Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 693 – Earth-Slaughter Formation

A bone pill furnace.

An eerie, ghostly green flame.

A deranged demonic alchemist.

The scene before him felt like déjà vu.

Mo Hua frowned, involuntarily recalling that moment back in the great hall of Black Mountain Fortress on Mount Dahei—the blood-soaked pill furnace, the grotesque herbs, and those countless wrongfully slain cultivators...

"These traffickers kidnap cultivators to refine Human Pills…"

Mo Hua's gaze turned cold.

Inside, the demonic alchemist was focused, carefully controlling the ghost-green flame as he refined his wicked pills.

The area around the furnace reeked of blood.

Human bones. Still-beating hearts. Organs.

All of it—ingredients for the pill.

From the scene alone, it was clear—countless cultivators had already fallen victim to these traffickers and this twisted pill master.

Mo Hua's heart grew heavy.

"Those two kids…"

His eyes quickly scanned the room. Finally, at the very center of the pill chamber, he spotted a worn offering altar.

Atop the altar stood a statue of the River God—a humanoid figure with a fish's face.

Kneeling below it were two children, tied up tightly, foreheads pressed to the floor, unmoving like statues offering devout worship.

It was none other than the two grandsons Old Yu had lost.

Mo Hua quietly exhaled in relief, but his brows remained furrowed.

They were alive—but barely. Their breaths were weak, their spiritual sense faint.

"Had the River God already begun 'eating' them?"

"I have to rescue them quickly."

Mo Hua scanned the pill chamber again, memorized everything—the setup, layout, and all the details—and quietly backed away.

Once out, he scouted the village again, mapping out the number of black-robed cultivators, their positions, their approximate cultivation levels, and the layout of the fishing huts.

Only then did he return to the village entrance, where Gu An and the others were waiting.

"I found Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Shuizi," Mo Hua whispered.

Gu An and Gu Quan's eyes lit up. Yu Dahe was visibly emotional.

"But… there are a lot of traffickers."

Mo Hua pulled out a piece of paper and sketched a rough map, marking out the fishing huts and the positions of the black-robed men.

"Nine in total. Their leader and a demonic alchemist are both late Foundation Establishment."

"Guo Jianglong—I recognize him—is mid Foundation Establishment."

"The others I don't know, but they're also likely mid Foundation Establishment."

Nine enemies. Two late-stage, seven mid-stage.

Gu An and Gu Quan frowned deeply.

"That's a lot of them. Could be a tough fight."

Gu An thought for a moment and said,

"We can rescue them, but escaping unscathed afterward may not be possible."

Mo Hua replied,

"Then we don't escape—we call for reinforcements and wipe out these traffickers in one sweep."

Gu Quan whispered,

"Even so, some may still escape…"

Mo Hua smiled calmly,

"That's fine. I've got a plan."

Gu An and Gu Quan exchanged looks but followed Mo Hua's lead.

Gu An used his message talisman to summon reinforcements.

There were still a dozen Gu family cultivators stationed in the outer village.

Following Mo Hua's instructions, Gu An selected ten skilled, high-cultivation members—all quick-footed and experienced with diving. He explained everything:

how to descend the well, feed the water demons, which direction to go…

Then came the waiting.

Yu Dahe was pacing anxiously.

Mo Hua was also a bit restless. But they couldn't act rashly.

Even if they rescued the kids, they'd just alert the enemy and get surrounded.

"Acting on impulse would only mess things up. Better to prepare thoroughly and finish this in one go."

Plus, Mo Hua had noticed—the so-called offering to the River God wasn't simply about 'eating'.

There had to be deeper secrets involved.

And the ritual likely required time.

For now, there was still time.

No one knew how long had passed before Gu An suddenly stirred. He looked at his talisman and turned to Mo Hua.

"They're here."

Mo Hua nodded.

"Have them wait at the village entrance. I'll go get them."

Outside the village was a blood mist—and blood leeches inside it.

If Mo Hua didn't personally guide them in, these ten would likely all die in that fog.

Gu An nodded.

"Got it."

Mo Hua stood, walked alone into the mist, dodging the blood leeches, and made it to the outer edge of the village.

Ten Gu clan cultivators stood ready. When they saw Mo Hua, they all greeted him respectfully:

"Greetings, Young Master Mo!"

Mo Hua noticed their robes were wet, and they were carrying dead spotfish—obviously having crossed the water demon zone.

