Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 590: Great Void Sect

The Great Void Sect was ancient and majestic.

Clouds swirled like waves of rosy mist, brimming with immortal aura.

A wide and long jade-paved mountain path stretched like a heavenly staircase, straight to the summit.

Centered around this mountain path, cultivation buildings lined both sides—pavilions, towers, palaces, and gardens—steeped in antiquity, immersed in a veil of white mountain mist. It all seemed soaked in the essence of time, lending it a weighty solemnity.

As Mo Hua walked through it all, he felt all worldly dust washed away. His mind calmed, and even his divine sense grew peaceful.

Shangguan Xu led Mo Hua into a cluster of pavilions on the right. There, they met a few cultivators—perhaps instructors or elders. After a few brief exchanges, some formalities were handled.

Then it was time for Mo Hua to undergo inspection by several elders.

They would check his blood vitality, meridians, cultivation method, divine sense, and more.

The inspection used a spiritual artifact that resembled a glazed mirror—rather than having the elders probe with their divine sense.

Disciples from noble families often cultivated inherited arts and techniques. Letting others, especially high-level elders, peek into their foundations was strictly forbidden.

Otherwise, their inheritance risked being exposed.

The sect's purpose was to impart the Dao and pass on teachings—not to steal family legacies. Elders recklessly peering into a disciple's roots would violate a major sect taboo.

In Qianxue Prefecture, where powerful clans were abundant and inheritance was taken extremely seriously, such matters were even more sensitive.

Thus, all inspections had to be done using standardized spirit tools.

Even then, the inspection was light and superficial.

Its only goal was to check if a disciple's blood was impure, their meridians chaotic, their cultivation method deviated from the orthodox path, or their divine sense carried demonic influence...

The goal was simple: ensure that disciples wouldn't fall into the demonic path or suffer qi deviation.

When Mo Hua was scanned by the glazed mirror, the elders all nodded in approval.

His Dao heart was clear, his aura pure.

A kind-hearted and upright little cultivator, wholly devoted to the Dao.

Well... except his talent was just a bit lacking...

Also, the image on the glazed mirror was a little fuzzy, as if something had interfered, making it somewhat unclear.

Still, as long as he was a decent and proper cultivator, it was fine.

They weren't responsible for talent assessments after disciples had already been admitted—and truthfully, they didn't care.

"He's good," one elder said.

Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.

After that, his storage pouch was also inspected.

This was mainly to prevent new disciples from bringing inappropriate things into the sect.

For example—dangerous talismans, forbidden pills, illegal formation tools...

Most importantly: demonic artifacts.

The Dao Court had strict laws—righteous and demonic paths were clearly divided.

Refining, possessing, or using demonic artifacts were all major crimes.

If a disciple was found to have one, they would immediately lose their entry qualification. Worse, they might be handed over to the Dao Court for punishment as a demonic cultivator.

Their family would also be implicated.

So, all demonic cultivation methods, techniques, and spiritual tools were strictly prohibited by both the Dao Court and all righteous sects.

In addition, there were some... other banned items...

Some disciples tried to smuggle in erotic pictorials or jade slips that could corrupt the Dao heart.

This wasn't considered a major offense, but the elders would still scold them a little.

Of course, those books and jade slips would be confiscated. No refunds.

What caught Mo Hua by surprise, however, was the rule about spirit stones.

There was a strict cap—disciples weren't allowed to bring too many into the sect. Just enough for daily cultivation was permitted.

The reason? To prevent wealthy families from letting their disciples bring in huge piles of spirit stones—to bribe instructors, flaunt wealth, or encourage luxury and competition. All of which could corrupt the atmosphere of cultivation.

Most sects enforced such limits.

This was the first time Mo Hua had heard of such a rule.

He began to worry—he was carrying a small fortune, several tens of thousands of spirit stones, most of it looted from those human traffickers...

Would it be too much to bring in?

But he soon realized—he needn't have worried.

The amount he was carrying was considered very modest by sect standards.

Mo Hua was dumbfounded. Only now did he realize... just one strand of a noble family's hair was thicker than his entire net worth.

"The wealth gap in cultivation is insane..."

Mo Hua sighed.

