Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 976: Auspicious Omen

"What are you all talking about? I didn't quite understand..."

Elder Xun feigned confusion with a completely serious face.

Patriarch Ouyang frowned.

"With all that commotion, don't tell me you didn't see anything."

"I was in seclusion, and I could still see it clearly!

A towering tree erupted from flat ground, golden light flooded the mountain range, turning the night as bright as day!"

"And what was that on the tree? Formation patterns? Each branch forming an array, each blossom filled with runes?"

"Truly inconceivable..."

"In all my years, I've never seen anything like it."

Patriarch Ouyang murmured,

"Could someone have broken through? Triggering a celestial phenomenon? A peerless Emergence Realm cultivator—or someone stepping into the Hollow Void?"

"Unlikely…"

Linghu Patriarch of the Chongxu Sect thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"When cultivators break through, their omens are formed of spiritual power or blood essence—not divine sense."

"Indeed, I've never seen a phenomenon composed purely of divine sense…"

"Still," Linghu Patriarch said solemnly: "To manifest something so vast, so radiant, so profound—like golden lotuses blooming across the heavens, like the Myriad Laws blossoming upon the World Tree—this person is no ordinary cultivator. They must be a 'Hidden Master,' perhaps a senior figure who specializes solely in the path of Divine Sense, walking a path that defies convention."

"Agreed."

The other two nodded solemnly.

Elder Xun's expression grew increasingly complicated. He didn't even know how to begin speaking.

What if this whole phenomenon really did come from Mo Hua?

He couldn't exactly tell these three Hollow Void Patriarchs:

"Oh, that 'Hidden Master' you're all speculating about? He's actually just a Foundation Establishment junior disciple…"

These three old guys would dig a hole and bury themselves in shame.

Elder Xun gave a light cough, then calmly replied,

"Surely not so exaggerated. Just a small anomaly. No need to get worked up."

Linghu Patriarch raised a brow,

"So Brother Xun, are you saying… you know the origin of this omen?"

Patriarchs Ouyang and Murong also turned to look at him.

Elder Xun kept his composure.

He could tell they were trying to trap him into spilling something.

Thick-skinned as ever, he shook his head and sighed:

"I don't know. I'm getting old—eyes aren't what they used to be.

The moment I saw that golden flash, the image was already fading. I barely saw anything."

Of course, the other patriarchs didn't buy it.

"The Taixu Sect's legacy means more to you than anyone else. Any small stir, you'd be the first to notice," said Ouyang.

"Exactly. And you've even trained in Heaven's Mechanism divination. If we claim ignorance, maybe it's believable. You? Not so much."

"Either way, we deserve an explanation."

Murong Patriarch remained quiet, but the other two pressed more assertively.

That towering golden tree, that Formation-flowered phenomenon, all manifesting directly above Taixu Mountain—it was too strange and too grand to ignore.

And they all knew Elder Xun must know something. He just wasn't telling.

Ouyang Patriarch said,

"Alright then. Brother Xun, since you've mastered Heaven's Mechanism, how about divining the cause and fate behind this omen, so we can have peace of mind?"

Seeing Elder Xun about to dodge again, the Chongxu Patriarch added heavily:

"Brother Xun, the three sects have merged. We rise and fall together now.

If you hide something from us… it will inevitably damage the trust between us."

"One way or another, you must give us a proper explanation today."

Now that was official.

And by invoking the bond of the Three-Sect Union, it was nearly impossible to refuse.

Even Murong Patriarch was waiting for his response.

With three Hollow Void experts staring him down, the pressure was immense.

Elder Xun sighed.

"Cleaning up Mo Hua's mess… is getting harder by the day," he thought.

If he weren't the Taixu Sect's ancestor, he'd never be able to handle this.

And Mo Hua… was still only at Foundation Establishment.

"If this boy ever reaches Golden Core or Emergence...

Who knows what kind of heaven-shaking mess he'll cause next..."

"Fine. I'll take a look," Elder Xun finally relented.

He restructured the divination compass, arranging the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, the Five Elements, and Eight Trigrams.

He sealed the hand signs and used a wisp of qi to activate the mechanism, allowing the compass to align itself and deduce the causal threads.

His face remained solemn, brows deeply furrowed—an excellent act.

But in truth, he was thinking hard about what excuse to make.

