Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 1048: Recruitment

Just like that, Song Jian, the prodigy of the Broken Gold Sect, along with his fifteen elite disciples, were all "brought under" Mo Hua's command.

Mo Hua laid out three rules for them:

"First, this is a demonic formation—sinister and perilous. Everything must be done exactly as I say. What I say is law. If you disobey and end up dead, that's your own fault."

"Second, I will give each of you a formation to seal your Sea of Consciousness' Heavenly Gate. Do not remove it under any circumstances. If outside evils invade and corrupt your minds, I will show no mercy. Whether you live or die will be up to your own fate."

"Lastly, I don't want your spirit stones or pills, but all formation media and spiritual ink must be handed over to me…"

The Broken Gold Sect disciples were resentful and confused.

They didn't understand what this demonic formation was, or what "outside evil invasion" meant, nor what kind of formation Mo Hua had given them…

But Mo Hua remained expressionless and decisive, showing no intention of explaining.

With no better choice, the prodigies of the Broken Gold Sect ultimately had to accept Mo Hua's terms.

They handed over their formation media and spiritual ink, and wrapped the divine formation Mo Hua gave them around their foreheads.

With that, the group pressed on, continuing their exploration within the sinister great formation.

Along the way, strange and dangerous phenomena persisted. Mo Hua occasionally gave brief, to-the-point instructions.

All disciples of the Taixu Sect obeyed without question, carrying out Mo Hua's every word to the letter.

But the Broken Gold Sect was different. They obeyed on the surface, but inwardly resisted. One or two of them still harbored dissent and defied Mo Hua's instructions.

When Mo Hua told them to go left, they deliberately veered right.

When Mo Hua said to stay still, they insisted on moving a few more steps.

As expected, these two were soon invaded by blood-colored leeches that burrowed into their minds. Not long after, they went berserk, lost their sanity, and gave in to a murderous frenzy—attacking their own comrades.

Mo Hua had made it clear from the beginning: everything had to be done his way.

If you followed his commands and something went wrong, he'd take responsibility.

If you disobeyed, you bore the consequences. In this demonic formation, unity was essential.

Those who defied orders and acted recklessly could easily get everyone killed. Mo Hua would show no mercy to such people.

The more you wanted to save lives, the more decisively you had to kill.

Mo Hua's eyes glinted with golden light, and a single authoritative gaze froze the two maddened Broken Gold disciples in place.

"Kill them," Mo Hua said coldly.

Cheng Mo immediately stepped forward and cleaved one down with his axe. Linghu Xiao unleashed sword qi and cut down the other.

The two who had fallen into madness died instantly.

"Let's go."

Mo Hua moved on without a trace of hesitation or sentiment. The Broken Gold Sect disciples all turned pale.

They hadn't expected Mo Hua to be so cold and ruthless—no hesitation, just kill when necessary. But none of them dared say anything.

In times of chaos, harsh laws are needed. The greater the danger, the stricter the rules.

Mo Hua had already laid down the rules. These two knowingly violated them, so they truly had brought it upon themselves.

Having become corrupted demons, if they weren't killed, they would have been a danger to the rest.

What's more— Mo Hua had subdued the two rampaging disciples with just a single glance.

Such power was beyond belief.

The other Broken Gold disciples couldn't help recalling Mo Hua's awe-inspiring display during the Sword Debate Tournament—where he nearly defeated five in one strike—and all his other feats. Fear crept into their hearts, and their faces showed it. No one dared question him anymore.

Song Jian said nothing. To maintain appearances, he feigned a bit of anger and sorrow, but deep down, he actually felt relieved.

On the surface, he was the proud prodigy of the Broken Gold Sect. But only he knew how he earned that title.

In normal situations, he could rely on his background and shrewdness to play the "big brother" and hold the front.

But in the current perilous environment, danger lurked at every step—he was completely out of his depth.

Just like back in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley—if you can't figure it out, then play it safe and follow someone who can.

"It's still safer sticking with Mo Hua…" Song Jian let out a long sigh of relief. The group continued onward.

After executing two as a warning, the rest of the Broken Gold Sect disciples became much more obedient. They no longer questioned Mo Hua's orders, nor dared to hesitate.

They may not respect Mo Hua from the heart, but they definitely didn't have the guts to gamble their lives challenging his authority.

Soon, the group reached the eastern edge of a dead forest—where they encountered another group of Qianxue Sect disciples.

Among them was the Water Dao Sect prodigy, Qin Cangliu, along with a dozen sectmates, including Wang Chen.

