Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 948: Shen Shouxing

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.

That surge of malevolent aura was thick, chilling, and despairing—strikingly similar to what he had sensed within the dream omens of the Evil Embryo.

But unlike before, when such auras used to trigger a sense of "hunger" from his soul, this time he felt… nauseated.

At this point, Mo Hua could tentatively conclude:

There was indeed an Evil Embryo being nurtured beneath this Lone Mountain.

But the method of nurturing it seemed completely different from anything he had encountered before…

His expression gradually grew heavier.

And he wasn't the only one. Second Master Hui, Rat, and Stone—the trio of grave robbers—all shivered involuntarily and looked at each other.

"Second Master," the stocky, muscular "Stone," who rarely spoke, said in a low voice, "something's off with this tomb's aura..."

Second Master Hui frowned.

In all his years robbing graves, he had never come across a tomb as bizarre as this.

But then he recalled what the "clients" had said about the origins of this tomb and the identity of the tomb's owner, and slowly he relaxed.

The greater the tomb, the less it could be measured by conventional logic.

"Let's go in," Second Master Hui said.

"Alright."

Stone nodded. He had just voiced some doubts—it wasn't like he was really planning to back out.

Thieves don't leave empty-handed. The tomb gate was already open; he couldn't just turn around and go home now.

"Young friend," Second Master Hui turned toward Mo Hua, "if you would."

Mo Hua's face went pale. He looked nervous.

"It's so creepy in there... I… I'm kind of scared. Can I not go in?"

Second Master Hui stared at him coldly.

Mo Hua sighed like a man accepting his fate.

"Alright, fine…"

He stepped forward and entered the tomb gate, with Second Master Hui following closely behind.

Stone and Rat trailed after them.

Finally came the four black-robed cultivators. They exchanged a glance, their eyes deep and unreadable, each harboring their own thoughts in the shadows, then filed into the dark tomb one by one.

Inside the gate, everything was shrouded in gloom.

It was a darkness even deeper than before.

Mo Hua squinted. After a few moments, his eyes gradually adjusted.

But within the darkness, there was nothing particularly special. Just like outside, a long, seemingly endless passage lay ahead, sealed in utter blackness.

And the corridors branched off in all directions.

Second Master Hui looked at Mo Hua and said in a low voice,

"Young friend, lead the way."

Mo Hua mimicked "Mister Pi," holding a compass in one hand while forming hand seals with the other. At the same time, his eyes gleamed faintly as he released his spiritual sense, sensing the flow of the Earth Array around them to guide the party.

This had originally been Mister Pi's job.

But as Mister Pi had once said, "There can't be two formation masters in one group."

Now that Mister Pi was dead, Mo Hua, as the only one versed in formations, naturally had to take over.

Thus, Mo Hua led the way at the front, identifying directions through the array as he guided the group forward.

But no matter how long they walked, it was still corridor after corridor—no end in sight.

Mo Hua frowned, quietly marveling at the size of the tomb.

Could it be that someone truly extraordinary had been buried beneath Lone Mountain?

But then he reconsidered—it didn't quite make sense.

Lone Mountain was just a third-grade state—a remote backwater at that.

If someone of that caliber really died here, why would they be buried in such a place?

Still, something felt off.

The tomb was just too large. No ordinary cultivator could be buried in such a vast structure.

And if the Lone Mountain tomb wasn't something significant, why would those grave robbers—and especially those four black-robed cultivators—come here?

Together, these people totaled seven Golden Core cultivators!

Golden Core cultivators weren't exactly common. In small provinces and sects, they were considered ancestor-level figures.

Seven Golden Core cultivators—that alone was a formidable force.

Mo Hua's suspicions only deepened.

And he still couldn't figure out what exactly this group's goal was.

Second Master Hui's trio were easier to understand—they were grave robbers. Even if they had schemes, it still boiled down to robbing graves.

But the four black-robed cultivators… they were clearly not that simple.

That black-robed youth wasn't just posing as young—he was genuinely young.

To reach the Golden Core realm at that age required tremendous talent, resources, and inheritance. There was no way he was some nobody.

