Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 974: Sinister Traces

Cold flesh began to secrete strange, oily black liquid, which flowed over and repaired Shen Shouxing's torn throat and shattered heart meridians.

His limbs twitched irregularly, as if pulled by gray threads. His muscles squirmed unnaturally, then fused completely.

Shen Shouxing stood up—slowly, grotesquely contorted.

His eyes had turned into a dense pitch-black, and a faint, eerie smile crept across the corner of his lips.

A hoarse, shredded voice echoed through the dead silence of the temple—like countless voices of men, women, and children speaking all at once:

"A bunch of old bastards… such heavy guard…"

"But at long last… we made it in…"

"Since we can't move the chessboard of Qianzhou… then let's just start a new one…"

The black blood soaking Shen Shouxing's body stained his robes, making him look like he wore the clothes of a corpse.

He limped over to Shentu Ao, dipped a finger in his own dark blood, and began drawing array runes.

On the robe of the dead, countless afterimages flickered and overlapped.

The black blood, writhing like it had a life of its own, crawled across Shentu Ao's flayed body, weaving strange glyphs.

Together, these glyphs formed the image of a dragon.

A black dragon—similar to the Azure Dragon of the Great Wilderness, but exuding a strange, unknowable, eerie aura.

Then came the voice—fragmented, layered, and disturbing:

"You are a prince of the Great Wilderness. You cannot die…"

"You will return to the Great Wilderness… fulfill your great cause… rule all tribes with supreme authority… suppress all demons with the might of a true dragon…"

"You will ignite war… and burn the entire Great Wilderness to ash…"

"Grind the Dao Court's soldiers into bones… crush their dogs into pulp…"

"Transform the whole Great Wilderness… into a hellish furnace…"

"Your throne shall be forged of bone… your palace built of flesh… and you shall be crowned king in endless slaughter…"

"This is… your destiny."

—

These words merged into the curse-glyphs, completing the dragon diagram, binding with Shentu Ao's blood and flesh.

Suddenly, Shentu Ao's eyes snapped open, a black dragon flickering across his irises.

With a flick of Shen Shouxing's finger, the curse glyphs writhed like insects and chewed open a rift in space.

From within that rift emerged a thread of void-like energy, faint but real.

Inside it were traces of eerie Dao laws—so bizarre and layered that even the Heavenly Laws of Qianzhou were deceived, and the usual Grade-3 Heaven's Punishment restrictions were never triggered.

This was the forbidden art of—"Deceiving Heaven."

Yet no one saw this astonishing scene.

Shentu Ao rose, his body suffused with black dragon energy, surrounded by a chilling, ominous aura.

With cold, black eyes, he walked up to the dragon coffin, picked up the corpse of the Fourth Prince, and stepped, one foot at a time, into the rift torn by Shen Shouxing.

And just like that—he vanished.

No one knew where he went.

But… a tiny black flame flickered to life.

Before long—it would engulf everything in catastrophe.

Having sent off Shentu Ao, Shen Shouxing turned to the "corpse" of Young Lord Xuan. His pitch-black eyes gleamed with icy light.

"Another Xuan Demon Embryo… never learns his lesson…"

He dripped a drop of black blood onto Young Lord Xuan's forehead.

Young Lord Xuan slowly opened his eyes. His pupils turned darker.

"Return to the Xuan Demon Sect.

Find Xuan Sanren.

Learn well… his Demonic Seed of the Dao Heart Original Scripture…"

Shen Shouxing's voice rasped with chaotic yin and yang.

Young Lord Xuan repeated dully:

"Return to the sect… find Grand-Uncle… study the Demonic Seed of the Dao Heart…"

Then he slowly stood—like a puppet—and walked into the cursed rift bearing the power of "Deceiving Heaven."

The rift slowly faded.

The setup was complete.

Black blood began to boil on Shen Shouxing's body, before igniting into black fire.

A nameless, eerie fire erupted from his body, devouring the entire temple, burning away all karma and causality—

Including himself.

From the moment Shen Shouxing died, everything after was consumed by this eerie, black fire of the Devil Dao.

Now, no one could ever trace what happened here.

No one would ever know—what truly transpired in this temple beneath Lone Mountain.

As Shen Shouxing "self-immolated," his flesh burned to ash, his figure fading.

The strands of karma flashed before his eyes—then turned to cinders.

Memories of his life flickered by like a lantern show:

Parents. Son. Shen Clan members. Sword cultivators of the Great Void Sect. Tomb raiders. Mister Tu...

He watched them all—indifferently.

But then—

A young face passed before his eyes: naïve, innocent.

A name flashed past:

"Mo Hua."

Shen Shouxing's pupils trembled violently.

Mo Hua?

Mo Hua?!

MO HUA?!

This boy's name is… Mo Hua?!

