Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 999: The First

The morning sun pierced through the mist, casting golden light over the Great Void Mountain. Pavilions and towers seemed draped in rosy clouds, while the dark green forests shimmered with gilded edges.

Within the disciples' quarters, Mo Hua opened his eyes after a night of formation practice before the Dao Stele.

His gaze was like the first light breaking through the heavens— a burst of gold brilliance, outshining even the sunrise itself.

"Finally… today is the Sword Debate Assembly…"

Mo Hua murmured softly.

He took a deep breath and faced the rising sun, engaging in his usual cultivation for half an hour.

Only after his spiritual energy circulated smoothly through his meridians and settled in his qi sea did he don his Great Void Sect robes and step out of his residence.

Outside, most disciples had already awakened.

They gathered in small groups, basking in the dawn's glow.

Their faces were alight with chatter, excitement, and nervous energy.

Today was the day of the Sword Debate— Likely the only one they would ever experience in their lifetime.

Excitement mingled with anxiety in every heart.

When the hour arrived and breakfast was finished, Elder Xun Zixian arrived.

He gathered the disciples, did a quick headcount, and gave a few final reminders about the tournament.

Then he looked around solemnly and said: "Let's go. To Debate Mountain."

The disciples grew quiet, their hearts racing.

Elder Xun led them away from the Great Void Sect, straight toward the very heart of Qianxue Province—Debate Mountain.

The roads were packed with cultivators.

Disciples from all sects of Qianxue wore all kinds of robes, forming colorful streams that converged toward the mountain.

The mountain path was long and winding, with a constant flow of people.

Roughly an hour later, they arrived.

Debate Mountain was now even more crowded— It wasn't just disciples and powers from Qianxue and its surrounding regions, but also various families, sects, and cultivators of every background.

Even those from across the Nine Provinces had come to witness this event.

Looking out—the entire mountain was a sea of people.

A tidal wave of voices thundered like an avalanche.

For the first time, Mo Hua truly experienced what it meant to be amidst a "mountain of people and ocean of heads." He was awestruck.

And it wasn't just him— Disciples from the Great Void Sect and all others stood dumbfounded.

This year's Sword Debate was even grander than any before.

The scale and spectacle were jaw-dropping.

Previously, they had always been spectators. Today, they were the main event—on the stage, being watched.

The feeling was completely different, and so were everyone's emotions.

Some disciples had gone pale with nervousness.

Some had weak knees and labored breathing.

And some—eyes lit up, buzzing with excitement—burned with the desire to show their skills and make a name for themselves.

Passing through the mountain gate, across long winding roads and barrier peaks, the disciples finally arrived at the Grand Dao Arena on Debate Mountain.

Here, the Sword Offering Ritual was underway.

This was a sacred rite—performed every single Sword Debate Assembly.

Only the Sect Masters of the Four Great Sects of Qianxue had the right to preside over it.

It was considered one of the greatest honors in all of Qianxue Province.

At the heart of Debate Mountain, a floating white jade platform hovered in the sky.

Surrounding it were nine towering stone pillars, each carved with divine beasts and auspicious clouds.

At the platform's center stood a massive white jade sword, over ten zhang long, like a miniature mountain.

Its blade was crystalline, radiating an ancient, boundless aura.

Legend had it that this sword was a relic of the ancestor of Debate Mountain from ten thousand years ago.

Each generation of Qianxue disciples must offer their sincere respects to the sword—

To honor the spirit of the ancestor who contributed his life to Qianxue's cultivation legacy.

When the hour of Chen arrived, the Sword Offering officially began.

The Sect Masters of the Heavenly Dao Sect, Heavenly Sword Sect, Dragon Cauldron Sect, and Ten Thousand Skies Sect—each an Ascended cultivator—took flight on spiritual wings and descended from the skies.

They opened the altar, offered tributes, shed blood, and offered it to the sword.

As the blood unlocked the seal, a beam of pure light burst skyward.

The ancient sword emitted a deep hum.

Sword qi erupted like a primordial beast awakening, singing to the sky.

Everyone's heart trembled.

Even Mo Hua's pupils contracted.

Staring at the enormous ancient sword, he felt a tremor in his soul—

a mysterious sense of resonance.

