Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 979: Absolute Array

Using a large-scale artifact refinement industry to catalyze the evolution of array patterns, supplying massive amounts of law variations to accelerate formation research—this was an experiment on Mo Hua's part.

If it succeeded, it could save a great deal of manpower and conserve huge amounts of time and spiritual computation power.

In the future, this might offer a referential model for the tracing and deduction of formation origins.

Using large-scale cultivation production and massive array deployment to gather data on pattern evolution, to reverse-trace formations and comprehend the very essence of the Dao of Arrays—this way, study and application would become one, and it could even benefit all living beings.

There would no longer be a need, like the old Five Elements Sect, to waste vast amounts of a formation master's mental effort doing theoretical research on paper.

Of course, this was still just Mo Hua's hypothesis.

Whether it could truly work still needed to be verified, step by step.

At this point, the construction of all formations on Gu Clan's massive furnace, including the hidden Magnetic Ink Furnace, had been completed according to Mo Hua's plan.

After personally rechecking every detail and confirming no issues, Mo Hua handed it over to Master Gu.

From this point on—how to seal the furnace, ignite the fire, produce and refine materials, and maintain confidentiality—all of that was for Master Gu to manage on his own.

As Master Gu looked at the enormous furnace before him, with its profound and intricate formations carved along the inner walls, he found it hard to put his gratitude and admiration into words. His attitude toward Mo Hua grew even more respectful.

Cultivation was often used to kill.

Arrays, however, could be used to save lives.

Though Mo Hua was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm, he had accomplished things that even many Golden Core cultivators, and even Nascent Soul True Immortals, couldn't achieve.

With a single thought, he had saved a city.

He had built a foundation for all the cultivators of Lone Mountain City to live and thrive.

Master Gu had not misjudged him—this Young Master Mo truly was their great benefactor.

Even so, he had never imagined that this benefactor could be so incomparably great.

To Lone Mountain City, Mo Hua was half a celestial immortal already.

Master Gu personally brought Mo Hua to the side and offered him tea with great care.

The two sat in the courtyard, gazing at the now-transformed Lone Mountain City. With emotion in his heart, Master Gu couldn't help but say:

"All thanks to Young Master Mo, the days ahead for Lone Mountain City are bound to get better and better."

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Not necessarily."

Master Gu was taken aback.

Mo Hua explained:

"The mine, the furnace… all of these are external things, gifts from others."

"With these, life might improve for a while. But over time, problems will arise. When that day comes, the rogue cultivators of Lone Mountain City might not be able to hold onto what they've been given."

Master Gu's brows furrowed.

He had always had these worries buried deep in his heart, but seeing the recent positive changes in the city, he'd gotten too excited to think clearly.

After a moment of reflection, Master Gu said:

"Then… we'll need to guide the rogue cultivators of Lone Mountain—especially the children—to work hard at cultivation and learn artifact forging. Only by building their own ability can they preserve what they now have."

Mo Hua nodded and took out a small booklet.

On the cover, written in neat but spirited handwriting, were the words:

"Introduction to Array Formations"

It looked unassuming.

"This is a booklet I compiled. It contains basic patterns, common formations, and some intermediate knowledge and foundational principles of formations. It's meant to help those kids get started—step by step—from nothing, learning array arts from shallow to deep."

"The formations in this booklet are tailored for Lone Mountain's environment, focused on practicality. Even if they only learn a few patterns, they'll still be useful in daily life."

Master Gu took the thin booklet in his hands, feeling as though it weighed a thousand catties. With solemn respect, he said:

"I'll make sure to teach these children. I'll also have them remember your kindness and live up to your expectations by earnestly studying formation arts."

Mo Hua paused, then shook his head.

"That's not the right way to say it."

Master Gu was puzzled.

"Not the right way?"

"Mm," Mo Hua nodded. "We can't let them think they're learning arrays for me. Formation arts shouldn't be learned for someone else."

"Then…" Master Gu hesitated. "For themselves?"

But Mo Hua again shook his head.

"That won't do either. Learning solely for oneself easily leads to selfishness and narrow-mindedness."

If they learned for their own benefit, once they became successful, they would believe all their achievements were purely their own doing. They would start looking down on others, and despising those beneath them.

Most likely, they'd leave Lone Mountain City after they became accomplished—join major sects, marry into noble clans, chase fame and profit. Worse yet, they might even return to exploit the Lone Mountain cultivators.

People are easily blinded by temporary success. They forget that their rise was only possible due to many silent contributions from others.

Thus, telling these orphans to cultivate for themselves… would likely doom Lone Mountain City's future.

Talented children, after using the city's resources to achieve success, would discard their origins and abandon the city like worn-out shoes.

In that case, they'd be no different from Shen Shouxing.

Master Gu's expression grew grim as he sank into deep thought. After a long silence, he asked:

"Then… how should we tell them?"

