Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 605: Thunder Pattern

Mo Hua had already made up his mind. The next day, he attended classes as usual.

After completing his cultivation theory class, he attended a pill refinement course, then a weapon refinement class, and finally, he tagged along for a sword cultivator class.

Technically, sword cultivation had nothing to do with him.

He was a spiritual cultivator, specialized in spells.

Not to mention—swords were expensive, and he couldn't afford one.

But following the principle of "know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated," it was still worth learning about.

More importantly, Mo Hua had always been thinking about that technique he had vaguely deduced through obscure causal hints—a technique with only a name: "Great Void Divine Will Sword Manifestation Manual".

He couldn't afford to learn a true sword manual.

But "Sword Manifested by Divine Will"—that, maybe he could learn.

As the name suggested, it involved both "divine will" and "sword techniques," so it had to be related to both.

So, whenever he had free time, Mo Hua would sit in on sword cultivation classes.

Learning the basics, while also keeping an eye out for any clues related to the "Divine Will Sword Manual," and figuring out how best to deal with sword cultivators in the future.

But maybe because he was still a beginner, the sword classes were all very elementary.

Mo Hua had attended for several months, and still hadn't even learned how to condense sword qi—let alone fly a sword…

Along the way, he did hear of many renowned sword techniques of the Great Void Sect:

Like the Great Void Fire-Severing Sword Manual, Great Void Two Extremes Sword Style, Great Void Return-to-One Sword Technique, and so on…

But never—not even once—did he hear anyone mention the "Great Void Divine Will Sword Manifestation Manual."

Perhaps it was too obscure and no one practiced it, too difficult and no one mastered it, or maybe it was simply too ancient and already lost…

Mo Hua sighed. All he could do was be patient and keep searching.

There was still time—so long as he kept it in mind, eventually he'd find some lead.

Besides, there was always that down-and-out mountain god in the ruined temple on that desolate mountain…

Lord Huang of the Mountain…

Mo Hua nodded.

Next time he got a mission that passed near there, he'd go ask again.

Right now, though, he had classes to attend and couldn't spare the time.

The last class of the afternoon was Array Formation, and—once again—Old Mister Xun had slacked off.

As the self-appointed "little senior brother," Mo Hua had no choice but to step up and cover the lesson.

Once class ended, the day's courses were finally over.

Back in his disciple quarters, Mo Hua now had some free time—and began studying the eerie Four Symbols Formation he had copied from the bald head of the criminal cultivator "Vulture."

Four Symbols Formation!

"A new formation to study!" Mo Hua perked up, eyes gleaming.

And this wasn't just any new formation.

The Four Symbols Formation didn't follow the usual Five Elements or Eight Trigrams—it was a truly distinct and novel type of array.

Only… it seemed to carry a trace of malevolence and strange energy.

The flame-lit room was warm and tidy, if simple.

Mo Hua spread out his paper on the desk, inked his brush, and pulled out the copied array pattern to begin his research.

This formation had a very peculiar structure.

Its core mechanism was relatively simple, but the runes themselves were extremely complex.

Unlike the refined and balanced lines of typical Five Elements formations, these runes looked like they were modeled after beasts—eagle-like claws, sharp and wild, aggressively expressive.

It was strange and mesmerizing.

Still, as long as it was an array, it could be broken down.

So long as the heart stayed clear, there was nothing to fear.

Mo Hua began deconstructing the formation—dissecting its core, analyzing the runes, breaking it down like a master butcher removing bone from meat.

His technique of Heavenly Pattern Deduction was becoming more refined, allowing him to analyze these complex arrays with greater clarity.

Soon, he had it dismantled.

The whole Four Symbols Formation had been broken into over a dozen distinct "Four Symbols" sub-runes.

Mo Hua studied them carefully, then scratched his head.

"This isn't right…"

The runes didn't resemble what Old Mister Xun had taught him.

Or rather—they looked like Four Symbols runes on the surface…

But when he tried to study them or learn them, they were vastly different.

"Modified variant?"

