Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 659 – Meteor

Gu Changhuai's face was extremely unsightly.

He stayed silent for a long while, then turned his head and saw Mo Hua munching on a melon, his bright eyes sneakily peeking at him. He frowned and said:

"Why haven't you left yet?"

Mo Hua didn't really want to leave.

The melon today was especially sweet.

But seeing that Uncle Gu's face was the color of a scorched pot bottom, Mo Hua sighed helplessly and started to rise.

At that moment, a nearby Gu Clan female elder, wearing an expression of joyous festivity, saw Mo Hua's "wronged little bunny" face and immediately scolded Gu Changhuai:

"You really are something. What's the point of making things hard for a child?"

"He's just sitting here eating melon. How's that bothering you?"

"It's not like this is some shameful business…"

"Not to criticize you, but your usual foul temper—can't you rein it in a bit? In the Dao Court you can act tough to those criminal and demonic cultivators, sure, but back home at the Gu Clan? We're all family and elders here—who are you making faces at?"

Gu Changhuai was thoroughly scolded and looked stiff as a statue.

The elder, having finished scolding, then swapped to a warm and kind face, and looked admiringly at the well-behaved, adorable Mo Hua.

This child was really good-looking.

And his temperament—also excellent.

Unlike the other spoiled scions of noble clans, who might have pretty faces but whose eyes screamed arrogance and entitlement.

But this child was different. His gaze was pure, lively, and bright. He looked sincere and polite.

The more she looked, the more she liked him.

It was her first time meeting Mo Hua, so she didn't know his exact identity.

But thinking about how he could sit here eating melon in front of Gu Changhuai, he had to be a nephew from some branch of the Gu Clan or maybe a distant relative.

With such a big clan, even as an elder, it was impossible to recognize every junior.

And besides, it was the New Year—relatives and old friends came and went. A few unfamiliar children around were perfectly normal.

The elder smiled and said to Mo Hua:

"Don't be scared, child, take your time eating…"

"Your Uncle Gu has a cold face but a warm heart. He just speaks harshly. You don't have to be afraid of him. Just enjoy your melon."

Mo Hua blinked his bright and innocent eyes and obediently said:

"Thank you, Elder."

Then, full of righteous confidence, he sat back down.

Gu Changhuai felt his scalp go numb.

"Auntie, you…"

"What about me?"

The elder plopped down beside him, poured herself a cup of tea, and said:

"No one in the clan manages you, and you don't manage yourself either..."

"Wan'er's married now, with a husband and child. There are some things that are no longer her place to deal with. If I, as your aunt, don't step in now, are you planning to just waste your whole life away?"

Gu Changhuai kept a straight face, stubborn as a rock.

The elder sighed and softened her tone slightly. "This young lady is from the direct line of the Hua family, of the Twelfth-Rank Hundred Flowers Valley. She's about your age, just a little younger…"

"She's currently an inner-sect instructor at Hundred Flowers Valley."

"Her cultivation is only late Foundation Establishment... Hmm, probably peak Foundation Establishment now."

"She's close to breaking through to Core Formation…"

"For her age, she's a bit on the older side for late Foundation Establishment, but if she manages to form her core, the timing would actually be quite ideal…"

"You're around the same age. Her cultivation is a bit lower than yours, so you can take the lead without always having to defer to her…"

"You're from the Gu Clan's direct line; she's from the Hua Clan's direct line…"

"You're a Dao Court Adjudicator; she's a Hundred Flowers Valley Instructor, soon to be an Elder once she breaks through…"

"It's truly a well-matched union…"

"Mm-hmm!"

Mo Hua, listening on the side, nodded enthusiastically.

Gu Changhuai gave him a sharp glare.

The elder didn't like that. "Your aunt is talking to you! At least look like you're paying attention…"

"You're not getting any younger. Stop running off risking your life fighting criminal cultivators every day."

"Start worrying about yourself for once…"

Seeing that Gu Changhuai remained unmoved, the elder sighed and said softly:

"You're a scion of a noble clan. No matter how high your cultivation, if you have no children and heirs, eventually you'll be pushed to the sidelines…"

"Look at your Third Great-Uncle."

"He had no children his entire life. While he was alive, his cultivation was high and his word was law in the clan. But near the end, with death approaching, he had no one to inherit anything. He had to hand out his life's legacy and treasures left and right…"

"Now he's dead and gone, not even a soul offers him incense."