One man's right leg was bloodied, the flesh gnawed clean to reveal white bone.

"I was a bit slow crossing the river. That damn thing took a bite. I've taken pills—nothing serious."

The man was pale, clearly in pain, but his expression was firm.

Mo Hua admired his resolve and said sternly:

"When we move, follow me precisely. Don't take a single wrong step."

The Gu cultivators looked confused.

Evil things like blood leeches weren't their area of expertise.

Mo Hua added,

"There's a deadly formation outside the village."

Only then did they understand. They all cupped their hands and said:

"We obey, Young Master Mo!"

Mo Hua nodded, then led them back through the blood mist, skillfully avoiding the blood leeches and treading the divine path formation.

They rejoined Gu An and the others inside the village.

Now they had fourteen people total.

"We outnumber them. The advantage is ours!"

Mo Hua circled several positions on the map.

"Head-on fighting is risky. So we ambush."

"Everyone take up positions I've marked. Stay hidden."

"I'll set up a formation and blast them. That should cripple them—or at least injure them."

"Two people will grab the kids."

"The rest will strike together and subdue the traffickers."

"Cripple their limbs, destroy their Qi Seas, and bind them with Spirit-Locking Chains."

"If they resist—kill without mercy."

Mo Hua's tone was decisive.

The Gu family cultivators were stunned.

"Young Master Mo acts with precision and ruthlessness… just like a Dao Court Inquisitor."

For a moment, they felt like they were taking orders from a younger version of Lord Changhuai.

Well—except for one thing.

Lord Changhuai wasn't very good with formations.

Speaking of which…

Gu Quan asked with confusion:

"Young Master… shouldn't the formation be set up in advance? There's no time for that now, is there?"

Mo Hua replied confidently:

"Relax. I have my ways."

Gu Quan paused, then nodded instinctively.

"Let the expert handle it."

"When it comes to formations—no one knows more than Young Master Mo."

"If Young Master Mo says it'll work—then it will."

"Wait here, I'll go set up the formation first…"

Mo Hua had just gotten up and taken a few steps when he suddenly turned back.

"Young Master Mo, what's wrong?" Gu An asked in confusion.

"Wait—I need to think about what formation to use…" Mo Hua muttered, deep in thought.

Originally, he'd planned to use a fire-type formation, but this fishing village was too dimly lit.

Fire-type spiritual ink formations would be too eye-catching.

And this mission was about rescuing people—there couldn't be any room for error.

At the very least, he had to minimize the risk.

"I need a killing formation that's powerful enough… subtle… low-key… something that won't be obvious when drawn on the ground…"

Mo Hua silently thought.

He pulled out his Great Void Token and browsed through it for a while—until he found a formation that met his requirements.

470 contribution points, a Grade-Two, Sixteen-Pattern formation:

Earth-Slaughter Formation (地殺陣)!

Though it hurt a little to spend that much, Mo Hua didn't hesitate.

"Formations are meant to be used. Contribution points are meant to be spent."

After purchasing the Earth-Slaughter Formation, his Great Void Token took a moment to respond.

Though this village wasn't in the Ganxue Province, it wasn't too far away.

The Primordial Magnetic Field was slightly weaker, but not completely cut off.

A few breaths later, a complete array diagram of the Grade-Two, Sixteen-Pattern Earth-Slaughter Formation emerged inside the token.

Mo Hua's spirits lifted immediately, and he dived right in to study it.

Gu An couldn't help but whisper,

"Young Master Mo… what are you doing?"

Mo Hua, with his spiritual sense immersed in the token and his hand sketching something on the ground, casually replied,

"Hold on, I'm learning a formation real quick."

Gu An's jaw dropped.

"You're… learning it now?"

Mo Hua answered matter-of-factly:

"Of course! If I don't know it, I have to learn it now."

Gu An looked conflicted.

That's not the point, is it…?

But he didn't dare interrupt. The whole group just watched as Mo Hua seriously sketched incomprehensible patterns onto the ground.

Mo Hua learned the Earth-Slaughter Formation incredibly fast.

Despite the "Earth" in its name, it wasn't a pure Bagua 'Kun' formation—it leaned more toward a true Five-Element earth-type array, though it incorporated some Bagua logic and was heavily tied to earthly energy.

Mo Hua was already adept with Five-Element formations and had previously attuned to the Dao Rhythms of the Earth, making his understanding far smoother and quicker.