Mo Hua frowned.

That was the only explanation he could come up with.

The ones Old Mister Xun taught were foundational, beginner-level Four Symbols runes. Think of them like starter packs.

But the one from the Vulture's head seemed more advanced—containing greater complexity and clearly meant to integrate with demonic power to enhance its offensive capabilities.

Beast patterns… close to demonization… easy to lose one's humanity…

Mo Hua felt uneasy, but decided to go ahead and study it for now.

Without studying and practicing, he couldn't grasp its mysteries.

If he noticed signs of "demonization" or risk of deviation, he'd stop.

So he began replicating and deducing the runes.

An hour later, Mo Hua had gained a basic understanding of this "Eagle-pattern Four Symbols Array."

It had only fourteen runes.

Mo Hua drew them on paper, then frowned again.

"Useless."

The runes were perfectly drawn—identical to those on Vulture's bald head—even the fine feather-like lines and claw details were meticulously copied.

But when he infused spiritual energy, nothing happened.

In his divine sense, the formation had form, but no spirit—no flowing energy, no activation.

"Something's missing…"

But what?

Demonic energy?

Where would he get demonic energy?

He wasn't about to stop being human and go study demonic techniques that fed on blood like some monster…

Mo Hua shook his head.

This array was useless for now.

But still—he was curious.

He remembered: the Vulture hadn't practiced demonic techniques. His spiritual power was normal. So how did he manage to use this eerie Four Symbols Array?

Or maybe the question was more fundamental—

What was the Four Symbols Formation really for?

Mo Hua stroked his chin and pondered.

The Five Elements and Eight Trigrams had clear systems. They manipulated the natural forces of the world—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, rain, thunder, lightning…

But the Four Symbols?

Was it just meant for controlling demonic energy?

If so, wouldn't that make it dangerously prone to backfire?

Mo Hua felt like he was overlooking something.

So he compared the eagle-pattern demonic runes with the proper Four Symbols runes Old Mister Xun had taught him.

Using Heavenly Pattern Deduction, he peered into the essence of the runes and simulated their transformations.

Suddenly, Mo Hua's eyes widened, sharp with insight.

Within the evolving rune structures of his divine sense, the two different types of runes—after multiple transformations—overlapped.

And in that overlap, something deeper revealed itself:

A shared, more fundamental pattern.

In a flash of lightning in his mind, Mo Hua understood.

The Four Symbols rune from Old Mister Xun was a "Beast Rune."

The one on Vulture's head was a "Demon Rune."

Beasts and demons weren't the same—but they shared the same origin.

Likewise, while their forms differed, their foundational rune systems were the same.

In other words, both the demon and beast forms of the Four Symbols array were derived from a more primitive, more fundamental set of Four Symbols runes.

Foundation beneath a foundation.

Beast and demon runes were both variants of this core system.

So while they were all "Four Symbols Arrays," they were also completely different.

"So that's how it is…"

Mo Hua lit up with excitement and began carefully comparing and deducing, tracing the overlapping structures in his divine sense to isolate those common, core Four Symbols runes.

One by one, the runes emerged through his calculations.

He redrew them on paper…

Half an hour later, Mo Hua finally finished.

He laid out all these deeper, universal Four Symbols runes and studied them intently.

They were more abstract than the eagle or beast variants.

They looked more like…

Chains. Or cages…

As he stared at them— Mo Hua's eyes suddenly widened. His entire mind trembled.

As Mo Hua continued to stare, his eyes suddenly widened, his mind jolting with realization.

These array patterns…

He'd seen them before!

Mo Hua immediately opened his storage pouch and rummaged through the bottom until he pulled out a few wooden boards—each carved with incredibly similar patterns.

Though the strokes differed somewhat, and there were quite a few variations in the design—

Mo Hua's experience told him at a glance: these two sets of array patterns absolutely came from the same lineage of formation arts.

These wooden boards were…

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened slightly, and he murmured:

"Yu'er…"

Back at that restaurant—when he'd rescued Yu'er from the traffickers—she had been locked in a box. That box had formations painted all over it.

