Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 691 – Blood Leech

Mo Hua landed lightly using his Fleeting Water Steps, his posture graceful—though the soles of his feet tingled slightly with numbness.

Once he was steady, he looked up.

The mist at the bottom of the well wasn't dense, but the blood hue was much more evenly spread, slowly flowing across the ground.

Within that blood mist… it felt like something was being incubated.

A faint chill pricked Mo Hua's heart.

He sensed—he was getting closer to some kind of origin.

"Young Master?"

Gu An and the other two called out softly.

Now that they had entered the well, they inexplicably felt short of breath and uneasy. All three couldn't help but turn to Mo Hua for direction.

Mo Hua surveyed the surroundings carefully. The bottom of the dried-up well opened into a stone-lined passageway, branching off in all directions. It was impossible to tell where it led.

Gu An and the others couldn't see the blood mist, so they had no idea which way to go.

Mo Hua nodded,

"Follow me."

He picked one path and walked inward without hesitation.

Gu An walked ahead on Mo Hua's flank, Yu Dahe followed closely behind, and Gu Quan took up the rear.

Together, they subtly formed a protective formation around Mo Hua.

Gu An and Gu Quan had received strict instructions from Gu Changhuai to keep Mo Hua safe at all costs.

As for Yu Dahe—his two sons' lives were on the line. For him, letting anything happen to this young man was unthinkable.

The tunnel was dry, dark, and filled with a heavy, stifling atmosphere.

After walking for a while, they suddenly encountered a stagnant pool—as if someone had deliberately dug a deep pit and filled it with water.

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.

He remembered—the little white tiger had fallen into water and was torn to shreds in an instant. It must have been this.

Mo Hua released his spiritual sense, scanning the pool. His expression darkened.

"There's a water beast in there."

Its presence was deeply hidden and powerful. Because it was submerged, even skilled cultivators wouldn't notice it easily.

Clearly, whoever was behind the fishing village incident had raised a demonic beast in the water as a guard, to block intruders.

Gu An and Gu Quan exchanged glances, hearts shaken.

The water was so murky that even their spiritual sense couldn't detect the beast.

Is this little array master's divine sense too sharp…?

He's only Foundation Establishment early stage…

Yu Dahe timidly asked:

"Young Master… can you tell what kind of water demon it is?"

Mo Hua shook his head.

Gu An pondered,

"Should I go back and bring more people down? If we work together, maybe we can kill it—"

"No." Mo Hua cut him off. "This beast is likely a late second-grade water demon. In water, its strength skyrockets. You'd need seven or eight late Foundation Establishment cultivators, trained in water techniques and skilled in aquatic combat, to even have a chance at killing it."

He based his judgment on his experience as a demon hunter.

Gu An and Gu Quan frowned.

The Gu Clan could gather that many cultivators—but finding that many who specialized in water arts and aquatic combat? That was too strict a requirement.

The fishing cultivators in the village were proficient in water—but they lacked combat prowess. Not a single one of them had reached late Foundation Establishment.

"Also," Mo Hua added, "if we start a fight here and kill the water beast, the commotion would be huge. We'll surely alert the river-crossing dragon and his group—they'll escape."

"And those two children… might be lost forever."

Yu Dahe's face twisted in anguish.

"Then… Young Master, what now?"

Mo Hua sighed softly.

"Let me think…"

He stared at the dangerous pool in front of him, frowning.

How did the river-crossing dragon get across?

Even if he was good in water, with only mid Foundation Establishment cultivation, he couldn't possibly be stronger than this beast.

And this was a demon beast, not a sentient cultivator. It ate anything, friend or foe.

Mo Hua retraced his memory of the river-crossing dragon… and suddenly remembered—those dead fish.

Yu Dahe had called them Deadspot Fish.

Mo Hua asked:

"What are Deadspot Fish used for?"

Yu Dahe replied:

"They're poisonous. After they die, gray spots appear on their bodies—like corpse blotches. That's why they're called Deadspot Fish. If eaten, they block blood flow and paralyze the body—making someone as limp as a corpse, completely immobile…"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

"So that's it."

The river-crossing dragon's crew fed Deadspot Fish to the water demon, paralyzing it temporarily so they could swim across.

Mo Hua decided to try it himself.

He nodded to Gu An, who tossed one of the Deadspot Fish into the water.

