Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 668: Counter-Kill

Mo Hua's expression was full of confusion.

Sacrifice?

What sacrifice?

Who's the sacrifice?

He lifted his gaze, looking ahead.

Was the "sacrifice" referring to this black-robed leader, or… that bizarre third eye on his forehead?

Just as Mo Hua looked at that sinister eye, it began to violently tremble and roll erratically. At the same time, a godlike spiritual voice pierced his "ears" like a shriek:

"Kill!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

Mo Hua froze.

The black-robed leader's eyes were filled with panic.

Since the Divine Eye of the God-Lord had taken residence in him, it had never acted so frantically—agitated, nearly out of control.

Why would a mere hidden little cultivator make the "Divine Eye" this nervous… even a little…

Fearful?

The God-Lord's command could not be disobeyed.

The black-robed leader raised his sword, but instead of attacking Mo Hua first, he turned to kill the five of Cheng Mo's group—trapped under the blood-red gaze of the eye, their Dao hearts unstable and unable to resist.

They had seen the Divine Eye, so they must die.

They had killed more than ten of his brothers—also grounds for death.

Murderous intent surged from him.

Mo Hua instantly sensed it. His eyes sharpened, and he raised two fingers, ready to cast Water Prison to stop him.

But before either of them could act, the sinister eye trembled even more violently, blood vessels bulging as it locked onto Mo Hua. The divine voice grew hoarser, sharper, and more hysterical:

"Forget the other livestock!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"KILL HIM!!!"

Blood even seeped from the evil eye.

The black-robed leader grimaced in agony, the flesh on his forehead twitching and twisting.

He no longer hesitated. Wrapping his demonic sword in black Qi, he snarled through gritted teeth:

"Obeying the God-Lord's command—this brat dies now!"

Mo Hua didn't look frightened. Instead, he appeared slightly stunned.

A moment later, his eyes lit up faintly, as if something had clicked.

"God-Lord…"

"Finally, I've caught your little tail…"

He smirked slightly before putting on a stern expression, arrogantly declaring:

"You want to kill me? Just you?"

The black-robed leader frowned.

Mo Hua's gaze turned cold. With two fingers forming a sword, an untamed and dangerous aura suddenly rose from him.

"Filthy devil cultivator—watch carefully! I'll show you the true might of my fire arts!"

The black-robed leader's heart sank, overwhelmed by Mo Hua's sudden burst of presence.

Never judge by appearances.

This young brat had astonishing momentum—he surely had some powerful trump cards.

Besides…

To make the Divine Eye of the God-Lord feel fear, something wasn't right.

He couldn't underestimate him just because he was young.

Gripping his sword tightly, the black-robed leader gathered his demonic Qi and braced himself.

Mo Hua remained arrogant, thrusting his fingers forward as a hint of killing intent flickered in his eyes:

"Falling Flame Forbidden Technique!"

Forbidden technique?!

The black-robed leader was shocked. He immediately gathered all his demonic Qi in front of him for defense.

But a few moments later… nothing happened. No fire, no surge of power.

He looked down—his entire body was bound by pale blue waterlight. Water chains locked him firmly in place.

It wasn't some fire-based forbidden art at all—it was a water-based trap!

Looking up again, that brat had already bolted, leaving behind nothing but a slippery little silhouette…

The black-robed leader stood frozen, then trembled in rage as fury flared up from his chest.

"That damned… little bastard!!"

To pull a stunt like this, right in front of the Divine Eye of the God-Lord, in such a serious moment?

Utterly shameless! Despicable beyond belief!

"I'll tear you into pieces!" he growled through clenched teeth.

He slashed his sword, demonic Qi swirling wildly, shattering the water chains binding him. Then he turned to chase after Mo Hua.

But just as he took a step, he saw Cheng Mo's group.

He considered killing them first.

But in the distance, Mo Hua's figure shimmered with watery light, accelerating again.

If he didn't give chase now and missed his chance, who knew where the brat would flee?

Cursing under his breath, the black-robed leader wrapped himself in black demonic light and dashed after Mo Hua.

He feared Mo Hua's escape.

He feared Mo Hua would meet up with the Dao Court's enforcers.

If that happened and Mo Hua survived, he would be guilty of defying the God-Lord's command—and face the dreadful Divine Retribution.

