Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 704: "Ordering Dishes"

Yu'er was located on a node of the Divine Authority Tree—

the very one symbolizing the divine authority of the Great Wilderness Evil God…

That meant Yu'er held an extremely important place within the evil god's divine system—

perhaps even a key piece in some grand scheme.

But Mo Hua didn't quite understand.

"Yu'er's just a child. What does he have that's worth the Great Wilderness Evil God coveting?"

His spiritual roots?

Sure, Yu'er's spiritual roots were excellent.

But in the Gansu Region, prodigies were everywhere.

Yu'er wasn't exactly one-of-a-kind.

So why would the Evil God specifically target Yu'er, and even anchor him to a node on its Divine Authority Tree?

Could it be… because of the 'Divine Embryo'?

Yu'er's Divine Sense talent was indeed unusual—

Could he be qualified to become a "Divine Embryo"?

But what was a Divine Embryo, exactly?

And why Yu'er?

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

Whatever the reason—he couldn't let anything happen to Yu'er.

Aunt Wan treated him with kindness.

Yu'er saw him as a big brother, always thinking of him first, sharing good things with him.

Such a kind child—he couldn't let him suffer harm.

And as for that Great Wilderness Evil God…

He'd already, uh… "eaten" quite a bit of its stuff.

From monsters and evil spirits

to pieces of the god's own origin…

He'd ruined its plans again and again—

Slain its minions.

Blew up its demon palace.

Tore down its altar.

Snacked on its divine remains.

Drank its divine marrow.

And now?

He was literally sitting on its altar, casually stealing its divine authority…

Even Mo Hua himself felt like he was pushing it.

At this rate, he really was guilty of "countless atrocities" against the Evil God.

Even if the Great Wilderness Evil God were a kindhearted deity cultivated over a hundred lifetimes—

it still wouldn't let him off the hook.

Let alone the fact that it was a bloodthirsty, vengeful evil god.

Still, the Evil God hunted cultivators, raised monsters, refined demons, polluted divine powers—

not exactly a saint.

So Mo Hua felt no guilt whatsoever.

Because the path of Divine Sense… was just like this.

If you don't eat the evil god, the evil god will eventually eat you.

Hesitate for a moment—who knows if you'll live.

Retreat once—you may never recover.

Since the mouth is already open, he might as well eat his fill!

Mo Hua steeled his heart.

…Though that didn't mean he couldn't act humble when needed.

Best to hide in the shadows forever and never let the Lord of the Wilderness know.

After all, he was just a Foundation Establishment junior cultivator.

Way too small to fight a giant evil god head-on.

Mo Hua glanced again at Yu'er's node.

It was bright, but strangely sealed—dimmed somewhat.

There was even a trace of ancient sword intent lingering around it.

Previously, Mo Hua wouldn't have been able to detect it.

But now that he had learned the basics of Divine Sense Sword Manifestation, he could perceive it clearly.

Mo Hua guessed this had something to do with the Great Void Sect.

The sect had a deep heritage—surely some ancient forebears were still secretly guarding the mountain.

Yu'er had joined the sect, so he was likely enjoying some protection too.

Of course, this was just Mo Hua's speculation.

He didn't know which ancestors were in the sect.

Those old monsters usually secluded themselves year-round—mysterious and untouchable.

He, a small disciple of the Great Void Sect, would probably never meet them his whole life.

Besides the sword intent, there was also another faint protective aura around Yu'er.

It was weak and well-hidden.

Mo Hua probed it—and realized, oh… it was his own.

So he just ignored it.

After that, Mo Hua continued studying the Divine Authority Tree.

Based on Yu'er's situation, Mo Hua formed a basic understanding of this tree that represented divine authority.

The power of the Great Wilderness Evil God seemed to be linked to "dreams."

Weaving nightmares. Infiltrating dream realms.

Dreams acted as a bridge to the Divine Sense.

But was this a unique authority of the Great Wilderness Evil God?