"It's still me who arranges a little altar for him every New Year, lights a few sticks of incense…"

"He was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and even he ended up like that. What about you, just a Core Formation stage?"

"Not to mention the clan's spirit stones, pills, artifacts…"

Gu Changhuai coughed and looked toward Mo Hua, who was quietly gnawing melon beside him.

The elder grew annoyed, "Don't interrupt. He's just a kid, he doesn't understand any of this…"

Gu Changhuai was speechless.

This kid… he's got more scheming thoughts in his belly than half the sly old demonic cultivators out there…

You people can't even see this little brat's true colors!

Gu Changhuai felt powerless but didn't bother arguing. Otherwise, he'd just get scolded more.

The elder paused and asked, "Where was I just now?"

Gu Changhuai didn't answer.

Mo Hua helpfully added, "You were saying 'spirit stones, pills, and artifacts in the clan'…"

"Oh, right," the elder smiled at Mo Hua, then shot another glare at Gu Changhuai, continuing:

"The clan's resources—spirit stones, pills, artifacts—they'll naturally prioritize the branches that are already married and have many heirs."

"Forming a Dao partnership, a clan alliance—mutual support. With more people, no one can easily bully you. When there are benefits, you can share them among yourselves. At least those resources won't be going to outsiders…"

"Meanwhile, you're a lone wolf. When there are benefits, you get none. If someone bullies or schemes against you, there's no one to speak up on your behalf…"

"And you're still so stubborn…"

"Won't listen to anyone…"

The more she spoke, the angrier she got.

Gu Changhuai's face also turned darker.

Mo Hua, ever helpful, whispered from the side: "Elder, you're off-topic…"

The elder froze.

Mo Hua softly reminded, "The marriage!"

"Oh! Right!" The elder gave Mo Hua a grateful look. "Almost forgot—the marriage is the most important part."

She turned to Gu Changhuai and said, "That girl from Hundred Flowers Valley—when you're free, go meet her. Talk a bit, see if you get along…"

"If you two are compatible, I'll send someone to propose marriage…"

"This can't be delayed any longer…"

The elder thought for a moment and smiled, "I've heard she's extremely beautiful, like a flower made of jade, a heavenly fairy, perfectly suited to you…"

…

Gu Changhuai's expression was now completely numb.

He looked like a wooden dummy.

Mo Hua even suspected that everything the elder had just said went into his left ear and right out the other.

At last, the elder summed it up:

"That's settled then. I'll arrange for you two to meet sometime."

With that, she swept out of the room in a whirlwind.

Mo Hua finally finished eating his melon.

After some thought, he figured—with one being as beautiful as a flower, and the other as elegant as a pine breeze—they did sound quite compatible.

He just wasn't sure if she was truly "as beautiful as a flower," or "like Flower herself turned to jade."

Mo Hua felt that Uncle Gu treated him quite well, even giving him merit points. He should do something in return, so he leaned over and whispered mysteriously:

"Uncle Gu, I've got a friend in Hundred Flowers Valley. How about… I ask around for you—"

Before he could finish, a spiritual fruit was shoved in his mouth.

It was Gu Changhuai who did it.

Mo Hua glared at him, took the fruit, bit down—and found it was actually quite sweet. He ended up nibbling on it happily.

Halfway through munching, Mo Hua suddenly remembered the real reason he was here.

He sighed and said, "Uncle Gu, not that I'm nagging, but you're not young anymore. If you're supposed to meet her, you should go—"

Before he could finish, he sensed something off.

Looking up, he saw that Uncle Gu's face was now blacker than the bottom of a burnt pot. He looked like he was about to explode.

Mo Hua immediately got the message:

"You don't want to go? That's fine… I'll leave now!"

Then—whoosh—he bolted.

Gu Changhuai watched Mo Hua vanish in an instant, sighed helplessly, and felt a massive headache coming on…

...

As Mo Hua left the guest hall, his mind was already turning over something new.

Hundred Flowers Valley.

Late Foundation Establishment, inner sect instructor, described as as beautiful as a flower and as precious as jade...

Something about it felt vaguely off.

Mo Hua pondered as he walked, and suddenly spotted the female elder—Uncle Gu's aunt—hadn't gone far.

