Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 1113: Farewell

"Trickster Daoist..."

The Elder softly murmured this name—one that, to ordinary people, was too terrifying to even mention.

Almost simultaneously, the image of a dark-robed Daoist slowly emerged in the Elder's sea of consciousness.

Shrouded in black mist, the figure fixed his gaze on the Elder before slowly bowing.

The Elder frowned deeply.

He could sense that the aura of this eerie figure was growing ever more sinister and powerful.

A wisp of ancient Dao resonance was incubating within it, just one step away from breaking through the laws—from manifesting the void into form.

The two locked eyes across the void.

In the next instant, the eerie figure vanished, leaving no trace behind.

Inside the pavilion, only the faint scent of sandalwood lingered. A cup of tea. A Go board. All as calm as usual.

The Elder sat motionless before the board, deep in thought for a long time, then let out a long sigh.

He turned his head and looked southward. The sky was clear as far as the eye could see, and the sun hung high in the sky.

But within that daylight, an invisible red glow flickered—like blood, or perhaps fire.

The Elder's brow furrowed. After a moment, it slowly relaxed, a mix of relief and helplessness:

"Forget it. I, this old Elder, will soon step down anyway. These messes... you all can deal with them yourselves."

"All I want is to play a few games of Go and grow old in peace…"

The Elder lowered his gaze to the board, and in his mind appeared the figure of a young man—clear and bright as the wind, pale and luminous as the moon. He murmured:

"I wonder when that child... will come back and play another game with me…"

At the same time the Elder looked south, all across the Dao Court and the Nine Provinces, many Nascent Soul elders from various cultivation sects also sensed something amiss. They raised their heads and looked toward the southern sky, their expressions solemn:

"This sky... doesn't feel right."

"There's a shift in the situation of the Southern Wastes…"

"Disaster of blood and fire… Is some great demon about to emerge into the world?"

"Or is there a massive war about to break out in the Southern Wastes?"

"Send someone to investigate…"

As the situation turned as turbulent as a sudden storm, with undercurrents surging, countless gazes from different forces turned toward the barren Southern Wastes, scorched by Li Fire.

On the road leading from the Zhong Prefecture—

Many cultivators in plain clothes, suppressing their auras and hiding their identities, were heading from the Qianxue Prefecture toward the Great Wilderness.

Among the crowd were two seemingly unremarkable cultivators.

One was tall and thin, with paranoid, sinister eyes.

The other was short and slightly plump, his face greasy and slick.

No one else recognized these two, but if Mo Hua were present, he would have identified them instantly—they were both "old acquaintances."

One was Li San, an elite disciple of the now-destroyed Qianxue Demonic Sect.

The other, Elder You, who had once dealt with Mo Hua—and owed him 1.8 million spirit stones.

The two wore old gray robes and blended into the crowd as they made their way south. They remained silent throughout, and after half a day's journey, they rested by the roadside in a desolate mountain range.

Seeing no one nearby, Elder You turned to Li San, frowned, and finally asked:

"How did you escape from the Dao Prison?"

Li San's expression was dark, but to Elder You, he showed a strange and absolute loyalty. He replied:

"A blood-red formation appeared in the sky, demonic forces rampaged across the land, and the Dao Court fell into chaos. I took advantage of the disorder and escaped from the Dao Court's great prison."

Elder You asked again, "After escaping, you didn't join the other demonic cultivators in the formation?"

Li San answered, "No. I went into hiding."

Elder You frowned, "Why?"

Li San said, "Because you, Elder You, didn't instruct me to."

Elder You was stunned.

Li San spoke with devout reverence: "All my actions follow your orders. You didn't tell me to enter the formation, so I naturally wouldn't. Afterward, you gave me no instructions, so I assumed you wanted me to lie low and not act rashly."

"And just as you foresaw…"

"The formation was destroyed. Everything within it turned to black ash—completely annihilated. And I… survived."

"You truly see the future, Elder You. You didn't abandon me after all…"

Li San looked at Elder You, his expression somewhat fanatical.

That intensity made Elder You a little uncomfortable—perhaps even vaguely afraid.

Yet within that fanaticism was an unmistakable loyalty.

This stirred a desire in Elder You's heart.

Someone like him, who had lived in the shadows his entire life—opportunistic and self-serving—had always lacked one thing: loyalty.

"Very well. You shall come with me to the Great Wilderness," Elder You nodded.

Li San bowed, "Yes."

Elder You gave a small nod, then suddenly glanced at Li San and asked, "Aren't you curious why I'm going to the Great Wilderness?"

Li San replied, "Your actions, Elder You, are based on careful consideration. Whatever you say is what it is. If you tell me, that means I should know. If you don't, that means I shouldn't."

