Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 969: Mountain Lord

Within the majestic yet eerie divine temple, radiant with grandeur yet reeking of sinister corruption—

Ever-shifting streams of thought force interwove, and the clash of powerful divine sense rang out in a constant, thunderous rhythm.

Mo Hua and the Evil Fetus were locked in a life-and-death battle.

Amidst the intense duel, Mo Hua seized an opening and conjured a fireball.

It howled through the air, slamming into the Evil Fetus—the blackened, fallen version of "Lord Huangshan"—but only produced a spark. In response, Huangshan swept out a massive, gruesome claw of blood. Mo Hua failed to fully dodge—his arm was torn open with a long, bloody gash.

Startled, he quickly circulated golden divine marrow to repair the damage.

But the Evil Fetus's onslaught did not stop.

A crimson halberd—condensed from wailing spirits—manifested out of nowhere and cleaved downward.

Mo Hua narrowly dodged with Flowing Water Step, barely evading the blow. He retaliated with a hand seal, summoning the Water Prison Technique—seven watery bindings locked around the Evil Fetus.

But with a casual flick, the Evil Fetus shattered them all into scattered droplets. Then it blinked—vanishing in a flash of shadow—and appeared before Mo Hua, striking him with a single vicious slap that sent him flying.

Bones screamed in pain.

Mo Hua twisted mid-air and skidded backward for several meters before regaining balance. But the next instant, a flash of blood, and the killing move was already upon him.

A black-blooded spike hurtled toward his heart.

Mo Hua instinctively avoided the vital point, but his shoulder was still impaled. He rolled across the ground in a wretched state. The Evil Fetus advanced again.

It clenched its malformed hand and conjured a filthy long halberd, stabbing straight at Mo Hua.

But then—a surge of golden light burst out.

Dense array runes appeared.

Mo Hua had secretly activated a divine formation!

Golden chains wrapped around the Evil Fetus, locking it down. Around them, earthfire surged and magma flowed, divine sense explosions flaring one after another, steadily burning the Evil Fetus's body.

But the monster casually yanked, snapping all the chains. It stepped through the sea of flame like a man enjoying a hot spring—completely unscathed.

Mo Hua's scalp tingled.

Before he could react, the corrupted halberd swept toward him again.

He gripped his hand—a sword array appeared, materializing into the Broken Gold Sword.

Halberd and sword clashed.

Golden swordlight met black-red demonic aura—tearing and churning, force blasting out.

The impact sent Mo Hua flying once more. His palm throbbed painfully, blood oozing from between his fingers.

He tried again to restore himself using divine marrow—but realized with dread: part of it had been tainted by black blood.

It hurt his soul.

He'd painstakingly accumulated that divine marrow—bit by bit—and now, corrupted, a portion was ruined.

Suddenly—a flash of blood, a wave of foul wind. Mo Hua knew without looking: the Evil Fetus was on him again.

He looked up just in time to see a halberd tip—dripping with black blood and rotting flesh—rushing toward his skull.

His Broken Gold Sword was already shattered.

Mo Hua flipped his hand and formed a Tai'a Mountain-Cleaving Sword, its sword intent weighty as a mountain. He met the halberd head-on.

Once again—semi-divine and evil god powers collided directly.

Falling darkness and golden divine light erupted together, surging outward.

Sword lights and blade flashes filled the air. Mo Hua battled this Evil Fetus for nearly a hundred more exchanges.

His divine sense body was covered in wounds—some cut deep enough to expose bone.

The Evil Fetus? Its monstrous body of corrupted divine essence remained unscathed.

A Peak Grade-Three Evil Fetus, its blackened divine form condensed like metal armor—immune to flame, water, and sword-formed divine sense.

"This won't do…" Mo Hua's expression turned grim.

He fought a few more rounds—and misstepped. The halberd struck him again, launching him across the room.

Using the momentum, Mo Hua retreated several meters and stood firm.

He raised both hands above his head—his gaze piercing, his sword intent rising.

All manner of Five Element Sword Arrays and Great Void Sword Dao laws surged around him, converging into the embryonic form of a massive sword.

His eyes radiated killing intent.

"Spells can't harm you."

"Arrays can't trap you."

"Sword Manifestation can't pierce your armor…"

"But don't tell me the Great Void's God-Slaying Style…

can't even cut your bones?"

He gripped the air. The massive God-Slaying Sword began to take shape—

But before it could fully materialize—

A flash of speed—faster than before—struck.

