Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 694: Blood Bridge

Yu Dahe's eyes widened with fury, his voice trembling:

"What did you just say?!"

Master She let out a sinister smile:

"Those two children—you'll never save them. Their divine souls have already been offered to the Divine Lord!"

Mo Hua pretended not to understand, feigning confusion.

"Divine Lord? What kind of nonsense is that?"

Master She's expression twitched, cursing silently.

"Ignorant brat… to speak such blasphemy! When divine punishment descends upon you, you'll neither live nor die!"

But he still held back his rage, his tone turning solemn and reverent:

"The Divine Lord is the ruler of myriad gods! The supreme sovereign who reigns over all beings!"

At that, Mo Hua immediately saw through him—this guy was just another clueless fanatic.

He had no real idea who or what the Divine Lord—i.e., the Great Wilderness Evil God—truly was. He simply revered it as some lofty deity.

Mo Hua sneered.

"You senile old fart. What are you spouting? There's no such thing as some Lord of the Gods or Supreme Sovereign."

"Humans are the leaders of all life. What gods? I've never seen a single one."

Master She shot him a look of scorn and scoffed:

"Mortal eyes can't perceive the truth of the world, nor comprehend the greatness of the divine path."

Mo Hua snorted.

"All smoke and mirrors."

Master She didn't bother arguing with this "yellow-mouthed brat," but he squinted at Mo Hua, and amidst his crazed gaze, a flicker of cunning and suspicion appeared.

He'd been wondering from the start—

Who is this kid?

If his guess was right, this group had to be hounds of the Dao Court Division.

But how did the Dao Court sniff this out, dodge all traps, and set up an ambush to capture his entire crew?

Master She couldn't figure it out.

But what was done was done. No point dwelling on it.

First priority: escape.

He looked over the group again.

And what puzzled him the most—was this kid.

Why would someone as weak and low-spirited as a mere early Foundation Establishment brat be tagging along with Dao Court enforcers?

It made no sense.

He was clearly soft-skinned, pampered, full of arrogance. The kind of kid born into privilege.

Even the Dao Court cultivators treated him with deference.

Could he be a disciple of some powerful clan? Slipped into the Dao Court early to rack up some merit and earn a gold-plated resume?

The more Master She thought about it, the more convinced he became.

"Heh… what a fool."

"Came here looking for merit and glory, only to walk straight into a living hell."

"Bet he doesn't even know how many ways the word 'death' can be written…"

A glint of murderous cold flashed in Master She's eyes as he looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua caught it at once—his spiritual sense prickling. He raised a brow, but kept a cocky smile plastered on his face, full of smug arrogance.

—

On the side, Yu Dahe's face turned pale as he heard that the children couldn't be saved. His arms trembled as he clutched them tightly.

Gu An stepped forward and kicked Master She, drawing his blade and pressing it to the man's throat.

"Speak, old bastard! How do we save these two children?!"

Master She responded with an annoying, grating laugh, but said nothing.

Mo Hua was getting irritated by his smug act, and threatened harshly:

"You old flea-bag, if you don't speak, I'll burn off that scraggly hair of yours and peel your skin off like a bald, crispy beggar chicken!"

Master She sneered:

"Little brat… let me give you some advice. You're young—don't be so hotheaded."

Without a word, Mo Hua conjured a blazing Fireball, aiming it straight at the old man's hair.

Live demonstration: Flaming Fried Old Man Hair.

Master She's eyes widened, his voice turning shrill:

"Stop—!"

What kind of upbringing is this kid from?! Is he even human?!

Mo Hua held the fireball to the old man's head, glaring.

"You talking, or not?"

Master She was furious but forced himself to calm down, finally speaking.

"Fine. I'll tell you. But whether you believe it… is another matter."

"Try me," Mo Hua said.

Master She gave him a hate-filled look, but eventually sighed:

"It's simple, really…"

"The River God… demands sacrifice."

"I already offered those two brats' divine souls to the River God."

"But while they were sacrifices, they weren't… indispensable."

"If you choose two other living people as replacements, and personally deliver them to the altar, the River God may return the children's souls—and they'll live."

Mo Hua's heart stirred.

Deliver… to the altar?

The altar!

Not the half-built one in the Bìshān Demon Hall—but one that was complete, possibly even running for hundreds of years.

His heart skipped a beat, though his expression remained calm. He pressed, skeptical:

"Old bastard, you're lying."