The items in his storage pouch were all normal, clean, and ordinary.

Anything important—like the Heaven Derivation Art, or the Five Elements Array Flow Diagram sealed with mysterious origin patterns—had all been tucked away in his Storage Ring.

The Storage Ring was a gift from his master, and invisible to others.

After the inspection, the elders returned his storage pouch.

Perhaps seeing how pitifully sparse the pouch looked, how few spirit stones it had, and realizing Mo Hua was just a lone rogue cultivator, one elder took pity on him and gently comforted him:

"Don't worry about not having many spirit stones."

"Once you're in the sect, as long as you work hard, you can support yourself. You'll earn enough for your cultivation needs..."

Support himself? Earn spirit stones...?!

Mo Hua froze for a second.

Wait—did that mean... he could milk the sect for spirit stones?!

If he worked hard and earned more... didn't that mean joining the Great Void Sect wouldn't just not cost him, but actually let him... make a little fortune?

The Great Void Sect... what a wonderful place!

Mo Hua's eyes sparkled. Beaming, he said, "Thank you, Elder!"

The elder gave a slight nod and silently praised him:

"Though poor, he remains firm. Unyielding in ambition despite humble origins... an optimistic child, even if just a rogue cultivator."

After that, the admission process was complete.

Mo Hua received a new storage pouch.

It was better than his old one—larger, sturdier, and more elegant, embossed with the symbol of the Great Void Sect.

The symbol was a swirling pattern of black and white, flowing with the dual forces of yin and yang.

Two Forms into Chaos, from Chaos, the Great Void is born.

The more Mo Hua looked at it, the more he liked it.

Inside the storage pouch were:

A disciple's Dao robe of the Great Void Sect

A few pills

Some basic cultivation texts

And one Great Void Token

This token marked him as a disciple.

It was the most basic token of the Great Void Sect—made of jade, warm to the touch, simple but dignified, engraved with a single sword mark.

This signified that Mo Hua was an outer sect disciple, newly admitted, at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Shangguan Xu said:

"This Great Void Token is very important. You must keep it safe…"

"Everything you do in the sect that involves permissions depends on this token."

"Entering disciples' quarters, the Doctrine Hall, training grounds, alchemy rooms, smithing rooms, library, and so on—all require it."

"If you earn sect merit and wish to exchange it for cultivation items, it also relies on this."

"And look at the back—"

Mo Hua paused and flipped the token over. He saw glowing threads of light shift into characters on the token's back.

Shangguan Xu continued:

"This token also functions as a message-transmitting jade slip."

"It'll display internal sect announcements—orders from the Sect Master, commands from elders, messages between disciples…"

"But most importantly—it shows your cultivation class schedule."

Mo Hua blinked. "Cultivation… class schedule?"

"Yes," Shangguan Xu nodded. "It'll tell you when and where your cultivation classes are."

"The sect has many courses—on cultivation, formations, alchemy, artifact crafting, talismans, Dao techniques, and more. The schedule, times, and instructors often shift, especially if an elder has personal matters and needs to reschedule…"

"So managing all the classes and adjustments for disciples relies on this Great Void Token."

"It'll remind you what class to attend and when. It checks attendance. If you skip class, it records that too…"

"All of this may seem simple—but it's powered by extremely sophisticated formation logic."

"Formation logic?!"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

Shangguan Xu was briefly startled. He didn't understand why Mo Hua suddenly looked so excited. After a moment of thought, he slowly nodded, "Yes…"

"Senior Brother Xu, what kind of formation logic is it? What's the name of the formation? Is it a Five Elements formation? Or some other kind of formation system?"

Mo Hua eagerly bombarded him with questions.

Shangguan Xu gave a wry smile. "I have no idea either… I only heard it from one of the instructors. The sect doesn't teach us this kind of formation, or else someone would definitely try to tamper with the Great Void Token to cheat…"

Mo Hua looked a little disappointed.

He genuinely wanted to know what formation this was—

Purely for the study of formations!

He was a proper cultivator, not the cheating type!

But since even Senior Brother Xu didn't know, there was no way Mo Hua could figure it out right now either…

"But what kind of formation could it be…"

Mo Hua frowned, starting to ponder.

The Great Void Token...

