Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 703: Dao Transformation and Divine Authority

These few strands of Pure Gold Divine Marrow were like flowing molten metal—brilliant, radiant, and filled with mysterious profundities, as if Dao laws themselves flowed within them.

According to Lord Huangshan, Pure Gold Divine Marrow was an entire level higher than the Pale Gold variety.

It was truly a treasure!

Mo Hua's face was full of a cheerful grin, then he stopped hesitating. Opening his mouth, he swallowed down all the Pale Gold Divine Marrow and the small amount of Pure Gold Divine Marrow in one gulp.

All this Divine Marrow had already been "cleansed" by Tribulation Lightning—their original wills were erased, thoroughly purified.

Mo Hua "ate" without a shred of worry.

The moment the Divine Marrow entered his body, it transformed into golden threads, like strands of blood, slowly weaving into his Divine Sense avatar.

Mo Hua silently thought to himself:

The altar had mistakenly recognized him as the "master," and had therefore connected to the divine Great Dao, granting him access to divine authority… and that tree which symbolized it…

It felt oddly familiar.

In the Tier-5 Ganxue Prefecture, surrounded by Foundation Establishment prodigies and gifted body cultivators, Mo Hua's physical body was naturally on the weaker side.

Mo Hua smiled and said, "It's fine now."

But this didn't make sense.

Strands of light wove and shifted continuously, merging together into an endless, vast stream of brilliance.

At the center of the offering table sat a glass-like fish tank.

But the offerings were rotted, and the tank held only stagnant dead water.

Blood leeches?

Those blood leeches could be considered a form of evil spirit.

He could almost be certain—he had never heard anyone, any evil being, or even any god—especially not Lord Huangshan—ever mention those four characters.

The group followed Mo Hua's command and left the River God Shrine.

This was true divine authority.

Within the vast myriad paths of the gods, the sharp edge of power was concealed deeply within Mo Hua's gaze.

The moment he sat upon the altar, an ancient divine aura descended in grandeur.

At the center stood a statue of the River God, forged from gold and stone—a human body with a fish head, but ram horns grafted onto the top of the head. It looked sinister and strange.

Mo Hua's brow furrowed more and more. After long contemplation, he could only sigh in frustration.

Gu An looked into Mo Hua's eyes—seeing clarity within, he let out a breath of relief, but still asked cautiously:

The only regret was that he'd only eaten Divine Marrow, and not any Divine Sense itself.

"Alright," Gu An and the others nodded.

"Young Master, be careful."

Still, one shouldn't be greedy—between evil spirits and Divine Marrow…

Uphold humanity, temper divinity.

One moment starving, the next feasting. Eat a meal, starve a while.

Compared to average Qi Refining cultivators—or even physical cultivators at the same stage—Mo Hua's body was passable. Not exactly a weakling who couldn't kill a chicken.

Mo Hua felt—it was quite likely.

Suddenly, clarity dawned—his mind opened like sunlight through clouds.

Outside the fishing village, the monsters were flesh and blood, not evil spirits.

So close—yet still out of reach. Mo Hua felt deeply uncomfortable.

Since that's the case, there was no need to fear "divinity," nor revere it too much.

The River God Hall in the dream and the one in reality were not identical in layout.

On the offering table, piles of fish were laid out—but there also seemed to be human bones and flesh mixed in.

Mo Hua's expression turned solemn:

"There's a formation inside—very dangerous. I can go in, but you must stay out."

The other black-clad figures, aside from those killed, were all captured.

The emotion in Mo Hua's face steadily faded—his memories dulled, and his feelings grew more distant.

Only then did everyone relax. Gu Quan lowered his cudgel.

Mo Hua meditated for a moment, then scanned his surroundings. He searched through his Sea of Consciousness, but found nothing.

At first glance, the real River God Hall didn't seem special.

But after exiting the dream and looking again, its layout suddenly felt narrower, shorter—like…

Just then, from the corner of his eye, Mo Hua caught a glimpse—and froze.

