Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 992: The Team

In the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion, the Elder sat, gazing long and hard at the black chess piece representing the "Dragon-Swallowing" omen, lost deep in thought.

Meanwhile, within the Great Void Sect, Mo Hua had also officially begun preparations for the upcoming Sword Debate Grand Assembly.

"Plans made beforehand lead to success. Plans made too late lead to failure."

That was something his father, Mo Shan, had taught him since childhood—a basic rule of thumb for a monster hunter.

The grander and more difficult the goal, the more thoroughly one must prepare.

Mo Hua sat in his quarters, contemplating things in silence for a long time. The next day, he went to Murong Caiyun's residence in the city of Great Void.

Murong Caiyun was his senior by one cohort, and had already graduated.

Unlike Ouyang Feng, Murong Caiyun didn't choose to travel after leaving the sect. Instead, she returned to her clan, the Murong Family, entered seclusion, and began preparing to attempt Core Formation.

"I'll attempt it once first. If I succeed, I'll become a Golden Core cultivator, take on responsibilities myself, and inherit part of the Murong family's affairs."

"Or I could enter the inner sect, start as an instructor, and rise step by step to the rank of elder."

"If I fail, then I'll go out and travel, temper my heart, and seek new opportunities to form the core."

"At the Golden Core stage, success depends on both foundation and luck."

"With good luck, you might form a core in one go."

"With bad luck, it could take three, five, or even ten tries—failing again and again… years of struggle and setbacks."

In the courtyard of the Murong estate, Murong Caiyun, dressed in a multicolored robe and graceful as ever, personally brewed and poured tea for Mo Hua, discussing her plans for Core Formation.

Mo Hua picked up the teacup and sipped it.

It was a floral blend—fragrant, elegant, yet also fresh and delicate. Smooth on the tongue, comforting to the soul.

As expected of tea brewed by Senior Sister Murong.

Tea, like the person, had its own grace.

Mo Hua silently praised it in his heart, then asked with a smile, "Then… Senior Sister Murong, do you think you'll form your core in one try?"

Murong Caiyun replied gently, "It's never that easy. But if not once, then twice. It just means trying a few more times."

"A cultivator's whole life is a pursuit of the Dao. The path is endless. Maintain a calm heart and keep walking forward. Succeed without arrogance, and fail without despair."

Mo Hua nodded repeatedly—he felt her words resonated deeply.

Still, he sincerely offered, "Then I wish Senior Sister Murong great success on her first try!"

Murong Caiyun smiled, "Then I'll borrow your good luck, junior brother."

She poured him another cup of tea.

To be personally served tea by the top senior sister of the Great Void Sect and a direct descendant of the Murong clan… among all their peers, probably only Mo Hua could claim such an honor.

And the tea really was excellent.

After another cup, Murong Caiyun asked, "You came to see me for something, didn't you?"

"Mm," Mo Hua nodded, put down his cup, and got straight to the point.

"I wanted to ask about the Sword Debate."

Murong Caiyun wasn't surprised and asked, "You're planning to participate too?"

Mo Hua nodded, "After all, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

He had already participated once in the "Array Debate," but that was a special case.

It was thanks to Venerable Elder Xun pulling strings for him, and also because his divine sense had achieved Dao Confirmation, his mental power was abnormally strong, and his formation skills were extremely advanced.

But the Sword Debate was different.

Here, everyone was a prodigy, backed by spiritual stones, spirit liquids, heavenly materials and earthly treasures—their cultivation progress roughly the same.

It was real, face-to-face combat.

No matter how skilled a cultivator at mid-Foundation Establishment was, they could hardly challenge those at the late stage or peak of Foundation Establishment.

Especially since the Sword Debate involved many rounds.

It was a test of true strength.

Even if someone mid-stage got lucky and scraped out a few wins, it wouldn't mean much.

There was only one chance to participate. It couldn't be wasted.

Mo Hua said, "I want to do my best and try for… a slightly better ranking."

He put it very modestly.

Murong Caiyun didn't think too hard about what "slightly better" meant.