A foul, black-blooded halberd aimed straight for Mo Hua's face.

"Too late!"

Mo Hua's face turned pale. Gritting his teeth, he slashed down with the unfinished God-Slaying Sword.

Though the intent was incomplete, the half-step God-Slaying Style met the corrupted divine halberd head-on.

BOOM!!

The temple shook.

An even more terrifying divine-sense shockwave than before burst out like a hurricane.

The nightmare realm churned—souls howled in agony.

Outside the hall, Elder Xun and the others turned pale.

They could feel their divine souls trembling.

A power that could obliterate their very souls.

Even its leakage left them with a sense of complete helplessness.

They couldn't even comprehend what kind of battle was taking place in that hall.

Even Xun Ziyou, a late-stage Golden Core and senior elder of the Great Void Sect, felt his heart tremble.

"Is this… Mo Hua?"

"What kind of monster is he fighting…?"

"How can it be this terrifying…?"

Beside him, Master Gu and Fan Dian were ashen and stunned.

"Young Master Mo… who in the world is he…?"

"He… should be a 'person'… right?"

Deep within the temple—

A filthy, black-blooded halberd lay broken on the ground.

The Evil Fetus, grotesque and armored in demonic plating, stood still.

A wound had opened on its shoulder—its flesh squirming, corrupted qi festering, foul blood dripping slowly.

It did not move. It looked… surprised.

On the other side, Mo Hua gasped heavily for breath.

But before he could recover much, the fetus's flesh began to heal. Its evil aura flickered to life once more.

The broken evil halberd… re-manifested in its hand.

Mo Hua grit his teeth, drawing a sharp breath.

"It's… too strong…"

At this point, Mo Hua had begun to understand.

This Evil Fetus—was a failed descent. In other words, it was a "stillborn" godspawn—possessing even greater deathly aura than a typical evil god avatar.

It likely had no true consciousness—just residual instincts for devouring and slaughter.

And its body… was made from too many things.

It contained the source essence of an evil god, demonic beast flesh, the despair and pain of over 100,000 fallen cultivators in Lone Mountain—and the demonic resentment born from that despair.

Chaos. Mutation. Blood and horror mixed.

Back when Mo Hua touched the Divine Authority Tree in the Great Wilderness, he sensed a massive, chaotic, distorted "node."

Now it was clear—that "node" was very likely this Evil Fetus beneath Lone Mountain.

And the strongest component of this abomination… was Lord Huangshan.

A Peak Grade-Three Divine Spirit.

After Lord Huangshan was slain, his massive divine corpse fell into evil hands, used to hatch this godspawn—a vessel for descent.

Or perhaps… it had all been a plot from the start.

A conspiracy targeting Lord Huangshan.

He had been too strong—especially here in Lone Mountain. Even evil gods couldn't touch him.

So they schemed to first corrupt him—then have him killed by someone else.

After his fall into madness, the Great Void Sect sent elders to slay him.

And though Huangshan was defeated—his broken divine body remained…

That corrupted divine flesh was used as nourishment—evolving over time into the Evil Fetus.

In some sense… everyone was manipulated.

This was Mo Hua's deduction after seeing the true form of the fetus and fighting it himself.

The general outline might be right, though the details remain unclear.

Only Lord Huangshan, the Great Void elders, or perhaps that shadowy "Mr. Tu" behind the evil god, might know the whole truth.

But now was not the time to pursue that truth.

Right now, the only thing before him— Was this failed descent, this deformed, twisted, slumbering horror beneath Lone Mountain.

And it was far too powerful.

Mo Hua's lips were tightly pressed together—his heart brimming with unwillingness.

Faster than him, fiercer than him, stronger in divine thought, shrouded in bizarre evil aura, with black blood capable of corroding divine marrow, clad in demonic armor that rendered it immune to blades, flames, and water.

Even when he tried to summon the God-Slaying Sword, the Evil Fetus would lash out like a rabid beast, interrupting him before he could gather force.

It didn't give him a single chance.

From beginning to now, Mo Hua had barely gained any advantage in the fight.

The only good news—even though this Evil Fetus was at the peak of Grade Three, the God-Slaying Sword could still pierce its armor and flesh, dealing a certain degree of real damage.

But whether it could kill it? That was another matter entirely.

The biggest problem was… he never had the chance to use it properly.

This Evil Fetus would never give him the time to unleash the full form of the God-Slaying Style.

