Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 673: Divine Dao Array Formations

Oops. Mo Hua realized he had asked way too much.

His eyes, innocent yet profound—bright as stars, sharp as candlelight—were fixed intently on Lord Huangshan, who immediately felt his heart skip a beat under the boy's gaze.

"Ahem, yes… I have lived… a little longer than most…" Lord Huangshan quickly organized his thoughts. "Gods do live long. This barren mountain is deserted, the temple rundown—no one ever comes here. As a little mountain god, I've had plenty of idle time to waste away."

Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Kid… don't scare me like that…"

Mo Hua nodded earnestly, then poured Lord Huangshan a cup of wine in thanks for sharing the hidden knowledge of divine Dao.

Mo Hua held his breath, heart shaken.

"Besides, after so many eras, most of the ancient array formations left by old cultivators have long been lost. Even if you wanted to learn them, they'd be nearly impossible to find."

Mo Hua nodded in sudden realization, then asked,

"So… do gods use array formations?"

Maybe he was already a bit crazy for even asking.

Lord Huangshan replied,

"Back in ancient times, some powerful cultivators, in order to counter evil gods, drew upon the laws of heaven and earth to create formations that could push divine sense power to its extreme."

Then he shook his head,

"But I'm just a humble little mountain god, not a human or an array master—how would I know these things?"

Mo Hua immediately followed up,

"Then how do I fight an evil god?"

Listening closely, Mo Hua couldn't help but frown.

"This seems very different from normal cultivation realms…"

"The strength of a god lies in the purity of their Dao."

Thankfully, Mo Hua had been cautious from the start—he'd suspected something was off about that golden "giant eyeball," and had "disinfected" it with tribulation lightning just in case.

"Divine Sense Sword Manifestation is simply pure killing intent."

Lord Huangshan nodded.

"Naturally."

Trying to change the topic, Lord Huangshan said smoothly:

"Divine Dao arrays are different. Though they can't kill evil gods or powerful malevolent spirits, they can be used to entrap and suppress them. With careful preparation, they can ensure peace for a region. In that way, even the weak can sometimes defeat the strong."

Mo Hua thankfully didn't press too deeply and asked another question instead:

"If the 'Divine Dao' arrays can suppress gods, then what exactly is this 'Divine Sense Sword Manifestation'?"

His eyes lit up. Mo Hua scooted closer to Lord Huangshan, eager to learn.

"If your source differs from the god's Dao, then you can't learn or use their array at all."

"Divine sense varies—it has grades and levels."

"The Divine Sense Sword Manifestation is a technique born from that."

Mo Hua was stunned, then his spirit lifted. His eyes gleamed.

"Don't worry, you're not an evil god!" he consoled Lord Huangshan. "Besides, we're kind of friends now."

"Does the Divine Sense Sword Manifestation contain array techniques?"

Lord Huangshan responded,

"A third-grade roaming god can suppress a second-grade one, but that doesn't mean they can suppress a second-grade mountain god."

"There are countless Daos in the world. So too with arrays—many kinds, many principles."

"So which one is better? Those skilled in arrays naturally prioritize learning Divine Dao arrays. Those who can't but are good with swords may choose Divine Sense Sword Manifestation."

Lord Huangshan's long brows lifted slightly as he added proudly,

"Since it's a Divine Dao array, capable of unleashing the full power of divine sense, do you really think any ordinary cultivator can just pick it up, master it, and teach it to others?"

Even with all of Mo Hua's talents, there was no logical reason he should have escaped an evil god.

Clearly… he had already been contaminated.

Mo Hua was stunned.

Lord Huangshan sighed,

"Humans may be weak, but their minds are truly remarkable."

(How could one break through bottlenecks or realms without 'eating' divine essence from gods like them?)

Just as Lord Huangshan was about to continue, he paused suddenly, and glanced warily at Mo Hua.

"You didn't… really meet an evil god, did you?"

Mo Hua sighed.

"The cultivation world is so dangerous. I'm just a fragile little cultivator, trembling with each step—I naturally need to learn as much as I can."

"So how do I learn Divine Dao arrays…?"

Or in other words…

He nearly ate a "tainted" divine eyeball that hadn't been sterilized first.

Lord Huangshan took another bite of chicken leg.

