Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 1125: When The Curtain Falls

Mo Hua's mind wavered.

Elder Zhao continued, "Young Master Mo, you are a disciple of a fifth-grade major sect. You should possess a heart to uphold justice and protect the innocent. Do you really wish to aid the wicked and let the impoverished cultivators of Cangwolf City remain forever oppressed, and allow the cultivators of Tongxian City to fall into a pit of suffering?"

Mo Hua's expression grew conflicted. "But… your formations can't kill the Sect Master. He's a Golden Core cultivator…"

Elder Zhao shook his head. "I have my own arrangements for that. You need not concern yourself, Young Master Mo. As long as you don't leak this matter, that will be enough."

Mo Hua furrowed his brows and pondered. After a moment, he slowly nodded. "Alright…"

Seeing signs of hesitation and agreement, Elder Zhao pressed further:

"Besides that, I have one more shameless request, which I hope Young Master Mo will agree to."

Mo Hua was slightly startled. "What is it?"

Elder Zhao said, "I hope Young Master Mo can lure the Sect Master into the formation."

Mo Hua was shocked and immediately shook his head. "No! Not revealing your plan is already a betrayal of the Sect Master. How could I possibly turn around and harm him? Though the Sect Master used me, he still treated me fairly well. I can't return kindness with betrayal."

Elder Zhao said gravely, "Then can Young Master Mo really bear to watch the loose cultivators of Cangwolf City be crushed to death, and see Tongxian City on the verge of disaster?"

"This…" Mo Hua frowned.

Elder Zhao stared intently at him and sighed softly:

"This is something I should have handled myself. It shouldn't trouble you, Young Master Mo. Unfortunately, I am incapable. That Duan fellow harbors deep suspicions toward me. If I go invite him, he will surely grow wary. If he doesn't step into the trap, I have no way of killing him…"

"But that Duan fellow greatly values and trusts you, Young Master Mo—he even believes in your array formations."

"Looking across the entire Cangwolf Sect, only you, Young Master Mo, have the ability to lure that Duan fellow into a trap."

Mo Hua's expression turned hesitant.

Suddenly, Elder Zhao gritted his teeth and knelt before Mo Hua.

Mo Hua was startled and rushed to support him. "Elder Zhao, what are you doing?!"

The others were also shocked.

"Elder Zhao!"

"Brother Zhao!"

"What are you—"

Elder Zhao remained kneeling with a solemn expression and said seriously:

"I beg you, Young Master Mo. For the sake of Cangwolf City, for the sake of the Cangwolf Sect, and for all the suffering cultivators in this city—please lend me your aid!"

The elders and disciples who had once raised blades against Mo Hua now sheathed their weapons and, one after another, also knelt before him.

"We beg Young Master Mo—please help us!"

Mo Hua sighed softly and thought to himself: This Elder Zhao really is a master of performance.

This move of reasoning with principle, stirring with emotion, humbling himself and kneeling—he's far too skilled at this act.

In this Cangwolf Sect, there really isn't a single simple character.

Some cultivators may not have high cultivation, but their skills in manipulating hearts from surviving at the bottom are terrifyingly deep.

To be truly worldly-wise is its own form of learning. Mastering human sentiment is an art in itself.

I need to learn from them.

Mo Hua immediately showed a moved expression, looking at Elder Zhao with admiration and emotion in his eyes.

He nodded solemnly. "Alright. I'll think of a way to handle this!"

...

After returning, Mo Hua went straight to the Sect Master of the Cangwolf Sect and said bluntly:

"The formation for the Refining Guild won't work. At this rate, forget building a large-scale refining guild above grade two—even completing the construction on time will be difficult."

The Sect Master frowned. "Young Master Mo, why do you say that?"

Mo Hua said directly, "Elder Zhao isn't capable. His formation skills are too lacking."

