Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 930: The White Bone Evil Formation

Xun Zixian's eyes twitched. He immediately pressed his fingers together and condensed a streak of white sword light, stabbing it toward the blood-rune-squirming white bone stele.

A layer of red light surfaced on the stele.

The sword light pierced into the sinister crimson barrier. After a brief stalemate, it shattered the blood-colored shield inch by inch and then slashed directly onto the stele itself.

A crack split open on the surface of the stele. Beneath the crack, flesh squirmed, and a shrill, inhuman scream echoed out.

"Ghost wailing?"

Xun Zixian's expression changed, and he quickly covered Mo Hua's ears. But Mo Hua remained calm.

This level of malevolent wailing couldn't shake his mind or spiritual sense. In contrast, several nearby Golden Core elders frowned, visibly uncomfortable, as if nauseated.

As the screams became increasingly piercing, Xun Zixian shouted,

"Everyone—attack together! Tear down this stele!"

The Golden Core elders all knew this bone stele was vile beyond reason. Without holding back, they summoned their magic treasures and unleashed their full strength, shattering the blood-engraved bone stele into dust.

The white bones turned to powder. The flesh evaporated. The squirming blood runes, having lost their host, dimmed and eventually disintegrated into nothingness.

The blood aura, previously held in place by the formation's power, also began to dissipate.

Xun Zixian finally let out a breath of relief—but then his expression grew heavy again.

"A third-rank evil formation… using white bones as the medium, rotting flesh as the foundation, and fresh blood as the ink. There must be more of them nearby. If they're left alone and allowed to gorge on death and blood, who knows what horrors might be birthed…"

Xun Ziyou immediately said,

"I'll go call the other elders, and notify the Dao Court Division. We'll gather more people and try to destroy all of the white bone steles in the shortest time possible."

"Good." Xun Zixian nodded.

Soon, a dozen more Golden Core cultivators arrived. Under Xun Zixian's guidance, they began locating and destroying every evil formation stele scattered throughout the blood marshes of Wild Goose Drop Mountain.

The crimson haze in the sky lightened a bit—but was still visibly condensing, little by little.

The evil formation in Wild Goose Drop Mountain was still operating.

"Still too slow… We might not make it in time." Xun Zixian frowned.

"Elder," Mo Hua suddenly said, "let me take a team and search for more white bone steles too. If we split up, we'll be faster."

Xun Zixian looked at him.

"You think you can locate a third-grade evil formation?"

"I'll give it a try," Mo Hua replied.

Xun Zixian had no doubts about Mo Hua's talent and comprehension in formation arts, but he was still a bit concerned. He turned to look at Xun Ziyou.

Understanding his meaning, Xun Ziyou nodded.

"I'll bring a few elders to follow Mo Hua. He won't be in any danger."

"Alright." Xun Zixian nodded.

Time was tight—they couldn't afford to be overly cautious now.

Then, Xun Zixian solemnly warned,

"Just destroy them. Don't study them, don't remember them, and definitely don't try to learn them."

The more talented a disciple, the faster they could fall to corruption. One step off the righteous path, and it could be a fall into eternal damnation.

"Understood, Elder Zixian," Mo Hua responded respectfully.

Thus, the group split into two teams—one led by Elder Xun Zixian, the other by Mo Hua—to search for and destroy the bone steles.

Although the white bone formation was third-grade—above Mo Hua's current level—his spiritual sense was already close to reaching the third-grade, twenty-rune threshold.

He wasn't drawing or analyzing the formations—only locating them. That much was still within his ability.

Moreover, these evil formations were saturated with blood and fierce karmic qi, lighting up in Mo Hua's spiritual sense like daylight ghost fire—glaringly obvious.

He didn't even need to deduce their positions with formation techniques. He could spot them at a glance.

So, led by Mo Hua, Xun Ziyou, several elders from the Great Void Sect, and some Dao Court Division Golden Core officers advanced through the blood-soaked toxic marshes.

After a few steps, Mo Hua's gaze flickered. He pointed,

"There!"

The elders exchanged glances, then promptly activated their treasures, dispersing the marsh grasses—and sure enough, uncovered a buried bone stele.

Blood runes wriggled atop it.

