Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 571: The Na-Zi Ring (Storage Ring)

Dragon Dao Mountain Range… within the borders of Fifth-Rank Qianxue Prefecture...

"A sacred land of learning…"

Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.

Countless sects gathered, prodigies abounded, and all schools of array formations were said to be represented—did this mean it housed a complete cultivation foundation and inheritance of every type of formation?

At present, Mo Hua had only learned the Five Elements Formations.

But aside from the Five Elements, there were many other systems of formations, each with their own framework—

For example, the Two Aspects, Three Essences, Four Symbols, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams, and so on.

These categories Mo Hua had only seen brief mentions of in formation books—vague and fragmented, let alone actual inheritance or instruction.

He fell into thought.

Two Aspects, Four Symbols, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams—his master likely knew them too, but hadn't taught him. He had only passed on the Five Elements Formations.

It was probably because the Five Elements were the most basic—and most widely applied—type of formation.

To be greedy for too much leads to learning none well. Once you master the basics, other systems become easier to understand by analogy.

But the biggest reason was likely…

His master… knew he didn't have much time left. There were many things he wanted to teach—but no longer had time to…

"Master…"

Mo Hua's gaze dimmed.

After a while, he pulled himself together and returned to studying the map of Qian Prefecture.

The map listed many sects.

Among them, Qianxue Prefecture had the highest number of "Cultivation Sects."

So-called "Cultivation Sects" were different from commercial sects, hidden sects, or spiritual merchant sects.

Hidden sects lived in seclusion, isolated from the world, relatively closed off.

Commercial and spiritual merchant sects prioritized profit—running cultivation industries, shops for formations, pills, artifacts, talismans—to earn spirit stones and generate income.

They also accepted disciples, but that wasn't their focus.

Cultivation sects, on the other hand, were founded with the aim of transmitting the Dao and teaching students—their main business was "guiding cultivators in their cultivation and passing down Daoist methods." They earned by charging tuition (spirit stones) from disciples.

They had some industries, but not many.

These were things Mo Hua had picked up during his travels, from word of mouth.

He had only now realized: sects differed greatly from one another.

Some passed on knowledge; others were all about profit.

Cultivation sects…

"Teach the path… pass down methods…"

Mo Hua couldn't help but wonder, "Can I go?"

He thought it over, then shook his head.

Qianxue Prefecture was a fifth-rank prefecture… the tuition there must be exorbitant…

That windfall he'd stumbled into—would it even be enough?

And even if he could afford it, would they even accept him?

With so many prodigies gathered…

Their standards must be strict.

Mo Hua flipped the map again, but it only had sparse labels and no further explanation.

"Should I ask someone?"

Mo Hua frowned, pondered for a while, then decided the best person to ask was Chief Steward Zhou.

Zhang Lan would know, but he had gone home.

Chief Steward Zhou came from a cultivator clan as well—though a minor one, he must have some experience and knowledge. Otherwise, he wouldn't be serving as a chief official in the Dao Court.

Mo Hua returned to the Dao Court Office and handed the map to Chief Steward Zhou.

"Qianxue Prefecture?"

Zhou looked surprised.

"Yes." Mo Hua nodded.

Zhou thought for a moment, then said, "Wait a moment…"

He pulled several books from his storage pouch. Mo Hua glanced at the covers: titles like Annals of Cultivation History, Brief Survey of the Nine Prefectures, and so on.

"Qian Prefecture is vast, and far from here. I don't remember everything clearly…"

Zhou flipped through the books carefully, then nodded and said:

"Right…"

"Qianxue Prefecture is indeed the premier cultivation land in all of the Nine Provinces. Sects are everywhere, and the academic atmosphere is strong…"

"In the Nine Provinces, any genius cultivator who reaches Foundation Establishment before age twenty almost certainly goes to Qianxue Prefecture to apply to a sect, seek out renowned masters, befriend fellow prodigies, and study methods of cultivation—to lay a solid foundation for their future Dao path…"

"Why does everyone go to Qianxue?" Mo Hua was puzzled. "Because it's a fifth-rank prefecture?"

"Not entirely," Zhou patiently explained. "Cultivation ranks are divided into nine grades—this was an ancient classification. Nine is the heavenly number, reaching the Immortal Grade."

"Since the Dao Court era, spiritual energy has grown scarcer. It's been ages since anyone became immortal."