At the time, the Water Dao Sect disciples were standing guard in front of a mountain valley.

Qin Cangliu, ever cautious and calculating, didn't know the full nature of the formation but could sense the surrounding strangeness. He didn't dare move rashly and instead formed a defensive posture, choosing to wait and observe.

And so, he ended up waiting for Mo Hua to arrive.

When he saw Mo Hua's group—a dark mass of over forty people—Qin Cangliu's heart skipped a beat. He immediately drew his sword, its edge shimmering with watery light, and readied for battle.

The rest of the Water Dao Sect also drew their blades and took a battle stance.

There was bad blood between the Water Dao Sect and Taixu Sect from the Rouge Boat incident.

They'd also been enemies during the Sword Debate Tournament. Qin Cangliu himself had a "grudge" with Mo Hua.

They had fought to the death not long ago during the Shura Battle.

Naturally, seeing each other now, Qin Cangliu instinctively prepared for a deadly clash.

Normally, that would've been the case. But Mo Hua didn't attack.

And Qin Cangliu quickly noticed something strange.

Among the group approaching—not all were from the Taixu Sect…

"Broken Gold Sect?!"

Qin Cangliu's pupils shrank.

He had spotted more than a dozen Broken Gold Sect disciples standing within the Taixu ranks!

It was like mice lounging in a cat's embrace?!

Qin Cangliu was thrown into confusion.

Then, with a furious expression, he turned to Song Jian and shouted:

"Broken Gold Sect—you've surrendered to the Taixu Sect?!"

Afterward, his expression turned angry as he questioned Song Jian, "You've broken ties with the Broken Gold Sect—have you joined the Tai Xu Sect now?"

Song Jian found it inconvenient to speak, especially since he was currently in a subordinate position and naturally had to follow Mo Hua's lead.

He looked toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua then said to Qin Cangliu, "A sword debate is just that—a debate. For the benefit of our sects, naturally, we all want to win. But now we're caught inside an evil formation, surrounded by danger. As disciples of righteous sects, we should put past grudges aside, unite in our struggle, and work together to find a way out."

Mo Hua's words sounded very noble. But Qin Cangliu didn't quite trust them.

He was born into a Dao Court judicial family. All the elders in his clan worked in the criminal courts. Having been influenced since childhood, he had developed a somewhat gloomy temperament. Most people described him as deep and calculating.

And Qin Cangliu knew very well—he was rather calculating.

But standing before him was this fair-faced, red-lipped Mo Hua with clear eyes. And he was far more devious than Qin Cangliu himself.

The saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" could have been written for someone like Mo Hua.

Qin Cangliu frowned deeply, remaining silent.

Seeing that kind words didn't work, Mo Hua moved on to harsh ones—saying things like "your formations are useless, you're blind in here," "danger is right in front of you and you can't even see it," "staying behind means certain death," and "you'll die a miserable, very miserable death"...

Each word hit home, filling Qin Cangliu with unease.

He knew that Mo Hua might not be lying. But being cautious by nature, he still didn't make a decision right away.

What worried him the most was Mo Hua's insidiousness. He feared falling into one of Mo Hua's traps, worried that his fellow disciples from the Water Dao Sect would be sent to die, to be used as cannon fodder by this scheming man.

If it really came to that, they wouldn't even know how they died.

That was exactly what happened at the sword debate gathering. Many people were blown to pieces by Mo Hua's ambush before they even knew what was going on.

In things like this, Mo Hua had a truly notorious record.

Past lessons had to be heeded.

On the other hand, Qin Cangliu was also very aware that Mo Hua, the head of the Formation Dao, possessed unfathomable mastery. Only by following him did they have even a sliver of hope for survival.

As Qin Cangliu was struggling and hesitating internally, Wang Chen leaned over and whispered a suggestion:

"We're not the only sect following Mo Hua—Broken Gold Sect is here too. If he's going to screw someone over, it won't just be us Water Dao people."

"What's more, the Tai Xu Sect is powerful now. If we anger Mo Hua and they come for us… we won't be able to stop them."

Qin Cangliu frowned.

Wang Chen, knowing what he was thinking, added, "A wise man adapts to the times. If there are things you find difficult to say, I'll boldly go and negotiate with Young Lord Mo on our behalf."

Qin Cangliu was a bit surprised, but slowly nodded.

Wang Chen then stepped forward from the crowd and walked up to Mo Hua, pretending not to know him. He made a show of arguing reasonably, trying to win some "rights" for the Water Dao Sect.

