Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 960: Rioting

"What's going on?"

"The wraiths are rioting?!"

Everyone's expression changed dramatically—even the usually composed and immovable Demon Sect Commander looked gravely serious.

The surrounding Yin energy surged like converging storm clouds. It became so dense that it seemed like it could drip from the air itself, and the chilling cold pierced straight to the bone.

The black-robed elder looked up toward the sky.

It was a dull, misty gray, heavy with Yin aura—yet there was nothing visibly out of place.

But he could already sense that something extraordinary was happening.

He turned and looked at Mo Hua, his pupils trembling involuntarily.

He didn't know the exact cause, but the disturbance among the wraiths in the worship grounds was undoubtedly being drawn in by this kid's divine sense.

"What the hell is going on…"

Yin winds swirled, pressing down like a mountain, gathering overhead and spiraling endlessly above them.

The black-robed elder couldn't see what was happening—but Mo Hua could.

In his vision, countless resentful spirits and ghostly beings, drawn by the golden divine sense smoke rising from his head, were swarming toward him like a tide.

That golden divine sense made them crave it desperately—yet also fear it deeply.

Their longing made them howl and tremble.

But their fear made them hesitate, paralyzed with dread.

It was like a "gift from a god"—holy, sacred. They wanted to consume it, but none dared take the first bite.

The evil ghosts and specters gathered more and more densely, swirling around the golden divine sense like a sky-covering hurricane of sinister energy.

The tightly packed evil spirits began to jostle, crush, and trample one another—warping the very air with their chaotic presence.

Sweat began to bead on the black-robed elder's forehead.

The others didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

Yet the lamp above Mo Hua's head kept burning. The golden divine sense smoke kept rising—growing denser and richer.

Finally, one ghost couldn't take it anymore.

Its greed outweighed its fear, and it took the first bite—consuming a wisp of divine sense from Mo Hua, this being of half-divine essence.

An indescribable sweetness and richness flooded its entire being.

Strange mutations immediately appeared on its form—faint golden runes began etching themselves onto its spectral body.

It let out a wild roar, its twisted and hideous face now twisted in ecstasy.

It wanted more—another bite.

But in the next instant, it was ripped apart by the surrounding ghosts.

Like a plump lamb tossed into a pack of starving wolves, its ghostly form was shredded and devoured to the last wisp by the others.

That single act of greed had torn open the dam.

The fragrance of divine sense began to spread.

More and more ghosts caught a taste of the soul-deep sweetness.

And then… they went insane.

Even more spirits threw caution to the wind, lunging to feast on Mo Hua's golden divine sense.

But each time one fed, it was immediately torn apart by the swarm—devoured without a trace.

Mo Hua's divine sense had become both a tonic and a plague.

A ghost could gain great power from consuming it, but the moment it did—it would be killed by the others, its power too tempting to ignore.

The skies were filled with ghosts warring over that single golden strand of divine sense, howling, shrieking, with Yin winds raging and spectral screams echoing in the air.

And from the distance—even more terrifying auras were approaching.

It seemed that some powerful wraith lords had also sensed the divine offering and were coming.

The black-robed elder's pupils contracted in terror as he rasped, "RUN!"

There were too many ghosts.

If they didn't flee now—they would all die!

Even with their Golden Core cultivation, even as high-ranking cultivators—they wouldn't survive the onslaught of these countless, unseen, unknowable wraiths.

They would be possessed, corrupted, devoured, and twisted into monsters.

No one dared hesitate. They activated their movement techniques and began sprinting forward.

But as they ran, the Divine Mist Lantern's concealment was compromised—a crack formed, and traces of living aura leaked out.

Many ghosts were instantly alerted, their expressions twisting, and they turned into gusts of Yin wind, swooping toward the fleeing party.

The black-robed elder felt a chill in his soul. Without hesitation, he pulled out a beast skull and hurled it into the sky.

The skull exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

Drawn to the scent, the ghosts were momentarily distracted.

"Maoshan talismans!" the black-robed elder shouted.

Young Master Xuan understood instantly and turned to Boss Hui, commanding in a strange tone, "Use the talismans!"

Boss Hui nodded dully, reached into his storage pouch, and pulled out a pile of Maoshan jade talismans—without distinguishing type or quality—and began setting them off one by one.