These wooden boards were from that very box.

The array engraved on those planks was the one that had trapped Yu'er—cutting off her aura and senses. A strange and unfamiliar "locking-type" formation.

Back then, Mo Hua had used Heavenly Trick Deduction and Heavenly Pattern Deduction to partially understand the array. By grasping some of the "mutual reinforcement and restraint" relationships, he had managed to unlock the formation.

But it was more luck than insight—he understood how, but not why.

He hadn't comprehended the underlying theory of the array at all.

Later, once he joined the sect and became overwhelmed with coursework, he had gradually pushed those patterns to the back of his mind.

He hadn't expected that, by sheer coincidence, he'd now come across those very same "locking array" runes once again…

But his understanding of these patterns could go no further for now.

Because he didn't have the full inheritance. He'd reached the limit of what he could figure out on his own.

He needed to get his hands on more formations or runes of the same Four Symbols system…

Mo Hua frowned and his thoughts spun rapidly.

Four Symbols beast patterns…

Four Symbols demon patterns, that criminal "Vulture"...

Foundational Four Symbols runes… and that unknown locking formation connected to Yu'er…

The human traffickers… Boss Jiang…

Mo Hua still remembered the bounty posted by the Dao Court, detailing Vulture's crimes:

"He has forcibly harvested the essence of female disciples, killed people, and even operated as a human trafficker—selling young cultivators as 'food supply' for demonic cultivators…"

Human trafficker…

Mo Hua's thoughts stirred.

Boss Jiang was a trafficker. Vulture had also been a trafficker, selling young cultivators…

Could it be… that Vulture and Boss Jiang's group had once crossed paths? Either colluding on the same crimes—or perhaps they had always been part of the same group.

Boss Jiang's wooden box had a Four Symbols locking formation.

Vulture's bald head had a Four Symbols demon formation…

That meant the formations they used likely came from the same source.

Suddenly, a name surfaced in Mo Hua's mind:

Mister Tu…

That Mister Tu had been mentioned by Boss Jiang. He sounded mysterious.

From the way Boss Jiang spoke of him—with such respect, even a hint of fear—he was clearly someone significant.

"If he was in league with Boss Jiang, he's probably not a good person…"

"Being called 'Mister' means he's probably not a musclehead, not a brute, not a front-line butcher…"

"Either he's a master of deduction, an expert in formations—or both."

"Could these Four Symbols arrays have come from Mister Tu?"

——

Mo Hua nodded. A clear objective was forming in his mind:

Track down this mysterious 'Mister Tu.'

He was almost certainly a bearer of a powerful formation inheritance—one far beyond ordinary Four Symbols techniques.

This kind of "locking" rune gave Mo Hua a deep sense of complexity—mysterious and profound, even faintly resembling traces of a Five Elements Source Pattern…

Mo Hua couldn't help but lick his lips.

This Mister Tu…

Was a fat sheep!

If he really got his hands on him—not only could he shear the wool, he could eat the meat, roast the ribs, and use the bones to make soup!

And then there was Yu'er…

They had targeted her. There was no way they had good intentions.

Mo Hua absolutely could not let them off the hook.

The problem was… Mister Tu's cultivation was likely very high, and his formation skills advanced. He might even be a master of deduction techniques.

Worse, he was hiding in the shadows—not someone who could be easily exposed.

"I need to gather clues and bide my time…"

"If all else fails, I'll report him to the Dao Court. Or even get help from the Great Void Sect, the Shangguan family, the Wenren family, Shangguan-shushu and Aunt Wan…"

Mo Hua counted his cards and realized: he didn't need to do everything himself—he had plenty of "muscle" available.

All he had to do was play it smart, wait for the right moment, and pick up the scraps.

Mo Hua nodded. This approach seemed much safer.

"But how am I supposed to find this 'Mister Tu'…?"

He mentally reviewed everything that had happened since entering Qian Prefecture, but Mister Tu had left behind very few clues.

