Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 649: Fire Fiend

Mo Hua's brain froze for a second, then immediately snapped to attention.

He pulled up the past chat logs between "Master Yuan" and the Fire Buddha.

There really were a few lines of conversation—

mostly about the construction and structure of the Demon Cave's formation.

In those messages, Master Yuan referred to the other party as "Venerable One",

and referred to himself as…

"This humble Yuan…"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then promptly replied to the Fire Buddha:

"Mundane affairs entangled me. My liver fire surged, and I had a bit of 'wine,' so I misspoke. I ask for your forgiveness, Venerable One…"

The other party paused.

"Master was drinking? This humble one was out of line…"

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed.

Calling himself "this humble one"...

This guy had to be the Fire Buddha.

Drinking…

Mo Hua pondered deeply.

It seemed that the eyeball, and the blood-wine brewed from it, were truly something unusual.

Even the Fire Buddha didn't dare disturb the Evil Array Master while he was drinking.

A pity that the eyeball had been snatched away by Uncle Gu.

Otherwise, Mo Hua could have researched it more.

So he asked:

"Venerable One, is there something important?"

(Translation: If not, kindly get lost. The less I talk, the fewer holes in my disguise.)

Mo Hua was starting to feel guilty…

The Fire Buddha frowned.

He sensed that the other side was a little impatient—but considering that "Master Yuan" was drinking, and even post-drinking, divine sense would remain slightly intoxicated, it made sense the mood would be a bit foul.

The Fire Buddha sent a message:

"Lately, I've felt uneasy. As though… something's about to happen."

"Has anything unusual occurred in the palace?"

Mo Hua's heart jumped—but he replied casually:

"With me overseeing things, Venerable One may rest easy."

Fire Buddha:

"Could there… be any oversight?"

Even though he feared blowing his cover, Mo Hua couldn't afford to sound weak. That would be even more suspicious.

So he deliberately acted offended:

"This formation is an Eighteen-Line Primordial Magnetic Spiritual Sight Array.

The core is the brain, the sight is the eye, the magnetism is the ear—

any tiny disturbance will not escape Yuan's notice."

"This palace is sealed tight. Wind cannot enter, nor rain break in…"

Then Mo Hua struck first, turning the tables:

"Venerable One… don't tell me you doubt me?"

The Fire Buddha paused—

and slowly replied:

"With Master Yuan on watch, I'm reassured."

"Yes… I feel at ease."

Another pause.

A long silence.

Then came a hesitant message:

"Master Yuan… you seem more… spirited than usual."

The fake "Master Yuan"—Mo Master Hua—felt his heart skip a beat.

Well… yeah, I'm a hundred years younger than him. Of course I'm more spirited!

Mo Hua hesitated, then could only answer:

"I drank."

Fire Buddha:

"And how does the wine taste?"

Was that genuine curiosity… or a test?

Mo Hua stiffened.

He hadn't tasted any—how would he know?

He was about to say something like "It's decent",

but that felt too stiff—definitely not like the madman image of the Evil Array Master.

He pictured the master drinking, muttering strange ramblings…

Then suddenly, inspiration struck.

"Even with wine in hand, these mortal eyes… still see nothing."

See nothing.

At those words, the Fire Buddha finally relaxed.

"The truth of this world contains great terror.

And in that terror… lies the path to immortality."

"Mortal flesh cannot perceive truth."

"Transcending the mundane is no one-day feat."

"Master… you may be rushing too much."

Mo Hua was enlightened.

—Wait, no. "Master Yuan" was enlightened.

So he respectfully said:

"Venerable One, your insight is truly admirable."

Fire Buddha:

"Master flatters me. I'm but a humble follower of the Buddha. My words are nothing."

Mo Hua hesitated.

Should he praise him back again?

Normally, with someone being so modest, you should respond with more praise.

But knowing "Master Yuan's" eccentric and sinister nature, he might not like sycophants.

Even if it was the Fire Buddha.

Mo Hua was torn—

But thankfully, he didn't have to make the decision, because…

Fire Buddha started praising him instead.

"Master Yuan is a true master of formations.

