Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 656 – Fireball Forbidden Art

Mo Hua's scalp tingled, but he still forced a smile and said:

"Venerable one, you're being too kind. I can return to the sect by myself, no need to trouble you. The Dao Tribunal is after you—you'd better run for your life…"

Fire Buddha's gaze narrowed, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"So the one who pretended to be 'Master Yuan' that day and spoke to me—was you!"

"It wasn't!"

Mo Hua flatly denied it.

But Fire Buddha had already made up his mind.

"In the altar, the one who stole my Demonic Path Turning Slaughter True Art and Falling Fire Forbidden Technique Secret Manual—that was you too, wasn't it?"

Mo Hua blinked innocently.

"Venerable, I don't understand what you're saying…"

Fire Buddha's eyelids twitched.

In all his years, he had never seen such a shameless little rascal.

Mo Hua gave a sheepish smile.

"Venerable, if you're not leaving, at least let me go?"

Fire Buddha took a deep breath and said coldly:

"You think… you can leave?"

Seeing Fire Buddha wasn't letting him off, Mo Hua sighed and muttered:

"Why're you picking on me, a mere kid, instead of going after Uncle Gu?"

"No."

Fire Buddha's gaze sharpened.

"Gu Changhuai isn't as dangerous as you…"

Mo Hua froze.

"If I can't kill Gu Changhuai today, I can always do it another day…"

"But you… are different."

Fire Buddha stared hard at Mo Hua:

"Your divine sense is powerful. Your concealment is unmatched. You're a master of arrays. Your movements are unpredictable. Your methods, bizarre. Your mind, cunning and scheming…"

"You're only in early Foundation Establishment, but given time, you'll be a calamity!"

Fire Buddha's gaze was filled with killing intent:

"I have a feeling… If I don't kill you today, one day I'll die at your hands!"

Mo Hua's eyelids twitched violently. He forced a smile:

"Venerable, you're really overestimating me. My talent's terrible—really not worth all this attention…"

But Fire Buddha's killing intent had already solidified.

He slowly stepped toward Mo Hua. His once-benevolent face now wore a cold, indifferent smile.

"Little benefactor, you stole my Falling Fire Art... I bet you don't even know how to use it yet, do you?"

He reached out slowly, evil energy surging around him, flames rising.

"Let me teach you... now."

But the moment Fire Buddha reached out—Mo Hua also raised his finger and activated a formation.

Fire Buddha's pupils shrank.

This time, he saw it clearly.

Mo Hua pointed, and spiritual ink shot through the air, snaking across the ground at lightning speed, forming intricate runes and completing a formation.

Controlling ink with divine sense—drawing an array with a single point?!

Fire Buddha sucked in a sharp breath.

What kind of absurd array-setting technique was this?

Forget "Master Yuan"—in all his years, even among the countless formation masters he had seen or heard of, not one could create formations so effortlessly and without restriction.

This boy must die!

If he gained even a little more cultivation and mastery of formations, he'd be an unthinkably dangerous enemy.

Fire Buddha's killing intent flared to the extreme.

Under his feet, a Mountain-Sealing Array activated, trapping him where he stood.

But in just a breath, flames surged explosively, completely destroying the array.

With the formation gone, Mo Hua turned around and bolted.

Can't win—RUN!

Fire Buddha sneered and chased after him, but just a few steps in, more formations were triggered underfoot, slowing him down.

Only now did Fire Buddha realize—while they were talking, this little brat had silently drawn all these formations around him to stall for time.

"Truly a scheming little devil…"

He snorted coldly.

He unleashed his power to the fullest. Fire rained down, sweeping in all directions, detonating one after another, destroying every array Mo Hua had set nearby.

Then his figure turned into a blazing inferno, charging straight at Mo Hua.

Startled, Mo Hua immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai:

"Uncle Gu, save me!!"

"Fire Buddha's trying to kill me!!!"

He turned back—and Fire Buddha was already gaining on him.

Mo Hua was early Foundation Establishment, and Fire Buddha was peak Foundation Establishment.

The gap in cultivation was massive.

Even though his Flowing Water Steps were excellent, they were suited for short-range dodging and maneuvering—not long-distance escapes.

Just as he was about to get caught, Mo Hua's body twisted like flowing water, abruptly swerving and dashing into a forest off the path.

Fire Buddha struck empty air and frowned.

This movement technique… where did it come from?

Back when they first met, Mo Hua had used this very same movement art to escape from Qiao Lao Liu and the others.

Fire Buddha hadn't intervened back then and had assumed it was just because Qiao Lao Liu was bad at chasing.

