Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 1122: Schemes

After returning to the Cangwolf Sect, Mo Hua lay on the soft, luxurious bed, his mind unable to calm down for a long time.

Only after a while did he push aside the memories of the day and begin contemplating the matters of the Cangwolf Sect.

First, there was that Elder Ji from earlier.

This Elder Ji was clearly a professional "madam" of the sect, skilled in dressing up temptation as kindness, bewitching hearts and leading people into depravity.

But what Mo Hua truly cared about was something else.

There was a deep scar on Elder Ji's chest.

At first, Mo Hua hadn't paid much attention to it.

Scars were common on cultivators—especially in a sect like the Cangwolf Sect, whose methods were far from "upright." Fighting was inevitable.

But later, Mo Hua realized something was off.

From that scar, he faintly sensed a familiar aura.

While in the golden casino, taking advantage of the chaotic mingling of energies brought on by greed and desire, Mo Hua conducted a small deduction.

In that instant, a vision of Mount Dahei surfaced in his mind.

Fragments of broken black-and-white scenes flashed by.

It seemed some cultivators were hunting a beast.

The beast roared, ripping open a cultivator's chest.

Then came the sound of rage, and both sides clashed in even more intense combat...

Mo Hua didn't show anything at the time, but now that he recalled it, his heart trembled slightly.

"Could the scar on Elder Ji's chest have been left by my big tiger?"

"Did the Cangwolf Sect… capture my big tiger?"

"Why?"

Mo Hua frowned. Something about this didn't add up.

And… the timeline didn't match either.

The Cangwolf Sect's sect master had "lowered himself to recruit talent" by coming to Tongxian City to invite him to join the sect—this happened a month or two ago.

But his big tiger had been captured a year ago.

If Elder Ji truly was the one who captured or hunted his big tiger…

That meant the Cangwolf Sect had already extended its claws toward Tongxian City a year ago— Or perhaps even earlier.

It was precisely because the Cangwolf Sect had long planted spies in Tongxian City…

That when Mo Hua returned from studying at the Great Void Sect and his name had barely begun to spread, the Cangwolf Sect—once isolated by Mount Dahei— promptly appeared at his door.

Mo Hua's expression shifted with sudden clarity.

That explained everything.

"But why would the Cangwolf Sect meddle in Tongxian City?"

"Because Tongxian City is prosperous and full of resources?"

In the Cangwolf State, the Cangwolf Sect was the "big fish," monopolizing the area, having devoured nearly all the smaller sects and loose cultivators around it.

To continue expanding, it naturally had to reach further—to the richer Tongxian City.

Only by sucking the blood of Tongxian City…

Could the Cangwolf Sect continue to grow.

Mo Hua looked contemplative.

For wolves to eat meat was natural instinct, and that reasoning made sense. Yet he faintly sensed— The Cangwolf Sect had even deeper schemes.

And then there was something else Mo Hua found strange— The deaths of Elder Sun and that young man in the wolf robe.

One was a seasoned elder of a third-grade sect.

The other was even the sect master's blood nephew. Logically, if either of them died—or even went missing—it should've caused a huge uproar within the sect.

But now, both had been dead for two days, and there wasn't the slightest whisper of news inside the sect?

As if nothing had ever happened?

Were those two fakes—not real elders of the Cangwolf Sect?

Or… was the Cangwolf Sect so massive that the deaths of two elders were insignificant, not worth caring about?

"Impossible…"

Mo Hua's gaze darkened slightly. Something here was seriously off.

His big tiger's disappearance…

The howls of wolves inside the sect…

And the deaths of those two elders…

"This Cangwolf Sect really is full of strange secrets…"

Mo Hua murmured quietly.

...

Inside a luxurious secret chamber of the Cangwolf Sect, wolf heads hung everywhere.

A giant Cangwolf pelt was draped over the seat at the center.

The Cangwolf Sect's sect master sat atop it.

In front of him, Elder Ji gave a detailed report:

"That boy is truly a 'freak'—he doesn't like women. Pure ones, seductive ones, mature, youthful, curvy, slender—none of them interest him??"

"Those eyes of his, ethereal and deep, look at those graceful women as if he's just looking at piles of bones and flesh—no reaction at all."

"He doesn't like men either."

"He shows no joy in winning a bet, only anger when he loses."

"All kinds of entertainment bore him. He seems sentimental, but has no emotion; seems desirous, yet has no desire??"

Elder Ji looked puzzled. "Could he really be, as rumored in Tongxian City, a reincarnated celestial child who descended to the mortal realm?"

The sect master sneered. "Ignorant bumpkins in backwater towns—narrow-minded fools. They hear a gust of wind and assume it's a storm. Any young talent and they start screaming about celestial reincarnations?"

