Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 566: Returning Home

A hundred li from Tongxian City, the mountains were lush, and clear streams trickled through the valleys.

On a mountain trail, a merchant caravan of over ten people was slowly making its way forward, hauling several carts filled with storage cargo.

Mo Hua sat atop one of the carts, his legs swinging leisurely. As he gazed at the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar mountain scenery, his heart was filled with a mixture of excitement and nervous apprehension—he was thinking of his parents, of the familiar faces and childhood companions in Tongxian City. He was close to home, but the feeling stirred a kind of homesickness anxiety.

From the third-rank Lishan Prefecture all the way back to Tongxian City—it had been a long and winding journey.

He had walked and stopped along the way for over half a year, visiting formation masters, seeking out array formations.

He was now fifteen years old.

A first-rank Formation Master, with early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, fourteen-strand divine sense, his spiritual will having undergone a qualitative change—refined and mercury-like.

Compared to when he first left home, Mo Hua had grown a bit taller.

His features had matured slightly too, now carrying a faint trace of heroic spirit between his brows.

However, for a cultivator, he was still very young.

Though he had reached Foundation Establishment early and experienced much, he still looked like a naïve and pure child, a raw gem not yet polished.

"Brother Mo, your parents really let you travel out here alone, huh…"

An elder from the caravan couldn't help but ask.

This wasn't the first time—he had already asked the same question seven or eight times during their journey.

The elder, surnamed Zheng, was the owner of the caravan. He made his living traveling across regions, trading in spirit stones and pills.

Everyone called him Old Zheng. His sharp gaze belied his age.

Tongxian City had grown increasingly prosperous, attracting more and more cultivators and merchants. Old Zheng's caravan had specially prepared a batch of cultivation goods to sell there.

Unfortunately, they had encountered a beast attack on the road, which damaged the arrays on the carts.

Mo Hua happened to be passing by and had helped them repair the formations. They were simple arrays—around four or five-pattern first-rank formations—barely requiring any effort from him.

Yet Old Zheng had been thoroughly astonished.

This young cultivator, still just a boy, could already repair five-pattern formations…

Surely, he had a limitless future!

Grateful, Old Zheng had treated Mo Hua to a hearty meal. When he learned Mo Hua's destination was also Tongxian City, he offered him a ride.

Mo Hua, tired from walking for months, welcomed the chance to slack off a bit and catch a lift.

He enjoyed free meals and good company on the road—it was anything but boring.

Besides, they were already quite close to Tongxian City. It wouldn't delay him more than a few days.

Still, every time Old Zheng looked at Mo Hua, he couldn't help but be amazed.

So young, and already so talented in formations… and yet his parents really let him travel alone?

If it were his own child, he would never agree.

Mo Hua softly replied, "I wasn't alone at first. But now that I'm coming home, it's just me…"

As he said this, there was a trace of loneliness hidden in his eyes.

Old Zheng nodded quietly, asking no more.

Winding through the rugged mountains, the caravan continued step by step toward Tongxian City.

Mo Hua looked up at the undulating expanse of the Black Mountains ahead, and at the faint, mist-shrouded silhouette of Tongxian City in the distance, and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"No matter what… I'm almost home."

It had only been a few years since he'd left.

For cultivators with long lifespans, a few years was nothing. But for Mo Hua, it felt like an eternity.

Now, finally, he was coming home.

His heart tightened with a gentle ache.

A few days later, after traveling several dozen more li, Mo Hua finally saw someone he recognized.

It was a few uncles from the monster-hunting division.

They were clad in iron armor, wielding broadswords, their faces grim and fierce. They were on high alert, tracking a beast—when they happened to encounter the merchant caravan.

They were clearly in pursuit of a beast, their armor and blades stained with blood, killing intent radiating from them.

The other cultivators in the caravan immediately grew tense and vigilant.

Old Zheng felt a chill in his heart.

It was his first time doing business in Tongxian City, and in such a remote place as the Black Mountains, meeting battle-worn, bloodstained monster hunters could only mean trouble.

He feared that a wrong word might lead to robbery or worse.

He had heard and seen such things plenty in his years traveling.

What made things worse was that these monster hunters were clearly powerful.

The caravan did have some hired guards—but they were just late-stage Qi Refining, not even at the ninth level.