Still, ambition was good.

Though she had graduated, she was still part of the Great Void Sect, and the Murong Family's fate was tied to it.

Whether for Mo Hua's sake or the sect's, she was more than happy to help.

Even though she was in the critical prep phase before Core Formation and her schedule was tight, Murong Caiyun still smiled and said:

"Alright. Ask anything you want—I'll tell you everything I can."

Mo Hua brought out all the questions he had prepared.

Murong Caiyun pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly and gently with great patience:

"The Sword Debate is a five-person team combat tournament."

"It's not just a brawl between groups either. There are many battlefield types and rules: beheading missions, fortress defense, annihilation, survival, monster hunts, chaotic skirmishes… and more."

"If you're just watching for fun, you don't need to know too much."

"But if you're serious about competing, earning a place, bringing honor to the sect, and building a future for yourself… then you'll need to study deeply and prepare thoroughly."

"Different maps, different rule sets, different teams, and even your on-the-spot decision-making all introduce endless variables."

"You need thorough preparation and adaptability."

"You need strong cultivation, unshakable fundamentals, and reliable teammates."

"Everything else boils down to just one thing: win by any means necessary."

"The tournament uses a cumulative win system—you'll go through many matches, and whoever wins the most, advances."

"Each win boosts your team's standing and adds points to your sect's overall score."

"At the beginning, the matches are simple—each win adds a single point."

"But as the rounds go on and the opponents grow stronger, victories become harder… and one win might be worth dozens, even hundreds of points."

"So in the end, what the Sword Debate tests is the depth of a sect's foundation."

"The more elite disciples a sect has, and the stronger they are, the longer they can survive and the more points they accumulate—improving the sect's rank."

Here, Murong Caiyun sighed regretfully:

"Our Great Void Sect… no, not just us—even the other eight major sects and twelve secondary sects—all fall behind here."

"We simply don't have enough elite prodigies compared to the Four Great Sects."

"By the time it reaches the semifinals or finals, we'll be lucky if the Great Void Sect has even one or two elite teams left."

"Meanwhile, each of the Four Great Sects may have four or five elite teams still standing."

"And above even those… are the true apex teams—the bloodline prodigy teams."

"Top-tier, even heavenly-grade spiritual roots. The most supreme cultivation techniques. The highest Dao methods. Flawlessly cultivated spiritual energy. Direct bloodlines. Peak Foundation Establishment…"

Murong Caiyun gave a bitter smile.

These were the absolute top-tier disciples—perfect in talent, legacy, and cultivation.

The Great Void Sect would count its blessings to have one.

In the Four Great Sects… they had whole teams.

Mo Hua's heart sank.

"The foundation of the Four Great Sects really is terrifying…"

He realized he had still underestimated the challenge.

He furrowed his brow, lost in thought.

Murong Caiyun watched him, her beautiful eyes thoughtful.

She admired Mo Hua's skill in formations.

But the Sword Debate wasn't the same as the Formation Debate—it wasn't about laying out intricate arrays under calm conditions.

It was rapid offense and defense.

Formations took time and space to set up. They were powerful, but cumbersome. In a fast-paced fight, that was a huge handicap.

As far as raw combat strength, Mo Hua was… specialized.

He was excellent at stealth, evasion, footwork, and controlling spells.

But his physical strength was lacking, his spiritual power was low, and his direct attack methods were limited.

That was the impression she had from past missions they'd done together—hunting criminals and completing sect bounties.

The only exception… was his mysterious "amplification array."

Murong Caiyun still remembered that feeling of surging spiritual power, when the Five Elements boost kicked in.

That sensation—having the Five Phases infused into her body—was unforgettable.

Sadly… she'd only experienced it once.

Which honestly, had left her feeling a bit salty for a while.

She set those thoughts aside and began objectively evaluating Mo Hua's abilities.

At present, he was a very powerful support-type cultivator.

A versatile "jack-of-all-trades" who could shore up any gap in a team.

But that also made him heavily reliant on his teammates.