But now that he was chasing personally, he realized—

This water-based technique was much trickier than expected.

Like a slippery little loach, impossible to grab.

He looked weak—but was terrifyingly hard to kill.

"All the more reason to kill him…"

Fire Buddha growled coldly.

Mo Hua darted into the forest with Flowing Water Steps, and Fire Buddha followed.

With rocks and trees in the way, Mo Hua's movement skill shone. While Fire Buddha could catch up to him, he couldn't pin him down or finish him off in a short time.

His spells either missed or were blocked by the terrain.

Fire Buddha's killing intent grew even heavier.

Mo Hua maneuvered for a while, then suddenly found a perfect moment, merged into the surroundings, and began to fade from view—

"Just as I thought… Five Elements Concealment Technique..."

(My lord, there's more to this chapter! Click 'next page' for more thrilling action!)

Fire Buddha's eyes narrowed, then he gave a cold laugh and took out a Mercury Spirit Mirror from his robes.

Silver light shimmered across the surface of the mirror.

He swept it across the forest—and instantly spotted a faint shadow among the trees.

He waved his hand, launching several fire raindrops infused with Falling Fire—like fiery daggers, they shot forward.

That tiny shadow flickered and dodged the fire attack.

The fire bolts exploded on a boulder with a BOOM, burning deep holes that smoked with white-hot heat.

Missing the strike, Fire Buddha snorted and continued probing with the spirit mirror, trying to find Mo Hua's hidden form.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua was internally speechless.

Fire Buddha… really? All this effort for a small-time cultivator like me?!

Ambushes.

Roadblocks.

And even bringing specialized spiritual tools to counter my concealment?

When he wiped out the Xie Clan, it was probably just a few bursts of Falling Fire, a big massacre—and he likely didn't even put this much effort in…

But now, Mo Hua had no choice.

He could only hope that Uncle Gu arrived quickly to save him.

Only then would he have a chance to escape—or fight back.

Until then, he had to keep stalling, keep dodging, and keep surviving.

Meanwhile, on another path—

Gu Changhuai was riding a spirit horse, returning from Bìshan City toward the Qianxue Province border.

He was uneasy. Fire Buddha's escape path had been too straightforward, too obvious.

It felt like a diversion.

He also recalled that Mo Hua was traveling alone back to the sect, and without realizing it, his heart grew anxious.

So he had changed course, heading toward the province border to check on things himself.

Halfway there, his transmission token suddenly lit up.

He pulled it out—only to see Mo Hua's messages:

"Fire Buddha's trying to kill me!"

Gu Changhuai's heart lurched violently—he could barely breathe.

Fire Buddha!

He's hunting Mo Hua!

The message included a location—Mount Qingcheng.

Gu Changhuai took a deep breath and immediately spurred his horse into a full-speed gallop toward the coordinates.

At the same time, he began summoning every nearby officer under his command:

Full mobilization. Search Mount Qingcheng. Encircle and kill Fire Buddha!

The sun dipped, and night began to fall.

The spirit horse galloped faster and faster, the scenery on both sides blurring into streaks.

Gu Changhuai stared into the distance, heart burning with urgency, muttering:

"Kid… don't die on me…"

...

Time ticked by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already midnight.

Mo Hua and Fire Buddha had been playing hide-and-seek in the mountains for most of the night.

Mo Hua was panting heavily from exhaustion.

Fire Buddha, on the other hand, wore an expression of disbelief.

He still couldn't catch him…

No matter what he did, he couldn't catch the brat.

Despite being at the peak of Foundation Establishment and specially preparing a spirit tool to break concealment, in these rugged, complex mountain ranges, he still couldn't get his hands on the kid.

It was an unfamiliar and remote forest, yet the brat moved through it like it was his own backyard.

Excellent movement skills. Superb concealment.

He could hide anywhere.

Sometimes, he even used wild beasts to play "tiger chasing the wolf," sending monsters to harass Fire Buddha.

This left the usually direct, fire-everything-until-it's-dead Fire Buddha feeling utterly out of his element.

"Is this brat even human? Could he be some kind of beast spirit in disguise?"

Whenever he vanished into the mountains, it was like a fish entering the sea, or a hawk soaring into the skies—completely free and untraceable.

Miscalculation…

Fire Buddha cursed inwardly.

He had thought that, with reliable intel, it would be child's play to block off a lone, early Foundation brat, break his concealment, and slaughter him on the spot.

But he had never expected the kid to be this troublesome.

Nothing about him resembled a normal early-stage cultivator.

But the harder he was to kill, the more he had to die.

If he escaped into Qianxue Province and broke through to mid or late Foundation Establishment?

