Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 662 – Artifact Crafting at Gushan (Lone Mountain)

The lands surrounding Qianxue Prefecture were beautiful and diverse in their own ways.

Mo Hua sat comfortably in the carriage, enjoying the scenery as he made his way toward Lone Mountain City.

Departing at dawn, by mid-afternoon the carriage entered the borders of Lone Mountain.

Mo Hua looked around and was taken aback.

Compared to the landscapes along the way, the area around Lone Mountain City was… bleak.

Barren mountains, withered vegetation, and a sky clouded in grey mist.

The surroundings were filled with abandoned mines.

Few people were around.

The scattered cultivators on the road all had weary, gloomy faces— like they were enduring hardship and sorrow.

Mo Hua frowned.

Lone Mountain was technically a third-grade Immortal City… But in terms of appearance, it looked worse off than most second-grade regions.

This was far beyond his expectations.

The carriage followed a wide but dust-covered road and entered the city.

There were a few more people inside, but still not many.

Mo Hua headed east, arriving at a large artifact shop in the city's southeastern corner.

Above the building hung a wooden plaque, bold and powerful in script:

"Gu Clan Artifact Refinery."

Below it was a smaller sign reading: "Lone Mountain Branch."

The plaque was a bit weathered and covered in dust.

Mo Hua looked around. The shop covered a huge area— part of it built inside the city, and the other part connecting directly to Mount Lone Mountain nearby.

Inside, the shop buzzed with activity. Quite a few cultivators were present.

With a sweep of his divine sense— even through the formation shielding the outer city— Mo Hua sensed most of the auras inside were at the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages.

Only one aura stood out—powerful and nearly condensed, with a faint fiery essence. It had a presence similar to Uncle Gu's—clearly a Golden Core cultivator!

As Mo Hua scanned the area— Inside the artifact shop, a tall, muscular man with bronze-colored skin was resting with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

He hesitated for a moment, then turned to a nearby disciple and said in a low voice:

"Go take a look. We've got a distinguished guest."

The disciple blinked.

"Distinguished guest?"

The man furrowed his brows. He, too, was puzzled.

There was someone inside the Gu Clan's carriage…

The person felt young, with weak spiritual power, but their divine sense was sharp and carried a faint oppressive pressure.

Even he, a Golden Core cultivator, felt a chill from it.

That… wasn't normal.

And Lone Mountain was remote. Few came here.

Why would someone come all this way, alone?

The man narrowed his eyes, his guard rising—but still said:

"Invite them in. Don't be rude."

The disciple understood the weight of this and quickly bowed.

"Yes, Master!" Then he turned and left.

The gates of the refinery were closed tight.

Mo Hua wasn't sure whom to ask for help when—creeaakk—the doors opened.

Out stepped a brawny youth with thick eyebrows and a simple, honest face.

He glanced around, confused, and muttered:

"Where's the honored guest…?"

Lowering his head, he finally spotted the fair and delicate young man standing at the entrance.

He froze.

Mo Hua asked,

"Is Master Gu here?"

"You're… looking for my master?" the youth asked, puzzled.

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

The youth gave him another look. Mo Hua's clothes were plain, but his features were striking, his bearing elegant—

his eyes sparkling like stars.

The youth frowned slightly.

Could this little nobleman be the "distinguished guest" Master mentioned...?

He wasn't convinced, but remembering his master's warning—"don't be rude"— he decided to err on the side of caution.

So he politely said:

"Young master, please follow me."

"Thank you." Mo Hua smiled.

The youth led the way, and Mo Hua entered the Gu Clan's artifact refinery.

Inside were many cultivators—mostly smiths or apprentices.

Furnaces stood throughout the space.

Smiths, sweating profusely, were stoking worn old furnaces until they glowed red-hot, then hammering away at embryo-stage spirit artifacts with full concentration.

The crackling of flames, the clang of metal, and shouted orders rang out nonstop.

Judging by their techniques, the smiths were clearly experienced and highly skilled.

