Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 941: An Old Acquaintance

Mo Hua studied the refined, scholarly-looking middle-aged cultivator before him once more and asked in surprise,

"You're actually from the Shen family?"

The cultivator cupped his hands. "My name is Shen Xiuyan."

"Shen Xiuyan…"

Mo Hua silently memorized the name and continued,

"You're a Shen family elder? Are you in charge of Lone Mountain City?"

The man named Shen Xiuyan shook his head. "Lone Mountain City isn't under my jurisdiction. I'm an elder of the Little Spirit Sect."

"Little Spirit Sect?" Mo Hua had never heard of this sect before.

Shen Xiuyan explained, "It's a small sect, one of the Hundred Sects of Qianxue. Pretty obscure—it's normal that you haven't heard of it, Young Master Mo."

"I see." Mo Hua nodded, somewhat surprised.

"Isn't the Shen family a hereditary noble family under the Heavenly Dao Sect? Why didn't you become an elder there?"

Shen Xiuyan gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"The Heavenly Dao Sect is one of the Four Great Sects—the top of the top in Qianxue Prefecture. It's not easy to get in."

"Besides, the Shen clan is huge. There are many cultivators in the family, and the internal competition is intense. Everyone's scrambling to enter the Heavenly Dao Sect. Let alone an elder's seat—even getting a teaching post takes endless scheming and fighting."

"I didn't have the background or the ability. I originally planned to go out and seek some fortune, to change my fate… but I didn't find anything."

"So I could only resign myself, pick a random sect among the Hundred of Qianxue, and take a teaching job to get by."

"Of course, now that I've reached the Golden Core stage, and I have the Shen family name, Little Spirit Sect doesn't dare treat me casually. Naturally, I was promoted to 'elder'."

Mo Hua thought for a moment and added,

"You're not just a regular elder, are you? I noticed the other Shen family members treated you with some respect."

"Better than some, worse than others," Shen Xiuyan replied.

"In the Shen family, there are many who've done better than me—and just as many who've done worse. Compared to the true core lineage, I'm nothing. But at least I'm better off than those who must rely on others' charity to get by."

"I see."

Mo Hua nodded, gaining a bit more insight into the Shen family's inner workings.

Noble families suppress rogue cultivators—

But within noble families, they also suppress each other.

Even in such great clans, not everyone lives a good life.

Shen Xiuyan then looked at Mo Hua with a hint of unease,

"Young Master Mo… why did you come looking for me?"

He had completely forgotten the name "Mo Hua" before.

Everything related to Mo Hua was shrouded in mist, sealed in the corners of his memory.

His instincts resisted recalling anything. In fact, he was afraid to remember.

But now, upon seeing Mo Hua again, fate turned, and those sealed memories began to resurface. Shen Xiuyan finally remembered the name "Mo Hua" and all the scattered pieces of their past encounters.

And alongside that, he recalled another "Mo Hua"—

The one whispered about across Qianxue Prefecture's major sects. The monster.

Mo Hua, the unrivaled genius of formation arts.

The prodigy of the Great Void Sect.

Gradually, Shen Xiuyan began connecting the dots.

The clever, strange little boy they'd met during the corpse disaster in Nanyue City and the demonic chaos outside Lizhou City—

That boy had now become the undisputed master of formations in all of Qianxue.

Time changes all. The seas turned into mulberry fields.

Shen Xiuyan was inwardly shaken, struggling to believe it.

And Mo Hua's identity remained as deep and mysterious as ever.

That's why, when Mo Hua sought him out, Shen Xiuyan felt nothing but dread—he had no idea what this visit could mean.

Mo Hua spoke casually:

"I just want to ask a little something… about the Shen family. Nothing major."

Shen Xiuyan didn't believe that for a second.

With Mo Hua's status, any matter that involved him was definitely not minor.

After a moment of silence, Shen Xiuyan reminded him gently,

"Young Master… I'm a Shen family member."

