Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 567: Original Aspiration

Mo Hua had returned home—and had already reached Foundation Establishment.

News of this quickly spread throughout Tongxian City.

Every cultivator in the city, whether they heard the rumors early or found out later, was both surprised and delighted.

None of them had expected that Mo Hua, after leaving to travel for only a few years, would return having already formed his Foundation.

And with Mo Hua's extraordinary mastery of formations, now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, given time, he might even become a Second-Grade Formation Master.

A Second-Grade Formation Master—Tongxian City hadn't seen one in centuries.

Elder Yu was all smiles, grinning ear to ear.

He had long known that Mo Hua was highly gifted, with excellent comprehension and a kind heart—someone destined for great things. But he hadn't expected that "destiny" to arrive so soon.

In just a few short years—it felt like he had blinked, and suddenly, Mo Hua was at Foundation Establishment.

Now that Mo Hua was back, even Elder Yu—usually quite frugal—dug out his long-saved spirit stones to host a Welcome Banquet for him.

But Mo Shan knew well that although Elder Yu was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had spent most of these years looking after rogue cultivators and had barely saved anything for himself.

Nowadays, Tongxian City was no longer like before—rogue cultivators were living more comfortably. Mo Shan didn't want Elder Yu to bear the cost.

So Mo Shan said this would be Mo Hua's Foundation Establishment Banquet—there was no need for Elder Yu to spend his own spirit stones.

In Tongxian City, a Foundation Establishment banquet was basically the grandest kind of celebration.

For rogue cultivators, achieving Foundation Establishment was incredibly difficult.

To succeed was a monumental event—typically celebrated with a lavish banquet and many invited guests.

Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua had once fantasized about holding such a banquet for Mo Hua—their son.

But before, that had only ever been a dream.

It was just too hard for a rogue cultivator to reach Foundation Establishment…

Mo Hua had been born frail, with an average spiritual root. His cultivation path was bound to be full of hardship.

Even if he did one day reach Foundation Establishment, the couple doubted they would live to see it with their own eyes…

But they had never expected that Mo Hua, at just fifteen, would already have succeeded.

The couple was thrilled—yet even now, they still found it hard to believe.

Even with Mo Hua standing right in front of them, clearly at Foundation Establishment, it all felt like a dream.

Then came preparations for the Foundation Establishment Banquet.

Liu Ruhua took out a good number of spirit stones and reserved banquet space at Fushan Pavilion.

Those spirit stones had been saved up for years—originally meant for Mo Hua's future wedding.

But now that Mo Hua had reached Foundation Establishment, Liu Ruhua was so overjoyed she figured it was worth spending some to celebrate.

After all, Mo Hua was still young—it would be a long time before marriage. She could always save up again.

Besides, half of Fushan Pavilion belonged to Mo Hua.

And with Mo Hua away, that half was effectively hers.

Fushan Pavilion's manager, An Xiaofu, even called Liu Ruhua "Master."

An Xiaofu was close with Mo Hua too.

So hosting the banquet at Fushan Pavilion was almost like doing it at home—didn't cost much.

On the day of the banquet, the place was packed—almost the entire city of rogue cultivators showed up.

They were either people who had watched Mo Hua grow up, were close friends with Mo Shan, or had received kindness from Mo Hua…

Even many prominent cultivators in the city attended—people from the An family, Master Luo, Master Qian, and several smaller clans…

There were simply too many people. Fushan Pavilion couldn't hold them all.

An Xiaofu temporarily rented out all the shops along the street.

Everyone feasted, drank, and celebrated noisily.

The entire city felt like it was celebrating the New Year.

Traveling cultivators passing through, unaware of what was happening, thought Tongxian City must be celebrating some local festival.

When they asked around, they found out it was a Foundation Establishment Banquet—and the one who formed their foundation was a First-Grade Formation Master, certified by the Dao Court. They were stunned.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator and a First-Grade Formation Master?

In a Second-Grade Immortal City like Tongxian City, such a person was truly a famed and influential figure.

The traveling cultivators all understood the logic of "paying respects when arriving in a new land."

So they prepared small gifts and came in person to offer their congratulations, hoping to get a drink and maybe make a good impression.

Some even paid handsomely just for a chance to toast Mo Hua in person.

It was a joyful occasion—no one minded such gestures.

One cultivator, Old Zheng, used some connections and nervously approached Mo Hua with a wine cup in hand.

But when he looked up, he was stunned to see that the great "First-Grade Formation Master" and "Foundation Establishment expert" was the same young cultivator who had journeyed with him and chatted along the road—his jaw practically hit the floor.