As for the other three, shrouded completely in black robes with their auras concealed—

At first glance, Mo Hua hadn't noticed much. But during this walk, he could faintly sense the murderous pressure leaking from their bodies.

He was certain—those three were not ordinary Golden Core cultivators.

Their cultivation was definitely above the early stage.

"Just who are these people…?"

Mo Hua frowned deeply.

As he held the compass and followed the formation to guide the way, his mind was racing, trying to guess their identities.

But after a long while, he still had no leads.

The black robes concealed everything. He had too few clues.

The only face he'd seen—the black-robed young man—he was sure he didn't recognize.

"Should I… maybe divine it?"

"See who they really are?"

Mo Hua debated with himself for a moment. In the end, curiosity won out.

He gently rubbed his thumb, took out a copper coin from his Storage Ring, and lightly brushed its surface—beginning a light deduction.

But he didn't dare do too much.

He merely brushed the coin, skimming the edge of a causal thread, then immediately stopped.

After all, they were in a tomb, surrounded by Golden Core desperados.

He was being watched. Any unusual movement could be dangerous.

More importantly, he didn't dare go too deep into the divination.

The more he studied Heaven's secrets, the more Mo Hua understood: causality was mysterious and unfathomable.

The more you seek to uncover, the more traces you leave behind—and the more likely others are to discover and trace you back.

The more secrets you peek at, the more likely someone's secret peeks back at you.

Some things were mutual.

You spy on karma, karma spies on you.

That's why, ironically, when it came to truly important matters, Mo Hua was increasingly cautious about divining them.

He feared that behind those matters were battles between great powers—and if he clumsily stuck his nose in, he'd get snatched by the scruff like a nosy dog.

In fact, Mo Hua had the nagging feeling…

He'd already been "snatched" once before—he just wasn't worth the attention yet, so they let him be.

Thus, he only brushed the edge of fate concerning those four black-robed cultivators—barely skimming it.

But even that little was enough to make Mo Hua's heart tremble.

As he traced the patterns on the copper coin, a wave of familiarity surged through him.

Threads of fate tugged at each other, faint but undeniable—as though these four had, in some way, been entangled with him before.

In some sense… they were "acquaintances."

Mo Hua was thoroughly confused.

"How could that be? What kind of karma would I have with them?"

Putting aside the other three, at least with that black-robed youth, he was certain: they had never met.

In fact, the youth's aura felt completely foreign.

So foreign that Mo Hua could almost confirm— He wasn't even from the Qianxue Province.

Which only made the mystery… even deeper.

Mo Hua's frown deepened.

"Once the chance comes, I will find out who you people really are..." he silently vowed.

But for now, it was better to stay still.

This Lone Mountain tomb was far too strange, and who knew what hidden dangers lay ahead. On his own, he definitely wouldn't make it to the innermost depths.

Second Master Hui and the others were seasoned grave robbers.

The four black-robed cultivators were extremely powerful—unfathomably so.

All Mo Hua had to do was ride their coattails.

No matter what dangers lurked in the tomb, the ones taking the brunt would be those seven Golden Core cultivators.

If anyone died first, it'd be them.

As long as he kept his distance and didn't get splashed by their blood, he'd be fine.

And since he was the only formation master in the group, unless it came down to a life-or-death moment, they probably wouldn't slaughter the donkey after the millstone.

With that sorted in his mind, Mo Hua gave a small nod, then stopped overthinking and focused on leading the way.

They continued deeper into the tomb, bypassing traps and mechanisms, until they came to another gate.

This gate was densely inscribed with formation runes—even more complex than the ones at the entrance.

Mo Hua hadn't realized it before, but ever since seeing the outer tomb gate—with its "Seven Souls Blood Prison" and ox-head and horse-face guardians—he began to feel that this new gate looked more like a prison gate.

The entire corridor felt like a hallway of a Dao Prison.

They weren't just in a tomb—they were inside a spiritual prison.

Mo Hua shook his head and began breaking the formation.