The stronger his teammates, the stronger Mo Hua became.

But if his teammates were weak… Mo Hua's presence could become a bit awkward.

But...

Murong Caiyun looked at Mo Hua and asked carefully,

"Junior Brother, the Sword Debate is a five-person team format. Have you decided who your teammates will be?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied,

"I have a few candidates in mind… but nothing final yet."

"That's something you should decide early," Murong Caiyun advised.

If he picked weak teammates, there'd be no way he, as a support-type cultivator, could carry them. Participating would be pointless.

But if he picked strong teammates—well, leaving aside whether those people would even agree to team up with him—the sect wouldn't take kindly to it either.

The Sword Debate was no small matter. It affected the sect's share of the Qianlong Spirit Mines—core interests were at stake.

Team selection for the tournament was planned out far in advance and taken very seriously.

Especially when it came to the prodigies.

"One elite per slot"—that was the unspoken rule.

Mo Hua's sudden determination to participate seriously was… unexpected.

Completely outside the original plan.

And he was highly regarded by the Grand Elder, had great reputation among the disciples, and was now the sect's "Little Senior Brother."

If he suddenly pulled a few people into his team, causing personnel reshuffling for the Sword Debate lineup, it could cause some serious headaches for the sect's upper management.

Mo Hua understood what Murong Caiyun was implying. He nodded sincerely.

"I'll think it through carefully."

Afterward, he asked a few more things about the tournament rules. Once he had a clearer picture in mind, he took his leave sensibly.

"Senior Sister, I'll return to the sect now. I won't disturb your Core Formation preparations any further."

Just as he turned to go, Murong Caiyun suddenly called out.

"Junior Brother…"

"Senior Sister? Something else?" Mo Hua turned.

Murong Caiyun fell silent for a moment, her expression tinged with melancholy. She sighed softly,

"I… can no longer be of help to the Great Void Sect…"

Her face was full of unwillingness and regret.

Mo Hua understood her feelings. His gaze softened, and he smiled gently:

"Senior Sister, don't worry. Leave the Sword Debate to me. After all, I'm now the 'Little Senior Brother' of not just the Great Void Sect, but also of Tai'a and Chongxu branches."

Murong Caiyun blinked, then broke into a smile—oddly reassured.

"You'd better form your core soon, Senior Sister. And when you do—throw a big Golden Core banquet and let me drink at your wedding," Mo Hua grinned.

Murong Caiyun smiled too.

"Mm. Safe travels."

Mo Hua waved goodbye and departed, heading back toward Mount Taixu.

Through the misty mountains, Mo Hua walked the stone steps.

Murong Caiyun watched his retreating figure. Somehow, she suddenly realized—he'd grown much taller than before.

Though still slender, the way his figure moved through the mountain path, now faintly exuded the presence of someone rooted in the land, fused with the mountain, shouldering the sky itself...

Murong Caiyun stared for a while in a daze—then gently smiled, her brows like colorful clouds, vivid and radiant.

Upon returning to the Great Void Sect, Mo Hua began seriously considering the matter of team formation.

The Sword Debate was no child's game.

And forming a team needed early preparation.

Mo Hua didn't waste time. He went straight to Linghu Xiao and asked bluntly:

"Xiao Xiao, I'm entering the Sword Debate. Wanna join?"

Linghu Xiao blinked. Then, after just two seconds, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he nodded firmly at Mo Hua:

"Alright."

And just like that—after a single sentence, in the space of two heartbeats—Mo Hua had "kidnapped" the most monstrous sword talent the Chongxu branch had seen in five hundred years.

With Linghu Xiao on board, everything became easier.

Mo Hua himself.

Add Linghu Xiao.

Then Cheng Mo, and Situ Jian.

That made four.

Cheng Mo and Situ might not be the absolute peak among sect disciples—but that's only when compared to the Four Great Sects.

Within the Great Void Sect, they were definitely top-tier.

Cheng Mo had thick skin and strong flesh—he could play the tank role.