Then it would be a whole different nightmare.

At that point, trying to kill him might be an unimaginable task.

Fire Buddha's eyes burned scarlet like flames.

"He must die!"

Even if he had to wear the kid down, he would exhaust him to death.

Mo Hua was only early Foundation. Relying on movement and concealment couldn't last forever—his spiritual energy would run dry eventually.

When that time came, he wouldn't be able to hide, nor escape. Fire Buddha would burn him alive—turn him to ash—and vent his fury.

On the other side, Mo Hua was just as exasperated.

This Fire Buddha was clearly dead set on hunting him down.

He'd been dragging him in circles all night, and the guy still refused to give up.

It was like he'd killed Fire Buddha's parents or something.

Such a narrow-minded brute—for someone who led a demonic sect, Fire Buddha's pride was surprisingly fragile.

If not for Mo Hua being an experienced beast hunter, a skilled formation master, fast on his feet, good at hiding, and clever to boot—he'd definitely be dead by now.

But this couldn't go on…

Mo Hua quickly sent a message to Gu Changhuai:

"South cliff of Mount Qingcheng, right side path—Uncle Gu, hurry!"

No reply. He didn't know if Gu was still rushing over.

Mo Hua sighed and gritted his teeth. Time to keep playing "hide-and-seek" with this maniac.

Fortunately, it was night. The darkness in the mountains ran deep, and with beasts roaming around, Mo Hua could stir chaos and blend into the shadows.

He could hide. Fire Buddha couldn't.

Fire Buddha moved through the forest like a walking bonfire—glowing brightly, drawing attention, and constantly disturbing nearby monsters.

That, in turn, broke the taboo of beast territories.

A few high-rank Grade-Two monsters ended up attacking Fire Buddha, helping Mo Hua unintentionally.

And so, the standoff dragged on past midnight…

Until—Mo Hua was finally caught up to.

(My lord, the chapter continues! Click 'next page' for more excitement!)

Fire Buddha wore a cold expression and pressed the attack. Mo Hua continued using his concealment and movement skills to evade.

But he'd been stalling too long—his body was slowing.

Fire Buddha's eyes lit up.

"Stupid brat, looks like it's time for you to die."

With a sweep of his sleeve, he summoned a blade of fire and slashed at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua dodged with everything he had, narrowly avoiding the attack—but his spiritual power was nearly depleted. His footing faltered, and he stumbled to the side, looking haggard.

Still, he gritted his teeth and got back up, dashing toward a narrow mountain ravine.

"Running into a dead end?" Fire Buddha sneered and chased him into the gorge.

Seeing Mo Hua was done for, he swung another fire blade.

In the darkness, the crimson flame gleamed murderously.

But just as the flame blade was about to strike—several wind blades flew in from both sides and canceled it out completely.

Fire Buddha froze, turned his head—only to see Gu Changhuai standing in the distance, his handsome eyes full of killing intent.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua, using the last of his strength, activated a formation.

Boom!

The entrance to the ravine collapsed. Falling rocks sealed it shut.

Fire Buddha's expression changed.

He'd been tricked—again.

Mo Hua had faked weakness, lured him into the ravine, and then sealed the exit—where a powerful enemy was waiting.

The gorge wasn't inescapable.

But climbing out or blasting through the entrance would take time—and with Gu Changhuai staring him down, he wouldn't get that time.

In short—

Only one of them could walk out of here alive.

As for that little brat…

Fire Buddha glanced around, expression sinking.

Gone again.

"Damn that concealment technique!"

He was thoroughly irritated—but he couldn't spare attention for Mo Hua now.

Because now, the real fight was about to begin.

Gu Changhuai also knew—this might be the last chance to kill Fire Buddha.

If they failed, and Fire Buddha escaped and reached Core Formation, killing him later would be near impossible.

After all, Fire Buddha cultivated forbidden arts—if he broke through, he'd become even more terrifying.

But Fire Buddha was unafraid.

This was still near the edge of Qianxue Province.

If they had been deep inside the province, Gu Changhuai could've used his full Core Formation power—and Fire Buddha wouldn't stand a chance.

But here, in Mount Qingcheng, the Grade-Two region restriction still applied.

If Gu Changhuai exceeded his limit and used Core-level power, the one who died might very well be him.

Fire Buddha could then use Gu's flesh and blood to refine more forbidden arts and increase his own power.

And that little brat…

Once Gu Changhuai died, with no one to protect him, Mo Hua would be finished.

Even if he had to blast every inch of this gorge with Falling Fire, Fire Buddha would drag Mo Hua out, grind his bones to dust!

