Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 667 – Delivered

Mo Hua's expression changed sharply. In an instant, he turned into a streak of waterlight and rapidly retreated.

At the same time, the black-robed leader's gaze turned icy. He drew his spirit sword and slashed out a blade of sword light toward the watery blur covering Mo Hua.

Mo Hua quickened his escape technique, stepping back again.

The sword light missed by a hair, landing just ahead of Mo Hua and smashing the stone floor to rubble.

The surge of spiritual energy from within the hall immediately drew the attention of Cheng Mo and the others outside.

They remembered Mo Hua's instructions:

"The moment there's movement—strike immediately."

Hao Xuan used his wind movement technique, his steps like a breeze, and instantly appeared behind an early-stage Foundation black-robed man. Raising his Thousand-Jin Rod, he brought it crashing down.

Caught completely off guard, the black-robed man's head took a solid blow—blood streamed, and he reeled from dizziness.

Cheng Mo, still with a branch clenched between his teeth, charged silently like a tiger. Twin axes raised high, he cleaved straight into the man's skull.

The black-robed man died on the spot.

Nearby, another black-robed man sensed the disturbance and rushed to help—only to be met by Yang Qianjun, lying in wait. His spear shot forth like a dragon, stabbing straight into the man's shoulder.

Situ Jian followed with a precise strike of his Fire-Severing Sword, piercing the man's lower abdomen.

The two worked in tandem, continuing their onslaught.

After three intense exchanges, the black-robed man was slain by the combined assault of Yang Qianjun and Situ Jian.

Now, only one black-robed man remained outside the hall.

He had been farther away, and by the time he arrived—his two comrades were already dead.

His face turned pale as fear seized him, and he turned to flee.

Yi Li, having focused his spiritual energy, raised a hand and cast Earth Prison Technique, trapping the man in place.

All four—Cheng Mo, Yang Qianjun, Situ Jian, and Hao Xuan—charged forward. Axe, sword, spear, and rod descended in unison, finishing off the final black-robed man.

By the time Mo Hua emerged from the hall, the outside was already completely cleared.

Among the sixteen black-robed human traffickers, only the mid-stage Foundation leader remained.

Just then, the black-robed leader stormed out.

The moment he stepped out the door, he saw the last of his men being brutally slain by Cheng Mo's team.

Looking around, he saw corpses strewn all across the area—though cleverly hidden.

He swept his divine sense over the vast, abandoned forge hall.

Only traces of life remained. The whole place reeked of deathly silence.

The black-robed leader's face twitched in disbelief.

All his men? Dead? Just like that? Without a sound?

Fury surged to his head. He glared at Cheng Mo and the others, shouting:

"You damn little bastards! Who sent you?!"

No way could a bunch of early-stage Foundation rookies from a sect wipe out his entire group.

Then he remembered the invisible figure who had crept up on him in the hall—the one he never got a clear look at.

Stealth technique?

The black-robed leader frowned, scanning his surroundings—but found no trace of that stealthy cultivator.

It seemed the hidden attacker had escaped using water-based escape arts, and then cloaked himself again.

His eyes narrowed.

He had only caught a glimpse of a watery shimmer earlier—not enough to make out a face or figure.

But someone capable of such stealth—and deploying it so well—was no amateur. That had to be an old, crafty fox.

At least a hundred years old… maybe two.

"A sneaky rat in hiding… and five rookie sect brats… killed all my brothers…"

The black-robed leader drew a regulation spirit sword. His aura surged, his voice turning frigid.

"You're all going to die with them!"

With his mid-Foundation cultivation, his pressure was immense.

Cheng Mo and the others tensed—but they were proud elites and refused to back down.

Cheng Mo spat out the branch Mo Hua had told him to hold, and bellowed:

"You beast—die!"

He charged in with his axes raised.

The others followed closely behind.

Yang Qianjun's spear attacks were fierce as he fought head-on with Cheng Mo.

Situ Jian's Fire-Severing Sword provided support from the side.

Yi Li and Hao Xuan circled and flanked from the rear.

The five coordinated well—blending close combat and ranged attacks, physical and spiritual techniques.

A storm of axe flashes, sword light, and spear thrusts filled the battlefield.

Spells flew everywhere.

The black-robed leader, surprisingly, was pushed back.

Though his face remained cold, inwardly he was shaken.

"These kids… they've got some skill. And guts."

"If I really want to kill them… it won't be easy."

"And that hidden bastard is still lurking nearby, watching… hasn't even joined in yet…"

After a brief calculation, his eyes turned icy.

He batted away Cheng Mo's giant axe with a sword swipe, then knocked Yang Qianjun back with a palm strike.

Then, suddenly—he turned and dashed back toward the hall.

Killing intent surged in his eyes.

Situ Jian's expression changed instantly.

"He's going to kill the kidnapped cultivators—to silence them!"

The others also turned pale and tried to stop him—but they were a step too slow.

The black-robed leader sneered as he glanced back at them with disdain.

He was stronger and faster. With a step ahead, he re-entered the hall.

But the moment his foot touched the floor—a light flared.

Runes ignited.