But the furnaces were outdated, the formations crude.

The crafting process itself felt rushed and a bit sloppy.

So despite the scale and the skilled workers, there was an undeniable air of decline.

Still, Mo Hua didn't want to be rude by staring too long.

After all, he was a newcomer. Staring too much would make people suspicious.

He walked deeper into the compound.

In a large courtyard, many spirit artifacts were displayed.

Beyond the courtyard, the hallway narrowed, leading through another large door— and suddenly, his view opened wide.

Ahead was a mountain peak.

On the mountaintop, cultivators were mining.

Nearby were simple furnaces used for ore refinement.

Only now did Mo Hua understand— this artifact refinery wasn't a sealed building, but rather built into the mountainside.

Walls enclosed three sides of the mountain, turning it into a self-contained refining zone.

Inside was the mine; outside was the shop.

One side mined; the other side refined.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

This was the first time he'd ever seen an artifact shop like this.

Judging from its scale, it had probably once been quite glorious. But now, clearly, it had fallen into decline.

Just outside the mine, at a stone table, sat a tall, imposing man deep in thought.

One glance told Mo Hua this was the Golden Core cultivator—Master Gu, the man he came to see.

Master Gu also spotted Mo Hua.

He stared for several seconds, slightly stunned.

So young…

But he was a third-grade artifact master. Over the years, he'd dealt with all kinds of cultivators.

He knew very well— In Qianzhou, the younger someone was, the more dangerous their background might be.

Even if you couldn't win them over, it was best not to offend them.

The youth led Mo Hua forward, and he greeted Master Gu politely.

Master Gu nodded in return, then turned to the youth and said:

"Dachuan, go brew a pot of tea."

"Yes, Master."

The youth—Dachuan—left.

Master Gu invited Mo Hua to sit, then carefully studied him. He asked:

"May I ask the young lord's name?"

"My surname is Mo," Mo Hua replied crisply.

Mo?

Master Gu blinked.

Not Gu… not Shangguan… but Mo?

There were no major families with the surname "Mo" in the Qianxue region…

Master Gu frowned.

"Lone Mountain is remote. May I ask what brings young master here?"

Mo Hua took out a letter from his robes and handed it to him.

Master Gu opened it— only to find it completely blank.

He was stunned, then grew annoyed.

Is this kid messing with me?

Just as he was about to say something, he noticed— At the bottom of the blank paper were two seals.

One from the Gu Clan.

One from the Shangguan Clan.

Master Gu's pupils contracted.

Seals from both clans?!

This meant one of two things: —Either this was a casual letter of introduction… —Or it meant this young man had full authority to act as he wished, with the approval of both great clans.

Master Gu turned to stare at Mo Hua, mind reeling.

Who was this young master?

And what did he plan to do… with such a powerful letter… in a dying, abandoned artifact refinery like this one?

His gaze hardened slightly.

Lone Mountain was remote. The mine was nearly exhausted. They few remaining smiths barely scraped by, forging low-grade spirit tools.

Life was already hard enough.

Was this young master here to give orders? Or like those other arrogant nobles—here to bleed them dry of the last bit of profit?

Master Gu clenched his fists ever so slightly, though his tone remained polite:

"Understood. If young master has any requests, please speak freely."

"We'll do our utmost to fulfill them."

Mo Hua felt like something was… off about Master Gu's tone. But then again—this was a Golden Core cultivator. The fact that he was willing to sit down and listen to a Foundation Establishment junior was already generous.

Asking him to be warm and cheerful too might be pushing it.

So Mo Hua said: "Master Gu, I'd like to ask about the crafting of formation catalyst spiritual tools…"

Master Gu nodded, waiting for him to go on.

But after a while… Mo Hua said nothing more.

Master Gu blinked.

"And then?" he asked.

Then?

Mo Hua blinked.

"Then I went back to the sect for classes…"

What else could there be?

Was he supposed to stay here or something?

Master Gu looked utterly confused.

"That's it?"

Mo Hua, equally puzzled, nodded.