He didn't have any Divine Sense techniques that could wreak havoc in the real world.

But this time… was different.

Divinity began to devour humanity.

This place… didn't feel like somewhere "people" were supposed to dwell.

The more Mo Hua looked, the more disturbed he felt.

He couldn't figure it out…

It felt like if he left now, it would be like "buying the box and discarding the pearl"—missing something truly precious…

Divine Dao formations were carved subtly into the walls, masking the aura behind them.

"Divine Sense… Dao Transformation?!"

This tree wasn't small—but it still fell far short of the world-tree formed by the torrent of the Grand Dao, which could blot out heaven and earth.

He vaguely sensed these four characters had come from the Divine Marrow, and were tied to both the Divine and the Dao—they were anything but ordinary.

And Mo Hua was no longer who he used to be.

His divine tier had undergone a further transformation in nature.

God and man as one, aligned with the Dao, infused into the Dao Heart.

A simple, profound aura of law enveloped Mo Hua's entire being.

His Divine Sense trembled—before him, endless Dao laws cascaded like rain, like shooting stars streaking past.

"Divine Sense Dao Transformation… what does it mean?"

"My cultivation experience is still shallow. My understanding of Divine Dao is limited too. No point overthinking this—I'll just ask someone when I get the chance…"

This tree symbolized not just fragments of law—

but also… the authority of the gods.

The River God dreamscape had collapsed. Even if something was left in there, it wouldn't remain.

The altar's setup was nearly identical to the one in the nightmare.

Mo Hua pressed against the wall, tracing the aura—bit by bit—until he finally discovered a wall behind the River God statue.

With his current strength—whether in Divine Sense or divine rank—he couldn't pierce through the fog or covet the heights of supreme divine authority.

As for the formation—

that could only be left to Little Young Master Mo.

Most of it, especially the upper part, was cloaked in mist.

The Tree of Divine Authority was deeply rooted, its branches lush and covered in many nodes.

"As for the rest…"

Somewhere in the depths of his mind, Mo Hua had a feeling.

He nodded faintly and tucked the term "Divine Sense Dao Transformation" away into his heart for now.

It wasn't like he had the resources to "feast every meal, never go hungry."

It was only hidden—not truly fortified.

"What is Divine Authority?"

Gu Quan said uneasily,

"Young Master, it's gloomy inside. There could be danger. Let us go in with you."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

He turned and said: "Brother An, Brother Quan—help me break down this wall!"

All in all—if not ten out of ten, it was nine parts satisfying.

It was the aura of an Evil God!

Just eating Divine Marrow could only raise Divine Tier, not the realm of Divine Sense.

Mo Hua nodded and withdrew from his Sea of Consciousness.

But he still hadn't found the altar in the real world.

He was an array master—having built many formations for cultivation structures, he had a good sense for architectural layouts.

Though none of them knew what lay behind the hole, the ominous aura leaking from within made their backs go cold with dread.

Divinity and humanity as one.

Mo Hua circled the altar twice, didn't find anything useful, then hesitated briefly—

and reached out to push the River God statue.

The Evil God's will had been erased.

And Mo Hua had consumed a large amount of Divine Marrow, and a large amount of evil thoughts.

The two children of Yu Dahe had been rescued.

No need to see gods as "gods"...

He examined the Tree of Divine Authority, connected to his Divine Sense.

The branches were full, and numerous nodes could be seen.

Humanity is Dao.

Divinity is also Dao.

After only a moment, Mo Hua's gaze turned cold and indifferent.

Nurture minions, expand influence—then wield divine authority to command tens of thousands of monsters and evil spirits.

But perhaps… There was nothing after all.

Only...

Mo Hua's heart gave a slight jolt, and he then furrowed his brow.

He thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Moments later, heaven and earth fell into silence.

Mo Hua discovered that he was standing atop a tree of divine radiance.