Due to the Dao Heart Demonic Seed, his mind was muddled. He couldn't tell which talisman was useful or not.

Most of them did nothing.

But a few—when detonated—produced golden tiger-shaped phantoms and mystical glyphs that did manage to hinder the ghosts temporarily.

Seizing the opening, the black-robed elder spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the Divine Mist Lantern, pushing it to its limit.

An even thicker mist erupted, shrouding everyone within.

The ghosts momentarily lost their direction.

But only for a moment.

In the very next second, they resumed their attack with even greater frenzy—and now, the aura of powerful ghost lords was getting closer.

It was clear that the strongest of the undead had taken notice of them.

The black-robed elder's heart froze with dread.

He immediately barked, "Extinguish the human lamp!"

Normally, a cultivator offering up part of their divine sense to a human lamp was like paying a toll—a little divine sense to pass safely.

But Mo Hua's divine sense was far too precious.

It was like walking through a slum while flashing piles of gold and gems.

This wasn't a toll—it was a death sentence.

Young Master Xuan immediately removed the circlet from Mo Hua's head—no way he was letting him keep burning.

The golden divine sense smoke vanished.

All the ghosts in the sky froze in place.

Silence fell.

But only for a second.

Then came the howls of fury.

The divine-scented "meat" had just escaped their jaws.

The ghosts were enraged.

They went mad—twisting, mutating, slaughtering each other in a frenzy. They soared through the air, howling and tearing apart everything in sight—even each other.

"These ghosts… have they all gone insane?!"

The black-robed elder sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, then didn't dare slack off—he poured all his energy into activating the Misty Fog Lamp to cover the party's escape.

But it was already too late.

Several resentful spirits and wraiths had broken through the mist and began tearing into the group.

Boss Hui and Stonehead were hit the worst, getting deeply corroded by the ghosts.

The others weren't spared either—each of them had more or less been tainted by the ghostly aura.

The only exception… was Mo Hua.

Whether it was a resentful spirit or a ferocious wraith, whenever they reached Mo Hua, they would instantly freeze, as if they had run into something terrifying. Not a single one dared make a move.

In this storm of raging ghosts, Mo Hua was ironically the safest of them all.

He could clearly see all the ghostly chaos unfolding at the spiritual level—but the others could not.

To the black-robed elder and the others, all they could feel was an overwhelming chill, a cold so deep it invaded their bones, and a crushing pressure all around them.

What they didn't know was—those wraiths had already bitten into them, tearing off pieces of their spiritual "flesh."

If this continued much longer, no matter if they were Demon Sect commanders or peak Golden Core cultivators—they would all die here in this sanctuary.

But fortunately, the edge of the sacred ground was no longer far.

That was their lifeline.

After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the group finally escaped from the golden sanctuary, leaving behind the endless bronze puppets and the tide of vengeful souls.

The black-robed elder felt for the first time in many years… like he had just survived a deadly calamity.

Behind them, the dense Yin and evil aura surged like storm clouds pressing on a city.

Clearly, the ghost riot wasn't over. The agitated spirits continued to rage across the sanctuary like a hurricane, chilling to the core.

The elder slowly turned to look at Mo Hua beside him, and a deeply absurd thought surged in his heart:

"This kid… what is he?"

"Why does his divine sense cause such a massive outbreak of spiritual rioting…?"

"His divine sense—could it be some kind of 'divine meat'? Why does it have such an irresistible lure?"

His pupils trembled in disbelief.

Yet Mo Hua stood there like a wooden doll, unmoving, completely unresponsive. Even his eyes had started to dim—like his divine sense had been drained and damaged after being used as the human lamp.

"What a pity…"

The black-robed elder sighed faintly and silently thought:

"Such innate talent in divine sense. If not for the Dao-Heart Demon Seed, he'd have been a perfect candidate for a 'Great Witch Priest'."

"But now... completely wasted…"

He shook his head, collecting himself, then spoke to the group: "We can't stay here. Let's leave as soon as possible."

Young Master Xuan nodded.

Having ghostly aura clinging to one's body—it felt like a thorn in the back. Unbearable.

The group continued forward, climbing a golden stairway that gleamed like dragon scales, step by step, toward the majestic divine temple at the very summit.

