Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 690 – Crisis

Yet there was still something that weighed heavily on Mo Hua's mind.

According to the old man from the fishing village, many years ago, a certain long-browed sword cultivator once entered the blood mist alone—and returned unscathed. He even left behind a warning about the blood mist and bloodfish.

Who was that cultivator, exactly?

Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought.

"If he could see through the blood mist, that means his divine sense was incredibly strong. To return alive from a village shrouded in the aura of a heretical god… he must have possessed some killing or protective art focused on divine sense."

A sword on his back…

Could he have been a sword cultivator skilled in Divine Sense Sword Manifestation?

Divine Sense Sword Manifestation…

Could he be a senior from the Great Void Sect?

Mo Hua quietly muttered to himself.

Once he entered the vanished fishing village through the well, he'd have to look around carefully for any traces this senior may have left behind.

If that senior truly entered the territory of a heretical god, then he'd surely have faced attacks from its minions—possibly even battled the heretical god directly.

In that case, there should be some lingering divine-sense killing intent.

Though… after several hundred years, would any traces still remain?

"I'll just have to go in and see for myself…"

Now that he had decided to descend into the well, he needed to prepare thoroughly.

Mo Hua began analyzing the dangers within the blood-red dried well.

The formation sealing the well mouth had already been deciphered—entering wouldn't be a problem.

He had even scouted a short stretch inside using the little tiger puppet.

He knew that the well was dry, with a passage leading deeper in. But after walking for some time, it would eventually reach water.

And that water held deadly danger—his little tiger puppet was torn to pieces.

It could've been a trap or mechanism, but the most likely culprit… was a water-dwelling demon beast.

Most likely, it was guarding the entrance.

As for what came after that… Mo Hua still had no clue.

But it was very likely the vanished fishing village, lost to history after being tainted by a heretical god.

What exactly had happened there, centuries ago, before the village vanished through sacrificial rituals?

What still lingered in that cursed place?

That so-called "River God" who accepted the sacrifices—was it truly a heretical god all along? Or a former god, one who had been corrupted by the Great Wilderness Heretical God?

And then there was Guojianglong…

Could he have allies hiding in the village as well?

Mo Hua sighed.

This was too thorny to handle alone.

He needed backup.

After some thought, Mo Hua sent a message to Gu Changhuai:

"Uncle Gu, I've found the entrance to the traffickers' stronghold…"

Gu Changhuai replied,

"Wait for me—I'm on my way."

Mo Hua quickly responded:

"No need."

They were dealing with a heretical god—if Uncle Gu showed up, it'd be incredibly dangerous.

The small fishing village was located in a Second-Grade Province. If Uncle Gu—a Golden Core cultivator—got tainted by the heretical god's aura, went mad, and accidentally unleashed his full power, he might trigger a Heavenly Tribulation and get annihilated by the Dao of Heaven.

Even if he wasn't wiped out by the heavens, he might turn around and kill Mo Hua.

A very real possibility.

So Mo Hua said:

"Uncle Gu, whatever you do, don't come!"

Otherwise I really can't guarantee your safety.

Gu Changhuai frowned,

"Are you hiding something from me?"

Yes. But even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it…

Mo Hua grumbled to himself, then said aloud:

"No."

Gu Changhuai paused a moment, then said:

"In that case, I'll send Gu An and Gu Quan. Both are late Foundation Establishment cultivators—strong and trustworthy. And since they're from the Gu family, I'll feel more at ease."

"Also, use the Gu family's secret command token to mobilize a few more people—just in case."

"Within this Second-Grade Province, that should be enough. If things escalate, report to me again—I'll find another way."

…

Mo Hua nodded.

Uncle Gu was as reliable as ever.

"Mm-hmm," Mo Hua replied.

With Gu An and Gu Quan accompanying him into the well, things felt much more secure.

And with other Gu family members stationed outside, he'd have a safety net.

But that still wasn't enough…

Mo Hua asked:

"Uncle Gu, do you have any calming or spirit-protecting artifacts?"

Gu Changhuai frowned,

"What do you need those for?"

Mo Hua made up a quick excuse:

"I'm worried Guojianglong, like the Fire Buddha, might cultivate some demonic qi that attacks the divine sense. Better to prepare early."

Gu Changhuai paused—then nodded.

"Makes sense. You've always been cautious and meticulous…"

"The Gu family's vault should have some of those types of artifacts. I'll have Gu An and Gu Quan fetch a few under my name and bring them to you."

"Thanks, Uncle Gu."

Mo Hua let out a silent breath.

He wasn't sure if those spirit-calming tools would actually work against a heretical god… but it was worth trying.

"One more thing…" Mo Hua said.

"Uncle Gu, could you help me request two more days off?"

Gu Changhuai went quiet for a moment.

Mo Hua added:

"Guojianglong is well hidden. One day might not be enough to catch him."