At the banquet, wine flowed freely.

Elder Yu was beaming, his face full of wrinkles from smiling—but behind his eyes, there was a hint of melancholy.

Time waits for no one.

Back when he was the only Foundation Establishment cultivator in Tongxian City, Elder Yu had to carry the weight of resisting the powerful Qian family. He couldn't afford to fall.

So he was hard-tempered, sharp-tongued, and sometimes downright unreasonable.

But now that rogue cultivators were living better, Elder Yu finally relaxed—only to realize how old he'd become.

That inner drive—he just couldn't summon it anymore.

Watching Mo Hua, fifteen and already at Foundation Establishment, Elder Yu felt both gratified and wistful—though on the surface, he remained composed.

But Mo Hua now had strong spiritual sense and keen perception. He picked up on Elder Yu's thoughts.

So he went over to drink with him.

Mo Hua drank fruit wine—brewed by his mother. It was mild, sweet, with just a hint of alcohol—no harsh burn.

Elder Yu still drank the strong stuff.

After a bit, Mo Hua whispered:

"Elder… how come you're still in the early Foundation stage?"

Elder Yu was stunned, then shot Mo Hua a glare. "Foundation Establishment—every step is like climbing a mountain. You think it's easy?"

"Oh," Mo Hua nodded.

Then Elder Yu sighed and gave a bitter smile. "I'm old. I just can't cultivate like I used to…"

Mo Hua shook his head. "How can you say you're old? Just think—if you break through to mid-Foundation, that's another hundred years of life. Late Foundation, another hundred... Keep breaking through, and you won't be old anymore."

Elder Yu laughed. "If only it were that easy…"

"Then what is easy?" Mo Hua asked. "Standing up to the Qian family wasn't easy. Surviving as a rogue cultivator isn't easy. But even when it's not easy, we still have to do it."

"If something needs to be done—then do it."

"Whether it's easy or not, whether it succeeds or fails—that doesn't matter."

Elder Yu was dazed. After a pause, he asked blankly, "Who… who told you all this?"

Mo Hua thumped his chest. "I did!"

Elder Yu clearly didn't believe him.

Mo Hua put on a serious face. "Elder, I've traveled the world. I'm a well-traveled Foundation Establishment cultivator now."

Seeing Mo Hua, despite his cultivation breakthrough, still speaking with that same mix of insight and innocence, Elder Yu couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

Then he thought to himself:

"That's right. What does it matter if I'm old?"

"In the past, life was too hard—I had no time to cultivate. But now, I can finally breathe. I have time. Isn't that the perfect moment to focus, to pursue advancement?"

"Cultivators are meant to cultivate—to refine body and spirit."

"If we don't train ourselves through cultivation, what kind of cultivators are we?"

"So what if I'm old?"

"So what if my years are many?"

"As long as one lives, one must never waver in their Dao heart and must pursue the Dao wholeheartedly…"

Elder Yu was struck by this. Gradually, the light in his eyes sharpened again, regaining a hint of edge—and stubbornness.

Mo Hua nodded "approvingly," then said with a grin,

"Elder, this time you're mooching a meal off me. Next time, it'll be my turn to mooch off you."

"Mooch a meal?"

Elder Yu was momentarily confused before realizing Mo Hua was referring to a Foundation Establishment Banquet.

"You want to mooch what off me?"

Mo Hua's little face turned solemn.

"I want to mooch off your Golden Core Banquet!"

Elder Yu sprayed his old liquor right out of his mouth.

At his age, still stuck at early Foundation Establishment, and this kid was already thinking about mooching off his Golden Core Banquet?

This brat—he dared to dream even bigger than he did.

But then Elder Yu paused, and thought—why shouldn't he dare to dream? Why couldn't he?

Whether or not he could form a Golden Core was one thing—but if he didn't even have that fire in him, what Dao was he cultivating?

He clenched his jaw and cursed aloud:

"Fine! To hell with it—Golden Core it is!"

His voice was loud—and that final curse drew attention. Everyone nearby turned to look at him in confusion.

Only then did Elder Yu realize he had blurted it out too loudly.

But his skin was thick, so he simply pretended nothing had happened and clinked cups with Mo Hua, continuing to drink.

The others, understanding the moment, tactfully looked away and acted like they hadn't heard a thing.

But not far away, Yu Chengyi was staring, a little dazed.