They had passed the Lone Mountain Sanctuary, crossed the sea of vengeful souls…

Now, the grandest, most radiant, most magnificent divine palace, sitting atop all the tiers, slowly revealed itself before them.

Meanwhile, outside the temple…

Shen Shouxing, Xun Ziyou, elders of the Shen family, Master Gu, and Fan Jin were all working together to force open the temple gates.

They were trying to break in and rescue Mo Hua and Shen Qingsheng.

The longer the two stayed inside, the greater the danger. Their chances of survival diminished by the minute.

Mo Hua… was still okay.

Xun Ziyou held a jade pendant, which at least told him Mo Hua's life wasn't in danger yet.

But Shen Qingsheng was another matter.

Even Shen Shouxing knew his son was, at heart, a spoiled waste. Without the protection of the clan, he was completely helpless at anything—and to make matters worse, arrogant and blind to his own limits.

Now that he was in the hands of a few ruthless and cunning Golden Core demon cultivators—if they didn't act fast, death was a certainty.

That's why Shen Shouxing was more anxious than anyone.

A voice kept echoing in his mind:

"This is your only son. If he dies—you will be left with no heir…"

The phrase "no heir" struck him with overwhelming dread.

So he held nothing back—every sword technique, every artifact was unleashed as he tried to blast open the temple gate.

But no matter how hard he tried… the gate didn't budge.

Even Xun Ziyou frowned.

He could understand his own failure, but Shen Shouxing was a real power holder in the Shen family, a peak Golden Core cultivator, only one step away from the Feather Ascension Realm.

And yet even he couldn't blast this door open?

This temple was definitely no ordinary structure.

"Mo Hua…"

Xun Ziyou's brows furrowed slightly.

Odd as it sounded, this "bodyguard" might be more worried about Mo Hua's safety than Mo Hua himself.

He touched the Void Sword Token hidden in his sleeve, eyes sharp with focus.

He had held onto this token the entire time—if Mo Hua's jade pendant showed even the slightest sign of turning black, he'd immediately crush it to alert Venerable Elder Xun.

But even if the elder was alerted—could he even break through this divine gate in time?

Matters of life and death often came down to mere moments. A moment's delay could be fatal.

"What should I do…"

Panic began to stir in Xun Ziyou's heart.

And he wasn't alone—Fan Jin and Master Gu also looked extremely anxious.

Mo Hua had helped Fan Jin forge ties with power; he couldn't let his "thigh" be broken now.

And Master Gu… Mo Hua had saved his business. Of course he didn't want anything to happen to him.

What's more, Fan Jin was Lone Mountain's official supervisor—if something happened to Mo Hua in his jurisdiction, he'd be held responsible.

But no matter how they fretted—nothing worked.

No matter what they used, the golden temple gate remained completely unshakable.

As if this was a divine realm—a forbidden domain that no mortal was allowed to enter.

Time passed, little by little.

And so did hope.

Just when despair began creeping into their hearts —a flash of blood-red light lit the sky.

The temple gate… suddenly trembled.

And then—to everyone's astonishment—it slowly began to open before their very eyes.

Everyone stood frozen.

"It's opening…"

"Did we finally break through?"

"It's finally open?"

"But… how exactly did it open?" Master Gu asked in confusion. There hadn't been any sign of a formation being broken or mechanism being triggered.

Xun Ziyou frowned—he didn't understand either.

"Mo Hua is inside. No matter what, we have to go in and take a look," Xun Ziyou said.

Master Gu nodded.

On the other side, Shen Shouxing glanced toward Xun Ziyou's group. His eyes flashed with a ruthless light, and then he stepped into the temple.

The Shen family's Golden Core cultivators followed close behind.

Xun Ziyou and the others no longer hesitated and also stepped through the grand doors of the divine temple.

Once inside, the surroundings fell eerily silent for a moment.

Suddenly, there came the rustling sound of movement. A pale human-shaped creature stepped out—its skin ashen like it had been peeled, its facial features distorted and monstrous.

It looked at the temple gate... and then grinned—a bloody, grotesque smile. Slowly, it too stepped into the temple.

The pale, deformed figure disappeared through the doors.

And the moment it passed, a flash of blood-red light gleamed—and the temple doors began to close, sealing everyone inside.

Deep within the divine temple...

After walking a little further, the black-robed elder's group finally arrived at the innermost main hall.

