Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 574: The Strange Robe

But the problem was—he still couldn't draw fast enough...

Using divine sense to control spiritual ink consumed a huge amount of mental energy. Drawing directly into the ground was difficult, and speeding up that process was even harder.

Mo Hua felt a bit frustrated.

At present, he still had to rely on preparation in advance, setting traps ahead of time, and ambushing unsuspecting targets. He couldn't use formations like spells—casting them in the heat of battle.

Unless the enemy was a total idiot.

Another issue—it was expensive.

Second-Rank formations required a core, and activating that core consumed at least seventy to eighty spirit stones.

The Earthfire Formation, with its Second-Rank and Thirteen-Pattern structure—top-tier among low-grade formations—required at least a hundred spirit stones to activate.

That wasn't a small number.

Every time he detonated an Earthfire Formation, it was basically lighting a hundred spirit stones on fire...

For disciples from powerful sects or cultivation clans, maybe that was nothing.

But for Mo Hua, it felt outright luxurious.

And that wasn't all—there was also the spiritual ink.

A Second-Rank Earthfire Formation consumed Second-Rank spiritual ink, which, if converted into spirit stones, wasn't cheap either.

Right now, Mo Hua was using his own blend—cheap and low-quality ink, cobbled together from raw materials.

If he used higher-quality ink, the power of the Earthfire Formation would increase—but so would the cost...

"In cultivation, the saying is: 'Technique, Wealth, Companion, and Ground'—turns out none of them can be skipped,"

Mo Hua sighed.

"Well... one step at a time…"

As for spirit stones—he'd figure out a way to earn more later.

For now, the priority was learning to put the Earthfire Formation to practical use.

Its power far exceeded his expectations, which made Mo Hua both excited and hopeful for what was to come.

"If I can use Earthfire Formations to kill Second-Rank demon beasts in Black Mountain, I can harvest their blood, craft more spiritual ink, and use that ink to draw more Earthfire Formations to kill more demon beasts..."

"Then extract more blood, refine more ink..."

A perfect, self-sustaining cycle.

Ink creation → formation use → more ink → more formations.

The more ink he had, the more he could practice.

The more he practiced, the more skilled he'd become.

The only cost was the spirit stones burned with each activation.

Every time he detonated one Earthfire Formation, that was nearly a hundred spirit stones gone.

It made Mo Hua wince.

Still, cultivation came with a price.

And compared to what he was gaining—spiritual ink stockpiles and mastery of his formation skill—the price was acceptable.

From then on, Mo Hua went back to what he had done when he first entered Black Mountain: using the Earthfire Formation to hunt demon beasts.

He thought about calling Elder Yu and the others to join—but in the end, he didn't.

Fighting Second-Rank demon beasts was dangerous, even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Elder Yu. One mistake could prove fatal.

The big tiger, however, was different.

It was a Second-Rank beast. And a tiger at that—tough flesh, strong body, good for tanking hits and dishing them out.

Mo Hua used his powerful divine sense to sweep through the mountains. Upon detecting a Second-Rank demon beast, he would observe its habits and locate a path it regularly traveled.

Then—he'd draw a Second-Rank Earthfire Formation on that path using divine sense.

Once done, Mo Hua and the tiger would find a place to hide, crouching in ambush like two hunters—one big head and one small—both staring at the trap and scanning the surroundings.

To improve the odds, Mo Hua would also lay a Second-Rank Thorn Formation around the Earthfire Formation.

Once the demon beast stepped into the trap, the thorn formation would bind it—just enough time for the Earthfire Formation to ignite and engulf it.

The Earthfire Formation was devastatingly powerful.

Once triggered—a thunderous boom, roaring flames, surging spiritual fire energy that looked like molten lava.

At first, the big tiger got startled every time the formation exploded—fur puffed, ears twitching.

But after seeing it a few times, even it began to get used to it.

The demon beasts caught in the Earthfire Formation would inevitably get injured.

Demon beast bodies were far tougher than cultivators', so even getting swallowed by the Earthfire Formation wouldn't always kill them—but they'd be hurt, badly.

The severity of the injury depended on the beast.

Defensive types, like those with earth or metal attributes: light to moderate injuries.

Normal beasts: moderate injuries.

Physically weak types: severe injuries.

For Second-Rank beasts, this level of damage was already impressive.

After the blast, it was the tiger's turn.

One side was injured and ambushed.

The other had rested and waited.

Victory was almost guaranteed.

Especially with Mo Hua standing back, tossing in well-timed Fireball Techniques to assist or finish the job.

Man and beast—perfect teamwork.

In less than half an hour, most battles were over.