Naturally, that meant his loyalty was with the Shen family.

He couldn't just betray them for an outsider.

"I know," Mo Hua said quietly,

"But are all of the Shen family's interests also your interests?"

"Are all the Shen family members really your kin?"

"Some of those benefits—they're in others' hands. What do they have to do with you?"

"Some are born destined to become elders of the Heavenly Dao Sect… but you? You ended up a mere teacher in the Little Spirit Sect…"

His words whispered like a devil's murmur, stirring Shen Xiuyan's heart.

Not of one home, not one family.

Even within a single family, there are separate branches and doors.

The bigger the family, the more this held true.

Power struggles, uneven distribution, internal deceit, backstabbing… All of it was normal.

Mo Hua wasn't wrong.

But Shen Xiuyan still hesitated.

He wanted no further entanglement with Mo Hua. This kind of vast, unpredictable karmic web—he didn't want any part of it. The farther he stayed from it, the better.

Mo Hua stared at him deeply and slowly said,

"Do you remember… what happened that night, in the ruined temple?"

Shen Xiuyan's pupils contracted. A cold wind seemed to pass through his bones.

That night resurfaced in his mind.

It had been ten years ago. He, Old Man Wen, and Young Master Yun had followed a trail of clues to the demon-infested Lizhou City. As night fell, they stopped at a ruined temple to rest.

But then—Old Man Wen suddenly grew ravenous and started chewing on his own fingers as if they were fasting pills.

Young Master Yun drew his sword and stabbed his own heart.

And Shen Xiuyan himself… had pulled out a knife and began slashing his own throat, one cut after another.

He was like someone trapped in a horrifying nightmare.

Over the years, he still dreamed of that scene—repeatedly cutting his throat until the blood flooded the floor.

Sometimes his head was already severed, lying on the ground, while his headless body continued slicing the air where its throat used to be...

A terrifyingly vivid, endless nightmare.

In that half-dreaming, half-waking state, Shen Xiuyan would sometimes grow dazed—he'd even begin to wonder:

Had he already died that night?

Did he even leave that ruined temple alive?

Because he'd forgotten everything about Mo Hua.

Everything was a blur. He couldn't recall how he'd broken free or escaped.

Now, seeing Mo Hua again, the memories slowly began to return.

Strand by strand, the karmic threads reconnected, and the past grew clearer.

Shen Xiuyan frowned, trying to suppress the dread in his heart.

But now he understood—

Back then, it had been this young master who saved his life.

Otherwise, he would've died—confused and forgotten—within that ruined temple outside Lizhou City.

He wouldn't even know how he'd died.

Seeing that Shen Xiuyan understood, Mo Hua said calmly,

"It's not that I'm demanding repayment.

But all things in this world follow karma.

I saved your life. You helping me a little—that's karma."

"If karma isn't repaid… bad luck will follow."

Mo Hua's expression turned serious.

Shen Xiuyan's heart trembled.

Karmic fate and heavenly laws—that was something Old Man Wen used to mutter about all the time. Shen Xiuyan never really believed it.

But after he tried "defying heaven to change his fate" a decade ago and ended up entangled in that bloody mess… well, some things, you couldn't not believe.

He remembered that back during the corpse disaster in Nanyue City, he didn't even want to get involved.

But Old Man Wen had cast a divination and cryptically warned him:

"There is great terror ahead. Life and death are uncertain. But if you can save Nanyue City—perhaps even an entire prefecture—you will earn a thread of karma, a potential chance of survival when doom comes."

So they stayed and helped suppress the disaster.

And it was during that incident that they met a strange little boy named… Mo Hua.

That was the cause.

And what happened at the ruined temple—that was the effect.

Had they not stayed in Nanyue, had they never met Mo Hua— They would've all died horribly in that temple.

