Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 584: Calculated to Precision

The first true-born heir from the alliance of the Shangguan and Wenren clans in over a thousand years…

Their own child—backed by two great noble families of Qian Province—was still subjected to such malicious schemes and deadly plots.

A trace of sorrow flickered in the eyes of the woman in palace robes. Her grief was so overwhelming that even her meridians and spiritual flow were thrown into disorder.

The man beside her reached out, distressed, to steady her, but she coldly pushed him away.

"And then?" the woman asked frostily. "What else have you found?"

The man slowly retracted his hand and sighed.

"It was Gu… Changhuai," he said. "He found a lead on Yuer and followed the trail out to a restaurant several dozen li outside the city, where he discovered a group of low-level traffickers, all in the early Foundation Establishment stage…"

"But…"

He shook his head bitterly. "Yuer was taken again."

The woman was stunned. "Again?"

He replied hoarsely, "By another group…"

"They ambushed the traffickers with formation arrays and spells… The array was well-hidden, unexpected, and powerful. As for the spell, it was just a basic Fireball technique, but executed with such precision—clean, sharp, not a single trace left behind."

"One of the traffickers used the Severing Gold Sword Art."

"Severing Gold Sect…" the woman spat the words through clenched teeth.

The man gave a helpless smile. "It wasn't the sect's doing. Most likely a rogue disciple. The Severing Gold Sect wouldn't be this bold—or this stupid—to use such a signature move openly…"

"I don't care!" the woman snapped. "Whether they did it or not, they'll pay the price if we don't find Yuer!"

"…Alright." The man could only agree. He knew there was no reasoning with her right now.

He sighed again and continued:

"The Severing Gold Sword Art is a gold-element sword technique meant for attack and slaughter—very powerful… The trafficker must've been driven into a corner, facing a deadly enemy, and had no choice but to reveal that move…"

"But…"

The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "That Foundation Establishment-level sword art—meant to kill—didn't even scratch the enemy."

"There wasn't a single drop of blood on the sword. The opponent's skin wasn't even broken."

"That means… their cultivation must far surpass those traffickers."

"Golden Core… or maybe even… Nascent Soul."

The woman sneered coldly. "Incredible. So many people coveting Yuer, and he's just a four- or five-year-old boy. What makes him so worthy of such attention?"

"First it was some heavenly-prophecy-penetrating mastermind… now what? Another fate-calculating expert just happened to intercept the traffickers mid-transport?"

Her tone dripped with sarcasm as she interrogated her husband.

The man lowered his head under her scorn, replying softly, "…This time… you could say that's what happened too."

The woman froze—then erupted in fury. "Shangguan Yi, do you take me for a fool?"

"Heavenly fate calculation—when did that become so common?"

"This one's a great power, that one's a hidden master—how many of those could possibly exist?"

"Are all these so-called geniuses sitting around with nothing better to do than scheme against my Yuer?!"

The man smiled bitterly. "Wan'er, I'm not lying. I asked Elder Mei from the Valley of Mysteries—he's renowned for his skill in fate calculations—to look into it…"

The woman's gaze turned icy. "And what did he divine?"

"He…" The man hesitated, finding it difficult to say. "…He went mad."

The woman was stunned.

The man let out a heavy sigh. "Elder Mei tried to divine the one who 'took' Yuer. At first, he couldn't find anything. Said the heavenly fate was shrouded—just confusion and fog, no traces at all."

"I pleaded with him repeatedly…"

"In the end, Elder Mei gave in. He burned his own blood essence and used the Valley's ancestral fate-art to perform a deeper calculation…"

"At first… it worked. He parted the veil of fate and saw a faint, child-sized figure—vague, like mist and water…"

"But when he tried to look again—"

The man paused.

The woman growled, "And then what?"

The man said solemnly, "His expression turned to terror. He vomited blood, his whole body went cold… and his mind broke. He went insane."

"He kept muttering about the 'horrors of karma'… about mountains of corpses and demonic abominations. Said he was bitten by some 'corpse abomination'… said he would become a zombie himself… he trembled uncontrollably…"

The woman's expression shifted, but after thinking more deeply, she grew irritated again.

"What nonsense is that?! Corpses? Abominations? You believe that gibberish?"

"What does any of that have to do with Yuer?"

The man had no words to reply.

He himself didn't understand how Yuer could be entangled in such a terrifying karmic web—but what happened to Elder Mei… that much was real.

He had, without a doubt, gone mad.

"…That Elder Mei—is he really from the Valley of Mysteries?" the woman asked.

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"He… suffered damage to his sea of consciousness. They've sent him back to the Valley for treatment…"

The woman's brows furrowed sharply. Her voice turned icy.

"So you're giving me no proof, no witness… and you expect me to believe this fairy tale about a lunatic?"