Or was dream-invasion just a standard power all evil gods used?

The nodes on the Divine Authority Tree—each represented a "dream."

But dreams were just extensions of the Divine Sense.

And the Divine Sense was shaped by reality.

So one node = one dream = one real-world altar, and its associated temple or dojo.

In simple terms—each node was an evil god base, like the fishing village.

But among all the nodes—Yu'er was an exception.

He wasn't an evil god base.

He was just… a child.

"Is there any way to save Yu'er once and for all?"

Mo Hua fell into deep thought.

"What if I destroy the node?"

"If I sever the tree's divine authority, cut off its 'pathway,' then the monsters can't reach Yu'er's dream—he can finally get a good night's sleep…"

"But how do I destroy it?"

Mo Hua tried to manipulate the Divine Authority Tree, invoking the divine power—

but no good.

His authority wasn't enough.

He didn't have the privileges to alter the tree, change node data, or reassign terminal endpoints.

Destroy a node through authority?

Out of the question.

He could "use" authority, but not "change" or "break" it.

A bit tricky…

Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought—

then suddenly, a flash of inspiration!

If I can't change it, and I can't destroy the node—

Then why not flip the situation?

Why not use the divine authority to send monsters to invade Yu'er's dream…

…and then wait beside him, ready to feast?

Mo Hua's bright eyes sparkled.

This way, he could weaken the evil god's forces, reduce pressure on Yu'er's nightmare…

And also give himself a hearty meal, enough to patch up the gap to Seventeen Runes Divine Sense.

Maybe even more than seventeen?

His little heart couldn't help but thump in excitement.

Stealing the Evil God's authority. Pretending to be a "mini Evil God."

Issuing commands to summon monsters into Yu'er's dream…

All to—

Deliver him takeout!

This had once been one of Mo Hua's "delusions."

But now… it seemed like the best plan available.

No time to waste! Mo Hua began immediately.

Before long, he successfully connected his Divine Sense to the Divine Authority Tree.

The many nodes—filled with all manner of dream-bound monsters and evil spirits—

were all his to command.

Mo Hua first set a path—

The endpoint: Yu'er's dream.

Then he began invoking the divine authority—

using the Divine Authority Tree to schedule a monster delivery to that location.

After thinking it over, he decided the delivery would happen seven days from now.

It was too soon to do it now—he wasn't near Yu'er.

And he'd likely be busy for a few days, cleaning up loose ends.

Plus, controlling monsters to enter someone's dream was risky.

He needed prep time.

So seven days—just right.

Path set.

Date and time chosen.

Next—

Time to "order."

No, wait—"mobilize troops and assign generals."

Mo Hua licked his lips, eyes glowing with anticipation.

"Let's see what's on the evil menu…"

Grotesque monsters.

Countless evil spirits.

Mo Hua browsed the list while mumbling:

"Half-bull, half-horse demon… Grade Two low-tier… probably doesn't taste great, but they're big. I'll take 300 to fill the belly first…"

"Fishmen demons? Wait—did the Great Wilderness Lord also corrupt other River Gods? Or build more River God altars?"

He frowned.

"Never mind. I'll take 50 for now. Kinda tired of eating fish anyway…"

"Ram-horned enforcer? I'll try two of those…"

"Pig-headed demon… ugh, too greasy. One is enough…"

"Fox demon? What the heck is this thing? Pink? Weird. Let's go with 100—just to sample…"

"Ram-horned general! Horns mean quality—gimme thre—wait, stock's low? Only one left? Fine, one's good. More than that might be too tough anyway…"

"This one's just a blob of black water… can't tell what it is… hope it doesn't give me a stomachache…"

"But hey, rare = valuable, right? Should I…? Yeah, might as well. It's free anyway. Not ordering would be a waste…"

"This one's beefy. Looks strong. Gimme one."

…

Mo Hua continued picking through the monstrous menu, tapping away as he scrolled— completely dazzled by the endless array of bizarre demons and wicked spirits.