In his sea of consciousness, a dragon's roar echoed.

The ancient sword intent of the Great Void reverberated again and again.

For a moment, Mo Hua had an illusion—

He saw himself manifest into a divine giant, towering into the heavens,

wielding the ancient sword of Debate Mountain, splitting mountains and seas, unstoppable.

But in the next instant, it all vanished.

Nothing had happened.

The Four Sect Masters stood solemnly and shouted in unison:

"All disciples of Qianxue—three bows to the Sword!"

Their voices rang like great bells and drums, echoing across Debate Mountain.

Mo Hua gathered his mind and, along with the others, respectfully bowed three times to the white jade sword.

Even the outer sect cultivators watching from afar followed the tradition and offered a formal salute.

After the sword was honored, the ceremony continued.

The Four Sect Masters each took turns reading aloud the edict.

This edict was long—very long.

It honored the ancestors of Qianxue Province, thanked the guests who came to observe, expressed high hopes for the disciples, laid out rules and expectations for the Sword Debate…

Each Sect Master had their own section.

All four together read tens of thousands of words— And successfully bored the once-energized Mo Hua nearly to sleep.

Finally, the lengthy reading concluded.

With the sword honored and the edict read, the next step was—the draw.

Representatives from the Four Sects, Eight Gates, and Twelve Streams stepped forward, each carrying a sect's command token.

They unsealed a massive, sacred artifact in the center of the Dao Arena—

The Debate Celestial Instrument (Lùndào Tiānyí).

This, too, was a legacy of Debate Mountain's ancient ancestor.

The instrument was normally sealed.

It could only be unlocked when all sects were present and their tokens gathered.

Once opened, the names and teams of each sect's participants were written on bamboo slips and placed inside.

The Debate Celestial Instrument would then activate, spinning and calculating matchups according to the rules of the Sword Debate.

This ensured that no one could manipulate the results.

It also blocked any tampering, prediction, or deduction of fate from external forces.

The instrument operated by law and principle, its inner mechanisms rotating in mysterious patterns— a profound beauty of causal law itself.

Mo Hua perked up, eyes wide, completely fascinated by this "Celestial Instrument."

Unfortunately, his understanding of fate and destiny wasn't high enough.

He couldn't decipher much from it.

Not that anyone expected him to— This was, after all, the creation of the ancient Debate Mountain ancestor.

After half an hour, the instrument ceased its rotation.

The drawing was complete.

The opening stage of the Sword Debate—called the "Heaven-Earth-Mystic-Yellow" format— had finalized the matchups for the "Yellow" tier.

Elders from each sect recorded the matchups into jade slips, then stepped down.

The morning's sword offering and drawing ceremony were now over.

The actual tournament would begin in the afternoon.

There were one or two hours in between for Debate Mountain's elders to prepare the match schedule and venue assignments.

Elder Xun Zixian returned to the Great Void Sect's disciple area and transmitted a message to all of them:

"The Debate Celestial Instrument has completed the draw."

"I've transmitted the match list into the Great Void Token. Check your listings and be sure not to mess it up."

He paused, then added: "In just a few hours, the matches will begin. Do your best. Win or lose—you'll bring honor to the Great Void Sect."

Elder Xun, being a formation master, was always serious and calm.

He wasn't one for fiery speeches.

But what he said already counted as heartfelt.

The disciples were quietly touched.

Still—emotion aside, morale was a little low.

Elder Xun sighed slightly and turned to look at Mo Hua.

With just a glance, Mo Hua understood.

He immediately stepped forward, grinned, and called out to everyone:

"For the debate match, don't overthink it. Just get up there and fight! If you win, it's a huge gain. If you lose—no loss!"

The disciples were stunned— Then flames of fighting spirit lit up in their eyes.

Senior Brother Mo had already laid out the battle plan clearly— All they had to do was go up and fight. That's it. No pressure.

If they couldn't believe in themselves— They could at least believe in Senior Brother.

Just one win was already a win. Even a loss wasn't shameful.

"Yes, Senior Brother Mo!"

All the disciples responded in unison, their voices thunderous and morale soaring.

Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.

