Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 981: Ancient Formation

Swallowing the dragon soul was like gulping down a chunk of pure tendon—unyielding and chewy, nearly impossible to bite through, and painfully rough going down.

But Mo Hua's divine sense had already formed a Golden Core. His Dao-transformed essence was now fully purified into pure gold, setting him worlds apart from ordinary cultivators. Even compared to before, he had ascended yet another level.

Violent dragon power rampaged inside him.

Mo Hua activated his Pure Gold Source, transforming it into mighty spiritual force. Like a grinding millstone, he crushed the dragon soul bit by bit, digesting it into his core. An intense, scorching power seared his throat.

The mighty dragon soul coursed throughout his body.

Its wild divine will thrashed like a berserk flood dragon, surging through his insides, rampaging left and right.

Mo Hua decided to activate the Great Void Divine Sense Sword Technique, weaving it together with his arrays, spells, and the might of his Pure Gold divinity, to grind down the dragon soul's will. In an instant, his entire divine body gleamed with dazzling golden brilliance—so radiant it was impossible to look at directly.

The immense pressure radiating from the dragon soul struck terror into the hearts of all the Great Wilderness nobility present in the hall.

No one knew how long had passed, but eventually, the aura of the dragon soul faded.

Mo Hua opened his eyes, smacked his lips thoughtfully, and muttered:

"Didn't taste like anything…"

But wow, was he stuffed.

He felt a huge puff of dragon energy stuck in his chest—and couldn't help but burp.

That burp sounded like rolling thunder, echoing with dragon roar, shaking the entire Dragon Hall.

Inside the hall, every descendant of the Great Wilderness who had submitted—some with dragon scales, some with dragon claws, others with whiskers—all turned pale with terror.

"A... A demon god!"

"He actually... killed the Dragon Emperor… and then ate him?!"

"Treachery! This is treason!"

"The Dragon Emperor… has fallen?!"

"This is the catastrophe of the Great Wilderness!"

"Who… Who brought this monstrous little demon here?!"

The Dragon Hall erupted into chaos—shouts of fear and panic resounded in all directions.

Mo Hua found them annoyingly loud.

He turned toward the noble descendants—those blessed by the dragon vein, bearing various draconic traits—licked his lips with a mischievous grin…

And just that alone scared them half to death.

All the ministers and generals scattered like monkeys fleeing a collapsing tree, souls nearly fleeing their bodies.

Yet amidst the fleeing crowd, one man stood frozen in place, his eyes hollow, his face stunned in disbelief.

Half of his body was covered in dragon bone, his gaze cloudy, his face aged.

Mo Hua recognized this face instantly.

In a flash of golden light, he stepped off the dragon platform and landed before the man.

"You were the one who brought me here?"

The elder gave a bitter smile.

"Little… Divine Lord, you saw through it?"

Mo Hua looked at him curiously and asked slowly:

"Didn't you die in the shrine? Second Elder…"

This old man within the Dragon Hall… was none other than the Second Elder of the Demon Sect.

He had once guided Shen Tu'ao into the tomb at Lone Mountain.

And in order to temporarily seal the Evil Fetus, he had fused himself with the dragon bone, sacrificing his life.

Mo Hua never expected the one who had drawn him into the Dragon Hall… was this very Second Elder.

The Second Elder's expression was full of bitter helplessness as he explained:

"Those who die loyal to the Great Wilderness, giving their lives without hesitation, will have a shred of soul brought to the Dragon Hall—there to take a place among the 'Dragon Court' and remain… eternally immortal…"

Of course, that so-called eternally immortal Dragon Emperor had just been eaten by Mo Hua.

Even now, the Second Elder found this entire event absurd beyond belief.

In the nightmare within the Evil Fetus, his lingering soul had witnessed Mo Hua's battle against it.

He had already known that Mo Hua was strong.

But never could he have imagined that the quirky little array master, still just Foundation Establishment Realm in the real world… would be this powerful inside the spiritual realm.

The laws of the Dragon Hall could not suppress him.

The overwhelming might of dragon prestige couldn't pressure him.

Elite dragon generals—blown apart in a single punch.

A Dragon Emperor—crushed like a bug.

Even the sacred dragon soul of the Great Wilderness—devoured.

This was…

Eating dragons.

The Second Elder felt a chill rise from his very core, spreading through his limbs, making his entire body tremble involuntarily.

A horrifying thought surfaced in his mind…

"Eternally immortal among the Dragon Court…"

Mo Hua shook his head.

