Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 587: Genius

After that, Elder Shen began discussing other matters.

The sect admission decree, which had been recorded in the registry and then set aside as "pending discussion"—a polite way of saying "rejected"—was returned.

The disciple handed the decree back to Mo Hua.

"The matter of your admission still needs further discussion…"

"For how long?" Mo Hua asked.

The disciple, polite yet distant, replied coolly, "Matters discussed by the Elders are not for us disciples to question. I don't know. Leave it to fate, I suppose…"

Mo Hua understood.

If they wanted to accept him, they would. If not, they wouldn't.

He already had the decree in hand, yet they were still delaying with the excuse of needing "discussion." That was essentially a roundabout way of saying no.

He didn't believe that a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator like himself was worth a lengthy debate from a grand sect like the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Most likely, the matter would just fade away.

Mo Hua shook his head.

He hadn't expected that after traveling all this way, crossing mountains and rivers, he wouldn't even make it past the sect gate.

He looked at the threshold before the gate of the Heavenly Dao Sect and couldn't help but sigh in his heart:

"The threshold of the Heavenly Dao Sect is truly high…"

Mo Hua carefully stored the admission decree.

Even though it was now useless, it was a token left to him by his master, at least worth keeping as a memento.

If you don't belong to a household, you won't be let past their gate.

Such a grand and opulent sect, with such high standards, only accepting so-called "geniuses"—it truly wasn't suited for him.

The region of Dry Study Prefecture was vast. He would simply find another sect!

"If this place doesn't want me, there's always another that will!"

Mo Hua lifted his spirits. The little sting of rejection in his heart vanished without a trace. He straightened his back and marched away from the Heavenly Dao Sect gate, full of spirit and pride.

As he descended the mountain, he passed by a cultivator dressed in an Elder's robe from the Heavenly Dao Sect—half-white hair and beard, sharp and upright features.

One going up, the other going down.

They brushed shoulders but didn't notice one another.

The robed elder bore four golden stripes on his robe—marking his rank.

He wore a dignified expression and strode straight through the mountain gate.

Disciples along the way saluted him respectfully. He nodded in acknowledgment until he stepped into the council hall of the Heavenly Dao Sect—only then did his brow furrow slightly.

Elder Shen looked up and glanced at him, then said mildly:

"You're late, Elder Zheng."

Elder Zheng took his seat without apology, giving a cold snort. "Early or late, what difference does it make?"

The atmosphere tensed.

Elder Shen smiled without concern and continued, "Let's resume discussion. With the upcoming disciple admissions, there's much to handle. The sooner we deal with it, the sooner we can all rest."

The others nodded in agreement.

The room's mood returned to normal.

Various matters were raised—student admissions, improvements to sect regulations, teaching rewards and punishments, Elder benefits, and more.

Each Elder voiced opinions, watching Elder Shen's expression closely before reaching consensus.

Only Elder Zheng remained mostly silent. When he did speak, his tone was sharp and critical, often creating tension.

But one voice could not overturn the crowd.

In the end, he often had no choice but to "agree" begrudgingly, with a turned eye and clenched jaw.

But half an hour later, one issue sparked a fiery reaction from him.

"Only disciples with superior spiritual roots can be admitted?"

Elder Zheng slammed the table in rage. "What kind of bullshit is that?!"

Elder Shen's face twitched slightly, but he held his composure, replying calmly:

"Elder Zheng, as a teacher and model, please mind your language."

Elder Zheng snapped, "Hypocrite! Talking about propriety? When you've already tossed your own face aside, what propriety should I uphold?"

Elder Shen frowned. "Elder Zheng!"

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "This requirement—only those with top-tier spiritual roots may enroll—was agreed upon unanimously by all Elders present…"

Elder Zheng scoffed. "Unanimously agreed? Or just nodding along to your face?"

The room turned awkward. Several Elders looked embarrassed.

Elder Shen's tone turned cold. "Are you implying that I, Elder Shen, monopolize decision-making?"

"No, not you. Your whole Shen family!" Elder Zheng sneered, saying bluntly:

"What are you? Just one of the Shen family's cultivators who happened to reach Feathering Realm. Why should others bow to you?"

"What they're respecting—is the power behind you. The Shen family, that ancient juggernaut with millennia of legacy and deep roots! You're nothing more than a meat puppet—a walking 'sound transmission talisman' for the Shen family!"