"Even seventh or eighth-rank cultivation is now practically unreachable."

"To most cultivators, a fifth-rank prefecture is already beyond reach…"

"But Qianxue isn't number one just because it's fifth-rank…"

Zhou paused, then continued:

"Cultivators talk about 'Wealth, Method, Companion, and Ground'…"

"Wealth means resources: spirit stones, spirit items, and other assets."

"Method means cultivation techniques, arts, skills, and secret methods—also paths in the cultivation industries like formations, pills, talismans, artifacts, etc."

"Companion refers to like-minded Dao friends—people who share your ideals, help temper your Dao heart, and grow with you."

"Ground means blessed lands and the heritage of the Dao."

"Qianxue Prefecture has all of these in abundance. With nearly ten thousand years of Daoist heritage, countless sects founded to pass on the Dao, and complete systems of inheritance—it's the top cultivation prefecture in all of the Nine Provinces!"

Mo Hua listened wistfully, filled with yearning. He couldn't help but ask:

"Chief Steward, are sects in Qianxue strict about accepting disciples?"

"Naturally," Zhou nodded. "Establishing Foundation before twenty is just the basic requirement…"

"Beyond that, it depends on what kind of foundation you build."

"In noble families or big sects, disciples refine their realms and temper their spirit power until it's perfect, then break through at seventeen or eighteen."

"That kind of foundation—that's a real Foundation Establishment."

"Small-time cultivators rush ahead, building a weak foundation with unstable spirit power at fifteen or sixteen. That kind of breakthrough doesn't count…"

Zhou paused, glancing at Mo Hua—only fifteen, with weak blood energy and thin spirit power—then added awkwardly:

"Not saying that's you, of course…"

"It's fine." Mo Hua responded cheerfully, unfazed.

His weak blood and spirit power were a fact—plain to see, no need to avoid the truth.

Besides, his Dao foundation was built on spiritual sense—it didn't rely on blood or spirit power.

Seeing Mo Hua didn't mind, Zhou relaxed and continued:

"And that's just the foundation part. There are more harsh requirements…"

"First is spiritual roots. In Qianxue Prefecture, most sects won't accept you unless you have at least High-Grade roots."

"The top ten sects with long-standing heritage? They don't even look at you unless you have Superior-High-Grade roots."

Mo Hua opened his mouth. "Not accepting anyone under superior-high… isn't that too strict?"

Zhou nodded, a little helpless. "Spiritual roots are a cultivator's foundation. The better the roots, the higher-grade methods you can cultivate, the deeper your spirit power, the easier your breakthroughs—the farther you'll walk on the Dao path…"

"That said, the difference between superior-high and upper-mid isn't that great."

"But there are just too many geniuses. The competition's too fierce."

"So the bar keeps getting raised… again and again…"

"A few thousand years ago, even mid-grade roots could enter these sects, if they had strong Dao hearts or unique talents—they might even become instructors or elders."

"But now…"

Zhou sighed. "If you don't have top-grade roots, you can forget about noble clans—much less if you're a rogue cultivator. With bad roots, you won't even make it through the gate…"

"That's just spiritual roots," he added. "There's also family background, origin, and inheritance…"

"If you're not from a prestigious lineage, without noble heritage, getting accepted becomes even harder."

"Some sects will even investigate the applicant's parents—what kind of roots they had, what their cultivation was, what their status was, and so on..."

Mo Hua found it utterly absurd and couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.

Looks like Qianxue Prefecture… was out of reach for him.

Not to mention anything else—just his lower-mid Five Elements roots alone already disqualified him right at the gate.

His expression dimmed.

Zhou looked at Mo Hua and, unable to bear it, offered:

"There are smaller sects out there that aren't so strict about spiritual roots, but…"

But their inheritance would surely be shallow.

Even if accepted, one might not learn anything truly valuable.

Zhou sighed softly.

Scattered cultivators had weak foundations—reaching Foundation Establishment was already their ceiling.

He sincerely hoped Mo Hua could join a sect in Qianxue Prefecture—study the Dao systematically, broaden his horizons, patch up his weaknesses, and one day go much further…

But he also knew that place was packed with noble clans and peerless prodigies—deep prejudice ran strong.

Even just crossing the threshold was already immensely difficult.

Especially for a loose cultivator like Mo Hua…

Zhou said no more. He offered a few words of comfort and small talk. Beyond that, there really wasn't much else he could do…

Mo Hua was disappointed, but after some thought, didn't dwell on it too much.