The grand hall was vast, its steps tall, and the entire space glowed with dazzling golden brilliance.

Lining both sides of the hall were rows of massive statues.

These statues were humanoid, but unlike the kneeling bronze figures outside the temple grounds, these copper statues were all majestic and towering, each bearing a stern expression. Some rode on dragon-horses, some sat upon dragon thrones, and some wielded dragon swords, exuding a commanding, imperious presence.

From their elevated perches, these statues seemed to be overseeing the countless kneeling miners in the outer sanctum—as if receiving the worship of their slaves.

"Dragons? These people… are they the royal family of the Great Wilderness?"

Mo Hua quietly speculated to himself, but on the surface, he kept up his vacant, dull-eyed act, not revealing a single emotion.

The Demon Sect commander, upon seeing these towering, dragon-etched statues, visibly trembled. His emotions surged with an obvious wave of reverence and agitation.

"We've finally... made it here..." the black-robed elder said with a hoarse, emotional sigh.

"The fate of the Great Wilderness... may at last have a turning point. Third Prince…"

He looked at the Demon Sect commander.

The commander nodded and strode toward the main temple gate.

This gate was tightly shut. At its center was a massive dragon head embedded into the door, sealing off the final chamber of the divine temple.

From this dragon head stretched out thick chains, binding it tightly. These chains extended outward and wrapped around each of the royal statues, as if these former emperors themselves were guarding this final gate.

The commander cut open his palm and slowly extended his arm into the mouth of the dragon.

Fresh blood dripped down, drop by drop, feeding the dragon.

The moment it tasted royal blood, the dragon head trembled, its eyes lighting up with a terrifying majesty, staring directly at the commander.

At the same time, the surrounding royal statues seemed to come to life, each radiating killing intent.

Yet the Demon Sect commander—no, Shentu Ao—remained steadfast. He knelt, his voice thick and sonorous, like a dragon's roar, and proclaimed word by word:

"This junior, Shentu Ao, third son of the royal clan of the Great Wilderness, pays respects to my ancestors."

"Today, the imperial bloodline has withered. We are orphaned, scattered and alone."

"The Dao Court is corrupt. Our clan has been butchered and our bloodline severed."

"I, Ao, humbly plead before my forebears:

Stabilize the dragon veins, open the imperial tomb,

Bestow upon me the Dragon Pulse of the Great Wilderness,

So that I may defy Heaven, alter my fate,

Restore the royal legacy,

And reign over the Three Thousand Great Mountains—

Unify all clans beneath the Great Wilderness!"

Mo Hua's heart trembled violently.

"This Demon Sect commander… is actually named Shentu Ao?

Shentu… that's the royal surname of the Great Wilderness?!"

"Rule the Three Thousand Mountains, unite the myriad clans, restore the royal dynasty… What is this Shentu Ao planning?"

"Is he… trying to stage a rebellion?!"

"And this 'Dragon Pulse of the Great Wilderness'… what exactly is it?"

"Is this the power he needs to rebel?"

The more Mo Hua heard, the more shocked he became. If it weren't for his mastery of spiritual concealment, his calm heart, and his habit of "acting" to deceive others, he surely would've let something slip in his expression.

A rebellion?

Reviving the throne? Defying the Dao Court?

This Shentu Ao… what insane ambition!

Mo Hua never would've guessed that this little tomb expedition at Lone Mountain would dig up a secret of such world-shaking magnitude.

This went far beyond anything he'd imagined. No amount of scheming would have predicted this outcome.

And right as Shentu Ao, the third prince of the Great Wilderness, finished speaking—

The entire divine hall began to tremble faintly.

It was as if his bloodline, his ambition, his burning will had awakened the slumbering ancestors buried deep within this underground palace—those former emperors of a fallen era.

Low, resonant dragon roars began to echo throughout the temple, overlapping and weaving together.

The ancient ancestors of the Great Wilderness… were responding to Shentu Ao's call.

They began channeling their remaining Dragon Qi through the binding dragon chains—thread by thread, it flowed toward the door, calming the wrathful dragon head.

With a final, defiant dragon roar—The gate to the Imperial Tomb of the Great Wilderness slowly opened.

From within… surged a mighty wave of karmic Dragon Qi.

(End of this Chapter)