"Consider this a favor…"

Otherwise, Mo Hua might've unknowingly eaten the essence of an evil god.

Mo Hua nodded in understanding.

Still, he looked a little unhappy.

"So," Mo Hua continued, "what's the difference between Divine Sense Sword Manifestation and Divine Dao Arrays?"

Lord Huangshan explained:

"Take me, for example. I'm a second-grade mountain god. 'Second-grade' refers to realm. 'Mountain god' is a divine title—also called a divine rank."

Seeing Mo Hua's frightened expression, likely stirred by his words about evil gods, Lord Huangshan nodded inwardly.

"What's the difference between arrays that suppress gods and normal arrays?" Mo Hua asked with great interest.

His heart trembled.

"Evil gods often multiply through preaching."

So the divine essences he'd consumed—one from the horned enforcer, one from the golden eye—were they both already tainted?

Was he… already corrupted?

"For example, the lowest divine class is the roaming god. One rank higher are mountain gods like me."

Too bad… it was already too late.

Divine Dao Arrays…

"So if you truly want to slay an evil god, your divine sense must be far stronger than theirs. And even then, it's likely a pyrrhic victory—you hurt them 1000, but lose 800 yourself."

"Without sufficient divine sense, one cannot even perceive a god."

Lord Huangshan paused, then corrected himself:

"I mean—if you want to deal with an evil god…"

"This kind of thing—only gods know. Most wouldn't dream of telling a human cultivator."

"Some ancient cultivators classified all these arrays under a single category…"

Mo Hua had, after all, disrupted Lord Huangshan's divine foundation. That did incur some karmic entanglement.

"Nowadays, among humans, the biggest killers… are humans."

"Typical evil gods are bloody, sinister, and never let grudges go…"

Still, Mo Hua had to clear his sect senior's name. He raised a finger and corrected firmly,

"That's only because you strayed off the righteous path. The sword cultivator only cut you down because of that—not his fault."

Even if Mo Hua's occasional innocence came with a hint of dark mischief.

What else was there to ask?

Mo Hua blinked, thinking hard.

This kind of danger… was so subtle, and so hard to defend against.

"Mm-hmm!" Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, then blinked again and asked humbly,

"So what if I can't run away?"

When he'd used the array earlier, that golden eye instantly determined he wasn't a "real" god.

"Humans are different. Their innate Dao is weak. So they must constantly study, comprehend, and use arrays to invoke the laws of heaven and control the forces of nature."

"In this world, laws govern form with form, and the formless with the formless."

"A god's rank is determined by their divine essence…"

Lord Huangshan actually thought that was a very reasonable explanation.

Mo Hua's eyes sparkled as he couldn't help but ask,

"Wait, what were we talking about again?"

"If it's sealed within a major sect and labeled as a 'taboo,' you can forget about ever learning it."

"Especially when it comes to evil gods—they're terrifying. You've got to understand them first. Know your enemy. That way, if you ever meet one… you'll know what to expect, and you won't end up like a lamb to the slaughter."

"Array formations contain not only divine sense but also elemental forces—five elements, eight trigrams, and spiritual energy."

"Even a person's divine sense… has grades."

"Within arrays, there is both divine sense power and the spiritual energy of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams."

"Human divine sense is graded."

This was a question Mo Hua had wanted to ask for a long time.

Although, based on his instincts as a mountain god, he felt this kid Mo Hua was a potential disaster-class headache…

Lord Huangshan hesitated for a moment but decided to trust his divine intuition—not to say too much.

"The more you know, the less danger you face."

"Array formations that encompass myriad Daos—if their laws share the same origin as a god, then that god naturally knows them. No need to learn, and certainly no need to borrow arrays to use them."

Now that name just sounded powerful and stylish!

"When dealing with humans, the focus is naturally on Five Element and Eight Trigram spiritual energies."

"Blood Qi turns into strength; spiritual energy turns into spells—capable of wounding the tangible: the body, meridians, and Qi Sea."

Friends are always better than enemies.

"When evil gods spread their teachings, it's similar to normal gods—but far more bloody and twisted."

"So why bother with arrays that counter gods? Those that kill people are way more important!"

"Why?" Mo Hua asked curiously.

"If you really encounter an evil god—run. The farther the better."

"Wait—another matter?"

Lord Huangshan paused. "Deal with it?"