The black-robed leader shuddered at the thought.

That brat must die!

Late at night, deep in the mountain forest.

Two figures—one fleeing, one chasing—raced through the darkness.

After a while, the black-robed leader sighed in relief.

The brat was running away from where the Dao Court's cultivators were.

Most likely, his spiritual sense was too weak to detect their presence, so he was blindly dashing around the mountains like a headless chicken.

That gave the black-robed leader an opening.

Without those meddling Dao Court hounds in the way, everything would be much easier.

Once he caught up—he'd kill him.

Just a Foundation Establishment rookie, with weak Qi and spiritual power, using nothing but irritating spells and sneak attacks…

But now, the Divine Eye let him see through Mo Hua's concealment.

The brat had lost his only edge.

As for his nasty tricks? As long as he stayed alert, there'd be no problem.

"This little brat can't escape!"

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The black-robed leader sneered coldly, speeding up in pursuit.

Mo Hua's figure up ahead looked frantic—panicked, desperate to avoid being caught, dashing wildly with no care for direction.

He veered further and further off the beaten path.

At first, he ran along obvious trails. But as the chase continued, he started barreling through jagged paths, desolate valleys, and lifeless forests.

To the black-robed leader, this was nothing short of asking for death.

The pursuit dragged on…

The night was thick as ink. The moonlight, cold as frost.

No one knew how long they'd been running. But finally, in a three-sided valley choked with withered trees, Mo Hua was cornered.

The black-robed leader slashed his sword. A demonic sword light ripped toward Mo Hua.

With a flash of watery light, Mo Hua dodged narrowly, crashing down with ragged breath, clearly disheveled.

The black-robed leader sneered, "Why don't you run some more?"

Mo Hua's face was pale. "Why do you want to kill me?"

Step by step, the black-robed leader closed in, a mocking grin on his face.

"Because the God-Lord wants you dead. So you must die."

Mo Hua backed away in fear, asking in a trembling voice:

"So… you're kidnapping cultivators under the God-Lord's command too?"

The black-robed leader opened his mouth to reply—but held back at the last second, scoffing coldly:

"You're not worthy to know."

He strode forward in large steps.

Mo Hua kept backing away, his expression nervous.

"Don't come any closer…"

The black-robed leader's divine sense was cold as ice, his sword brimming with dark demonic Qi. He focused entirely on Mo Hua's movements, cutting off any chance of escape—step by step, pressing in.

Mo Hua's eyes were wide like a frightened deer, his expression pitiful.

But it did nothing to soften the black-robed leader's icy killing intent.

Seeing himself backed into a corner, with nowhere left to run, Mo Hua gritted his teeth.

"If you take one more step, I'll…"

The black-robed leader raised his sword, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk.

"If I do, then what?"

The fear on Mo Hua's face disappeared.

His gaze turned calm and deep. He too, smiled.

"You take one more step, and I'll kill you."

The black-robed leader froze—then his eyes widened.

From the corner of his eye, he caught a glint of flame beneath his feet.

That familiar aura. That familiar array.

He tried to dodge—but realized the ground was already covered with a vast formation.

Nowhere to run.

The formation activated.

Crimson runes flared up, linking together to form multiple Blazing Fire Arrays.

Before the black-robed leader could even think, the formation detonated.

Flames surged. Fire burst into the air.

A series of loud BOOMs echoed through the valley, completely engulfing the black-robed leader.

The explosion filled the gorge with violent, fiery spiritual energy.

But every time those fire tongues neared Mo Hua, they'd instantly veer away—as if afraid to offend the formation's master.

Mo Hua stood quietly nearby, his pupils flickering with firelight, watching calmly as the black-robed leader was consumed by flames.

A dozen breaths passed.

The fire gradually faded.

The smoke cleared, revealing the black-robed leader's figure.

His entire body was charred, burned and blistered. His black face veil had been seared away—exposing the face it once hid.

It was a fairly young-looking face.

Though burned, its features were still faintly discernible.

Mo Hua didn't recognize him—he looked unfamiliar.

The black-robed leader instinctively raised a hand to cover his face. But realizing Mo Hua had already seen it, he gave up the effort.

Now that his true face was exposed, he actually became more composed.

He glared at Mo Hua coldly.

"This time, you're truly dead."

Mo Hua sighed.

