Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 657: The First Year

Fire Buddha's face was deathly pale.

There was a gaping hole in his chest.

Yet, his cultivation was still at the peak of Foundation Establishment, and having shed his human form, his body resembled that of a demon, capable of regenerating flesh and blood.

Sure enough, the pitch-black wound at his chest began squirming as if to heal.

But the very next moment, Fire Buddha's pupils contracted.

Halfway through regeneration, the squirming flesh suddenly fell completely still—lifeless.

It was as if the life force had been incinerated by the fireballs' fusion—even the demonic energy, on a spiritual level, had been burned into oblivion.

Fire Buddha's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What… kind of spell… is this?"

At the same time, the faint flames from the fused fireball finally faded completely.

In the hole in Fire Buddha's chest, two demonic artifact "hearts" were revealed.

These were the core of Fire Buddha's Forbidden Fire Art—a pair of embryonic life-bound demonic treasures, and the foundation of his path to Core Formation.

These two "hearts" were rare and precious demonic tools.

But now, they had been completely scorched black by that mysterious, terrifying spell—dull, lifeless.

Even their trembling was faint and powerless.

Fire Buddha was struck with overwhelming panic.

If he couldn't regenerate his flesh and nourish the demonic cores again, not only would Core Formation be impossible for the rest of his life—he might actually die here, in the mountains of Qingcheng.

His trembling hand reached for a pill—

But just then, Gu Changhuai snapped out of the daze that spell had caused.

Acting swiftly, he poured what little spiritual power he had left into two sharp wind blades.

The wind blades shot right through the hole Mo Hua had made, targeting Fire Buddha's heart meridian, and pierced one of the damaged artifact hearts.

The heart had already been on the verge of collapse—ravaged by the spell's power and destabilized by spiritual fusion.

With a crisp crack, a web of fractures spread across it.

More and more cracks appeared…

Until the heart finally shattered completely.

The pill was still clutched in Fire Buddha's hand.

His expression was one of disbelief.

A few moments later, the terror on his face faded.

His features softened again—almost serene.

Even… a little dazed, even relieved.

He turned his head with effort, casting a final glance at Mo Hua.

"So… I really did… die at the hands of that brat…"

His eyes slowly closed.

With the collapse of his demonic heart, balance was lost.

The demonic energy spun out of control, surging backward through his meridians.

Fire Buddha's body became filled with corrupted fire, igniting from within—his flesh swelling, deforming…

Gu Changhuai's pupils shrank.

"Demonic energy backlash—he's going to self-destruct?!"

Not good!

In a flash, Gu looked toward Mo Hua, who was still behind Fire Buddha. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, body flashing forward—and tackled Mo Hua to the ground.

Mo Hua suddenly felt himself shielded by a massive "meat shield."

Then— A thunderous explosion erupted in his ears.

The shockwaves were deafening, spiritual power ravaging the air.

Fire Buddha's self-detonating demonic fire erupted like a tidal wave, flooding the area with catastrophic destruction.

Trees turned to ash, boulders to powder.

The earth itself was scorched black.

No one knew how long it took for the explosion to settle.

Mo Hua finally opened his eyes.

The mountain valley around them had been blown into a wasteland, completely barren.

But… all the damage had been shouldered by Uncle Gu.

Mo Hua was completely unharmed.

He shook Gu Changhuai—only to find that he had already lost consciousness, not reacting no matter how hard he shook.

Mo Hua struggled to his feet, only to see Gu's back covered in wounds, blood pouring down.

His heart jumped in panic.

"Uncle Gu!"

"Uncle Gu, you're not dead, right?"

"You're a Core cultivator at least…"

"You can't be this useless, can you?!"

"Come on, Uncle Gu, hang in there!"

Finally, Gu made a slight movement.

His breath was faint, his voice hoarse—but he still gritted his teeth and said:

"Shut up…"

If he kept listening to this little brat's nonsense, he'd die of anger before his injuries could even finish him off.

Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.

Not dead!

As long as he's breathing, it's fine.

He immediately began rummaging through his own Storage Ring—but quickly remembered… he didn't have anything useful in there.

