Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 958: Divine Temple

Mo Hua's heart shook—he could hardly believe it.

Then something clicked in his mind:

"Master Gu once said that Lone Mountain produced bright yellow brass ore and was once called 'Gu Huang Mountain'... That would make the mountain god of Gu Huang Mountain... Huangshan-jun?"

Mo Hua had never expected this kind of deep connection.

When Master Gu mentioned "Gu Huang Mountain," he hadn't even thought about Huangshan-jun at all.

But… something felt off.

Mo Hua frowned.

That fallen mountain god, Huangshan-jun, was practically an old friend by now.

If Huangshan-jun really had some connection to Lone Mountain, then with Mo Hua's current insight into the Dao of Karma, he should have sensed something—some kind of resonance.

Yet… nothing.

That could mean one of two things:

Either he was being careless…

Or—Huangshan-jun's past had been deliberately concealed.

That a great karmic secret had been covered up by means of fate-obscuring techniques, blocking anyone from seeing or sensing the truth.

Mo Hua looked again at the Divine Temple's grand gates, staring at the relief of the Gu Huang Mountain God: holding a mountain-halberd, clad in golden chain armor, with a narrow face and regal gaze—his divine presence looking down on all living beings.

But in Mo Hua's mind, another image arose:

That ragged clay statue in a ruined shrine…

Wearing plain robes, pale from hunger, drinking rainwater, eating spoiled food—always smiling fawningly at him with quiet deference...

That was Huangshan-jun.

He simply couldn't reconcile the two.

No matter how he tried, he just couldn't connect these two divine figures.

Apparently, when gods fall, it's just as miserable as when mortals do.

But his confusion only deepened.

"What happened to Huangshan-jun, once so majestic, that he ended up like that?"

"Wasn't he supposedly purified by a senior from the Great Void Sect—his demonic roots cut off?"

"Then why… is his divine temple sealed under this mass grave, beneath Lone Mountain?"

Mo Hua looked up, gaze fixed on that magnificent, radiant temple beyond the golden gate.

"The truth… might be hidden inside that temple."

While Mo Hua wrestled with these doubts, Boss Hui also looked shaken by the sight.

"Such a magnificent hall… in the middle of a grave?"

He frowned. "But this doesn't look like a burial site at all."

He turned to the black-robed elder, only to see the elder wearing an expression of reverence and age-worn longing.

The old man murmured, "At last… we've found it."

He stretched out a hand toward the golden gates—but the moment he touched them, it was like being struck by lightning. He yanked his hand back immediately.

It was as if the gate was sealed by divine power, forbidding any mortal from laying hands upon it.

The elder's face turned grave. He gathered his bloody demonic energy into his palm and pressed his hand against the gate again.

Crimson energy clashed with golden radiance.

The golden light grew brighter—hotter—burning away the red energy little by little.

His hand, pressed against the gate, began to smoke like it touched branding iron.

The demonic energy was consumed. Then the flesh began to burn, blacken, peel away—until only bare white bone remained.

Yet the old man's expression didn't change. He remained solemn, resolved to open this door or die trying.

But even so, the golden door didn't budge an inch.

His arm was now being burned too—bone exposed, charred by divine flame.

Finally, he sighed and withdrew his hand.

Once he did, flesh and blood slowly regenerated over the skeleton, returning his arm to its original form.

Seeing the black-robed elder fail, the Demon Commander rasped:

"Let me do it."

The elder gave a weary sigh and bowed slightly,

"This old slave's bloodline... is still lacking."

The Demon Commander nodded and stepped forward.

The blue dragon tattoo on his back flared to life.

Blood surged as vast evil dragon power channeled into his palms.

He pressed his hand against the golden door.

A muffled dragon's roar echoed.

Something inside the gate was resonating with his bloodline.

His blood began to boil and pulse, surging into the divine gate in streams.

That luxurious door, sealed for who knows how long, began to tremble.

Mo Hua's heart tightened. Despite himself, he felt a surge of anticipation.

Time ticked by.

The Demon Commander's face was solemn. A shadowy evil dragon now coiled fully around his body. His blood had already been drained by nearly half.

The divine gate, saturated with dragon's blood, was just about to open—

When suddenly—A flash of white sword light, condensed to near-solid form and infused with terrifying spiritual energy, pierced through the air, slashing straight at the Demon Commander!

The Demon Commander's face changed—but he didn't let go of the door.

The bear-kin demon roared and threw himself in front, transforming his arms into monstrous claws to block the sword.