The man said softly, "Wan'er… when have I ever lied to you…"

There was pleading in his voice.

"Fine then. I'll go find Yuer myself!"

The woman spoke firmly, turning on her heel.

Panic surged in the man's heart. He quickly grabbed her wrist. "You can't leave Qingzhou City!"

The woman inhaled deeply, forcing her anger down. "Why not?"

"I'm worried about you…"

"Worried about what, exactly?"

The man's voice dropped to a low, chilling tone: "I married you… and broke some of the clan's old rules. Violated the ancestral edicts of the Shangguan family. Many people have their eyes on us…"

"They targeted Yuer… they might target you too…"

"And now that Yuer is gone, I can't afford to lose you as well…"

The woman sneered. "And staying in Qingzhou City will keep me safe?"

The man nodded firmly. "Qingzhou lies within Qianxue Province. Our ancestors left behind protective formations here. Within the city, fate flows clearly. But outside these walls… fate becomes chaos. Anything could happen."

His face was grim.

The cultivation world was filled with unspeakable terrors.

Some truly terrifying cultivators could perceive the very laws of the universe. Their methods defied comprehension.

Some even laid vast, sinister formations to raise karmic demons over decades.

The closer you came to the pinnacle of cultivation… the more you realized how terrifying the world and human nature truly were.

"So what?" the woman said coldly. "You want me to just stay locked in this city and forget about my own child?"

"Wan'er… please, don't get involved…" the man begged. "This matter… the karma is too deep…"

And too horrifying.

The one who orchestrated Yuer's abduction had mastery over fate itself—so deep and concealed, there was no trace left behind…

And the one who took Yuer… the karma tied to them radiated a killing intent vast as the heavens.

These were not schemes that ordinary cultivators could pull off.

Grand formations, divine sense deduction, karmic prophecy—each required unfathomable skill and insight.

Wan'er had learned some formation arts, yes—but it was average. Good by worldly standards, but still within the realm of the ordinary.

She was praised and admired as a gifted woman by noble society—but that "greatness" existed only within the human-defined rules of the world.

She didn't understand the truly profound arts: the kind that transcended grade levels, the ones that tapped into the chaos of fate and the darkness between stars.

She didn't realize how terrifying that level of cultivation and calculation could be.

But as she stared at her husband, her anger slowly shifted into a quiet, hollow disillusionment.

"…You've already given up, haven't you?"

The man said nothing.

"…If," she began slowly, each word forced through pain, "we never find Yuer… what do you plan to do?"

The man couldn't meet her eyes. He looked away and said quietly:

"Father's suggestion… is that we have another child…"

The man didn't dare look the woman in the eye. He averted his gaze and said quietly:

"Father's suggestion… is that we… have another child…"

The woman's face went pale. Her entire body trembled, and her eyes filled with boundless grief and hatred.

She hated her husband. She hated herself.

"Shangguan Yi, how heartless can you be!"

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she snapped,

"Fine! Fine! If you want a child so badly, go find some other woman to give you one!"

"As for me—Wenren Wan—Yuer is my one and only child in this lifetime!"

"Yuer… he's so gentle, so well-behaved… How could he possibly…"

Yuer's smiling face floated through her mind. A sharp pain pierced her heart like needles. Suddenly, she shivered—somehow, in the depths of her soul, she felt it—

Her child was waiting for her… somewhere…

Her child was waiting for her.

The ache in her chest surged. Without a second thought, she turned and prepared to leave.

"Wan'er, it's too dangerous—" the man tried to stop her.

But her gaze was icy as she cut him off.

"If you won't search, I will. And if I can't find him—I'll search for a lifetime!"

"Even if it means death, I'll die with Yuer!"

"Go ahead and stay here—be your noble Shangguan clan's next Patriarch. Go pick any woman you like… and have a child with her instead."

With tears in her eyes, she shook her sleeve and stormed out.

The man reached out to stop her—but there was nothing left to hold.

His face turned ashen. He sighed deeply.

Moments later, a servant entered the room respectfully.

"Young Master, the Patriarch requests your presence."

Shangguan Yi stood there dazed for a long while before replying, listlessly:

"I understand…"

He was the heir of the Shangguan Clan—the next family head.

But he didn't feel like a "Master." He felt more like a slave, caught in all directions. And in such a vast clan, he wasn't even sure whose slave he was supposed to be.

Shangguan Yi sighed heavily and made his way to a study in the Gu household. He stood outside respectfully until a deep voice called from within:

"Come in."

Shangguan Yi entered and bowed.

"Father."

The study was elegant and richly decorated.

At the center sat a man with a powerful presence and commanding aura. His features were noble and dignified, though his temples were streaked with gray and fine lines marked the corners of his eyes—yet one could easily imagine his striking beauty in youth.