His eyes lit up, and he ran up to her, calling:

"Elder!"

The elder paused in surprise. When she saw it was Mo Hua, she was a little taken aback, then smiled and said:

"My name is just one word—'Hong'. Everyone calls me Elder Hong. You can call me that too…"

"Elder Hong!" Mo Hua responded crisply.

Elder Hong nodded with a smile. "By the way, whose child are you? You're not from the Gu family, right?"

"My surname is Mo," Mo Hua replied.

"Mo?" Elder Hong frowned.

Among the noble families near Ganxue Prefecture that had dealings with the Gu family, none bore the surname Mo…

"I know Aunt Wan," Mo Hua added.

Elder Hong looked surprised, then came to an understanding.

Aunt Wan—Wenren Wan…

That likely made him related to either the Shangguan or Wenren branches.

Big clans had sprawling family trees and countless intermarriages—it was hard to keep track unless you were close.

But since he called Wan'er "Aunt," he probably wasn't an outsider.

Elder Hong's smile grew even warmer.

She didn't concern herself much with the internal matters of the Gu clan.

At that moment, she didn't connect this well-mannered youth with the matter of Yuer's marriage at all.

Elder Hong asked kindly, "Have you joined a sect yet?"

Mo Hua nodded, "I'm a disciple of the Great Void Sect."

Elder Hong's eyes lit up with admiration. "Getting into one of the Eight Great Sects—that's quite impressive."

Though...

She looked a bit puzzled again.

This child's blood energy seemed weak, his spiritual energy thin, and his spiritual roots didn't seem promising…

How did he get into the Great Void Sect?

With such poor aptitude, they were still willing to accept him?

But she didn't pry—this was their first meeting, and asking questions like that might embarrass the child.

"Elder Hong, I have a question I want to ask you…"

Elder Hong looked a bit surprised but nodded:

"Go ahead."

Mo Hua lowered his voice, "I often come to the Gu family to play with Uncle Gu, but I've never seen his parents…"

"You come to play with Changhuai?"

Elder Hong's mouth fell open.

She even glanced up at the sky, wondering if the sun was rising from the west today…

What kind of kid actually wants to play with Changhuai?

That bad temper of his doesn't scare people off?

What could they even play?

Pretend to be a Dao Court adjudicator? Play a game of investigating, hunting down, and arresting demonic cultivators?

Elder Hong shook her head, baffled.

This child knows Wan'er…

Most likely Changhuai only brought him around out of respect for Wan'er's connections.

She made a note of that in her heart.

As for Changhuai's parents…

Elder Hong hesitated, then sighed, "His parents are gone."

Mo Hua froze. "They passed away?"

Elder Hong sat down at a nearby pavilion and spoke softly:

"It's no secret, no need to hide it from you. But the details… aren't something I should go into. And don't bring it up in front of your Uncle Gu."

"Mm-hmm!" Mo Hua nodded obediently.

There was a trace of sorrow and tenderness in Elder Hong's eyes.

"Changhuai lost both his parents when he was young, so he's always been a loner…"

"Actually, even when his parents were alive, he had a loner's temperament…"

After thinking carefully, she concluded, "He was probably born with that personality. Has nothing to do with what happened."

"But without parents to rely on, being bullied now and then is hard to avoid."

"Back then, it was mostly his cousin—your Aunt Wan—who looked after him. Since childhood, Changhuai has only really listened to her."

"Now he's grown up—he's over a hundred—and he still barely interacts with others. But when it comes to Wan'er, he pays very close attention."

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

No wonder…

Elder Hong sighed again. "I just want him to find a Dao companion who can temper his cold and aloof nature. Otherwise, someday…"

She didn't finish the sentence, but there was a shadow in her gaze.

Mo Hua thought for a bit, then said:

"Elder Hong, don't worry. I'll try and talk to Uncle Gu!"

Elder Hong was startled, then burst out laughing:

"Good! If you can talk him into finding a Dao partner, then I…"

She paused, then made a promise:

"I'll find you a lovely little wife someday!"

Caught off guard, Mo Hua's face flushed red. "I… I'm still young…"

Seeing his shy and adorable expression, Elder Hong laughed merrily. "Well then, if there's anything you want, just let me know. As long as it's not too outrageous, I'll definitely help you."