Elder You smiled, pleased and satisfied.

In all his decades navigating the ups and downs of the cultivation world, he had never met someone so loyal and transparent. A rare appreciation for talent welled up in him, and he said to Li San:

"There are things I can't explain in detail, but I'll tell you this—we're in the business of spirit stone trading."

"We've secretly funded the spread of demonic sects, supported the rise of the Shen family, and backed Mr. Tu's grand plans…"

"Unfortunately, all those investments failed."

"But that's the nature of investing—most end in loss. Only a rare few turn a massive profit."

"If we can just strike it rich once, it will offset all losses and earn us a fortune in spirit stones."

Elder You's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Li San was stunned. "You're not an elder of the Demonic Sect?"

Elder You replied, "I can be an elder of the Demonic Sect—or not. I can be an elder of any sect or force. But at the core, I am no one. You only need to know one thing: I am Elder You, and what we believe in—is spirit stones."

Li San slowly nodded.

Elder You asked, "Do you know why I'm telling you all this?"

Li San thought for a moment and said, "Because Elder You trusts me."

Elder You nodded, "In business, trust is the most important thing. You must always remember that."

Li San nodded.

Elder You glanced at Li San, feeling somewhat puzzled. Why was this strange man, Li San, so loyal to him?

He was clearly just a discarded disciple from the Puppet Demon Sect.

Yet this "loyalty" was not faked.

Elder You had met countless people in his life, and he could naturally see that Li San's loyalty was genuine — it came from the heart.

Moreover, it was a kind of fanatical loyalty.

To someone in business, loyalty was the most valuable asset — and often the rarest trait among them.

So Elder You cherished it deeply.

"From today on, you are my trusted aide. In all things, you only need to follow my commands. I will ensure you reach the Core Formation stage and rise to great success."

Core Formation! Soaring success!

Just as promised in the Demon Sect's decree, Elder You had truly fulfilled his word.

Li San was overjoyed and cupped his hands respectfully. "Li San is willing to go through fire and water, without hesitation."

Elder You nodded in satisfaction. "Let's go."

"Yes."

The two of them, one ahead and one behind, continued south toward the border of the state.

Elder You walked in front.

Behind him, Li San's eyes burned with fervent devotion toward "Elder You."

But neither of them knew — the "Elder You" that Li San was so loyal to... who was he, truly?

———

Lizhōu, Tongxian City.

In a small courtyard, Mo Hua sat at a square Eight Immortals table. He looked up at the southern sky, his expression a mix of confusion and solemnity.

The higher the sun rose, the more intense the Li Fire burned.

This meant that the situation in the Great Wilderness was increasingly dire.

Mo Hua sighed softly. He knew — it was time to leave once again.

He turned to look at the lush old Chinese scholar tree, at the childhood courtyard, at the bustling Tongxian City, and the distant Black Mountain. A sense of melancholy filled his heart.

These sights… would soon only exist in memory.

Who knew when he would see them again?

Having made up his mind, Mo Hua did a brief divination and determined that three days later would be an auspicious day — the day he would set out.

Over these three days, he still planned to say simple farewells to a few elders and friends.

He first went to visit Instructor Yan.

Instructor Yan was now considered the head of the small Lingyin Sect. His cultivation had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

His wife, Shen Ru, was only a step away from Foundation Establishment herself.

The couple received Mo Hua at the newly established Lingyin Sect.

Instructor Yan, who had once been consumed with revenge and full of bitterness, used to always wear a serious expression. But now, having avenged his great grievance and gotten married, his demeanor was much calmer. His expression had softened, and he now exuded a cultured elegance. Standing beside his wife Shen Ru, the two appeared to be a perfectly matched and respectful pair.

Mo Hua was happy for them.

As he drank tea with Instructor Yan, they chatted about formation arts.

Shen Ru watched Mo Hua and couldn't help but marvel in her heart — at such a young age, he was already a high-level second-rank formation master.

After chatting for a while, Manager Mo arrived.

In truth, Mo Hua shared a deep karmic bond with Manager Mo. Back in the day, if he hadn't drawn formation diagrams for him to earn spirit stones, he might never have become the "little formation master" of Tongxian City, let alone climbed to where he was now.

But the former Manager Mo was now "Elder Mo."

Formation Hall business wasn't easy, and being a mere manager had little future. He still had a family to feed.

In the end, he followed his senior brother Instructor Yan to the small Lingyin Sect and became an elder. He now taught disciples formation arts — and naturally, he also handled all the chores and hard work.

Although called an "elder," much of his work was still the same as a manager's.

Still, revitalizing the sect was far more meaningful than guarding a tiny formation hall.

Manager Mo was quite content.