Since every disciple had one, then the formation must be something akin to a Spiritual Hub Formation, constructed in a centralized-distributed control structure.

There must be a location where the array's core was stored, and upon that core, a control node—or array nexus—was constructed.

Through that nexus, all the disciples' Great Void Tokens were linked together, forming a complete…

Mo Hua frowned deeper.

"…A complete communication array?"

"Or maybe… it's not just for messaging, maybe it has other functions too?"

Mo Hua muttered and furrowed his little brows as he walked, thinking aloud the whole way…

Shangguan Xu looked at him and couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. He really had no idea what this junior was so seriously contemplating…

Mo Hua kept mulling over it for a bit. Though he was quite skilled in Five Elements formations, even capable of grasping some high-level killing formations, his overall knowledge of the formation world was still limited—he couldn't figure out much more on his own.

He tried deducing or sensing the Great Void Token.

He could faintly tell that there was indeed some formation structure within the token… but it was entirely sealed inside—completely shut off—without even a sliver exposed.

"I can't deduce anything at all…"

Mo Hua was a little disappointed.

It looked like he would have to wait until after enrollment, improve his understanding of formations, consult some related texts, and elevate his formation mastery before he could study the inner workings of the Great Void Token properly…

As the two of them walked, they arrived at an area between halls and pavilions.

"This is the Disciple Residence, where disciples live and do their daily cultivation…"

"To the left, past the training grounds, are the Doctrine Hall, the artifact refining room, the pill refining room, and other buildings where cultivation-related arts are taught."

"Each disciple gets their own room. It's peaceful—whether for studying or cultivating, you won't be disturbed."

"With your Great Void Token, you can enter the Disciple Residence and find your assigned quarters."

Shangguan Xu patiently explained.

Mo Hua glanced at his Great Void Token and saw the words "Taiyi" inscribed on it, followed by the number "50."

"Taiyi?" Mo Hua was confused.

"Oh," Shangguan Xu seemed to just remember something. "I forgot to tell you—The Great Void Sect accepts disciples every three years. Each class has around a thousand people…"

"If you advance to mid-Foundation Establishment within three years, you'll move up with your cohort. Otherwise, you stay behind."

"These thousand or so people are divided into Disciple Residences—which basically means class groupings."

"Since this is the Great Void Sect, the class names all start with 'Tai' and follow the Earthly Branches sequence: Tai Jia, Tai Yi, Tai Bing… all the way to Tai Ren and Tai Gui…"

"So there are ten residences—or ten class groups."

"Classmates in the same group live in the same pavilion."

"You're in Taiyi, so you live in the Taiyi Residence, and '50' means Room Number Fifty."

Mo Hua whispered, "Is this divided by cultivation level or talent?"

Shangguan Xu shook his head. "Nope, it's completely random. The elders draw lots. Whoever ends up where, that's where they go. It's a matter of luck—and maybe destiny."

"Oh."

Mo Hua nodded, now understanding.

He thought, No wonder someone like me with this kind of "talent" ended up in Taiyi. Turns out I just got lucky…

Shangguan Xu chuckled, "The Four Great Sects, on the other hand, group their disciples strictly based on bloodline, status, and background. So when they divide their Disciple Residences, it takes a long time—because a lot of interests are at stake."

"Where a disciple lives can directly affect their treatment and standing."

"And once the placements are finalized, they even adjust them based on academic performance—to encourage competition. If you fall behind in cultivation or studies, you'll gradually get pushed to the bottom…"

"Our Great Void Sect's sect master and elders are way more laid-back. They just draw lots—whatever you get, that's it. Saves everyone a lot of trouble."

Mo Hua couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

The Four Great Sects are intense…

Their disciples must be raised in a constant storm of comparison and rivalry.

Then again, that was probably exactly what those sects and powerful clans wanted—to raise geniuses through brutal competition. Only the most outstanding would rise to the top...

However, this might be exactly what the noble families and those powerful sects intended—like raising Gu worms, only the most outstanding prodigies would emerge victorious from the brutal selection…

But all of that had nothing to do with him.