"That should about do it…"

He didn't know how long it had taken, but finally, Mo Hua finished "placing his order."

From the countless evil spirits, sinister strands of karmic cause and effect emerged— twisting into a blood-red river of karma, all of which flowed toward little Yu'er.

Mo Hua suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

"What if I can't beat them…"

If he lost, wouldn't that put Yu'er in danger instead?

Mo Hua re-evaluated his own Divine Sense, his divine path formations, and the power of his Divine Sense Sword Manifestation technique— and felt a little reassured.

After all, he had already taken down an Evil God avatar.

The rest of the monsters shouldn't pose too much of a threat.

Still… the numbers were a bit much.

So Mo Hua thought for a moment and adjusted things a bit— staggering the invasion times of the monsters.

That way, they'd come in waves, giving him room to rest and recover in between.

He could eat while fighting, and fight while feeding—no fear!

Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.

He felt his "dishes" were about ready— but just couldn't help being a little greedy.

After all, every proper banquet ends with a showstopper dish.

His gaze wandered once again across the dense sea of nodes on the Divine Authority Tree.

Then, his heart suddenly jolted.

He spotted a big one.

A massive entity cloaked in pitch-black blood-stained aura— radiating pure evil god energy— part demon, part monster, part human, even bordering on half-divine.

Mo Hua had no idea what it was… but he knew it was powerful. Really powerful.

It resembled an Evil God avatar, but was also different.

He hesitated for a long time— a burning urge rose in his chest to add it to his order— but after struggling with himself, he gave up on the idea.

This was his first time ordering after all— better to play it safe.

Once he became a "regular," he could start ordering more challenging dishes.

With some lingering reluctance, Mo Hua gave the monster one last glance, quietly marked its node in his mind, then used his divine authority to imprint his thoughts into the Divine Authority Tree— finalizing his monstrous menu.

The tree radiated with endless divine light, its godly majesty unfurling.

The "Little Evil God" had taken the throne.

With authority in hand, he issued his command.

The evil spirits bowed.

The monsters obeyed.

Seven days later, the army of evil would invade the Divine Embryo's dreamscape.

This decree was now etched into the Divine Authority Tree by Mo Hua.

With his command successfully delivered, Mo Hua immediately withdrew his Divine Sense from the tree.

After all, the altar wasn't his, the divine authority wasn't his, and those evil spirits sure as heck weren't his either.

He had just borrowed them temporarily— no need to stick around and get caught by the Great Wilderness Evil God.

Sure, Mo Hua didn't yet know how the evil god might discover him, or what would count as leaving traces— But hey—better safe than sorry.

Since he was stealing divine authority, a little caution, a little stealth, was just good sense.

And of course— "destroy the evidence."

Mo Hua opened his eyes on the altar.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his spiritual ink, guided it with his Divine Sense, and laid down several second-grade, sixteen-rune Earth-Slaying Arrays.

This altar was single-use only.

Once used, it had to be blown to bits.

If used again, it might give the Evil God a lock on his location— and possibly his identity.

Mo Hua glanced around to make sure he hadn't missed any goodies, and confirmed he hadn't left behind any traces.

Then, he retraced his steps back out.

Outside the cave, Gu An, Gu Quan, and the others were still waiting.

Seeing Mo Hua return, Gu Quan finally let out a breath of relief.

He asked,

"Young Master, how was it in there?"

Mo Hua's expression was serious.

"It was too dangerous. I didn't dare go too deep. I didn't find much—just blew it up."

Everyone: "..."

Gu An muttered under his breath,

"Is… is that okay?"

Mo Hua nodded.

"If you know there's a tiger on the mountain, there's no need to go into the mountain.

Just blow the whole mountain up—it's the same thing."

Everyone thought about it… and slowly nodded.

Since there were formations inside, they would naturally defer to Young Master Mo Hua's judgment.

After all, none of them knew arrays better than he did.