The same as the one who consumed his devil fragment—

the one who turned the Dao Seed against him—

the one his junior brother tried so hard to shield with heavenly illusions!

He… he's actually called Mo Hua?!

Shen Shouxing tried to trace the cause…

But it was too late.

He had personally burned away all karma with his demonic fire.

Even if he regretted it—he couldn't go back.

He stood frozen.

Everything had gone exactly as planned.

Flawless execution.

But this one thing—

The biggest, most dangerous thread of karma—

Had slipped right through his fingers.

"My cursed calculations… actually missed something…"

"So it was the Fog of Fate…"

His face turned cold again. Then, with a faint eerie smile, he murmured:

"Interesting…"

"Heaven's Will is hard to grasp.

Karma is tangled and deep.

But one day… our threads of fate will cross again…"

"And when that time comes, I will see clearly—what you really are…"

"What kind of karma… you truly carry…"

—

That voice—neither male nor female, distorted and chilling—seemed to echo through the Nine Hells, filled with wailing ghosts and vicious spirits.

Then, Shen Shouxing burned into black ash in the cursed fire.

Everything was erased.

No one would ever know.

And above Lone Mountain, the conflict between the Shen Clan and the other sects and noble houses continued to escalate.

Amid the chaos, no one noticed the seed of the Devil Dao, quietly sown beneath Lone Mountain…

...

Outside Lone Mountain, in a moving carriage.

Mo Hua's earlier unease slowly faded as the mountain receded into the distance.

It was rare for him to feel like this.

And this time—it was unusually intense.

But no matter how he thought about it—he couldn't find the reason.

So, he guessed: this must be some terrifying karmic threat, probably connected to a being far beyond his ability to provoke.

Luckily, that feeling of dread was already fading.

Mo Hua took a sip of tea to steady his nerves.

Inside the gently swaying carriage, there were only two people—him and Elder Xun Ziyou.

Master Gu and Commissioner Fan had already returned—one to the Artifact Guild, the other to the Dao Court Bureau.

Mo Hua had originally suggested they come to the Great Void Sect to lay low.

But one was a guild head, the other an official—they had roots in Lone Mountain City, and couldn't just vanish without arousing suspicion.

In the end, both stayed behind.

Mo Hua had asked Elder Xun Zixian to look after them.

And Elder Xun Zixian… remained in Lone Mountain.

Though Mo Hua was now safe, the matters in Lone Mountain City were far from over.

Elder Xun Zixian stayed behind to observe the aftermath, and the other elders of the Great Void Sect also remained to help manage the fallout.

Thus, only Xun Ziyou accompanied Mo Hua on a light, swift journey back to the sect.

With Lone Mountain behind them, and the rest of the route running through Grade-2 prefectures, a late-stage Golden Core elder like Xun Ziyou was more than enough to escort Mo Hua.

As for Mo Hua himself, with his current movement techniques, as long as he wasn't surrounded by a murderous mob of Golden Cores, he could generally keep himself safe.

Naturally, their journey was smooth and uneventful.

Once things calmed down, Xun Ziyou began to recall something that had been bothering him.

All along the road, he kept sneaking glances at Mo Hua, wanting to speak… but hesitating.

When he saw Mo Hua sipping tea, looking rather relaxed, he finally spoke:

"Mo Hua, did you… study swordsmanship?"

"A little bit," Mo Hua answered truthfully.

Xun Ziyou frowned slightly, then said carefully:

"During the nightmare, I sensed an unfathomable aura—a trace of the lost Great Void Sword Manifestation Technique."

"You happened to be in the temple at the time. Do you know where that sword intent came from?"

He stared intently at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua felt a little conflicted.

He couldn't very well say, "Oh yeah, that sword? I chopped that thing out myself."

After all, Ancestor Dugu had warned him: the matter of using spiritual thought to manifest swords must never be told to anyone.

Mo Hua blinked.

"Well… it's kind of a long story…"

"A long story?" Xun Ziyou was startled. "There's… history behind this?"

Mo Hua nodded and began spinning his tale:

"In Lone Huang Mountain, there was once a very powerful mountain god."

"Later on, that mountain god fell into corruption. He was beheaded by a chivalrous elder from our Great Void Sect—but not completely. Some of the evil spirit still lingered."

"To prevent this evil from reviving, that senior left behind a trace of Great Void Sword Intent, sealed in the temple."

"When we entered Lone Mountain, that evil spirit just happened to awaken and tried to devour us. But doing so triggered the sealing sword intent."

"That sword intent erupted—manifested from divine thought—striking with immense power. It severed the evil completely, ending the karma. That's how we woke from the nightmare…"

Mo Hua combined nine parts truth, one part fiction, telling the story in a smooth, convincing way.

Xun Ziyou slowly nodded. It… made sense.