Basic Divine Dao formation patterns, introductory techniques of transforming Divine Sense into swords, and even the karmic clues hidden within that senior sword cultivator's broken sword treasure—clues tied to the True Art of Void Divine Sense Sword Transformation...

After the wall was broken through, a strong, sinister, and eerie aura rushed out to meet them.

"Let's go back," Mo Hua said lightly, feeling relaxed.

The Tree of Divine Authority?!

With a thought, Mo Hua's Divine Sense moved—and sure enough, he realized he had merged into this Tree of Divine Authority.

Mo Hua silently mused:

Be it man, god, all things under heaven, all spirits, all laws—they are all parts of the Great Dao, all governed by the same universal laws.

Moreover, within this aura, there was an ancient, profound, and complex resonance that was hard to describe.

"Divinity" is rooted in the "material."

And Divine Marrow elevates divine tier, while Divine Sense advances its rank.

Gu An and Gu Quan were stunned, but then nodded. It made a lot of sense.

But was it really that simple?

Mo Hua carefully reviewed every detail from when they entered the fishing village, trying to see if any "fish slipped through the net"—any remaining evil spirits he could use to patch the final gap to reach Seventeen Runes Divine Sense.

In his Sea of Consciousness, a clear and ancient voice rang out as the Dao Monument trembled in resonance.

And at the same time, a word floated into Mo Hua's mind—almost as an instinct:

This aura… was very familiar.

And the Divine Marrow? He'd already eaten it.

In a flash, it was as though monsters bowed low, ten thousand spirits offered worship, and the profound truths of the Divine Dao gathered at the center of the altar—"offering up" Mo Hua's honored figure.

Divine Dao Formation!

But after all, he was now in Foundation Establishment.

He hurriedly tried to recall the insights he'd grasped during his Dao comprehension—those tied to the Divine Path.

Seated solemnly on the altar, Mo Hua's clear eyes stared at those streams of law—exquisitely beautiful yet utterly terrifying—blinking, weaving together, merging into a torrent of Dao like a towering world-tree. He couldn't help but feel dazed.

The two men worked together, and in the span of a single incense stick's time, they managed to punch a hole through the wall using their Foundation Establishment-level strength.

His handsome, youthful face now carried a divine solemnity.

Something truly precious... but what?

Mo Hua frowned and unconsciously stopped walking.

At the tunnel's end, there was a flickering greenish candlelight, hazy and dim, laced with nightmare-like blood mist—a sense of ancient horror radiated from it.

His little heart thumped wildly.

Like a towering tree, it soared to the heavens, spreading branches wide, covering all of heaven and earth.

A hole was broken in the wall—within, it was gloomy and dark.

The Blackwater River God had been killed—by him.

After consuming a large amount of Divine Marrow, his Divine Sense had undergone further qualitative change, taking a massive step toward the divine realm.

Perhaps due to the dream's collapse, the Evil God's death, or the offerings being masterless—the whole altar was now filled with rot and stillness.

Mo Hua's Divine Sense avatar gradually merged with the golden Divine Marrow.

This tree was formed from flowing light—or rather, composed of fragments of Dao laws.

In the real world, the villagers worshipped the River God.

Only in the nightmare did the villagers kneel in the square.

In the real world, there were flesh-and-blood monsters raised by the Daoist domain.

Only in the nightmare did they appear as evil spirits in the rear hall.

The others all nodded in agreement.

Outside the wall, Mo Hua released his Divine Sense and scanned inside—he found no unusual auras or remaining evil spirits.

He told everyone:

"I'll go in and check. You all wait here."

Inside his body, the Divine Marrow began to circulate.

A faint golden glow spread over his entire body, and his eyes turned dark gold, his gaze majestic and unfathomable.

Gu An and Gu Quan were briefly stunned, but didn't refuse.

The golden Divine Marrow gradually decomposed and was absorbed, turning into fine strands of divine "blood threads."

They flowed along an obscure pattern, like the intricate symbols of a Heaven-Obscuring Formation, threading through Mo Hua's Divine Sense avatar—woven and fused completely.