Without hesitation, they unleashed blades and spells. The stele turned to dust, the runes vanished, and the evil formation was destroyed.

Mo Hua forced himself to look away from the runes, resisting the urge to study them. He didn't want these filthy patterns to taint his mind.

Still… he had to admit, part of him wanted to look.

He was a formation master—all formations, even evil ones, held a kind of Dao.

And his Dao heart was strong. He had eaten demonic remnants, refined evil thoughts, and absorbed them into his Dao. He had high resistance to most malevolent influences.

But… he still didn't look.

Wise men listen to warnings.

Elder Xun Zixian's advice was sound. Mo Hua wasn't going to let his own talent inflate into arrogance.

The bone stele crumbled, the ghost wailing vanished, and another evil formation was destroyed. Mo Hua continued deeper.

Before long, they came to a low-lying pit. Mo Hua pointed again,

"Another one here."

Once more, the elders worked together—unearthing, smashing, breaking formations.

Again and again, Mo Hua would point, and the elders would destroy. With his help, the rate of destruction more than doubled.

Soon, nearly all the blood-rune bone steles in the Wild Goose Drop Mountains were obliterated.

The sinister aura in the sky faded.

The thick, congealed blood mist in the air slowly began to evaporate.

Everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief.

Mo Hua regrouped with Xun Zixian.

The elder looked at him, nodded with satisfaction.

"Well done. You've worked hard."

"Elder is too kind. It was my duty." Mo Hua bowed politely. Then he looked toward the mountain and added,

"There may still be some remnants of bone steles left."

"No matter," Xun Zixian replied. "This swamp is vast and treacherous. We don't have time to clear everything now. I'll send people to clean up afterward."

Mo Hua nodded.

The two of them looked up toward the sky. White mist, poisonous miasma, and blood fog interwove—forming a bleak and ominous sky. Both men furrowed their brows.

They were both formation masters. And not just any—they were geniuses. They could both sense the strange aura embedded deep in this blood-soaked land.

"Using slaughter as the trigger…" Mo Hua murmured.

Xun Zixian's eyes trembled.

"All slaughter comes with blood, bones, rot, the grudges of the dying, the fear before death, and the yin and baleful energy left behind…"

"All of these are the fuel for evil formations."

"The heavier the slaughter, the more powerful the formation becomes."

"And also…"

He turned his gaze from the blood-drenched sky to the earth below, frowning.

In the recent battle to eliminate the Demon Sect, over a thousand cultivators had perished.

Their flesh, resentment, and spiritual remains were absorbed by the evil formation, converted into evil power, and then—

Vanished.

Swallowed by the vast earth.

Even Xun Zixian couldn't trace where the power went. And Mo Hua—who had once resonated with the Dao of the Earth—also couldn't sense the evil energy's destination.

"The Earth bears all things, both righteous and wicked."

Once that evil power was absorbed into the earth's meridians, it was completely hidden.

After all, Mo Hua was only at Foundation Establishment. No matter how gifted, his cultivation was still limited, and there were truths he could not yet grasp.

Xun Zixian's expression darkened.

"Someone is behind the Demon Sect. Their mastery of evil formations is…"

"Unfathomable."

Mo Hua nodded.

He suspected it was Mister Tu, but he couldn't be certain.

The evil god's agents might include even more terrifying formation masters than Tu.

At that moment, Xun Ziyou seemed to finally understand. His face paled.

"So… we were tricked? The Demon Sect deliberately set up this formation, just to provoke us into killing them—so the formation could feed on the slaughter?"

Xun Zixian frowned deeply.

But Mo Hua shook his head.

"Not necessarily…"

He had dealt with the Demon Sect—and the Great Wilderness Evil God—far more than most. He knew certain things others didn't.

"This formation was probably always meant to work this way," Mo Hua said. "The moment the Demon Sect chose this place as its base, this ending was inevitable."

He looked out at the treacherous terrain of mountains and marshes, his voice somber.

"Wild Goose Drop Mountain was destined to be a battlefield soaked in blood. The formation's creator anticipated this long ago. That's why they laid the evil formation here in advance—they were waiting for this slaughter to happen."

"The only surprise… was that we struck earlier than expected."

"If the Demon Sect had been allowed to grow for another ten or twenty years, they could've numbered in the tens of thousands."