A crimson glow painted the ground, forming an intricate, complex array.

The black-robed leader's eyes widened in horror.

"An… array?!"

The blood-red light grew blinding. The array buzzed with surging spiritual energy.

In the nick of time, the leader recoiled and activated a protective talisman. He turned his back to the array.

Then—BOOM. Flames erupted.

A surge of intense fire-element spiritual energy exploded, shaking the ground.

The black-robed leader was blasted several meters through the air, skidding across the floor, knees gouging a bloody trail.

His protective talisman had been completely destroyed. His meridians were scorched by fire spiritual power, leaving charred wounds across his body.

Cheng Mo and the others were stunned.

The black-robed leader coughed up blood, his eyes wide in disbelief.

How… was there an array?!

I passed through that entrance just a while ago…

Who could've laid down such a powerful formation in such a short time, silently—right under my nose?!

And more importantly…

How did he know… I would come back to kill the hostages?

Is it...

That hidden cultivator?

A wave of pressure surged in the black-robed leader's heart, his face turning visibly pale.

Cheng Mo and the others were briefly stunned by the explosion of the array, but when they saw the black-robed leader injured by it, their spirits lifted.

Without saying a word, Cheng Mo charged with both axes raised and hacked straight at the black-robed leader.

Yang Qianjun and Situ Jian followed close behind.

The black-robed leader spat to the side, cursing inwardly:

"Damn it! I was careless—totally played…"

He raised his longsword, clashing hard against Cheng Mo's massive axe. Then, glancing at the hall, he saw the doorway had been blocked by fallen rubble from the explosion—sealed shut for now. Frustration boiled in his chest.

"No way to silence them now…"

"In that case…"

The black-robed leader sneered coldly.

"Then I'll just kill all of you!"

Even before the words finished leaving his mouth, his eyes suddenly turned murky black.

A sinister, black demonic aura surged out from who-knows-where, winding around his body, then fusing into the spirit sword in his hand.

The leader's entire presence became eerie and terrifying, shrouded in thick demonic qi.

"He's… gone demonic?!"

Cheng Mo and the others' expressions changed drastically.

Hidden in the shadows, still searching for an opportunity, Mo Hua also frowned deeply.

This was very strange.

The righteous path and demonic path had fundamentally different spiritual signatures.

The other black-robed men only had faint demonic taint—either from consuming evil pills or from their bodies being corrupted after death.

But this leader… was completely different.

When they fought earlier, he'd been using pure righteous-path spiritual energy—no hint of demonic influence.

And yet now, with a sudden shift… he's gone fully demonic?!

"Something's off…"

"And that blood-colored demonic phantom on him earlier… what was that?"

"It actually saw through my stealth technique?"

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.

On the battlefield, the "demonized" black-robed leader had already rejoined the fight.

His spiritual energy, though now tainted and corrupt, had also grown much stronger.

The sinister black qi wrapped around his sword seemed almost venomous, carrying corrosive force.

The pressure on Cheng Mo's group immediately spiked.

Head-on combat became extremely difficult. Every time their weapons clashed with the corrupted spirit sword, both Cheng Mo and Yang Qianjun felt their blood churn and their qi shake.

And if even a single scratch from the leader's blade got through, the demonic qi would invade the body, eroding meridians and corrupting blood.

They had to fight with extreme caution.

Thankfully, the earlier array blast had injured the black-robed leader—otherwise the situation would be even more desperate.

Mo Hua observed silently for a while, then shook his head and sighed:

"This isn't going well…"

In the chaos of close combat, enemies and allies were interwoven—too risky to lay down another formation.

He might accidentally blast his own teammates, Cheng Mo and Situ Jian included.

And the black-robed leader had already been tricked once. After being wounded by the previous array, he was clearly on guard now. Setting another trap? Not easy.

Mo Hua began weighing other options:

The Five Elements Source Array…

Cheng Mo and Yang Qianjun were body cultivators—constantly moving during the fight. No way they'd stay still for a buffing formation.

Hao Xuan? Yeah no, his survival alone was a win.

Yi Li and Situ Jian could maybe be positioned… but could Cheng Mo even keep the leader pinned long enough?

If, during the formation's charging phase, Yi Li or Situ Jian were suddenly ambushed, they'd be seriously injured or even killed.

As for spells…

Earth Prison could stall, sure—but not long enough to matter.

Cheng Mo and the others just didn't have the cultivation to finish the fight quickly.

Little Meteor forbidden spell?

Requires close range…

And getting that close right now? Far too dangerous.

Mo Hua didn't want to take that kind of risk.

What made things worse was—he couldn't afford a prolonged battle either.

Cheng Mo and the others had talent, sure, and decent techniques. But they were still just newbies—Foundation Establishment rookies with shallow experience.

If the black-robed leader had any other trump cards, and suddenly went all-out…

Cheng Mo and the rest might all die on the spot.

Even if they tried to drag it out, fighting while constantly exposed to such toxic demonic energy… how long could they really hold?

Eventually, they'd slip up.

And when that happened… best-case, someone ends up seriously wounded.

Worst-case… someone dies.