His father… hadn't cursed like that in a long time…

Ever since life in Tongxian City started improving, his father's temper had mellowed—he barely shouted or cursed anymore.

So mellow, in fact, that Yu Chengyi had begun to feel a little estranged.

But now, hearing his father curse again—

Even though it was nothing fancy, just a plain and heartfelt "To hell with it", raw and unpolished—

Yu Chengyi, for some reason, felt deeply reassured.

This—this was the father he remembered…

He thought silently to himself.

Mo Hua, truth be told, had also wanted to shout something, but just as the words reached his lips, he looked up and saw his mother, Liu Ruhua, watching him.

So he swallowed the words back down.

I'm a good kid. I don't curse.

Mo Hua reminded himself silently.

After the Foundation Establishment Banquet, Mo Hua remained busy for a while.

Mainly because he had so many connections in Tongxian City—too many familiar faces. Just wandering around and chatting made several days fly by.

He went to see Instructor Yan.

Instructor Yan and Steward Mo were busy rebuilding the Little Lingyin Sect.

Starting from nothing, building a sect from scratch was incredibly difficult. But Instructor Yan had a firm will and wasn't one to give up.

The remains of Little Lingyin's former elders and sect leaders had been refined into Iron Corpses by the traitor Lu Chengyun, who used them for evil.

After the corpse plague was quelled, those transformed corpses had been cremated. Instructor Yan then brought their ashes back and buried them on a mountainside near Tongxian City.

Amid green hills and clear waters now rested the bones of Little Lingyin's ancestors.

Mo Hua went to burn incense and pay his respects.

He had learned Little Lingyin's "Spiritual Pivot Absolute Formation"—a part of their legacy. Since he had inherited their teachings and received their blessings, it was only right to offer worship and show respect.

Instructor Yan was clearly gratified seeing the current Mo Hua, but he was a stern man by nature and didn't say much.

The two drank tea and chatted a bit about formations—until Steward Mo quietly pulled Mo Hua aside.

Steward Mo handed him a stack of painted portraits, his face troubled:

"These past few days this has been giving me a headache. I need your advice…"

Mo Hua looked down—and saw a stack full of female cultivator portraits.

They felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

Familiar—because many sects and clans had tried to tempt him into marrying in by privately sending him "beauty scrolls" like this before.

Back in Nanyue City, Lu Chengyun had done exactly that.

Unfamiliar—because these women all looked clearly older, more mature. Not a match for someone Mo Hua's age.

"This is…?"

Steward Mo looked around guiltily, lowering his voice:

"I'm helping my senior brother… find a Dao companion."

Mo Hua wasn't surprised and whispered back,

"Shouldn't you let Instructor choose for himself?"

Steward Mo curled his lips.

"He's a block of wood. Ironwood doesn't bloom. Leave it to him? Might as well talk to a stone."

He flipped a few portraits and laid them out before Mo Hua.

"Help me pick, will you?"

"How about this one? Still has charm in her middle years, graceful and alluring. I hear she's single—and has plenty of spirit stones…"

Mo Hua spotted a red flag:

"And how exactly… did she get all those spirit stones?"

Steward Mo froze. Then smacked his forehead.

"Right, right—that won't do…"

"Whew, almost got fooled by appearances."

"If I showed that to my senior brother, he'd curse me to death…"

He pointed at another.

"This one's looks are average, but her family background is solid. Daughter of the Song family, a hundred miles from here… Only thing is—her temper's supposed to be terrible. That's why she's been unmarried for a hundred years…"

"Bad temper wouldn't get along with Instructor, right?"

Steward Mo nodded.

"True. If they really got married and didn't get along, that'd be a disaster…"

He shook his head and muttered:

"This one's the daughter of a sect elder. Could help if my senior brother wants to rebuild the sect…"

"This one… no good. Too worldly. Too much 'dust of the road.'"

"This one… fake. That painting's obviously been touched up—must've bribed the artist with spirit stones."

"This one wears too much makeup—her face's so pale it looks ghostly…"

…

Steward Mo went through several, but none seemed quite right. Then his eyes suddenly lit up:

"This one! She's plain in appearance, but she has great temperament. She's devoted to formations, and hasn't married in over a hundred years. Just like my senior brother…"

Steward Mo had gone through quite a few portraits and found none suitable—until suddenly his eyes lit up:

"This one's good! Her looks are plain, but her temperament is excellent. She's deeply passionate about formations and hasn't married in over a hundred years—just like my senior brother…"

Mo Hua leaned in for a glance. The woman in the portrait had her hair tied up and wore no makeup. Her appearance was unremarkable, but she had an intellectual and composed aura—indeed, she did seem to match Instructor Yan well.