"Yes, yes," he nodded rapidly. "You're right. Totally my fault."

"...Don't hesitate. Just run."

Then Lord Huangshan added meaningfully:

"In ancient times, when humanity was weak, the biggest killers were demons, devils... and evil gods."

Mo Hua was enlightened.

Practicing the [Heavenly Derivation Technique] was like getting on a pirate ship—you weren't getting off easily.

"Because gods are bound by the heavenly Dao, great evil gods will often split their divine bodies into countless Grade 1, 2, or 3 'divine corpses,' scattering them across lower-tier regions in the Nine Provinces to spread their corrupted paths. They feed off humanity's base desires to strengthen themselves…"

Though he didn't fully agree with the term "good friend," Lord Huangshan didn't dare object much either.

"Is there no way to fight back?" Mo Hua asked.

"Array formations are one of many ways the Dao manifests—but compared to other methods, arrays come closer to the Dao's source."

Even if the evil gods didn't come for him, Mo Hua might need to go looking for them…

"No," Mo Hua corrected seriously. "I meant… prepare!"

"Ah." Lord Huangshan nodded, now solemn. "If you want to prepare for evil gods, you must first understand how they spread their teachings."

He grumbled silently in his heart.

This was like…

Even if Lord Huangshan wasn't the one Mo Hua's sect cut down, it was done by a senior from the Great Void Sect.

After a short moment of thought, Lord Huangshan decided to believe Mo Hua's nonsense.

"If… I meet an evil god…" Mo Hua's eyes sparkled as he licked his lips involuntarily.

"Outwardly, they may have divine hues like silver, pale gold, pure gold, jade white, glass-like, and so on…"

With no divine heritage, most cultivators had no clue about gods. Even if they wanted to guard against evil gods—they had no idea where to begin.

"If you can't learn arrays, but still need to slay evil gods or other powerful spirits, you'll have to find… another way."

Human cultivators start with nothing—unfavored by the Dao—but they can study, comprehend countless arrays, and eventually master the laws of all heavens.

Lord Huangshan sighed,

"But you're a bit different, kid. Meeting me now… maybe you really will meet an evil god someday. Since you brought offerings, I'll tell you this…"

He thought for a bit, then nodded:

He had never expected that by asking about gods, he'd end up learning array secrets from Lord Huangshan.

1125.3212.1

(Editor's note: Probably a placeholder or scrambled number.)

"Sometimes two mountain gods may battle over authority in the mountains—their divine senses clash invisibly. Any passing cultivators with weak divine sense would be like blind men: unable to see or sense anything."

Mo Hua stiffened, then glanced at Lord Huangshan, puzzled.

He frowned, not quite understanding.

Lord Huangshan explained:

"In short, the gods of heaven and earth are ranked by both grade and class. Grade determines strength; class determines divine status."

Despite all the trouble, Lord Huangshan still kind of liked this kid.

"Arrays too are manifestations of Dao laws."

He sighed, then looked up at the sky through the ruined temple roof, and said with feeling:

"Heaven and Earth have the Dao. The Dao begets the many. The many give rise to all laws."

Mo Hua was stunned.

Then slowly exhaled in relief.

"Evil gods must also 'consume offerings'—using human flesh and divine sense as sacrifices."

"The essence of a god is divine sense, formed by the spirit of all beings. Without knowledge of their divine idol, only divine sense can harm the formless god."

Lord Huangshan let out a breath and added,

"Now that's a different issue altogether."

Then shook his head,

"Nothing I can do about that."

"Corrupted divine will?"

"Divine marrow is used for gods to ascend in rank. It's unrelated to you. You're just a human cultivator—no need to know…" Lord Huangshan muttered vaguely.

He bit down heavily on the words evil god, as if to say: I am NOT one—don't even think of using anything on me!

Mo Hua was startled and quickly asked:

He was so pure. And adorable.

Mo Hua suspected: maybe gods couldn't use arrays?

Sure enough, Lord Huangshan said,

"Gods can't use array formations."

Mo Hua blinked, thoughtful.

Lord Huangshan sighed again, putting on a look of disappointment.

Mo Hua stared deeply at him.

"True enough…"

Lord Huangshan said helplessly:

"Mm…" he nodded, then suddenly turned wary:

"You better not use this to trap me!"