Being emperor during life wasn't enough, now they wanted perks after death too?

He looked closely at the Second Elder again.

"So why bring me here?"

The elder's eyelids twitched. He gathered himself and bowed respectfully:

"During the battle at Lone Mountain Shrine, I saw Your Divine Self match the Evil Fetus.

I knew your divine sense was extraordinary… and so I wished to grant you… a chance to inherit the legacy of the Great Wilderness."

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed, voice low:

"Not that simple, is it?"

"No…"

The Second Elder shivered under his gaze and admitted, trembling:

"The Dragon Hall is the sacred site of inheritance.

According to its rules, to obtain the Great Wilderness legacy, one must kneel in reverence to the Dragon Emperor.

Only then can the blessing be granted."

"But once someone kneels…"

He paused, then forced himself to continue:

"They will naturally give rise to thoughts of allegiance… and become a loyal arm of the Great Wilderness."

An arm, huh? More like… a slave.

Mo Hua's gaze darkened.

"So you offered me an opportunity and a trap at the same time. You were scheming against me?"

"Yes…"

The Second Elder's voice trembled slightly.

Mo Hua gave him a half-smile.

"Aren't you afraid I'll crush you now that you've confessed?"

The old man closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and responded bitterly:

"My lingering soul only exists thanks to the Dragon Hall. And the Dragon Hall… is founded on the Dragon Emperor."

"Now that he's dead, and the dragon soul gone, the hall has lost its master.

We remnants… won't last long either."

Mo Hua looked closely and sure enough—he saw the Second Elder's decrepit form dimming, his limbs slowly disintegrating.

Dying?

Mo Hua sighed and shook his head.

So be it. The debt ends here.

In this world, nothing is purely good or bad.

Though the Second Elder had schemed against him, he also let Mo Hua taste something delicious he'd never eaten before.

Mo Hua, generous as always, decided to let it slide.

"You go ahead and die slowly…"

He turned to leave—only to be called back.

"Divine Lord…"

Mo Hua turned his head.

"You still have something to say?"

A terrible idea had taken root in the Second Elder's heart. His face grew solemn, full of inner struggle. At last, he sighed and slowly said:

"I wish… to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.

The elder nodded.

"If possible, I ask you—at a crucial time—to protect a surviving bloodline of the Great Wilderness…"

"You still have a bloodline left?" Mo Hua asked, confused.

Prince Ye was long dead, buried in the Lone Mountain royal tomb.

Shentu Ao was also dead—his skin peeled off by Mr. Tu.

What bloodline could the Great Wilderness possibly have left?

The Second Elder simply replied:

"There is one."

"Where is it?"

The Second Elder remained silent for a moment, then simply said,

"Divine Lord, you will encounter it one day."

Mo Hua raised a brow.

"You're not seriously expecting me to help revive the Great Wilderness, are you?"

The Second Elder's eyes showed weariness and despair as he gave a bitter smile.

"The Great Wilderness… likely can no longer be revived."

Mo Hua was a bit surprised.

The Second Elder sighed:

"All of this—everything—was a game of chess from the very beginning. Countless mighty cultivators, ancient evil gods, and old Demon Sect patriarchs have all been secretly playing this game."

"I once thought I was concealing things well… but everything I did was actually within someone else's calculations."

"All that remains of the Great Wilderness has long since become pawns… manipulated by others."

"And that's something I only realized… after I died."

"Under such a grand heavenly chessboard… this millstone of fate… even the slightest misstep could lead to the extinction of the Great Wilderness—our bloodline erased, our people wiped out."

"So, I ask only one thing of you, Divine Lord: If there comes a time, and if you're able, please help preserve a sliver of our royal bloodline. Even if they can never revive the empire, even if they can never reclaim the title of royal descendants of the Great Wilderness—so long as they can escape the strings of manipulation… and live in peace, it will be enough."

The Second Elder's words were earnest—even carrying a trace of pleading.

Mo Hua, however, shook his head:

"Did you forget I'm just a Foundation Establishment cultivator? I don't have that kind of power…"

The Second Elder sighed internally, then cupped his hands and said:

"Though your cultivation is Foundation Establishment, your attainments in the Dao of Divine Sense are shocking—peerless in this age."

Indeed—no cultivator in history, let alone one at Foundation Establishment, could walk into the Great Wilderness Dragon Hall, slay the Dragon Emperor, and even devour the dragon soul without their body exploding.

