Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 700 – Divine Power

The three layers of eerie intent around Mo Hua faded, returning everything to its original state—he once again looked like a simple, harmless young cultivator.

But at this moment, as he stared at Master She, his face showed no expression. Within his pale golden pupils shimmered a trace of majesty, as if he were looking at an ant crawling on the ground.

Master She's gaze was filled with terror.

For a moment, he felt the illusion… as if he were facing a god.

So many fierce, terrifying monsters—yet in just one exchange, they had all been wiped out by this little hellspawn with his formation.

Was this really something a mere human could do?

The river of blood instantly turned a deep crimson.

Its voice echoed, like frost blanketing a wintry day:

"You... know?"

Ever since Mo Hua's divine sense had transformed—and he'd absorbed Divine Marrow—he had yet to suffer a single loss in any confrontation of divine intent.

Around them, golden light shimmered, laced with blood-red gleam.

—Was he eating the monsters?

"Just what kind of... little monster have I lured into the River God's shrine...?"

Mo Hua stopped wasting words and leapt forward, unleashing a punch.

The fish-headed River God bore an inhuman face, unreadable in emotion, but its voice exuded benevolence:

Could a formation of that level really be cast by a human?

How profound must one's mastery of formations be, to conjure such a powerful construct within a dream, and with mere divine sense at that?

"They can leave as well."

Mo Hua's punch missed, but a flash of pale blue light streaked across his body. He cast his Flowing Water Step, continuing his charge toward the River God.

In the plaza, many fisher-cultivators still knelt in prayer.

Formations… Divine Powers…

Moments later, the blaze subsided, revealing the River God's form. Though somewhat battered, it had suffered no serious wounds.

This isn't right…

The River God was caught off guard—Mo Hua's punch slammed into its face, distorting its gills and forcing its body back several steps. Once it steadied itself, its eyes had turned completely red.

"I spoke kindly with you as a rare courtesy. Don't push your luck. If you forget your place… you'll bring calamity upon yourself."

It was like a volcano had erupted on the riverbed, surging with flames that boiled the waters.

Master She was trembling inside.

The monsters here—possibly personally raised by the evil god—seemed to carry fatter strands of evil thought, making the divine essence from refining them even richer.

"No matter where you came from, today… you'll become my sacrifice!"

The River God sneered coldly, stretching out its enormous demonic claw wreathed in blood, and swiping toward Mo Hua.

The River God is really angry now… This brat is doomed!

"I can let bygones be bygones," the River God continued.

"If you want those two children, you may take them."

Mo Hua thought for a moment and said,

"I want to take the fisher-cultivators in the plaza too."

His small pale fist slammed into the massive demon claw.

Taking a few steps, Mo Hua seemed to remember something. He turned back toward the monster qi still drifting after the purge and figured it'd be wasteful to leave it, so he opened his mouth wide—and sucked it in.

The endless river of blood was burned clean by him.

This little cultivator not only hadn't been eaten by the monsters—he'd turned the tables…

Mo Hua felt a twinge in his fist and couldn't help but rub it.

Master She found this utterly absurd.

"The gods love all beings. You are young; ignorance is excusable."

But this red wasn't blood red—it was flame red.

The River God's giant claw was blasted straight through by Mo Hua's punch. Even the divine shadow around it dimmed.

At that moment, the interior of the River God Temple was soaked in mist—as though the law of the water element had permeated everything, warping all divine sense constructs through sheer interference.

"Young cultivator… contentment brings happiness. Start with goodness, end with peace."

The River God gasped, his expression now incredibly grim.

From the front of the temple, the surging blood river devoured everything in its path until it stopped at the plaza.

The River God's fish-head curled into a cold smile.

Ordinary monsters could never rival it.

"Divine Power—Boundless Blood River!"

"Very well then," the River God said, forming a bone-white trident in its right hand. The five backward-facing barbs were laced with poisonous blood.

And just as the River God spoke—it fused with the world, merging its form with the blood rain of heaven and earth.

But this brat? He dared to talk back to a god, to speak so rudely… And yet the River God still responded?

And didn't even seem that angry?

"Don't think that just because you stumbled upon some Divine Marrow by chance, you can now mock the divine."

Master She knew clearly—this young cultivator did have a physical body, and his divine sense had been pulled into this dreamscape by his own hand.

"Yes…"

Mo Hua had been "hungry" for a while. This… was the first satisfying meal in some time.