Elder Shen flew into a rage. "Watch your tongue!"

Several Elders exclaimed in shock.

Elder Zheng simply chuckled coldly.

Elder Shen glared and said, "Elder Zheng, you slander not only me but the entire Shen family!"

"You know full well whether it's slander or truth. What kind of air does the Heavenly Dao Sect breathe now? Must I say it aloud?"

Elder Zheng sneered again. "I've heard that even Void Tribulation cultivators who want to serve in this sect must first bow and offer you a cup of wine?"

"Absurd gossip!" Elder Shen snapped.

Elder Zheng continued exposing, "Over the years, how many enrollment spots have you embezzled? Who did they go to?"

"To your Shen family?"

"Or sold at high prices to clans who share your bed?"

"Do you intend to rename this sect the Shen Dao Sect?!"

…

That last remark was heavy. Many Elders' faces changed drastically.

Strangely, Elder Shen calmed down instead. He waved a hand to the room. "Everyone, you may leave for now. We'll resume later. Elder Zheng… seems to have suffered damage to his sea of consciousness during cultivation. He sometimes speaks nonsense—please be understanding…"

The Elders fled like they'd been pardoned.

Now only Elder Shen and Elder Zheng remained in the empty hall.

Elder Shen's face was expressionless as he said quietly:

"Our Heavenly Dao Sect, from humble beginnings, rose to greatness by relying on the Dao heritage and a steady stream of outstanding disciples."

"A spiritual root determines one's talent—it defines their cultivation potential."

"A fine horse deserves a fine saddle. A treasured sword should be gifted to a worthy hero."

"As a top-tier sect, we naturally require top-tier talent."

"Only those with superior roots are worthy of us."

"I truly don't understand—what about this principle makes Elder Zheng so outraged? Why resort to such rebellious accusations?"

Elder Zheng coldly retorted, "How many of our sect's founders had superior spiritual roots?"

"There were high, mid, and even low-grade roots!"

"So by that logic—our founding ancestors weren't qualified to be disciples of the sect they founded?"

Elder Shen frowned. "You twist logic."

He paced irritably before replying:

"Times change. The Dao evolves. Things aren't like they were. Nowadays, superior roots are everywhere—so why not…"

"Everywhere? Among who?" Elder Zheng snapped.

Elder Shen paused, startled.

Elder Zheng's eyes sharpened. "Those with superior roots are found everywhere—among noble families and powerful clans. Not the common cultivators of the world!"

"Not among the people!"

"You've forgotten your roots!"

Elder Shen's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.

Elder Zheng's anger cooled slightly. He spoke slowly:

"Our ancestors, when founding this sect, did they do it just to grow powerful?"

"Yes."

"But after growing strong—what then?"

"To seek fame and fortune? To gloat in their glory?"

"No."

"It was to found a sect, spread the Dao, and make the path of cultivation accessible to all. This is the meaning of 'Heavenly Dao.'"

Elder Zheng's voice trembled. "The very foundation of our sect—is to spread the Dao!"

"To whom? To all cultivators of the world!"

"Only by spreading the Dao to the world does the Heavenly Dao Sect have roots and a future. Otherwise, no matter how wealthy or powerful we become, we're just a rootless tree, a castle in the sky!"

Elder Shen's face was indifferent. "What you say does not conflict with what I do."

Elder Zheng looked at him, eyes full of bitter disappointment.

Elder Shen added, "At the end of the day, the Heavenly Dao Sect can only teach a portion of cultivators. It's impossible to reach everyone…"

"And if so, we should first teach the geniuses—then expand outwards and seek blessings for the world."

"Superior roots are geniuses."

Elder Zheng's gaze sharpened. "What is a genius?"

Elder Shen froze.

Elder Zheng sneered, "Superior roots = genius? Ridiculous!"

"A true genius is someone with talent and a heart for the world!"

"What is our sect raising?"

"Cold, arrogant cultivators who only seek self-interest?"

"People with a heart for the world? Do they even have one? Do they even know what 'the world' means? Do they know how most cultivators live?"

"Their eyes are fixed on the sky. They only care about themselves. Will they ever notice the dust beneath their feet?"

Elder Shen frowned. "This has nothing to do with spiritual roots…"

Elder Zheng nodded. "Yes, originally this had nothing to do with spiritual roots, but…"

He pointed at Elder Shen. "Do you really not know what the noble families have been doing?"

