Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 927 – The Flow of Techniques

Elder Yi froze.

"What the heck is this?"

He quickly came to his senses.

"An illusion body movement technique? This kid actually has a legacy like this? Where the hell did he learn it?"

Elder Yi's expression turned serious as he finally got into the right mindset.

With a sweep of his divine sense, he immediately located Mo Hua hiding at the edge of the Dao Arts chamber. Without hesitation, he stepped forward using the Yi Family's ancestral Six Harmonies Footwork, each step spanning several zhang, his movements mysterious and elusive, quickly closing in on Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's Water Shadow Phantom Body had just faded when he looked up—and saw Elder Yi reaching for him again. Heart tightening, he immediately activated Flowing Water Steps, his body moving like water, slipping right between Elder Yi's fingers.

Elder Yi grabbed at air and frowned slightly. Then, with a quick spin, his speed increased as he lunged toward the fleeing Mo Hua once more.

Thus began a back-and-forth chase. One fled, one pursued—they exchanged several rounds.

Mo Hua's movements became increasingly strained.

In contrast, Elder Yi moved faster and more effortlessly with each round.

Though this was technically a "spar," Elder Yi knew his true role was that of a training partner. Even after suppressing his cultivation to the early-stage Golden Core, he didn't go all-out at the start. Instead, he gradually increased the pressure to give Mo Hua time to adjust.

At the same time, he observed Mo Hua's movement patterns and memorized his usual evasion methods.

After all, the Great Void Sect was one of the Eight Major Sects. His role as the Dao Arts Elder wasn't just due to family heritage, but because of his vast knowledge of techniques and his rich battle experience.

So even a spar of movement techniques was nothing new for him.

Mo Hua's experience was already substantial, but compared to Elder Yi, a late-stage Golden Core expert, he was still a novice.

Soon, Elder Yi spotted another opening in Mo Hua's form. Like a gust of wind, his hand shot out—straight for Mo Hua's shoulder.

But just before contact, Elder Yi stopped.

He knew—this was a Water Shadow. Fake.

"The real Mo Hua…"

Behind him!

A faint water-element aura came from behind. Elder Yi narrowed his eyes, spun around, and reached out in a reverse grip—

—and paused.

"T-three Mo Huas?"

Behind him stood three sneaky silhouettes, each exactly like Mo Hua, shrouded in mist.

"What kind of footwork is this? This is bizarre…"

Elder Yi was stunned but knew now wasn't the time for awe. He immediately swept his divine sense across the three figures—instantly piercing the illusion and identifying the real one.

He was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator—his divine sense was leagues above Mo Hua's.

Mo Hua could only confuse him for a few seconds, not truly fool him.

With a flick of his hand, Elder Yi grabbed toward the one on the right. His fingertips were just brushing Mo Hua's hair—

—but with a flash of waterlight, Mo Hua slipped away again.

Even Elder Yi felt a flicker of frustration.

"This kid… is really something."

For someone as skilled in Dao Arts as himself to still be unable to catch the brat—had it been anyone else, they'd be utterly bamboozled by such a body technique, unable to even touch a sleeve.

"No wonder the Patriarch values this disciple…"

Now Elder Yi was truly serious.

His aura surged subtly, his movements following the pattern of the Yi Numerology, becoming even more elusive and surreal. His speed increased another notch.

Mo Hua's expression shifted—he could feel the sudden increase in pressure, like being hunted by a ghost that clung to him relentlessly.

"This is the strength of a Golden Core…"

Under tremendous pressure, Mo Hua no longer felt at ease. He pushed his footwork to the limit, fleeing through the room like a startled rabbit.

All concern for grace or dignity went out the window. He rolled, flipped, tumbled—using every awkward escape move he had—doing everything he could to dodge Elder Yi.

But the cost was steep.

Such high-intensity usage of Flowing Water Steps and Water Shadow Phantom Body devoured a huge amount of spiritual energy.

Mo Hua's reserves were already limited. Now, he was running low.

After several more exchanges, Elder Yi once again spotted a flaw.

"Got you!"

With a glint in his eyes, Elder Yi reached forward to grab Mo Hua.

Mo Hua reflexively activated Water Shadow Phantom Body again, splitting into three watery clones.

But Elder Yi had seen this move before.

Reused techniques wouldn't work twice against a seasoned Dao Arts elder.

Already prepared, Elder Yi instantly pointed toward the middle clone—with almost no hesitation.

"Let's see where you'll run now…"

His finger pierced through the shadow—only for it to burst into mist.

Elder Yi's words cut off halfway.

"...I guessed wrong?"

That was impossible.

He had clearly seen Mo Hua hide within the middle shadow after the split. How could he be wrong?

Frowning, he quickly pointed to the other two clones—both burst into mist as well.