Mo Hua's gaze brightened. He spoke slowly:

"Tell them… they are learning formations for Lone Mountain City."

"They have food to eat, spirit stones to cultivate, the chance to learn arrays—all because of this city."

"Once they succeed, they should give back to Lone Mountain City, contribute to the community, and help make the city even better."

"The better the city becomes, the better their own lives will be. Their children and grandchildren will also have a brighter future."

"And most importantly…" Mo Hua's tone grew solemn:

"Everything in Lone Mountain City—be it the mountain, the mine, or all the resulting profits—belongs to all the city's cultivators."

"No one is allowed to claim it for themselves, or to privately buy or sell it."

"Chasing profit and selling off the very foundation of survival might bring temporary gain—but in the long run, it'll bring great calamity."

"The Shen Clan's tragedy will happen all over again."

"The rogue cultivators will be exploited and oppressed again—they'll suffer a second time, endure the same pain again."

"All of our efforts until now… will have been in vain."

Master Gu was stunned for a long time, deeply moved. At last, he gave Mo Hua a deep bow.

"Young Master… you truly understand the greater good."

—

A few days later, Mo Hua prepared to return to the Great Void Sect.

Everything in Lone Mountain City was more or less set—the formations were mostly complete. He had many other matters to attend to and couldn't stay much longer.

Master Gu, along with the artifact forging disciples, came to see him off.

Fan Jin also came.

Dao Court affairs were busy: from dealing with the Shen Clan, to managing the manpower and materials for the mine, reviewing regulations—Lone Mountain City's Dao Court was short-staffed, and Fan Jin was swamped.

Even so, he came in person to send Mo Hua off.

Not only to say goodbye, but also to express his gratitude.

"Thank you, Young Master Mo, for your support earlier," Fan Jin said earnestly.

Mo Hua already had an idea and asked:

"You've met with Supervisor Xia?"

"Yes," Fan Jin nodded. "Supervisor Xia gave me a chance for promotion. I owe it all to you."

Mo Hua shook his head.

"You grasped the opportunity yourself."

Opportunities had to be seized—but if no one gave you the opportunity, no matter how hard you fought, you'd never get one.

The lower your station, the more you understood how precious opportunity was.

Fan Jin cupped his fists, his tone sincere:

"I won't say thanks again. From now on, if Young Master Mo ever needs anything, I, Fan Jin, will go to any length to help."

"You're too kind, Director Fan," Mo Hua smiled.

He had simply given the man an opening—how far Fan Jin could go from here would depend on himself.

"It's getting late. I should return to the sect. Take care, Director Fan."

"You too, Young Master!" Fan Jin bowed deeply.

Master Gu and all the others bowed and said together:

"Young Master, take care!"

Mo Hua climbed into the carriage, waved to them, and smiled:

"You all take care as well."

The carriage slowly rolled away.

Master Gu and the others remained at the gate of the artifact workshop, watching until the carriage's shadow vanished at the end of the road… still unwilling to leave.

As the carriage drove onward—through the streets of Lone Mountain City, out of the gates—it finally set forth on the winding mountain road.

Mo Hua turned his head and looked back.

The dilapidated Lone Mountain City leaned against the desolate peak, faintly nestled amidst the mountain mist.

Spiritual machinery stood tall, the mines were orderly, and within the city one could vaguely see the giant artifact-forging furnace, its flames flickering as white smoke curled lazily upward. Though still shabby and bleak, it now bore a new atmosphere—revitalized with liveliness and spirit.

A look of satisfaction filled Mo Hua's eyes.

Off to the side, Xun Ziyou was also silently watching him.

As Mo Hua's "bodyguard," Xun Ziyou had witnessed everything that happened in Lone Mountain City.

A late-stage Golden Core elder, Xun Ziyou, for the first time in his life, found himself genuinely admiring and marveling at a Foundation Establishment disciple. His heart was filled with an inexpressible sense of awe.

He had a strong premonition—if Mo Hua continued to cultivate with such a Dao-centered heart, then no matter how low his origins or poor his spiritual roots, he would one day become a truly legendary cultivator.

And in Mo Hua, he saw—clearly and vividly—the two ancient sayings that had long circulated in the Dry Learning Province:

"As Heaven moves with strength, a gentleman should strive constantly for self-improvement."

"As Earth is vast and nurturing, a gentleman should carry all with great virtue."

"A seedling like this… must never be allowed to wither."

This thought surfaced from the bottom of Xun Ziyou's heart.

He then quietly withdrew his gaze and refocused himself, earnestly resuming his duty as Mo Hua's shadow—his loyal protector.

The journey back was uneventful.

Upon returning to the Great Void Sect, Xun Ziyou had to report to Venerable Elder Xun, so he no longer followed Mo Hua.