Within moments, the water churned violently—a giant, grotesque water beast surfaced, snapping up the fish in a single gulp.

Mo Hua's pupils shrank.

All three of his companions were visibly horrified.

This beast's species was unclear—but its massive body was five to six times the size of a human. Its head was deformed, maw huge and bloody, its aura thick and monstrous. Its hide was scaled and armored, practically indestructible.

Its bulging black-yellow eyes radiated cold, cruel malice.

This was clearly a peak second-grade water demon that had lived for who knows how long.

After swallowing the Deadspot Fish, its pupils lost focus and its body seized up for a few seconds. But in just ten breaths' time, it recovered.

Mo Hua froze, inhaling sharply.

Feeding it Deadspot Fish didn't make the trip across safe.

The beast's blood energy was too dense.

The paralysis from one fish lasted only ten breaths. Anyone who wanted to cross had to make it across in that short time—or be eaten alive once the beast recovered.

Gu An and the others quickly realized this, their faces paling.

Mo Hua looked at the three, silently seeking their thoughts.

Yu Dahe clenched his jaw, determination flashing in his eyes.

"I'm going to save my sons. Even if I die, I won't complain."

Gu An nodded slightly,

"Young Master, don't worry about us."

Gu Quan, however, looked at Mo Hua with concern.

"Young Master… maybe you shouldn't risk it."

Mo Hua smiled faintly.

"I'll be fine. I'm not slow in the water."

He had studied the river-crossing dragon's White Wave Steps—not perfectly, but well enough to get by.

After thinking a bit longer, he said:

"There are three Deadspot Fish left. We'll feed them all to the water demon at once, then immediately swim across."

"All at once?" Gu Quan blinked. "What about the return trip?"

"Don't worry about that," Mo Hua replied casually.

They wouldn't need to worry about alerting anyone on the way back. Once their business was done, that trapped demon beast would just be a sitting duck—he had at least a hundred ways to send it straight to the afterlife.

Gu An and Gu Quan didn't understand his plan, but after the events in the Demon Caverns of Bì Mountain, they'd grown used to following Mo Hua's instructions.

The water beast finished its first fish and sank back below the surface.

It didn't seem to care about anything on the shore—only reacting to prey in the water.

Once their plan was set, the three moved.

Gu An, Gu Quan, and Yu Dahe each took a fish, then threw them into the water together.

The Deadspot Fish hit the water. The beast surfaced once more, swallowing two in a gulp. Its pupils glazed over again, body twitching with paralysis—just like before.

"Go!"

The moment the water beast bit down on the fish, Mo Hua gave the decisive order.

The group immediately leapt into the water, swimming with all their might toward the opposite bank.

Yu Dahe, being a fishing cultivator, was highly skilled in swimming and moved swiftly.

Though Mo Hua wasn't a fishing cultivator, his Fleeting Water Steps was a water-based movement technique, and he had also dabbled in the White Wave Steps. In the water, he moved like a nimble little fish, keeping up easily.

Gu An and Gu Quan weren't as graceful, but their deep cultivation base allowed them to maintain the pace. The two deliberately lagged just slightly behind, guarding Mo Hua from the rear.

The peak second-grade water demon, after swallowing two Deadspot Fish, was only paralyzed for about fifteen breaths before its grotesque, black-yellow eyes began to twitch again.

Sensing danger, Mo Hua shouted,

"Faster!"

He pushed his movement techniques to the limit, flailing his limbs with all his strength.

The shore was now within reach.

Gu An and the others also pushed their limits, rushing toward land.

But just then, the water demon fully recovered from its paralysis. Its bulging eyes rolled, and its twisted snout picked up the scent of living humans.

It abandoned the third Deadspot Fish and began sinking beneath the water.

Though its body disappeared into the depths, the surface of the water suddenly rippled with a dark undercurrent, rapidly closing in on Mo Hua's group.

The four were alarmed and swam desperately.

Yu Dahe, skilled in the water, was the first to reach shore. As soon as he climbed up, he turned and pulled Mo Hua from the riverbed.

Gu An and Gu Quan were just arriving at the edge.

But before they could climb up—boom!—the grotesque head of the water beast breached the surface, its gaping jaws lunging straight for them.

Still in the water, the two had no room to dodge.