"Let's say I believe there are gods in this world. But earlier you said it was the 'Divine Lord'… and now it's the 'River God'. Which one's actually your master, mutt?"

Master She burned with hatred, wishing to tear Mo Hua to pieces. But he swallowed it back and replied coldly:

"The River God… is an incarnation of my Divine Lord."

"It is no different from the Divine Lord descending in person."

Mo Hua instantly understood. Combining this with his knowledge of cultic theology and what he'd seen in the fishing village, the picture became clearer:

The River God was once a true River God…

But now, it had been corrupted by a Great Wilderness Evil God.

So now, the River God had become a vessel, a manifestation of that Evil God.

Of course, the exact process of corruption must've been complex.

This was just a basic deduction.

As for how an Evil God corrupts, parasitizes, and pollutes a true deity—that likely fell into the realm of "Evil Godology," which Mo Hua hadn't mastered yet.

"Still doesn't add up," Mo Hua said, frowning.

"You did the sacrifice in the pill room. So why do we need to go to some fancy altar to do the exchange?"

Master She wanted to strangle him.

"Where the hell did this brat come from with all these tricky questions?!"

But a man under the eaves can't refuse to bow. So Master She swallowed his annoyance and explained:

"Because sacrificing is easy. But an exchange… requires the River God's consent."

"And what if it doesn't consent?" Mo Hua asked.

"Then I can't help you," Master She replied coldly.

"It's the only way to save those children."

Mo Hua furrowed his brow. He calmed his rising excitement and asked casually:

"So… where exactly is this 'altar' you mentioned?"

A faint smirk played at Master She's lips.

"He took the bait."

"In the back village," he said.

"Back village?" Mo Hua blinked.

Master She's gaze turned dark:

"Behind the fishing village lies a hidden place. That's where the River God's temple was built."

"You swear?" Mo Hua asked again.

Master She simply sneered.

Gu An whispered,

"Young master, this alchemist is sly. It could be a trap."

Mo Hua frowned and pondered.

Master She snorted, his tone mocking:

"The back village is dangerous. Not a place for common cultivators. If you're just some coddled clan heir leaning on your family name, best not go courting death."

Predictably, that triggered Mo Hua.

"Old stray dog, you looking down on me?!"

"Then I'll definitely go!"

"River God? Divine Pig? All nonsense!"

"I'll see for myself! This is a Grade-Two state. I've got over a dozen seasoned Foundation Establishment cultivators at my side. Let's see what in that back village can actually hurt me!"

Mo Hua's face was full of arrogant confidence.

Master She's gaze dimmed.

"Just a rash brat after all… no patience."

"A dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

"A dozen? That's nothing—barely counts as an appetizer."

"Ignorant fools… they have no idea what true terror looks like in this world."

"They've already fallen for my scheme, and still don't even realize it."

Master She was inwardly smug.

Standing to the side, Gu An and Gu Quan, who knew Mo Hua's temperament well, couldn't help but exchange strange looks. When they glanced at Master She, their eyes even showed a faint trace of… pity.

Mo Hua then arrogantly ordered,

"Hey, old mangy beard, take me to the back village."

Gu An and Gu Quan remained silent, but some of the other Gu Clan cultivators softly advised,

"Young Master, please reconsider. This scoundrel's words may not be trustworthy."

They clearly didn't want Mo Hua taking any unnecessary risks.

Mo Hua, playing along, let a flicker of hesitation show on his face.

Master She grew anxious but forced himself to act calm. He sneered coldly,

"Believe me or don't—it's up to you. But don't say I didn't warn you… time is running out."

"If the River God starts devouring the children's souls…"

His eyes gleamed cruelly.

"In four or five days, you'll see their bodies rot away… little by little."

Yu Dahe's face turned deathly pale.

A chilling glint flickered through Mo Hua's eyes.

Gu An and the others sighed softly. They knew it—there was no avoiding this trip.

Gu An drew his blade and placed it against Master She's neck.

"Lead the way."

Master She said calmly,

"I have one condition."

Mo Hua frowned,

"You still want to bargain?"

Master She snorted,

"Who does anything without a price?"

Mo Hua thought about it and found the logic fair.

"Fine, what's your condition?"

Master She grinned,

"What else? Spare my life once it's done."

Mo Hua agreed without hesitation.

"Deal."

Master She nodded.

"Then we have an agreement."

Mo Hua gave him a suspicious look.

"Aren't you worried I'll kill you anyway afterward?"