"That's it…"

Master Gu froze.

You brought such an important letter… just to ask a couple of questions? Then you're leaving?

Was this kid… treating a two-clan token like a feather duster?!

Master Gu didn't believe it. He eyed Mo Hua suspiciously.

"Really?"

"Mhm…" Mo Hua nodded slowly.

Master Gu stared at him for a long while. Sensing no deceit, he finally let out a long sigh—his whole demeanor visibly relaxing.

He even managed to squeeze out a smile.

Mo Hua, still clueless, simply felt that this Master Gu… had a very strange personality.

"You want to know about formation catalysts, huh? Ask anything you like," Master Gu offered warmly.

Then, after thinking a bit, he added:

"The field of artifact crafting is vast and varied. I once focused on formation catalysts myself—purely by chance. Although I later shifted to another specialization, my foundation remains. As long as it's not too obscure, I should be able to explain it clearly."

Master Gu was unexpectedly thorough and polite.

So much so that Mo Hua started feeling a little guilty.

"Then I'll trouble Master Gu," he said politely.

"No trouble at all, young master."

Then Mo Hua recalled something and curiously asked:

"By the way, Master Gu—why did you stop studying formation catalysts and switch to another branch?"

Master Gu hesitated.

"If it's inconvenient, you don't have to answer," Mo Hua said quickly.

Master Gu paused, then shook his head and muttered bitterly:

"It was just… too much trouble."

"The field is narrow, the returns low, and there's no promising future."

"Worst of all… you're constantly at the mercy of array masters."

His face darkened with the memory.

"Those damned array masters! Arrogant, picky, unreasonable! You hand them a formation catalyst prototype and they'll revise it ten times over!"

"And after all that, they slap their heads and say, 'Actually, the first version was better.'"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

"I was just a Foundation Establishment disciple back then, not even a certified smith yet. Took a job making a few formation catalysts…"

Ding! Next Page → The story continues—don't miss what happens next!

"Those turtle-bastard array masters nitpicked every inch of it, made life hell for me. To this day, I still want to—"

Master Gu's fury rose again. Then he noticed Mo Hua looking at him oddly, and realized he'd lost his temper.

He awkwardly coughed and said: "Apologies, young master. I didn't mean… you."

Mo Hua didn't know how to respond. He could only nod silently.

Time was running short; he couldn't afford to dawdle.

So Mo Hua moved to the main topic.

He began asking questions:

How do formation catalyst tools differ from ordinary spiritual tools? What varieties are there? Which types of arrays match which catalysts? …and more.

Master Gu was surprised by how "professional" the questions were and began to view Mo Hua in a new light. In response, he answered in detail—so as not to lose face.

First, the relationship between formations and spiritual tools:

"Formation, Pill, Artifact, and Talisman—these are the four major cultivation arts. But they're not truly separate. There's a lot of overlap and integration."

"With the evolution of cultivation, the boundaries have become even blurrier."

"Of all the disciplines, array formations have the deepest integration with the others—and the greatest impact."

Master Gu sighed.

"Though I curse those array masters as arrogant dogs… I'll admit, array formations really do tie into almost everything."

"Take artifact crafting, for example—"

"Refining furnaces use formation arrays by default. That goes without saying."

"But the spiritual tools themselves? Most of them also have formations inscribed within."

"Different tools use different arrays for different effects."

"For example, tools used by body cultivators have internal formations designed to reinforce the tool—keeping it tough and sharp for close combat."

"Like the Woundbreaker Blade or Sharp Gold Saber."

"Some might even add elemental formations to counter certain opponents—like Flame Blades or Frost Sabers."

"For spell cultivators, their spiritual tools usually contain spell-like formations."

"It's like gaining an extra spell slot in battle."

"However—these formations can only be activated using the user's own spiritual energy. You can't power them with spirit stones."

"Plus, because the arrays are etched directly into the spiritual tool, they're restricted by size and structure, so their power is greatly limited."

"But if you want to unleash a formation's full power…"

"You need a formation catalyst spiritual tool."