Good enough to fend off ordinary bandits, but against these experienced, blood-soaked warriors with superior cultivation and weapons, they would be hopelessly outmatched.

Old Zheng forced a nervous smile and said politely:

"Fellow Daoists, this old man is surnamed Zheng. We're headed to Tongxian City for a bit of small business. I hope you'll be understanding…"

Inwardly, he was already calculating how much "toll" he could afford to pay—enough to get through safely but still turn a profit.

The monster hunters said nothing.

They were in pursuit and were trained to keep quiet during a hunt.

Their silence only made Old Zheng's smile stiffen more.

Just then, one of the hunters glanced over and spotted a child sitting atop one of the carts—his face radiant and smiling warmly at him.

The hunter froze, eyes going wide in disbelief.

"Mo… Mo Hua?!"

The other hunters all glared at him.

"What's with the shouting?"

"You'll scare off the Wind-Hearing Wolf!"

"You're an old hunter—don't you know better?"

"N-No… it's Mo Hua!"

"What do you mean, even if it's Mo Hua—he can't just—wait, what?!"

The words caught in the speaker's throat.

"Mo Hua?!"

He turned and saw the smiling boy in the caravan.

Mo Hua waved at them and called out cheerfully:

"Uncle Zhao, Uncle Sun, Uncle Zhou… I'm back!"

The group was stunned for a heartbeat—then their faces lit up with joy.

"It really is him!"

"It's Mo Hua!"

"Mo Hua!!"

"Keep your voice down, or you'll scare off the wolf…"

"Who cares about that damn wolf? Let it run for all I care!"

Mo Hua couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mo Hua, wait here—we'll clean this up and escort you back to Tongxian City!" the hunters said enthusiastically.

Mo Hua glanced at them. Their blades and armor were stained with blood; their eyes were sharp, but their faces weathered—clearly, they had been tracking this beast for a long time and were nearing the end of the hunt.

So he shook his head and said:

"Uncles, finish your hunt first. No need to trouble yourselves. I'll just ride back with the caravan."

"Come visit my house later—I'll treat you to some wine!"

He patted his small chest with confidence.

The hunters laughed, not insisting.

With Mo Hua's abilities, he truly didn't need an escort.

"Alright. We'll butcher this wolf and come back. Got some fresh beast meat too—just killed it. We'll bring you a share."

They grinned.

"Mm-hmm." Mo Hua nodded eagerly.

They went their separate ways.

Mo Hua waved his little arms to bid farewell to his uncles from the monster-hunting division.

Old Zheng wiped the cold sweat from his brow, looking at Mo Hua with a mixture of gratitude and astonishment.

"You… you know those monster hunters?"

"Yep," Mo Hua nodded. "They're all my uncles. When I used to enter the Black Mountains, they looked out for me. We're close…"

You used to enter the Black Mountains?

Old Zheng glanced at Mo Hua's small arms and legs, not knowing what to say.

But still—knowing people helped.

Familiar faces meant safe passage.

Old Zheng felt incredibly lucky.

Had he not run into this little brother, and instead encountered those blood-stained monster hunters alone in this wilderness—well, things might not have gone so peacefully.

He became even more respectful toward Mo Hua.

But the further they went, the more puzzled Old Zheng became.

The closer they got to Tongxian City, the more monster hunters they encountered.

And all of them—without exception—were first shocked upon seeing Mo Hua, then burst into joyful smiles.

One moment they were grim and murderous, the next, they were all smiles and warmth, like it was New Year's…

Old Zheng stared at Mo Hua, mouth agape.

"You know all these monster hunters too?"

The entire mountain seemed to be filled with them.

Mo Hua nodded.

Mo Hua nodded.

"But… you're too familiar with them…"

Elder Zheng was still somewhat in disbelief.

Mo Hua smiled cheerfully and said, "I'm just well-liked!"

Elder Zheng remained half-convinced, secretly speculating in his heart.

This little cultivator probably had an unusual background. Perhaps he was the child of a senior from the Demon Hunting Guild—at least a high-ranking one.

Or maybe… a young master from a major family in Tongxian City?

Elder Zheng kept guessing along the way.

Everyone continued forward as the sky gradually darkened.

At dusk, the sunset bathed the mountains in a warm glow.