In that vague realm, Mo Hua felt that his understanding of the Dao had deepened further.

Even his Dao Heart had slightly transformed.

This journey had yielded great harvest.

But it couldn't be used in the real world.

Moreover, these things were floating through the real world.

Divine Marrow and Divine Sense as one.

Mo Hua let out a long sigh.

"This isn't good…"

Everything in that Evil God nightmare had been just like this.

Guo Jianglong had already been caught.

It was a little too gross… He didn't really want to eat it.

Mo Hua nodded slightly, then continued examining the Tree of Divine Authority.

Afterward, he scanned his Sea of Consciousness once more, and found that everything had settled into calm.

This mission could be considered perfectly complete.

A job well done.

But… no more food.

He'd just eaten his fill, but the next stretch would be hungry times again.

It was as if a true divine being had descended into the world through the altar.

The secret passage was dark but not long—just a few dozen paces, and Mo Hua reached the end.

Much like what had happened in the Bishan Demon Grotto.

After slaying the Blackwater River God and consuming a large quantity of Divine Marrow—plus a few threads of higher-grade Pure Gold Divine Marrow—his Divine Sense had transformed even further.

Its golden hue deepened, and its power grew stronger.

"Or… did the Evil God hide something on purpose?"

Of course, a typical Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't compete with Qi Refining stage when it came to physical strength…

Except Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's thoughts stirred.

Divine Sense Dao Transformation…

So what he had stolen was only a portion of the Great Wilderness Evil God's authority?

As for the true apex of divine authority—he wasn't yet qualified to touch it.

His Divine Sense still hadn't reached Seventeen Runes.

A bit of a shame—but one must learn to be content. Greed leads to ruin.

The River God had been chopped down—by him.

Mo Hua felt pleased. His steps grew lighter.

Even for an Evil God, this might've been a bit much.

If the formation was dangerous, it really wasn't smart for the others to go in—rushing in could ruin everything…

So what he had stolen—was the Great Wilderness Evil God's authority?

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.

"To prove the Dao with Divine Sense… truly isn't easy."

"To prove the Dao with Divine Sense… it really isn't easy."

Mo Hua's Divine Sense avatar gradually became transparent. Faint golden patterns began to appear on his skin and within his "flesh and blood."

Comprehending the Great Dao through Divine Sense… and merging with it?

As the name suggested, that should be the correct interpretation.

"Is there anything else I can 'eat'?"

Mo Hua couldn't help but think of that strange hunger that surged within him the moment he stepped into the fishing village and touched the blood-stained earth.

With that thought, Mo Hua followed the tunnel hidden behind the River God statue and stepped into the secret passage.

That was the true Heaven and Earth Dao he sought to confirm by cultivating supreme Divine Sense!

An ancient law, as if belonging to the gods themselves.

These four words seemed to be engraved into the Divine Marrow—as his comprehension of the Dao deepened, they naturally surfaced in his mind.

But just as he stepped out of the River God Temple, Mo Hua paused—he suddenly felt… something wasn't right.

"Where is the altar in the real world?"

Could it mean that in the real world, there should be a corresponding altar, mirroring the one from the dream?

"The authority of a god? But what authority exactly?"

Mo Hua couldn't fully grasp it.

He looked at the River God Temple and mentally retraced the events in the nightmare, only to realize a critical question:

He was still one step away from reaching the late Foundation Establishment level—Seventeen Runes Divine Sense.

"Young master…"

Beneath the River God statue stood an offering table.

This Blackwater River God had clearly become a full incarnation of an evil god.

Besides the Divine Marrow, his will had merged completely with the Great Wilderness Evil God's, and had been erased by tribulation lightning.

Was this altar the River God's?

Mo Hua thought for a moment—probably not.

On the surface, this altar worshiped the River God, but in truth, it likely honored the Great Wilderness Evil God.

The River God Temple's nightmare had been destroyed.

The evil god's control was broken, and most of the devout villagers were saved.