He truly was human!

As he walked, Mo Hua could feel the atmosphere in the River God Temple growing more oppressive.

This wasn't just divine power… it was a kind of evil intent that fed on divine sense.

"…He gave them to you as sacrifices. I want to take them back too."

"The divine are the rulers of all beings, their path is the forbidden route of immortality. You understand nothing."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up—his battle spirit flared even higher.

A more violent surge followed—their divine senses clashed, shattering the tiled floor beneath them.

The River God's eyes flickered with shock. No longer daring to act superior, it quickly rose and backed away.

"You… have offended the dignity of a god…" the River God's deep voice rumbled.

But moments later, its smirk froze.

"I have a few more companions," Mo Hua added.

"Divine Power!"

"You brat! What nonsense are you spouting? You clearly used a formation just now!"

Of all thirty-six stratagems, fleeing is best—avoid the edge, plan the long game.

With a loud rumble, divine sense shockwaves spread outward.

Sensing danger, Mo Hua mimicked the River God—infusing threads of golden Divine Marrow into his fist before launching another punch, clashing head-on with the River God's demon claw.

The River God let out a low roar, like a fiend. Its claws slashed like wind, striking directly at Mo Hua.

Its divine body didn't grow larger, but instead shrank—now only slightly taller than an average adult cultivator. Yet this only made its form more condensed.

A ripple of water shadow flickered around Mo Hua—Flowing Water Step let him slip away with ease.

It was like a poison for divine sense… a corrosive mire of spiritual intent that constantly eroded Mo Hua's avatar.

"How do you know all this?"

The River God fell silent for a moment, eyes narrowing.

"These two children are fated. I had intended to take them as my personal disciples… but your fortune surpasses even theirs."

Its ferocity was fully awakened—its robes, once embroidered with sea and cloud patterns, turned blood red.

Master She, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire, had already hidden far to the side, trembling as he watched the clash. His heart trembled with awe.

Soon, one man and one god exchanged blows—neither gaining the upper hand, both taking two steps back.

The crimson hue… shone even brighter.

"That's about enough…" Mo Hua muttered.

The lingering blood rain carried a scalding heat.

The River God raised its bone trident high. From the tip, blood barbs formed—condensed from corrupted divine intent—and in a blink, they shot toward Mo Hua.

Master She's heart shuddered.

The evil demons—Evilborn Fiends—were birthed from the divine sense of terrified believers who died in horrific blood sacrifices. But once formed, they no longer carried the essence of a human's divine sense.

In just a few exchanges, a fireball struck the River God directly, erupting in a mist of searing flames.

A pale-gold demonic claw, carrying the stench of blood, tore toward Mo Hua with sudden ferocity.

The air was scorched with sweltering heat.

The surface of the river began to boil, blood vaporizing in great amounts.

"How dare you behave so brazenly before the River God!"

But this form… was even more colossal than before. Its divine intent radiated like that of a living god.

Again and again the cycle continued, until the entire blood river had been completely evaporated by raging fire.

"Since you're so curious, let me show you the true path of the gods—so you'll finally understand what divinity truly means!"

Mo Hua remained unfazed, clashing directly with the River God.

Its expression, however, had become thoroughly savage—gills flared, fangs bared. Gone was any divine dignity—it now resembled nothing more than a river beast.

The River God roared in fury:

"Very well! Ignorant brat! You refuse the wine of courtesy and now must taste the wine of punishment. Don't blame me for being ruthless!"

It held onto its divine bearing and ignored him.

Mo Hua had a bad feeling in his heart.

White steam curled upward in delicate trails.

Mo Hua called out, but saw Master She standing there in a daze, clearly scared senseless. Without hesitation, Mo Hua grabbed him by the neck and dragged him along.

This time, the River God's expression froze. Its eyes grew cold and indifferent, and even its voice lost its former gentleness.

Mo Hua had absorbed a massive amount of demonic intent. After refining it slightly, not only had he replenished the divine sense he'd expended earlier, but his overall divine power seemed to have grown even stronger.

This brat… is way more troublesome than expected!

"So… these tricks aren't enough to bring you down..."

Something felt off...

Wait—he actually agreed?!

The wider divine sense spread, the more it was diluted.

A little skill, and already this brat thinks he's invincible? He'll end up buried with no corpse left one day.

"You'd… really let me leave?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

This kid… just because he has some skill, he thinks he can defy the heavens?