Mo Hua reacted in a flash. Pressing his fingers together, he instantly summoned several fireballs and shot them into the beast's bulging eyes, momentarily blinding it.

Gu An and Gu Quan seized the moment, both drawing their blades and slashing at the creature's lower jaw with surging sword qi.

But the monster's hide was thick and tough—their attacks barely scratched the surface, only cutting shallow wounds.

At that moment, Yu Dahe whipped out a barbed fishing spear coated in toxic algae juice from his storage pouch and hurled it straight at the beast's tongue.

This was a fishing cultivator's tried-and-true method for dealing with aquatic demon beasts.

The spear struck the beast's throat, and the algae's toxins began to seep in. The beast let out a howl of agony, thrashed wildly, and then sank once more beneath the water.

Seizing the opening, Gu An and Gu Quan climbed ashore.

The group wasted no time and immediately retreated.

But just moments later, the water demon surfaced again.

It had swallowed the entire fishing spear in fury. Now enraged beyond reason—but with no living prey left in the water—it could only let out a thunderous roar toward the shore.

Its roar was deep and low, but the putrid wind it carried was powerful.

Mo Hua was caught off guard, stumbled a few steps, and fell to the ground with a thud, looking a bit ragged.

Gu An quickly helped him up.

"Young Master, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Mo Hua rubbed his forehead, then turned and glared angrily at the beast.

"Ugly freak, just wait till I come back. I'll make you pay."

The beast's hideous, menacing eyes continued to stare at him—completely unaware that it had just been added to Mo Hua's "hit list."

Now that they were on dry land, out of the water, the demon beast could do nothing more.

The group was safe—for now—and pressed forward.

They walked for some time before noticing an opening up ahead, faint light shining through it.

Passing through the tunnel, the scenery suddenly opened up. No longer a cramped well bottom, it was a gray, foggy expanse.

A light drizzle fell from the overcast sky, and beneath their feet stretched a muddy path lined with stone.

Faint yellowish mist floated in the air.

To Gu An and the others, the fog appeared yellow.

But in Mo Hua's eyes, it was a much deeper blood-red.

Not far ahead, the vague outline of a fishing village could be seen, shrouded in the bloody mist, exuding a lifeless, eerie atmosphere.

Gu An muttered,

"Those human traffickers like the River-Crossing Dragon… what kind of freaks choose a place this creepy to hide?"

Yu Dahe nodded, looking baffled.

"I've never heard of any place like this nearby… A fishing village? But it looks like… there's not a single soul here."

"Let's check it out first," Mo Hua said with a sigh.

In his heart, he knew—this wasn't just about human traffickers. This village was far from ordinary.

They began to follow the muddy path toward the village.

But after only a few steps, Mo Hua suddenly grabbed Gu An and shouted,

"Stop!"

Gu An froze, looking around in confusion.

"What is it?"

There was nothing unusual around them.

But Mo Hua's pupils trembled slightly.

He saw—right in front of Gu An—a patch of blood mist. Within it, a wriggling, leech-like entity squirmed slowly.

The creature looked like a blood leech, bright red, filthy, and grotesque, drifting within the mist.

It was floating directly in front of Gu An's face.

And Gu An… couldn't see it at all.

Had he taken one more step, he would have walked straight into the thing.

What would've happened then, Mo Hua didn't know for sure.

But judging from experience, these blood leeches were likely splinters of the evil god, malicious spawn that, if they touched a living being with spiritual consciousness, could very well invade their sea of consciousness and begin parasitic corruption.

"It's dangerous," Mo Hua said grimly.

The others grew tense, gazing at the thick mist around them.

"Stay close to me. Don't move around on your own!"

Mo Hua's expression was serious as he warned them.

He had brought these three into the depths of this cursed place—he had to do everything he could to keep them safe.

Yu Dahe was a poor fishing cultivator. His life had never been easy.

And Gu An and Gu Quan were trusted aides sent by Uncle Gu to protect him. He couldn't let anything happen to them.

Gu An and the others all nodded.

Mo Hua took the lead, carefully guiding the three of them forward, deliberately avoiding the blood leeches.

They had only walked a short distance when the blood mist ahead grew thicker, and the leeches became far more numerous.

Mo Hua could avoid them on his own, but even if the others followed his path exactly, they could still be parasitized by blood leeches drifting behind them.

He frowned, troubled… and then suddenly froze.