Elder Shen's face twitched, contorting slightly.

But Elder Zheng continued:

"Ah yes, the miraculous 'hereditary spiritual root'…"

"Noble families intermarry, and generation by generation, their roots get stronger."

"Meanwhile, the common folk are just trying to survive—having enough to eat is already a blessing. Who has the luxury to care about spiritual roots?"

"In a few hundred or thousand years, every noble family disciple will have high-grade—maybe even top-grade—spiritual roots."

"While commoner cultivators will only be left with mid-grade or low-grade roots."

"What a scheme…"

Elder Zheng's voice carried a chill to the bone. "And now, our sects enforce this spiritual-root cutoff. From now on, all who get admitted will be high-grade roots, all born of noble blood!"

"Those poor cultivators, born into hardship—they're just not good enough for admission, not worthy of inheritance!"

"In this world of cultivation and immortality-seeking, they're only fit to be beasts of burden, working for a mere century or two!"

Elder Shen roared, "Nonsense!"

His gaze sharpened as he coldly asked, "So what you're suggesting, Elder Zheng, is that all those born of noble blood are selfish and narrow-minded? That they have no heart for the world?"

"If I recall correctly… you yourself come from a noble family, do you not?"

Elder Zheng replied, "Human nature is not bound to background…"

"Yes, even among noble-born, there are those who carry the world in their hearts;"

"And among the low-born, there are those who grovel to power."

"These virtues and flaws are part of human nature—they're not determined by status. But still, that structure shapes outcomes. It rarely changes."

"A person born into a noble house will, by default, protect that house's interests."

"Only those from hardship—who've suffered, who've seen how cultivators truly live—only they are likely to think of protecting the weak, the powerless, the scattered cultivators of the world."

"And now this grand Heavenly Dao Sect… claiming to gather all cultivation knowledge under heaven, has instead become a tool for noble clans, monopolizing the Dao for private gain."

"It violates the very foundation of our sect's principles! It shames the teachings of our ancestors!"

Elder Shen remained indifferent, dodging the point:

"Elder Zheng, you're exaggerating. If anything, the Heavenly Dao Sect's growth is proof of how effective our teachings are…"

"Effective teachings?" Elder Zheng's face was flushed with anger. "What are we even teaching across the entire Dry Study Prefecture now?"

"Our ancestors established the Dao Debate and Sword Debate gatherings to help disciples unite, grow in harmony, and improve their cultivation and understanding!"

"And now?"

"Those 'Debates' have become tools for flaunting status and chasing profit!"

"Noble families use them to boost their so-called 'pride of the heavens,' crafting illusions and false grandeur…"

"The sect even fans the flames, giving one person all the glory of a group's effort!"

"At this rate, all we'll raise are selfish, arrogant brats!"

"Strong in cultivation—empty in heart!"

"The lesser noble families' disciples will become dogs for the great clans, pawns for the privileged!"

"And you call that good teaching?"

"Is this the kind of disciple we want from the Heavenly Dao Sect?"

"These disciples—selfish, greedy, powerful yet filled with desire, sitting high above the world, feeding on the blood of other cultivators…"

"If this continues—where will the cultivators of the Nine Provinces go? Where will the common people stand?!"

Elder Shen's expression flickered. He scoffed sarcastically, "You exaggerate. And yet, despite all that, isn't Dry Prefecture still prosperous?"

Elder Zheng's eyes were like blades. "Yes. Dry Prefecture prospers—for the noble families."

"They bloom in luxury, while the rest of the Nine Provinces are scarred and bleeding."

"The Heavenly Dao Sect is complicit—helping tyrants abuse their power, aiding these noble clans in their monopoly, lifting them above all others to reap all benefits for themselves."

"This… this is the Dao's injustice."

Elder Shen stayed cold and unmoved, as if deaf to it all.

Elder Zheng, his anger beyond words, eventually spoke softly:

"The Way of Heaven takes from the excess and gives to the lacking…"

"When human ways are unjust, the Heavenly Dao… will force a monstrous correction."

Elder Shen felt a chill strike straight through his soul. He shuddered violently, pointing a trembling finger at Elder Zheng and shouting:

"Impudence!"

"You…"

His voice cracked with rage. "Arrogant!"

"Ignorant!"

"Absurd!"

"Your words alone are worthy of execution!"

Elder Zheng remained expressionless.