"Sometimes your grade is higher but your class is lower—in real power struggles, the outcome isn't guaranteed."

Put simply: gods are born with this knowledge, so they don't need to learn it.

Divine Marrow?!

That thing he got from killing the horned enforcer and the golden evil eye—after consuming it, his divine sense had transformed! That divine marrow!

Lord Huangshan explained:

"Divine marrow is the origin essence of a god. It contains their foundational power, a manifestation of their Dao. The higher its grade, the higher the god's class."

"An array to suppress gods?!"

"Totally different. One seals. One kills."

After all these years, Mo Hua was the only human kid to trek across mountains to bring offerings.

I want to learn!

"And also…"

Mo Hua looked disappointed,

"Isn't something this important supposed to be passed down through the ages?"

"Once you fall into their trap and become a piece on their chessboard—having your flesh tainted is nothing. But if your divine sense is corrupted, your Dao heart falls, and you become a sacrifice, a puppet, or a slave to an evil god… then you're neither man nor ghost—unable to live, unable to die…"

Halfway through, Lord Huangshan's heart suddenly seized with fear. He stared at Mo Hua, shocked and unsure why—and the rest of his words caught in his throat.

"Of course, I've only heard all this… I'm just a down-and-out little mountain god. Don't know much…"

Back then, in his sea of consciousness, Mo Hua had fought that massive golden eyeball.

After a moment's thought, Lord Huangshan summed up:

"So in the future, if you see strange idols, twisted cultivators, demonic altars, flesh sacrifices, or warped abominations—chances are, they're all related to evil gods."

"Whew…"

"That was close…"

"If someone with weak divine sense dares to defy taboos and blaspheme the gods without knowing their place—they'll die without even a burial!"

Mo Hua frowned in confusion.

"I just mentioned it casually. Is it really that serious?"

"These types of array formations focus more on the formless aspect of gods and less on tangible force. They're extremely effective against gods and ghostly entities—but do very little damage to ordinary cultivators."

At first, that big golden eyeball couldn't even tell if Mo Hua was human or divine.

Lord Huangshan spoke solemnly:

"When a god falls and becomes an evil god, their divine rank stays the same—but their divine marrow becomes corrupted…"

"There's a line between gods and mortals. Technically, I shouldn't be telling you any of this as a mountain god…"

But under Mo Hua's wide-eyed innocent gaze, Lord Huangshan panicked and instantly dropped his "lofty" demeanor, speaking gently and humbly:

"Oh… oh…"

He shook his head.

"You just don't understand how terrifying evil gods really are…"

Gods are innately blessed by the Dao and born with fragments of its origin, which is why they can't learn other laws.

Still, for a mere child to interact with a mountain god like him… perhaps this kid really was a little extraordinary.

Having eaten the offerings, he couldn't very well keep hiding information—otherwise, he'd look downright petty in front of the kid.

If Mo Hua's flesh hadn't been tainted by evil gods already, being "eaten alive" would've been the best outcome—let alone still chatting here like nothing happened!

He remembered—when that golden evil eye was destroyed by tribulation lightning, a golden, horned demonic shadow was also erased along with it.

Lord Huangshan looked at Mo Hua.

"The arrays you humans use mostly rely on natural forces like the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. But at their core, they consume divine sense to comprehend the Dao, use its laws, and manifest it through those natural forces…"

"A god is innately connected to the Dao, born from the principles of Heaven and Earth, and contains special fragments of the Dao's origin."

"Yes." Lord Huangshan nodded.

"Not every cultivator in this world knows arrays."

"Those who can't use arrays, and whose divine sense isn't strong enough—well, they use the sword instead. They fuse their sword intent with divine sense to create lethal attacks of will."

"A god's realm, or grade, determines how much of their divine sense has manifested. Their divine rank—or divine status—reflects the quality of their divine marrow and the level of their godhood."

Mo Hua asked,

"Even as a mountain god, you have no way to deal with evil gods?"

Lord Huangshan nodded quietly—then asked suspiciously,

"Why are you so interested in evil gods?"

Ah… so he does know fear…

Lord Huangshan finally continued:

"To fight evil gods, you must focus on the divine sense aspect of array formations."

Mo Hua, as expected, was successfully distracted and stopped asking how long Lord Huangshan had been alive.

His eyes narrowed with deep respect.