The Spiritual Sword Manifestation Technique of the Great Void had long been lost. The only ones who had truly mastered it were the ancestor-level figures of the sect.

And back then, the Great Void Ancestors did indeed enjoy wandering the world, using spiritual thought to manifest swords and smite demons.

An ancestor from the sect slaying a fallen mountain god? Entirely reasonable.

Otherwise, what—did Mo Hua chop out that Sword Manifestation Technique himself?

That would be… way too ridiculous.

Even Xun Ziyou couldn't convince himself of such a thing.

No—definitely an ancestor.

"Just don't know which ancestor it was who slew that mountain god…" Xun Ziyou muttered.

Mo Hua kept a straight face and dared not answer.

"Who could it be? Which of our ancestors…?"

Still muttering, still stuck on it.

Mo Hua worried that if this guy kept chanting "ancestor" over and over, he might jinx his own lifespan—so he quickly changed the topic:

"By the way, Elder Xun, how did you end up in Lone Mountain?"

As expected, the elder's attention shifted. He knew Mo Hua was clever and saw no need to hide it.

"The Old Master sent me."

"Oh…" Mo Hua nodded but still had questions.

"Venerable Elder Xun just sent you? Didn't leave any other measures in place?"

After all, Xun Ziyou had followed from so far away, Mo Hua hadn't even noticed.

If he slipped up for a moment, wouldn't his life be over?

What would Xun Ziyou's presence even accomplish in that case?

Unless… the old man had other arrangements in place.

This was exactly the sort of thing that made Xun Ziyou headache-prone—Mo Hua had a mind like a mirror, sharp and clever, hard to hide anything from.

Seeing Mo Hua's clear and curious gaze, Xun Ziyou thought for a moment, then decided there was no harm in telling him.

"Didn't the Old Master give you that Great Void Yin-Yang Lock?"

"Yeah."

"That lock senses your life force. If you're in danger, I'll feel it immediately. And if it's a life-or-death situation, I'll break the Void Sword Token and notify the Old Master."

Mo Hua blinked in surprise.

The old gentleman actually went this far for him…

He felt grateful, but still puzzled:

"But this is a Grade-3 prefecture, right? Even if he's notified, the Old Master couldn't cross over…"

Xun Ziyou frowned.

"I'm not sure about that part either. But even if he can't arrive personally, I believe the Old Master still has a method to preserve your life. Of course—only within Qianxue Territory. If you're too far, it won't work."

Mo Hua gave a small nod.

"So… within Qianxue Territory, the Great Void Yin-Yang Lock can save my life in a crisis…"

He quietly committed it to memory, then bowed his head:

"Thank you, Venerable Elder Xun! And thank you, Elder Xun!"

Xun Ziyou waved him off.

"No need to thank me."

In the end, that failsafe never had to be used—which was for the best.

After that, the two continued their journey in the carriage, sipping tea and chatting casually.

By nightfall—they had arrived at the Great Void Sect.

Xun Ziyou brought Mo Hua to see Venerable Elder Xun.

The old man, seeing that Mo Hua had returned unharmed, showed no emotion on his face, but in his heart—he finally let out a breath.

"You weren't injured, were you?"

"Mm," Mo Hua nodded. "Thanks to Elder Xun's protection, this disciple is fine."

He subtly said a kind word on Xun Ziyou's behalf.

Venerable Elder Xun gave Xun Ziyou a glance, and a trace of approval flickered in his eyes.

Xun Ziyou suddenly felt a swirl of emotions—complicated and moved.

He never expected that, as a dignified late-stage Golden Core elder, one day he'd have to rely on a little Foundation Establishment junior to help him look good in front of the old master.

"As long as you're safe. Go get some rest." Venerable Elder Xun said gently.

"Mm, please take care, Venerable Elder. This disciple takes his leave."

Mo Hua bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Xun Ziyou didn't leave. He knew the old master would surely want to ask questions.

Sure enough, after Mo Hua left, Venerable Elder Xun beckoned him over.

"Tell me everything that happened."

Xun Ziyou recounted the events as clearly as he could.

But truth be told, a lot of it was a blur even to him—like that mysterious bundle Mo Hua had him carry, which he wasn't even sure really existed.

And there were those bizarre spiritual phenomena along the way…

For all the unclear parts, he kept quiet.

But for the solid facts, he told it all—such as the Shen Family, the mass grave, the Great Wilderness royal bloodline, and the Dragon Vein.

As Venerable Elder Xun listened, his brows gradually knit together.

He hadn't expected that Mo Hua's trip to Lone Mountain and descent into a tomb would end up dragging in so many massive events.

"Could this child be a natural-born 'Causality Physique' or something…?"

He seemed fated to get entangled in everything.