If he had the chance to study in Qianxue Prefecture and enter a sect, that would be great.

If not—then so be it.

Some things in this world just can't be forced.

Back home, he still studied a bit, read his books on array formations, and when his spiritual sense ran dry and he grew tired, he once again opened the Qianxue Prefecture map.

After looking at it a few times, he put it away.

Since his spiritual roots weren't good enough to even get in, staring at it served no purpose. He stored the map in his pouch.

Then he thought again—this Nine Provinces map was fairly valuable. He might need it later. So he took it back out and carefully placed it in his Storage Ring.

The ring wasn't big, and since Mo Hua's hands were small, he could only wear it on his left thumb.

The ring was a gift from his master, bonded with blood, its design ancient and unremarkable.

Mo Hua could see it—but others couldn't.

This storage ring was a concealed spatial item.

But Mo Hua always felt it could also suppress his aura, making it hard for others to see through him.

It was a bit like those spiritual tools his senior brother and sister had—ones that blocked divine sense probing.

Aside from that, it didn't do much else.

But because it was a gift from his master, Mo Hua cherished it deeply.

He placed the map inside the ring, then began checking what else was in it—and suddenly froze.

Inside the ring… was a jade slip.

Mo Hua had no recollection of this.

He had sorted through the ring many times before and had never seen this jade slip.

"Why… is there a new jade slip in here?"

Puzzled, Mo Hua took it out. It was dusty and aged, clearly very old.

Sweeping it with his spiritual sense, he saw three bold characters carved on it:

"Qiandao Sect."

And beneath that, a line in smaller script:

"Bearer of this command must not be refused entry."

The tone… was that of a decree.

Meaning—whoever carried this token must be accepted into the sect?

Mo Hua frowned.

"Qiandao Sect…"

That name… seemed vaguely familiar…

He pulled the Qianxue Prefecture map back out, scanned it again, and sure enough—there was a sect called Qiandao Sect marked there.

And not just any sect—it was clearly one of the Four Great Sects of Qianxue Prefecture!

Mo Hua was stunned.

This was…

A Qiandao Sect entry token?!

"How… did this jade token end up in the ring… Did Master… leave it for me?"

Mo Hua stood there in a daze.

The ring was from his master. Only he knew about it.

No one else could open it.

So if something was in there—it could only have been placed by his master.

"Qiandao Sect's entry token…"

Mo Hua thought it over—and quickly understood.

His master had left him this token, with the name of a sect on it.

If Mo Hua ever had the chance, and figured out which sect it was and where—it meant he was fated to go there. He could then use the token and seek entry himself.

But if he never came to know… then it simply wasn't meant to be.

Whether or not he had the token—it'd be the same.

"So this… was the way Master left open for me…"

Mo Hua stood still, overwhelmed.

Though he had learned Heavenly Pattern Deduction, and secretly picked up Heavenly Trick Scheming, and even obtained the Five Elements Formation Flow Chart—his foundation was shallow. His formation path was narrow, limited to just the Five Elements.

He needed to join a sect to learn proper, complete Dao knowledge.

To understand formations beyond just the Five Elements.

To pursue even loftier heights of cultivation…

All of this… his master had already foreseen…

Mo Hua's eyes stung with emotion.

He opened the map again and located the Qiandao Sect's position.

"Fifth-rank Qianxue Prefecture… Qiandao Sect…"

Mo Hua understood clearly—

If he kept cultivating in isolation, advancing his realm would be painfully slow.

His formation skill would plateau.

And after Foundation Establishment—how to stabilize his Dao foundation, how to refine his cultivation, how to break through to Core Formation, and beyond… he had no idea.

These higher stages of cultivation—he was completely clueless.

Yet cultivation is the root of a cultivator.

Without strength, he would always remain at the Foundation level. At best, a Grade-1 or Grade-2 formation master.

He'd never learn the kinds of formations that defy the heavens, alter fate, or reverse life and death…

And that meant he would never… be able to save his master.

Never be able to repay the kindness his master had shown him.

But even as this thought burned in his chest, Mo Hua felt a knot in his heart.

He knew that one day, he would have to leave Tongxian City.

"But… what about Father and Mother…"

"But… what about Father and Mother…"

Mo Hua furrowed his brows and let out a deep sigh.

If he left, what would happen to them?