But this sword light was purer than jade, mightier than any before.

It clashed with the claws—then sliced straight through them, continuing toward the Demon Commander.

The black-robed elder appeared in a blur, summoning a long-horned skull that formed a spectral skeleton to block the rest of the sword strike—finally neutralizing the attack.

The old man looked up—and saw six cultivators approaching from a distance.

Their cultivations ranged from early Golden Core to peak Golden Core.

At the front was a man with an ordinary face but a calm, razor-sharp aura and hawk-like eyes. He wore the robes of the Shen family—it was Shen Shouxing, one of the Shen clan's true power-holding elders.

That terrifying white sword light just now—had come from his hand.

Beside him were two more Golden Cores from the Shen family, and the three-person team led by Elder Xun Ziyou.

When Shen Shouxing saw the Demon Commander—covered in evil dragon tattoos—trying to open the temple, his pupils shrank.

"Demonic scum—you court death!"

He slashed again, his jade-white sword flashing like a streak of lightning.

The black-robed elder once more summoned the horned skull and clashed with Shen Shouxing.

Elder Xun also struck—but was intercepted by the bear demon.

The two locked eyes and instantly turned bloodshot.

"You cursed beast—it's you!"

"You sword-freak from the Great Void Sect—you deserve to die!"

Elder Xun's tone was icy.

"I searched the ends of the earth for you. Today, I'll make sure you bleed on my sword."

"Arrogant fool!" the bear demon growled, his eyes crimson.

"Today I'll devour your flesh and drink your blood—tear you apart piece by piece!"

They had hated each other since the Battle of Ten Thousand Demon Valley, where they'd fought to the death.

The grudge only deepened when the Demon Sect was wiped out.

So now, the moment they clashed—it was all-out war.

Elsewhere, Master Gu and Magistrate Fan went straight for Boss Hui and Stone, the two tomb raiders.

Young Master Xuan faced two Shen family Golden Cores on his own.

A great battle exploded.

Swords clashed, spells flared, evil arts and Dao techniques collided—chaos erupted.

Mo Hua immediately retreated far, far away.

These were Golden Core cultivators fighting with all their might—some at peak or late-stage Golden Core—and the shockwaves were not something he could survive.

As a fragile Foundation Establishment "glass cannon", Mo Hua knew better than to stand close.

He could watch from a distance—but no closer.

Fortunately, all the Golden Cores only targeted enemies—they didn't harm innocents.

So despite the terrifying clash of powers, Mo Hua remained safe… for now.

At first, the fight was deadlocked.

But as time passed, the tide began to turn.

Shen Shouxing and Elder Xun clearly gained the upper hand.

One was a peak Golden Core elder of the Shen family—just one step from ascension.

The other, a Great Void Sect sword cultivator in the late Golden Core stage—his sword intent was honed to perfection.

The bear-kin demon couldn't hold out much longer against Elder Xun's sword intent.

As for the black-robed elder, while his evil skull techniques were cruel and cunning, he was simply too old. His spiritual channels had decayed, and he lacked stamina.

Facing Shen Shouxing in prolonged battle, he too began to fall behind.

"Can Elder Xun actually win?"

Mo Hua felt a flicker of hope.

Although the Shen family elder might not be exactly a "good guy," he was at least better than these demonic freaks.

And if the Shen family and Elder Xun won, and managed to subdue that Demon Sect Commander, Mo Hua might finally get a good look at the complete Azure Dragon Array Diagram on his body.

That could be the key to understanding his own life-bound array!

But just as Mo Hua was thinking this—

Shen Qingsheng, who'd been tied up and tossed aside, saw his father gaining the upper hand.

Delighted, he immediately shouted:

"Dad! Kill that old bastard!"

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.

This idiot just ruined everything.

Sure enough, the moment that "Dad" came out of his mouth, the black-robed elder's eyes narrowed.

He abandoned his fight with Shen Shouxing, flashed across the field, and appeared before Shen Qingsheng.

His withered hand clamped around Shen Qingsheng's neck.

"He's your father?"

Shen Qingsheng's face turned pale—he didn't dare respond.

The black-robed elder sneered and turned to Shen Shouxing:

"Back off, or I'll crush his throat."

Shen Shouxing's brows furrowed. He cursed inwardly:

Useless brat! All he ever does is mess things up.

If he hadn't shouted, these demonic cultivators might not have known their relationship.

But now? Leverage.

And Shen Qingsheng still hadn't realized what he'd done.