Elder Xun Zixian stared at Mo Hua for a moment, dazed—then chuckled and shook his head.

They had one or two hours of preparation time.

Some disciples sat in meditation, some reviewed the match listings, others discussed strategies.

If they got tired, they rested; if they were hungry, they popped a fasting pill.

With the Sword Debate imminent, no one was in the mood for a proper meal.

Mo Hua, meanwhile, sat off to the side, gnawing on dried meat while flipping through the matchups deduced by the Debate Celestial Instrument.

The more he read, the more something felt… off.

This list wasn't truly "fair."

The Celestial Instrument wasn't just randomly drawing lots. It was filtering for true strength through causal deduction.

It did everything it could to make sure the strongest had the best chance to reach the end.

So, during the initial "Yellow" bracket, it wouldn't pit the top-tier prodigies from the Four Great Sects or Eight Great Gates against each other in life-or-death battles.

At this stage, the disciples from these major sects and gates—plus the Twelve Streams—mostly faced off against more ordinary disciples from the "Hundred Gates of Qianxue."

The chance of top-seed prodigies clashing early on was extremely low.

And even if they did face off, it didn't matter too much.

The "Yellow" bracket had a high margin for error. Losing one or two matches wouldn't disqualify anyone.

In other words, for the Great Void Sect, the early matches weren't that difficult.

But for the average disciples from the Hundred Gates, fighting their way up would be nearly impossible.

That was unfair.

But in another sense, if the goal was to filter for true strength, and avoid letting someone reach the finals just because of luck or weak opponents— then this too, was a form of fairness based on ability.

"Still… using heavenly calculations to assess strength, manipulate probabilities… that ancestor of Debate Mountain really was something else…"

Mo Hua muttered inwardly.

He glanced over his own matchup— and found his was scheduled far, far later. His first match wouldn't be until the day after tomorrow.

Was it because the Celestial Instrument sensed his karma and pegged him as a "hidden powerhouse"?

So it smartly placed him further down the lineup?

Mo Hua stroked his chin, thoughtful.

"Naturally. Masters are always saved for last."

His opponents, too, were mostly from the Hundred Gates—nothing too threatening.

That meant there was even less reason to worry.

"Watch today. Fight the day after…"

Mo Hua happily pulled out all the dried meat he'd brought and munched away.

Once full, he sat in meditation, resting while he waited to see how his junior brothers performed.

He was curious to witness the fruits of his hard work— this formation-powered prototype of the "Great Void Dao Soldiers" he had designed.

The great Dao begins with a single ripple.

Many grand cultivation legacies began from seemingly minor attempts and efforts.

Meanwhile, Debate Mountain was still in preparation.

In the outer seating area, waves of spectators crowded every inch of space.

A little over an hour later—amid mild boredom, tension, and growing anticipation— a deep bell rang out, echoing through the mountains.

Everyone perked up.

The Sword Debate was about to begin.

Elders began calling names and leading the participants to their designated areas.

Soon after— a thunderous WHUMMMM resounded.

A surge of spiritual energy erupted, rushing skyward as it flooded into Debate Mountain's Fifth-Grade Formation Array.

The grand formation blazed to life— a luminous barrier unfolded like a starry river, magnificent and overwhelming.

This was the full-power effect of a fifth-grade formation.

It resonated with the "Debate Jade" embedded in every disciple's body.

These jades were infused with spatial energy— protecting the disciples, and automatically triggering a loss and forced exit if shattered.

Moments later— the sounds of battle echoed out. The Sword Debate had officially begun.

At the same time, the massive white light curtain above Debate Mountain shimmered and began to shift.

The "Skyward Illusion Projection" activated.

Brilliant, multicolored illusions twisted and splintered, then resolved into rows of floating rectangular screens.

Each screen displayed a different terrain—each one a separate match in the Sword Debate.

Across this vast canopy of projection, nearly a hundred matches played out simultaneously.

The visuals were clear. The participants vividly visible.

It was a breathtaking sight.

Spectators couldn't help but murmur to each other, stunned by the sheer spectacle.

Even Mo Hua, staring up at the magnificent, thrilling "giant screen," couldn't help but be amazed.