More fireballs followed—one after another, crashing into the River God. Explosions of flame engulfed its divine form.

Seeing this, the River God's face twisted in anger as it sneered coldly:

A vast section of the blood river was instantly vaporized. The remaining blood reversed its flow, forming a vortex, then slowly evaporated into steam, drop by drop.

At that moment, shadows clashed, fists and claws collided. Violent divine sense clashed like thunder, shaking the dreamlike temple. Floor tiles shattered, walls cracked.

The River God's smile froze completely.

Master She couldn't believe his eyes.

The River God's gaze grew cold. On its demonic claw, pale golden light surged—tinged with streaks of crimson.

At first, the River God had wanted to rely on the bone trident and blood barbs to counterattack—

"A gift-wrapped delivery of Divine Marrow—how could I not accept it?"

Yet even though its claw remained intact, its expression suddenly changed. It stared at Mo Hua in shock:

"You… you're not human?!"

But Mo Hua's follow-up punch had already torn through the claw—and was now heading straight for the River God's fishy face.

Master She: "..."

Watching this scene, Master She shivered all over, soul nearly leaving his body.

His face turned deathly pale.

"That's right," Mo Hua nodded calmly. "You wear a fish's face and sell mutton. You've killed so many, devoured countless divine senses, refined endless fiends. Maybe it's time you learned the meaning of restraint…"

A single small fist—imbued with immense divine power—shook the River God's entire divine body.

"You're the one who's not human!" Mo Hua snapped.

Wearing a fish's face, selling mutton... (TL note: meaning something entirely fake/false)

But it seemed Mo Hua was still not satisfied.

What surprised him most was—the River God actually started speaking.

"There were two more children—earlier taken by that old scumbag…" Mo Hua pointed at Master She, still kneeling.

Mo Hua simply smiled and said nothing.

The River God sneered. More blood barbs formed rapidly on the white bone trident—bright crimson and dense—piercing toward Mo Hua like a hailstorm.

The River God was no melee expert—it wasn't built for close combat.

"Infernal Fire—Burn the River!"

Mo Hua didn't bother replying. In a flash, he leapt forward again, raising his little fist and smashing it toward the River God's face.

Master She buried his head even lower.

The blood rain poured heavier and heavier. Within a dozen heartbeats, it coalesced into a vast blood river that surged violently, like an enraged flood dragon. It swallowed the entire temple—walls, halls, and towers—all swept away.

A storm of fireballs rained down—too many for the blood barbs to block.

Mo Hua's pupils gleamed, divine sense flowing through him. His fingers flicked rapidly, each fireball linked to the next like bolts from a repeating crossbow, all flying at the River God.

"Courting death!"

Mo Hua remembered what Lord Huangshan once told him: true gods are born of the Dao and naturally command part of the world's laws.

But in just moments, the River God realized—these fireballs were multiplying, accelerating, far outpacing its ability to generate blood barbs.

This… can't be possible…

Mo Hua stood unmoving in a vortex of blazing flame.

Meanwhile, a strange aura surged around the River God—resonant with the Great Dao.

This was its true form—divine sense condensed into a physical body.

For over a hundred years, countless sacrifices had been made to the River God, yet it had never uttered a single word before.

The River God's expression darkened. Its eyes grew colder:

"You carry Divine Marrow. Are you human… or god?"

Divine Power?!

The River God nodded solemnly.

"Naturally."

Its eyelid twitched violently.

Fireballs and blood barbs collided midair, exploding into clouds of bloody fire mist.

But before Mo Hua could run far, the fish-headed River God grinned menacingly, splitting its jaws wide:

"You see the River God… and you not only refuse to kneel, you dare speak his name so rudely?! Without a shred of respect!"

"Those skilled at swimming drown. Those skilled at riding fall." (Meaning: Overconfidence leads to downfall.)

"Those skilled at swimming drown; those skilled at riding fall."

The River God dodged twice, but due to its massive body, it couldn't avoid completely—Mo Hua's punch slammed straight into its belly.

Mo Hua wasn't sure what kind of move this big fish-headed River God was planning to use, so he oiled his feet and quietly slipped away to the side.

A divine innate spell?

He had never heard of such a thing—not even Lord Huangshan had mentioned it.

And such an outrageous demand… the River God actually…

Fine. If you don't like close combat, then let's go long-range.

Mo Hua's expression sharpened—he could sense the River God's presence growing stronger.