"Everyone step back," Mo Hua said.

The group backed away from the cave entrance.

Mo Hua activated the formation from afar using his Divine Sense.

Multiple Earth-Slaying Arrays detonated in sequence— a series of booming explosions sent powerful spiritual waves raging outward, reducing the altar to dust.

A dozen seconds later, the blast subsided.

The cave collapsed, and the falling rubble completely buried the altar.

Mo Hua finally relaxed.

Mission accomplished.

Now he could go back.

After all, he had to be back at the sect in time for his "takeout delivery" in seven days.

Feeling light as a feather and in a very good mood, Mo Hua declared cheerfully:

"Time to head home."

"Yes, sir."

Gu An and the others nodded, visibly relieved.

This journey had been full of twists and turns.

Many things were strange and unsettling, and they didn't fully understand what had happened…

But in the end, no one got hurt, those who needed saving were saved, and those who needed capturing were caught. The mission was a success.

Everyone from the Gu Clan felt the weight lift from their hearts.

The River God Temple was still ominous and eerie.

No one wanted to linger.

Just as they were about to leave, they noticed someone still lying on the ground— it was Master She, the guide.

His face was deathly pale, completely still—no breath.

Gu Quan glanced at Mo Hua.

"Should we just leave him here?"

Mo Hua's gaze flickered.

He walked over and leaned down beside Master She, whispering like a demon:

"Keep playing dead, and I'll really kill you."

Master She's eyes snapped open.

With a full-body shiver, he shot up instantly.

"Don't kill me!"

Gu Quan, clearly annoyed, stepped forward and kicked him in the back of the knee.

Master She collapsed to the ground in a kneel.

Gu Quan grabbed his shoulder and pinned him down, drawing his blade and pressing it to Master She's throat.

Master She's face contorted with rage— but with a blade on his neck, all that anger fizzled.

He quickly cried out: "Mercy! Please spare me!"

Gu Quan looked at Mo Hua, waiting for his decision.

Mo Hua sighed, and said with a tone of regret—

"Kill him."

This old rat knew too much—keeping him around would only be a ticking time bomb.

Not to mention, he was both an Evil Alchemist and an Evil Formation Master— whether it was crafting sinister pills or painting blood-soaked arrays, his hands were definitely stained with plenty of lives.

His death would be no loss to the world.

Gu Quan raised his blade, ready to lop off Master She's head.

Master She's voice cracked in panic— "You can't kill me!"

Mo Hua cocked his head curiously.

"Why not?"

Master She's face twisted in conflict.

Gu Quan took the hint and dragged his blade across Master She's neck, just enough to break the skin and draw a line of blood.

Startled, Master She blurted out: "I still have a secret!"

Mo Hua stared at him in silence.

That silent gaze made Master She's scalp go numb.

He knew all too well— this deceptively innocent-faced little devil was ruthless to the core.

So he didn't dare stall anymore.

Through clenched teeth and a trembling voice, he confessed: "I'm… of royal blood from the Great Wilderness."

Gu An and Gu Quan's expressions changed instantly.

Mo Hua frowned.

"Royal blood?"

Master She explained,

"South of Lizhou, beyond the endless mountains, the Shentu clan once ruled…

I am a descendant of the Shentu bloodline— I carry the blood of the Great Wilderness royal clan!"

Mo Hua's heart gave a subtle jolt.

He looked at Master She with a deeply intrigued gaze and said:

"You?"

He clearly didn't believe it.

Master She looked aggrieved—angry even—but didn't dare show it.

Instead, he said miserably: "I'm not lying… The Great Wilderness royal clan is long gone. Only scattered remnants survive across the Nine Provinces, barely hanging on… We're not what we once were, and the royal court of the Great Wilderness will likely never rise again…"

"I don't even dare use my real surname.

I just chose a similar-sounding character and took on the surname 'She (奢)'…"

Mo Hua's eyelid twitched slightly.