Master She replied indifferently,

"Not at all. If I dared to make a deal, then I'm not afraid of betrayal."

Mo Hua's brow furrowed.

"This old bastard definitely has some backup plan."

He turned to glance at the two unconscious children in Yu Dahe's arms and sighed lightly.

"Let's hope what he said is true."

"And that these kids… really can be saved."

Besides, the back village of this fishing village was hiding too many secrets. No matter what, he had to go.

After a moment of thought, Mo Hua ordered:

"Everyone get ready. We move out soon."

Gu An and Gu Quan were confused.

"Ready for what?"

Then they saw Mo Hua sneak out alone to the back of the fishery, avoiding everyone, and start digging around the ground like crazy.

Gu An and Gu Quan, curious, approached and asked in hushed voices,

"Young Master, what are you looking for?"

Mo Hua glanced at Master She in the distance, then raised a slab of stone in his hand and whispered,

"Help me find more slabs like this—or any rocks with array runes on them. Any kind of formation runes will do."

"Also, check the surroundings. See if there are any remnants of sword intent."

Gu An and Gu Quan were confused.

Mo Hua added,

"I have my reasons."

The two nodded and followed his instructions.

Mo Hua also crouched down, digging through the dirt like a squirrel hunting nuts, searching earnestly for array patterns and traces of sword qi.

He figured—

Master She was definitely scheming something, and the back village was bound to be dangerous.

So even if it was last-minute prep, it was worth finding some Divine Path formations or sword-will imprints.

Who knew? They might come in handy.

After some searching, they did make a few discoveries.

Mo Hua managed to collect three new Divine Path array patterns.

As for sword qi, they found two traces, though the years had worn them down—the sword intent had nearly dissipated and didn't offer any insights into Mo Hua's "Divine Mind as Sword" technique.

He felt a bit disappointed.

"Looks like I'll have to investigate more at the back village."

Mo Hua memorized the three new formation runes and then began arranging their departure.

First, the team needed organizing.

Among the black-robed gang, nine remained—two had died, leaving seven.

Mo Hua selected two mid-Foundation Establishment black-robed cultivators to serve as "replacement sacrifices" for Yu Dahe's children.

Master She had to lead the way.

That left four more captives, including Guo Jianglong and the leader. They were kept under watch.

Though their qi seas had been crippled and they couldn't cause much trouble, just in case, Mo Hua left six people to guard them.

The remaining four Gu Clan cultivators would accompany Mo Hua to the back village.

Since they were exchanging the offerings, the two unconscious children had to be brought along—so Yu Dahe joined as well.

Mo Hua instructed him:

"You don't need to worry about anything else. Just protect your sons."

Yu Dahe was moved.

He never expected this young noble, someone he'd only met briefly, to go through so much trouble for his children.

"Thank you, young master. I'll do as you say," Yu Dahe said solemnly.

Mo Hua nodded.

Once the personnel were set, the group departed.

Gu Quan guarded Master She.

Gu An guarded Mo Hua.

The burly Yu Dahe carried his children.

The other four Gu Clan cultivators escorted the two "sacrifice candidates."

And so they began their journey to the back village.

The skies were overcast. All around them, broken fishing huts gave the landscape an eerie silence and a suffocating atmosphere.

After about the time of a single incense stick, the surroundings grew desolate. No more fishing huts—only a lone arched stone bridge ahead.

The bridge was simple and old in design.

Beyond it, a thick red mist loomed.

Master She turned to Mo Hua and said:

"I need to undo my seal to cross the bridge."

Mo Hua remembered the formation Guo Jianglong had drawn at the well and nodded.

"Fine."

Gu An removed the Spirit-Binding Lock from Master She's hands.

Master She flexed his wrists, walked up to the bridge, reached for his waist—only to find it empty. He suddenly remembered that his storage pouch had been confiscated.

He then said: "I need human blood."

Master She's storage pouch was in Gu An's hands. Since it was filled with sinister alchemy ingredients and demonic pill formulas, it hadn't even passed through Mo Hua's hands.

Gu An rummaged through it, pulled out a white bottle, and tossed it to Master She.

Master She caught it, dipped his finger in the blood, and began drawing an unsealing formation on the stone tiles in front of the bridge.

Mo Hua leaned in curiously, watching intently from the side.

Halfway through, Master She looked up and saw Mo Hua's focused expression—so serious he looked like he was studying for an imperial exam—and sneered with sarcasm:

"Oh? Does Young Master understand formations too?"