"Karma, cause and effect… 'One sip, one destiny.' Back then, Mr. Zhuang gave us a choice— And in doing so, he gave us a lifeline…"

That had been Old Man Wen's exact words.

Back then, Shen Xiuyan hadn't felt much of anything while listening, but the more he thought about it later, the deeper and more profound the meaning seemed.

"Karma, huh…" Shen Xiuyan glanced silently at Mo Hua.

As the memories loosened, some old scenes slowly became clearer.

That night in the ruined temple—

Firelight flickering—

Mo Hua's eyes were sparkling, his little cheeks were rosy, and he was roasting fish and sweet potatoes by the fire…

A very innocent, adorable image.

Yet for some reason, Shen Xiuyan felt a chill creep into his heart.

Because he remembered that in the corner of the ruined temple, beside Mo Hua,

There had been a shadow.

And in that shadow—a blurry Daoist figure stood.

Back then, he hadn't known who that figure was. But later, upon hearing the rumors from Lizhou City, he gradually put it together.

Years ago, in the struggle over that fateful opportunity, the entire Lishan City in Mount Li Prefecture had turned into a meat grinder of righteous and demonic cultivators.

Golden Core cultivators died in droves, like crashing waves.

Even Transcendents (Feathered Ascension realm) perished one after another.

And the one who had kicked off that bloodbath—was that very Daoist.

Those who had seen him—whether righteous or demonic—had almost all died miserable deaths.

Even Transcendents weren't spared.

Yet this boy before him—who had still been just a lowly Qi Refining cultivator at the time—

Had sat beside that Daoist, roasting food in front of him, and even saved people under his very nose...

Now that Shen Xiuyan recalled all this, he felt a deep, creeping dread.

The more he understood—

The more terrifying it became.

Whether it was his imagination or not, Shen Xiuyan couldn't help but feel that today's Mo Hua carried a faint air of that "Eerie Daoist."

Like a younger version of that terrifying being…

And now, such a person had come to collect a karmic debt.

A shiver ran down Shen Xiuyan's spine.

He didn't dare say no.

"Young Master Mo," Shen Xiuyan said earnestly, "Please ask. As long as it's something I know, and it doesn't involve the core secrets of the Shen family, I will tell you everything I can."

Mo Hua nodded, clearly satisfied. He then asked:

"The Shen family owns a mountain near Lone Mountain, right? You know about that?"

Shen Xiuyan nodded. "Yes, I know it."

"What's that mountain used for?" Mo Hua asked.

Shen Xiuyan thought for a moment.

"It was a copper mine—'Bright Yellow Copper.' The Shen family purchased it back in the day for mining. But it's been fully excavated now and left vacant. Doesn't serve any particular purpose anymore."

"If it's useless, then why is it sealed off? Why don't they let people near it?"

"That… I'm not too sure," Shen Xiuyan pondered, then said,

"Usually, abandoned mines are dangerous—especially after years of neglect. Poison mists, evil energy, toxic gases can build up. Sometimes even fierce beasts settle there. Plus, the structure becomes unstable—landslides or cave-ins can happen."

"So not letting anyone near it might just be to avoid accidents."

"If a cultivator died inside the Shen family's mine and word got out, the family would have a lot of trouble to deal with."

Mo Hua nodded slightly—this explanation had some merit.

He then asked:

"Has the Shen family ever built a temple in Lone Mountain City?"

"A temple?"

"Yes," Mo Hua nodded again. "Temples. Or altars, secret chambers, palaces—anything meant for worship or offerings."

The question was a bit strange and specific.

Shen Xiuyan thought for a moment and shook his head.

"In the past, poor miners would pray for safety—offering to gods, spirits, or mountain entities, though no one knew exactly who or what they were worshipping."

"But that was because they were poor and weak. When danger came, they couldn't protect themselves and had no choice but to pin their hopes on those distant spirits."

