Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 1132: A World in Chaos

In Lì Prefecture, along a desolate mountain path.

Once the powerful elder of the Cangwolf Sect, second only to the Sect Master, Elder Ji now looked no different from a coachman, driving a carriage through the wilderness.

Inside the carriage, Mo Hua sat with his eyes closed, silently meditating, comprehending the Art of Heavenly Fate and Causality.

The journey south from the Cangwolf Sect had been relatively smooth.

Because of the recent upheaval—the former Sect Master and Mister Wu had been eliminated, and the embers of rebellion snuffed out in the cradle—most of the Cangwolf region had been spared from the flames of war.

Thus far, across the various cities and territories, there hadn't been much unrest. Order, while fragile, still held.

It was at times like these that Elder Ji's "uses" became apparent.

In the Cangwolf Sect, his job had been to receive and entertain guests, forge connections through shady dealings, indulge in every vice—drinking, gambling, women—and because of that, he had a wide social network. Across nearby immortal cities, he had "friends" everywhere.

Moreover, his official title as a third-rank elder of the Cangwolf Sect still carried weight. Wherever he went, he was treated with a degree of respect.

Whether entering cities, inquiring about roads, gathering information, or handling tasks, things went smoothly and easily.

So from then on, Elder Ji led the way.

Mo Hua merely played the role of a leisurely young master—wherever he went, he ate well, drank well, and slept well. There was no need to worry about a thing.

But after leaving the Cangwolf region and traveling another thousand li south, the situation changed entirely.

Signs of war were everywhere along the route.

The air was thick with the scent of ash, rot, and blood.

For hundreds of li, the land lay barren and scorched.

Elder Ji drove the carriage another two hundred li or so before dusk began to fall. They would need a place to rest, and in the distance, they spotted an immortal city—its gates collapsed, black smoke billowing into the sky.

Even the city's name had been scraped off the signboards.

Inside, the buildings were in ruins, devastation everywhere.

Corpses lay piled in corners of the city walls.

Survivors—ragged and gaunt—fought like animals over scraps. In the chaos, a few cultivators were strangled on the spot, their eyes rolling back, collapsing to the ground—never to wake again.

Others, sickly and yellow-skinned, crouched in corners, gnawing on gods-know-what kind of meat.

Mo Hua lifted the carriage curtain. Upon seeing these sights, his gaze grew solemn. A foreboding rose in his heart.

A chaotic era of cultivation might truly be upon them…

Amid the desolate streets, the Cangwolf Sect's carriage moved slowly and conspicuously.

Before long, desperate cultivators rushed forward, trying to seize the vehicle.

Elder Ji slapped a few of them aside, releasing his late-Foundation Establishment aura. His spiritual pressure sent the crazed, greedy cultivators scrambling in terror.

"Blind dogs!" he cursed.

Having played beast-of-burden this whole trip, Elder Ji finally had a chance to vent. He cursed in his heart:

"I might not dare offend that freakish Mo brat, but I sure as hell can deal with you mongrels."

He raised his hand, preparing to kill one or two to establish dominance—but then felt an icy gaze pressing against the back of his neck.

A chill ran down his spine.

He quickly lowered his hand and turned back with a smile. "Young Master Mo, hope I didn't startle you?"

Mo Hua remained expressionless.

Elder Ji didn't dare say a word and just muttered inwardly:

Damn it, I'm Foundation Establishment late-stage, and so is he! How come I feel like in front of him, I'm not even a dog?! What rotten luck!

Didn't they say cultivation base is a cultivator's foundation?

Why did no one tell me that among cultivators of the same realm, the difference in strength and methods could be THIS absurd?!

Even Sect Master Duan of the Golden Core stage didn't give off such terrifying pressure.

He glanced warily at Mo Hua.

This kid… maybe he's the reincarnation of some ancient freak of nature… utterly cursed!

Despite all his grumbling, Elder Ji kept smiling politely and said:

"Young Master Mo, shall we… find a place to stay the night?"

Mo Hua gave him a deep, soul-penetrating look that made Elder Ji's heart pound.

Finally, Mo Hua simply nodded. "Mn."

Elder Ji, for reasons unknown, felt strangely relieved.

He circled the streets with the carriage, eventually stopping in front of an inn.

The signboard had been burned away. The main doors were shut tight, but there were people inside.

Elder Ji knocked. No response.

He grew impatient. "Where the hell is everyone? Dead?"

Still no answer. He gathered spiritual power and smacked the door hard. It creaked and cracked under the force.