As he entered, Mo Hua greeted him, "Manager Mo, how have you been?"

"Well, well…"

Manager Mo chuckled and returned the greeting, feeling emotional.

Who could have imagined that the young boy who once wasn't even as tall as his counter — clutching a few crude fire-pattern diagrams in exchange for spirit stones — would grow into someone of such terrifying talent and world-shaking achievements?

For the past ten years or so, he'd proudly bragged about this whenever drinking with others — astonishing and impressing all who heard, gaining him much face.

With such a legendary story behind him, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would respectfully toast him now, and he'd remain perfectly composed.

After some more reminiscing, Mo Hua rose to take his leave.

Instructor Yan seemed to sense that Mo Hua was about to leave for good, and although he looked a little regretful, he was also gratified:

"The world is vast, and the way of formations is boundless. You're still young — you should venture far and wide, and see more."

"A dragon must not be trapped in shallow waters."

Mo Hua smiled. "Yes."

"And one more thing…" Instructor Yan held his wife Shen Ru's hand and said to Mo Hua, "As I told you before — if you meet a good girl, be sure to hold on tight. Never let go."

Mo Hua froze for a moment and nodded sheepishly. "Mm…"

Manager Mo also clasped his hands with a smile. "I don't have much wisdom to offer — just hope that your journey goes smoothly, your heart's desires are fulfilled, your grand ambitions realized, and you eventually ascend to immortality."

Mo Hua smiled and returned the gesture. "And may you, Manager Mo, enjoy family harmony, successful children, and great fortune soon."

These words touched Manager Mo's heart, and he laughed merrily. "I gratefully accept your auspicious words, Immortal Mo — no, Brother Mo!"

After bidding farewell to Instructor Yan, Mo Hua went to visit An Xiaofu.

After bidding farewell to Instructor Yan, Mo Hua went to visit An Xiaofu.

An Xiaofu had grown a lot taller, still chubby, and still just as simple and pure-hearted.

When he heard that Mo Hua was leaving again, An Xiaofu was quite disappointed. After thinking for a bit, he handed Mo Hua a white jade token, upon which the words "Fortune Feast" (福膳) were engraved.

Mo Hua asked, "What's this?"

"A Free Meal Token."

Mo Hua was stunned. "Free meal?"

An Xiaofu nodded. "Officially, it's called the 'Fortune Feast White Jade Token,' but really, it's a 'Free Meal Token.' With this token, you can eat and drink at Fortune Feast Pavilion without spending a single spirit stone…"

"I plan to open Fortune Feast Pavilions all across the Nine Provinces. That way, no matter where you are, as long as you have this token, you can eat and drink for free. I'll take care of all your meals from now on!"

An Xiaofu patted his chest proudly, full of grand ambition.

Mo Hua was moved and smiled. "Alright!"

An Xiaofu giggled in his silly, honest way.

…

After parting with An Xiaofu, Mo Hua made a round of farewells and finally went to see Elder Yu.

Elder Yu was busy with the expansion of Tongxian City and could only spare a moment to hand Mo Hua a jade slip.

"I thought hard about how I could still be of help to you. I spent ten days trying to come up with something… and still didn't manage to think of anything."

"In terms of cultivation, you're already in the late Foundation Establishment stage, and I'm only in the early stage. In terms of status, you're now a disciple of a fifth-grade major sect, while I'm just a scattered cultivator elder in a small immortal city. In terms of Dao comprehension and cultivation experience, I'm also far behind…"

"The only thing that might be of use to you," Elder Yu sighed, pointing to the jade slip in Mo Hua's hand, "is this…"

Mo Hua looked surprised. He sent his divine sense into the jade slip and gave it a quick scan—only to see it filled with biting sarcasm and scathing insults. The sharpness of the words, the unusual angles—they were unlike anything he had ever encountered.

Mo Hua's expression was stunned. "This is…"

Elder Yu's expression was solemn:

"I've recorded every insult I could think of throughout my life in that jade slip. Look through it when you have time. If it helps you, great. If not… just don't say I gave it to you…"

Mo Hua held the jade slip in both hands, feeling its heavy weight. In his heart, it felt like he had just received a top-tier legacy that not even a fifth-grade sect in the Ganxue Province could offer. His expression turned solemn as he said:

"Elder Yu, rest assured. One day, I will carry this legacy forward and let it shine!"

Elder Yu looked embarrassed and waved his hand weakly. "No need, no need… please don't carry it forward…"

But Mo Hua was no longer listening.

He carefully stored away the "words of wisdom" Elder Yu had gifted him into his storage ring, determined to study it well and apply it in the future.

Elder Yu's scalp tingled slightly, unsure if what he had done was the right thing…

(End of this Chapter)