Sure, this thing countered his style… But the results were undeniably impressive.

Just a glance showed you hundreds of matches between geniuses.

Swords flashing, spells flying, fists clashing— The screen overflowed with action, excitement, and raw cultivation power.

Mo Hua found himself engrossed. He couldn't even bring himself to grumble about it being wasteful or overly flashy.

As the novelty of the projection wore off, people's focus shifted back to the matches themselves.

The Yellow bracket was only the preliminaries— Not too difficult, and not especially important.

So dozens of matches were shown at once. Spectators could choose what they wanted to watch.

Usually, sect elders and disciples would follow their own sect's matches. Family heads and elders focused on their clansmen.

And parents… they only watched their own kids— Whether they were dazzling everyone or just getting beat up.

At first, it was all exciting chaos.

But soon, some sharp-eyed and experienced cultivators started noticing something… strange.

"Wait… are those Great Void Sect disciples?"

"Something looks off with them…"

On the projection screens, the Great Void Sect disciples stood out— Most of them wore uniform armor, wielded standardized spirit tools, and had formation buffs glowing around them in sync.

They advanced and retreated in perfect coordination, executed orders without hesitation, and struck with ruthless precision.

Their armor, tools, and formation setups even seemed specially tailored to counter their opponents.

Each squad of five worked in flawless harmony— with durable armor, sharp weapons, and the force of array formations backing them up.

Wherever they fought, they were unstoppable.

Spectators were stunned— Then the murmuring began.

"Am I seeing things?"

"Is this still a Sword Debate… or a battlefield? Did they bring in Dao Soldiers?!"

"Wasn't this supposed to be about selecting prodigies?"

"If they're acting like a military unit, what's the point?"

"You don't get it. Originally, the Qianxue Sword Debate was created to train generals—leaders of Dao Soldier armies…"

"That was ages ago. The rules have changed so many times since then…"

"Besides, the cultivation world's been peaceful for years—who even needs Dao Soldiers anymore?"

"These days, the Sword Debate is all about selection."

"Sects pick disciples, families pick talents, the Dao Court picks prodigies."

"All these clan heads and elders are watching. If you stand out—you'll be showered in opportunities and wealth. One brilliant performance, and your whole future could change."

"Let's be real—if you want to win now, you have to treat both enemies and teammates like stepping stones."

"Crush your opponent—and look good doing it. That's how you prove your worth."

"Defeating your opponent is what makes you look strong."

"Using your teammates as 'stepping stones' makes you look even stronger."

"But if you fight like Dao Soldiers, who's really strong—you, or your team?"

Someone voiced disagreement, "That's too narrow-minded."

"Is it? Isn't that just reality? If it weren't, why haven't the other sects and clans tried this? Why is it only the Great Void Sect playing this Dao Soldier game?"

"You think organizing 'sect-level Dao Soldiers' is that easy?"

"What's so hard about it? Spirit tools and formations, right? Make me sect leader and I'll cook up a whole squad overnight…"

"And anyway, this kind of 'Dao Soldier formation' might not even be that good."

"Well… I think it's working just fine…"

The outer seating buzzed with chatter.

The Sword Debate audience included cultivators from all walks of life—and their opinions were just as diverse.

Some praised the Great Void Sect for their creativity.

Others watched with deadpan expressions, thinking sect-level Dao Soldiers were no big deal.

Still others scoffed, feeling the Great Void Sect was just "cheating"—relying on formations and gear rather than true skill.

There were also those who believed that drilling disciples into a uniform tactical system suppressed their natural spirit and individuality, preventing them from showcasing their real potential.

If disciples won like this, it wasn't their personal strength. They didn't deserve to be called "geniuses."

Most of the high-level members of various sects and clans remained silent.

They'd tried similar things in the past—but the results had been mixed, the practical issues more complex than expected.

For the Great Void Sect to execute this so effectively… it clearly took more than just an idea. Tremendous effort had gone into it. It was anything but simple.

Still, the Sword Debate had only just begun. Whether this "Dao Soldier" model would prove a success or failure remained to be seen.

But atop the high platform, several Golden Core and even Ascended cultivators had gleams of interest in their eyes.