This was Shangguan Ce, Shangguan Yi's father, and the true head of the Shangguan family.

"I'll be leaving in a few days. You'll handle things here."

Shangguan Ce continued writing as he spoke in a low, steady voice.

"Yes, Father," Shangguan Yi responded respectfully.

Shangguan Ce looked up and glanced at his son.

"You never should've married Wenren Wan," he said flatly.

"She's too impulsive—acts on emotion, lacks foresight."

"She's a direct descendant of the Wenren Clan. I truly wonder what kind of teachings they pass down…"

"A noble daughter may act willful before marriage, but once married, she represents her family's face. She must act with decorum, prioritize clan interests, and bear grievances in silence when necessary."

"Father—"

Shangguan Yi's voice rose slightly, interrupting.

"Wan'er is a good wife. She's just overwhelmed with grief over Yuer's disappearance. Her behavior may have crossed a line, but she's only human…"

Shangguan Ce said nothing for a moment, then finally asked:

"And Yuer?"

"We're still searching."

Shangguan Ce sighed.

"Yuer… he's a kind child. But he won't make a good Patriarch."

Shangguan Yi immediately interjected,

"He's my only son."

Shangguan Ce's gaze turned a few degrees colder.

"I've already told you. If—"

"Then my next heir," Shangguan Yi said firmly, "will still be a child of Wan'er and me."

Shangguan Ce chuckled coldly.

"She may not agree."

"Then I'll wait until she does," Shangguan Yi said, bowing his head, but his voice was ironclad.

Shangguan Ce's brow twitched slightly. He didn't speak further, only said flatly:

"Understood."

The study grew tense.

Not wanting to linger, Shangguan Yi prepared to leave.

"Yi'er."

Shangguan Ce called him back, then after a brief pause, spoke more gently.

"You must understand—being the Patriarch is no easy task."

"As the head of a cultivation clan, one must put the clan first—know what is beneficial, what is harmful. You can't afford to be sentimental or indecisive."

"Cultivators live long lives. No matter how passionate love may feel at first—time dulls it. Hearts change."

"As Patriarch, you must always ask: what is the longest-lasting, what is the most advantageous."

"You must harden your heart, make the necessary choices. Only then can I convince the Ancestors to entrust the thousand-year legacy of the Shangguan Clan to you."

Shangguan Yi answered quietly,

"I understand, Father."

But Shangguan Ce could tell at a glance—his son understood nothing at all.

Frustration flared, though he kept his composure. He sighed.

"Think carefully. Yuer is your child, your bloodline—but he's just one among many disciples of the Shangguan Clan. Consider carefully what weighs more."

Shangguan Yi's face twisted in pain. He said nothing, only bowed and left respectfully.

Shangguan Ce looked down at his jade slip, but after a long moment, his eyes returned to where Shangguan Yi had stood. Remembering his son's grief-stricken expression, he felt a mix of anger… and bitter disappointment.

"I've spent a lifetime charming the world, brushing past countless beauties without falling for a single one. Yet my son turns out to be… a foolish romantic obsessed with love."

"Handsome on the outside, but useless within. All he thinks about is his wife and child…"

Shangguan Ce's brows furrowed tightly, the dissatisfaction etched deep on his face.

After a long time, he finally sighed and spread open a map.

The map showed the entirety of Qian Province.

Multiple routes had been traced across it, overlaid with complex fate patterns derived through compass-based divination. The lines wove through the map without beginning or end—no clear origin, no destination.

Only a faint, wild, ancient aura lingered along the edges.

This was the work of the one who abducted Yuer.

Shangguan Ce's eyes turned grave, his face solemn. He muttered to himself:

"From the marriage… to the birth… to the disappearance…"

"Was it all planned from the start?"

"Who has this kind of power?"

"To deceive even the Ancestors… to use the only true-born heir of the Shangguan and Wenren clans… as a sacrifice…"

"What are they trying to summon? What life-and-death law are they trying to defy?"

A bone-deep chill crawled through Shangguan Ce's body.

In the Gu Family Courtyard

Wenren Wan, still in her palace robe, had only one thought in her heart—Yuer. But after leaving the house… she suddenly felt lost and aimless. (Wenren Wan, dressed in a formal palace robe, was filled with thoughts of Yuer. But the moment she stepped outside… she was overcome with a wave of helpless confusion.)

"Find him… but how? Where do I even start?"

Yuer had been kidnapped. There was a high chance he was no longer in this province—possibly not even in Qianzhou anymore…

A feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness surged in her heart.

The cultivation world was vast—endlessly vast.

She didn't know fate deduction. She didn't understand the Dao of Heaven. Trying to find Yuer was no different from fishing a needle out of the sea.