Mo Hua returned alone to his disciples' quarters.

The matter of Lone Mountain City was finally wrapped up, allowing Mo Hua to rest easy.

He had done everything he could—whatever came next was up to them.

In the end, one's fate can only be held in one's own hands.

Mo Hua continued to study array formations.

At the Foundation Establishment Realm, with twenty pattern threads in his divine sense, he had already broken through the restrictions of heavenly laws and stepped into the domain beyond standard grades.

Which meant—it was time to formally dive into the study of absolute formations, those above second-grade and twenty-patterns.

He had already learned one such Absolute Array:

The Secondary Thunder-Flow Array (二品二十紋的次生雷流陣).

This formation had been inscribed onto the Magnetic Ink Furnace in Lone Mountain to generate magnetic ink, and simultaneously provide him with large quantities of secondary thunder runes for his research.

But in a way, this absolute formation felt unearned.

He hadn't really struggled to learn it.

There was none of that grueling effort—racking his brains, revising endlessly, gaining insight only after burning the midnight oil.

And anything learned without bitter struggle always felt shallow—the understanding never quite reached the heart.

But it couldn't be helped. He had already learned it, and there was no way to forget it and relearn it properly.

So… he could only continue moving forward.

Mo Hua carefully retrieved a piece of ancient parchment from his Storage Ring.

Upon the leather paper were drawn archaic and esoteric markings, clearly a continuation of the principles behind the Grade-One Reversed Spirit Formation.

This was the Second-Grade, Twenty-Pattern "Reversed Spirit Array Diagram" (逆靈陣圖).

He had gone to great lengths to obtain this from the demonic sect's military archives—manipulating a demonic disciple using Thunder-Magnetic Arrays, pulling off a daring theft.

Back in the Qi Refining stage, the first absolute formation Mo Hua had ever learned was a Reversed Spirit Array.

Now that he had reached late Foundation Establishment and achieved twenty threads of divine sense, he was finally qualified to study this second-grade version.

Mo Hua gently ran his fingers across the parchment.

To others, this was just a blurry, ancient, meaningless formation diagram.

But to Mo Hua, who had mastered the first-grade Reversed Spirit Formation, it looked entirely different.

He could clearly see the laws of reversed spiritual energy flowing slowly across the paper.

These reversal laws were like sparks—if ignited, they could unleash violent law-defying reactions and unleash devastating power.

In the Qi Refining stage, he had once used the Reversed Spirit Formation to collapse a large array and destroy a great demonic beast.

Now, at the Foundation Establishment level—if he could master the second-grade version—his array-based killing power would be taken to a whole new level.

If he had a second-grade grand array as a trigger to collapse… the resulting power? Mo Hua didn't even dare imagine.

Of course, all he could do was imagine.

Where on earth would he even get a second-grade grand array to destroy?

Those things cost an astronomical amount in resources—spirit stones, labor, spirit ink…

As a formation master himself, Mo Hua knew all too well.

Even if someone were generous enough to let him blow one up… he probably couldn't bear to do it.

Still, even without destroying an entire second-grade grand array, using the Reversed Spirit Formation to collapse a regular high-grade second-grade formation would still deal massive damage. It might not kill a Golden Core cultivator—but it could certainly cripple one.

Which meant… Mo Hua now had another trump card for dealing with Golden Core enemies.

Excited, he focused his attention and began studying the Reversed Spirit Diagram in earnest.

One array pattern after another, he etched into his heart.

The laws of spiritual reversal flowing through them were obscure and deep, but his divine sense slowly penetrated them—bit by bit, he comprehended and understood.

This formation was far more difficult than the earlier ones.

Still, Mo Hua had an advantage—he had already mastered the first-grade version, and during the Formation Assembly, he had even studied a finale formation that incorporated part of the reversal principle.

So his progress was twice as fast.

But even so, profound insights like this were not things one could grasp overnight.

Mo Hua still had to practice daily, persist in his studies, and stay focused.

Day after day. Month after month. Like water dripping on stone.

Maybe one day, through practice and patience, he'd reach a breakthrough and truly master the Reversed Spirit Array.

Learning formations was just like that—requiring massive time investments, unwavering persistence, and constant contemplation.

There were no shortcuts.

Fortunately, this was something Mo Hua had long gotten used to.

After a while, Mo Hua felt his study session had reached a good stopping point and stored away the formation diagram.

Then, he turned his thoughts to another matter—

His Natal Formation Diagram.

A bit of disappointment surfaced in Mo Hua's heart.

Back in the Lone Mountain Tomb, he had worked so hard to obtain the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Formation Diagram, but fate had other plans—it ended up being snatched by the long-plotting Mr. Tu.

Mo Hua had only schemed for a year or two.

But Mr. Tu… might have been planning for hundreds of years.