Elder Zheng flipped through a map, calculating the distance, and frowned. "It's getting late. If we don't hurry, we might have to camp in the deep mountains tonight…"

Spending the night in the deep mountains would be dangerous...

Currently, in the Great Black Mountain, a newly built mountain path stretched from the deep mountains to the inner, then outer mountains, directly connecting to Tongxian City.

Beasts in the inner mountains were already vicious.

Those in the deep mountains were even more bloodthirsty—and occasionally, even second-grade beasts would appear.

During the day, it was manageable. But at night, camping in the deep mountains and encountering a beast in the pitch dark, rugged terrain—it could mean everyone becoming the monsters' feast.

"Should we take a shortcut while it's still light out?"

At least they could get out of the deep mountains.

Someone suggested.

Elder Zheng pondered for a moment and nodded. "We need to hurry. The sooner we reach Tongxian City, the better. No telling what might happen if we delay."

Mo Hua looked up and glanced around. He realized they were deep within the Great Black Mountain. The mountain path had been restructured, and the terrain had changed slightly—it felt unfamiliar to him.

The terrain shift...

It seemed to be caused by the immense force when he destroyed the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Grand Array. It had nearly flattened half the deep mountain, changing the landscape entirely.

It was still the same mountain, but the rivers and terrain had changed—the roads were no longer the same.

Mo Hua couldn't quite determine their exact location for the moment.

One of the merchants chimed in:

"I've been to Tongxian City a few times. I know a shortcut, but it's a bit late—there's a chance we'll run into beasts…"

Elder Zheng thought it over and sighed, "Still better than spending the night in the deep mountains. You lead the way, and everyone stay alert."

"Yes, Elder Zheng."

So the merchant led the way, and the caravan veered onto a small path.

It was an old mountain trail.

Mo Hua vaguely remembered it—it seemed to be the path that used to connect the outer region of the Great Black Mountain to Tongxian City long ago.

Now that fewer people used it, it had fallen into disrepair.

The journey was indeed bumpy.

Some rocks had collapsed years ago due to the destruction of the formation. People could still pass, but transporting carts and cargo took some effort.

There were also a few beasts.

But they were mostly mid to late-stage first-grade beasts.

The caravan's guards could handle them. Mo Hua merely gave them early warnings and didn't need to act himself.

Together, they killed a Kui Wood Wolf and a Red-Eyed Goat Demon. The rest of the journey became much smoother.

Young master, there's more to this chapter—please click to the next page for more excitement!

Just as they were about to leave the deep mountain, Mo Hua's spiritual sense stirred. His brows furrowed, and he spoke:

"Stop."

Elder Zheng froze. The other cultivators in the caravan looked confused.

It was getting late, and they could already see a faint outline of Tongxian City in the distance. Stopping now would waste precious time.

But although Mo Hua's voice sounded young, it carried a subtle authority that was impossible to ignore.

Especially since all the demon hunters along the journey had treated Mo Hua with such respect and warmth—this "popularity" clearly couldn't be underestimated.

"Little brother…" Elder Zheng hesitated.

Mo Hua raised a finger and made a "shh" gesture, signaling him not to speak.

Elder Zheng didn't understand, but complied.

Mo Hua extended his divine sense, scanning for a moment, and his expression gradually turned serious. He muttered:

"A second-grade beast…"

Elder Zheng's legs gave out beneath him as he stammered:

"S-Second grade…?"

The other cultivators' expressions turned to shock, and they began to murmur:

"That's impossible…"

"Second-grade beasts have immense bloodlust. You can sense them from afar…"

"We didn't notice anything at all…"

…

Before they could finish speaking, a low, oppressive growl echoed from the gloomy forest to their right.

The growl carried a killing intent and overwhelming bloodlust that chilled the heart.

Everyone's faces turned deathly pale.

It really was a second-grade beast!

Stronger than a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

A beast of this level could devour every single one of them!

And with its speed, running was pointless!

Everyone instinctively drew their blades, but their hands trembled, and despair spread across their faces.

Just then, Mo Hua said calmly:

"Don't move!"

Elder Zheng snapped back to his senses and quickly lowered his voice:

"Put your weapons away. Don't show any killing intent. Don't look the beast in the eye."

At this point, he could only pray that the beast was full and didn't find them worth the effort.