All three were fake.

But Mo Hua was nowhere to be seen.

Elder Yi's eye twitched.

"Where'd he go?"

"Where did this little brat run off to?!"

Then it clicked.

"Stealth Technique!"

Mo Hua had used Water Shadow Phantom Body to confuse him—and simultaneously activated a stealth technique to sneak away.

Elder Yi felt a chill creep up the back of his neck.

"This kid's sharper than a spirit fox… Using illusion to distract, stealth to run… How the hell does he even come up with this stuff?"

But they were still in the Dao Arts chamber—a closed space. The stealth technique couldn't take him far.

Elder Yi released his divine sense and carefully scanned the room—sure enough, he detected a faint, blurry figure hiding in the corner.

"This stealth technique… is actually impressive. I almost missed him…"

With a sigh in his heart, Elder Yi didn't give Mo Hua another chance. He activated Six Harmonies Footwork, instantly closing the gap.

Mo Hua had almost no spiritual energy left.

Still, he didn't want to give up so easily. He treated this like a life-or-death battle and gave it his all, struggling to keep up.

But… he was out of tricks.

He'd used Flowing Water Steps, Water Shadow Phantom Body, and even the stealth technique. Every trump card had been shown.

And against someone like Elder Yi, a master from a renowned family steeped in magical arts—used tricks rarely worked twice.

Worse still, there was a massive realm gap between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core.

Even with cultivation suppressed, Elder Yi's vision, experience, and insight remained intact.

This time, Mo Hua had no more surprises.

Flowing Water Steps were seen through. Water Shadow Phantom Body? Easily detected. Even combining it with stealth only delayed the inevitable—Elder Yi's divine sense was already on alert.

Just as Mo Hua tried to hide again—

Elder Yi blinked and appeared right behind him, grabbing his shoulder.

He didn't squeeze—just a light touch.

"I surrender," Mo Hua said dryly.

Elder Yi let out a long breath and wiped the metaphorical sweat from his brow.

"Thank the heavens I caught him… If I hadn't, I'd never live it down."

A Golden Core elder failing to catch a Foundation Establishment junior?

He'd be the laughingstock of the sect.

Of course, that was all internal monologue.

On the outside, he remained calm.

"You still need more practice," he said plainly.

Mo Hua panted heavily, gasping for air.

"Elder Yi… your movement technique is terrifying."

Elder Yi was the first person to give him this much pressure in a spar.

Even after using every last trick, Mo Hua still got caught.

Of course, it was only because this was a spar.

If this had been a real fight, where the enemy wanted to kill him—he'd have long since fled without hesitation.

Elder Yi received the compliment, but instead of feeling pleased…

He furrowed his brow.

During the earlier spar, he hadn't had time to think too deeply, but now that he recalled everything in detail, Elder Yi couldn't help but shudder inwardly.

He finally figured out why Mo Hua had been so difficult to deal with.

This kid wasn't using just one body technique.

He was seamlessly switching between two distinct body techniques and a stealth art.

Relying on his powerful divine sense, he could cycle rapidly between the flowing Flowing Water Steps, the bizarre Water Shadow Step, and the silent stealth technique, fusing the three into one fluid form. To the observer, it was as if he were casting a single, cohesive movement technique.

Elder Yi's heart turned cold.

This level of control required:

terrifyingly strong divine sense,

refined mastery over each technique, and

battle-tested practical experience.

All three—combined flawlessly.

Elder Yi couldn't help but worry:

"This kid is still in Foundation Establishment, and already pulling this off… If he reaches the Golden Core Realm—would I even be able to catch him anymore?"

And right on cue, Mo Hua cheerfully said:

"Elder Yi, I'll come spar body techniques with you again next time!"

Elder Yi visibly flinched, coughing awkwardly and sounding a bit sheepish:

"You… you can, sure. But I'm really busy lately—not sure I'll be available."

"Oh…" Mo Hua's face fell, clearly disappointed.

Seeing that expression, Elder Yi immediately felt a wave of guilt and regret.

"Mo Hua wants to improve his movement skills—that's a good thing. How could I, over something as trivial as face, hold up a disciple's cultivation progress?"

"Compared to a disciple's growth, is the pride of an elder really so important?"

"Besides, is Mo Hua an ordinary disciple? What's his status in the Great Void Sect? If he wanted a sparring partner, countless elders would fight for the chance. The fact that he came to me… that's out of respect for our past ties. For others, this would be an opportunity too good to be true…"

Elder Yi quickly said,

"Er… I remembered wrong! Actually, I'm completely free these days! If you want to train movement skills, come find me anytime!"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up,

"Really?"

Elder Yi nodded like a woodpecker,

"Really! Absolutely!"

Mo Hua beamed,

"Thank you, Elder Yi!"