Finally, a timid voice came from inside:

"Esteemed elder… the inn… the inn is closed… we're no longer in business…"

Elder Ji's voice turned cold. "I'll count to three. If you don't open up, I'll show you what a late-Foundation cultivator can do."

Inside, the people heard those words and panicked.

In a backwater city like this, even early Foundation cultivators were rare. A late-stage one? Practically a god.

Immediately, an old man opened the doors and welcomed them in.

"Forgive us, honored senior! We didn't know such a great figure was visiting. Please pardon us!"

Elder Ji was pleased and ordered, "Prepare two of your best rooms."

"Yes, yes, of course—please wait just a moment!"

The old man scrambled off to make arrangements.

Once everything was ready, Mo Hua and Elder Ji each picked a room to rest.

Mo Hua was feeling a bit tired. He stayed in his room to review formation manuals and ordered Elder Ji to go into the city and gather information.

Elder Ji didn't want to—but had no choice.

As night fell, he wandered the nameless immortal city, found a few survivors, asked around, and after nearly two hours, had gathered enough news and turned to head back to the inn.

But just as he was about to go back—he stopped in his tracks.

A thought popped into his head:

"Am I insane? Why am I going back?"

That little freak Mo already let me out… so why the hell would I go back?!

If I just run now, I'd be free! Finally out of the pit of suffering!

As long as I don't return to Cangwolf City, and stay far from that 'Little King of Hell' Mo Hua—this world is vast! Where can't I go?

There are still so many pleasures in this world I haven't indulged in…

So many beautiful women waiting to warm my bed…

Temptation took hold of Elder Ji's heart. In his mind, one alluring woman after another beckoned to him. His spirit wavered, and he boldly muttered:

"I'm out!"

"To hell with that damned Mo brat! I'm done serving him!"

"One day, when I've built up my cultivation—I will repay this—"

But then he remembered Mo Hua's eerie tricks… the soul-tearing pain of that torture plate… and snuffed out any delusions of revenge.

"Forget it… better stay far away. I can't afford to mess with him…"

Like a thief, Elder Ji began to flee the city.

About a li outside the walls, the face of the former Cangwolf Sect Master suddenly flashed before his eyes—bloody and horrific, mouth agape, whispering something he couldn't hear.

Elder Ji shivered violently, shook his head, and forced himself to forget everything.

He continued walking…

Half a li ahead, suddenly—Mister Wu, the man so respected by the former Sect Master, appeared vividly in his mind.

And without warning, that image of Mister Wu began to tear out his own heart—blood dripping, horrifying.

Elder Ji broke out in a cold sweat and cursed, "Damn it, seeing ghosts now…"

He blinked hard, steeled his nerves, and kept running.

But after only a few more steps, the pale, deathlike face of the Cangwolf Sect Master appeared again in his mind.

And then—blink of an eye—that dead Sect Master's face transformed into his own.

Elder Ji slipped in shock and fell to the ground. His hand caught onto something—when he picked it up, he found it was a bloody human heart. Then he looked down—his chest was covered in blood, as if his heart had been ripped out.

Instantly, his soul almost flew out of his body. A cold chill surged from his core, leaving him trembling all over.

A few moments later, the chill faded.

His dazed spiritual consciousness slowly cleared. Looking down again, he found only a scar on his chest—no blood, and his heart was still there, beating steadily.

The "heart" in his hand was just a lump of muddy grime.

Elder Ji snapped out of the nightmare as if from a dream. He exhaled long and hard, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then resigned himself to fate and turned back—obediently returning to the inn.

Mo Hua's room was still lit with candlelight.

Elder Ji knocked lightly. From inside came Mo Hua's clear voice:

"Come in."

He tiptoed into the room and glanced at Mo Hua—under the flickering candlelight, Mo Hua looked calm, like an elegant, handsome noble son, untouched by the filth of the world.

There wasn't a trace of darkness or eeriness about him.

Witchcraft, Elder Ji cursed silently. His despair only grew deeper.

"Speak," Mo Hua said.

Elder Ji sighed and relayed what he had found:

"This place is called Half-Mountain City, a second-grade minor immortal city. The Dao Court Office here is the dominant power. The Magistrate is greedy and ruthless."

"There are two or three sizable local families. But to curry favor with the Dao Court, they heavily exploit the rogue cultivators."

"The rogue cultivators here are dirt poor—barely scraping by. Most of them just try to survive."

"But strangely, not long ago, a riot broke out."

"About a hundred or so rogue cultivators stormed the Dao Court Office, trying to kill the Magistrate. But they didn't have the numbers and were crushed by the Dao Court."

"Killed?" Mo Hua was surprised.