If they didn't provoke it, there might be a sliver of hope.

Otherwise, today might be their death day.

As everyone held their breath in terror, the dark forest rustled.

From the trees, a one-person-tall beast slowly emerged. Its pupils were deep brown, its body marked with crisscrossing black-and-white stripes, and on its forehead was a clear 王 (king) character—majestic and fearsome.

"A second-grade tiger demon…"

Elder Zheng's heart sank.

It was over…

And of all things, it had to be a tiger—a powerful, bloodthirsty type of demon beast…

Tiger demons were notoriously gluttonous.

Everyone's faces turned ghost-white.

But Mo Hua blinked in surprise.

A big tiger?

Why did it look so familiar…

He stared at it for a few seconds, then suddenly realized—

Wasn't this the big tiger raised by the second-in-command of the Black Mountain Stronghold for bloodletting?

The same one he fed dried fish to before?

It was an old acquaintance!

No—an old "beast"!

The tiger's gaze swept over the crowd, then fixed on Mo Hua. For a moment, it seemed confused. Then suspicion. Then, as if recognizing him, its fierce gaze softened.

It didn't seem to be hunting—more like it had sensed a familiar aura and came over to check.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he quickly said:

"Elder Zheng, give me that demon meat."

Elder Zheng was stunned. "Demon meat?"

"The two we killed earlier…"

They had slain two beasts earlier: a Kui Wood Wolf and a Red-Eyed Goat Demon. Some materials had been harvested, and some meat was saved.

"Oh—oh… Right!"

Elder Zheng nodded repeatedly.

Mo Hua took the meat and said, "You all go ahead. I'll feed it."

Elder Zheng froze. "Feed…"

"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded. "I know this beast."

Elder Zheng's jaw dropped as he looked at Mo Hua.

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded. "I'm familiar with this demon beast too…"

Elder Zheng's mouth fell open. He looked at Mo Hua, then at the terrifying second-rank "King" Tiger Demon before him, his heart filled with disbelief:

You say you're good with people, but this… this probably doesn't count as human connections anymore…

A second-rank tiger demon…

This is…

Elder Zheng's emotions were a mess, and for a while, he couldn't put them into words.

Mo Hua waved his small hand at him. "Go on, or it'll get dark…"

Elder Zheng couldn't wait to leave anyway, but he glanced at Mo Hua, hesitated, and said, "Then little brother, you…"

"Don't worry," Mo Hua said.

This Great Black Mountain was like his own backyard.

At most, the backyard had been renovated, and he couldn't recognize the paths temporarily—it just felt a bit unfamiliar.

Elder Zheng looked at the sky, gritted his teeth, and said, "Little brother, for this great kindness, this old man will surely repay you!"

"Our group will be staying at the Lanzhi Inn, across from the Fushan Restaurant…"

"If you enter the city, you must come find me there!"

Lanzhi Inn?

A new place?

There didn't seem to be such an inn in Tongxian City before…

Mo Hua nodded. "Okay, I'll remember."

Elder Zheng bowed deeply to Mo Hua. The other cultivators also cupped their fists to him gratefully, and then carefully made their way toward Tongxian City.

That second-rank tiger demon really did ignore them completely, letting them leave without a care.

It was a second-rank demon beast…

Elder Zheng still couldn't quite believe it.

He couldn't help but look back at Mo Hua, shocked in his heart:

"Just who is this young cultivator…"

…

Once the caravan had left and only Mo Hua remained, the huge tiger no longer acted ferociously. Instead, it circled Mo Hua twice and let out a soft "Awoo."

Mo Hua couldn't understand it exactly, but he had a rough idea of what it meant.

It seemed to be saying: "Follow me…"

Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua's divine sense had qualitatively changed, and he could sense killing intent even more acutely. He didn't detect any killing intent from the tiger, so he figured it probably wasn't dangerous. He used his movement technique to follow the tiger through the gloomy forest.

The big tiger would walk a few steps, glance back to check if Mo Hua was following, and then keep walking.

Eventually, it led Mo Hua to a cave.

The cave was spacious and damp. It didn't seem like a long-term dwelling—more like a temporary shelter.

Mo Hua was a little surprised.

A big tiger that keeps "three burrows" like a cunning rabbit?

Could it really have become a spirit?