The most obvious thread was still—human trafficking.

Mo Hua quietly made a note to himself:

"From now on, I need to choose sect missions that focus on taking down human traffickers…"

"There's also Boss Jiang and Vulture…"

"Even though they're dead, their networks probably aren't. Birds of a feather flock together—their associates likely aren't upstanding citizens either. Most of them are probably wanted criminals."

"Find those people. Give them a little… persuasion. No, wait—'enlighten' them with Fireball Technique. Once they have a change of heart, they might spill some truths…"

"And then there's…"

Mo Hua pulled a jade token out of his storage pouch.

It was the same transmission token that had once belonged to Vulture.

He had already checked it. The surface was clean—completely blank.

But as an array master, he knew: "presence and absence transform each other."

Something can appear as "nothing," and "nothing" can become something.

Besides, Uncle Zhang Lan had warned him:

"Rain leaves a trace, geese leave a sound—cultivators leave marks in all things they do…"

Just because he couldn't see it didn't mean it wasn't there.

Mo Hua was determined to study this transmission token and see if he could uncover traces of Vulture—who he contacted, what they said, what was exchanged…

...

Over the next two days, Mo Hua devoted himself to studying the transmission token, but despite long hours of effort, he made little progress.

The inner workings of the transmission token's array remained a complete mystery to him.

Mo Hua sighed.

Sure enough, shutting oneself away and working blindly was not the way…

His current formation skills—especially his experience—were still not enough to quickly grasp the secrets of an unfamiliar array.

Even though he possessed both Heavenly Trick Deduction and Heavenly Pattern Deduction.

Still, he was in a sect now, a disciple of the Great Void Sect. If you don't understand something—ask.

So, Mo Hua went to consult Mr. Xun.

There were some things he couldn't ask about.

For example, the Great Void Divine Thought Sword Incantation, or anything involving Heavenly Trick or Pattern Deduction.

But something like a transmission token? That didn't carry too much karma—it should be fine to ask.

Mr. Xun was only slightly surprised and asked:

"Why are you suddenly asking about transmission tokens?"

Mo Hua replied sheepishly, "I come from a small immortal city in Lichou, and I'd never seen a transmission token before… so I got curious."

"I figured a transmission token must involve some formation principles. But I've been puzzling over it for days without making any headway, so I've come to ask you, sir…"

Mr. Xun nodded slightly.

A thirst for knowledge. A seeking heart.

Curiosity when encountering something new, and the awareness to think about it.

And when thinking doesn't yield results—the humility to ask.

Not bad at all…

Mr. Xun was quite pleased.

As for the transmission token—though it was a bit early to teach it now—a little advance guidance wouldn't hurt. When Mo Hua studied it in earnest later, he'd learn much faster.

After thinking this through, Mr. Xun began:

"This kind of array is quite complex and not suited to your current level. But since you're curious, I'll share some basic principles. Just keep them in mind for now…"

"But don't aim too high too soon. Don't waste too much effort on this. You still need to build a solid foundation in standard formations step by step."

"Mm-hmm!" Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.

Mr. Xun continued, "Transmission tokens are used for messaging. The arrays they involve belong to the Zhen category of Bagua formations—commonly referred to as Thunder Pattern formations."

That much, Mo Hua had expected.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Sir, are Thunder Patterns related to magnetism?"

Mr. Xun nodded. "Correct. But the so-called 'magnetism' differs from standard Thunder Patterns…"

"The array category used in transmission tokens isn't actually 'thunder'—it's 'electricity'. More precisely, it's magnetic in nature."

"These electric or magnetic patterns are still classified under the Zhen category of the Bagua, but they're generally called Secondary Thunder Patterns—meaning they're derived from the Bagua, have the attributes of thunder, but are weaker in power. Secondary to real thunder—offspring of the true thunder arrays."

Mo Hua had a moment of clarity.

Secondary Thunder Patterns—derivative arrays. A kind of variation.

Similar to how the Four Symbols demon patterns and beast patterns are variants of foundational Four Symbols runes.