"Then when the Dao Court came to destroy them… the death toll would've been ten times higher."

"By then, even if someone noticed the formation buried beneath the swamp—drawing in death and blood—it would've been too late to stop it."

"If that evil formation had been fully fed… what it might have birthed—no one can say."

Mo Hua's tone was grave.

Xun Zixian, Xun Ziyou, and the other elders all wore solemn expressions.

The atmosphere grew somewhat oppressive.

Xun Ziyou sighed.

"The evil path truly is cunning—devious and cruel."

Xun Zixian nodded in agreement, then his expression flickered slightly as he gave Mo Hua a silent glance, his thoughts stirring.

Yes, the demonic path was sinister—but this Mo Hua, this boy, had merely glanced at the formation and immediately deduced the workings of the evil array. His sharp mind, his insight into formations and logic—was in no way inferior to the schemer behind the demonic plot.

"The old master's concerns were indeed justified. The greater the talent, the more dangerous the fall if they stray from the path."

Thinking this, Xun Zixian turned to Mo Hua and said,

"The demon sect encirclement is just about wrapped up. Come back to the sect with me. The aftermath will be handled by the Dao Court Division."

Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then asked softly,

"Elder, may I take a look inside the Demon Sect?"

Xun Zixian's tone remained neutral.

"What are you hoping to find?"

…He wanted to see whether there were any traces of the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array inside the sect.

But since the Azure Dragon Array might have been corrupted into an evil Demonic Dragon Formation, Mo Hua didn't want to say that outright. So he simply said,

"I want to understand what it's like inside the Demon Sect… what the demon cultivators were actually doing in there."

Mo Hua had expected Xun Zixian to refuse.

But unexpectedly, the elder only hesitated briefly, then uncharacteristically nodded.

"Alright. I'll take you to see it."

Xun Ziyou was a little displeased.

He hadn't even wanted to visit that place a second time himself—let alone let Mo Hua step into it.

But since Mo Hua insisted and Xun Zixian had agreed, he couldn't go against them. All he could do was call a few more elders from the Great Void Sect to join them, in case anything happened to Mo Hua—something he would never be able to explain to the Old Ancestor.

Inside the Demon Sect was already a scene of devastation.

The Dao Court and Great Void Sect elders had broken through the sect's outer defenses, then engaged the demon leaders and Golden Core elders in brutal combat. The grand hall of the Demon Sect was now a pile of rubble—collapsed structures and shattered ruins.

But many of the Demon Sect's crimes still remained on display.

Cages like pigpens housed "blood slaves"—malnourished, barely human, their minds broken.

Most of them were already dead, drained of blood before the battle.

A few still clung to life, but their essence was so depleted that it was doubtful they could ever be saved.

Elsewhere, cultivators had been drained and dried into mummified corpses, then hung from ceiling beams.

There was "blood wine", brewed from human blood, stored in cellars for the demon cultivators to drink.

In the secret chambers were instruments of torture, covered with evil formations, though seemingly not for any ritual purpose—just for sadistic amusement.

Mo Hua walked silently through it all, taking it in.

Some things… knowing and seeing are two very different experiences.

Only by witnessing it firsthand—by walking through this hell—could one truly grasp the weight of what these acts meant.

To the demon cultivators, humans were not people.

They were rations, fruit for wine, livestock—but never human.

These sights were etched into Mo Hua's mind, never to be forgotten.

He said nothing.

Xun Zixian noticed his silence and finally said,

"Cultivators may differ in cultivation level, in strength…"

"Some use their strength to aid the world and bless the people."

"Others abuse their power—to oppress, enslave, murder, and massacre the weak."

"That is the difference between righteousness and evil."

He gestured at the evil formations still scattered around the sect.

"Formations are no different."

"Some formation masters comprehend the Dao and use their craft to serve the world."

"Others, with twisted hearts, exploit evil formations for personal gain—even committing massacres just to power their formations."

"That… is the difference between a righteous formation master and an evil one."

"Many cultivators live their lives in peace, never understanding what 'demonic' truly means."

"Some even fantasize about turning demonic, thinking killing freely makes them powerful—makes them cool."

He sighed deeply, then looked solemnly at Mo Hua.