And its cultivation level was too high—any restricting techniques, be it Water Prison or binding arrays, were utterly ineffective.

"Should I run?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment and realized—escape was the smartest of the 36 strategies.

From what he could tell, this Evil Fetus was rooted to the Dragon Coffin, and likely couldn't stray too far from this hall.

"So I'll fight a little more, retreat to recover… then come back and fight again?"

This thing might be terrifying, but Mo Hua wasn't exactly made of paper either.

Relying on divine sense Dao transformation and a few divine sword arts, he could still exchange a few rounds with it and not lose instantly.

So that was the only way—grind it down. Bit by bit. Until something changed.

He rapidly cycled through all possible methods to counter the Evil Fetus… but in a blink, the Evil Fetus disappeared.

Warning bells exploded in his heart.

Mo Hua immediately retreated—but it was a beat too slow.

A massive, vicious claw tore through the air with a foul wind and ripped deep gashes across Mo Hua's back.

He was sent flying like a cannonball, slamming into the temple wall.

Boom!

Cracks spread like spiderwebs across the surface.

Gritting his teeth through the searing pain, Mo Hua couldn't help but curse:

"Huangshan-jun! I'm not forgetting this debt!"

The Evil Fetus's terrifying power… all stemmed from Huangshan-jun.

If not for him, why would Mo Hua be going through this nightmare?!

But cursing didn't fix anything—and pain didn't stop the fight.

Still clutching his sword, he forced himself upright despite his injuries.

He knew—the Evil Fetus's next round of attacks would come at any moment.

This monster… never gave him any breathing room.

Sword in hand, body tense, Mo Hua prepared for the next assault.

But… nothing came.

The surroundings were eerily quiet. No Evil Fetus charging forward.

Mo Hua blinked in confusion and looked up—only to see the creature standing still not far away.

At the same time, its black blood churned, demonic energy crackled, and its whole body trembled slightly—as if some internal conflict was raging within.

From time to time, a flicker of golden light flashed across its face—blinking in and out.

A faint, familiar aura… hovered in the air.

Mo Hua's pupils contracted.

"That's… Huangshan-jun's consciousness?"

"Don't tell me… he hasn't been completely corrupted?!"

The golden light dimmed while crimson radiance grew stronger on the Evil Fetus's face.

But in that moment of flickering instability—Mo Hua grasped the glimmer of a turning point.

He shouted:

"Mountain Lord! Are you still in there?"

"Huangshan-jun!"

And somehow… his voice reached it.

The Evil Fetus trembled—its face splitting in two. One side black and red. The other, dark gold.

The golden side… slowly opened its eyes. There was a sliver of clarity, mixed with evil intent and a deep, inherent majesty.

"You…"

Its voice was hoarse and torn, like it hadn't spoken in ages.

This… was the first time the Evil Fetus had spoken.

"You… are…"

"How… do you know… my name…"

"This Lord's… name…"

It worked!

Mo Hua's heart surged with hope.

The will of Huangshan-jun… hadn't been fully extinguished!

Even Mo Hua found it hard to believe.

So many years of corruption—and yet a trace of divine consciousness remained.

Just how powerful was Huangshan-jun in his prime?

But this wasn't the time for sentiment.

Mo Hua clung to this sliver of hope like a drowning man to a reed.

"Mountain Lord! We're friends! Good friends!"

The fallen Huangshan-jun stared silently at Mo Hua, suspicion flashing through his eyes.

This brat? He didn't know him at all.

He, a dignified god of Lone Huangshan, once on the verge of breaking through to a Grade Four True God—how could he possibly have befriended this fledgling?

Seeing the doubt, Mo Hua quickly declared with conviction:

"It's true!"

Huangshan-jun seemed about to speak… but suddenly his head jerked, and his face twisted again—ferocity and savagery returning.

That brief moment of clarity… turned into a vicious sneer.

His consciousness had faded once more.

Blood-red eyes locked onto Mo Hua.

The Evil Fetus gripped its corrupted halberd and lunged.

Mo Hua had no choice but to raise his golden sword and engage again.

But in the midst of the renewed clash, a spark ignited in his mind.

"There it is—the opening!"

All things carry internal contradiction.

Even the strongest enemy has flaws within—contradiction is weakness.

Seize the weakness—and the weak can defeat the strong.

This Evil Fetus, peak Grade Three, may be nearly invincible on the outside.

But its foundation… was Huangshan-jun.

