Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 591: Elder Xun

That said, for now, he was still just an ordinary little disciple of the Great Void Sect. It was better to quietly focus on cultivation.

Which was just as well.

His master had once taught him: "A man fears fame, a pig fears fat."

The first beam to stick out gets chopped down.

To get rich in silence, cultivate in a low-key manner, and steadily improve oneself—that was the best path.

The next day, Mo Hua had spent the night practicing formations at the Dao Tablet. He woke up early and full of energy, ready for class.

His Great Void Token showed that his first class would be Cultivation Studies.

The class was taught by an inner sect elder—his robes ornate, his demeanor dignified, clearly someone of great seniority and respect.

But since it was the very first lesson, he didn't speak much. He only briefly introduced the course content.

"Cultivation is the foundation of all cultivators."

"All Dao arts are built upon your cultivation level. Whether it's formations, pills, talismans, or artifacts, your cultivation is the baseline for their grade."

"Only by breaking through your cultivation and raising your realm can you cross into higher grades of Dao techniques—advancing rank by rank."

"So cultivation is the stairway to seek immortality and the Dao."

"For those of noble birth, Qi Refining is just initiation; Foundation Establishment is the true starting point. Only with a solid Foundation, and dense spiritual power, can one form a top-grade Golden Core…"

"And with a top-grade Golden Core, one can ascend to even greater levels of the Dao…"

"Step by step—the more solid your foundation, the farther you'll go…"

"Forming your Golden Core is still far off for you. Just understand the basics. Right now, you're only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment—your top priority is to build your foundation properly."

"There are countless paths to the Dao, but they all lead to the same end. Most of you come from prestigious families, with varying backgrounds and different techniques. But some fundamental principles must be studied by all."

"How to purify your spiritual energy. How to complete a full cycle of inner circulation. How to stabilize your Dao foundation…"

"How to avoid mistakes during Foundation cultivation—how to avoid damaging your meridians or injuring your qi sea…"

"How to improve steadily and quickly…"

"How to eliminate bad cultivation habits. How to stay humble, remain calm, and handle signs of deviation or potential Qi deviation…"

"These are all insights and experiences passed down over countless generations in the Great Void Sect, carved from blood and sweat, and incredibly precious."

"In future classes, I'll teach you all of these, bit by bit."

"No matter your background or what techniques you inherited—after learning this curriculum, your perspective on cultivation will broaden, and you'll gain a much clearer understanding of the road ahead."

"Now, let me briefly explain how Foundation Establishment cultivation works…"

"In Qi Refining, your spiritual power is gaseous. But once you reach Foundation, your spiritual energy undergoes a qualitative change—refined and heavy, like mercury."

"This mercury-like energy must be further purified, refined, and condensed until it eventually crystallizes—and finally forms your life-bound Golden Core."

"This process can't be rushed. It takes years of consistent effort and perseverance."

"Beyond that, Foundation cultivation also requires the cleansing of blood, reinforcement of meridians, and expansion of the qi sea."

"In the past, this was called 'cleansing the muscles and refining the marrow.' But nowadays, with refined techniques, the effects are less dramatic…"

"Modern methods emphasize nurturing the body gradually and reducing the chance of cultivation deviation or mental instability…"

The inner sect elder spoke with profound knowledge and a calm, measured tone.

Mo Hua listened intently and felt he had learned a lot.

Ever since entering Foundation Establishment, he had been cultivating on his own, following the Heavenly Deduction Technique, just absorbing spirit stones and watching his spiritual power grow.

He had never expected that there were so many intricate and important details in proper cultivation.

To form a Golden Core—and reach even higher realms—he would need foresight and planning. Cultivation had to be steady and strategic.

Though the elder didn't say much, Mo Hua was deeply shaken.

This was the legacy of a great sect!

This was the crystallized wisdom of countless generations of Great Void cultivators, condensed over tens of thousands of years!

However, Mo Hua also felt a little troubled.

It sounded like the elder was referring to those cultivators who forged their Dao foundation through spiritual power and blood essence—how to refine energy, purify blood, and advance further...

But he had forged his Dao through spiritual consciousness.

And the elder hadn't mentioned that at all…

His own spiritual power was weak, his blood essence thin, and he hadn't refined his realm or stabilized his foundation properly. He had basically stumbled his way into Foundation Establishment…

His method was completely different from what the elder described.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

Guess he'd just learn what he could for now, and study the rest more carefully when he had time later…

After all, he had only just joined the sect—he still had time.

In the days that followed, Mo Hua cultivated, painted formation diagrams, and attended classes…

But after a few days, Mo Hua suddenly realized something:

He still didn't know much about the Great Void Sect.

That wasn't good.

For the next few years—or even decades—he would be living in the sect. He needed to understand the environment.

That was basic Hunter's instinct.