Elder Ji nodded. "That should've been the end of it… But the Dao Court Magistrate, hoping to report achievements and gain credit, began a massacre of rogue cultivators. Many innocent ones who hadn't rebelled had their heads chopped off, labeled as 'traitors'—turned into 'merit points.'"

"That was like dumping oil on fire."

"Rebel and die. Don't rebel… still die."

"The rogue cultivators went completely mad. Dozens of Qi Refining cultivators charged into the Dao Court, red-eyed and desperate. They piled on top of the Foundation Establishment Magistrate and literally crushed him to death. His head was twisted off, thrown into a cauldron of oil, and his flesh cooked and eaten…"

"The families that helped the Dao Court didn't fare any better."

"The men were killed. The women… were humiliated by the furious rogue cultivators and then killed too…"

Mo Hua sighed inwardly, frowning. "With just the local rogue cultivators, they shouldn't have been able to pull that off."

Elder Ji nodded. "Wise as always, Young Master."

"There are signs of the Demon Sect's influence behind it."

"These rogue cultivators were secretly taught 'Bloodthirst' demonic techniques. When cornered, they went completely berserk—mad with rage—and their power skyrocketed. That's how they overturned the Dao Court, killed the Magistrate, and wiped out the local families."

"But the cost… running those demonic techniques either drove them into blood-madness or caused them to die from backlash and demonic Qi overload."

"So now, Half-Mountain City is half-dead. It's basically a ghost town. Those left alive are either barely clinging on—or no longer human at all…"

Mo Hua's eyes held pity.

In the end—there were no winners.

The poor died. The rich died. There was no difference.

"I understand," Mo Hua nodded. "Well done. Go rest."

Elder Ji finally let out a long breath, cupped his hands, and said, "Then I won't disturb you, Young Master."

After he left, Mo Hua remained seated by the candlelight, still flipping through his formation books, lost in thought.

Later that night, drowsiness took hold. He put the book down and sank his consciousness into his spiritual sea. He continued practicing the Four Symbols Array Regression Method of "Ten Thousand Beasts to Dragon," while also refining his Great Wilderness Demon Bone Divination.

The night deepened. The immortal city was shrouded in deathly silence.

Suddenly, a soft jingling of bells broke the silence—eerily sharp in the darkness.

At the same time, a foul stench spread through the air.

Mo Hua slowly opened his eyes. His gaze sharpened.

After a moment's thought, he rose and left his room, stopping outside Elder Ji's door. The man was still sound asleep, muttering dreamily—clearly enjoying himself.

Mo Hua's eyes flickered with dark light. He invoked karma.

Moments later, Elder Ji screamed and tumbled out of bed, soaked in cold sweat.

He had just been having a sweet dream—cradling a seductive, naked woman in his arms, about to get intimate. But as his hand touched her chest, it felt soft… then sticky… and suddenly wet with blood. He looked down—he had ripped out her heart.

The tender dream turned instantly into a blood-drenched nightmare.

That was when he woke—only to sense Mo Hua standing outside his door.

He genuinely… wanted to chop Mo Hua into a thousand pieces.

Not that he had the ability.

Putting on clothes, Elder Ji stepped out of his room.

Mo Hua glanced at him and said nothing, just walked away. Elder Ji hesitated, but in the end, followed.

The two, cloaked in night, left the inn and silently climbed to the rafters of a tall building.

Looking down, they saw over a dozen shadowy figures in the four corners of the nearby wall.

These people radiated deathly aura, cloaked in shadow. They shook bronze bells in their hands and chanted strange incantations.

With the bell's eerie jingling—

The corpses on the ground twitched. One by one, they stood up—twisted like puppets on strings.

Elder Ji glanced at Mo Hua, heart sinking.

"Corpse refiners!"

They were refining corpses in the dead of night!

There had been conflict in this city. Demonic cultivators stirred up chaos—teaching demonic arts to rogue cultivators, sowing bloodshed among the Dao Court and clans.

And now these corpse refiners came, jingling their bells—turning dead cultivators into undead puppets.

Elder Ji shook his head.

These heretical cultivators… truly insidious.

Best not to provoke them.

He had just thought this when Mo Hua said calmly:

"Go kill all those corpse refiners."

Elder Ji froze, then felt his scalp tingle, utterly stunned. "Wait, Young Master Mo…"

"You can't kill them?" Mo Hua asked.

"It's not that I can't kill them, it's just…" Elder Ji tried to advise tactfully, "Young Master, when traveling outside, less trouble is better than more."

Mo Hua replied blandly, "Do you think I'm asking for your opinion?"

Elder Ji's heart sank bitterly.

"If you've got the ability, why not go kill them yourself? Always bossing others around—what kind of skill is that?"