If it had been a normal omen, it wouldn't be too bad.

But if, just if… this really had come from Mo Hua's Divine Sense Core Formation…

then once people dug deeper, it would point straight back to him.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator breaking through the limits of the Heavenly Dao, forming a Divine Sense Core—

If that truth got out, Mo Hua would be in mortal danger.

He had no power to protect himself yet.

"I need a reason…"

Elder Xun continued fiddling with the compass, pondering…

Suddenly, inspiration struck. His fingers trembled slightly as the compass stopped spinning.

Elder Xun's expression turned thoughtful, as if he had divined something.

"Well?" Ouyang Patriarch asked, a trace of nervousness showing.

Elder Xun, part confused, part enlightened, replied:

"According to Heaven's Mechanism and causality… this phenomenon was a sign of auspicious fortune for the Taixu Sect."

"Auspicious fortune?"

The three patriarchs froze.

Elder Xun solemnly nodded.

"A clear sign of auspicious fortune for our sect."

"And in what way is it 'auspicious'?"

"The golden light bathing the heavens, the divine tree blooming with flowers—what could be more auspicious?"

"That may be, but… is there any precedent of this in the sect records?

And to whom, or what, is this omen tied?"

"Hard to say," Elder Xun replied, sticking to his story.

"The Heavenly Mechanism is vast. The cause remains unclear for now. But it is definitely auspicious."

"That answer is as good as no answer," Linghu Patriarch muttered.

Elder Xun sighed with philosophical depth:

"That's the nature of Heaven's Mechanism—ever-shifting, unclear.

It must be comprehended.

If you attain insight, you'll understand. If you don't… no amount of words will help."

"You—!"

The Tai'a Patriarch was left speechless.

Elder Xun's words were vague, circular, and frustrating.

Yet somehow… still reasonable.

Because truth be told, Heaven's Mechanism and causality were indeed this elusive and mysterious.

Even managing to deduce "auspicious fortune" was already a decent result.

"But auspicious for what reason? Auspicious omens don't appear for no reason."

"It's not without reason…" Elder Xun's gaze sharpened.

"What do you mean?" asked Ouyang.

Elder Xun's tone grew heavy:

"This all stems from causality.

In the unseen workings of fate, a great karmic thread is guiding our three sects into unity—rejoining what was once one, separated for a thousand years."

"This is no coincidence."

"Now that we've become one again… this celestial omen appeared atop Taixu Mountain—turning night to day, golden branches spreading across the sky.

Is that not Heaven itself affirming that our union is righteous?"

"One day… we may even restore the former glory of our ancient sect.

Inherit the will of the Heavenly Dao, and rise as the number one sect in all of Qianxue Province!"

Elder Xun's voice rang with passion—serving them an exquisite slice of hope pie.

And sure enough, the three patriarchs were momentarily dazed by it.

"So this really is... the auspicious omen of our Taixu Sect's revival—of all three lineages merging?" asked Patriarch Ouyang.

Elder Xun nodded solemnly.

"Precisely."

Patriarch Ouyang fell silent.

Elder Xun had said so much, so convincingly, that pressing further would seem petty.

And honestly, with golden light blazing and laws visibly manifesting, calling it an "auspicious omen" wasn't all that far-fetched.

Elder Xun's face had grown a bit pale, as though the earlier divination had drained a good deal of his divine sense. He let out a sigh.

"Age is catching up to me... My spirit's not what it used to be. Just a short session of calculation and I'm already spent…"

Everyone could tell: this was a polite way of saying "get out."

And they weren't so tactless as to push him any further.

Elder Xun truly was quite old. And divining Heaven's Mechanism did indeed consume one's divine sense heavily.

"Brother Xun, thank you for your trouble…"

"We won't bother you any further. Take care of yourself."

With a few polite words, the three patriarchs tore open spatial rifts and departed one by one.

Patriarch Murong lingered slightly behind. After a moment of hesitation, he looked to Elder Xun and asked softly:

"Senior Brother... are you really sure everything's alright?"

Elder Xun's eyes were calm and discerning. He nodded slightly.

"Don't worry."

"Alright."

Murong gave a small nod, then left using his void-walking technique as well.

As the spatial rift closed, the room returned to silence.