After a pause, Mo Hua added, "Of course, I admit, Elder Zhao, as the head formation elder of Blue Wolf Sect, does have some merits in his formation techniques. But when it comes to practical application, they're too hollow—full of loopholes and completely unrealistic…"

He paused slightly, then continued, "Of course, I admit that as the chief array elder of the Cangwolf Sect, Elder Zhao does have some commendable abilities. But when it comes to actual execution, his formations are too empty—full of holes, completely impractical…"

After thoroughly criticizing Elder Zhao's arrays, Mo Hua added, "Let me design the arrays. I can definitely do it better."

His tone was arrogant.

The Cangwolf Sect's Sect Master felt secretly pleased, though he still offered words of caution on the surface: "Young Master Mo, while your talent is outstanding and your foundation strong, your experience is still shallow. It might be better to work alongside Elder Zhao and gain some hands-on experience…"

"No need!" Mo Hua sneered. "I have more array experience than I know what to do with. A couple of refiner shops won't make a difference."

"Besides, didn't you invite me here precisely because you didn't want me to play second fiddle to Elder Zhao?"

The Sect Master appreciated Mo Hua's ambition but hesitated. "Still, Elder Zhao may not take this lightly."

Mo Hua said, "You're the Sect Master—would you really be concerned about one elder?"

"Elder Zhao is no ordinary elder. How about this…" The Sect Master looked at Mo Hua. "You present your formation plan and compare it with Elder Zhao's. If your diagram is clearly superior, then we'll proceed according to your plan."

"From then on, all array matters in the Cangwolf Sect will be in your hands."

"You will be the Chief Array Elder of the Cangwolf Sect!"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up with excitement. "Deal!"

The Sect Master chuckled lightly.

Mo Hua's eyes flickered, then he added, "In that case, three days from now, Elder Zhao and I shall compete in the Refiner Shop. I ask the Sect Master to personally witness the contest."

The Sect Master was slightly stunned, and a hint of suspicion flashed in his eyes.

But Mo Hua looked at him meaningfully.

After a moment of thought, the Sect Master nodded slowly. "Very well, I will be the judge."

The matter was thus decided.

Later, the Sect Master summoned Elder Zhao and explained the array competition in Mo Hua's presence.

Elder Zhao's expression was cold.

Mo Hua said calmly, "Elder Zhao, just wait and see. Arrays don't lie."

Elder Zhao gave him a piercing look and replied, "Fine."

Over the next three days, Mo Hua spent most of his time experimenting on the "toy" with his newly developed demonic technique—Causality Seed Demon.

In the remaining time, he casually sketched out a few array plans just to fulfill the task.

Soon, three days passed.

Within the still-under-construction Refiner Shop of Cangwolf City…

The competition between Mo Hua and Elder Zhao began.

Due to the importance of the Refiner Shop's core array diagram, the event was kept secret.

Few were present—only the Sect Master's trusted aides and a dozen or so senior elders.

The competition process was simple:

Each side presented their formation diagram and challenged each other's designs. The side with the more flawed diagram would naturally lose.

Elder Zhao used the diagram he had already prepared.

Mo Hua, on the other hand, had drawn his casually—yet even so, it was clearly better than Elder Zhao's, though still with many minor flaws.

Mo Hua and Elder Zhao argued fiercely.

When they reached a specific array hub node, the debate escalated. Neither was willing to back down.

Finally, it was up to the Sect Master to make the final decision.

Without suspicion, the Sect Master stepped between the two, leaning over to examine their diagrams.

In that very moment, Mo Hua and Elder Zhao exchanged a glance.

Mo Hua slipped away using movement technique.

Almost simultaneously, Elder Zhao drew a wolf-patterned longsword and suddenly stabbed toward the Sect Master.

The Sect Master, cautious by nature and highly perceptive, sensed the killing intent immediately. His expression changed as he took a step back.

At the same time, he summoned a claw-shaped wolf treasure with his right hand and slashed back, releasing a golden streak that clashed directly with Elder Zhao's sword.