Seeing that bright smile, Elder Yi's mood lifted as well.

"Your movement techniques are excellent," Elder Yi said, "but there are still some small areas you could improve—like your Flowing Water Steps, and that…" he paused.

"Water Shadow Step," Mo Hua supplied calmly.

He didn't call it Water Shadow Phantom Body—just Water Shadow Step. While rare, the Water Shadow Step wasn't especially secretive.

Water Shadow Step? Elder Yi raised an eyebrow. That name didn't quite match the technique Mo Hua had just used—but he didn't pry.

"Alright," he said instead, "with your Water Shadow Step, during transitions, there's still a bit of spiritual energy lag."

"That's due to improper flow between your acupoints. You can adjust it a bit based on your cultivation method…"

"How do I adjust it?" Mo Hua asked earnestly.

Elder Yi thought for a moment,

"Let's say you finish a movement with Flowing Water Steps. Your spiritual power should settle at the Shuǐquán Acupoint (Water Spring Point) at the sole of your foot."

"Then, if you want to transition into Water Shadow Step, you can find a meridian path that starts from that same Shuǐquán Point."

"That way, Flowing Water Steps ends at Shuǐquán, and Water Shadow Step begins there. The spiritual energy continues smoothly, and your movement will be truly seamless."

"This is called the rise, continuation, turn, and convergence of spiritual flow."

"Of course, if the two techniques don't share a perfectly matching acupoint, you can use nearby ones too."

"If you can't go through Shuǐquán, go through the adjacent Tàixī Acupoint instead…"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up in realization.

These kinds of acupoint-linking details—the hidden keys of technique fusion—could only come from someone like Elder Yi, who had spent years immersed in cultivation arts.

Mo Hua had never even considered it.

"Spiritual flow—transitioning through the right acupoints…" he muttered, then bowed respectfully,

"I'll remember that. Thank you, Elder Yi!"

Seeing how quickly Mo Hua understood, Elder Yi nodded with satisfaction.

After asking a few more detailed questions about body techniques, Mo Hua got up to leave, intending to go back and refine what he'd learned.

As he turned to go, Elder Yi suddenly thought of something and asked,

"Mo Hua—have you decided what to use as your life-bound artifact?"

Mo Hua paused, then honestly replied,

"I want to choose something in the Copper Skin Iron Bone category—to strengthen my physical body and make up for that weakness."

Elder Yi frowned slightly.

"Is that not a good idea?" Mo Hua asked.

"It's not that it's bad. Reinforcing your body is fine, but…"

Elder Yi recalled how, just moments ago, Mo Hua had used powerful divine sense to seamlessly coordinate Flowing Water Steps, stealth, and that so-called Water Shadow Step, switching between them like water.

Those were all defensive techniques, and they were already this hard to deal with.

If Mo Hua were to apply that same seamless technique flow to offensive spells...

Wouldn't that be downright terrifying?

He had previously advised Mo Hua to pursue a "universal spell mastery" path—using many low-level spells to overwhelm an opponent.

Low-level spells consumed little energy, had quick cast times, and didn't require cooldowns. They could be spammed endlessly. But naturally, they weren't very powerful.

So the so-called "universal spell mastery" was mostly about quantity over quality.

But mid-tier and higher-tier techniques couldn't be used like that.

They were slower to cast, burned more spiritual power, and required recovery time.

What Elder Yi hadn't expected was that Mo Hua's divine sense was strong enough to drastically accelerate the casting process, and even manage multiple diverse techniques with perfect coordination and seamless transitions.

That's nearly impossible for most cultivators.

Ultimately, it all came down to divine sense.

Almost no spiritual cultivator possessed a divine sense as powerful and sharp as Mo Hua's.

With it, he could even wield mid-tier spells as swiftly and flexibly as low-tier spells.

His divine sense accelerated spellcasting—making his attacks blazingly fast. Transitions were seamless, with no need to pause or adjust.

By unleashing a vast array of mid-tier spells, all smoothly linked in succession—Master of Ten Thousand Arts, All Spells in Flow—his offensive might became utterly terrifying.

Although mid-tier spells were technically just one grade above low-tier spells, with enough variety and quantity, the destructive potential multiplied exponentially.

And on top of that—Mo Hua was a Five-Element Spiritual Root cultivator.

Five-element spells could complement each other and form a complete "spell chain".

A single spell would always have weaknesses.

But a chain covering Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, where elements restrained and reinforced each other, made for almost no weak point.

Where others cast spells one at a time…

He used them in full combos, chaining them together without interruption, acting faster and exerting stronger suppression than others.

As someone from a spellcasting clan and a Daoist Arts Elder, Elder Yi felt his blood boiling with excitement just from imagining it.

But all of this hinged on one condition: ample spiritual energy.