Elder Xun finally let out a long breath. After a moment of quiet, he couldn't help but mutter inwardly:

"Foundation Establishment stage... and already formed a Divine Sense Core… and that divine-sense celestial omen—if it really was caused by that child…"

Elder Xun shook his head.

"I thought that brat surnamed Zhuang was already a monstrous anomaly...

But who'd have guessed that the disciple he took in, quiet and unassuming as he looks, would turn out to be even scarier."

"That entire lineage of theirs… just churns out freakish prodigies."

"And by seniority, Mo Hua is actually the youngest… the final 'hidden trump card' in their demonic lineup…"

Meanwhile, at Tai'a Sect—

After parting ways, Patriarchs Ouyang and Linghu met again privately.

"Auspicious omen… do you really think he divined that?"

"Honestly? It felt more like something he made up on the spot."

"Who knows? We don't practice Heaven's Mechanism. Whatever he says goes."

"So what do we do then?"

Linghu Patriarch gave a soft sigh.

"We just let it be."

Ouyang frowned.

"We're not going to pursue it?"

Linghu shook his head.

"Tai'a forges Spirit Swords. Chongxu refines Sword Qi.

But it's Taixu who manifests Sword Intent. Since ancient times, the fortunes and disasters seen through Heaven's Mechanism have always been handled by the Taixu Lineage."

"Neither you nor I specialize in divine sense or prophecy."

"If he says it's an auspicious omen—so be it."

"Besides, with the three sects united now, we rise and fall together.

If there's a benefit, we share it. If there's danger, they won't escape it either."

Ouyang mulled it over for a moment and nodded slowly.

"That's true... I suppose we have no better choice."

Both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts.

After a while, Ouyang spoke up again, expression grim:

"To tell the truth, Brother Linghu, I've been uneasy lately.

It's as if… something momentous is about to happen soon."

"The current situation is already full of undercurrents.

If something major erupts on top of that, it's going to be chaos.

Whether our sects can even survive it... is uncertain."

Linghu Patriarch furrowed his brow as well.

At their cultivation level, it wasn't uncommon to develop an intuitive sense of "Heaven's Will."

He had also been having premonitions lately.

Which was precisely why the sudden omen in the sky had unsettled him so deeply.

But the meaning of this phenomenon was truly difficult to grasp.

They couldn't see through it, and Elder Xun was obviously hiding something.

After some thought, Linghu could only sigh:

"One step at a time. Let's just hope this really was an auspicious sign…"

"Let's hope so," echoed Ouyang.

But no matter how much they racked their brains, they still couldn't figure out…

What exactly could count as an "auspicious omen" inside the Taixu Sect?

Back at the disciples' quarters—

Mo Hua sat cross-legged on his bed, resting his chin on his hand, puzzling over the events.

"I ate the Divine Marrow in secret.

My divine sense quietly formed a core…

That should all be pretty lowkey stuff."

"So how did Elder Xun notice?"

"And why did he ask if there was a celestial phenomenon?"

"Did my Divine Sense Core Formation actually trigger one?"

Mo Hua thought about it, then shook his head.

"What kind of phenomenon could I possibly cause?"

Not to mention—if a phenomenon had appeared, there should have been some obvious sign, right?

He glanced out the window, surveying the whole of Taixu Mountain.

The mountain court was peaceful. The forest was tranquil. A gentle breeze occasionally stirred the leaves, and the night was calm and serene.

The disciples' quarters were equally quiet.

Even Yu'er and the others were either peacefully asleep, reading by candlelight, or sleepwalking around harmlessly. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Mo Hua shook his head again.

"Elder Xun is a Hollow Void Patriarch. His divine sense is incredibly vast.

It's not strange if he sensed my core formation somehow…"

He stopped dwelling on it and turned his focus to his next priority:

Planning his cultivation after reaching twenty Divine Sense Marks.

The most important thing: secrecy.

No one must know that he had already formed a Divine Sense Core.

This was something Elder Xun had specifically warned him about.

Mo Hua also understood—at this point, he was basically an "endangered species." If someone discovered him, there was a very real chance they'd capture him, slice him open, and use him as material for a lovely research paper titled:

"On How Foundation Establishment Cultivators Break Realm Limitations and Condense a Divine Sense Core Ahead of Schedule."

Whether or not others were interested in that kind of cultivation thesis… was hard to say.

But Mo Hua himself was definitely intrigued.