Many of them came from Dao Soldier families—stern-faced veterans of battle formations, exuding killing intent and command presence.

Among them was a Yang Clan Ascended True Person.

The moment the Great Void Sect unveiled their battle formation, his eyes lit up. He watched a few of their matches closely and nodded in quiet approval.

What others couldn't see, someone from a Dao Soldier lineage could recognize immediately.

"Any of my Yang Clan juniors in the Great Void Sect?" the Ascended asked.

An elder beside him quietly replied:

"Yes, from the Cheng'en lineage. A boy named Qian Jun is with them. A few others from other branches too, scattered here and there."

"Mhm."

The Yang elder nodded, remembered the name, and after some thought added:

"Tell the family head: have the Yang Clan build closer ties with the Great Void Sect. Those disciples… are promising seedlings."

"Understood…" the elder replied softly, though he couldn't help but sigh, "It's just… they're still a bit green."

"Of course they are," said the Yang elder, eyes filled with expectation.

"They've never stepped onto a real battlefield. Being green is natural."

"What matters is that they're learning the mindset of fighting as one—of taking up arms together as Dao Soldiers."

"With time and battlefield tempering, they'll have limitless potential."

"True words…" the elder agreed, then frowned slightly, "But… those kids are mostly direct bloodlines. Children of nobility. 'A golden child does not sit beneath a collapsing roof.' I fear they won't be sent to any real battlefields."

"That's no matter."

The Yang elder said calmly, his gaze sweeping across the vast mountain like a hawk's.

"If the day comes when armies march and war sweeps the land… the entire world will be pulled in.

Whether they want to or not… won't matter anymore."

On the Skyward Illusion Projection, the matches continued.

Disciples from other sects had their own approaches, but in essence, they were still playing by the classic "sect Sword Debate" model.

Four disciples supporting one "prodigy."

Or five talented youths trying to cooperate and fight as a team.

This was fundamentally an "elite tactics" style.

But under Mo Hua's guidance, the Great Void Sect disciples had unwittingly turned the Sword Debate into a warfare simulation—employing collective tactics.

In terms of cultivation base or Dao mastery, they didn't necessarily have the edge.

But tactically? They were far more disciplined.

They moved and acted in unison, obeyed commands, and pursued victory above all.

They even gave up personal flair.

No one used heirloom spirit tools—they all adopted standardized, specially crafted weapons optimized for their team tactics.

They used only the spells necessary for strategy.

No grandstanding. No reckless solo charges.

Everything served the tactic. Everything served the win.

As a result, the difference in performance became obvious.

During the "Yellow" bracket, the Great Void Sect's win rate was astonishingly high.

And so the sun set, twilight fell…

The first day of the Sword Debate concluded—full of noise, excitement, and unexpected upsets.

Debate Mountain tallied the results.

The Great Void Sect—previously considered in danger of irrelevance—suddenly surged to the top.

They were ranked first in the Qianxue Sword Debate!

When this result was announced, even the Great Void Sect Master stood frozen in place.

He had expected a solid showing after watching their matches…

But first place? That felt like a dream.

Not just him— Across the three mountain peaks, from sect master to elders to every last disciple— Everyone was stunned.

First place…?

Even if it was only the first day, even if it was temporary, even if it turned out to be a flash in the pan—

The fact remained: The Great Void Sect had surpassed the Four Great Sects, the Eight Great Gates… and ranked first.

That was unprecedented.

Even just a single day at the top was something they had never experienced.

The entire sect was swept up in joy and pride.

And it was all thanks to Mo Hua's strategy and preparation.

His reputation among the disciples quietly rose another level.

Even the elders and sect leaders from Tai'a and Chongxu Peaks, as well as other high-ranking figures, began to see Mo Hua in a new light.

The more they looked at him, the more pleasant he seemed.

The more they looked, the more handsome he appeared.

They understood, of course— This #1 ranking likely wouldn't last forever.

But still—this single moment of glory… was enough to make them all hold their heads a little higher.

And as this temporary first place spread to the other sects—the Four Great Sects, the Eight Great Gates, and the Twelve Streams…

It sent a ripple of shock through the entire cultivation world.

(End of this Chapter)