"Old Master," Xun Ziyou frowned, "was the Lone Mountain incident really done by the Shen Family?"

"You saw it for yourself?" Venerable Elder Xun asked.

"I did," Xun Ziyou's gaze turned cold. "Corpses covering the mountains…"

"Then what you saw is what it was," Venerable Elder Xun sighed.

"It's just that…" Xun Ziyou still frowned. "No matter what, they're still a Fifth-Grade righteous clan sanctioned by the Dao Court. How could they… commit such madness?"

Venerable Elder Xun let out a sigh.

"This… is the human heart. Cultivating the Dao but not the heart—chasing fame and profit—for long enough, and any atrocity becomes possible."

"Then how will this matter end?" Xun Ziyou asked.

Venerable Elder Xun also couldn't say for sure. He sighed again.

"This is a tangled mess… Underlying currents, waves that refuse to settle. Let's wait and observe for now."

Xun Ziyou nodded.

"And that Dragon Vein you mentioned?" Venerable Elder Xun asked.

"Still with Mo Hua," Xun Ziyou replied.

He'd "coaxed" it out of that Young Lord Xuan, so naturally it counted as Mo Hua's possession. Xun Ziyou never tried to take it from him.

Although, the thing carried huge implications.

Precisely because of that, keeping it with Mo Hua… might not be a good thing.

"Should we… take the Dragon Vein?" Xun Ziyou asked with a frown. "I fear keeping it on Mo Hua might bring disaster to him."

Venerable Elder Xun thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"No rush. Let him play with it for now. Once he gets bored, he'll naturally hand it over."

"If he hasn't figured it out yet and you force him, he won't be happy."

Xun Ziyou: "..."

Fine. So now, as elders, they had to account for Mo Hua's emotional state when making decisions.

Still, keeping the Dragon Vein out of enemy hands was a win.

"The remnants of the Great Wilderness have always plotted rebellion," Xun Ziyou said. "Now the prince of the Great Wilderness died in the Lone Mountain tomb, and the Dragon Vein is in Mo Hua's hands…"

"Their legacy broken, bloodline severed—there likely won't be much of a stir now. The war in the Southern Wilderness may settle down soon."

He sighed softly: "And with the war quieted, fewer people will die…"

Venerable Elder Xun nodded slightly, though deep down, he had a vague sense of unease.

Somehow, he doubted things would end that simply.

Xun Ziyou, having just gone through Lone Mountain and a series of brutal events, was exhausted—physically and mentally—so he didn't think too deeply about it.

"Old Master, there's one more thing…"

Xun Ziyou then shared Mo Hua's story about how a Great Void elder used the Sword Manifestation Technique to slay a fallen mountain god.

Venerable Elder Xun paused, then nodded: "Yes, that did happen."

"It's real?" Xun Ziyou blinked.

"It's old history," Venerable Elder Xun recalled. "There is indeed a record in our sect of a sword cultivator slaying the Mountain God of Lone Huang. But it's vague, and the details are unclear."

Xun Ziyou nodded.

"Then what Mo Hua said is true…"

Thank goodness. For a moment, he'd nearly believed that Mo Hua was the one wielding the Sword Manifestation Technique—which would've been utterly absurd.

After chatting some more and asking a few details, Venerable Elder Xun waved his hand: "You've worked hard. Go get some rest."

"Yes, then I'll take my leave." Xun Ziyou bowed.

Just as he turned to go, he paused and couldn't help but ask quietly:

"Old Master… what do you think that kid was doing in Lone Mountain in the first place?"

Venerable Elder Xun froze for a moment, then simply shook his head.

"Go rest."

"Yes."

Xun Ziyou was only asking out of curiosity. Since the old man didn't answer, he didn't press—just bowed again and left.

Once he was gone, Venerable Elder Xun furrowed his brows.

He too felt something was strange.

That entire Lone Mountain incident was tangled with vast karma. But what did any of that have to do with Mo Hua?

Why would that kid, despite the danger, dive in headfirst?

What exactly was he after?

Venerable Elder Xun's frown deepened…

...

Back in Mo Hua's quarters.

He first placed Huang Shanjun's life-bound idol into his cabinet and sealed it with an array, just in case someone stumbled across it.

Ordinary folks wouldn't see it, but better safe than sorry.

Then, he took the Dragon Vein wrapped in black cloth (taken from Young Lord Xuan) and tucked it under his pillow.

That he would study later.

Finally, he burned incense and bathed. When midnight arrived, he eagerly entered his Sea of Consciousness.

Inside, he brought out the brilliantly golden, immensely precious Grade-3 Divine Marrow.

Good stuff must never be left lying around. Temptation invites trouble.

To avoid any complications, he planned to consume it tonight.

If his hunch was right, this divine marrow held the key for his divine sense to break through the 20-rune threshold.

(End of Chapter)