Gu Changhuai sighed.

"Fine. I'll file a request with the Great Void Sect in the name of the Dao Court…"

"But whether they approve or not—I can't guarantee."

"Last time I requested time off for you, the Great Void elders were already unhappy. If I do it again, they'll definitely be even more annoyed…"

Mo Hua also sighed.

Nothing he could do about it.

He had to go into the well, and he had to request time off.

Hopefully Mr. Xun could cover for him. He'd go apologize later.

"Just try requesting it," he said.

"Alright."

Then the two split up to handle their respective tasks.

Mo Hua used the Gu family's secret command to summon help from nearby Dao Court outposts.

Meanwhile, Gu Changhuai arranged for Gu An and Gu Quan to assist Mo Hua and drafted an official letter with the Dao Court's seal—sending it to the Great Void Sect via official channels.

It was a leave request, using a "legitimate" excuse:

"Due to urgent Dao Court matters, we require early Foundation Establishment disciple Mo Hua to draw formations for us. Requesting two days of leave."

"Given the urgency, we ask for your understanding and approval."

The letter ended up in the hands of Elder Song, who oversaw disciple attendance.

His face instantly darkened.

That brat Mo Hua again!

Ridiculous.

The Great Void Sect was one of the Eight Great Sects of Ganxue Province—not some place you could come and go from at will!

That kid was always running off, constantly requesting leave.

And now he didn't even bother to ask himself—he had the Dao Court do it for him? What arrogance!

Elder Song was about to reject it outright.

But after thinking about it… he chickened out.

He carefully stored the letter and personally delivered it to Mr. Xun.

But the moment he entered the room and saw Mr. Xun's solemn face, his courage melted. That faint pressure radiating from Mr. Xun's body was enough to make him speak carefully.

"Sir… this child… he, uh, he's asking for leave again…"

Mr. Xun was at his desk, flipping through something with a deep frown and grave expression. His presence alone made Elder Song tread lightly.

Mr. Xun replied with a simple:

"Hmm."

And with that, Elder Song didn't dare say another word. He simply stood there, head bowed, waiting quietly.

After a while, Mr. Xun finally sighed, looked up, and retracted his aura.

In that moment, the stern elder transformed back into the old, white-haired gentleman everyone knew.

"What did you say?"

"Oh." Elder Song finally let out a breath and said softly,

"That… that kid Mo Hua is requesting leave again…"

"Why is he asking for leave?"

"Said it's because the Dao Court has some urgent matter and needs his help."

"How many days?"

Elder Song replied with slight irritation,

"Two days…"

Mr. Xun said casually,

"Just two days? Let him go then, what's the big deal? Won't delay his cultivation by much…"

This isn't about delaying cultivation…

Elder Song grumbled inwardly but didn't dare voice it. Instead, he offered a more tactful concern:

"I'm just afraid it might breach sect rules… leave a bad impression…"

Mr. Xun raised a brow.

"Breach what rules?"

"The sect…"

Elder Song glanced at Mr. Xun but couldn't bring himself to continue. He could only sigh and say:

"He's always asking for leave like this… I fear the other disciples will start gossiping…"

Mr. Xun's expression hardened.

"Gossip about what? If the other disciples were capable, they could also get the Dao Court to request their help and request leave for them. I'd approve as many days as they needed."

"But do they have that ability?"

"Array formations aren't just about drawing well—you have to use them and let others recognize their worth."

"Cooped up in the sect all day, mindlessly practicing with no real-world application—that's what's truly harmful."

Elder Song was rendered speechless.

Seeing that, Mr. Xun's tone softened slightly.

"Besides… this is actually a good thing."

Elder Song blinked, caught off guard.

Mr. Xun continued,

"The Dao Court is asking Mo Hua for help. Mo Hua is a disciple of our Great Void Sect. In other words, the Dao Court is asking our sect for help."

"Why are they asking us instead of the Four Great Sects? Why not Tai'e Sect, Chongxu Sect, or the other top eight or the twelve lesser sects?"

"It clearly means that our Great Void Sect teaches well—and our disciples are capable."

"So tell me, isn't that a good thing for us?"

Elder Song paused.

And the more he thought about it, the more it actually made sense…

Indeed—apart from Mo Hua, he hadn't seen the Dao Court ever send a formal leave request on behalf of any disciple.

That was proof of how talented Mo Hua was—and how well the Great Void Sect raised its disciples!

For a moment, Elder Song even felt… a little proud.

Mr. Xun glanced at him coolly.

"Do you understand now?"

Elder Song instinctively nodded.

Mr. Xun concluded:

"Then that's that. Leave the letter—I still have things to do."

Elder Song quickly cupped his hands and respectfully said:

"Then I'll take my leave, sir."

After placing the letter on the desk, Elder Song departed.

