed it with Uncle Gu from the Gu Clan and Sister Xia from the Xia Clan."

"What about the other details?"

"All arranged," Mo Hua said.

"The Dao Court is verifying the intel. Troops are being moved in secret. Other preparations are underway…

But without support from the Great Void Sect, the plan won't go smoothly.

If we can't crush the Demonic Sect with overwhelming force, it may scatter the demonic cultivators instead—and that would be disastrous…"

Mo Hua's tone was steady and composed as he explained the situation.

Elder Xun raised an eyebrow and looked at Mo Hua deeply.

"Unknowingly… this child has grown up. He carries a different presence now—there's a sense of strategy, confidence, and calm in his demeanor…"

Elder Xun was secretly pleased.

He nodded.

"Very well."

After a moment of thought, he said directly:

"Go find Ziyou, and say it's my order. Have him dispatch some elders to assist you in exterminating the Demonic Sect."

"You'll handle the coordination with the Dao Court directly."

"If you run into anything you don't understand, you can ask Ziyou or the other elders."

Mo Hua had guessed that Elder Xun wouldn't refuse a mission like demon hunting, but he didn't expect him to agree so readily.

Mo Hua grinned.

"Thank you, Elder!"

Elder Xun gave a slight nod.

"Just be careful."

"I will!"

After that, Mo Hua became the bridge between the Dao Court and the Great Void Sect, facilitating their cooperation in the joint extermination of the Demonic Sect.

The Dao Court agreed.

And many elders from the Great Void Sect readily approved as well.

Exterminating demonic cultivators was the duty of righteous sects—and participating in this mission meant earning merit points.

Now that the three sects had merged, the Great Void Sect's greatest feature was: people. Lots of people.

Not just disciples—even the number of elders had increased.

But merit points were limited. The more people there were, the fiercer the competition. Distributing merit became tight.

Even elders relied on merit to live.

As Golden Core cultivators, their needs—spirit stones, spirit items, cultivation methods, and inheritance arts—were all exceedingly expensive.

So when merit grew tight, life got difficult.

Now, with Mo Hua pushing for a joint campaign between the Great Void Sect and Dao Court, it was like bringing in a massive order.

All participating elders stood to earn a nice chunk of merit.

Because of that, the elders from Great Void Sect—including those from the former Tai'a Sect and Chongxu Sect—were beginning to see Mo Hua in an increasingly favorable light.

With that, Mo Hua had completed his part.

In the days that followed, all seemed calm on the surface, but behind the scenes, preparations for the demonic hunt proceeded at full pace.

Soon, everything was in place.

Three days later—the campaign to exterminate the Demonic Sect would officially begin.

And Mo Hua intended to go personally.

Because the leader of the Demonic Sect might be carrying the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array Diagram—

A formation imbued with the power of a divine beast—and the very one Mo Hua had earmarked as his life-bound treasure.

If he didn't witness it with his own eyes, he wouldn't be able to rest easy.

Furthermore, if the diagram really did appear, having a crowd of Great Void Sect elders present would make it easier for him to secretly claim it for himself.

This was, in fact, one of his motivations for bringing sect elders along.

After all, the more insiders, the smoother the plan.

Now that the extermination was about to begin, Mo Hua turned to his final preparation:

Preparing ways to fight against Golden Core cultivators.

If he were just pulling strings from behind the scenes, he wouldn't need to worry.

But since he was heading straight to the front lines—he'd need techniques that could hold their own against a Golden Core demon cultivator.

Theoretically, he'd be under the protection of sect elders, so Golden Core enemies shouldn't be able to hurt him.

But you know how it is—hope for the best, plan for the worst.

He couldn't bet his life on others. He needed to be in control of the risks.

The Inverse Spirit Array wasn't something he could learn just yet. Even if he could, it was troublesome to set up and not very responsive in fast-changing combat.

"Aside from that… what can a Foundation Establishment cultivator like me do to go toe-to-toe with a Golden Core?

At least enough not to get slaughtered in the first exchange…"

Mo Hua frowned.

"Spells? No good…"

Even the Falling Star Forbidden Spell might not be enough to hurt a Golden Core demon seriously. Worse, casting it took too long—he wouldn't get the chance in actual combat.

"Physical body… even worse."

Given his current body-refining level, if a Golden Core demon got close, one punch would finish him.

"That leaves… divine sense."

The Divine Dread Sword might work.

Even if it couldn't kill a Golden Core enemy outright, it could startle or disrupt them just enough to let him escape.

"If Divine Dread Sword works, then what about… God-Slaying Sword?"

Mo Hua fell into silent contemplation.

"God-Slaying Sword… I can only use it within my Sea of Consciousness. I can't project it outward—yet."

"But what if I could?"

Following this train of thought, Mo Hua suddenly froze.

He had used the God-Slaying Sword style to cut down a Demonic Fetus and even a Grade Three Divine Remnant…

The fetus was debatable, but a Grade Three Divine Remnant's divine sense definitely outclassed that of any Golden Core cultivator.

So—if his God-Slaying Sword could leave the mind and be projected outward…

Then wouldn't that mean—even without the Inverse Spirit Array—he could, by manifesting sword through divine will, directly—

Slay a Golden Core?!

In other words, as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could truly kill a Golden Core using only divine will!

This would be the ultimate form of— "Proving the Dao through divine sense!"

Mo Hua's breath caught. For a moment, even he couldn't believe it himself.

(End of this Chapter)