Mr. Xun explained:

"Secondary Thunder Patterns generate electricity and produce magnetism. They're somewhat similar to certain metal-element formations in the Five Elements that possess magnetic effects—like compass-type formations. They can be used for scouting, sensing, signaling, and transmitting messages."

"They are considered classified formations."

Mo Hua nodded, then couldn't help but ask:

"Then… what about true Thunder Patterns?"

Mr. Xun's eyes grew slightly sharp, and his expression turned serious.

"True Thunder Patterns are far more complex—and far more powerful. These formations are extremely difficult to control…"

"They don't just contain the Zhen trigram, but also incorporate the variations of the Qian, Kan, and Xun trigrams…"

"That makes them hard to comprehend, hard to control, and hard to construct."

"Real thunder formations… their power is terrifying. They can obliterate everything."

"That's real heavenly thunder we're talking about."

Mr. Xun sighed, eyes filled with awe:

"The thunder of the Nine Heavens represents divine majesty—purging evil, slaying demons, and piercing through heaven and earth. It is the evolution of the Dao of Slaughter."

"Though Thunder Patterns are part of the Bagua, they contain principles from many trigrams and are unlike any other Bagua formation."

"To wield a Thunder Pattern, your Dao heart must be absolutely upright."

"Even the slightest wicked thought or selfish intent could result in heavenly thunder backlash—divine retribution. You'd die beneath your own thunder array."

"Because of that, Thunder Pattern inheritances are extremely strict."

"In this world, there are only a handful of families that possess true Thunder Pattern legacies."

Mo Hua was shaken.

He thought of the lightning rune he had left on the Dao Monument—that one stroke that annihilated all—and fell into deep thought.

But he also caught another detail in Mr. Xun's explanation:

"Only a handful…"

Mo Hua's eyes gleamed.

"So… there are families that inherited Thunder Patterns?"

Mr. Xun nodded.

"Yes. But most of them… have been struck by lightning."

"Some abandoned the inheritance and went in other directions. Others secluded themselves from the world, guarding their Dao hearts."

"The only family that has managed to pass down Thunder Patterns from generation to generation, and still maintains some power, is the Zheng family of Zhenzhou."

"The Zheng family?" Mo Hua was surprised. "Is that Zheng Fang's family?"

Zheng Fang…

Mo Hua recalled the disciple from the same sect—a square-faced, honest, occasionally dazed-looking boy named Zheng Xuan.

He remembered that when Mr. Xun had first let him substitute teach, Zheng Fang had "tested" him with a secret family array—and Mo Hua had even secretly learned that array.

Could that array have been… a thunder array?

Mr. Xun seemed to guess Mo Hua's thoughts and shook his head slightly:

"Thunder arrays are not passed on lightly. Even direct descendants of the Zheng family are no exception…"

"Zheng Fang is still young. He's not yet qualified to learn the true Thunder Patterns. At best, what he's learned are just some basic Secondary Thunder Array variants."

"Not just Zheng Fang—the entire Qianxue Prefecture—none of the Zheng disciples in the sects have qualified to learn true thunder formations."

Mo Hua was a little disappointed.

But he quickly understood. Thunder Patterns were too serious to use as exam material. Zheng Fang wasn't that stupid…

Unless Mo Hua had used Heart-Seeding Demonic Techniques to confuse his mind—which he didn't even know how to do.

"So… no one in Qianxue Prefecture knows Thunder Arrays?" Mo Hua asked curiously.

"There is someone," Mr. Xun said.

Mo Hua blinked in surprise.

"In all of Qianxue Prefecture, the only person with a Thunder Array inheritance…"

Mr. Xun frowned, thought for a moment, then slowly said:

"It should be… Zheng Wanjun."

"Zheng Wanjun?"

Mo Hua was puzzled.

He'd never heard that name before.

Mr. Xun nodded slightly.

"He's an Elder of the Qian Dao Sect—one of the Four Great Sects. A Feathering Realm cultivator."

(End of Chapter)