"The Shen family's mines, though—deep and sturdy—are mostly mined using spirit machinery. Very few people go down there manually. So there's almost never been a need to build such places…"

Mo Hua nodded again, his eyes narrowing. Then he asked:

"Would your Shen family… ever massacre an entire household?"

Shen Xiuyan's expression froze.

That kind of direct question—especially aimed at a Shen family elder—wasn't exactly… polite.

"No." Shen Xiuyan denied it immediately.

"Really?"

"Young Master Mo," Shen Xiuyan sighed.

"The Shen family is, after all, one of the hereditary Fifth-Rank noble families of the Four Great Sects. A proper sect-affiliated clan. We don't go around breaking the Daoist laws and wiping out families without cause."

"If the Dao Court Bureau ever found out and reported it up the chain, the Shen family would be in deep trouble."

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.

"But that young master from your Shen family seemed pretty arrogant. He wanted to kill someone over a few words."

That's because he's an idiot with eyes on his ass.

Shen Xiuyan cursed silently.

Spoiled rotten. Lawless. Thinks he can do anything.

"That kind of behavior is common in noble families," Shen Xiuyan admitted.

"Not just the Shen family—many great clans are the same. They all have some shady dealings behind closed doors."

"These families are just too big. Too many people. Even with strict rules, they can't control everyone."

"Still, those arrogant direct descendants are in the minority. Most family disciples have to follow the rules. They don't have that kind of freedom."

"Even when those core disciples do commit crimes—say, murder—it doesn't mean there are no consequences."

"Usually, the family will pick a side-branch member to take the fall, go confess to the Dao Court Bureau, and settle the issue quietly."

"In this world, nothing is truly without consequence. It's just…"

"It's just," Mo Hua said, "people with power can offload those consequences onto someone else."

Shen Xiuyan sighed and nodded.

"That young master in Hongyan Tower in Lone Mountain—he's called 'Young Master Qing', right?" Mo Hua asked.

"Yes," Shen Xiuyan replied. He gave Mo Hua the full name:

"His name is Shen Qingsheng."

"Shen Qingsheng…" Mo Hua repeated. "He's from the Shen family line?"

"Strictly speaking… not quite." Shen Xiuyan replied.

"What do you mean?"

Shen Xiuyan replied, "That Shen Qingsheng—he was promoted halfway into the direct bloodline. His lineage isn't very pure, and he doesn't have any protection from an ancestral elder."

"Then how is he so arrogant?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

Shen Xiuyan explained, "His father is a real power-holder among the elders, and the territory under his control includes Lone Mountain. In that area, you could say he has absolute authority."

"Because of that, Shen Qingsheng basks in his father's glow. As long as he's in Lone Mountain City, almost no one dares to interfere with him. Over time, he's developed this lawless personality."

"What's his father's name?" Mo Hua asked.

"Shen Shouxing," Shen Xiuyan answered.

"Shen Shouxing… Shen Qingsheng…" Mo Hua nodded. "I'll remember that."

He had asked pretty much everything he needed to.

This trip had indeed yielded some leads, though not as many as he had hoped.

After a moment of thought, Mo Hua asked,

"Elder Xiuyan, could you help me gather some Shen family records related to Lone Mountain City? Especially any that concern the mine from back then."

Shen Xiuyan frowned deeply.

Mo Hua added,

"Forget the highly classified ones—just the general files will do."

Truth is often buried in the mundane details.

Besides, Shen Xiuyan probably couldn't access the truly classified stuff anyway.

Though clearly conflicted, Shen Xiuyan didn't refuse.

He really didn't dare owe Mo Hua any karmic debt.

"Alright. I'll look into it when I return," Shen Xiuyan said.

"Much appreciated, Elder Xiuyan," Mo Hua responded politely.

Shen Xiuyan looked at Mo Hua, hesitating, then finally spoke in a low voice:

"Young Master Mo, I advise you… try not to get involved in the Shen family's affairs."

The Shen family was vast, with deeply rooted power and influence.