Shockingly, his claw artifact failed to block the sword, which swept across his arm and left a deep, bleeding gash.

The Sect Master's eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Elder Zhao:

"Spirit Crystalized Qi? You've formed your Golden Core?!"

Elder Zhao sneered, "I'm an array master— my divine sense surpasses yours. I've hidden it for so long, all for today."

The Sect Master snarled, "So you want to kill me? You think you can do that?"

Elder Zhao crushed a jade talisman.

In an instant, the ground shook, and layers of array patterns lit up, sealing the surrounding space and trapping both of them within.

Elder Zhao pointed his sword at the Sect Master. "Today, only one of us walks out alive."

The Sect Master looked around at the formation, visibly impressed. "High-grade Tier-2 array?"

He turned to Elder Zhao and sighed, "Though only seventeen patterns, it's still impressive. What a pity…"

Elder Zhao snorted. "Enough talk. Die."

With a thrust of his sword, golden sword qi surged forth, imbued with the power of the Wolf Sect, aimed straight for the Sect Master's throat.

This was a secret sword technique of the Cangwolf Sect.

Elder Zhao, now revealed as a Golden Core cultivator, was not only skilled in arrays but also a formidable swordsman.

However, compared to the Sect Master's ruthlessness, he was still a step behind.

Now, with this rare opportunity, Elder Zhao wanted to end it in one strike—kill the Sect Master and take his place.

Naturally, the Sect Master wasn't going to wait to die. He unleashed the Cangwolf Sevenfold Claw and clashed head-on with Elder Zhao.

Inside the trap array, two Golden Core cultivators fought fiercely.

Their clashing crystal-like spirit power carved deep scars into the ground.

Though a high-tier Tier-2 trap array could not fully restrain a Golden Core cultivator, breaking it still required time—attempting to do so hastily would leave one open to attack.

Since Elder Zhao was determined to fight to the death, the Sect Master had no choice but to meet him head-on.

Outside the trap array, Foundation Establishment elders from both factions were also fighting tooth and nail.

Elder Zhao's supporters and the Sect Master's loyalists were locked in a brutal struggle.

The Refiner Shop descended into total chaos.

Light from arrays flickered wildly. Killing intent surged in waves.

And Mo Hua stood aside, calmly watching everything unfold.

The battle raged for nearly half an hour, with no clear victor.

At that moment, Elder Zhao sensed something off.

"Something's wrong," he said, pushing the Sect Master back with a sword slash. "I laid down so many killing arrays—how come you haven't triggered a single one?"

In cultivation, he and the Sect Master were evenly matched.

Neither could kill the other in a short time.

Those arrays were his trump card, meant to break the stalemate.

High-tier Tier-2 formations couldn't outright kill a Golden Core cultivator, but they could trap or wound them—stacked injuries could be fatal.

Yet strangely, despite Elder Zhao's careful setup, the Sect Master hadn't triggered even one.

The Sect Master gave a grim smile.

"That's because Young Master Mo already told me everything."

"Your plan, your intentions… even the flaws in your array diagrams and the weak points of your killing formations…"

"Young Master Mo informed me of every last detail in secret."

Elder Zhao's face turned pale. He turned furiously to Mo Hua. "You…"

Mo Hua's face was cold. "Your formations couldn't kill the Sect Master. If your plan failed, I'd be the one to suffer."

Elder Zhao spat, "That Sect Master is no saint! Don't you care about yourself? About Tongxian City?"

Mo Hua replied coldly, "Tongxian City can't help me form a Golden Core. Why should I care?"

Elder Zhao seethed with hatred.

Mo Hua said coldly, "Tongxian City can't help me form a Golden Core. Why should I care about them?"

Elder Zhao was consumed with hatred.

This selfish, ungrateful brat! His entire grand plan—ruined by this one boy!

With a face that looked honest and kind, he committed nothing but sinister and ruthless deeds.