"Besides… it's all at Divine Lord's discretion."

"If the situation allows, I ask that you help. If it does not… no need to force it."

Mo Hua gave a small nod, but he still didn't agree easily.

Instead, he asked:

"Then what are you offering me in exchange?"

Preserving the bloodline of the Great Wilderness—this wasn't a small ask.

The Second Elder clearly knew this. For him to bring this up, he must have a valuable bargaining chip.

The old man glanced at Mo Hua and slowly said:

"If I'm not mistaken, Divine Lord's physical cultivation has reached the late Foundation Establishment stage… but your lifebound artifact has yet to be nurtured, has it?"

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly, then nodded.

The Second Elder said:

"Divine Lord, you're skilled in arrays. You intend to use our Great Wilderness' Four Symbols Azure Dragon Divine Beast Array as your lifebound formation diagram?"

"That's right," Mo Hua admitted without hiding it.

The Second Elder shook his head:

"Divine Lord… the Four Symbols Azure Dragon Array… you cannot use it."

Mo Hua asked:

"Why?"

The Second Elder didn't dare be too blunt and replied tactfully:

"The Azure Dragon is a legacy dragon of the Great Wilderness—it only recognizes bloodline.

Regardless of power or prestige, if you are not a royal descendant, it will never acknowledge you."

"Moreover… Divine Lord, you don't cultivate physical refinement. Your body is… just a bit too weak to withstand the immense, unmatched power of the Azure Dragon."

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

Bloodline—he already knew the Azure Dragon wouldn't accept him.

As for his body—yes, it had its weaknesses.

The dragon energy was ferocious and wild. Even with his powerful Dao-transformed divine sense, swallowing the dragon soul had still left him feeling torn apart.

His divine sense was strong, but his body wasn't.

If he directly tattooed the Azure Dragon formation onto his body, using it to channel its violent power, he might be ripped to shreds on the spot.

"And then?" Mo Hua looked at the Second Elder. He knew this old man wouldn't spout nonsense for no reason.

The Second Elder fell silent again. Even at the end, he struggled within himself—unsure if he should say it.

But his lingering soul was fading fast.

His legs had already turned to white dust, and his body was beginning to crumble like sand.

The Second Elder sighed. In the end, he gave in and said quietly:

"I know of a formation… one that may be far more suited to you, Divine Lord."

Mo Hua's pupils contracted slightly.

"What formation?"

The Second Elder exhaled deeply:

"This formation was discovered in ancient times by a Grand Shaman of my Great Wilderness—an unrivaled cultivator who unearthed it from a primordial, boundless, chaotic abyss of the savage world."

"It is a formation of ancient foreign patterns."

"These ancient formations are twisted and wild—completely incompatible with the cultivation systems of the Great Wilderness."

"To be honest, it doesn't even look like it was made for humans."

"But that Grand Shaman refused to give up.

He spent the better part of his life refining it—

and finally, using the structure of the Four Symbols Array, recompiled this ancient formation into a set that could be integrated into a cultivator's meridians and bones."

Mo Hua grew more and more shocked as he listened, and frowned.

"You're not lying to me?"

The Second Elder sighed:

"A man about to die has no reason to lie.

And besides…"

He glanced at Mo Hua with a trace of fear.

"In front of the Divine Lord… how would I dare speak falsehood?"

Mo Hua's gaze deepened. He stared into the old man's soul—and, confirming there were no lies, finally gave a slow nod.

"What's the name of this formation? Which type of Four Symbols pattern is it? What grade?"

The Second Elder shook his head.

"I know none of that."

"You don't?" Mo Hua's voice grew colder.

"This formation… is too unorthodox. Too terrifying.

It existed only in the hands of that Grand Shaman."

"After his death, the Great Wilderness royal court stripped him of his title, destroyed all his writings, razed his tomb, and even classified the formation as forbidden—banned from being inherited for eternity."

"So even I… have never seen what it actually looks like."

The Second Elder sighed heavily.

Mo Hua's brows furrowed even tighter.

"You haven't seen it. The formation diagram was sealed. It's definitely not in your hands.

Then how are you offering it as a bargaining chip?"

The Second Elder's gaze grew murky.

"Though I don't possess it… I know where it is."

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.

"Where?"

The Second Elder said:

"In the hands… of a traitor of the Great Wilderness."

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.

"Mr. Tu?"