With divine insight, your understanding of the Dao far surpasses ordinary mortals…"

Mo Hua replied, with practiced modesty and a touch of arrogance:

"Venerable One overpraises…"

"The Dao of Formations is vast. I've only scratched the surface.

All things in this world are but remnants of the Dao—mere drifting illusions."

"Mortals cannot see through this veil, their hearts deluded.

Even with high cultivation, without clarity, they will ultimately be ground down by the Dao itself…"

Mo Hua mixed in formations, the Dao, and Dao hearts in a convincingly mystical mess.

The Fire Buddha was silent for a long while.

Then finally said:

"Master is truly blessed with extraordinary wisdom roots."

Then he added:

"These days, you've endured much, Master…"

"The wine has been… low quality."

"Once the Holy Temple is complete, we will offer live sacrifices of cultivators with top-grade spiritual roots, and use their pure blood… to brew your wine."

Mo Hua's brow twitched, a chill rising in his heart.

Holy Temple…? You mean this Demon Palace?

Calling it "Holy" doesn't make it less demonic, you know!

Live sacrifices?

That definitely sounds like something demon cultivators would do.

But… "top-grade spiritual roots" as sacrifices?

Then what about me, with my mid-low grade roots?

Not even qualified to be a sacrifice??

Wow.

Even demon cultivators practice root-tier discrimination??

Still… all that pure blood was going to be used to brew wine… for "me"?

How… thoughtful.

Mo Hua didn't know how to reply.

"Thank you"?

Would that crazy dead Evil Array Master even say "thank you"?

Wouldn't that sound… kinda petty?

He was a 2nd-rank high-grade Evil Array Master—he had to keep up appearances!

So Mo Hua answered:

"We walk the path of demons, take mortals as fodder, and build our Holy Temple for a grand cause.

How could that be a burden? Venerable One underestimates Yuan…"

A long pause followed.

Then the Fire Buddha replied, as if shaken:

"Master Yuan… always silent, always focused on formations…

But clearly, you hold the heavens in your chest. A true man of depth…"

"Might Master… be willing to embrace the Buddha's teachings?"

Mo Hua froze again.

Wait… is the Fire Buddha… trying to convert me?!

No—he doesn't know I'm me.

He's trying to convert the now-dead "Master Yuan."

But still… Buddhism?

Mo Hua said:

"I fear I lack the Venerable One's 'wisdom roots'…"

Fire Buddha (firmly):

"Master Yuan's wisdom roots are beyond ordinary.

You simply remain hidden in plain sight… soon to return to truth."

(Mo Hua: That's because the previous guy wasn't dead yet, so of course he stayed hidden…)

Still, Mo Hua politely declined:

"I delve in evil formations, use flesh and blood for arrays, and carry heavy karmic sin…

I fear I have no destiny with the Buddha."

Fire Buddha:

"Master, you're mistaken!"

He began trying to persuade him again:

"The Buddha said: all beings are equal…"

"They are born equal—and they die equal."

"If everyone must die, what's wrong with killing a few?"

"Heavy sins? So what? We're just guiding them to their fated ends a bit earlier."

"To walk the path of demons is to kill."

"And killing brings resentment, pollution, inner imbalance…"

"By embracing the Buddha, one can calm grudges, purify evil, preserve the heart."

"As the saying goes: 'Put down the butcher's blade, become a Buddha on the spot.'"

"When killing, wield the blade with joy.

When not killing, put it aside and cultivate peace of mind."

"Even if you kill by the thousands, chant Amitābha, and your heart will be clear."

"If you don't kill, don't sin, have no guilt—

then what's the point of eating vegetarian or chanting Buddha's name?"

...

Mo Hua was utterly stunned.

This Fire Buddha...

What a character. A true talent, really.

But what exactly is this guy cultivating…?

Can this even be called "Buddhism"?

"What does Master Yuan think?" the Fire Buddha messaged again.

Mo Hua grumbled silently.

Go ask "Master Yuan" then. Don't ask me!

I can't possibly agree to anything on behalf of a dead "Master Yuan"...

With a headache coming on, Mo Hua played along and replied:

"Is Buddhist Dharma truly this… encompassing?"

"Indeed—it is this encompassing!"