And that wasn't all.

Ever since refining the Divine Marrow, Mo Hua had felt that his comprehension of formations had become both faster and deeper.

Some formations felt almost… instinctive.

Divine Marrow contained the origin of a deity.

Deity origins were born of the Great Dao.

Formations were also manifestations of the Great Dao.

So—refining Divine Marrow, gaining affinity with the Dao, allowed one to grasp formations more profoundly?

Mo Hua silently theorized.

Whatever the reason, his ability to learn formations had clearly improved.

The same held true for this Earth-Slaughter Formation.

After practicing the array patterns several times, he quickly grasped it in full.

"Got it!" he nodded soon after.

The others stared at him in disbelief.

Already!?

Is formation mastery supposed to be that easy!?

If they didn't already know Mo Hua's character, Gu An would have seriously thought he was messing with them.

Wasn't it common knowledge that formation arts were hard to learn and slow to master?

Was that… a lie?

The Gu family members briefly spiraled into existential doubt.

Mo Hua, unaware of their inner turmoil, said,

"I'll go lay down the formation. You guys move into position—once the array explodes, strike immediately!"

The others snapped out of it and replied with solemn resolve:

"Understood!"

Mo Hua nodded slightly, then concealed his presence and climbed stealthily onto the rooftop of the large fishing hut.

He crept along to the top of the pill chamber and first checked on the two children.

The two were still kneeling at the altar, like offerings to the gods—completely still—but still breathing.

Mo Hua breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

The demonic alchemist was still refining pills. The black-robed men and Guo Jianglong were still drinking, some even dozing off.

They were completely off guard.

Perfect timing.

Mo Hua took out several bottles of earth-element spiritual ink, followed by a handful of spirit stones, which he crushed into powder and mixed into the ink as fuel for the formation.

Then, with spiritual sense, he guided the ink.

In the pitch-black night, the ink slithered along the ground like a lurking venomous serpent, winding and weaving silently, forming a formation that enveloped the entire fishing hut.

Time passed slowly.

The ink flowed inch by inch.

The array grew steadily.

Mo Hua lay flat on the rooftop, utterly focused, sketching the array.

Suddenly, his ear twitched—a sound.

"Master She…"

Master She?

Mo Hua froze for a second. Multitasking, he continued drawing the formation while peeking toward the fishing hut from the corner of his eye.

Someone had just entered.

A man stepped into the fishing hut.

His hair was wild and unkempt, he wore a red alchemist's robe, and his face was painted in vivid reds and greens. His gaze was deranged—he was none other than that demonic alchemist.

"So this demonic alchemist's surname is She (奢)?" Mo Hua murmured inwardly.

Inside the hut, all the black-robed men immediately stood up and cupped their fists.

"Greetings, Master She!"

Master She wore a prideful expression and nodded slightly in response.

The lead black-robed man respectfully asked,

"Master, has the pill been refined?"

"Almost..." Master She strode directly to the seat of honor. A black-robed cultivator immediately stood and gave up his spot.

Master She sat down casually.

"I got bored of refining. Came to grab a drink."

Someone beside him promptly poured him wine.

Master She raised the cup and downed it in one gulp, then smacked his lips and shook his head.

"Too bland… without some human blood, it lacks flavor."

The head black-robed man replied,

"The heat is high today, supplies are tight. Only regular wine is available. We apologize for letting you down, Master She."

Master She didn't seem to mind, but warned coldly:

"While you're staying in this fishing village, you'd better keep your guard up. Be cautious with every move—do not disturb the River God. If you do… even I won't be able to save you."

The crowd stiffened at his words and quickly lowered their heads in acknowledgement.

Master She nodded, his tone easing slightly.

"Half a day more and this batch of pills will be ready. You can take it to the young lord, and I'll consider my task complete."

"As for the next batch… I'll cut open those two children later, extract their heart meridians for the primer, flay their flesh for pill casing, then refine for seven more days. Come back in seven days to collect it."

Mo Hua's expression darkened, a flash of pain in his eyes.

The lead black-robed man, however, was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands.

"Many thanks, Master She!"

"Mhm." Master She nodded.

The nearby black-robed men, perceptive as ever, poured him another cup.

He downed it in one gulp. His face flushed slightly, and the restlessness in his heart finally eased. Then he barked,

"I'll go resume pill refining. Remember what I said!"