"Yes, cultivation through demonic arts may grant you power… maybe even the ability to command wind and rain."

"But you will never attain the Dao. You will never become immortal."

"You must decide clearly: Are you trying to become an immortal—or merely chasing power?"

"Understanding this now is easy. But what's hard is holding to this truth for your entire life—after weathering trials, enduring pain, watching the years slip by…"

"To still remember your original heart—that is true clarity."

Xun Zixian's voice was heavy and deep.

Mo Hua's pupils trembled slightly. He gave a deep nod.

From then on, he remained pensive all the way—until they reached the deepest part of the Demon Sect and stood before the massive blood pool once used for cultivation.

Finally, he regained some focus and began examining the pool.

It was enormous. Formed from white bones, surrounded by demonic statues made of enchanted stone, all carved with twisted faces.

To fill such a pool, how many people had to die? How much blood had to be spilled?

Now the blood pool was empty.

All the blood had been consumed by the Demon Sect leader—whose body was infused with Demonic Dragon Power—during his final desperate battle.

The pool was inscribed with evil arrays, but they were just standard blood-preservation formations, meant to keep the blood fresh and flowing.

It wasn't the powerful Four Symbols Azure Dragon Formation.

Mo Hua circled the pool once, found nothing of use, and finally gave up. He turned to leave with the other elders and return to the Great Void Sect.

But just before they left, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked Xun Ziyou,

"Elder Xun, did you happen to come across a thin elder during the assault—one with a dog tattoo and the surname 'You'?"

"Dog tattoo?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

Xun Ziyou thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"I fought no fewer than ten demon elders, but I don't recall anyone with a dog tattoo. No Golden Core-level demon cultivator like that."

Mo Hua frowned.

He wasn't there...?

Did that Elder You catch wind of the attack and flee ahead of time? Or was he killed by some other elder?

"Is he important?" Xun Ziyou asked.

Mo Hua hesitated, then shook his head.

He wasn't quite sure.

By rights, Elder You seemed important… but the dog tattoo made him feel more like a lackey.

A Golden Core cultivator, willing to be someone's dog? That didn't sit right.

Still, Mo Hua had tricked him—and could sense that the elder was deeply scheming.

The trick worked only because Elder You lacked knowledge of formations.

An amateur deceived by a pro—an easy win.

Of course, the real reason Mo Hua still cared about Elder You…

Was because that man still owed him 1.8 million spirit stones.

A debt Mo Hua clearly remembered.

"Mo Hua?" Xun Ziyou noticed his faraway gaze, his eyes flickering thoughtfully. "What's wrong? Is there something suspicious about this Elder You?"

"It's nothing," Mo Hua said calmly. "Just a passing thought."

Xun Ziyou looked skeptical.

Mo Hua quickly changed the subject.

"It's getting late, Elder Xun. Let's head back to the sect. Otherwise, Elder Xun the Old might start worrying."

That worked. Xun Ziyou was immediately distracted.

"Yes, you're right. Let's go."

The priority was getting Mo Hua back to the sect. They couldn't let the boy keep wandering around this bloody mess. If he picked up something unclean, he wouldn't be able to face the Old Master.

So the elders of the Great Void Sect escorted Mo Hua back in a spirit carriage.

As he left, Mo Hua turned back for one last look at Wild Goose Drop Mountain.

It was in ruins. The blood mist had not fully dispersed. Miasma still hung heavy in the air, veiling the sky.

It was as if something was still hidden behind that fog.

The Demon Sect leader who had escaped…

The Golden Core demon cultivators from the Ten Thousand Demons Valley...

The missing Elder You…

And the still-wriggling White Bone Evil Formation...

Each piece—each mystery—lingered in Mo Hua's mind.

One event after another surfaced in Mo Hua's mind.

He felt as though he had brushed against the true core of the evil god's conspiracy, but much still remained veiled in mist—murky, unclear, hidden beneath a thick fog.

Especially that sinister deathly fiendish energy, converted by the evil formation and funneled into the earth meridians… disappearing without a trace.

A shadow crept across Mo Hua's heart.

—

After returning to the sect, Mo Hua bathed in incense and water, cleansing away dust and exhaustion, then lay on his bed in the disciples' quarters.