Fire Buddha spread his arms wide—a storm of fire rained down.

Gu Changhuai flicked his folding fan—winds sliced like blades.

In an instant, wind and fire collided, swirling like a flaming peacock's tail.

Spiritual power clashed with demonic might. Spells collided again and again, explosions rocking the mountains.

From afar, Mo Hua watched, heart pounding.

Thankfully, the gorge was large enough, and he'd hidden far back—he wasn't caught in the crossfire.

He immediately sat down to meditate, recovering his divine sense and spiritual energy.

He stayed alert while resting, watching for changes.

Time passed.

Eventually, he opened his eyes—the battle still raged, and dawn was beginning to break.

Now fully recovered, Mo Hua's gaze turned cold.

Past midnight—it was now the seventh day.

His last day off.

And Fire Buddha must die.

After being hunted and chased like a dog all night, Mo Hua was burning with suppressed rage.

"You wanted to send me off?"

"Let me send you on your way first!"

He stood slowly, eyes fixed on Fire Buddha. His pupils turned pitch black—like they held the weight of night itself.

On the other side, Fire Buddha—still clashing with Gu Changhuai—suddenly felt something wrong.

The killing aura around him—was becoming unstable.

"What's going on?!"

His heart tensed.

He had already fully recovered his aura. Why was it suddenly spiraling out of control?

"Don't tell me—"

He looked around and spotted Mo Hua nearby.

The aura around Mo Hua was eerie and strange. Wrapped in darkness, his figure was unclear.

Then—

A thin wisp of white light emerged from Mo Hua's pitch-black pupils.

Heavenly Pattern Deduction, empowered by demonic calculation—forcefully reversing fate, turning causality backwards.

Fire Buddha felt something twist deep within.

Chains of fate around him were forcibly warped, and the killing aura he had cultivated from countless deaths began to reverse…

Killing aura reversal?!

Fire Buddha's face turned ashen.

How… How could that brat do this?!

Such a profound demonic "aura-reversing" art—where did he learn it?

A true disciple of a Demonic Sect?

No—that's impossible…

The brat wasn't a devil cultivator.

Fire Buddha's mind spun—then suddenly froze.

That kid… stole my "Demonic Path Turning Slaughter True Art"…

Could he have… learned it on the spot?!

A chill surged up his spine.

Fire Buddha's very Dao heart nearly collapsed.

Before he could react, the reversed killing aura surged into his body.

All the rage, death, and bloodlust he had ever cultivated—rebounded onto his divine sense.

To harm others… is to harm oneself.

Fire Buddha's face turned ashen-gray in an instant.

His divine sense became flooded with Slaughter Qi, overrun with hideous resentment and horrifying wails.

Gu Changhuai didn't know what had happened, but seeing Fire Buddha suffering from his own backlash, he immediately struck with lethal intent.

Wind blades whirled into a tornado lance, crashing straight toward Fire Buddha's chest.

In that critical moment, Fire Buddha regained a sliver of clarity.

Seeing the incoming wind spear, his bloodshot eyes widened. With a roar, he crossed his arms and conjured all his infernal fire into a flaming shield, raising it before him.

Boom!

Tornado spear collided with the infernal shield.

Spiritual power clashed against demonic energy—wind and fire twisted wildly, crushing surrounding stones to powder.

When the spiritual shockwaves faded—

Fire Buddha's monk robes were in tatters.

His arms were covered in countless bloodied cuts from the wind blades—his injuries were clearly severe.

Across from him, Gu Changhuai's aura had weakened considerably. The strike had cost him dearly in spiritual power.

For a moment, the gorge fell into utter silence.

Gu Changhuai stared gravely ahead.

After a long pause, a low, eerie chuckle came from Fire Buddha.

"Good… very good…"

"To force me to this point…"

His voice grew icy—inhuman.

"So be it. Then I'll shed this human skin… and fully devote myself to the Revered Lord…"

Before the words were finished, Fire Buddha suddenly pulled out a blood pill the size of a dragon's eye.

It looked like condensed flesh, still pulsating faintly.

In a flash, he shoved it into his mouth.

Too fast—Gu Changhuai's wind blades and Mo Hua's fireballs didn't make it in time.

As soon as the pill entered his system, Fire Buddha's face twisted hideously.

Two flaming hearts in his chest thumped violently—already showing the embryonic form of a demonic core artifact.

His body began to swell again—he grew nearly two feet taller in an instant.

Filthy karmic flames surged across his flesh, burning it away.

His face was completely scorched and disfigured, hideous and warped beyond recognition.

At the same time, his aura spiked once more.