She hated herself bitterly—hated that she hadn't begged the Ancestors back then to let her learn those difficult and obscure arts of divination and deduction.

If she had, then maybe now—on her own—she could've calculated Yuer's karmic thread…

Even if it drained her divine sense.

Even if her sea of consciousness dried up.

Even if…

Wenren Wan stood there in a daze for a long moment before snapping back to reality. She looked around blankly, then summoned the Wenren family guards and ordered them to prepare a carriage to take her out of the city.

"No matter what, I must leave Qingzhou City first..."

Perhaps, outside the city, she might catch some trace of Yuer.

Wenren Wan steeled her resolve.

If she couldn't find him in a month, she'd search for a month.

If not in a year, then a year.

If that wasn't enough, then ten years. A hundred years.

Until her life span ran out.

"I must find Yuer. If he's alive, I'll see him…"

But she dared not say the second half of that sentence.

She was terrified of seeing Yuer's little face—cold, lifeless.

Terrified of confirming that her beloved child… was already gone.

That would hurt far worse than death.

Wenren Wan felt as though her chest was being torn apart.

The carriage departed the Gu estate, rolled through the main street, passed the marketplaces, and after about an hour, approached the city gate.

Her mind focused solely on getting outside the city, Wenren Wan didn't notice that in a noodle shop near the gate, two young cultivators were slurping down noodles with gusto.

At the same time, Mo Hua and Yuer—both tired and hungry after days of wandering—were busy eating, and didn't notice that a discreet yet lavish carriage was quietly rolling past the gates.

The city gate bustled with people and carriages, chaos and noise everywhere.

As the two parties unknowingly crossed paths and began to separate—

Wenren Wan suddenly froze.

In that moment, as if through some mysterious bond between mother and child, she felt her son was nearby—very nearby.

But… she knew Yuer was no longer with her.

Her obedient, kind-hearted son had fallen into someone else's hands.

His fate was unknown.

She didn't even know if he'd been hurt—or worse.

That thought made her heart feel like it was being sliced open.

The carriage continued forward toward the city outskirts.

But the farther it went, the more uneasy she became—so much so that she had a foreboding sense—

As if… the farther she got, the farther she was drifting from Yuer.

As if the moment she passed through this gate…

She and her son would be forever separated—by life and death.

Cultivators' instincts were rarely unfounded.

Panic and dread surged in Wenren Wan's heart.

"Stop the carriage!"

The carriage stopped instantly. She jumped down and looked around in a daze. A moment later, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a noodle stall in the distance…

Her entire body froze like she'd been struck by lightning.

At the noodle stall sat two young cultivators.

One of them was slightly older, handsome with delicate features, his aura gentle and pure.

The other was small—only four or five years old—and looked very much like her Yuer…

Wenren Wan's heart trembled violently. She couldn't breathe.

She tried to speak, but her emotions surged so wildly, not a single word came out.

Mo Hua was mid-slurp when he suddenly sensed someone staring at him. He lifted his head—and saw, in the distance, a stunningly beautiful and noble woman, her cheeks streaked with tears, staring at him in utter disbelief.

This woman… was both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.

Mo Hua had never met her. But faintly, within the threads of karma… there was a hint of recognition.

He suddenly understood. He gently patted Yuer beside him.

Yuer, trying to imitate Mo Hua's slurping technique, lifted his head when tapped—and the moment he looked over…

His small face froze.

His chopsticks clattered to the ground.

Tears immediately welled up in his eyes.

"Mom…"

The market was noisy, but this cry—"Mom"—cut through it all and reached Wenren Wan's ears loud and clear.

The overwhelming joy of recovering what was lost hit her like a crashing wave—she could barely breathe.

Her tears blurred her vision. She couldn't even see Yuer's face clearly—but still, she ran toward him without hesitation.

In that moment, she forgot she was a Jindan-stage cultivator.

She forgot she had spiritual power.

She only remembered—she was a mother.

Yuer, sobbing, ran toward her on his short legs.

And they embraced.

Even though her eyes were blurred with tears and she couldn't clearly see his face, Wenren Wan held him tightly in her arms without caring about anything else.

She didn't dare let go.

She feared that if she let go, her child would vanish again.

Even if this was just a dream, she prayed—please, let the dream last a little longer.

Let her child stay in her arms just a little longer…

Mother and son wept as they embraced.

Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.

Even if it was all a mess of guessing and instinct, it looked like—

He'd "calculated" it right.

Yuer had found his mother. He should be safe now.

And Mo Hua… could finally be at ease.

Now, it was time to head for Qianxue Province, and visit the Qiandao Sect's mountain gate!

(Shoutout to: 一起修仙, 輞水淪漣, 滔滔不絕 | 鍾樂, 黑頁 for their support!)

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(End of this Chapter)