"Sect Master Duan," Mo Hua said calmly, "I'll leave the rest to you."

The Sect Master of the Cang Wolf Sect smiled slightly. "Young Master Mo, you can rest assured."

He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled with a wolf-like howl. His bones and meridians crackled loudly. His entire body grew a size larger, his posture hunched like a werewolf, and his eyes flashed with crimson light.

And with his howl—

The other elders of the Cang Wolf Sect began to show signs of "wolf transformation" as well, becoming bloodthirsty, and their strength increased significantly.

Elder Zhao's face turned pale in shock.

Even Mo Hua's eyes flickered slightly.

The two sides clashed again, and the tide of battle turned sharply.

Elder Zhao's side suffered a devastating blow.

They simply could not match the bloodthirsty, wolf-transformed Sect Master and his loyal elders.

Within just a few dozen exchanges, Elder Zhao was already covered in wounds.

He had only recently entered the Golden Core stage and lacked experience—not to mention he didn't have the ruthlessness required in such a deadly fight.

Previously, he could still maneuver around, but now that the Sect Master was fighting seriously, Elder Zhao was no match.

He had no choice but to detonate a few killing formations to buy time.

But the situation only grew worse.

It wasn't long before Elder Zhao was cornered and pushed to the brink of death.

"The tide has turned…"

Elder Zhao collapsed in despair, a bitter smile on his face.

The Sect Master's face twisted into a savage grin.

His body was fully wolf-transformed—fierce and brutal. His wolf claw artifact had merged with his hand, and with a downward swipe, he lunged for Elder Zhao's throat.

But just at that moment, Mo Hua's expression changed. He cried out, alarmed:

"Sect Master! No! Quick—dodge three zhang to the right, into the blind spot!"

Sect Master Duan froze.

He didn't understand why—but instinctively, he already trusted Mo Hua.

Especially when it came to formations—Mo Hua's authority was beyond question.

And from Mo Hua's tone, the situation seemed extremely urgent. Without thinking, Sect Master Duan sidestepped three zhang to the right into the blind spot, just as instructed.

As soon as he stepped into the blind spot— A streak of black light flashed by.

For a brief moment, all sound vanished.

Then, black collapse energy erupted across the formation—terrifying reversal energy surged through.

At the brink of life and death, Sect Master Duan's expression twisted in shock. He leapt sideways—but it was a moment too late.

His right arm, along with part of his right leg, was obliterated.

In just an instant, the mighty Sect Master of the Cang Wolf Sect—crippled in one arm and one leg—collapsed to the ground like a paralyzed wolfhound, his face contorted in rage and fear:

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"A formation?!"

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. They stared at the scene before them, eyes wide in horror.

"The Sect Master… was crippled?"

Standing closest to the scene and having witnessed the "collapse" of the formation, Elder Zhao—himself a Grade-2 formation master—was rocked by an internal storm of disbelief.

Just then, a calm youthful voice rang out:

"Elder Zhao, kill the Sect Master."

Elder Zhao jolted in shock and turned to Mo Hua. "Young Master Mo, you…"

Mo Hua said coolly, "I already told you—your formations couldn't kill the Sect Master. So we had to use mine."

Elder Zhao's breath caught. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

Sect Master Duan's eyes were bloodshot, glaring at Mo Hua with hatred: "You little bastard…"

Mo Hua spoke softly: "Kill."

Elder Zhao's eyes turned cold.

Though he didn't know what kind of bizarre method Mo Hua had used as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, or what sort of brilliant formation could heavily injure a Golden Core stage expert— Now wasn't the time to think.

If they were going to kill the Sect Master, this was the one and only chance.

To kill the Sect Master—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Kill!

Sect Master Zhao's eyes turned cold. He held his breath, drew his sword, and prepared to sever Sect Master Duan's head.

The Cang Wolf Sect Master's face twisted in terror. He shouted desperately, "Mister Wu, save me!"