So, naturally, he started digging through Gu Changhuai's Storage Ring.

Gu was a noble son of the Gu clan, a Dao Court officer, and a Core cultivator. His storage ring had to have top-grade pills.

After some searching, Mo Hua pulled out a whole collection of bottles and jars.

He started identifying them one by one.

Some stopped bleeding.

Some replenished Qi.

Some neutralized fire poison.

Some protected meridians, the dantian… even extended life.

These things he'd learned about in Pill Studies class.

He stuffed everything he could recognize, and some he couldn't but assumed were useful, and a few that probably wouldn't kill someone… all into Gu Changhuai's mouth.

Sure, the ingredients were a mess. But hey—maybe dumb luck would save the day.

Worst case? It'd be the same as taking nothing.

A little while later, Mo Hua whispered:

"Uncle Gu… still alive?"

Gu coughed up a mouthful of blood—not clear whether it was from rage or from the medicine working.

But his breathing grew steadier.

"Thanks to you, not yet dead…" Gu said coldly.

Mo Hua finally let go of all his worry.

He picked up Gu's storage ring again, dug out a transmission talisman, checked the record—it looked like it was for internal Gu Clan use—and sent a message:

🔥 "Fire Buddha is dead!"

📍 "Qingcheng Mountain, Severed Head Spring, right-side valley. Get here fast!"

Message sent, Mo Hua turned back to glance at what was left of Fire Buddha.

The demonic artifact had lost balance, demonic energy ran wild, and the self-destruction was so violent—there wasn't even a scrap left.

What a waste…

Mo Hua frowned.

There were still so many things he wanted to ask Fire Buddha.

Why did he slaughter the entire Xie family?

Was it really just to refine demonic energy?

After destroying the Xie clan, what exactly did he do?

Who was the Demonic Temple built for?

And that "Revered Lord"... who was it?

…

Now that Fire Buddha was dead, all those lingering questions would have to wait.

Still, it was good that he died—clean and final—so he wouldn't plague the world any longer.

As for the rest... Mo Hua could slowly investigate on his own later.

He glanced once more at the completely obliterated Fire Buddha and let out a sigh.

"Killing this Fire Buddha really took everything out of me…"

But at least, he was dead now.

Afterward, Mo Hua set up a few array formations on the spot. While keeping an eye on Uncle Gu's life signs to prevent him from suddenly kicking the bucket, he quietly waited for reinforcements to arrive.

Sure enough, someone soon arrived.

It was Gu An and Gu Quan.

When they saw Gu Changhuai bloodied and barely breathing, they were scared out of their wits.

"He's still alive!" Mo Hua called out.

Gu An and Gu Quan finally relaxed with visible relief.

Mo Hua then said,

"Call for a few pill masters to come immediately and give emergency treatment. Once he's stabilized, bring Uncle Gu back to the Gu Clan for recovery."

Gu An and Gu Quan bowed.

"Yes, Young Master!"

After the destruction of the Demonic Lair, this little array master's status in their hearts had skyrocketed. At this point, he was barely beneath their own clan's young master.

Gu An immediately used a messaging talisman to call for backup.

"Young Master Mo…" Gu Quan hesitated for a moment, looking around, then at Mo Hua, brows furrowing.

"What exactly happened here?"

Why was the entire valley blown to pieces? How did the young master get so badly injured? Was Fire Buddha really dead?

Both Gu An and Gu Quan looked full of questions.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and said seriously:

"Fire Buddha came to kill me. I escaped into the mountains. Uncle Gu came to save me, and he fought with all his strength to kill Fire Buddha… but was heavily injured in the process!"

Gu An and Gu Quan nodded, somewhat doubtful, but not daring to question.

"Remember this well!"

Mo Hua said with a solemn little face:

"It was Uncle Gu, and Uncle Gu alone, who fought desperately and slew the evil Fire Buddha!"

"When others arrive, you must spread this story everywhere!"

The two looked at each other in confusion.

Mo Hua raised his two small hands, intending to pat them on the shoulders.

But Gu An and Gu Quan were both tall, and Mo Hua's arms were a bit short. He couldn't reach.