"Okay!" Mo Hua nodded with a grin.

The two then chatted casually for a while.

Elder Hong, despite being a high-ranking elder with profound cultivation and great seniority in the Gu clan, was very talkative. She also had a fondness for gossip—and an even stronger passion for matchmaking.

Mo Hua couldn't help but marvel—this vast world truly had all kinds of elders.

After chatting for a while, Elder Hong left to handle some matters.

Mo Hua, however, was still thinking deeply.

When Fire Buddha self-detonated, Uncle Gu had saved him.

His parents had always told him—a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring.

That female instructor from Hundred Flowers Valley… when he had time, he'd ask Senior Sister Qianqian if she knew anything about her.

Uncle Gu's lifelong happiness—he had to help look into it!

Mo Hua nodded to himself.

It wouldn't be immediate though—he'd have to wait until the sect reopened and he could go on missions with Senior Sister Qianqian.

After that, Mo Hua returned to the Great Void Sect.

He would be spending the New Year in the sect.

Though a bit quiet, it was peaceful.

If he got bored, he could go wander around nearby Great Void City.

Great Void City was built around the sect, and many cultivators lived there too.

During the New Year, the city was brightly decorated and bustling with life.

It even had customs and traditions completely different from his hometown in Lizhou.

Aside from that, Mo Hua spent most of his time refining and perfecting a forbidden fireball spell he'd developed—based on the stable structural framework extracted from the Falling Fire Technique.

He also kept the "True Method of Demonic Qi Refinement" stored in his Storage Ring.

But he didn't dare read it within the sect.

The sect strictly forbade disciples from carrying any demonic techniques, evil arts, or heretical methods into its grounds.

If discovered, the consequences would be severe.

Mo Hua had smuggled it in, but didn't dare open it within the sect.

He even suspected the sect might have hidden surveillance methods to detect demonic or monstrous energies—to prevent disciples from secretly cultivating evil arts and going astray.

In comparison, forbidden spells were relatively safer.

After all, the forbidden spell Mo Hua was developing only involved spellcasting theory and didn't include any truly sinister pathways.

Mo Hua continued studying, optimizing, and refining his forbidden fireball technique over and over again.

He wasn't aiming to increase its power.

Its power was already formidable.

What he sought now was greater structural stability, controlled fusion, and reduced risk of failure. Ideally, he'd also lower its spiritual energy consumption…

Only then could the spell be considered truly stable.

Over the following days, after dozens of revisions and hundreds of adjustments, the spiritual flow and internal structure of the spell had become extremely solid.

Mo Hua wanted to test it more.

Just like array formations, spells had to be put into real practice.

Within the Great Void Sect, the ideal place to test spells was the Dao Technique Hall.

Even during New Year, there were elders on duty there.

And on shift today… was Elder Yi, who knew Mo Hua quite well.

When Mo Hua arrived at the Dao Technique Hall and saw Elder Yi, he asked curiously:

"Elder, aren't you going home to celebrate the New Year with your clan?"

Elder Yi sipped his tea and shook his head. "I went back to take a look—it was enough…"

"There are so many people in the clan, they won't miss one like me. But the sect is different."

"Besides, it's much more peaceful here than back home. At my age, a quiet place is worth more than anything…"

Elder Yi sounded rather sentimental.

Mo Hua asked quietly, "Elder Yi, how old are you?"

"I…"

Elder Yi nearly blurted it out, but caught himself just in time.

"Let's not ask about things like that…" Elder Yi replied. Then he raised a brow. "What are you here for at this hour? Practicing spells?"

[This chapter isn't over yet—click the next page to continue!]

Mo Hua nodded.

Spending the New Year not at his clan, but staying behind to train spells.

Elder Yi immediately felt a stronger bond with Mo Hua.

"Go ahead—take whichever room you like!"

"Thank you, Elder Yi!"

Mo Hua grinned, then started walking toward the spell training chambers. But after a few steps, he turned back.

Elder Yi looked puzzled. "Something wrong?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded and said in a low voice, "Elder, can I use the training room for late Foundation Establishment stage spells?"

"Late Foundation Establishment?"

Elder Yi stiffened and stared at Mo Hua like he'd just spotted a fireball in his hands. "What are you trying to do?"