He just looked panicked and cried:

"Dad! Save me!"

Shen Shouxing had no choice but to stop attacking.

Elder Xun Ziyou followed suit.

He wanted to protect Mo Hua, but since Mo Hua stayed silent, Xun Ziyou wisely pretended not to know him.

In this kind of situation, Fan Dian and Master Gu naturally kept their mouths shut as well—no one was going to blow Mo Hua's cover.

And just like that, the chaotic battlefield quieted.

Though tension still crackled, neither side dared make the next move.

Shen Shouxing glared coldly at the black-robed elder.

"Hand him over."

The elder replied,

"I can… if you kill that Great Void Sect elder." He pointed at Xun Ziyou.

Shen Shouxing's eyes narrowed.

"Why him?"

The black-robed elder's voice turned frosty.

"The Great Void Sect and my Demon Sect share a blood feud. Countless of our disciples were slain by them. Every last one of them deserves a thousand deaths."

Behind him, Mo Hua—junior brother of the Great Void Sect—felt a cold chill in his heart.

Thank goodness I never revealed my identity.

He hadn't realized the Demon Sect harbored such hatred toward the Great Void Sect.

"Kill him, and your son is yours," the elder repeated.

Shen Shouxing sneered.

"You think I'd trust the word of demonic scum like you?"

The elder's fingers tightened on Shen Qingsheng's throat.

His face turned red, veins bulging like a sausage.

"D-Dad…"

Shen Shouxing's expression darkened.

"That condition won't work. Pick another."

But the elder simply repeated,

"Kill the Great Void Sect elder."

Shen Shouxing chuckled coldly.

"If I make a move on him, we'll both end up injured—and you'll just sit back and reap the reward. What, do you think I'm stupid?"

Xun Ziyou stepped forward, tone calm.

"Exactly. Elder Shen, if we join forces, we can wipe out these devils first."

The black-robed elder chuckled.

"The Great Void Sect wants to stand side by side with the Shen family now?"

Xun Ziyou replied,

"Eradicating evil cultivators is our duty. What's that got to do with 'standing together'?"

The elder smirked.

"Why pretend to be naïve, Elder Xun? Are we really the only 'evil' ones here?"

Xun Ziyou's eyes sharpened.

"What are you implying?"

The elder spoke slowly:

"I don't know how you tracked us down, but along the way—you saw what was in the Shen family's mining tunnels, didn't you?"

"The bodies. Countless of them—like tides of corpses."

"Tell me—how is the Shen family's conduct any different from the demonic path?"

Before Xun Ziyou could speak, Shen Shouxing cut in, his expression ice-cold:

"Stop spouting nonsense. Those corpses have nothing to do with the Shen family. We are a righteous clan, officially recognized by the Dao Court as a Grade Five noble family. Our disciples pursue the Dao with devotion—we would never violate the laws of the Dao Court."

The black-robed elder paused. Then let out a bitter chuckle.

"A true Shen family elder. A true aristocrat."

"No wonder when we demons kill, we're hunted like beasts—but when your noble families feast on corpses, you're showered in praise and glory."

Shen Shouxing's face turned dark as water.

"Slander like this against the Shen family deserves death."

The elder gave a raspy laugh, then turned to Xun Ziyou:

"Let's not beat around the bush. Does the Great Void Sect intend to crawl into bed with the Shen family?"

Xun Ziyou's eyes glinted.

"The truth behind the mine disaster must be properly investigated. But your crimes are already clear. You and your ilk will die first."

The black-robed elder's grin turned cold.

"You think you'll get out of Lone Mountain alive? Aren't you worried that Elder Shen might stab you in the back?"

"Enough with the games." Shen Shouxing drew his white jade sword, pointing it directly at the elder.

The elder's grip tightened.

"Not afraid I'll kill your son?"

Shen Shouxing's eyes were sharp as blades.

"If my son dies—all of you will follow him into the grave."

Then he stopped hesitating.

His sword burst forth with blinding light as he attacked once more.

The black-robed elder's heart sank.

This Shen Shouxing... no wonder he'd risen to the top of the Shen clan. He was ruthless and sharp-eyed to the extreme.

And unfortunately, he wasn't wrong.

The elder really couldn't kill Shen Qingsheng right now.

As long as the brat lived, he could be used as leverage.

If he died—he was just dead weight.

Worse, killing him might push Shen Shouxing into a mad rage that would cause all sorts of unpredictable trouble.

So he kept Shen Qingsheng alive—for now—as a hostage to keep Shen Shouxing in check.