He was startled.

Suddenly, he was engulfed by the Boundless Blood River—like a child drowning in blood, his little limbs thrashing as he was helplessly dragged into the sinister, corrupted depths.

The River God's statue had a fish's face, a human body, wore a Daoist robe embroidered with waves and clouds, and sat high and solemn with hands forming seals by its sides, its mouth a gaping bloody maw, teeth gleaming white—its gaze majestic and terrifying.

The River God was momentarily stunned.

"Spell?"

Blood began to rain from the sky.

The statue resembled the one outside the temple almost perfectly.

Mo Hua narrowed his eyes.

"That little brat's really trading blows with a god using divine sense alone?!"

Master She was pale, utterly in disbelief.

They prayed from suffering, offering faith to the River God—and the River God, unwilling to shake its foundation, had refrained from rage.

Even Mo Hua was surprised.

"I broke into your temple, saw your secrets, killed your raised demons—and you're willing to let it go?"

A drop of blood fell from the sky, splashing crimson onto the stone floor.

After devouring the evil thoughts of the demons, Mo Hua grabbed Master She by the back of the neck and dragged him deeper into the River God Temple.

Master She mocked inwardly.

Mo Hua didn't waste words.

Master She was already numb.

"Then let me show you the innate spell of the divine—born of the Dao, comprehending the mysteries of all creation…"

As soon as Master She saw the River God statue, he stopped playing dead and flopped to the ground with a thump, kowtowing on the stone floor, trembling as he cried out:

"This humble believer greets the River God! Greets the Divine Lord!"

In a sense… he wasn't wrong.

Still, this vast blood river was more than enough to drown Mo Hua completely.

Then Mo Hua blinked and realized—

"Oh right, you're definitely not human."

Even after dozens of intense rounds against Mo Hua, the River God had not gained the upper hand.

Could it be… this River God isn't a cruel god of slaughter, but a benevolent one who saves all beings?

Did I… hear that right?

This brat—daring to demand people from the River God, again and again?!

And perhaps due to how much had been "eaten," the number of demons in Yu'er's dreams had been decreasing lately.

Mo Hua had been itching to test the limits of his divine-sense-forged "body"—could it truly stand toe to toe with a real god?

He was afraid that being disrespectful in front of the River God might provoke its wrath, but he was also deeply shocked.

The River God sensed it—an aura resembling the Dao spreading from the riverbed, expanding, condensing… until it erupted like a volcano.

Mo Hua raised his head and asked doubtfully,

"You're the River God?"

The River God's fish head suddenly contorted, cold and blank fish eyes now gleaming with malevolence.

That earlier statue-like form must have been a projection—divine sense dispersed and deliberately magnified to intimidate believers.

The River God's eyes turned blood red in an instant.

"You lowly creature… how dare you?!"

Mo Hua's divine sense took a clear step forward—from sixteen rune lines to seventeen.

The River God's voice echoed through the temple—deep, solemn, and heavy, almost like a ritual bell.

Mo Hua slowly turned his head toward the River God. His small face solemn, he declared his next move with imposing flair:

Seeing he couldn't dodge, he pointed his fingers—fireball condensed and streaked like lightning toward the River God.

"The grace I've shown you is already an exception. Do not push your luck, or disaster will surely follow…"

The River God smiled coldly at the scene.

Then came the second drop, the third… more and more blood rain fell.

Mo Hua felt himself drowning again, as if imprisoned in an infinite water prison, his chest tight and breathless.

All the scattered demonic thoughts in the air were inhaled into Mo Hua's mouth.

This blood rain was too strange—and the surrounding rules of heaven and earth too intense—definitely not a good sign.

Master She, still kneeling devoutly, froze completely in that instant.

Compared to this, the demons in Yu'er's dreams were practically "malnourished."

A wave of blood mist surged out, spread for a moment, then suddenly reversed—gathering tightly around the River God's body.

When Mo Hua reached the rear hall, he looked up—and saw a colossal River God statue.

Within the blood river churned divine laws, evil god malice, and foul blood-tainted intent.

The River God's expression now showed flickers of fear—its face growing more and more serious.

"Trying to run? Too late!"

But… could a divine sense this strong really still be considered "human"…?

The River God finally couldn't help it and exploded in rage:

"You damned old bastard!"

At that moment… god and believer shared the same thought:

This little devil… is he really even human anymore?

(End of this Chapter)