Without a word, Gu An and Gu Quan crouched down and offered their shoulders forward.

Mo Hua finally got to pat their shoulders like a grown-up and nodded in satisfaction. Then, lowering his voice, he said:

"You guys don't want Uncle Gu's credit to be stolen by others, right…?"

Their expressions turned serious. They understood instantly.

Fire Buddha was dead. Young Master Changhuai was seriously injured. Besides Little Master Mo, no one else knew what really happened here.

They knew how powerful Little Mo was.

But in the eyes of others, he was just a young boy. No one would take his word seriously.

That meant—anyone with ulterior motives could easily come along, twist the story, and claim credit.

Gu An and Gu Quan's faces grew grim.

That couldn't be allowed!

Fire Buddha had been slain at great cost by their young master. That merit must not be taken by some opportunist!

So—right from the beginning, the official version had to be: it was Young Master Changhuai, alone, who slew Fire Buddha!

The two guards now looked at Mo Hua with heartfelt gratitude.

Young Master Mo is such a good person! Truly loyal to the Gu family!

Gu Quan nodded,

"Young Master Mo, rest assured. I'll spread the word immediately…"

Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.

Soon after, the Gu Clan's alchemists arrived. They checked Gu Changhuai's injuries and reported that the pills had been fed in time—his blood and Qi were slowly stabilizing, and his meridians were also recovering. No major issues.

Since he was a Core Formation cultivator to begin with, and had solid foundations, he'd be fine after some rest.

He was then escorted back to the clan for recovery.

And news of Gu Changhuai single-handedly slaying Fire Buddha was quickly sent back to the Dao Court, stirring quite the commotion.

A Core cultivator killing a Foundation Establishment devil? Not unheard of.

But the one slain was Fire Buddha—a peak Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator, infamous and unrestrained in the entire second-tier province…

That made it a whole different matter.

Openly or in secret, many cultivators turned their gaze toward Gu Changhuai.

Some with admiration.

Some with caution.

Some… with sinister intentions.

After returning to the Gu Clan, Gu Changhuai regained consciousness soon after taking more pills.

Wenren Wan, upon hearing he was injured, showed great concern. She even personally refined healing pills for him.

Especially after hearing he had been wounded protecting Mo Hua—her eyes were full of approval.

It was the kind of look that said:

"The little brother I raised has finally grown up!"

A Gu Changhuai over a hundred years old… suddenly had a very complicated expression.

The entire Gu Clan was in a bit of an uproar.

But when it was confirmed that he was safe—and that Fire Buddha had been killed by his hands—a group of Gu Clan elders heaped him with praise.

"Sure, his temper's rough, but… among the younger generation of the Gu Clan, there's no one who can compare to Changhuai in both talent and skill."

Gu Changhuai's emotions grew even more complicated.

By dusk, Mo Hua came to say goodbye.

He was heading back to the Great Void Sect.

His seven-day leave was over. Fire Buddha was dead, he had obtained the Forbidden Fire Art, and classes would resume tomorrow.

But before leaving, he needed to confirm their cover story with Uncle Gu.

While munching on a fruit, Mo Hua leaned in and whispered:

"Uncle Gu, remember—it was you who killed Fire Buddha all by yourself. Don't mention me at all."

Gu Changhuai frowned,

"You don't want the credit?"

Mo Hua nodded seriously.

"Fire Buddha was a demonic cultivator. There might still be underlings or allies lurking in the shadows…"

"I'm just a small Foundation cultivator. If they come after me, I'm dead meat!"

Gu Changhuai fell silent, feeling a bit speechless inside.

Was the demonic cultivator more dangerous… or you?

Still, it was true that Mo Hua's cultivation was low. As an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the risk was indeed too high…

Gu Changhuai nodded.

"Got it."

Mo Hua squinted and smiled.

With their "testimonies" matched, everything was now airtight.

No one would suspect that he had anything to do with Fire Buddha's death.

He was just a poor, innocent, low-level disciple from a humble sect—chased by a villain.

Gu Changhuai thought for a moment, then silently gave Mo Hua another look.