"They don't know how vast the Nine Provinces are. Talents are as common as grains of sand in a river. Some 'genius' from a small city, in a grand province, would be considered utterly ordinary."

"If that Mo brat qualifies as a 'reincarnated celestial child,' then the geniuses in fifth-grade provinces must all be incarnations of gods. How could there possibly be so many immortals in this world?"

Elder Ji nodded thoughtfully. "That's true…"

He glanced at the sect master again and asked, "Then… is that boy all flash, no substance?"

The Cangwolf Sect master shook his head. "I've said it before—even if he didn't make it out there and had to slink back to this tiny speck of a place in Lìzhou, he still saw the world."

"Even a sliver of the inheritance from a fifth-grade major sect would benefit our Cangwolf Sect endlessly."

"Besides, even if the boy's reputation is overblown, that doesn't mean he has no ability."

"If he truly were talentless, how could he have joined a fifth-grade major sect?"

"He's just not as extraordinary as the rumors make him out to be…"

The sect master mused, "Regardless, his vision, his cultivation knowledge— And the inheritance of a fifth-grade sect—they're all there."

"His array skills are said to be quite strong."

"Even if he's good for nothing else, the title of 'fifth-grade sect disciple,' or 'reincarnated celestial child,' is incredibly useful to our Cangwolf Sect."

"No one is without value."

"You just have to know how to recognize it."

"Wise words, Sect Master!" Elder Ji cupped his hands in admiration. After a moment of thought, he nodded sincerely:

"Recognizing others' value… Truly wise! I'm good at recognizing the value of women. I know which ones are soft-bodied, which ones are more… moisturized, which ones dress with more flair, which ones…"

The Cangwolf Sect master looked at him coldly.

Elder Ji dared not continue.

After a while, he asked quietly, "Then… this Mo boy, if he doesn't like women…"

The sect master replied, "Keep sending them."

"Keep sending?" Elder Ji asked.

The sect master nodded. "He's a man. There's no man who doesn't like women. If he doesn't, it's only because he hasn't met one he likes. Keep sending. Eventually, one will suit his taste."

"And once a man falls for a woman, he becomes weak. He gains a weakness we can exploit. No exceptions."

"Once he's trapped by emotion, this so-called genius from a major province will be like meat on the chopping block—ours to do with as we please."

You can't guard against a thief forever.

And the human heart is made of flesh—it will always have a crack.

Elder Ji cupped his hands. "Yes, Sect Master."

"Oh, and give him something to do."

"Understood."

"Also, give him something to do."

"Alright."

The secret chamber fell silent for a while.

The Sect Master of the Cangwolf Sect narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and low: "Has there been any word on Hong'er and Elder Sun?"

Elder Ji's expression grew grim. "We looked into it. Two days ago, Elder Duan and Elder Sun left the city with a group, and never returned…"

"I didn't make a public announcement. I simply sent people to quietly search the area around Cangwolf City. We did find some scattered signs of terrain damage, but no truly useful clues whatsoever."

"Judging from the situation, it doesn't look like they ran away."

One was an elder of the Cangwolf Sect—held high status on a daily basis.

The other was the Sect Master's own nephew, who normally threw his weight around with impunity.

Both relied on the protection of the Cangwolf Sect to live well—there was no reason for them to run.

"Either they were kidnapped, or…"

Elder Ji glanced at the Sect Master, hesitated briefly, then said softly:

"Or they were… directly killed, and their bodies completely disposed of."

"If it was a kidnapping… for someone to leave no trace while kidnapping two Foundation Establishment elders, their cultivation and methods must be extremely strong."

"But if it was murder followed by the destruction of all evidence… then it must have been done by someone ruthless, experienced, and meticulous. Otherwise, there's no way not even a sliver of evidence would remain…"

Elder Ji slowly laid out his reasoning.

The Sect Master of the Cangwolf Sect grew increasingly grim. His expression was already twisted with rage, dark energy flickering faintly around him. Within his shadow, one could almost see a vicious wolf howling.

Elder Ji's face paled in fear.

He was only in late Foundation Establishment, while the Sect Master was at the Golden Core stage. Between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core was a massive gulf—just the pressure alone made it hard for him to breathe.

But there was no choice. For someone to target Cangwolf Sect elders was a blatant provocation.

Especially since one of them was the Sect Master's own nephew.

The Sect Master had always doted on that nephew.

Inside the luxurious secret chamber, the atmosphere grew oppressive and stifling.

Cold sweat was already forming on Elder Ji's forehead.

After a while, the Sect Master forcefully suppressed the violent fury in his heart and asked, "Any leads on who did it?"

Elder Ji replied, "It's too soon. We haven't found anything yet…"

The Sect Master's expression darkened.