The big tiger glanced at Mo Hua, signaled for him to wait there, then went deep into the cave to rummage around. Before long, it returned—with over a dozen storage bags in its mouth.

Some were new, some old, some exquisitely crafted.

It was unclear whether it had picked them up… or taken them by force.

The tiger dropped the bags in front of Mo Hua.

Mo Hua stared, dazed for a long time, before slowly realizing.

This big tiger… was repaying a debt of gratitude?

Because he had saved it twice, it remembered, hoarded these storage bags, and when they met again, offered them as gifts?

Mo Hua was unexpectedly touched.

He glanced over the storage bags. Most were not ordinary ones and looked different from those typically used by beast hunters, which put his mind at ease.

He took out the meat of the Kui Wood Wolf and tossed it to the big tiger.

The tiger sniffed it—still smelled fresh—and sat down, holding the meat with its two paws and began to munch with loud snorts.

Mo Hua stared at the tiger for a while, fascinated.

Its fur was pale with white-black patterns, and the character for "King" stood out on its forehead.

He had asked his father Mo Shan, Elder Yu, and several veteran beast hunters before—none had ever heard of a tiger-type demon beast with such markings.

He had even asked Mr. Zhuang.

Mr. Zhuang's expression had turned serious—he clearly knew something—but didn't say much, only commenting, "A bit rare, indeed uncommon…" and the like.

To this day, Mo Hua still didn't know what kind of demon beast it really was.

And… it really didn't seem to eat humans…

And it was smart—very smart…

Mo Hua stared at the big tiger for a while longer, then shook his head. No clues.

He looked outside and then said to the tiger:

"I'm leaving now. I'll come visit in a few days and bring you some dried fish…"

The big tiger clearly showed a look of disdain, as if its grand second-rank tiger dignity was being insulted by Mo Hua.

But it didn't refuse either.

Mo Hua packed the storage bags and tucked them away.

After all, it was a goodwill gift—he wouldn't decline it.

And he was genuinely curious what was inside these bags, and who they had belonged to.

Mo Hua then waved goodbye to the tiger and set off alone along the mountain path toward Tongxian City.

Once out of the deep mountains and into the inner ranges, things felt more familiar.

Old memories began to surface.

Spirit mines, the Qian family, great demons… and the days when he followed his father through the mountains, mapping the land, setting up formations…

Mo Hua felt a wave of emotion.

It felt like a lifetime ago—and yet, also like it happened just yesterday.

Night had completely fallen. Mo Hua picked up his pace, relying on his refined Flowing Water Step, always choosing the shortest path. He quickly passed through the inner mountains and reached the outer range.

Along the way, he avoided demon beasts, poisonous fog, and toxic marshes.

Several hours of trekking passed.

By the time he arrived at Tongxian City, night was deep.

Stars glittered in the sky. The city lights glimmered faintly in the distance.

Mo Hua slowed his steps. As he walked, he suddenly froze.

There, standing before the city gates, was a familiar figure.

Gentle and graceful.

Ever since she had heard news from the beast hunters, she had been standing there at the city gate, gazing down the mountain path, hoping to see the small figure she longed for day and night.

Even after the sun had set, with nightfall draped over her, she continued waiting silently.

Waiting for her child to come home.

Mo Hua saw her—but she hadn't seen him yet. She still stood there, full of hope, yet also anxious and uncertain, looking off into the distance.

Mo Hua's heart trembled, and his eyes grew misty.

Like the wind, he ran toward the city gate.

"Mother!"

Liu Ruhua heard the voice. Her body shook. She turned her head, and saw Mo Hua running toward her. For a moment, she felt like she was dreaming.

When Mo Hua reached her, and she saw that familiar, slightly changed but still dearly missed little face—smiling through tears—her own tears fell uncontrollably.

Liu Ruhua pulled Mo Hua into her arms tightly, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.

"You're safe… You're home…"

Her voice trembled, but it was gentle, like a warm spring breeze.

"Mm."

Mo Hua's eyes were wet. Snuggled in his mother's arms, he nodded.

"Mother, I'm home."

Thanks to Windy Chocolate, Burnt Flame Mage, pyhuang, katiestar, Wind Envoy, Zhong Yu Kou, Sang Chen, and Lazy Eater for the donations~

(End of chapter)