First, he needed to study Absolute Arrays with over twenty marks.

He'd been wanting to learn them for ages. Now, at long last, he could finally dig in and research them properly.

This would not only elevate his array skills beyond the pinnacle of second-grade formations—it would let him venture into a whole new tier, beyond the conventional grade system.

And Absolute Arrays refined divine sense even more intensely than standard ones.

So by learning them, his divine sense could continue to grow stronger, one step at a time.

Second, he needed to dive deep into the study of divine sense itself.

Mo Hua could already tell that his current divine sense structure had gotten… complicated.

There was:

Divine Sense as Dao,

Divine Rank,

Divine Position,

Spiritual Transformation of Divine Intent,

Divine Marrow,

Qualitative Changes…

It was a mess.

For most cultivators, divine sense was relatively straightforward.

The divine frameworks of actual deities were more profound, sure—but at least they were coherent.

Mo Hua, on the other hand, was trying to walk both paths at once: a human cultivator who was also threading into the domain of gods.

He'd essentially mashed two entire frameworks into one.

No wonder it was chaotic.

A lot of divine concepts and knowledge needed to be sorted out again.

He'd have to plan carefully how to develop his divine sense going forward.

There were a lot of things to do.

But before any of that, he needed to wrap up the aftermath in Lone Mountain City.

After organizing all his thoughts, Mo Hua finally allowed himself a rare full night's sleep.

The next morning, he went about his day like normal, attending lectures and cultivation practice with the other disciples.

Even though Elder Xun had told him not to reveal any details, just thinking about the fact that his divine sense was now twenty marks—basically at the Golden Core level—was enough to make Mo Hua grin.

There was a lightness in his step, and even the way he carried himself had a bit more swagger.

"Senior Brother Mo… you seem kind of different today..."

During lunch, Cheng Mo looked at him curiously and whispered.

"Do I?" Mo Hua blinked innocently.

Cheng Mo nodded, though he couldn't quite put it into words.

It just felt like Mo Hua had become… deeper. More composed.

Whatever he did, there was no trace of energy leaking out from him at all.

It was like he'd become one of those elusive elders or instructors—those who moved without a sound and showed up right in front of you when you were zoning out during cultivation practice.

In short: he'd become way harder to read.

Mo Hua casually replied, "That's just how it is when your divine sense gets strong."

Cheng Mo nodded in awe, clicking his tongue.

"Senior Brother, your divine sense must be at nineteen marks now, huh?"

Mo Hua nodded,

"Something like that."

Just… one mark stronger than nineteen. No big deal.

Cheng Mo looked a little envious.

"I wonder when I'll be able to have divine sense as strong as yours..."

"Keep dreaming," said Situ Jian. "In dreams, anything is possible."

Some nearby disciples couldn't help but snicker.

"Situ, stop ruining my vibe!" Cheng Mo protested.

Situ Jian took a sip of tea and replied calmly,

"Ruin your vibe? Where was this so-called vibe to begin with?"

"Oh, so that's how it is? Duel me in today's sword sparring match! Let's settle this!"

"Didn't you just lose to me yesterday?"

"That was a fluke! I let my guard down and you tricked me!"

"Then train harder. Lose less. Stop making excuses."

"Situ! Learn something good from Senior Brother, like his formation skills or something!

Please, anything but his mouth! That tongue of his is deadly…"

"Too late. I've already learned it~"

...

The group bantered and bickered, loud and lively, with joy bubbling in the air.

Mo Hua smiled with his eyes half-closed—but as he smiled, a quiet melancholy surfaced in his heart.

He had already formed a Divine Sense Core.

And of the nine years at Qianxue Academy, this was already his eighth year.

There was only a little more than a year left.

After that, he and these junior brothers… might each go their own way.

They came from all over the Nine Provinces.

They had gathered in Qianzhou to study.

But once they parted, it would be like stars falling to earth—scattered and distant.

When they met again… who knew what year, what month it would be?

Who knew if they'd ever have another moment like this—brothers of the same sect, laughing, arguing, drinking, carefree?

Sometimes, the more mundane and effortless a friendship feels… the more precious it truly is.

And once it's gone—you may never get it back.

Mo Hua sighed softly and took a sip of tea.

It was mellow and sweet…

But it carried a faint trace of bitterness.

(End of this Chapter)