The black-robed men once again bowed in unison.

"Yes, sir!"

Master She rose and headed back to the pill room.

Mo Hua, meanwhile, endured his disgust and continued sketching the formation.

Bit by bit, the spiritual ink carved the formation…

When Master She reached the doorway and stepped onto the ground, he suddenly froze. A flicker of doubt flashed across his expression.

He looked down.

In an instant, his pupils shrank, and he shouted in alarm:

"We're under attack!"

He immediately lunged toward the outer edge of the formation.

"Tch," Mo Hua clicked his tongue in slight frustration.

"A pill refiner who can detect my array? There's something wrong with this guy…"

Still, it didn't matter. The formation was almost complete.

The cultivators in the hut were startled by Master She's sudden outcry. As they processed his warning, their expressions twisted in alarm, and they bolted for the door.

Mo Hua's eyes turned cold. He no longer concealed his intent—his spiritual sense surged, and the spiritual ink on the ground suddenly accelerated like a coiled dragon springing to life.

The ink converged, locking into place to form a massive Grade-Two, Sixteen-Pattern Earth-Slaughter Formation.

At the moment when the black-robed men were just about to rush out, Mo Hua coldly commanded:

"Explode."

Earth-element spiritual energy trembled. Killing intent surged from the ground.

The terrain instantly sank. Quicksand turned into blades, whirling and slicing in a chaotic storm.

The entire fishing hut was blasted to pieces in an instant.

At the same time, two Gu family cultivators burst in from the roof of the pill room, rescuing the two children who had been kneeling motionless at the offering table.

The Gu clan ambushers hidden around the fishing hut were briefly stunned by the overwhelming destructive force of the Earth-Slaughter Formation.

But they quickly recovered. Remembering Mo Hua's orders, they drew their blades and charged in.

In the once-quiet fishing village, killing intent erupted like a flood.

The Gu family cultivators, well-trained and coordinated, executed a deadly pincer attack on the human traffickers.

The traffickers, having just suffered the full force of a Grade-Two Earth-Slaughter Formation, were all severely injured.

Only the lead black-robed man, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, had slightly lighter injuries.

Even so, his blood surged, and both his legs had been shredded by the earth-element force of the array—covered in bloody gashes, rendering him nearly immobile.

Already outnumbered, and now caught completely off guard and grievously wounded by Mo Hua's formation, the traffickers quickly lost the upper hand.

Mo Hua struck with perfect timing—using Water Prison Techniques to control the field or Fireball Spells to interfere and support.

In less than half an hour, the battle was over.

Among the Gu family cultivators, three were lightly injured.

Among the traffickers, two were dead, their flesh dissolved into puddles of black water.

The remaining seven were captured, their limbs broken and sealed with Spirit-Binding Chains—including Guo Jianglong, the lead black-robed man, and Master She.

Though Master She had high cultivation, it seemed his long years of pill refining had dulled his combat prowess.

His actual strength ranked at most the lower-middle tier of late Foundation Establishment.

Despite being the only one to detect the trap and avoid the brunt of the formation, he still failed to escape.

The two children had also been safely rescued—but they remained unconscious.

Yu Dahe held them tightly in his arms, his eyes red with emotion. He looked at Mo Hua with deep gratitude.

"Thank you, Young Master… thank you so much…"

Mo Hua's expression was somewhat conflicted, and inwardly, not too optimistic.

He could tell—the children's condition was… strange.

On the surface, it looked like they had simply fainted from fear.

But Mo Hua knew—their spiritual consciousness had been heavily damaged.

He examined them more carefully, growing more confused.

It didn't seem like their divine sense had just been "damaged"—

It felt more like… someone had used a special method to extract their entire divine sense from their sea of consciousness.

"Extracted…?"

Mo Hua furrowed his brow, uncertain.

But since he couldn't be sure, he didn't want to say anything to Yu Dahe yet.

Just then, a low, sinister laugh echoed from inside the ruined house.

Mo Hua looked over—and saw Master She, bound by Spirit-Binding Chains, lying on the ground and chuckling with a dark expression.

"What are you laughing at?" Mo Hua asked coldly.

Master She's mouth dripped with blood. His grin was twisted.

"I'm laughing at you all," he said. "You only managed to rescue two corpses."

Everyone's expression changed slightly.

Mo Hua's eyes turned deep and contemplative.

(End of this Chapter)