"Even enough to quell the madness I feel after drinking?"

"Master may give it a try…"

Mo Hua gave a vague reply:

"Then another day, I shall certainly seek the Venerable One's guidance, to delve into the depths of Dharma…"

"Very well," said the Fire Buddha. "Master Yuan must be busy. I shall not disturb you further—another day, we shall discuss the Dao again."

After that, the Fire Buddha stopped sending messages.

No idea what he was off doing now.

Mo Hua's expression turned serious.

He had actually ended up in a conversation with the Fire Buddha…

Totally outside of his expectations.

And definitely not part of the plan.

What now?

Should he continue impersonating "Master Yuan" and chat more with the Fire Buddha to fish for info?

Mo Hua shook his head.

The Fire Buddha wasn't an idiot.

They could maybe talk about broad, vague topics like the Dao or Buddhism,

but the moment he asked something like:

"What's hidden in the inner sanctum?"

"Your Falling Fire Technique is incredible—where's the manual?"

"Why'd you wipe out the entire Xie Clan—what were you after?"

Fire Buddha would instantly know something was off.

And even continuing the Buddhist talk was dangerous—

what if the guy got too inspired and came to meet in person?

If he arrived to find the real "Master Yuan" already dead…

and Mo Hua—clearly much younger—controlling the Primordial Magnetic Formation in his place?

That would be game over.

"Then… should I lure the Fire Buddha out?"

"And have Uncle Gu and the others try to assassinate him?"

But the Fire Buddha was late-stage Foundation Establishment—probably peak-tier.

No way he'd be that easy to kill.

He was extremely cautious.

And Gu Changhuai couldn't use his Golden Core power.

If they failed, not only would they miss the kill, but they'd be surrounded by demon cultivators.

By current estimates, there were still around 300 demon cultivators across the outer and middle halls.

Even though they'd eliminated some, many remained.

And even if those were cleared out—

the inner sanctum would still have at least 100 more…

Mo Hua's brows knitted tightly.

They couldn't afford to wait for Fire Buddha to realize the truth.

By then, it'd be too late.

"I need to act early—finish this quickly…"

Hesitation leads to disaster.

Mo Hua immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai:

"Uncle Gu, call in the squad—surround the demon palace ASAP."

Gu Changhuai's tone sank:

"We've been discovered?"

"Not exactly," said Mo Hua.

"The Fire Buddha just… started chatting with me."

Gu Changhuai: "…"

After a pause, he asked:

"What did he say?"

"Nothing too crazy…"

(I mean, he did try to recruit me… and convert me to Buddhism…)

Though technically, that had been aimed at his "Master Yuan" disguise.

"I managed to bluff through—for now. But who knows about next time…" Mo Hua said.

Gu Changhuai only thought briefly before deciding:

"I'll mobilize our people now.

In the meantime, we'll take out as many demon cultivators as we can,

to weaken their forces."

"Agreed."

There were still over 200 demon cultivators left in the outer and middle halls.

Time was short.

Mo Hua immediately resumed "roll call,"

giving orders to draw targets out, while Gu Changhuai's trio continued the assassinations.

One demon cultivator after another was eliminated.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua managed the Primordial Magnetic Compound Array,

issuing commands to the demon cultivators—

sending them off to their deaths—

while simultaneously using the messaging talismans of the dead to keep up appearances in the group chat,

pretending they were still alive.

Time ticked by.

Then—

Mo Hua suddenly caught a notification on the formation's central console:

"The outer hall's killing aura is intensifying. Someone is killing.

Qiao Lao-Six, go investigate—"

Mo Hua's heart leapt.

They'd been discovered!

He checked the sender—

It was Fire Buddha.

Of course. Couldn't fool him for long…

Mo Hua frowned.

But…

"The killing aura is intensifying"?

How did the Fire Buddha sense that?

What exactly is this "killing aura"…?

Mo Hua was full of questions—

But now wasn't the time for pondering.

He immediately messaged Gu Changhuai:

"Uncle Gu—we've got to pull out.

Fire Buddha knows there are deaths happening outside."

Gu Changhuai replied at once:

"Got it. We'll come find you."

Mo Hua waited inside the hidden core room of the formation.