Though Mo Hua looked arrogant, he nodded in agreement.

Wang Chen respectfully gave Mo Hua a bow, returned, and relayed Mo Hua's "guarantees" to Qin Cangliu:

—Guaranteed not to betray the Water Dao Sect.

—Guaranteed not to intentionally send their disciples to die.

—Guaranteed not to strike first against Water Dao Sect disciples.

—Guaranteed not to use formations to target their disciples.

...

"Young Master Qin, perhaps it's best to agree for now and act according to the situation later," Wang Chen suggested.

Qin Cangliu looked surprised.

Previously, he'd thought of Wang Chen as someone slick and opportunistic—too smooth, too cunning. But now, seeing Wang Chen argue for the Water Dao Sect with this "little villain" Mo Hua, he couldn't help but view him in a new light.

Qin Cangliu's opinion of Wang Chen improved a little, and he nodded:

"Alright."

And so, the Water Dao Sect was also temporarily "subsumed" by Mo Hua.

Mo Hua reaffirmed the rules, gave them divine protective formations, and the Water Dao Sect "offered up" some formation media and spirit ink in return.

Mo Hua's team grew even stronger.

The group continued exploring deeper, rescuing some scattered genius disciples along the way. Whether those disciples chose to stay was left up to them.

Most sect disciples, even if saved by Mo Hua, were unwilling—or too afraid—to travel with such a terrifying "arch-nemesis."

But disciples from Broken Gold Sect and Water Dao Sect, thanks to the leadership of Song Jian and Qin Cangliu, would all, without exception, choose to "submit" to Mo Hua once found.

This was the strategy of "capturing the king before the army."

Tame the leading geniuses first, and the rest of the disciples would naturally follow.

Mo Hua nodded, confirming his own theory, and began to gain insight into this method.

Thus, they moved forward again, leaving the withered forest and entering a blood marsh, where they encountered Shi Tiangang from the Diamond Sect.

The blood marsh was filled with water and mud.

But the water was blood, and the mud was minced flesh—reeked of blood and filth, a breeding ground for numerous evil spirits.

Above the blood marsh, there were countless leech-like wraiths floating in mid-air like a crimson rain—densely packed and hair-raising.

The Diamond Sect had poor luck and landed right near the blood marsh.

Unable to see the wraiths, they wandered blindly. Most of their disciples had already been invaded in their spiritual seas by these spirits—without realizing it.

Over time, the situation grew dire.

When Mo Hua's group arrived at the edge of the blood marsh, more than twenty genius disciples of the Diamond Sect had already fallen into madness, killing each other without end.

The crazed disciples were tearing each other apart.

The frenzied disciples were slaughtering each other.

The Vajra Sect disciples who still retained some clarity of mind had no choice but to intervene, trying to stop their crazed peers—only to be caught up in another kind of brutal fight.

And amidst the killing, their seas of consciousness were further invaded by even more malevolent spirits.

Among the crowd, the most striking figure was Shi Tiangang.

He was the senior brother of the Vajra Sect. Watching his fellow disciples turn on each other, he was clearly in great anguish, but powerless to stop it. He himself was trapped, besieged by six or seven demonized Vajra Sect disciples.

Yet, he truly lived up to his title as the senior brother of the Vajra Sect. His mastery of the Vajra Indestructible Body technique was profound, and his entire body radiated with golden light for protection. Even under the siege of six or seven of his sect's elite disciples, he continued to hold out bitterly.

What surprised Mo Hua was that, although Shi Tiangang was also "bathing" in the blood marsh, he was not deeply corrupted by the evil influence.

Perhaps it was the brilliance of the Vajra Indestructible Body technique, which not only protected the body but could also guard the mind.

Or maybe it was because body cultivators refined their physical forms through countless trials, making their wills as firm as iron.

Or possibly, this senior brother of the Vajra Sect possessed an upright heart and an unshakable Dao.

Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a trace of respect in his heart.

Seeing that Shi Tiangang was about to collapse, Mo Hua's eyes glowed with golden light as he swept his gaze across.

Immediately, several frenzied Vajra Sect disciples who met his gaze had their divine sense shaken and collapsed to the ground.

Then Ling Hu Xiao, Cheng Mo, and Situ Jian stepped forward together, pushing back the remaining Vajra Sect disciples and rescuing Shi Tiangang.

Shi Tiangang, pale-faced, was about to offer his thanks—but when he saw his "savior" was Mo Hua and members of the Tai Xu Sect, his expression grew incomparably conflicted.