When he first entered Black Mountain, his father, Mo Shan, had taken him around the outer and inner regions—helping him learn the terrain, the beasts' tracks, and where the herbs and ores grew…

That was how he had thrived in Black Mountain.

Even though the Great Void Sect wasn't Black Mountain, and the elders and instructors weren't beasts—the principle was the same.

Sharpening your axe doesn't delay the job.

Mo Hua decided to scout things out and familiarize himself with the sect.

He had lots of free time as a new disciple, so he wandered around the sect with his hands behind his back…

He also asked questions from Shangguan Xu and other senior brothers and sisters.

Thanks to his cute face, sweet voice, and harmless curiosity—plus the fact that his questions were the kind all new disciples wondered about—he got answers to almost everything.

After a month, Mo Hua had a decent understanding of the Great Void Sect.

First, the Layout:

The sect was built atop the ancient and majestic Great Void Mountain.

A long staircase of jade connected the outer mountain in front to the inner mountain behind.

The outer mountain housed outer sect disciples, visiting instructors, and guest elders.

In the center was a massive training field.

To the right was the Disciple Residence.

To the left were all the lecture halls and craft halls for studying Dao:

Doctrine Hall

Artifact Refining Pavilion

Pill Refining Pavilion

Talisman Pavilion

Dao Techniques Hall

Also… the Scripture Library, which made Mo Hua drool with desire—especially the formation texts—but he didn't have permission to enter yet.

Behind the outer mountain was the inner mountain.

The inner mountain housed:

The Sect Master's Residence

Elders' Residences

Inner Sect Disciple Halls

And more advanced teaching buildings.

And behind the inner mountain… was the rear mountain.

A restricted area. No one knew what was hidden there.

As an outer sect disciple, Mo Hua wasn't even allowed into the inner mountain—let alone the forbidden rear mountain. He figured whatever was inside had to be ancient monsters… or ancient ancestors. He didn't dig too deep.

And then… there was the legendary sect-defending formation:

"Great Void Primordial Mountain-Guarding Grand Formation!"

This formation far exceeded Mo Hua's expectations—it was a Fifth-Rank Grand Formation!

A true Fifth-Rank Formation, rooted in a Fifth-Rank Provincial Domain…

As someone who had constructed formations with his own hands, Mo Hua was shocked—almost couldn't believe it.

Just what level of formation master could have pulled this off?!

He wanted to learn more about it, but the word around was: the formation hadn't been activated in over ten thousand years. No one even knew if it still worked. Some even doubted it was really Fifth-Rank.

In fact, some said the formation was a fraud, exaggerated over time, and was maybe only Third or Fourth Rank…

Mo Hua didn't buy that. He wanted to verify it himself.

He even tried sneaking to the sect's edge to poke around the foundation of the formation.

Sadly—he couldn't dig into it at all. Even spiritual sense deduction revealed nothing.

This kind of formation… from its materials to its inscription structure… was simply far beyond Mo Hua's current cultivation and formation knowledge.

He couldn't pry it loose, and he couldn't deduce it.

But—Mo Hua wasn't discouraged.

"Once my cultivation is high enough, I'll definitely come back and break off a piece of this formation to study—just to see if it really is a Fifth-Rank Formation!"

"Once my cultivation is high enough, I have to come back and pry open the sect walls to see if this so-called Fifth-Rank Grand Formation is the real deal!"

Mo Hua nodded to himself, silently swearing this bold vow in his heart.

Aside from that, there was also the matter of inner and outer sect divisions.

Back in Tongxian City, the Tongxian Sect also had inner and outer sects, but that was a small-time setup. A true Fifth-Rank sect like the Great Void Sect in Qianxue Prefecture operated quite differently.

There were many differences from what Mo Hua had previously understood.

Currently, Mo Hua was an outer sect disciple.

All new disciples at the early Foundation Establishment stage were considered outer sect disciples by default.

Once a disciple reached Golden Core, they could graduate.

Upon graduation, they could leave the sect—return to their clan, join another faction, or forge their own path elsewhere.

Or, they could choose to remain in the sect, pass an assessment, and be accepted into the inner sect.

The outer sect was essentially for open recruitment and tuition collection.

The inner sect was responsible for teaching, managing the sect, and passing down the Dao.

Most inner sect disciples would take on the role of a "Lecturer".

In the Great Void Sect, "Lecturer" wasn't just a job—it was an official title. These were cultivators responsible for instruction, and they could be either inner sect disciples at the Golden Core stage, or even elders and the sect master themselves.

These lecturers fell into two categories:

Externally hired, who lived in the outer sect. These included Golden Core or even Nascent Soul (Feathering Realm) cultivators invited to teach. Some were Guest Elders.

These individuals were not part of the inner sect; they were simply hired help.

Inner sect members, who had officially joined and inherited the sect's teachings—disciples who had risen to become elders themselves.