Losing to someone like that wasn't surprising—Mo Hua accepted it.

But now… he was once again without a natal formation diagram.

He sighed and took out a few formation drafts from his Storage Ring.

They were scattered and incomplete, containing all sorts of dragon-shaped formation patterns—some resembled dragon scales, others dragon claws, or dragon fins, or dragon torsos…

Some of these were Mo Hua's own deductions.

Others had been copied from the body of Shen Tu Ao.

But these array patterns… were all incomplete.

The deductions hadn't been finished, and the imprints were only halfway copied.

Mo Hua frowned as he looked at the fragmented patterns—dragon scales, dragon claws. After a moment, a bold thought suddenly emerged in his mind:

"Why must I rely on Mr. Tu's dragon diagram?"

"Can't I… deduce a 'dragon' of my own?"

In the Ten Thousand Demons Valley, the Four Symbols beast patterns—canine marks, wolf marks, serpent marks, bear marks, tiger marks, and so on—Mo Hua had carefully studied and recorded them all during his expedition there.

He had also personally witnessed how these demon patterns evolved and fused into dragon patterns—he had seen it on Shen Tu Ao's body.

If Mr. Tu could extract the essence of these demon patterns and cultivate a dragon diagram from them…

Then why couldn't he?

Copying Mr. Tu's "homework" wasn't really impressive.

Deducing it himself—that would be true skill.

That was the kind of foundational formation mastery a powerful formation master should have.

The more Mo Hua thought about it, the more convinced he became.

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime."

Mr. Tu hadn't given him the "fish," but Mo Hua had watched the entire "fishing process" with his own eyes.

If Mr. Tu could raise a dragon, then so could he!

What's more, Mo Hua had the combined techniques of Heavenly Pattern Deduction, Heavenly Trick Calculation, and the Source Tracing Algorithm of the Five Elements Sect. When it came to deduction, he had no reason to fall short of Mr. Tu…

Mo Hua's gaze grew brighter as this resolve took root in his heart.

He would also raise a dragon from demons.

By deeply analyzing Four Symbols formations, studying the mutations of demon patterns, he would forge a dragon with his own hands.

"A dragon…"

Just as this thought emerged, Mo Hua suddenly remembered—he still had a Dragon Vein.

He climbed to the head of his bed and pulled from under his pillow the Dragon Vein wrapped in black cloth.

Unwrapping one corner, a section of the Dragon Vein was revealed—

A violent surge of Azure Dragon aura burst forth instantly!

Startled, Mo Hua hurriedly wrapped the cloth back around it to suppress the leaking dragon energy.

Then he frowned.

This Dragon Vein's aura was far too strong—he couldn't even study it properly.

And he didn't dare touch it.

Back in the Lone Mountain Temple, even Shen Shouxing, a Golden Core peak cultivator, had crippled an arm just from grabbing it once.

Even if Mo Hua had the guts of a leopard, he wouldn't dare lay hands on it directly.

He knew better than anyone the limits of his physical body.

And besides… he definitely didn't have the bloodline of the Great Wilderness royal clan.

Mo Hua stared at the Dragon Vein a bit longer, still unable to make sense of it, so he set it aside for now.

"Forget the Dragon Vein for now—it's not going anywhere. What's important is deducing the dragon diagram…"

He pulled out some array paper and began transcribing every demon pattern he had collected from the Ten Thousand Demons Valley, one by one.

Then, he officially began his grand project of "creating" a dragon.

Extracting the essence of all demons—

To paint the Dragon Diagram of the Great Wilderness.

Naturally, this would be an immense formation endeavor.

But Mo Hua was in no rush, nor was he discouraged.

This process of deducing array patterns would gradually deepen his understanding and application of Four Symbols formations.

Even if he ultimately failed to forge a dragon, the trial-and-error process of deconstructing, combining, mutating, and integrating demon patterns would, step by step, make him a master of Four Symbols formations.

No matter how you looked at it—it was a worthwhile trade.

Mo Hua calmed his mind and began comparing the fragmented dragon diagram, studying the transformation of each Four Symbols demon pattern, stroke by stroke.

Time passed quietly.

The night deepened.

The candlelight on the desk flickered gently.

Under his pen, the demon patterns kept morphing and transforming.

No one knew how much time had passed, but the ever-energetic Mo Hua, for once, felt a rare wave of drowsiness.

His eyelids grew heavy, the array patterns before his eyes began to blur.

Beside him, the Dragon Vein gave off a faint warmth.

One by one, the demon patterns began to twist and melt into each other, forming a hazy, indistinct shadow.

Mo Hua stared at those shifting shadows—his mind growing more and more unfocused.

And before he knew it, he had collapsed onto the table, drifting into unconscious sleep.

And in that sleep— Mo Hua dreamed of a dragon.

(End of this Chapter)