Shentu?

She… tu?

Tu (屠) sir?

That "Mr. Tu"… Could he also be a descendant of the Great Wilderness royalty?

Mo Hua glanced at Master She again, but ultimately held back his curiosity.

He didn't mention "Mr. Tu" aloud.

Gu An frowned and said quietly: "Young Master Mo, if he really is of royal blood… I'm afraid we can't just execute him here."

Mo Hua was confused.

Gu An elaborated,

"Over a thousand years ago, the Shentu royal clan rebelled— they defied the Dao Court and declared themselves emperors. The Dao Court sent the Azure Dragon Dao Soldiers to suppress the rebellion."

"The war was brutal—lasting for decades. In the end, the Great Wilderness King was beheaded, the rest of the royal clan was exterminated, and only a few survived."

"If this man really carries that bloodline… he's no small figure.

We can't kill him so casually."

Mo Hua didn't confirm or deny— he simply looked at Master She again, eyes thoughtful, his killing intent flickering in and out.

Master She felt his scalp go numb again.

After their little journey through the River God's nightmare, he was certain— this wild, unrestrained little devil definitely didn't have a "nobles must not be killed" clause in his moral code.

If Mo Hua truly wanted to kill him, not even the gods could stop it.

"Don't kill me! I'll do anything you want!" Master She pleaded frantically.

Mo Hua noticed his panic and a thought stirred in his mind.

This Master She… might still be useful later.

Keeping him alive wasn't out of the question— but he needed to be leashed, tightly.

Couldn't let him blab. Especially not to his so-called "Divine Master."

Mo Hua nodded slightly, thought for a moment, then leaned in close and whispered:

"I can spare your life. But you must stay silent—act like you never saw me. Never speak a word about me… especially to your 'Divine Master'."

Master She's expression flickered wildly.

Mo Hua added, smiling faintly— but that smile carried a twisted edge: "Don't forget…"

"Who was it that set up the altar outside the River God Temple?

Who drew me into the nightmare?"

"Who opened the gates for me in the dream?

Who guided me through it?

Who spilled all the secrets to me and conspired with me from the start?"

Mo Hua patted Master She lightly on the shoulder.

"It was you."

Master She shivered violently and instantly cried out:

"I didn't! I wasn't in on it!"

Mo Hua sighed.

"You say you weren't, but do you think anyone else will believe that?"

"Do you believe it yourself?"

Master She was stunned into silence, eyes full of pain and dread.

He suddenly realized something terrifying— he'd become a traitor.

Not even jumping into the Yan Shui River could wash him clean.

"But… the River God… It already knows…" he said, fearfully.

"No." Mo Hua shook his head.

"It doesn't know anything anymore."

Master She froze—confused— then suddenly his face turned pale as realization hit.

"You… you…"

During the nightmare, when the River God had unleashed its Blood River divine power, he had blacked out.

He had no idea what happened afterward— just woke up later lying on the ground, faking dead.

Only now did he piece things together.

Why had the nightmare collapsed?

Why were these people still alive?

Why hadn't the River God destroyed them?

Why had even the sacrificial souls of those two children been released?

Because the River God…

A bone-deep chill pierced his soul.

Master She trembled from head to toe, not daring to even look at Mo Hua.

As if Mo Hua were some terrible Evil God himself.

A mortal should not gaze upon a god.

Mo Hua's voice turned soft—almost gentle:

"The nightmare is gone. The River God is gone.

So as long as you don't talk…

No one will know what happened in the dream.

No one will know you were the traitor who led me in."

Master She, still terrified, tried to defend himself weakly:

"I… I wasn't a traitor."

"Does that matter?" Mo Hua sighed.

"Who would care?"

"Whether you were or not, you are now."

His voice, now laced with a kind of dark, hypnotic power.

Master She collapsed completely—ashen-faced.

And in his heart, a thought rooted itself like a curse: "I'm a traitor…"

(End of this Chapter)