Elder Yi thought for a moment, then said,

"Have you considered using a spiritual-energy-type artifact, like a Spirit-Gathering Gourd, as your life-bound artifact?"

Mo Hua shook his head,

"Too expensive—and I missed the window for nourishing it early."

Elder Yi froze, then regretfully sighed.

Indeed, while Mo Hua now had high status and seemed to have many options, he hadn't had anyone planning for him early on. He had missed the prime age for nurturing a life-bound artifact, so now there weren't many suitable choices left.

Elder Yi let out a long sigh—such a shame.

This boy was a prime spiritual-cultivation talent.

His spiritual roots were poor, but his comprehension was excellent, he had incredible adaptability—and above all, his divine sense was absolutely monstrous.

If he could follow the path of spiritual cultivation without interruption, he would one day be able to wield countless spells as easily as breathing—invincible in battle.

In the long road of cultivation:

Body cultivators dominated early stages,

Sword cultivators rose in strength during the middle and later stages,

But spiritual cultivators became strongest in the late endgame.

The further a cultivator progressed, the more abundant their spiritual power, the deeper their understanding of spiritual laws, and the more terrifying the power of their spells.

Such a pity…

But Elder Yi couldn't say more.

That's just how life worked.

It often seemed like there were many paths to choose from—but in truth, there were usually just one or two real options. You had to take it step by step, moving forward slowly.

Unless one became a true immortal, even a Hollow Void Realm elder couldn't do whatever they pleased.

"Shoring up your weaknesses isn't a bad thing—having a tougher body can be useful," Elder Yi offered.

Whether it was to console Mo Hua, or himself, even he wasn't sure.

After bidding farewell to Elder Yi, Mo Hua returned to his quarters, feeling a bit conflicted.

He knew exactly what Elder Yi had been regretting.

Logically speaking, his physical body had a massive innate disadvantage—no matter how much he reinforced it, he couldn't really catch up to others.

At most, he could upgrade it from "terrible" to "barely passable."

His best option was still to lean into his strengths.

His greatest asset was his divine sense. And divine sense didn't rely on artifacts—nor were there many artifacts out there that could enhance it directly.

Beyond that, his strength lay in spellcasting.

Mo Hua's spellcasting ability was quite formidable, but the problem was—his spiritual roots were average, and his spiritual energy was very limited.

If he had more spiritual energy, he could learn even more spells—of higher grades and greater power.

And the stronger his divine sense, the faster his casting—he might even one day instant-cast forbidden arts.

If his spells were strong enough—strong enough to obliterate all enemies, then it wouldn't matter whether his body was tough or not.

Still, Mo Hua couldn't help but wrestle with the thought. A moment later, he let out a long sigh.

"Forget it. No point dwelling on it."

That's just life—it always came with regrets. Nothing ever went entirely according to plan.

Spiritual-energy artifacts were great… but he truly had no good options left.

However, the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Formation—that was different.

It was a genuine Four Symbols Divine Beast Formation, something Mister Tu had spent countless years and cost many demonic cultivator lives to develop. A near-lost, ancient array.

The time to destroy the Demonic Sect was near, and that formation might be right in front of him.

"All paths lead to immortality. Though the means differ, the goal is the same."

Since he had chosen his road, he would walk it unwaveringly.

Mo Hua nodded slowly, and his gaze grew determined.

The next day, he went to Elder Yi again to spar movement techniques. With more training, he became increasingly proficient—he could now trade dozens of rounds under Elder Yi's hand without being caught.

Only then did he feel at ease.

"A Golden Core demonic cultivator couldn't possibly surpass Elder Yi in terms of spell technique."

If he could survive against Elder Yi, he could at least flee from a typical Golden Core demonic cultivator.

As for a late-stage Golden Core cultivator—the sect leader of the Demonic Sect...

There were plenty of Daotingsi enforcers and Great Void Sect elders watching over him. As long as he kept his distance, the demonic sect leader wouldn't get a chance to strike at him.

The Daotingsi officers aside, the elders of the Great Void Sect definitely weren't pushovers.

Thus fully prepared, on the third day, the plan to suppress the Demonic Sect officially began.

Mo Hua personally set out for Yanluo Mountain.

This treacherous mountain range—crisscrossed with swamps and reeking with polluted water—was where the Demonic Sect had entrenched itself.

And here… a bloody battle was about to begin.

Mo Hua had to witness the fall of the Demonic Sect with his own eyes—to see the rivers of blood flow from the demonic cultivators—in order to purge the killing aura in his heart.

At the same time, he wanted to know:

Was the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Formation, his destined life-bound artifact, hidden somewhere inside the Demonic Sect?

And would this legendary formation… ultimately fall into his hands?

(End of this Chapter)