And that meant if it would fall—it would fall by Huangshan-jun's hand.

Huangshan-jun… is the only hope.

Mo Hua threw himself into the battle with every ounce of strength he had, ignoring his injuries and continuing to fight the Evil Fetus. Even though he knew he couldn't win, he seized every opportunity to chip away at it, bit by bit. And sure enough, after a moment, the Evil Fetus's aura weakened slightly—and a faint glimmer of golden light flashed.

Huangshan-jun's consciousness… showed signs of awakening again.

Unfortunately, it only lasted for a fleeting instant before vanishing once more.

But Mo Hua's eyes lit up—this confirmed his theory.

Righteous and evil thoughts rise and fall in cycles.

As long as he kept pressuring the Evil Fetus—kept draining its strength—it would begin to crack. The more it cracked, the more likely Huangshan-jun's will would re-emerge.

That was the only shot they had at defeating this powerful abomination.

Mo Hua didn't dare relax for even a second—he couldn't afford to.

Huangshan-jun's consciousness, contaminated and assimilated by the Evil Fetus for who knew how many years, was already a dying ember in the wind. No one knew how long it could last. If it was extinguished completely, then… everything would be over.

And with such a huge disparity in their cultivation levels, Mo Hua had no other method to completely destroy this thing. Even though he was covered in wounds, he gritted his teeth and kept fighting.

While battling, he never stopped talking—uttering words non-stop to disturb the Evil Fetus's mental state.

"Mountain Lord, hey—"

"Mountain Lord, don't die…"

"If you die, I really can't win this fight…"

"Huangshan-jun!!"

But after all that talking, there still seemed to be no reaction from Huangshan-jun within the Evil Fetus.

So Mo Hua switched tactics:

"Mountain Lord, I really am your frien—"

"You have another version of yourself—he escaped Lone Mountain. He's hiding in some broken-down temple on a tiny hill, living off wind and dew."

"The roof leaks when it rains. The walls have holes."

"He drinks rainwater, eats stale buns, and guards a few feet of clay statues—afraid of wolves, afraid of cultivators…"

"I brought him offerings! Gave him meat! Drank wine with him…"

"You even taught me things… about the Divine Path!"

"Mountain Lord!"

Mo Hua shouted all this while getting beaten half to death.

This battle was long and grueling.

But eventually—perhaps because that image of a ruined temple and a sad, lonely mountain god was too pathetic—it stirred something in the soul of Huangshan-jun, once revered at the peak of Lone Huang Mountain, basking in ten thousand prayers.

At last, the Evil Fetus halted again.

Its body churned with evil qi—this time more violently than before.

Two powers clashed inside it.

Red and gold, flickering and interweaving.

Twisted flesh rippled like serpents beneath the skin.

Then came a painful howl—twisted with both savagery and sanity—and a flash of gold spread across the Evil Fetus's face, bringing with it a divine majesty.

Huangshan-jun's will… had taken control.

For now.

His divinity and memories surged briefly, enough to suppress the "stillborn" Evil God inside.

He looked at Mo Hua with long, golden, slitted eyes and rasped:

"You… really… know me?"

"My… other self… still… alive?"

Mo Hua, bloodied, broken, several bones fractured, finally let out a long sigh of relief. He nodded enthusiastically:

"Yes! I know you! You're still alive!"

Though barely scraping by… he was alive.

Hidden in a remote, desolate mountain—but peaceful. Quiet. Free of the chaos of the world.

Huangshan-jun stared long and hard at Mo Hua. From him, he truly sensed a faint, undeniable thread of karmic connection.

That other version of himself—trapped in a statue and a crumbling temple—did indeed share a not-so-shallow bond with this brat.

And yet…

Huangshan-jun's gaze grew deeper. The boy before him was… strange.

Like a human—but far stronger than any human.

Like a god—but the aura wasn't pure enough, and his humanity overflowed. And he talked way too much.

Like a demon—but the karma swirling inside him held a sharp, demonic balefulness, full of killing intent—yet upright, open, and unashamed.

"A being like this… no wonder I'd consider him a 'friend.'"

Huangshan-jun sighed inwardly. A rare trace of admiration arose in his heart.

And so he said:

"The Evil God's fetus… cannot be killed. It is immortal."

"But… with the last remnant of my will, I will borrow its power… and send you out of this nightmare."

"This… is the last thing I can do."

"Let it be… the repayment of the karma between us."

(End of this Chapter)