The Second Elder was surprised, then nodded slowly.

"Yes. That's what he's called when traveling in the outside world—Mr. Tu."

Mo Hua frowned.

"So… I'd have to kill Mr. Tu to obtain this ancient formation?"

Mr. Tu was at least Ascendant Realm, and he was the servant of an evil god. He must possess terrifying divine arts.

A servant of an evil god, at Ascendant Realm?

Mo Hua couldn't even begin to imagine how to kill such a man.

"No need," said the Second Elder.

Mo Hua looked puzzled.

"But isn't it in his possession? If I don't kill him, how could I possibly get it?"

The Second Elder said:

"It's in his possession… but even he doesn't know where it is."

Mo Hua grew even more confused.

"What do you mean?"

The Second Elder lowered his voice:

"In a certain place in Qian Prefecture… there is a forbidden land.

Within that forbidden land, there is a hidden chamber.

Within that chamber, sits an altar."

"Atop that altar rests a statue—a white-bone evil god with a human face and ram horns."

"The ancient formation is engraved within that white-bone statue…"

"That traitor doesn't know this.

He reveres that old, evil object… and never dares touch the statue."

Mo Hua's heart shuddered.

A forbidden land… an altar… A white-bone evil god statue with a human face and ram horns?

And inside… the ancient formation of the Great Wilderness?

Ancient Formation Diagram of the Great Wilderness?

Mo Hua looked at the Second Elder, skeptical.

"If even Mr. Tu doesn't know about this, how do you?"

The Second Elder coughed, his figure dimming further.

"Because… I've lived even longer than that traitor.

Long, long ago, I used dragon bones to extend my life.

Otherwise, I would've died ages ago."

"But with lingering regrets in my heart, I was unwilling to just die."

"This ancient formation is a forbidden secret of the Great Wilderness. I never intended to tell anyone about it.

But just now, after seeing the Divine—"

He paused, then continued vaguely:

"After seeing Divine Lord's power, I held onto a thread of hope, and used this ancient formation as a bargaining chip to strike a deal… only asking that you preserve a thread of our Great Wilderness bloodline."

Mo Hua was faintly moved, but asked back:

"You've already told me everything.

If I just go after the formation and don't keep my promise to protect your bloodline—

what could you even do about it?"

The Second Elder's lingering soul had already mostly faded. He responded bitterly:

"As I said… at this point, I have no leverage left.

I asked only on the off chance, hoping Divine Lord would be willing."

"If you act, I will be eternally grateful. If not… I will hold no resentment."

After saying this, the Second Elder's aura grew even fainter.

Mo Hua remained silent for a moment, then slowly asked:

"Was all of this… really worth it?"

The Second Elder gave a faint smile, his gaze firm:

"I am a son of the Great Wilderness—born of it, raised by it.

Everything I cultivated, I owe to its legacy.

To devote myself entirely for my people, until death—

That is only right."

Mo Hua said nothing.

The Second Elder's lingering soul had already lost both legs and half his body.

His features were beginning to blur.

Perhaps sensing that true soul dissipation was near, the elder's aged eyes held a trace of hope and yearning as he looked humbly at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua sighed lightly, then nodded:

"Alright. I promise you."

The Second Elder cupped his hands and gave Mo Hua one final bow. With sincere respect, he said:

"May the Divine Lord's path be boundless, and your fortune limitless."

With that, his final wish fulfilled, his form completely dispersed—

turning into drifting ash, vanishing into the heavens.

Mo Hua stood there, watching the last trace of the Second Elder fade away, his gaze flickering with mixed feelings.

As the elder vanished, the Dragon Hall of the Great Wilderness also fell into complete silence.

All of the dragon ministers—once loyal to their sovereign—now without a king, turned to smoke and scattered.

The dragon aura within the hall also began to dissipate.

Mo Hua's own form began to twist and blur.

A powerful force of rejection descended upon him, as if trying to expel this unwelcome intruder.

Mo Hua turned for one final look at the now-dim and lifeless Dragon Hall— then, his figure too, gradually vanished.

The world spun. Reality distorted.

When Mo Hua opened his eyes again, he found himself slumped over the desk in his residence.

Before him lay the Four Symbols Beast Pattern and the half-complete Dragon Pattern he had been analyzing.

The dragon vein was still beside his hand.

The events of the dream-like Dragon Hall were still fresh in his mind.

"That ancient formation diagram… from the Great Wilderness…"

(End of this Chapter)