The image of that moment in the valley rose in his mind again:

Two fireballs collided, the spell formations collapsed and fused into one, spiritual power underwent fusion, creating a terrifying miniature fireball that pierced straight through Fire Buddha's chest…

Gu Changhuai's eyelid twitched, and he asked in a low voice:

"That spell of yours…"

Mo Hua blinked.

"What spell?"

Gu Changhuai's expression was blank.

"There's no one else here."

Mo Hua let out a sheepish laugh.

"It's nothing, really. Just an… 'utterly ordinary' Fireball Spell."

Gu Changhuai's tone turned cold.

"Early Foundation Establishment… a single Fireball Spell… pierces through the chest of a peak Foundation demonic cultivator. Yes… truly 'utterly ordinary'…"

He practically ground those last four words out.

Mo Hua blinked innocently,

"It was all coincidence… Fire Buddha had a vital weak spot in his chest. Big ol' flaw. My spell just happened to hit it…"

"He just had really bad luck."

Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua's face—pure as white paper, and thick as a city wall. He could only sigh inside.

Gu Changhuai sighed aloud,

"When you get back, think it through. Come up with a more believable excuse."

Then he added,

"You don't need to tell me what it is."

The implication being: if you ever get exposed in the future, just be able to fool others.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up and he grinned,

"Thanks, Uncle Gu!"

Gu Changhuai helplessly shook his head.

At first, he thought Mo Hua was just freakishly gifted in formations.

But he never imagined… this kid was also hiding a terrifyingly powerful spell technique.

How the hell was anyone at the same stage supposed to compete with him?

The Great Void Sect had really picked up a little monster this time…

And the worst part?

On the surface, he looked like the most harmless little junior disciple you could find—pure-faced and doe-eyed.

Gu Changhuai couldn't help shaking his head again.

Seeing Gu Changhuai looking tired, Mo Hua said:

"Uncle Gu, I won't bother you anymore. Rest well—I'm heading back to the sect."

"Mm." Gu Changhuai nodded.

Mo Hua casually grabbed a spiritual fruit and started walking off, but hadn't gotten far when Gu Changhuai called out:

"Mo Hua."

Mo Hua turned back, confused.

He thought to himself:

Uncle Gu is a Core Formation cultivator and a Dao Court Inspector… Surely he's not stingy enough to stop me over one fruit, right?

Gu Changhuai looked conflicted, pride still lingering in his brow. He hesitated a long time before finally mumbling, extremely begrudgingly:

"…Thanks."

After all, without Mo Hua, he might not have been able to kill Fire Buddha at all.

And if Fire Buddha hadn't been brought to justice, the consequences would have been disastrous.

Still… that one-word "thanks" was barely a whisper.

Mo Hua was momentarily stunned—then a radiant, sun-like smile bloomed on his face.

"Mm!"

Afterward, Mo Hua returned to the sect.

He first paid a visit to Elder Xun, reporting that he had completed his formation drawing, and that the Dao Court (mainly the Gu Clan) was very grateful.

Elder Xun didn't doubt a thing. He stroked his beard, looking quite pleased.

Establishing a good relationship with the Gu Clan of the Dao Court would be a valuable network for the future.

Mo Hua then resumed his regular classes.

Some fellow disciples—like Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, and Zheng Fang—were quite curious and began pestering him with questions after class.

"How'd you get seven days off?"

"Who approved it?"

"What were you doing all that time?"

Mo Hua replied with a straight face:

"I was drawing array formations for seven days straight."

Instantly, their interest deflated like a leaky balloon.

Only Zheng Fang stayed curious and asked a few technical questions about formations.

Mo Hua picked out a few rare-sounding bits of knowledge and spun a half-convincing answer. It was enough to fool him.

And just like that, life returned to peaceful normalcy.

Mo Hua resumed his calm, quiet cultivation life at the sect.

The Demonic Lair of Bìshān,

The eerie Demon Temple,

The bronze labyrinth,

The mysterious altar,

The demonic cultivators,

And the utterly obliterated demonic villain—Fire Buddha…

…all gradually faded into the background.

And soon, Mo Hua's first year at the sect came to an end.

(End of Chapter)