Elder Ji quickly added, "In recent days, there have been no Foundation Establishment outsiders appearing in Cangwolf City, and the local cultivators would never dare provoke our sect—they don't even have the capability."

He paused, eyes flickering slightly. "The only outsider of note, with decent cultivation, is that Young Master Mo."

The Sect Master frowned, recalling his meeting with Mo Hua—his calm demeanor, his relaxed and leisurely manner—and shook his head slightly.

If he had really killed someone and made an enemy of the sect, would he still be so at ease, eating and drinking under Cangwolf's roof?

If so, that would be some astonishing nerve…

Besides, what reason would he have to kill?

He was a prodigy from Tongxian City, a disciple of a fifth-rank major sect. Coming to the Cangwolf Sect to seek refuge, and before even entering the city, he kills two elders and starts a blood feud?

Wouldn't that mean he was insane?

And if he really did kill Hong'er and Elder Sun, that would also mean that Captain Luo was either complicit or at least in the know.

But that cowardly-looking Luo? Could someone like him really have the guts to attack Cangwolf elders?

The Sect Master mulled it over, then gave an order: "Keep investigating, but make sure it stays quiet. Do not alert anyone. No rattling the grass and scaring the snake."

Elder Ji said, "But at this rate, it'll take too long. Sect Master, why not issue the Cangwolf Order and mobilize the sect…"

"No!" the Sect Master snapped.

Elder Ji froze.

The Sect Master narrowed his eyes and spoke in a lower tone:

"This matter must not get out. Not a single hint. Otherwise, it could damage the Cangwolf Sect's prestige."

Elder Ji considered this, then nodded. "The Sect Master is right."

The Sect Master waved his hand. "Go."

"Yes."

Once Elder Ji left, the secret chamber felt emptier.

In the darkness of night, the candlelight flickered gloomily—just like the Sect Master's expression, cold and sinister as water.

"Who could've done this…"

"Could it be… because of that matter?"

For once, the always composed Sect Master showed a flash of fear and unease, a chill running through his heart.

"This must never be exposed. Never…"

"This is… a crime worthy of exterminating the whole clan…"

The next day, Mo Hua had just gotten out of bed when Elder Ji came again.

"Still planning to enjoy the city today?" Mo Hua asked him.

Elder Ji, however, smiled and said, "Today, I have a small favor to ask of Young Master Mo."

Mo Hua understood instantly—they weren't letting him relax anymore; now they wanted him to work. He nodded. "Alright."

Frankly, those indulgent luxuries weren't all that fun anyway.

"This way, Young Master," Elder Ji said, leading the way.

After a few steps, Mo Hua suddenly spoke. "Elder Ji…"

Elder Ji turned around.

Mo Hua looked at the scar on his chest and said, "I meant to ask yesterday—your wound…"

Elder Ji replied, "I was clawed by a beast. It's no longer serious, just slow to heal completely."

A beast…

Mo Hua nodded. "I see," he said, and didn't ask further.

After that, Elder Ji brought Mo Hua into Cangwolf City, to a large-scale smithing workshop.

"Young Master Mo's talent is renowned—unparalleled in formations. Today, the Cangwolf Sect's smithing branch ran into a very troublesome problem, and we hoped to consult you."

Elder Ji spoke as they walked.

Mo Hua nodded. "No problem at all."

The two soon arrived in front of a massive smithing furnace.

The furnace was already out of operation—there was a problem with the formation inside. It hadn't been sabotaged to test Mo Hua; it was genuinely broken.

Moreover, it was a mid-grade second-rank formation.

Cangwolf Prefecture was a weak third-rank region—Golden Core cultivators were rare, and there wasn't a single third-rank formation master. Even among second-rank ones, those with mid-grade skill were extremely scarce.

The sect's hired guest formation elders had all failed to fix the issue.

So now, Elder Ji had come to beg Mo Hua for help.

Inside the Cang Wolf Sect, most of the hired guest array elders couldn't solve the problem either.

So Elder Ji turned to Mo Hua for help.

When Mo Hua arrived, several array masters of the Cang Wolf Sect were leading their apprentices in studying the formation inside the refining furnace.

Upon seeing Mo Hua, a trace of wariness flashed in the eyes of those array masters.

As the saying goes, "Foreign monks recite better scriptures."

And Mo Hua, this "foreign monk," was essentially threatening their "rice bowls" as guest array masters of the Cang Wolf Sect.

Naturally, they harbored a certain level of hostility toward Mo Hua—though none of them said it openly.

Elder Ji didn't care about that. He looked at Mo Hua and asked, "Young Master Mo, what do you think?"

Mo Hua swept the furnace with his divine sense and immediately saw what the problem was.

He had been tinkering with refining furnace formations since he was a teenager.

The Cang Wolf Sect was known for its domineering nature, but its industries were lacking.