Situ Jian was a swordsmanship specialist—balanced in both offense and defense. A true "jack-of-all-trades," adaptable to many tactical needs.

Within the Great Void Sect, not many were stronger than them.

Plus, they often hung out with Mo Hua. They'd absorbed a bit of his sneaky and cunning style. In real battle, their strength was actually higher than on paper.

Most importantly—they had great chemistry with each other.

And in small team combat, team synergy was everything.

There was still one spot left, and Mo Hua had plenty of options.

After all, he had been the "Little Senior Brother" for years. His network ran deep. If he wanted to pull someone in, he could do it at will.

Yang Qianjun the senior brother, Hao Xuan the speedster, Yi Li the spell-slinger… any of them could fill the last spot.

But that could be decided later. The pressing matter now was reporting to Venerable Elder Xun and the Sect Master.

Especially Linghu Xiao—he was the sect's one and only prodigy, the precious genius of the Chongxu branch, treasured by their Grand Elder.

So if Mo Hua was "dragging him in"—ahem, inviting him to the team—he definitely needed the approval of the elder and the Sect Master.

If there were going to be problems, best to get ahead of them.

When Mo Hua went to meet Venerable Elder Xun, the Sect Master happened to be there too.

So he laid out his plan.

Venerable Elder Xun frowned and thought silently.

The Sect Master, however, was the one to speak:

"Linghu Xiao agreed?"

"Yeah," Mo Hua nodded. "He's been wanting to join the Sword Debate with me for a while now."

The Sect Master looked at Mo Hua for a moment and sighed in his heart:

"As expected. Salted tofu meets its match—everything has its counter."

Linghu Xiao—despite the "xiao (smile)" in his name—never smiled.

He was cold to everyone.

Whether it was the elders, the Sect Master, or even the Grand Elder—he was polite, but always aloof.

To outsiders, Linghu Xiao was a cold, arrogant sword genius.

The deeper one walked on the sword path, the more they fused with their blade—the more they became distant, untouchable.

Only Mo Hua could actually "play" with him.

The Sect Master wasn't surprised. After all, in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley, Mo Hua and Linghu Xiao had a life-and-death bond.

One could even say Mo Hua had saved Linghu Xiao's life.

But that also meant… all the careful plans the Sect Master had made were now in shambles.

The agreements he had made with Tai'a and Chongxu branches—he'd have to change them.

The Sect Master couldn't help but scratch his head.

He knew it was a bad habit. The more he scratched, the more hair he lost.

But looking at Mo Hua in front of him, he couldn't help it.

Venerable Elder Xun, on the other hand, said nothing. He simply looked at Mo Hua calmly and asked: "You've thought this through?"

"Mm!" Mo Hua nodded seriously.

"What about your trump cards…"

"I'll be careful," Mo Hua said calmly.

"Good." Venerable Elder Xun gave a slight nod. "I understand. Go back and prepare well."

Mo Hua's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Elder!"

Then he turned to the Sect Master of the Great Void Sect. His gaze lingered particularly on the man's thinning hair as he respectfully bowed.

"Sorry for the trouble, Sect Master."

The Sect Master could only smile bitterly.

After Mo Hua left, the Sect Master looked at Elder Xun and said with hesitation:

"Is this… really okay?"

Elder Xun thought for a moment and replied,

"Whether it's okay or not, I don't know. But at the very least, it won't make things worse. You know our current situation."

The Sect Master sighed.

From the looks of it, the Great Void Sect had very slim chances of winning at the Sword Debate Grand Assembly.

Their top-tier combat power was sorely lacking—they weren't even in a position to contest the top four sects.

Even keeping their seat among the Eight Major Sects would be a serious challenge.

Yes, Mo Hua would likely take the "Array Dao Champion" title again—barring any surprises—but they couldn't bet everything on the array competition.

After all, the sword duels were the main event.

If they suffered a crushing defeat in the sword debate, then even the title of "Array Dao Champion" wouldn't be enough to save the Great Void Sect's precarious position.