"Gu Changhuai…"

Fire Buddha's voice was raspy, demonic.

"If you don't use your Core Formation power, you'll die. But if you do… you'll still die."

With a sweep of his hand, a scarlet, ghost-faced fire blade tore through the air, radiating murderous energy, flying at Gu Changhuai.

Gu's expression turned grim. He raised his folding fan, forming a wind shield—but it was no use.

The fire blade shattered it instantly.

Gu staggered back a few steps, coughing up blood.

"You beast… You've even abandoned being human…"

Fire Buddha sneered.

"By 'human,' do you mean this sack of skin?"

"How many monsters walk this world wrapped in human skin?"

"Sometimes, a man in human skin is worse than a beast."

Gu Changhuai's eyes flared with fury. He summoned another volley of wind blades and struck.

But this time, Fire Buddha didn't even dodge.

He let the wind blades slice through his flesh and skin—only to have the wounds regenerate instantly.

"Flesh regeneration?!"

Gu's face paled slightly—his heart sank.

At this rate, he couldn't kill this monstrous version of Fire Buddha at all.

Just then, Mo Hua shouted from the side:

"Uncle Gu, aim for his heart meridian!"

Gu froze—then understood.

Fire Buddha's heart meridian was where his demonic core was gestating.

It was the source of his demonic spells—and his weakest point.

Fire Buddha's expression shifted. "You little brat!"

But even with a sweep of his divine sense, he still couldn't detect Mo Hua's location.

Having discarded his human form, his demonic power grew—but so did the price.

Without his human shell, his divine sense had degraded. He couldn't even see Mo Hua anymore.

Meanwhile, Gu Changhuai acted on Mo Hua's words, directing a wind blade barrage straight at Fire Buddha's heart meridian.

Fire Buddha's eyes blazed with rage. He raised his left arm to shield his chest, blocking the strikes.

His right hand cast spells, continuing his duel with Gu.

But after several intense clashes, Gu's spiritual energy began to stutter.

He realized—he was nearly spent.

A bitter realization sank in:

He was only human.

Even with deep reserves, he couldn't recover like Fire Buddha—who could kill to refine evil Qi, devour pills, shed his human form, and be reborn in corrupted flesh.

Human strength… has its limits.

A sharp pain ran through Gu's meridians.

The constant channeling of spells was damaging his very foundation.

If this dragged on, he would collapse completely…

And then—what of Mo Hua?

Gu Changhuai bit down hard, blood staining his lips. His heart roared:

"To hell with it!"

"No matter what, Fire Buddha must die first!"

"I'll use my Core power…"

"Bet everything on one shot!"

"Let's see what ends me first—Heaven's punishment or Fire Buddha."

His eyes blazed with unwavering determination. His dantian ignited in Core Fire, his body glowing with a fine spiritual light.

In his right hand, he summoned his life-bound treasure—a radiant seven-colored peacock feather fan, brimming with devastating power.

Fire Buddha froze.

He stared at Gu, both fearful and stunned.

He hadn't expected Gu Changhuai to actually…

Actually dare to use Core power in this Grade-Two restricted zone!

"He really… doesn't fear death."

Fire Buddha's eyes narrowed with a mocking glint.

Gu Changhuai's expression turned steely cold. His killing intent surged. His Core was burning, and his treasure had manifested. Power was rising—

—when suddenly, he froze.

His pupils constricted.

Because—Fire Buddha stood right in front of him.

And right at that moment, Gu saw—

A faint silhouette, taking advantage of Fire Buddha's full focus on him, had silently slipped behind the monster.

Then—

From the void—

Two small hands appeared.

In each hand—a fireball.

Just two simple, unassuming fireballs.

But in the next breath, the flames twisted.

The fireballs collided.

The moment they touched, they deformed—imploded—then forcibly recombined.

Spiritual energy within them warped. Unpredictable array patterns flickered to life and reassembled, fusing violently with an overwhelming surge of force.

The two fireballs writhed and mutated—

And ultimately fused into a smaller, yet far more terrifying, purple-black orb—like magma coiled around a dark star.

Fire Buddha sensed something very wrong.

Something dreadful was forming behind him.

He tried to turn—but it was too late.

A crisp, chilling voice echoed beside his ear:

"You wanted to teach me spellcraft?"

The next instant—

Agonizing heat seared into his back.

It was the burning torment of fire-element spiritual energy ripping through flesh.

A brutal but precise explosion followed.

All Fire Buddha could see was a storm of warped spiritual energy and a raging inferno engulfing him.

He looked down—and saw a gaping black hole blasted clean through his chest.

(End of Chapter)