"It's nothing…" Mo Hua chuckled. "I just think the late-stage rooms are… safer."

The rooms for early Foundation Establishment were already pretty secure.

You're the one who's unsafe… Elder Yi muttered in his heart.

"It's the New Year—keep yourself in check, alright? No dangerous experiments…" he said quietly.

"Mm-hmm, don't worry—it's very safe!" Mo Hua promised.

"Alright, alright, go." Elder Yi waved him off.

"Thank you, Elder Yi!"

Mo Hua followed Elder Yi's directions and entered an unfamiliar spell chamber.

Inside, the training dummies were more advanced—crafted from more precious materials, with sturdier defenses and enhanced protective formations.

The entire chamber was reinforced with high-grade Tier-2 arrays.

As soon as Mo Hua entered, Elder Yi stared unblinkingly at that room.

He was terrified that if he let his guard down, he'd suddenly hear another boom, and Mo Hua and the dummy would both go up in flames.

The dummy breaking would be fine.

But if Mo Hua got hurt, then peace and quiet for the rest of this year—and next year—could be completely written off.

Fortunately, time passed without incident. The chamber stayed quiet.

Mo Hua seemed to be practicing normally.

Only then did Elder Yi finally relax. Maybe he was being paranoid…

After all, a Foundation Establishment rookie who accidentally caused a spell collapse and blew up an early-stage room was already absurd enough.

But no matter how absurd, there was no way he could blow up a late-stage chamber… right?

Feeling relieved, Elder Yi leaned back in his chair, sipped tea, and savored the calm.

Inside the training chamber—

Mo Hua really didn't attempt anything "dangerous" this time.

He knew—if he slipped up and hurt himself, even Elder Yi's New Year would be ruined.

And he truly respected Elder Yi's kindness.

So this time, he just focused on casting fireballs using the refined and stabilized forbidden spell structure he'd carefully developed.

Dual casting—two fireballs with the same source.

Using spiritual pressure to force the two into a high-speed collision and compression, triggering a spell collapse and an inner spiritual fusion, producing a new "mini fireball" brimming with power.

The fireball's surface looked like molten lava—flowing and coiling with highly condensed fire-element energy, shimmering with a soft violet hue.

This fireball's power was less than the original unstable forbidden spell version.

It was also weaker than the one that pierced the Fire Buddha's chest.

But most importantly—it was now far safer.

The spell was completely controllable, and its casting was also faster.

Based on Mo Hua's past battle experience, a fully controllable spell was key to precise and effective combat.

If a spell had the risk of going haywire—it was a double-edged sword.

It could kill the enemy… or backfire and kill the caster.

So for stability's sake, he deliberately reduced its power and lowered spirit energy consumption.

In return, he gained a faster, more accurate, and easier-to-control casting method.

Mo Hua mentally reviewed his goals:

First, stability and safety.

Once fully mastered, he'd gradually unlock its limits.

By pushing the internal spell collapse and spiritual fusion further, he'd one day unleash its true potential…

But before that—there was one more thing:

This fireball forbidden spell… needed a new name.

"Falling Fire Technique" was out of the question.

That was Fire Buddha's signature forbidden spell—mentioning it would instantly raise suspicions.

"Fireball Spell"? Way too plain.

"Forbidden Fireball"? Even worse.

That would be like tattooing the word "forbidden" on his forehead—please interrogate me.

Mo Hua stared at the lava-like mini fireball in his hand, frowned in thought for a long while—then his eyes suddenly lit up.

Fireball fusion, containing falling fire.

Then this forbidden spell should be called:

Mini Meteor Technique!

Mo Hua nodded, his eyes sparkling.

Time passed quickly.

A month flew by in the blink of an eye.

The Great Void Sect's semester resumed.

Disciples who had gone home for the New Year returned to the sect—groaning, dragging their feet, and totally unmotivated.

The once-silent sect was noisy once again.

This marked Mo Hua's second year of study at the Great Void Sect.

After a year of cultivation, most disciples had started adjusting to sect life.

Now, it was time to officially connect with the sect's system...

A few days after the new semester started, under the approval of the Sect Master, this batch of newly recruited disciples officially had the Merit Authority of their Void Tokens unlocked.

It was time for them… to begin taking on missions.

(End of Chapter)