Not to mention—after the sect reforms and the merger of the three branches—the Great Void Sect was surrounded by hostility on all sides. The difficulty of the Sword Debate was now several times greater than before.

The situation was dire.

Too few prodigies. Very limited cards to play.

As the Sect Master, all he could do was strategize as best as he could—but the truth was, he had no confidence in the outcome.

Elder Xun said calmly:

"Man proposes, Heaven disposes. No matter how much you plan for this Sword Debate, in the end, it's up to the disciples to fight."

"Since that's the case, let them handle it on their own."

The Sect Master nodded.

If nothing else, at least Mo Hua was someone he could trust—

…even if he was a little odd sometimes, with a mind that was hard to follow.

"But…" the Sect Master thought for a moment and frowned,

"Won't the Chongxu branch have objections?"

Elder Xun fell silent, offering no comment.

Two days later, during the sect's regular council meeting—

As expected, the elders from the Chongxu branch were not happy.

"The team lineup was already finalized, and now you're changing it on a whim? Do you think the Sword Debate is some kind of game? Your Great Void branch—!"

Realizing he misspoke, the elder quickly corrected himself.

After all, everyone here was now part of the Great Void Sect.

"I mean your Great Void line—do you place the sect's interests beneath your own whims? Is this some kind of joke?!"

Someone else chimed in, clearly discontent with Mo Hua:

"Sure, this Mo Hua might be the 'Array Dao Champion', but that doesn't give him the right to do whatever he wants!"

"This is the Sword Debate, not the Array Debate!"

"What's an array master even doing there? He'll probably be one-shotted the moment the match starts!"

"What exactly is your branch planning with all this?"

The Sect Master of the Great Void Sect remained expressionless.

In front of the Grand Elders, he might hesitate.

But here, during the tri-sect council—he was the Sect Master, wielding full authority.

He could not afford a moment of doubt.

He said flatly:

"This matter is already decided. The Grand Elder has also approved it. I'm not here to ask for permission—just to inform you all."

"If anything goes wrong, I, as Sect Master, will take full responsibility."

The hall went silent for a moment.

The Chongxu elders had no comeback.

After all, the Sect Master of the Great Void Sect was now the official head of all three branches.

His word was final.

Still, they couldn't hide their frustration. One elder muttered angrily:

"That Mo Hua… you're just spoiling him. Keep this up, and one day it'll backfire."

The Sect Master responded calmly:

"He's the current Array Dao Champion—and possibly the back-to-back champion."

The implication was clear:

Yes, I'm spoiling him. He earned it.

If the Tai'a or Chongxu branches had someone who could take the Array Dao crown, they could spoil him too.

Everything depends on strength.

And honestly, in the post-merger Great Void Sect, whether the sect had any future left at all… might actually rest in Mo Hua's hands.

The Chongxu elders had nothing more to say after that.

Seeing there were no further objections from Chongxu, the Sect Master stayed outwardly calm—but inside, he finally let out a small sigh of relief.

"Since there are no further objections, then this matter is settled—"

Before he could finish his sentence—

"No!"

A new voice interrupted him sharply.

The head of the Tai'a branch suddenly spoke up:

"I object as well! The Tai'a branch does not agree to this arrangement!"

The Sect Master froze, his gaze sharpening.

He hadn't expected Tai'a to jump in with an objection too.

After the three-branch merger, leadership rested with the Great Void Sect Master.

But the Tai'a branch head still held some political clout.

"Why not?" the Sect Master asked.

The Tai'a branch master snorted coldly and said:

"Mo Hua is from the Great Void line. Linghu Xiao is from the Chongxu line. If that team is going forward, then I, representing Tai'a, demand that a disciple from our branch be included too!"

This branch master had clearly made up his mind.

Since things were already a mess—there was no making them better, but at least they wouldn't get worse.

If they lost, then everyone would lose together.

But if they somehow won—then everyone should share the victory.

So no matter what, he was going to shove Tai'a's most talented, powerful, and arrogant disciple… straight into that team!

(End of this Chapter)