The karma of the Demon Sect… the words of Elder Xun Zixian… still echoed in his mind.

Mo Hua couldn't help but ponder silently:

"Where is the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array hidden?"

"Is killing the Demon Sect leader really the only way to obtain it?"

He recalled the massive blood pool used for cultivation in the depths of the Demon Sect.

"If the Azure Dragon Array truly requires the slaughter of many, bathing in oceans of blood to succeed…"

"Would I really… kill innocents just to gain power for myself?"

"Elder Xun Zixian was right. If I chase only power, one day I'll lose my way, forget my heart, and become a puppet of power itself… It won't be me wielding power—but power controlling me."

His thoughts spiraled.

But he couldn't resolve these problems just yet.

And after spending days painstakingly fighting demon cultivators, exhaustion overwhelmed him. His mind grew groggy with thought, and without realizing it—he fell asleep.

—

Just as he fell asleep—unguarded—a surge of fiendish energy followed a thread of karmic causality, slowly creeping into his spiritual sea and sinking into his eyes.

Within that killing aura were scenes of the Demon Sect's disciples being massacred by the Dao Court, along with their lingering resentment and wrath.

These grudges condensed into fiendish energy, merging into Mo Hua's eyes.

Unbeknownst to him, the "Sevenfold Blood Prison Eye Technique" he had obtained from the Yin Water Sect, was silently activating—cultivating itself in silence.

Mo Hua's aura took on a chilling edge.

An icy stillness… laced with a terrifying aura of slaughter, the kind that killed without blinking.

But that aura of slaughter… also carried with it a righteous, awe-inspiring presence—a power that slays demons and cuts down evil.

Dao Prison.

Groups of demon cultivators were thrown into prison cells.

To prevent any lingering evil formations from absorbing more deathly qi, the Dao Court had not wiped out all survivors during the aftermath.

Many Demon Sect disciples were spared.

They were now locked in the Dao Prison.

All of this was seen by Li San.

He also overheard every panicked whisper between the demon disciples.

And in an instant, it felt like he'd fallen into an ice pit.

"It's over…"

"Our Demon Sect… is gone?!"

All strength drained from Li San's body as he collapsed, limp and lifeless, eyes blank like a dead fish.

Yet whispers continued flooding into his ears.

"It's all over. Everyone's dead."

"Ninth Elder's dead. Second Elder's dead… they're all dead…"

"The Sect Leader's alive—"

"So what?"

"The Demon Sect has been destroyed. Completely wiped out. Top to bottom… totally finished…"

Among these scattered words, one phrase suddenly pierced through to Li San.

"Didn't see Elder You. Seems like… he's still alive…"

…

"Never saw him the whole time…"

"Refused to die with the sect? A traitor, through and through!"

—

Elder You!

A spark lit in Li San's eyes. He didn't hear anything else—only that one phrase echoed in his mind:

"Elder You is still alive!"

Alive…

Li San's pale face twisted with frenzied thought. A moment later, his pupils shrank.

"I get it!"

"I finally understand why Elder You… sent me into the Dao Prison!"

"He knew this calamity was coming! He knew our sect would be decimated!"

"That's why—he sent me to the Dao Prison ahead of time!"

"To protect me! So I could avoid this disaster—and one day, help restore the Demon Sect!"

"And once we rise again—I'll be one of the pillars of our revival!"

"What's a mere Elder's position compared to that?"

The dying embers in Li San's heart roared back to life.

His expression turned resolute. His belief in Elder You—grew stronger than ever.

"Elder You didn't betray me. Everything's within his grand plan!"

"Everything he did was right. With such far-sighted strategy… Elder You must have a grand ambition."

"And that ambition needs me. I must endure and wait—and one day, I will give everything for Elder You!"

In the shadowy depths of the prison, Li San slowly lay back down, eyes closed.

No one saw the burning flame of faith and ambition smoldering in his heart.

Meanwhile— In a pitch-black forbidden chamber.

Green candles flickered.

Grim sheep skulls glowed ominously.

Mr. Tu, covered in blood, skin torn from bone, nearly unrecognizable after enduring the torment of divine punishment, let out a low, vengeful howl:

"One day… I'll make your entire Great Void Sect… CEASE TO EXIST!!"

(End of this Chapter)