And as long as Shen Shouxing had to worry about his son, he couldn't go all-out either.

Xun Ziyou also made a move.

But everyone now had their own scruples, and the battle once again fell into a tense stalemate.

Just then—

The Demon Sect Commander, who had been silently bleeding his blood to feed the Divine Temple, suddenly let out a furious roar.

His aura surged.

The phantom of an evil dragon coiled around him, and a storm of energy swept the field.

The tightly sealed divine gate let out a thunderous boom—

And opened.

The grand, golden brilliance of the temple began to shine into everyone's eyes.

The black-robed elder's gaze lit up instantly.

He shouted:

"Go!"

This temple had been their true goal from the start—they wouldn't let the Shen family delay them now.

Young Master Xuan's expression turned cold.

He slashed a bloody arc through two Shen family Golden Cores and dashed into the temple first.

The bear demon roared, his body surging with demonic glyphs.

Taking advantage of Elder Xun's momentary pause, he too charged into the temple.

Then came Boss Hui and Stone.

Mo Hua thought for a moment—this opportunity wouldn't come twice—so he slipped through the crack in the temple gate as well.

After him came the black-robed elder, dragging Shen Qingsheng with him as he stepped through the Divine Temple's doorway.

"Qing'er!" Shen Shouxing shouted in anger.

Xun Ziyou's heart also sank.

"Mo Hua!"

Both of them turned into sword-light and charged toward the Divine Temple.

But halfway there, a furious dragon roar exploded like thunder across flat ground. A pair of dragon fists, radiating immense pressure, came hurtling at them, forcefully blocking their path.

A violent shockwave burst outward.

Xun Ziyou staggered back three steps from the blow.

Even Shen Shouxing—at the peak of the Golden Core Realm—was forced back a step, his face paling.

The mountain-sized Demon Sect Commander now stood in their way.

Even after losing a chunk of his blood, under the power of the Azure Dragon Evil Array carved into his body, this commander's strength was still terrifying.

After repelling the two of them, the Demon Sect Commander remained cold and proud, slowly stepping back toward the Divine Temple's gate.

Shen Shouxing and Xun Ziyou tried to attack again, but they couldn't break through the Azure Dragon Evil Array on the commander's body, and under the pressure of his towering divine form, they couldn't charge into the temple.

They could only watch helplessly as the crimson-eyed, evil dragon-wreathed Demon Sect Commander strode into the depths of the temple.

And at that moment, the golden doors of the temple slowly closed in front of them.

Shen Shouxing and Xun Ziyou stood there, their expressions grave beyond words.

Inside the Divine Temple.

Mo Hua felt the world twist around him.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dazzling, golden main hall.

The entire temple seemed to be forged from brilliant yellow brass ore, shining like polished gold, so bright it hurt the eyes.

Mo Hua paced around for a bit but saw no one else.

"Strange… we clearly came in together…"

He wandered through the front hall, looking around—until he finally spotted a human figure.

It was a man in black robes, handsome and pale-skinned—Young Master Xuan, at the Golden Core level.

As soon as Mo Hua saw him, the man also turned and saw Mo Hua.

His eyes lit up slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.

"Found you."

"Found me?" Mo Hua blinked.

"Yes." Young Master Xuan smiled.

"This temple is strange. Once inside, it scrambles your sense of direction. I came here specifically to find you."

"Find me for what…" Mo Hua looked confused on the surface—but inside, his heart tensed.

Something's wrong.

Young Master Xuan smiled calmly.

"To grant you a great opportunity."

"Opportunity?" Mo Hua was startled.

Then Young Master Xuan took out a translucent amber talisman.

It seemed to be made from some creature's skull, with three jagged, interlocking cracks on it.

He held it up and waved it gently in front of Mo Hua's face.

Mo Hua froze. The next moment, he felt a wave of dizziness sweep over his divine sense, as if some thought or voice was drilling into his heart.

At the same time, he heard Young Master Xuan's soft whisper at his ear:

"From this moment on, I am your master—you are my servant."

"You will obey my every word."

"All my commands, you shall follow. Not one may be defied."

"If I will you to live, you shall live. If I will you to die, you shall die…"

"These words are now Dao, planted as a demonic seed within your heart—eternal and unyielding, ever pulsing in your soul…"

…

Mo Hua stood there, dazed for a long moment—then realization hit him like a thunderclap.

This Young Master Xuan… is trying to perform a Demonic Seed Implantation on my Dao Heart?!

(End of this Chapter)