But without evil spirits to "eat," he couldn't further enhance the quality of his Divine Sense.

The Tree of Divine Authority… was already under his control.

A "true" god had descended upon a true altar.

Unlike that senior sword cultivator who refined sword qi, transformed qi into intent, and fused sword, sword qi, and sword intent into one…

Mo Hua noticed that within the Tree of Divine Authority, one node was especially radiant.

A vast number of evil spirits and monsters…

"No… something's off…"

A flash of light shimmered atop the altar, as if positioning something.

This was a tree of Dao Laws.

But Mo Hua still couldn't fully understand it…

In the River God Temple within the fishing village, Mo Hua slowly opened his eyes from meditation—and immediately saw Gu An holding black cloth, Gu Quan with a stick, and the others surrounding him, watching warily.

Each of those nodes… seemed to correspond to a divine hall, an altar, an evil god incarnation, and…

This was an altar—already constructed, and had already been activated at least once.

Had someone severed the connection?

Mo Hua's heart trembled slightly. He returned to the River God Temple, released his Divine Sense, and scanned the surroundings—until finally, he noticed something.

There was an extremely subtle aura of Divine Dao formations lingering inside the temple.

The layout felt wrong.

The Blackwater River God was dead.

The statue could still be pushed.

The Blackwater River God—that is, the incarnation of the Great Wilderness Evil God—was thoroughly dead. Not a single remnant was left.

This was the path he must walk!

Once the "master" arrived, the altar would naturally bestow its true authority.

As for those blood leeches, while they were filthy and corrupted, their actual "evil will" was minimal. Even if he ate them… it'd barely fill the gap between his teeth.

Divine Sense cannot exist apart from reality.

It was true he'd made a tiny bit of progress—but it was negligible.

Seeing they understood, Mo Hua ordered:

"Stand guard. I'll go in and take a look."

"And whose Tree of Divine Authority is this, anyway?"

The River God statue, cast from gold and stone, sat atop the altar. It wasn't large, but quite heavy—Mo Hua struggled to push it.

The wall behind it wasn't reinforced with additional formations—just Divine Dao formations meant to mask Divine Sense auras.

Mo Hua walked to the end of the tunnel. Looking up, he really did see an altar.

The River God Hall in the dream was much more spacious.

He had this persistent feeling… like he'd missed something.

Cultivators seek immortality, but ultimately, they pursue the Great Dao.

Mo Hua strained with all his strength and finally pushed over the River God statue. Naturally, he then took a seat on the altar himself.

The Grand Dao is vast and boundless—how could it be so easily understood?

What does it mean to truly merge with the Dao?

How exactly does the Tree of Divine Authority issue commands?

How does it function?

And the power of the Great Wilderness' evil god—what exactly is it?

How does one command monsters?

How do the monsters launch their attacks?

Mo Hua frowned and pondered deeply, but his thoughts were still scattered.

His Divine Sense Sword was just at the entry level.

It was only truly lethal in dream realms born of Divine Sense or within his own Sea of Consciousness.

And in the nightmare, there was a "real" altar…

His pupils began to emit an even more brilliant golden light.

Seeing this, Gu An and the others paused as well.

Someone whispered, "Young master, is something wrong?"

Mo Hua shook his head, looked back toward the River God Temple, his eyes thoughtful.

If a sword carries sword intent—blending real and illusion—then it could be used in the real world.

A pressure far beyond mortal limits—a might that stood high above all beings—began to spread from his Divine Sense.

That particular node… seemed extremely important, extremely unique—and it held no bloodstained filth, but rather a pure and dense childlike aura.

Next time he wanted to "eat"… who knew when it would come?

In the real world, there was a River God Temple.

In the nightmare, there was a River God Hall.

The piercing, indifferent golden gleam in his eyes began to slowly fade, growing gentler, tinted with a pitying gaze that looked down on all beings.

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly as he softly murmured:

"Yu'er…"

(End of this Chapter)