"You've said that so many times, my ears are growing calluses."

Then added with a slight pout,

"I don't know if I'll die—but just now, you almost did."

The black-robed leader's face twisted in anger, blood spurting from his mouth.

This brat was too arrogant!

But deep inside, he was deeply shaken—utterly confused.

Staring at Mo Hua with a cold, solemn expression, he asked,

"When exactly did you set up that formation? I didn't see a single formation flag or array disk!"

Mo Hua smiled with squinted eyes.

"Not telling you."

That annoyingly cute face made the black-robed leader want to slap it. He roared as demonic Qi surged and charged at Mo Hua with his sword.

At the same time, a darker, more primal surge of demonic energy poured out from his heart meridian.

This power fused directly with his flesh and blood—healing his wounds, and flowing through his meridians in place of spiritual power.

As he raised his sword, his movements were still stiff from the injuries.

But once the demonic Qi boiled up, his aura surged explosively. His speed doubled, his strikes gained force, and his sword bristled with dense, roiling magic.

He was going all out.

Unleashing his core demonic essence.

At any cost—this brat must die!

Sword Qi howled. Demonic Qi raged. Every strike aimed to kill.

But each time a blade of sword Qi wreathed in demonic power nearly struck Mo Hua, he would narrowly evade it.

If the black-robed leader was fast, Mo Hua was faster.

Like trying to strike flowing water with a blade.

Mo Hua seemed to become water itself, always slipping between the gaps of the blade.

The black-robed leader's eyes widened in realization:

"The Zhang Clan's Flowing Water Step?!"

Then shook his head.

"No… not quite right… Flowing Water Step isn't this precise, this strange…"

He frowned.

Just then—a spark of flame beneath his foot.

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Like a startled bird, the black-robed leader instantly leapt away.

Sure enough—formation patterns flared into a complete array and exploded.

The formation triggered quickly, but was still far too obvious.

Having already been burned twice, the black-robed leader was on guard and managed to dodge.

It didn't hit.

Even so, his eyes were filled with shock.

This time, he saw it clearly—no flags, no disks, not even formation mediums.

The spiritual ink had slithered across the ground on its own, forming an array structure perfectly.

"Forming arrays without a medium?"

No…

He frowned deeper, suddenly struck by a realization:

"Not without a medium—he's using the earth itself as the medium… drawing arrays directly onto it?"

He snapped his head up, locking eyes with Mo Hua. His voice shook:

"Who the hell are you?"

"And what's your connection to the Earth Dao Sect?"

Mo Hua paused, then furrowed his brow.

This guy… knows a lot.

Just after a few exchanges, he had already deduced key insights into both his movement technique and array origins?

This human trafficker must not be allowed to live.

Likewise, the black-robed leader couldn't let Mo Hua live either.

Mo Hua had seen his face.

And with those strange footwork and formation skills—clearly, he had powerful backing and dangerous karmic ties.

He had to die now. Then, Mr. Tu could erase the karma and sever all future threats.

At the same time, sharp pain surged in his forehead.

It was the Divine Eye of the God-Lord, urging him.

Urging him to kill this brat quickly.

In that urging… there was even a hint of— Terror.

As if, through Mo Hua's array… The Divine Eye had sensed something unspeakable.

"Kill!"

The black-robed leader's gaze turned dark and grim. His sword strikes grew faster, his demonic aura fiercer, forcing Mo Hua to fully concentrate on evading with Flowing Water Steps.

Under such intense pressure, Mo Hua had no time to set up formations.

And just one slip—if the sword Qi nicked him or the demonic aura corroded his flesh—it would mean instant death.

The black-robed leader's assault only became more urgent.

Although Mo Hua was still managing to dodge with his movement technique, he was clearly starting to struggle.

At that moment, the sinister eye on the leader's forehead suddenly blazed with scarlet light, locking onto Mo Hua.

Although Mo Hua's divine sense wasn't affected by the eye, being suddenly shrouded in that bloody glow caused a momentary lapse in focus—and a slight delay in his movement.

That tiny delay was enough.

The black-robed leader slashed his sword down—demonic Qi bursting into a long rainbow-like streak, roaring straight at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua clenched his teeth, pushing his divine sense to the limit. Flowing Water Step flickered with a phantom afterimage—his movement gained a burst of speed—and he narrowly evaded the deadly Qi.