…Though he only dared to grumble this internally. With such a domineering "ancestor" on his hands, what could he do?

Among the corpse refiners, three were at Foundation Establishment, the rest—eight of them—were Qi Refining cultivators.

Elder Ji quietly used his movement technique to drop from the wall, sneaking up behind one of the Foundation Establishment corpse refiners. While the man was focused on shaking his bell, Elder Ji struck—his Wolf Claw pierced clean through the man's chest, killing him instantly.

But a sneak attack like that only worked once.

The rest of the corpse refiners were immediately alarmed, shouting in fury: "Who's there?!"

Elder Ji didn't answer, just yelled back, "Your ancestor!"

One of the Foundation Establishment corpse refiners growled and rang his bronze bell, summoning a steel corpse to guard him. He cursed coldly:

"How dare you interfere with matters of the Yin Corpse Valley! Are you seeking death?!"

Elder Ji's heart jolted—"Damn it, Yin Corpse Valley!"—but at this point, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and yell:

"You bastards from Yin Corpse Valley are exactly who I came to kill!"

"Impudent!"

"Kill him!"

The corpse refiners summoned their walking corpses and iron corpses and began a coordinated assault.

Though Elder Ji held the upper hand in terms of cultivation, his years of indulgence in drink and women had left him with more venom than actual strength. He wasn't suited for a hard fight.

And Yin Corpse Valley specialized in ganging up—using their undead minions to overwhelm their enemies.

After managing to kill a few Qi Refining corpse refiners and seriously injuring a Foundation Establishment mid-stage refiner, Elder Ji began to falter. Another mid-stage corpse refiner, supported by a monstrous iron corpse immune to blades and spears, began to suppress him completely.

The struggle dragged on. Finally, Mo Hua lost patience.

He raised a finger—flames ignited.

A fireball roared through the air, blasting apart half of that corpse refiner's body in a single blow.

The Foundation Establishment corpse refiner screamed in terror.

Elder Ji's face also changed—this was his first time seeing Mo Hua personally cast a spell.

Especially that fireball—though it radiated searing heat, it also carried a chilling cold that struck fear into the soul. It was... unnerving.

No wonder people said: "A technique reveals the man, just as the name reflects the nature."

The corpse refiner was still wailing in agony.

Elder Ji didn't dare hesitate—he brought his blade down and severed the man's head. Then he went on to eliminate the rest of the Qi Refining corpse refiners one by one.

And thus, the entire group of corpse refiners was wiped out.

Elder Ji looked at the corpses and asked Mo Hua, "Young Master, why insist on killing these corpse refiners?"

Mo Hua didn't answer. He cast his gaze across the surrounding corpses.

Many of them were already infected with corpse poison. Some had begun twitching, slowly rising to their feet. If left unchecked, this immortal city would soon become another corpse city.

"Burn all the bodies," Mo Hua said lightly.

Elder Ji asked tentatively, "You want me to do it?"

Mo Hua nodded. "You may."

Elder Ji immediately regretted opening his mouth.

Still, he knew full well—there was no escaping the dirty work.

As he was gathering the corpses, preparing to light them up, he suddenly noticed: at some point, a fiery red array had already been etched onto the ground.

A Flame Incineration Array.

It was a spell formation Mo Hua had learned from the Dao Court during the Southern Yue City corpse king rebellion, specifically designed to burn and purify corpses.

Once activated, flames burst forth, consuming the corpses of the Yin Corpse Valley refiners, the zombie-fied rogue cultivators, and even the innocent scattered cultivator bodies—all turned to ash.

When it was done, Mo Hua let out a soft sigh.

Rogue cultivators rebelled.

The Dao Court crushed them.

Local families exploited them.

Now the various demonic sects were beginning to stir, taking advantage of the chaos.

The situation... was truly beginning to rot.

And this was only the beginning.

If it continued to spread—what would the cultivation world become?

And through all this devastation... a faint, barely noticeable Ascension Qi was beginning to grow...

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened. He sighed again and said:

"Let's go. We should leave this place."

Elder Ji nodded quickly. Just now, he had killed corpse refiners from Yin Corpse Valley—a major demonic sect.

Even if he did it under Mo Hua's coercion, the Valley would definitely bear a grudge.

The sooner they left, the better.

In Half-Mountain City, corpses, walking dead, and a dozen Yin Corpse Valley refiners burned together in the flames.

The corpse qi was purified, dissipating into the night.

Mo Hua and Elder Ji, cloaked in darkness, departed the small immortal city by carriage—continuing their journey deeper into this increasingly chaotic world...

(End of this Chapter)