When it came to formation-breaking, he was far superior to Mister Pi—and far faster too. He didn't even need draft sketches; he could calculate everything in his mind.

But to stay low-key, he still took out the bronze formation brush, parchment, and mimicked Mister Pi's meticulous behavior—drawing, calculating, simulating.

Occasionally, he would make a mistake, scribble out some parts, or frown in frustration as if he was racking his brain and getting nowhere.

Second Master Hui and the others, watching Mo Hua's seemingly clueless act, started to get anxious—worried that he might not be able to crack it and they'd miss their grave-robbing opportunity.

So even though he was stalling and messing around in front of the gate, no one dared to disturb his "train of thought."

The three grave robbers held their breath, and the four black-robed cultivators remained silent.

No one knew how long it took, but at last, Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed with excitement:

"I've got it!"

Everyone let out a breath of relief.

Mo Hua then took his bronze brush and began painting the "painstakingly calculated" formation runes onto the gate—stroke by meticulous stroke.

One by one, the runes lit up, and the sealing formations unraveled.

With a rusty creak, the iron gate slowly began to open.

Second Master Hui's eyes flashed with surprise. He turned to glance deeply at Mo Hua, thinking to himself:

"This kid acts all unreliable, but who would've thought—his formation comprehension is actually this sharp? He picked up Mister Pi's formation techniques just by watching?"

"Mister Pi is dead now. Should we… keep this kid?"

"Change his name, give him a grave robber nickname, let him handle tomb formations for us going forward."

"Though… he might not agree to it."

Second Master Hui looked at Mo Hua, and suddenly had a bright idea:

"He looks like a virgin. Once we get out of here, I'll find a few courtesans and 'open his flower.'"

"Young men are full of blood and energy. Once they've tasted indulgence, they'll never go back. He'll get addicted—and once that happens, he'll willingly work for me."

"And if he's ungrateful… just lock him up, beat him like a dog, starve him a few days…"

"Carrot and stick. He'll come around eventually."

"Formation masters are rare talents these days. And this one's different from Mister Pi—he's young, brilliant, and still within our grasp…"

Second Master Hui's heart burned with ambition, and a glint of cruelty flashed through his eyes.

Mo Hua suddenly felt a chill run down his spine—but he pretended not to notice. Wiping sweat from his brow, he let out a long breath and said,

"The gate's open. We can proceed."

"Good. Many thanks, young brother," Second Master Hui replied, his tone noticeably warmer.

As before, Mo Hua held the compass and led the way.

The group surrounded him as they stepped deeper into the tomb.

Back on Lone Mountain, atop the desolate ridge—

Fan Jin and Master Gu stood grim-faced.

Officers from the Dao Judiciary Office, the Shen family, and the Artifact Refiners' Guild were clearing away the rubble.

Beneath the stones was a layer of dark, clotted blood, seeping into the earth.

The ground was littered with dismembered limbs.

The slain cultivators had died tragically.

Once the scene was roughly cleaned, a Dao Judiciary enforcer came forward, cupping his fists, and reported:

"Reporting to the Supervisor—

The dead are all Shen family cultivators, including two Golden Core experts and several Foundation Establishment ones. But… neither the 'Mo' young master you described nor Shen Qing-sheng were among the corpses."

Fan Jin and Master Gu both exhaled in relief—but their expressions remained dark.

Because Mo Hua and Shen Qing-sheng were still missing.

And the perpetrators—the murderers—had vanished without a trace.

Even worse, the fact that they had slain two Shen family Golden Core cultivators meant that their enemies possessed strength beyond Golden Core.

This was not something the Lone Mountain branch of the Dao Judiciary Office could handle.

With foes this powerful, Mo Hua and Shen Qing-sheng most likely hadn't escaped—they were probably taken hostage.

And if they couldn't be rescued… their fate would almost certainly be grim.

To Master Gu, Shen Qing-sheng's life didn't matter much. But Mo Hua—he was a benefactor of the Artifact Refiners' Guild. He couldn't afford for anything to happen to him.

In Fan Jin's eyes, the stakes were even higher.