Mo Hua sighed again, a bit helplessly.

"In a real fight, you need a frontline meatshield… only then can I sneak around and do my thing…"

In previous missions, it was always Senior Brother Feng or Senior Brother Shangguan who took point, tanking the pressure.

Senior Sister Murong and Sister Qianqian both had solid cultivation too, and fierce attack methods.

In those well-balanced fights, Mo Hua only needed to throw in a control spell or lay a sneaky trap to tip the scales.

Just like the battle with the Fire Buddha—

Uncle Gu, a formidable Golden Core cultivator, stood at the front line and ate all the forbidden meteoric fire spells.

Mo Hua just had to rig up some arrays and poke the bear from a safe distance.

All the "DPS" was from his seniors and Uncle Gu.

He just controlled, sabotaged, and—when desperate—stole the final blow.

But now?

That was no longer an option.

Cheng Mo and the others… they simply couldn't hold the line.

They were still young, undertrained, and green to real combat. In a life-or-death struggle, they didn't have the endurance—or the margin for error.

"This isn't going to work. Should we retreat first, then plan a counter?"

"Or… maybe we force the leader to flee, then rescue the kidnapped cultivators first?"

Mo Hua furrowed his brows, deep in thought.

Suddenly, his expression shifted—he looked up sharply, scanning the surroundings.

"Someone's here?"

He released his divine sense, and his eyes lit up.

"People from the Dao Court Division!"

And several of the approaching auras felt very familiar—likely members of the Gu Clan.

"They're allies!"

Mo Hua's spirit surged with excitement.

Looks like Uncle Gu really did receive the message he sent earlier—and had dispatched reinforcements.

With the Dao Court Division joining in, even if this black-robed leader had "demonized" himself, escape would be impossible—even if he grew wings.

A few breaths later, the black-robed leader's face suddenly changed.

He had sensed it too—people were approaching.

And judging by their aura, these weren't his people. Their presence was stiff, righteous, filled with the distinct "stench" of Dao Court hounds.

"Reinforcements too?"

His eyes darkened, his expression growing more furious.

He'd never imagined this would happen.

What should've been a simple and smooth job—just buying and selling a few "beasts"—had spiraled into disaster after disaster.

First, the plan was exposed, and the ones sent to silence the witness still hadn't returned.

Now, in the blink of an eye, all his men—his entire team—were dead.

"Damn it! Useless trash!"

The leader cursed through clenched teeth.

But anger was pointless now.

Tangling with these annoying juniors while the Dao Court's dogs were closing in?

If he didn't flee immediately, it'd be too late.

Even if he broke his seal, embraced the demonic path, and gained a surge in power…

With so many enemies gathering, escape from their net would be slim at best.

"Hesitation leads to disaster."

All his brothers were dead. If nothing else, he had to survive.

But before he left…

The black-robed leader's eyes flashed red with murderous intent.

He'd take these meddlesome little brats down with him.

"A few rookies who just joined a sect think they can take me down just by ganging up?"

He let out a cruel sneer.

Demonic energy burst from his body in waves.

At the same time, his forehead cracked open—flesh twisting and curling back to reveal… a third, twisted eye.

This eye was cold, murky, savage, and maddened—radiating a chilling, obsessive evil will.

A bloody phantom demon rose from his body.

A wave of crimson divine will swept outward, saturating the area.

In an instant, Cheng Mo, Yang Qianjun, and the others were shrouded in that bloody aura. Their divine senses reeled, their faces twisted in pain, and a terrifying urge began to infect their hearts—

An urge to submit to the world's darkest desires…

To kneel before the Blood God…

To abandon reason and surrender.

Their limbs locked up, unable to move.

The black-robed leader raised his demonic qi-wrapped sword, ready to behead them all—

But suddenly froze.

His eyes shifted sideways.

Mo Hua was also caught in the crimson aura, and under its corrosion, his hidden figure was revealed.

But unlike the others…

Mo Hua's divine sense remained untouched.

Completely unshaken.

Those bright, watery eyes locked directly onto the black-robed leader's gaze.

The leader's pupils constricted.

Then—shock.

Terror.

The stealthy, sinister cultivator who'd been scheming against him this whole time…

Was just a child?!

And more importantly—

Under the Blood God's supreme divine will, that child…

Was completely unaffected?!

The black-robed leader's heart trembled wildly.

The third eye on his forehead began to distort in rage, veins of blood crawling through it as it twisted and seethed.

The crimson demonic aura surged violently, concentrating on Mo Hua—

But still, his divine sense remained unmoved.

Untainted.

Unaffected by all evil.

The black-robed leader could hardly believe it.

Mo Hua, meanwhile, froze for a moment.

Then his expression changed—shocked as well.

The moment the crimson aura intensified, he felt… something.

A strange pull.

From his soul.

For a split second, it was like he was once again seated upon that ancient, sacred altar.

Surrounded by the breath of antiquity…

By ten thousand demons kneeling…

By the heavens and earth bowing in reverence.

In that mysterious moment, it was as though someone—something—whispered into his heart:

"Your sacrifice…"

"…has been delivered."

(End of Chapter)