In the days that followed, he was visibly downcast.

Liu Ruhua noticed his mood. One evening after dinner, as she tidied up, she asked gently:

"Little Hua, is something troubling you?"

Mo Hua froze. After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head.

"No, Mother… It's nothing."

Liu Ruhua simply shook her head and looked at him with warm eyes.

No one knows a child better than their mother.

No matter how clever Mo Hua was, no matter how well he drew formation diagrams—he couldn't hide something like this from her.

Under her calm and knowing gaze, Mo Hua hesitated, then finally told her about Qiandao Sect.

"Qian Prefecture…"

Liu Ruhua murmured. "Zisheng and Zixi are in Qian Prefecture too, right?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded. "But Qian Prefecture is huge—we're very far apart. I might not get to see them."

"I see…"

Liu Ruhua looked a little regretful, but after thinking for a while, her gaze grew firm.

"Then you should go."

Mo Hua blinked. "But, Mother—"

She shook her head.

"When parents truly love their child, they plan far ahead for them…"

"You've already reached Foundation Establishment. Staying in Tongxian City—sure, I'd be happy… but I also know this is as far as you'll go here."

"If you were a hundred years old, or even two hundred, I wouldn't say anything."

"But now… you're only fifteen. You can't let yourself be trapped here for life."

"I'm reluctant to part with you, yes—but I also can't bear to see you waste your talent."

"Not to mention… there's also Master Zhuang."

She sighed. "You haven't said much, but I know—something terrible must've happened. He's likely in grave danger, maybe even… gone. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come back alone…"

"Master Zhuang didn't just help you—he helped our whole family."

"A drop of kindness must be repaid with a spring."

"I don't know what level of cultivation he had, but it must've been high. Right now, with your strength, there's no way you could help him."

"But this kindness—you must never forget it."

"Even if you can't repay it now, hold it in your heart. When your cultivation grows stronger—do everything you can to return the favor. Even if it's beyond you, you must still give it your all!"

Her soft tone was resolute and unwavering.

"…Yes, Mother."

Mo Hua nodded solemnly.

"But what about Father…"

He still couldn't help but worry.

"There's even less need to worry about your father,"

Liu Ruhua gently stroked his hair.

"Your father is a demon hunter. He's made a living hunting beasts for years. Even when you were little, he spent months at a time in the mountains, fighting and bleeding, earning spirit stones to raise you."

"He's carried the burden of this family on his shoulders since long ago…"

"His cultivation may only be at the Qi Refining stage, but he's far from someone you need to worry about."

"What he regrets most is not being able to give you the best—not in cultivation techniques, not in formations. He couldn't help you at all."

"If you truly have the heart to pursue the Dao, to seek knowledge—even if he doesn't say it out loud, I know… he'll be proud of you."

She looked at Mo Hua and smiled softly.

"You may have reached Foundation Establishment, but you're still only fifteen. It's not yet your turn to worry about your parents."

"All you need to do is follow your heart."

"Don't hesitate—just charge forward."

"…But there's one thing you must remember."

She looked serious as she said:

"To your parents, your life is the most precious thing."

"No matter what—stay alive."

"Mm!" Mo Hua was moved and nodded firmly. "Don't worry, Mother. No one can kill me!"

His eyes suddenly lit up—one glint held innocence, the other trickery. One eye foresaw fate; the other hid eerie secrets.

In his destiny, a crimson, terrifying Corpse King lay dormant.

Far away in Southern Yue City, a miner burned incense—willing power and karma protected him from afar.

Liu Ruhua paused.

She felt something was different about Mo Hua just now. But when she looked again, he seemed the same.

Still the same child she had poured her love into.

She chuckled, then pinched his soft cheek.

"Talking big again, are we…"

Mo Hua squinted with joy, grinning brightly.

Now that both his parents supported him, he no longer felt conflicted.

He had made up his mind—he would go to the Fifth-Rank Qianxue Prefecture, join a sect, seek the Dao, and learn every formation under heaven!

Form Core, ascend to immortality.

One step at a time—until he stood at the very peak of the Great Dao.

To master formations no one else could master.

To save the master no one else could save!

But of course—preparation was everything.

Before heading to Qian Prefecture, he would take some time to plan, make arrangements, and prepare thoroughly…

Some foreshadowing has to simmer a little~ Plotlines need to unfold step by step~

(End of Chapter)