Even the refining furnaces within their industry were rather average—mostly old models.

This kind of simple-structured, second-grade "old-style" refining furnace—Mo Hua could diagnose the problem with his eyes closed.

Fixing it would be a trivial matter.

But he didn't act immediately.

One must learn to keep a low profile, to be reserved.

There was no need to come off as too much of a genius—doing so would only attract jealousy and unnecessary trouble.

Mo Hua simply said, "Let me take a look," and then leaned over the furnace, pretending to examine it closely from left to right. In the end, he copied down an array diagram and sat to the side, pretending to study it intently.

The other guest elders sneered inwardly at the sight. In their hearts, they scoffed that this so-called prodigy from a fifth-grade major sect, so favored by the sect master, was just like this after all.

They continued working diligently, array masters and apprentices alike—reading formation manuals, verifying diagrams, comparing rune patterns, discussing theory—researching tirelessly for most of the day.

Mo Hua, meanwhile, sat by himself staring blankly at the array diagram, secretly lost in his own thoughts.

Eventually, the sun set and night began to fall.

Mo Hua looked up at the sky, then stood up, took a brush, dipped it in flint ink, and inside the furnace, casually drew a few simple strokes.

Then he turned to the craftsman of the refining hall and said:

"All set. Give it a try."

The craftsman was momentarily stunned, then nodded and instructed, "Light the fire."

The refining furnace was reassembled, spirit stones were loaded in, and someone ignited it using fire-element spells.

With a flash of red light, the furnace rumbled to life with a deep hum.

The craftsman beamed with joy and said to Mo Hua, "This young master is truly extraordinary! With just a few simple strokes, you've repaired the furnace!"

Mo Hua casually replied, "Don't be fooled by those few strokes. I racked my brains for most of the day just to get them right…"

The craftsman didn't really understand, but felt very impressed nonetheless, and regarded Mo Hua with even greater respect.

Indeed, success doesn't come easily.

"Let's go," Mo Hua said to Elder Ji, turning to leave—only to be stopped by a voice.

"Wait a moment!"

Mo Hua turned and saw, among the disappointed guest array masters, a tall middle-aged man who stepped forward, cupped his hands, and praised:

"As expected of Young Master Mo—your reputation is well deserved."

Mo Hua was puzzled. "And you are…?"

The man smiled and replied, "My surname is Zhao. I'm an elder of the Cang Wolf Sect."

"Greetings, Elder Zhao," Mo Hua replied with a polite bow.

Elder Zhao returned the gesture. "If there's a chance in the future, I'd like to exchange array knowledge with you, Young Master Mo."

Mo Hua nodded. "Certainly."

"Then I won't keep you." Elder Zhao stepped back.

Mo Hua cupped his hands. "Farewell."

Elder Ji then led Mo Hua out of the refining hall.

But throughout the whole interaction, he didn't say a word to Elder Zhao. His gaze was guarded, with a hint of unease—clearly, Elder Zhao's identity was not simple.

As they left, Mo Hua glanced back at Elder Zhao, sensing the spiritual pressure of his divine sense, his expression turning contemplative.

…

In the days that followed, Elder Ji constantly came to Mo Hua for help.

He seemed to want to "cook the rice before asking permission"—getting Mo Hua used to working for the Cang Wolf Sect, then offering him a formal status.

Mo Hua didn't refuse.

Every time Elder Ji asked for help, Mo Hua would drag things out a bit, appear unhurried—but always manage to solve the problem by day's end.

Elder Ji gradually developed a growing respect for him.

In the cultivation world, all trades relied heavily on array formations.

A genuinely talented array master was a rare and invaluable asset anywhere.

And so, thanks to his formation skills, Mo Hua's standing in the Cang Wolf Sect steadily rose.

But the thing he truly wanted to do made no progress at all.

The Cang Wolf Sect had strict rules and was tightly knit. No matter where he went, Elder Ji followed close behind. For the moment, Mo Hua couldn't find any openings.

It left him somewhat troubled.

…

Meanwhile, the sect master of the Cang Wolf Sect was feeling uneasy as well.

His nephew and Elder Sun had been missing for half a month without any word—most likely dead.

If it were just a simple death, that would be one thing. But if it wasn't…

The sect master was both furious and filled with dread.

A deep, lingering sense of fear—like having his head hanging by a thread—made it hard for him to sleep.

That night, under the dark sky and rising wind,

The sect master went alone—against protocol—into the Cang Wolf Sect's forbidden ground, entering a secret chamber underground, where he met a figure cloaked entirely in black robes.

Kneeling on the floor, he spoke in a low, reverent voice:

"Sir, please divine a hexagram for me."

"Tell me… who killed my nephew…"

"Otherwise, I won't find peace…"

(End of this Chapter)