Elder Shen slowly calmed his breath and glared coldly. "Elder Zheng, I advise you to watch your mouth. If you continue spouting such dangerous views, the Heavenly Dao Sect may no longer have room for an extremist Elder like you."

Elder Zheng gave a cold snort, his upright face unmoved.

Outside the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Mo Hua began his self-directed schooling plan.

Since the Heavenly Dao Sect wouldn't take him, he had no choice but to try joining another.

He bought a clearer, more detailed map.

The Dry Study Prefecture was vast, with many sects—and around them, many immortal cities, large and small, dependent on the sects.

These cities grew by leaning on sect protection.

Inside, amenities were fully developed—trading halls, inns, restaurants—all catering to cultivators. Some even lived there long term.

These cities resembled Departure State City outside the Five Elements Sect, but far more regulated. Construction was restricted to avoid power struggles and maintain peace.

To reach any sect, one would inevitably pass through one of these cities.

Some cities also offered large carriages that followed fixed routes, passing by sects' perimeters and their respective cities.

The fare was expensive, but still within Mo Hua's means.

He began carefully planning his route.

Once done, he began submitting his profile and resume—sect by sect—starting with the Four Great Sects, excluding the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Though chances were slim, one had to try.

Starting from the top, Mo Hua planned to submit his application one by one, just in case he got lucky.

Like a blind cat catching a dead rat.

But without exception, every resume was rejected.

As expected.

He felt a little discouraged but then moved on to the Eight Major Gates, which were slightly lower in status.

There were a lot of them—eight in total—and spaced pretty far apart. He couldn't hit them all in one route, so he picked a few and tried his luck.

Naturally, those were also rejected.

Every rejection gave the same reason: "Spiritual root mismatch."

The Four Great Sects and Eight Major Gates all required at least high-grade roots.

In fact, the Four Great Sects had already raised their threshold to upper-high grade or above.

"At this rate, give it a few more years, and they'll probably only take top-tier roots…"

Mo Hua muttered bitterly to himself.

"In a few more years, I'm afraid they'll only accept 'top-grade' roots…"

Mo Hua grumbled inwardly.

The "Eight Major Gates" were slightly more lenient, but even they required at least high or mid-grade spiritual roots—Mo Hua simply couldn't reach that high.

Since the Eight Gates didn't work, he turned to the "Twelve Streams" instead.

Mo Hua silently resolved: Surely among the Twelve Streams, there must be a few sects that specialize in array formations…

With his level of skill in formations, surely there was still hope.

But to his surprise—he was rejected again.

"Little Master, your spiritual roots… are still lacking,"

A teacher in charge of admissions at the Ten Thousand Arrays Sect spoke tactfully to Mo Hua.

The man felt genuine regret.

He had just asked Mo Hua some technical questions about formations, and Mo Hua answered each fluently—not only correctly, but with insights that left the teacher in awe.

Then he had Mo Hua draw a few formations.

The intricate, practiced array glyphs, the confident layout, the fluid brushstrokes—all exuded a faint aura of mastery that made the teacher doubt his own eyes.

It was the demeanor of a seasoned array elder.

Yet Mo Hua looked so young—barely fifteen or sixteen—with a pure and innocent presence.

The teacher found it utterly baffling, and yet incredibly disappointing.

"Our Ten Thousand Arrays Sect requires high-grade roots to enter," he explained patiently. "If you were a certified Grade One Array Master, we could make an exception and accept someone with mid-high-grade roots…"

"But…"

He sighed.

Mo Hua's roots were only mid-low-grade, still a long way from mid-high.

"No exceptions?" Mo Hua asked.

The teacher shook his head with regret. "None."

The rules were set by the Sect Leader and Elders—carved in stone. A small instructor like him had no authority to bend them.

No rules, no order.

In all the sect's history, the entry requirements had never been relaxed.

Only if someone had a powerful enough background could they bypass the system.

But in those cases, admission wasn't really about roots anymore.

Mo Hua frowned. "For an array-focused sect, are spiritual roots really that important?"

The teacher liked Mo Hua, so he kindly explained, "Spiritual roots determine what cultivation methods you can practice, and how far you can cultivate. Naturally, they matter."

"The higher your cultivation, the stronger your divine sense. Only with strong divine sense can you become a high-tier array master."