With his level of talent, aside from formations, he wouldn't even count as bottom tier in anything else. He could only drift through the days…

Shangguan Xu thought for a moment, then pointed toward some distant buildings and quietly reminded him:

"Over there is where the female disciples live. It's a bit far from here. Unless you've got a real reason, don't go wandering over—or people will think you're a little pervert…"

"Little pervert?"

Mo Hua was stunned.

"Mm," Shangguan Xu said with lingering fear. "There were a few male disciples who tried going over there once… ahem, to 'look for something'—and got caught by a group of senior and junior sisters. They got beaten half to death."

"Their injuries were so bad, they filed a complaint with the elders. But when the elders found out, they got furious and gave them another beating…"

"It was tragic…"

Mo Hua opened his mouth, then muttered softly, "Serves them right…"

It's one thing to have bad intentions—but after getting beaten, they still had the nerve to complain? That's just walking into their own doom.

Mo Hua shook his head.

Truly, lust clouds the mind…

A cultivator must have a firm Dao heart and stay vigilant against temptation!

"I'm just giving you a heads-up—don't go around repeating it," Shangguan Xu added.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Xu! I absolutely won't say a word!" Mo Hua declared, chest puffed.

Shangguan Xu nodded. "Go ahead and settle in, then. I'm two years ahead of you—I live on the next mountain. If you need anything later, come find me."

"Mm! Thanks, Senior Brother Xu!" Mo Hua beamed.

Shangguan Xu waved and took his leave.

Mo Hua, holding his disciple token, entered the Disciple Residence, found Room Number Fifty, presented his Great Void Token at the door, and with a flash of light, the formation unlocked and the door swung open.

Mo Hua stepped inside and looked around in amazement.

The room was spacious—complete with tables, chairs, screens, carpets, and a proper bed. Everything was simple yet tasteful.

It fit the minimalist and pure lifestyle of a true cultivator.

Mo Hua was very satisfied.

This room would be his "home" in the Great Void Sect from now on.

And just like that, Mo Hua settled in.

Three days later, the Great Void Sect held the Sect Inauguration Ceremony.

Held once every three years, this was the official event where the sect master and the elders welcomed the new disciples.

Although it was called a "grand ceremony," it was actually quite simple.

It was held at the enormous training field in the heart of the Great Void Sect.

Over a thousand disciples gathered, buzzing with energy.

The sect master spoke first, followed by several esteemed elders in turn—each speech more or less the same.

They talked about the sect's long history, deep foundation, ancient heritage, and glorious legacy.

They encouraged disciples to cultivate diligently—

To achieve success in the Dao and bring honor to the Great Void.

They emphasized maintaining a firm Dao heart, walking the righteous path, and never straying, never falling into the demonic way...

Mo Hua also saw the sect master of the Great Void Sect for the first time.

He looked like… well, a typical sect master. Calm expression, dressed in splendid robes, aura deep and unfathomable—but nothing especially striking.

Except, as Shangguan Xu had said—his black hair was thick and glossy. The man clearly knew how to take care of his health.

The sect master silently observed the sea of disciples below. His face remained composed, but inwardly, he was muttering:

"They look… just like any average batch of disciples. Not too bad, but not particularly outstanding either…"

"But seriously—why the heck was there a puff of blue smoke rising over the mountain gate just now?"

The Great Void Sect Master was puzzled.

—

After the ceremony ended, everyone dispersed. Classes would officially begin the next day.

And now that he had participated in the opening ceremony, it meant that Mo Hua was officially a disciple of the Great Void Sect.

From this point on, he could fully devote himself to cultivation—and to learning formation arts with peace of mind.

The cosmos was in chaos, karma murky and obscure. The world was vast and complex, and there were many things Mo Hua still didn't know, many things beyond his reach.

He was just a small Foundation Establishment cultivator.

All he could do was focus on the things he could do.

Step by step, steadily cultivate. Bit by bit, master formations. One solid footprint after another—he would climb the Great Dao and save his master.

And his next goal—was the Golden Core Realm!

To comprehend his life's Dao, and condense it into a Golden Core!

Mo Hua's gaze burned with unwavering determination.

He would forge a divine consciousness beyond twenty patterns, cast an unblemished golden body, use divine sense to prove the Dao—and become a true Golden Core cultivator!

(End of Chapter)