The moment the words left his mouth, someone in the crowd suddenly tore off their wolf robe, revealing black clothing beneath and a blurry, indistinct face. He raised a wind instrument made from a wolf skull and began to play.

In an instant, a far more powerful wolf howl swept across the battlefield, shaking everyone to their core.

All the Cang Wolf Sect elders—regardless of allegiance—lost their reason upon hearing it. Thick fur sprouted from their bodies, and their hands and feet transformed into deadly claws.

Blood-red wolf markings appeared on their backs.

Mister Wu pointed at Elder Zhao.

These "wolf-transformed" cultivators, like tamed Dao soldiers, moved in unison and charged toward Elder Zhao.

Elder Zhao's expression changed drastically. He had no choice but to strike back, blocking the crazed onslaught of the transformed elders.

Already wounded from the fierce battle before, his spiritual power was nearly drained.

Now being assaulted at close range by a pack of fearless "werewolves," he could barely keep up and was in immense pain.

He wanted to kill Mister Wu—but didn't even have the chance.

At that moment, the severely injured Cang Wolf Sect Master finally caught his breath.

He crawled away on all fours and swallowed a few blood-replenishing, flesh-regrowing pills.

But the power of that pitch-black formation—whatever strange thing it was—had completely obliterated the flesh. It couldn't regenerate at all.

The more the Sect Master thought about it, the angrier he became. His face twisted with hatred as he glared at Mo Hua and roared:

"Mister Wu! Capture that two-faced brat! I want him ground to dust, to vent the hatred in my heart!"

Mister Wu's icy eyes turned toward Mo Hua. He raised the wolf skull instrument again.

Killing intent locked onto Mo Hua.

Several nearby werewolves, eyes glowing red, charged toward Mo Hua from four directions, using both claws and limbs.

These werewolves had all been late-stage Foundation Establishment elders. After wolf transformation, their strength increased even further.

Anyone not in the Golden Core stage would almost certainly die when surrounded.

Elder Zhao wanted to help Mo Hua, but he was locked in bitter battle, completely unable to move.

All he could do—was watch.

As the four werewolves closed in from four corners to rip Mo Hua apart—

In the blink of an eye, Mo Hua vanished.

Everyone was stunned.

Mister Wu instantly released his spiritual sense. A faint red aura spread across the surroundings—but there was no one nearby.

Suddenly, he felt a chill behind him. A strange figure seemed to be standing right at his back.

Mister Wu's pupils widened. He turned—and saw Mo Hua, standing there with a face full of boredom, speaking in a calm and eerie voice:

"You're worthless... just die."

That voice… was like a key, unlocking the door to Mister Wu's inner demonic thoughts.

An overwhelming wave of despair surged in—gray hopelessness, decay, shame, pain, and suffocating depression—all flooded Mister Wu's heart, driving him toward death.

That familiar feeling made Mister Wu tremble in terror:

"It's you… it's you… you—"

But he could no longer speak.

He pulled out a dagger to slit his throat—but the dagger had no blade.

He drew a sword to stab his heart—but the sword was wooden.

He tried to take poison—but he had long swapped the poison out himself.

Even the wolf mark on his forehead glowed, triggering his feral instincts to suppress his will to die.

Mister Wu had clearly made every possible preparation to not die.

But that was before he faced Mo Hua in person.

Now that the true form of the demonic thought stood before him, there was nothing Mister Wu could do.

He exhausted all options—yet couldn't kill himself. In desperation, he dug out his own heart with his bare hands.

Then, kneeling in front of Mo Hua, drenched in blood—he died.

The scene was utterly horrifying.

The Cang Wolf Sect Master, usually known for his cruelty and ruthlessness, now stood pale as a ghost—no trace of color left in his face.

Just one sentence, and that sinister, cunning Mister Wu—a master of strange sorcery—ripped out his own heart and died?

Who the hell was this Young Master Mo?

What kind of demon... was he?

(End of this Chapter)