"Even if you're a genius at formations, if your cultivation's stuck at Foundation Establishment, you'll only ever be a Grade Two Array Master at best. Grade Three and above—those will remain forever out of reach…"

"That said, spiritual roots don't affect array talent that much…"

"But the reason standards keep getting stricter…"

The teacher pointed upward. "Is because the Four Great Sects are doing it first. They lead, and the Eight Gates, Twelve Streams, even the Hundred Sects of Dry Prefecture, all have no choice but to follow."

"After all, when other sects have rows of top-grade and high-mid-grade disciples, and yours has low-highs or even mid-grades—you lose face."

"Besides, there are just too many cultivators these days. Especially those with high-grade roots. We're not lacking in applicants…"

"So the bar just keeps rising."

The teacher shook his head helplessly.

He truly wanted to take Mo Hua in, but had no power to do so. He didn't even dare bring it up with the Elders.

He had tried in the past—several times, with promising array talents who lacked root quality—and every time, he was shut down.

As one Elder once told him:

"We're a sect of formation masters, not frog-hunters. Two-legged array masters? We've got plenty."

"Rules are rules. One or two more Grade One or Two masters make no difference. Not worth breaking protocol."

Mo Hua sighed and had no choice but to give up.

He could only lower his standards once more, and look toward the Hundred Sects of Dry Prefecture.

Most of these still required high-grade roots, but a few allowed special exceptions for those with talents in alchemy, smithing, talisman-making, or array drawing.

They weren't on the same level as the elite sects, and they knew it—so their requirements were looser.

And indeed, a few sects from the Hundred were willing to accept Mo Hua.

They even lowered their root requirement to accept mid-low-grade candidates.

But Mo Hua couldn't go.

Because…

It was too expensive.

The entry tuition—called the "spirit stone tuition"—charged by these minor sects, was several times more expensive than what the Four Great Sects, Eight Gates, or Twelve Streams demanded!

Sure, they lowered the spiritual root requirement—but they didn't lower the tuition.

Mo Hua couldn't afford it. So even then, he couldn't get in.

The weaker the sect, the higher the tuition!

Mo Hua let out a long sigh, utterly helpless.

It seemed Dry Prefecture wasn't what it appeared to be on the surface.

Nor was it what he'd imagined at all.

It didn't seem to be a place purely for "learning"...

"What now?"

Mo Hua racked his brain, but had no better plan. Finally, he decided to just find a temporary place to settle and get by for now.

If things really didn't work out, he'd focus on studying formations and try to certify as a Beginner Grade Two Array Master. Then, in the various immortal cities of Dry Prefecture, he could draw formations for coin and spirit stones.

And maybe, just maybe… he'd stumble across a new opportunity.

Meanwhile, news of Mo Hua's situation eventually reached Wenren Wan a few days later.

She'd been busy taking care of Yu'er, having hired Wenren Clan's alchemists to check Yu'er for internal injuries, hidden afflictions, or traces of demonic energy.

Shangguan Yi also hired experts to perform a karmic divination to see if Yu'er faced any future misfortune.

A few days later, the child was declared safe and sound.

Wenren Wan finally relaxed—and naturally thought of Mo Hua.

Mo Hua had clearly said he didn't need any kind of repayment, but Wenren Wan still felt some guilt. So she secretly sent people to protect him and monitor what he was up to.

When she heard that the Heavenly Dao Sect had rejected Mo Hua, Wenren Wan exclaimed angrily:

"He saved Yu'er's life—how dare they not accept him?!"

Then, upon hearing that Mo Hua had sent resumes to many sects and had been rejected by all, she got even angrier:

"Blind fools!"

"Mo Hua is such a wonderful boy—and they still won't take him in!"

Shangguan Yi, hearing this from the side, nearly burst out laughing.

What does any of this have to do with anything?

Sect recruitment is based on spiritual roots, bloodline, and background. What does saving Yu'er, or being a "good boy," have to do with that?

This was totally unreasonable.

But "unreasonable" was not a word Shangguan Yi dared to say aloud. If he did, he'd be sleeping in the study room for the next few months.

So Shangguan Yi just nodded and said, "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right…"

He knew his wife's personality well. She was loyal and full of emotion—usually quite rational, but when it came to people she cared about, she became a bit hot-blooded and protective.

He himself used to be the one she cared about the most—but ever since their son was born, he'd been demoted to the sidelines…

Shangguan Yi sighed inwardly, a bit helpless.

(End of this Chapter)