—

After he left, Mr. Xun went back to studying the object on his desk.

A compass.

Heaven above, Earth below—etched with celestial stems, earthly branches, and mysterious principles of fate. Profound and intricate.

Mr. Xun stared at it, focusing on divination, but his brow only furrowed deeper and deeper. His expression grew increasingly grave.

After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and murmured:

"Our Great Void Sect's calculations… just don't cut it…"

"I can't see it…"

A sharp glint flashed in his clouded eyes.

Lately, he had been plagued by a deep sense of unease—like something terrifying had set its sights on the Great Void Sect due to some unknown matter.

It was no small matter—it could affect the fate of the entire sect.

But no matter how hard he pondered, how many calculations he ran, how many deductions he attempted… the fog wouldn't clear. The truth remained hidden.

All he could glimpse… was the Great Void Sect entangled in a rotting, purple chain of karmic cause and effect, layer upon layer, tightly sealed.

And a pair of blood-red, terrifying eyes, staring hungrily at the sect.

This danger lurked in the shadows.

Someone, somewhere, was orchestrating a bizarre and insidious scheme—targeting the Great Void Sect.

But on the surface… nothing had happened.

Mr. Xun frowned and suddenly recalled something his senior brother once said, filling him with emotion.

His senior was right—if this were the Great Void Sect in its prime, they wouldn't have to fear any such demons and monsters. Even if there were a hundred sinister omens, a thousand karmic traps, or ten thousand evil intentions—

They could all be cut down with a single sword!

But now…

Mr. Xun's eyes dimmed.

The divine swords were sealed. Sword arts had become forbidden techniques—no one could cultivate them, no one dared to, and no one even tried anymore.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have to force himself to study these clumsy arts of fate and divination…

He felt utterly drained.

Staring at the compass a bit longer, he soon felt his divine sense fray, and his sea of consciousness sting.

He rubbed his brow, then closed the compass and leaned back to rest his eyes.

After a short while, he reopened them—intending to return to his calculations—but accidentally caught sight of the letter on the table.

It bore Gu Changhuai's seal.

"The Gu family…"

Mr. Xun nodded slightly.

"Looks like this Mo Hua kid… has built a solid relationship with the Gu family."

Just thinking of Mo Hua lightened his mood, and even eased his fatigue.

The boy's cultivation aptitude was average at best—

But his divine sense talent was extraordinary.

Despite only being in the early Foundation Establishment stage, his divine sense had already reached the Sixteen-Pattern Realm—absolutely absurd and nearly inconceivable.

It was like the sect had stumbled upon a hidden treasure.

As for the Seventeen-Pattern Realm…

Mr. Xun pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

The barrier of the final middle realm of Foundation Establishment was far too steep. It wasn't something one could break through in a short time.

Most likely, Mo Hua would need to reach mid- or even late-stage Foundation Establishment, and borrow the surge in cultivation to forcefully shatter the sea of consciousness's wall and break through the bottleneck.

This can't be rushed…

For now, Mo Hua should focus on solidifying his foundation, refining his array skills further.

Mr. Xun blinked.

He suddenly realized—he hadn't checked in on Mo Hua in quite some time.

Then again, the kid had a righteous heart, great talent, and an unshakable work ethic. He really didn't need much hand-holding.

In fact, Mo Hua had even been teaching part of the array classes for him.

That was something Mr. Xun found deeply satisfying.

He prepared to continue with the compass divination, but the moment he activated his divine sense, he suddenly felt something strange.

Mo Hua's figure appeared in his senses—hazy and unclear, running around busily… but he didn't seem to be drawing formations.

Mr. Xun froze, his heart sinking slightly.

"What's that kid doing?"

Besides drawing arrays, what else could Mo Hua even do?

Mo Hua's physical body was weak, his spiritual energy low, a soft little thing…

"What could he possibly do?"

Mr. Xun's frown deepened.

A faint sense of unease crept into his heart.

...

Meanwhile, in the little fishing village—

Gu An and Gu Quan had already arrived, following Gu Changhuai's orders. They brought with them a few spirit tools used for protecting the soul.

A Mirror of Clarity.

A Tranquil Jade.

And a Demon-Repelling Hairpin.

These three items were spirit artifacts treasured by the Gu Clan. Although only second-grade, they had unique effects and were made from rare materials—making them quite valuable.

Mo Hua didn't know whether they'd be effective or not. But in the absence of certainty, he could only treat the dead horse like a living one—give it a shot anyway.

In addition, using the Gu family's secret command token, Mo Hua had summoned over twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Gu Clan.

The dangers within the well were unknown. They couldn't all go down—especially with so few soul-protecting artifacts available.

Mo Hua decided that he, along with Gu An and Gu Quan—both at the late Foundation Establishment stage—would carry the soul-soothing tools and go down first to scout the situation. Once they understood the terrain, they could decide the next steps.