Another question came to mind.

He could see the blood leeches—so he could chart a path through them.

But that River-Crossing Dragon couldn't see them. So how did he avoid the blood leeches and find the way into the village?

Something was off.

Mo Hua spread out his spiritual sense, scanning the area. After a moment, his eyes lit up. He crouched down and began digging through the dirt and gravel at his feet.

Gu An and the others watched in confusion but were tactful enough not to interrupt him.

After a while, Mo Hua finally unearthed a stone slab from the ground.

It was a formation stone!

The surface was etched with complex and obscure array patterns.

Mo Hua had never seen these exact patterns before, but their structure felt strikingly familiar—they were almost identical in style to the patterns the River-Crossing Dragon had drawn at the wellhead.

"Divine Dao Formations…"

Mo Hua's heart leapt with joy.

He quickly memorized all the array lines on the slab.

However, the formations on this slab were incomplete—just a few lines, not enough to form a working structure or even to understand their intended purpose.

Mo Hua moved forward a few more steps and began digging again.

Sure enough, after a moment, he uncovered another stone slab.

This one also bore an incomplete Divine Dao Formation—some patterns old, some new.

Comparing them carefully, Mo Hua recorded the new lines, then continued digging further ahead. After several repetitions, he unearthed five slabs in total, each with new pieces of Divine Dao formation inscriptions.

He took out a sheet of paper and began sketching, experimenting with combinations, simulating different arrangements.

After dozens of trials, Mo Hua finally managed to piece together the five formations into a single cohesive cycle of Divine Will—a primitive yet closed-loop Divine Dao Formation prototype!

It was crude—like the basic Five Elements arrays he'd studied when he first began learning formations.

But make no mistake—this was a complete and fully functional entry-level Divine Dao Formation.

Mo Hua compared it with the markings drawn by the River-Crossing Dragon at the well entrance and noticed something important.

Strictly speaking, the formations drawn by the River-Crossing Dragon weren't Divine Dao Formations themselves.

Instead, they were clever derivations—disruption patterns meant to temporarily block the flow of Divine power and "unlock" the sealed well below.

In other words, the River-Crossing Dragon's "unlocking" glyphs relied on a pre-existing, complete Divine Dao Formation.

And that complete formation was embedded… within the blood-colored dried-up well.

Or perhaps—

Mo Hua's gaze shifted far into the distance… toward the eerie fishing village shrouded in bloody mist.

This entire vanished, corrupted village—tainted by an Evil God—was likely constructed on top of a massive Divine Dao Formation.

Whether the well's markings or the buried stone slabs, they were all just fragments—extensions of the larger formation.

Mo Hua was shaken, and more questions began to arise.

Where did this formation come from?

Who built it into the village?

And for what purpose?

What was the true application of this Divine Dao Formation?

He furrowed his brows.

"Looks like I'll have to go deeper into the village. The core of this formation is probably hidden inside…"

There were likely more formation slabs buried underfoot, but time was limited—Mo Hua couldn't stop to dig up every one.

"I'll come back after dealing with the Evil God," he thought. "I'll tear up every inch of this land if I have to."

He nodded to himself.

Now, he also understood the function of the formation slabs.

They were meant to repel the blood mist, and more importantly, to ward off the parasitic blood leech-like entities hiding within it.

These slabs, when arranged in sequence, opened up a safe path through the blood mist.

The River-Crossing Dragon had surely used this exact path to avoid contamination and leech infestation, gaining safe entry into the village.

Mo Hua had now cracked the edge of the Divine Dao Formation mystery.

And the twisting, winding "Divine Path" carved through the blood mist had become clearly visible in his eyes.

Having a defined path was far safer than walking blind.

Mo Hua himself could see the blood leeches—he could've made it through regardless—but Gu An and the others could not.

Without knowing where the danger was, even following him step-by-step was perilous.

"Follow me. Step exactly where I step. Don't stray, and don't look around," Mo Hua instructed.

Gu An and the others, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded solemnly.

Then, Mo Hua took the lead, walking ahead with steady focus. The three followed closely behind, committing to every instruction, not daring to make a single misstep.

Step by step, they slowly but surely passed through the leech-infested zone.

Until finally… they stepped foot onto the vanished fishing village's land.

A land… soaked in blood.

(End of this Chapter)