Then it was time: Mo Hua drained the blood; the tiger devoured the flesh.

After a few days of rest and prep—they'd do it again.

Even the fiercest Second-Rank demon beasts couldn't withstand this deadly combo of:

Formation traps

Spell support

Strategic ambush

And a Second-Rank tiger brawler.

Mo Hua's spiritual ink: more and more bottles filled.

The tiger's inner cores: more and more swallowed.

Mo Hua's formation technique: steadily refined.

The tiger's strength: clearly growing.

The only thing dropping fast?

Mo Hua's spirit stones.

He rubbed his temples.

"I really need to find a way… to earn more spirit stones…"

His handmade ink was rough—fine for personal use, but probably worthless for sale.

Besides, in Tongxian City—or possibly all of Black Mountain State—there probably weren't any Second-Rank Array Masters around.

So… who'd even buy Second-Rank spiritual ink?

And even if no one did, he still used ink like flowing water.

It looked like he had a lot now, but if he kept practicing and fighting—he'd burn through it quick.

"What about drawing formations for others… to earn spirit stones?"

But he didn't have the time.

He was already swamped.

Unless things got truly desperate, he didn't want to ask his parents for spirit stones either.

He still hoped they could save enough to eventually build their own Foundation too.

Mo Hua frowned in thought.

Then suddenly—he glanced over at the big tiger's den.

Inside was a mess of demon beast bones.

The tiger had eaten the inner cores, the flesh and blood—but left behind the bones.

Not just bones—there were also claws, fangs, and fur pelts.

Mo Hua pointed at the pile of leftovers and asked:

"You still want these?"

The tiger had just eaten and was lazily sprawled on the ground, fluffy belly pointed skyward.

Hearing Mo Hua's question, it lazily raised its head, looked at the bones, then got up and nudged a big bone over to him.

The message was clear:

"Nah. All yours."

Mo Hua was overjoyed.

He took out several storage pouches, packed up all the usable Second-Rank demon beast materials—bones, claws, fangs, hides.

He left behind a few large bones, though—so the tiger could use them as chew toys.

Then, loaded down with bags, Mo Hua made his way back home.

...

At that moment in Black Mountain, a wave of unease had spread among the demon hunters.

And it wasn't just them—the traveling merchants and roaming cultivators also felt unsettled.

In recent days, there had been frequent disturbances deep within the mountains.

Terrifying explosions echoed from time to time, along with powerful, scorching spiritual energy fluctuations.

The roars of Second-Rank demon beasts shook the forests.

And occasionally, waves of overwhelming demonic power and blood qi surged into the sky before slowly fading…

It was as if Second-Rank demon beasts were engaged in deadly battles.

And not just once—again and again.

In Tongxian City, Elder Yu's expression was grim.

Yu Chengyi, Yu Chengyong, Mo Shan and the others all wore furrowed brows.

"Second-Rank demon beasts… fighting to the death?"

"That demonic power is terrifying…"

"Could some kind of rare treasure have appeared?"

"What kind of rare treasure could appear in a dump like Black Mountain?"

"...Why did things suddenly become so chaotic?"

"Everything was fine until recently…"

Yu Chengyi frowned, thinking aloud:

"It's not just demonic power... there are also intense spiritual energy fluctuations. Could it be... another Foundation Establishment cultivator came to Black Mountain to hunt Second-Rank beasts?"

"You'd need at least seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators to pull something like that off…"

Elder Yu shook his head.

"If that many cultivators were around, with that kind of commotion, there's no way we wouldn't have noticed."

Mo Shan nodded as well.

"Right—and there haven't been any outsiders arriving in Tongxian City lately, either…"

"Outsiders…" Yu Chengyong pondered a moment. "Well… if you really want to count, there is one."

Mo Shan blinked. "Who?"

Everyone paused, then slowly turned to look at Mo Shan—quietly.

"Your son…"

Mo Shan looked blank for a moment.

Oh, right. Hua'er did form his Foundation…

He had been thrilled when it happened.

But since Mo Hua still looked the same as ever—still acting like a kid, eating well every day, studying formations every day—it was easy to forget. Mo Shan had basically brushed it off.

He had forgotten his son was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

And Mo Hua had just returned from being outside…

"What has Mo Hua been up to lately?" Elder Yu asked carefully.

Mo Shan shook his head.

He honestly had no idea.

He only hoped that Mo Hua could do what he wanted—whether that was cultivating or practicing formations—as long as he stayed safe and walked the right path, Mo Shan had no intention of interfering.

So long as he's happy and healthy, that's enough.