The more Steward Mo looked, the more suitable she seemed. But after a while, he muttered doubtfully:

"It's just… my senior brother's such a wooden block—so stubborn—who knows if anyone would even be willing to consider him…"

"What about this wooden block?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out.

Steward Mo looked up—and saw Instructor Yan staring at him with a cold, expressionless face.

…Crap.

A chill ran through Steward Mo.

Only now did he realize: while he and Mo Hua were huddled together, secretly helping Instructor Yan pick a Dao companion, the man himself had been standing silently behind them the whole time… watching everything.

He had definitely heard all those unflattering comments.

Next to him, Mo Hua maintained an innocent face, eyes looking at his nose, nose at his mouth, and said nothing.

In truth, Mo Hua—with his powerful divine sense—had noticed Instructor Yan's arrival a while ago. But Steward Mo had been so engrossed and focused, he didn't have the heart to interrupt.

Instructor Yan's expression was very grim.

Sensing danger, Steward Mo stammered,

"I just remembered… the Formation Pavilion… has something urgent. I'll be heading back now…"

And with that, he moved like the wind and bolted.

Mo Hua hadn't known Steward Mo—who was quite chubby—was capable of such agility…

Since Steward Mo had fled, Mo Hua felt it awkward to stay, so he rose and gave a polite bow:

"Instructor, I'll take my leave. I'll come visit again soon."

Instructor Yan gave a slight nod. He looked at Mo Hua with eyes full of hope, but still warned him:

"Don't learn bad habits from that fat one…"

Of course, "the fat one" referred to Steward Mo.

"Yes, Instructor!"

Mo Hua responded cheerfully—and also slipped away.

After Mo Hua left, Instructor Yan sighed helplessly and bent down to pick up the scattered portrait pages one by one.

But as he picked up one in particular, he suddenly paused.

On it was the woman with her hair tied up, a bare face without makeup, eyes focused and undistracted—a female formation master dedicated to her craft, capable of drawing nine-pattern formations…

Instructor Yan stood there, momentarily lost in thought.

After parting from Instructor Yan, Mo Hua went to visit Old Master Feng.

Old Master Feng had done him great favors in the past.

When Mo Hua was young, his body was weak and his qi and blood insufficient—it was Old Master Feng who used medicinal pills to nurse him back to health.

Later, when Mo Hua's mother fell seriously ill, it was also thanks to Old Master Feng that her condition didn't worsen.

Old Master Feng hadn't attended the Foundation Establishment banquet.

As a pill master, he was stationed at Apricot Grove Hall, treating patients daily and unable to leave. Besides, he was getting old and didn't care much for crowds and noise.

So Liu Ruhua prepared some refined, light dishes and asked Mo Hua to deliver them for Old Master Feng to enjoy.

Mo Hua also brought along various pill manuals and recipes he had gathered during his travels as a reunion gift.

Old Master Feng was delighted, stroking his beard and nodding repeatedly.

Looking at Mo Hua, he couldn't help but feel emotional.

He had truly watched Mo Hua grow up—from a small, frail child to what he was now. Though Mo Hua was still only fifteen, he had already become a renowned first-grade formation master and a Foundation Establishment cultivator…

And he had helped so many cultivators in Tongxian City using his formations.

"What a good child…"

Old Master Feng's eyes were full of comfort.

Apricot Grove Hall was always bustling, and Old Master Feng was rather busy.

Not wanting to interrupt, Mo Hua chatted a bit, confirmed the old man was well, then got up to leave.

Just before he left, Old Master Feng seemed to remember something. After a brief hesitation, he spoke seriously:

"Mo Hua…"

"For someone your age to achieve this level of cultivation and formation skill is truly rare. Your future is boundless…"

"But even if, someday, your cultivation becomes so great that the countless cultivators of the world—the masses themselves—are as insignificant as ants before you… like dust beneath your feet…"

"You must never forget your original heart. Never look down from on high, indifferent and detached."

"Never forget—no matter how lowly someone may seem, they are still a person. A living, breathing person, with joys and sorrows, life and death…"

Mo Hua paused, then his eyes lit up. His Dao heart was clear, and he smiled brightly:

"I understand, Grandpa Feng. I'll remember it in my heart!"

📝 Author's note:

The detailed outline isn't finished yet, so for now there's only one chapter a day~

Once things are sorted out, I'll increase the updates.

(End of chapter)