After pondering for a moment, Lord Huangshan nodded.

"Divine Dao arrays are meant to restrain and suppress—they're a type of seal."

"Later on… sigh… if I hadn't gone astray and gotten my foundation severed by one of your sect's elders, I wouldn't have fallen this far…"

Mo Hua asked,

"What does corrupted divine marrow look like?"

Cultivators are born with deficiencies—that's why they must learn array formations.

"How can a mountain god fight an evil god…"

"Mountain Lord, keep going—about the divine marrow…"

Drinking the wine Mo Hua poured him, Lord Huangshan felt much better.

He didn't know how that chicken leg was cooked… but it was delicious.

"A god's strength is determined both by their realm and by their divine rank."

"Different arrays focus on different balances of spiritual energy and divine sense."

Mo Hua sighed quietly to himself.

Outwardly smiling, Lord Huangshan was panicking inside.

Mo Hua couldn't help but say:

Lord Huangshan's hand…

...trembled. He gasped and said in a changed voice,

"You encountered an evil god?!"

"But a god's realm is also heavily influenced by their divine rank."

"Divine Dao Arrays!"

Mo Hua suddenly looked a bit embarrassed.

At this rate, he might really become a full-blown little evil god someday…

"The stronger a god is, the deeper their Dao origin. But the more they reject other laws—and the less they can comprehend other Daos."

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.

"If I had really met an evil god, would I still be standing here chatting with you?"

Lord Huangshan glanced at Mo Hua and, after a moment of thought, slowly said:

"If you're lucky in the future, and manage to learn an array that suppresses gods, maybe—just maybe—you could put up a fight…"

That shadow… was it the corrupted evil god's will fused into the divine marrow?

"Human divine sense is naturally weak. It's no match for a god's divine will."

"If you lose, it's the end—your Dao destroyed, your spirit annihilated."

Lord Huangshan nodded.

"Of course. You're human—not divine."

He looked a little aggrieved.

Mo Hua paused in thought—then his eyes suddenly lit up:

"To use what is not there, rather than what is?"

"Turning divine sense into sword intent is already difficult. To fight evil gods head-on like that… who knows how many would die."

"A god's realm determines how far their divine body can externalize. The higher the grade, the stronger and larger the god's form."

"And especially—twisted desires buried in the human heart, karmic filth, bloody fanaticism… All of these are perfect offerings for evil gods."

"The gods of Heaven and Earth wield world-shaking power. They're not so easily suppressed."

So many types of divine marrow!

In that case, it was best to tackle the most critical question at hand.

Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.

He then asked in confusion:

"So are you saying that 'Divine Dao Arrays' are actually weaker than 'Sword-Will Divine Sense'?"

Forget evil gods—I probably couldn't even beat you, a little cultivator kid…

Worried that Mo Hua might dig deeper, Lord Huangshan quickly skipped over the point and changed the subject:

It was pure, but with a touch of eeriness.

With a serious face, Lord Huangshan said:

"Once corrupted, the fallen will of an evil god nests deep inside the divine marrow, fusing completely with it. As long as the divine marrow survives, the evil will cannot be erased…"

"Divine sense is formless."

"Even if you find such arrays, they're incredibly hard to learn."

Once your Dao heart is tainted, and your divine sense devoured—your sea of consciousness becomes a breeding ground for evil thoughts.

Mo Hua asked again:

"What about evil gods? What category is their divine rank? When a god falls into corruption, does their divine marrow always get tainted?"

Mo Hua emphasized,

"Hypothetically!"

"They preach from divine statues, feed on flesh, fuel desire, and devour hearts…"

"But to fight a god…"

"The spiritual energy of the body is tangible."

Mo Hua still felt a chill in his heart and silently nodded.

"Evil gods really are terrifying!"

Lord Huangshan cleared his throat and slowly said:

"Evil gods… are complicated. It's a long story. Since you don't have the background, I'll have to start from the beginning…"

There were still many questions Mo Hua wanted to ask—too many, too scattered—and some of them even Lord Huangshan probably couldn't answer.

Lord Huangshan's pupils suddenly trembled. He was speechless for a long while. When he finally snapped out of it, he muttered:

"That… makes sense…"

But the way he looked at Mo Hua now carried a trace of concealed… disbelief.

(End of this Chapter)