But before leaving, Mo Hua had a few tricks to set in place.

The Primordial Magnetic Spirit-Sight Compound Array couldn't be destroyed just yet.

If he did, the [Book-Demon Orders] would stop functioning immediately, which would surely alarm Fire Buddha and the others.

Mo Hua could only use basic fixed-pattern magnetic runes to "lock" the array, temporarily disabling it from use by others.

Inside the secret room, Master Yuan's corpse still remained.

Since it hadn't been dead for long, there was no rot yet, but it also wasn't something he could simply discard—

for now, it had to stay here.

This corpse wasn't easy to deal with yet.

After thinking it over, Mo Hua decided to just leave it where it was.

A while later, Gu Changhuai and the others returned.

Seeing Mo Hua safe and sound, Gu Changhuai finally let out a faint sigh of relief.

"Let's get out of here first," he said.

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

The group concealed their presence as Mo Hua led the way, departing from the central node of the Primordial Magnetic Formation and heading out of the demon palace.

He was now extremely familiar with the place.

After spending so much time monitoring the compound array, Mo Hua had already memorized the structure of the palace.

At this point, walking through it felt no different from strolling through his own backyard.

Along the way, Mo Hua whispered:

"Uncle Gu, have you gathered everyone?"

Gu Changhuai nodded.

"They're all in position. Two hundred eighty men, stationed just outside the One-Line Sky Gorge."

Mo Hua gave a small nod.

Two hundred and eighty men…

They had the numbers—this should be enough.

Most of the demon cultivators inside the demon palace were already dead; only around 180 to 190 should remain.

Next up would be a head-on battle—this was going to be a real fight.

This place could no longer be held.

Mo Hua could've stayed back for a bit, but it was too risky. Without a personal bodyguard, there was no point in playing hero.

Besides, he had other things to do—

Gu Changhuai needed to return and command the 280 enforcers from the Dao Court.

Mo Hua, meanwhile, needed to find a way to disable the magnetic arrays and trap arrays set outside the demon palace and on the Suspended Heaven Stone Bridge.

Otherwise, just getting those 280 men across the bridge would be a major headache.

And so, Mo Hua retraced his steps and quietly snuck away.

As they passed the demon palace's main gate, they saw it tightly shut, with a few demon cultivators standing guard outside.

"This gate… it's another problem."

Mo Hua thought for a moment and had Gu Changhuai take care of those gatekeepers—permanently.

Afterward, he tampered with the array on the inner side of the main gate, setting up a trap, then left with peace of mind.

They didn't take the front entrance but rather hugged the shadows, crept to the palace edge, climbed along the jagged mountain rocks of the demon abyss, and exited through the cave tunnel they had previously excavated…

Meanwhile, just as Mo Hua was leaving the demon abyss—

Qiao Lao-Six stepped out from the inner sanctum and strode into the outer hall.

It was completely empty.

Rough and hot-tempered, Qiao Lao-Six cursed:

"Where is everyone?! Did they all drop dead somewhere?!"

His voice echoed off the walls of the palace…

But there was no response.

Qiao Lao-Six frowned, wandered around, and made a lap through the area—

not a single shadow in sight.

He was confused.

Sure, the palace was large, and sometimes it did look a little empty in spots,

but this empty?

Completely deserted?

That wasn't normal.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward the Corrupted River—

and saw a few pieces of demon cultivator clothing floating in the water.

Their bodies, however, had already melted into bloody sludge, dissolved into the putrid green current.

Qiao Lao-Six's face changed drastically.

"Dead?!"

He immediately messaged the Fire Buddha:

"Big Bro, something's wrong! They're all dead!"

Moments later, the grand doors of the inner sanctum slowly opened.

Out stepped the Fire Buddha—

tall, gentle-featured but stern-faced, dressed in blood-red robes.

He looked up, then murmured to himself:

"Such dense killing aura…"

"Quite a few are dead."

"What a pity…"

His gaze was icy cold, his face devoid of joy or sorrow:

"But since I didn't kill them…"

"I can't absorb the death aura into my body…"

"Which means I still can't cultivate the Fire Fiend…"

(End of Chapter)