Mo Hua, after all, was only at the Foundation Establishment realm. Taking on the Shen family would be unwise.

And it would put him (Shen Xiuyan) in a difficult position too.

But Shen Xiuyan could only offer a veiled warning. He wouldn't dare presume to tell this young man what to do.

"Also… be cautious around Shen Qingsheng while in Lone Mountain City." Shen Xiuyan added.

"Are they—father and son—going to target me?" Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.

"Not both of them," Shen Xiuyan shook his head. "Just Shen Qingsheng."

Seeing Mo Hua's confusion, Shen Xiuyan explained,

"Shen Shouxing is a true power-elder, but he didn't come from a noble background. He clawed his way up, step by step, over the years. People like that are like starving wolves when it comes to profit—but if something doesn't threaten their interests, they're very clear-headed about which risks to avoid, and who not to provoke."

"If Shen Shouxing learns your position in the Great Void Sect, he'll likely know better than to act against you. But his son… that's another story."

"Shen Qingsheng is his only son—spoiled from birth, arrogant and vengeful."

Spoiled scions of noble families are rarely obedient to rules. If they were… they wouldn't be called spoiled.

Mo Hua nodded. "Thanks for the warning, Elder Xiuyan. I understand."

Shen Xiuyan wasn't sure whether Mo Hua truly understood, but he didn't press the matter.

"Then… Young Master Mo, I…" Shen Xiuyan began.

Mo Hua clasped his hands, smiling slightly.

"Elder Xiuyan, take care on the road. I won't keep you."

With Mo Hua's permission, Shen Xiuyan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Though he was a Golden Core cultivator and an elder of one of the Dry Learning Hundred Sects, in front of Mo Hua, he didn't dare act superior at all.

In fact, just thinking about the karmic ties entangled with Mo Hua, the people related to him, and the events in that ruined temple, sent chills down Shen Xiuyan's spine.

"Take care, Young Master. I, Shen, will take my leave now."

Shen Xiuyan bowed deeply, turned around, and slowly left the desolate forest.

He boarded his carriage and disappeared along the worn mountain path.

Night had fallen thick and heavy.

Mo Hua stared after his fading silhouette, eyes thoughtful.

After a moment, he turned and walked toward the other side of the woods.

There, a carriage was parked beside the mountain road. Master Gu stood by the horse, tense and alert.

When he saw Mo Hua, Master Gu finally let out a breath of relief.

"Young Master, did it go well?" he asked.

"Mm," Mo Hua nodded. "It's done."

"Good," Master Gu replied.

He didn't ask who Mo Hua had met or what had happened—acting as though he knew nothing.

"I'll take you back to the sect then."

The journey back to the Great Void Sect was long, and with night upon them, Master Gu remained on high alert.

"Many thanks, Master Gu," Mo Hua said.

Then he boarded the carriage, and under Master Gu's personal escort, returned to the Great Void Sect beneath the cover of night.

Two days later, Lone Mountain City, Shen family estate.

In a lavish study—

Shen Qingsheng, who had just recently recovered, still looked pale.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he shrieked hysterically:

"How can we just let it go like this?!"

"Father, I'm your son!"

"That little bastard from the Great Void Sect humiliated me—

He tricked me—

He nearly killed me!!"

Across from him stood a hawk-nosed, rather ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

This was Shen Qingsheng's father—Shen Shouxing, the Shen family's true power-holder.

Shen Shouxing looked at his son with a cold, indifferent gaze.

His voice was low and calm.

"Tell me—how exactly did he humiliate you? How did he trick you? How did he nearly kill you?"

Shen Qingsheng flushed with shame and fury. He gritted his teeth and growled,

"He… he looked at me…"

"So what you're telling me is…" Shen Shouxing's voice remained cold.

"He nearly killed you… just by looking at you?"

Shen Qingsheng's face turned beet red, burning like it was pressed to a branding iron.

(End of this Chapter)