Mo Hua was a prized disciple of the Great Void Sect, and Shen Qing-sheng was a direct descendant of the Shen Clan.

If either of them died under his watch, as the supervisor in charge, he'd be in deep trouble.

Never mind promotion—he might not even keep his current position.

"Any clue where the killers went?" Fan Jin asked.

"We found a mine shaft nearby," the enforcer replied. "There are traces of formation seals at the entrance."

"Quick," Fan Jin ordered. "Take me there!"

They led Fan Jin and Master Gu to the site. As expected, there were signs—chaotic footprints and residual formation traces at the mouth of the shaft.

"Can we break through it?" Fan Jin asked.

"No," the officer replied. "The Shen family's formation master inspected it. The passage is narrow and the stone walls fragile. If we break the formation, the shaft will collapse and bury the entrance completely. No one will get in—or out."

"Damn it…" Fan Jin cursed. Then:

"Where does this mine lead?"

"It's blocked further down."

"Then find the mine maps—see if any connect to this underground area!"

"Uh…" the enforcer hesitated bitterly.

"The maps… are with the Shen family. They don't share them with outsiders."

Fan Jin froze. His scowl deepened.

Master Gu studied the mine shaft, then glanced at the surrounding terrain. His pupils contracted slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"Let's head to the Shen family. See if we can request the mine maps."

Fan Jin sighed.

"Fine. That's our only option."

Just as the two prepared to leave, a commotion stirred in the distance. A large group of people approached.

At the forefront was an ordinary-looking man—but his expression was stern, and his presence impressive.

It was Shen Shouxing, a late-stage Golden Core powerhouse and the Shen Clan's elder with real authority.

"Shen Shouxing…"

Fan Jin and Master Gu exchanged a glance, their expressions growing even more grim.

Although Shen Shouxing hadn't reached the Feather Ascension Realm, he had achieved many merits within the Shen family, granting him considerable authority.

This Lone Mountain region had always been under Shen Shouxing's jurisdiction.

Now, with his own son missing here—possibly even murdered—of course he would come in person.

But his personal appearance also meant that this incident had escalated to a serious level. If it couldn't be resolved properly, there'd be no way to wrap things up.

Still, now that trouble had come knocking, hiding was no longer an option.

Fan Jin stiffened his spine and cupped his hands. "Elder Shen."

"Supervisor Fan," Shen Shouxing's voice was icy, though clearly restraining his fury. "What exactly happened?"

Fan Jin could only answer,

"A group of tomb robbers suddenly appeared in Lone Mountain. It seems they were discovered by Young Master Qing while digging into the mountain. A conflict broke out. These grave robbers are no pushovers—they killed all of Young Master Qing's guards. He himself was likely taken… and is currently missing."

As soon as Fan Jin finished speaking, he noticed Shen Shouxing's face darken to a terrifying degree.

"You're saying…"

Shen Shouxing's voice turned deadly cold.

"Tomb robbers?"

"Y-yes…" Fan Jin didn't think much of it at first, but after a moment of reflection, cold sweat soaked his back.

He realized—he might have just stepped into a trap. The very situation he wanted to avoid… had come looking for him.

But Fan Jin controlled himself and betrayed no panic on the surface.

Shen Shouxing didn't fixate on Fan Jin. After thinking for a moment, he declared with absolute authority:

"Withdraw all personnel. From this point forward, the Shen family will investigate this matter ourselves."

Fan Jin quietly exhaled in relief.

But Master Gu interjected:

"Elder Shen, the Gu family also has someone we need to rescue."

"Gu family?" Shen Shouxing frowned. "Who?"

"Mo Hua," Master Gu said.

Shen Shouxing's pupils contracted.

As the Shen family's power-wielding elder, how could he not know the weight that the name Mo Hua carried?

"I understand…" Shen Shouxing said slowly.

"Young Master Mo has a distinguished background. The Shen family will also ensure his safety. Master Gu need not worry."

"And how exactly does Elder Shen intend to do that?" Master Gu asked.