Master Gu's tone turned serious as he continued:

"At first glance, these might look like ordinary tools. But their entire purpose is to serve as an extension of a formation. They are catalysts."

"They sync perfectly with formation lines."

"And they can unleash a formation's full power—without loss or limitation."

"But the problem is… they rely entirely on formations and array masters."

"Every array master uses different formations, different tweaks. So formation catalysts lack any kind of standard blueprint."

"Which means… they're hard to mass-produce. Risky. And not market-stable."

"And because a formation catalyst barely qualifies as a 'spiritual tool' on its own, most artifact smiths simply don't bother with them."

"As for which array needs which catalyst…"

"Different types of arrays require different catalysts."

"Like formation flags—they're usually used for scouting, patrol arrays, battle formations, or for steering ships."

"Formation disks are much more versatile. For almost any formation, big or small, if you're not sure which catalyst to use—draw a disk. It won't be wrong."

"Then there are formation bases…"

He went on and on, patiently explaining every detail.

Mo Hua listened with total focus, committing everything to memory.

At some point, Dachuan quietly returned, poured the tea, and left again.

Once Master Gu finished, he suddenly remembered something:

"Young master, why are you asking about formation catalysts? Are you planning to learn artifact crafting?"

Mo Hua shook his head.

"I can't."

"Ah, right." Master Gu gave Mo Hua's slender arms a look and nodded. "Then you…"

"I'm an array master," Mo Hua said.

Master Gu's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"You're… an array master? No wonder…"

You're… an array master?!

Master Gu's heart skipped a beat. Cold sweat prickled his back.

Hadn't he just spent half an hour… ranting about array masters?!

Master Gu's lips twitched.

Mo Hua's expression remained calm.

Master Gu coughed awkwardly, clearly flustered. Then muttered:

"Young master… I swear I didn't mean you…"

"It's fine, Master Gu," Mo Hua replied magnanimously.

Seeing that Mo Hua truly didn't take offense, Master Gu finally let out a breath of relief.

Though he still didn't know the young man's true background, anyone holding a letter stamped by both the Shangguan and Gu families clearly had powerful backing—not someone to be slighted.

Master Gu couldn't help but scrutinize Mo Hua a few more times.

Mo Hua asked, "Do I not look like a formation master?"

Master Gu shook his head. "Not really…"

Mo Hua grew curious. "What part doesn't look like one?"

Master Gu thought for a moment and said, "Most formation masters aren't this young, and their tempers tend to be worse. Eyes always up in the sky, prideful, maybe even a bit arrogant…"

A formation master who was young, generous, good-looking, and had such a pleasant temperament—this was truly the first time he'd seen one.

A real rarity.

Hearing the unexpected praise, Mo Hua decided to let go of his earlier slight.

Master Gu thought for a moment more, then cupped his hands sincerely, "I was in the wrong just now—my words were out of line. I hope Young Lord won't hold it against me…"

"If you don't mind, allow me to invite you to a tavern in town to make amends."

Mo Hua smiled.

This Master Gu was quite straightforward.

But Mo Hua had limited time—he couldn't afford delays.

"Thank you, Master Gu, but I have to return to my sect for cultivation. I'll come visit again if I have the chance. If I have more questions, I hope you won't mind me asking."

Master Gu tried a few more times to extend the invitation, but seeing Mo Hua's resolve, he didn't press further.

"Next time you come, I'll treat you properly!"

"Thank you, Master Gu!"

Mo Hua rose to leave, but as he turned, he noticed that the disciple named Da Chuan was standing nearby, looking anxious.

He seemed to have something urgent to say, but didn't dare interrupt—he'd been waiting for a while.

Master Gu noticed as well and called out, "What is it?"

Da Chuan replied, "Master, the furnace broke again…"

Master Gu frowned. "Then just switch to another. Don't we have plenty?"

Da Chuan responded bitterly, "We're in the middle of refining. We can't switch—it'll ruin the embryo inside. And… firing up a new furnace takes spirit stones…"

Master Gu asked, "What part broke?"