This was the safest approach for now.

Afterward, Mo Hua instructed Gu An and Gu Quan to use their Dao Court identities to order all the fishing cultivators in the village to return home and stay indoors, while the remaining Gu Clan cultivators were to guard the village tightly.

Just before departure, one of the fishing cultivators came to find Mo Hua.

He was Old Yu's eldest son, and the father of Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi. Mo Hua remembered his name—Yu Dahe.

Without saying a word, Yu Dahe knelt before him, eyes firm and voice pleading:

"Young Master, let me come too!"

Mo Hua quickly helped him up, shaking his head:

"No. It's too dangerous."

But Yu Dahe remained kneeling, his eyes reddening.

"Shunzi and Shuizi… they're my own flesh and blood…"

Mo Hua sighed and pondered for a while, before finally nodding:

"Alright."

Yu Dahe's face lit up with gratitude, deeply moved.

Mo Hua had his reasons.

The destination was a fishing village corrupted by a heretic god.

He himself wasn't a fishing cultivator and didn't understand many of their customs. Having Yu Dahe along could be helpful.

Besides, they were going to rescue his children.

If the two boys couldn't be saved, Yu Dahe—as their father—would bear twice the grief. Better to give him a chance to fight for them than to leave him behind in despair.

Then, Mo Hua led Gu An, Gu Quan, and Yu Dahe to the rear of the fishing village, where the old well stood.

Gu An, who had been watching closely the entire time, finally couldn't help but ask:

"Young Master, don't tell me that river-crossing dragon… is hiding in this well?"

Mo Hua nodded.

Gu An and Gu Quan exchanged a look of disbelief.

Yu Dahe hesitantly chimed in:

"This well… it's our village's water source. It shouldn't be big enough to hide anyone…"

Mo Hua simply said,

"You'll see."

With that, he pulled out brush and ink and began drawing formation lines around the well.

Once finished, the array lit up—the well trembled—and just like that night, its true form was revealed.

This was a dried-up well—a real one—and the entrance to the domain of the heretic god.

At the same time, a scarlet mist began to rise.

Only Mo Hua could see it.

The others—Gu An, Gu Quan, and Yu Dahe—looked shocked. They hadn't expected the secret to truly lie within the well.

But they couldn't see the blood mist. All they noticed was that the air seemed heavier, their bodies colder, and the atmosphere gloomy—despite it being broad daylight.

Just as Mo Hua was about to descend, a thought struck him.

He remembered how that night, when the river-crossing dragon jumped into the well, he had been carrying a basket of fish—specifically, a few large dead fish.

These fish had large heads, striped bodies, and looked rather ugly.

Mo Hua didn't understand the purpose.

Why would the river-crossing dragon bring a bunch of dead fish?

But since he did, Mo Hua figured… he should too.

When you don't know why someone's doing something weird—copying them is usually safer than not.

So Mo Hua took out pen and paper and sketched the appearance of the fish. Then he asked Yu Dahe,

"What kind of fish is this?"

Yu Dahe frowned and stared at the drawing for a long moment before replying,

"That looks like a Deadspot Fish."

"Deadspot Fish?" Mo Hua blinked, then cut straight to the point:

"Can you get some?"

"Absolutely!" Yu Dahe answered confidently.

Without another word, he turned and ran to the front of the village. About the time it took to burn one incense stick later, he returned, carrying three large, gray, ugly Deadspot Fish.

They appeared to be borrowed from another villager.

Mo Hua gave a nod of approval.

Now they were ready to descend.

Just before going down, Mo Hua paused for a moment and gave one final warning:

"Let me be clear: the inside of this well is extremely dangerous. Once we're in, you must follow my instructions to the letter. Even the slightest mistake… could have terrifying consequences."

Yu Dahe froze, but then clenched his teeth and nodded firmly.

Mo Hua turned to Gu An and Gu Quan:

"Brother An, Brother Quan—same goes for you."

Their expressions grew solemn, but both nodded without hesitation.

They were members of the Gu Clan, working under the Dao Court, and were no strangers to danger. Though they didn't court death, they weren't cowards either.

Especially now—if even this young Master Mo, at just the early Foundation Establishment stage, was brave enough to dive into danger—how could they hang back in fear?

"Young Master Mo, we'll follow your lead,"

Gu An and Gu Quan said in unison.

Mo Hua nodded slightly, then took a deep breath.

He looked into the well, now shrouded in blood mist and seemingly bottomless, and said in a deep voice:

"Let's go."

"Mm!" the three replied.

Gu An and Gu Quan jumped in first.

Yu Dahe followed, whispering the names of his sons as he plunged in.

Last was Mo Hua himself.

He no longer hesitated—and leapt into the bloodstained well that led to the heretic god's lair.

(End of this Chapter)