Mo Hua snorted,

"Of course. Among my fellow sect disciples, when it comes to formations, if I'm not ranked first, no one dares claim the title."

Master She made no effort to hide the formation, boldly letting Mo Hua see as he painted.

"Then, Young Master, can you tell what this formation is?"

Mo Hua stared at it for a moment and muttered awkwardly,

"What else could it be… it's, uh… a Five Elements… Eight Trigrams… unsealing formation, right?"

From that alone, Master She instantly knew this so-called 'Young Master' was a poser.

Didn't understand a thing, but still talked big.

Master She sneered inwardly and no longer bothered to conceal anything. He calmly finished drawing the full formation.

As he did, Mo Hua quietly memorized it all.

Once the formation was done, Mo Hua casually added:

"Hmph, I thought it was some advanced array. Turns out it's nothing special. Honestly, I've studied this one too, but it's not as good as the ones passed down in my family—totally not worth learning."

Master She cursed in his heart:

"You brat, running your mouth with no clue. That's a top-tier formation you just dismissed…"

He snorted coldly in frustration.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua stole a glance at Master She, his eyes gleaming with subtle insight.

He could tell—this Master She wasn't just a dark-path alchemist.

He was also a dark-path array master!

When he was drawing the formation, his movements were sharp and confident—far more practiced than Guo Jianglong's. He was clearly an expert who'd drawn countless arrays before.

Mo Hua could see it in a glance:

Master She had serious formation skills.

"Hah… this old mangy beard is hiding more than I thought…"

Mo Hua remained calm on the surface but muttered inwardly.

Still, thanks to this, he'd memorized a far more refined unsealing formation.

"This Master She might actually be useful."

Once he finished painting, the blood-like formation glowed faintly, then merged into the bridge floor, seeping into the stone.

Master She stood up and said,

"The back village gate is open."

Everyone frowned slightly.

None of them noticed any change.

Except Mo Hua—his eyes sharpened.

He could clearly see a thin layer of light covering the bridge surface… and at the center, a crack had opened, forming an entrance.

The entrance trembled faintly, like a strange and evil eye slowly blinking open.

The entire stone bridge had turned into a Bridge of Blood.

But Gu An and the others couldn't see it.

Gu An looked to Mo Hua, who nodded.

"Let's go."

Only then did Gu An re-chain Master She's hands and push him forward, leading the way onto the arched bridge.

The rest followed closely behind.

And so, the group stepped across the pale white stone bricks, over the blood-colored arched bridge, and into the forbidden Back Village.

The moment they entered, the air shifted sharply.

Mo Hua could see the blood mist in the sky—it was so dense it looked like it might drip actual blood.

Even Gu An and the others felt the oppressive atmosphere, their divine senses slightly drowsy, their vision clouded with a dark haze.

The earth beneath their feet smelled metallic and was soft—like human flesh.

Yu Dahe's eyes widened in horror, and he muttered,

"So this really is… that fishing village…"

Gu Quan blinked and asked,

"Which fishing village?"

Yu Dahe's voice trembled,

"The one from the old fishermen's stories… the village that offended the River God and was wiped out by divine punishment…"

Everyone's expressions turned grim.

They'd originally come here just to catch some human traffickers and rescue two children.

But now… things were clearly taking a much darker turn.

Suddenly, Gu An's gaze turned icy. He looked at Master She and growled,

"You didn't… slaughter the villagers here too, did you?!"

Master She laughed coldly,

"How could I? That happened hundreds of years ago. What's it got to do with me?"

But the smile on his face was strained… and held a meaning no one could quite pin down.

Mo Hua also gave him a meaningful glance.

"This guy really is full of secrets…"

They pressed on, with Master She continuing to lead the way.

Everyone tread carefully on the blood-tainted soil as they walked deeper into the village—until suddenly, Mo Hua stopped and looked toward the heart of the village.

At that moment, a strange desire rose up inside him.

It was as if something in the village depths was… calling to him.

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

"Desire?"

"What exactly am I… yearning for?"

He pondered for a moment, couldn't figure it out, and so activated his divination technique.

Causal threads stirred in his heart, blurred and indistinct—but a vague image emerged in his mind.

Mo Hua wasn't well-versed in the Dao of Fate, so he couldn't fully decipher what it meant.

But even so… a trace of anticipation began to bloom in his gaze.

(End of this Chapter)