Da Chuan said, "Same as before. It's old, the formation array degraded…"

Master Gu's frown deepened.

Mo Hua stepped forward, "Let me take a look."

Master Gu had helped him a lot—this small favor would repay that kindness.

Besides, when he arrived, he had already noticed—these furnaces were ancient, and the formations inside weren't complex. He could draw them with his eyes closed.

Master Gu looked at Mo Hua, hesitating. "It's a mid-tier second-grade array…"

"No problem," Mo Hua said. "I know a bit of second-grade formations."

Master Gu was briefly stunned.

What do you mean "a bit"…?

A Foundation Establishment stage cultivator studying mid-tier second-grade formations?

He wasn't a formation master himself, but he wasn't clueless either.

But Mo Hua was confident. He turned to Da Chuan, "Take me to it."

Da Chuan looked troubled. He glanced between Mo Hua and Master Gu, unsure what to do.

Master Gu sighed and nodded. "Go take a look."

It's just a second-grade furnace.

Worst case, the repair fails—same as now.

But when they reached the front courtyard and saw the damaged furnace, Master Gu still frowned.

The furnace had been dismantled, most of the array on it had faded—a clear formation failure.

But the furnace had been burning hot—its inner walls were still glowing red. A normal second-grade array brush wouldn't survive that heat.

Normally, they'd need to wait an hour or two for it to cool before drawing a new array.

"Young Lord, maybe let's forget it—this…"

Master Gu trailed off.

He froze.

Mo Hua had pulled out a bottle of spirit ink, and without even using a brush, he simply curled his fingers—and the fire-type spirit ink flowed out like a little red snake.

Then, with a flick of Mo Hua's finger, the ink danced in midair, winding toward the furnace's glowing interior.

He flicked his hand a few more times.

Soon after, a sixteen-rune, second-grade fire-refining array clearly manifested on the furnace's surface.

Every rune was precise. Every stroke, flawless.

All the nearby refining masters—old, young, high or low cultivation—stood frozen, dumbfounded.

For a moment, their minds blanked.

"So… this is what a formation master is like?"

"That's how you… draw an array?"

But Mo Hua acted as if he'd done something utterly trivial. He calmly recorked the ink bottle, waved a hand, and took his leave.

"I'll be going now."

Master Gu nodded in a daze, completely forgetting to see him off.

Only after Mo Hua had disappeared into the distance did he finally snap out of it.

Staring at the road where Mo Hua had gone, Master Gu furrowed his brow and muttered:

"Just who… is this Young Lord, really?"

"His formation skills—I couldn't even understand them, but they were astonishing…"

"His demeanor… genuine and humble, yet clearly well-connected…"

"I wonder if there's any chance…"

He looked around at the other refining masters and apprentices surrounding him.

Then let out a deep sigh.

"These people follow me, I have to give them something to hope for…"

"I can't let them rot away with me in this forsaken, desolate Lone Mountain City…"

…

Night had fallen.

Mo Hua rode alone in a carriage, leaving Lone Mountain City.

He was traveling through the night.

The sect's rest days were short, and he still had to visit Lord Huangshan—no time to stop and rest.

Besides, he was just following the main road—generally safe.

If trouble did arise, the night could help him hide—maybe even safer than traveling by day.

Still, something about Lone Mountain City bothered him.

A third-grade immortal city with so few Golden Core cultivators? So bleak and desolate?

This trip had been too rushed—no time to investigate.

Next time, perhaps.

For now, travel was more important.

So Mo Hua took a detour on the main road, heading toward the abandoned temple atop Withered Mountain, where Lord Huangshan awaited.

Night deepened, and the mountains grew hazy.

It looked dangerous—but all was quiet.

Just another hour or so, and he'd reach Withered Mountain.

He'd see Lord Huangshan again.

But as he passed a certain immortal city…

Mo Hua's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He had a strange feeling…

As if something nearby— Was about to happen.

(End of Chapter)