Mo Hua didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point:

"If our sects work together, we can get out of here."

Shi Tiangang's resolute face revealed a bitter smile. He turned to look at his fellow disciples who were still slaughtering each other, and his heart felt like it was being torn apart. Finally, he sighed painfully and said:

"Forget it. I am the senior brother of the Vajra Sect. It is my failure that I didn't protect my fellow disciples."

"In this situation, how could I abandon them and escape alone...?"

Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, his gaze showing greater admiration. He nodded and said:

"I can help you save them."

Shi Tiangang's pupils trembled. He looked at Mo Hua in disbelief:

"You..."

"I won't be able to save everyone, but more than half can still be rescued," Mo Hua said. "But once I save them, you'll have to listen to me. At least inside this evil formation, what I say goes."

Shi Tiangang took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.

"Alright!"

He still harbored resentment and hatred toward Mo Hua.

But compared to the lives of his fellow disciples, that hatred was insignificant.

Mo Hua nodded and immediately took action.

First, he gathered the Vajra Sect disciples who had not lost their minds and brought them to his side.

Then, from a distance, he used Fireball Technique to draw aggro, luring the already demonized Vajra Sect disciples out of the blood marsh.

Next, he used his divine sense to control ink, drawing formations on the ground, constructing prisons of earth and wood to bind these disciples.

Then, he unleashed the Soul-Stirring Sword, stabbing their eyes to temporarily stun them.

Cheng Mo and the others rushed forward to subdue them, and then used various spiritual restraints to tie them up.

Mo Hua repeated the process: burning incense to clear the mind, fighting magic with magic—sending Sword Bone Worms into the disciples' sea of consciousness to purge the malevolent spirits...

This entire process left the disciples of the Broken Gold Sect and the Water Dao Sect completely bewildered—yet deeply shaken.

To them, Mo Hua didn't look like a formation master at all. Instead, he resembled some bizarre and mysterious witch doctor, radiating an unfathomable and eerie aura.

Their fear of Mo Hua deepened. As a result, their attitude grew more respectful, not daring to treat his words lightly.

In the end, out of more than twenty Vajra Sect disciples, eighteen survived.

Those whose Dao hearts were too weak, whose killing intent was too strong, or who were too deeply corrupted, didn't make it.

Even so, this result was far better than expected.

Shi Tiangang also began to feel a trace of gratitude toward Mo Hua.

Of course, that gratitude was still mixed with the earlier anger and resentment—leaving Shi Tiangang with a swirl of emotions he couldn't untangle.

Afterward, everyone took a short rest, and Mo Hua laid out three ground rules.

The eighteen surviving Vajra Sect prodigies, led by Shi Tiangang, handed over their formation tokens and spiritual ink, then donned Divine Dao formations and temporarily served as Mo Hua's guard, obeying his commands.

Mo Hua, twiddling a copper coin between his fingers, followed the threads of karma and led the group forward. They marched through the evil formation with an imposing aura.

Before long, they encountered another sect's prodigies in a nearby valley—

The Free Wanderer Sect's Feng Zichen.

When Feng Zichen saw Mo Hua and his group, he was utterly stunned. He froze for a good while, unable to react.

For a moment, he thought something was wrong with his eyes.

And if it wasn't his eyes, then surely his mind had been infected by evil thoughts, and he was hallucinating. What did he see?

Mo Hua standing at the center, flanked in front by the eighteen Vajra Sect prodigies led by Shi Tiangang; To the left, the Broken Gold Sect sword cultivators led by Song Jian;

To the right, the Water Dao Sect elites led by Qin Cangliu; And in the very center, the Tai Xu Sect's prodigies, all surrounding Mo Hua like stars orbiting a moon.

Feng Zichen felt like his entire worldview had just crumbled.

Enemies who had fought tooth and nail—now working together in harmony?

Was this a mouse serving as a bridesmaid for a cat?

He couldn't come up with a single logical reason to explain the utterly absurd scene before him.

In fact, Feng Zichen had already begun to suspect that Mo Hua was actually a reincarnated ancient demon lord—skilled in bewitching the mind. He must have used some kind of demonic magic to brainwash Shi Tiangang, Qin Cangliu, and Song Jian into becoming his puppets, doing his bidding...

Feng Zichen was starting to feel real fear.

Just then, the clear-eyed Mo Hua, surrounded like a moon among stars, glanced at Feng Zichen and asked calmly:

"Want to join us?"

Feng Zichen shivered and quickly nodded obediently:

"Mm."

(End of this Chapter)