Among these inner sect members, there was a further split:

Regular inner sect disciples, who apprenticed under regular elders and learned important sect legacies.

True disciples, who studied under True Transmission Elders and were taught the core, sect-defining legacies.

This created two distinct advancement paths:

Regular disciples → Regular elders (with cultivation progress).

True disciples → True elders (after breaking through to Nascent Soul).

And the sect's leadership, including vice sect master and sect master, were always selected from among the True Elders.

So:

Regular disciples → Regular elders

True disciples → True elders → Vice Sect Master / Sect Master

Two seemingly similar tracks—but completely separate, and strictly delineated.

Mo Hua had to twist his little head into knots just to untangle it all:

Outer vs. Inner sect

External lecturers vs. Inner lecturers

Guest elders vs. Inner elders

Regular vs. True disciples

Regular vs. True elders

"…Even in the sect, there are clearly defined and complex hierarchies,"

Mo Hua sighed.

But now that he understood it all, he finally realized who those "Lecturers" teaching his classes actually were.

Important courses—like Cultivation Studies—were taught by True Transmission Elders personally, due to their critical nature.

The one teaching Mo Hua this class was a cultivator surnamed Gongsun, a True Transmission Elder of the Great Void Sect—at the Nascent Soul Realm!

Occasionally, a Golden Core lecturer would substitute.

That Golden Core lecturer was Gongsun Elder's personal disciple—a True inner sect disciple.

Other, more practical courses didn't require such strict instruction:

Talisman refinement was taught by an externally hired Golden Core lecturer.

Pill refining was led by a Guest Elder at the Nascent Soul stage.

Artifact forging was handled by a regular inner sect elder.

And lectures on cultivation gossip and history were sometimes taught by old, well-traveled Golden Core cultivators—not particularly powerful, but incredibly experienced.

Without knowing all this, one could stand in class listening to a lecture and have no idea who was speaking.

And even if you did understand it all—sometimes you still couldn't recognize them.

The one person Mo Hua truly couldn't figure out…

was the "old elder" that Senior Brother Shangguan Xu had warned him about:

"The one who teaches formations… very senior, extremely temperamental, utterly strict—won't tolerate the tiniest mistake. Demands absolute discipline."

All the disciples respectfully called him: Elder Xun.

Elder Xun wore a Great Void Dao robe—very plain, without embroidered sword patterns. The style was outdated too. No one knew how many generations old it was.

He was clearly aged—his blood and qi were withered, and his spiritual aura faint. His cultivation didn't seem high.

The only clear impression he gave was: old.

His face was deeply wrinkled, his posture slightly hunched, and his hair and beard were completely white. Only his eyes remained sharp, full of stubbornness and unbending authority.

Even stricter than Lecturer Yan.

He taught formation classes to Mo Hua.

At first, Mo Hua took Elder Xun's classes very seriously—sitting bolt upright like a good student.

But after a few sessions, his enthusiasm started to wane.

Because he realized that the intro to formations class for early Foundation disciples in the Great Void Sect only covered… First-Rank formations.

Totally standard for that stage.

Some disciples weren't even good at formations, so learning even First-Rank formations was a struggle—it was already pushing their limits.

But for Mo Hua?

It was so boring he could cry.

He had completely mastered this stuff already.

Elder Xun's voice was hoarse but firm, and he emphasized fundamentals:

"Formations are rooted in the basics. Without a solid foundation, diving into higher-level arrays is like a vine clinging to air—no roots, no growth."

"Every base formation pattern must be memorized, drawn a thousand times, forged through repetition, to deepen your understanding…"

Mo Hua agreed with all of this—but he had already done it. Many times over.

At first, Elder Xun's class did offer some deeper insights into First-Rank arrays, which Mo Hua found useful.

But… it was still just First-Rank stuff. The examples were the usual Five Elements formations.

Mo Hua got it after two lessons. The rest was just… soul-numbing repetition.

So he slacked off a little.

With nothing else to do in class, he secretly started studying his own materials.

On the outside, he looked attentive. On the inside, he was running mental simulations and sketching Second-Rank formations, even previewing future lessons to see if anything could spark his curiosity.

But deduction was very mentally taxing.

And one day, while simulating mid-level formations in his mind during class, he accidentally burned through most of his divine sense.

Since he couldn't meditate in class to recover it, he started to feel dizzy and sluggish—his eyelids began warring with each other.

He tried to hold on.

But Elder Xun's slow, gravelly, monotone voice kept droning like a hypnotic chant:

"Formations… rely on foundations… without solid roots…"

Before he knew it—Mo Hua dozed off.

When he woke up and opened his eyes…

The classroom was dead silent.

So silent… it was eerie.

Mo Hua looked up and saw—

Elder Xun was standing right in front of him, face dark as ink, clearly holding back fury.