But he lost balance. His foot twisted—

"Ouch!"

—and he fell hard to the ground.

The black-robed leader sneered and swung another vicious sword strike.

This time, he poured in a massive amount of demonic Qi—aiming to kill Mo Hua in one blow, once and for all.

He wanted to avoid the risk of some hidden protective treasure on Mo Hua's body saving him at the last second and forcing a second strike.

So he charged up longer than usual.

And that tiny bit of extra charging… proved fatal.

As the sword came down, the black-robed leader's pupils suddenly contracted.

Mo Hua was gone!

From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a flicker of pale blue water light… slipping behind him.

Behind him—there was a gathering fire aura.

A chill ran through the black-robed leader's heart.

He suddenly recalled what Mo Hua had said earlier:

"Let me show you the power of my fire spells…"

Falling Flame Forbidden Art?

Could it actually be… that terrifying fire technique?!

Damn it—

He tensed like a hunted beast, instantly condensing demonic Qi into armor and turning his head in alarm—

—Only to see a fireball blast squarely into his face.

Just a regular Fireball Spell.

Its power was weak. It didn't even pierce his demonic aura.

It was more like…

An insult.

The black-robed leader stood in silence for a moment, then his expression twisted into something monstrous.

"You little bastard!"

"You're seriously still toying with me?!"

On the brink of death, this brat still dared mock him again and again?!

His eyes burned with rage. Demonic Qi roared like a tidal wave around him.

Gripping his sword, he charged at Mo Hua like a madman, slashing wildly with no regard for anything else.

Inside the mountain valley, sword Qi and demonic Qi surged in a frenzied storm.

The sword Qi left gashes across the rocks, while the demonic Qi corroded all the grass and trees it touched.

Mo Hua looked increasingly battered.

And yet… he still found time to lob the occasional fireball—

aimed directly at the black-robed leader's face.

Not much damage.

Maximum disrespect.

The leader's killing intent surged to the heavens, his strikes more brutal than ever. As he attacked, he snarled through gritted teeth:

"Where's that Falling Flame Forbidden Art, huh?"

"Is this it?"

"Just a few lousy fireballs?"

"Didn't you say your formations were amazing? Use them again!"

"Come on, brat! Show me how fearsome your fire arts really are!!"

…

No one knows how long the swearing went on, but eventually—

The black-robed leader's divine sense began to tire. His vision blurred slightly. When he looked again—

Mo Hua was gone.

In that brief distraction, Mo Hua had vanished—his water-light body flickering away like a streak of lightning.

At the same time, the black-robed leader sensed Mo Hua's presence behind him again—along with that faint trace of fire aura.

That all-too-familiar feeling.

But this time, the leader merely sneered.

No dodging.

No condensing Qi into armor.

No defenses at all.

Instead, he swung his sword backward, gathering demonic Qi, intending to tank the fireball and kill Mo Hua on the spot.

But mid-swing, his eyes went wide. A bone-deep chill washed over him.

Something felt wrong.

It wasn't one fireball—

Two fireballs were forming behind him.

And right after they merged—

A terrifying spiritual pressure burst out, followed by a howling screech that sounded like space itself being torn apart.

Something was collapsing.

Something was fusing.

Then came a wave of fire aura so dense, so scorching, so compressed, it sparked raw fear in the soul.

A cold, clear voice rang out behind him:

"Let me show you my true fire spell…"

The black-robed leader's pupils shook violently.

"That's—?!"

At the last possible second, he tried to turn, tried to summon demonic Qi to shield himself—

But he was too late.

Behind him, Mo Hua clapped his little hands together.

A condensed, pale-purple mini meteor formed from pure, explosive spiritual energy.

Then with lightning speed, he slammed it into the black-robed leader's back.

Massive spiritual energy erupted instantly.

Power twisted space, and violent flames roared outward.

The leader felt like a hundred explosive talismans had detonated inside his chest.

The horrifying firestorm shredded his flesh, consumed his spiritual power, obliterated his demonic Qi.

Then—a blinding firelight burst straight through his chest.

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

"It really… was forbidden magic?"

He looked down at the gaping, scorched hole blasted through his chest. His pupils were still wide with shock—

And then slowly… they lost focus.

His body collapsed to its knees.

Lifeless.

(End of Chapter)