Shen Shouxing replied,

"If it's tomb robbers, they'll be digging further into the mountain. Sooner or later, they'll run into the mine network. The Shen family possesses maps of those mine tunnels. If we follow the maps, we'll inevitably find those criminals."

"Then let me assist you. One more person is one more strength—I'll accompany Elder Shen into the mine."

Shen Shouxing's expression soured.

The fact that he was even talking this much to a mere early-stage Golden Core cultivator from the Gu family's side branch was already a significant concession.

And most of it was only because of Mo Hua's importance—otherwise, he wouldn't even give them the time of day.

But this Gu family man wanted to enter a Shen family mine?

That was pure fantasy.

"No." Shen Shouxing refused without hesitation. "These are Shen family mines. Outsiders are not permitted entry."

Master Gu's heart sank.

Suddenly, he realized: Mo Hua's suspicions might've been right all along. There was definitely something shady in these mines.

"Young Master Mo has done great service to the Gu family. Now that he's missing, I have to get to the bottom of this."

Even in front of a high-ranking Shen elder, Master Gu didn't back down. His gaze was firm and unwavering.

Shen Shouxing sneered and mocked:

"This is a Shen family affair. The Gu family has no place here."

Master Gu frowned tightly.

But just then, another voice rang out:

"Then what if we add the Great Void Sect to the equation?"

Shen Shouxing's expression shifted. He turned to look—and saw, not far away, a cultivator approaching. He bore a noble aura, with sword light flickering in his eyes.

It was Elder Xun Ziyou, sword path elder of the Great Void Sect.

Elder Xun's face was calm, but his gaze sharp as blades.

Shen Shouxing's demeanor finally grew serious.

The Gu family could be brushed off—they were just a quasi-Fifth Grade clan, and Master Gu was from a peripheral branch.

But the Great Void Sect elder was a whole different matter.

Especially considering that Mo Hua was not only a key disciple, but the head of array cultivation in the sect—his importance was self-evident.

Now that he'd gone missing, the Great Void Sect would definitely demand accountability.

Shen Shouxing frowned and asked,

"What is it that Elder Xun wishes to do?"

Elder Xun Ziyou replied evenly,

"I will accompany you into the mine and retrieve my sect's disciple."

According to orders from the Sect Ancestor, Elder Xun was meant to protect Mo Hua from the shadows.

Until now, the twin jade pendant linked to the Taiyi Lock had shown no danger signs—so he hadn't acted.

But now that Mo Hua had gone underground and vanished entirely, Elder Xun was growing concerned.

Even if the jade pendant still didn't show any danger signals, what if something happened and he was too far away to intervene?

If Mo Hua suffered any mishap, the consequences would be grave.

At the very least, he needed to stay closer—only then could he be at ease.

Shen Shouxing's gaze turned cold.

Elder Xun's request was actually very reasonable.

But the Shen family's mine could not—must not—be seen by outsiders.

Shen Shouxing shook his head and refused in a frosty voice:

"I'm sorry, Elder Xun, but I cannot allow it."

Elder Xun Ziyou was surprised, and then his face darkened.

The atmosphere instantly turned tense and hostile.

Master Gu knew this standoff was going nowhere, so he stepped forward and cupped his hands:

"Elder Shen, your son was taken too. If we keep delaying like this, I'm afraid…"

Shen Shouxing's expression flickered.

That's right—Qingsheng was still inside.

But even so, the secrets in the mine absolutely could not be revealed.

Even if Qingsheng died inside… the Shen family's secrets had to stay buried.

Shen Shouxing's eyes hardened with resolve.

But then—suddenly—his gaze dimmed, as if something precious had just been ripped out of his soul.

A strange, whispering voice echoed in his ear:

"You only have one son in this life."

"If he dies, your bloodline ends…"

Shen Shouxing trembled.

His face went pale, his heart wrenched with pain.

He murmured under his breath,

"Yes… I only have this one son…"

That gray, lifeless hue in his eyes quietly faded away.

Then, slowly, he raised his head and nodded:

"Fine. We'll go in together."

(End of this Chapter)