Mo Hua felt a surge of guilt.

But Elder Xun didn't scold him right away. He simply followed protocol and said coldly:

"Come to the front and draw the formation I just taught."

It was a test.

If he could draw it, all would be well.

If not… he was in big trouble.

Mo Hua quietly sighed in relief.

Drawing formations? That was easy…

At the front of the formation hall was a massive array disk. Elder Xun usually stood there while teaching, drawing formations and explaining principles as he went.

Mo Hua respectfully walked to the array disk, took the brush—and looked up.

He froze.

In his earlier panic, he had forgotten to check.

Now that he looked… there were four different formations drawn on the disk.

"Draw the one I just explained."

Elder Xun had explained… which one?

Mo Hua had been asleep—he had no idea!

He gripped the brush, hesitating… completely stuck.

Down below, the disciples began whispering nervously:

"He's done for…"

"He actually fell asleep in Elder Xun's class…"

"He can't draw it… he's dead meat…"

"I'm getting anxious just watching…"

"Crap—I zoned out earlier too… what if Elder Xun calls on me next? Ancestor Cheng, please protect me… I don't know the answer either…"

...

Mo Hua was still hesitating…

When suddenly— he felt a chill run down his back.

That was… Elder Xun's divine sense?

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.

Crap—Elder Xun was really angry now…

"Forget it… I'll just guess one at random…"

Mo Hua closed his eyes, pointed blindly at the most complicated-looking formation, and moved his hand.

The brush flew like a dragon, his strokes sharp and fluid— In just a few flicks, the formation was done.

The entire lecture hall went dead silent.

Even the cold pressure on his back faded slightly.

"Guessed right…"

Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief.

But then— The whispering began again:

"Just now…"

"His little hand moved so fast—I couldn't even see it…"

"He drew it so quickly!"

"How is he this good at it…?"

"…But wait, isn't that the wrong one? That's not the formation Elder Xun explained…"

Mo Hua's spiritual sense was sharp—he heard every word loud and clear.

He grumbled inwardly:

"If it's the wrong one, then tell me which one is right!!"

He looked again at the other three formations still on the disk—

And the cold pressure on his back returned, stronger than before.

Yep. Elder Xun was angry again.

"To hell with it—no turning back now!"

Mo Hua randomly picked another formation, and with a few more graceful strokes—bam, it was finished.

Now the lecture hall was so quiet,

you could hear a needle drop.

Before Mo Hua could even breathe a sigh of relief, more whispers broke out:

"Even faster than before…"

"Is that really Foundation Stage hand speed??"

"Did he grow up eating formation scrolls or what??"

"What clan is he from? His formation drawing is insanely good! The Ming family? The Zheng family?"

"Jealous… I wish I could borrow those hands to draw my formations…"

But then—

"Still the wrong one though… Elder Xun didn't teach that one either…"

Mo Hua took a deep breath.

Still not the right one?!

He was getting frustrated now. Just a little.

STILL not the right one?!

"Fine, I won't guess anymore! I'll draw ALL of them!"

All four—can't all be wrong, right?

With a flick of his hand, his brush moved like a shadow— Wrist trailing afterimages, strokes flowing like clouds and water— In just a moment, the remaining two formations were also flawlessly drawn.

This time, the classroom was truly silent.

The disciples down below all stared, mouths hanging open, speechless.

The way they looked at Mo Hua now…

It was like they were staring at some little formation monster wearing human skin.

All four formations drawn— Mo Hua gently set the brush aside and stood to the side with his head lowered, looking perfectly obedient.

Elder Xun stared at him with his murky old eyes for a long while, saying nothing. No one could tell what he was thinking.

At last, he spoke. His tone was strict, but there was a faint tremble hidden within it:

"Even if you possess some talent, you must not become arrogant and complacent. Never allow yourself to slack off…"

"This will not be tolerated again!"

Though stern, those words—"This will not be tolerated again"—meant he'd let it slide this time.

Mo Hua knew he had dodged a bullet.

He exhaled a long breath and bowed deeply:

"Thank you for the teaching, Elder. I will remember it well!"

Elder Xun gave a faint nod.

"That concludes today's class. You are dismissed."

The rest of the disciples practically fled like prisoners granted amnesty—

Scrambling to their feet, they all bowed and said respectfully:

"Disciple takes his leave!"

Then they tiptoed out, one by one, like scared rabbits.

Mo Hua quietly blended in and slipped away with the crowd.

Elder Xun said nothing more.

Not until every last disciple had left did he finally turn back to the formation disk.

There, the four formations that Mo Hua had drawn in rapid succession remained.

Elegant, perfect, without the slightest flaw— All of them top-tier First-Rank formations.

Elder Xun's murky eyes slowly opened, and for just a moment— A sliver of brilliance flashed within them.

(End of Chapter)