Besides, Mo Hua was a First-Rank Formation Master…

And Mo Shan didn't know the first thing about formations. Even if he asked, he'd understand nothing.

On top of that, he was preparing for his own Foundation Establishment breakthrough and dealing with the demon hunting guild—he had plenty on his plate already.

Elder Yu thought for a while, and though it seemed unlikely, still asked:

"Has Mo Hua gone deep into the mountains recently?"

Mo Shan thought back, then nodded.

"Once or twice. Took a bag of dried fish and said he was going to… feed a cat."

"Feed a... cat?"

Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

Feed… what cat?

What kind of cat lived deep in the mountains?

The atmosphere grew... strangely delicate.

"Don't tell me… all that chaos in the mountains is because of Mo Hua…?" someone murmured.

Mo Shan laughed.

"How could that be…" Then he froze. And the smile vanished.

The rest of the demon hunters fell silent too.

It shouldn't be possible…

But when it came to Mo Hua… somehow, nothing seemed impossible anymore.

After all, Black Mountain's terrain had already been reshaped once when Mo Hua detonated a massive formation…

In the end, it was hard to say for sure. Elder Yu just told Mo Shan to go home and ask.

The group then dispersed.

Mo Shan returned home, riddled with doubts. Liu Ruhua was in the kitchen, cooking.

Mo Hua was right behind her, clinging like a hungry cat.

"Mom, I want this one!"

"Beef's the best!"

"This one needs to be spicier!"

He took little bites here and there like a greedy kitten.

Absolutely no one could've guessed that this cheerful boy was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Mo Shan looked at him, both doting and helpless, unsure how to even begin the conversation.

Dinner was delicious—a table full of dishes.

Mo Hua dug in with great joy.

Then suddenly, he seemed to remember something.

He pulled out a storage pouch and asked:

"Dad, can this be sold for spirit stones?"

Mo Shan froze. He thought it was some formation-related item and was about to say he couldn't help…

But when he looked inside, he saw it was full of demon beast materials.

Now that—he was very familiar with.

Mo Shan reached in, pulled out a few bones—and then frowned.

"I've never seen these before…"

Could it be… there were still demon beasts in Black Mountain he didn't recognize?

He stared a bit longer, then suddenly gasped.

His jaw dropped, eyes full of disbelief.

"These are… the bones of a Second-Rank demon beast?!"

"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded, still chewing on a chicken leg. "Dad, your eye is sharp!"

Mo Shan was speechless.

Sharp eyes?!

This wasn't about vision anymore!

He remembered the disturbances in the mountains and asked:

"Where did you… get these?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then decided not to hide it.

"I needed spiritual ink for my formations, so I used dried fish to bribe a big tiger. Then we teamed up to hunt Second-Rank demon beasts. It eats the meat, I collect the blood…"

"These bones and teeth are just the leftovers."

"I figured I could sell them, so I brought them back."

Mo Shan listened, his face completely blank—like he was hearing some fairytale nonsense.

Bribed a tiger…?

Teamed up… to hunt demon beasts…?

Who would even believe this story?!

But looking at Mo Hua… he had no choice but to believe it.

After a long silence, Mo Shan asked:

"So… how many Second-Rank demon beasts have you… killed?"

Mo Hua didn't want to worry his parents, so he replied:

"I didn't kill them. The tiger did. I just helped a tiny bit…"

"I didn't really count… maybe… eight or nine?"

"There's more bones out in the yard."

Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua looked at each other, completely speechless.

Second-Rank demon beasts...

In the past, just one of them could dominate Black Mountain.

They could go a century or more without being slain.

Now, Mo Hua had returned from the mountains for just a month or two, and eight or nine of them had already died.

Mo Shan couldn't help but sigh, gazing at Mo Hua with a complicated expression.

"Maybe sending him to Qianzhou to study is the right move…"

He was only fifteen years old.

If he got older, if his formation skills improved any further—Tongxian City, Black Mountain, even all of Black Mountain State… might not survive his 'experiments.'

...

Mo Shan later helped Mo Hua sell the materials from those Second-Rank demon beasts.

The pelts had been shredded by the big tiger's claws, the bones gnawed on, and the claws and fangs had been damaged in battle. Altogether, they were essentially "damaged goods."

But even so, they were still materials from Second-Rank demon beasts—the price was still quite decent.

In Black Mountain State, there were no Second-Rank Formation Masters,

But there were still a few Second-Rank Artifact Refiners.

These materials could be used to forge Second-Rank spiritual artifacts.

Mo Shan made an estimate: if they sold everything, they could get five to six thousand spirit stones.

But it had to be sold off in batches—neither merchant pavilions nor traveling traders could buy that much in one go.

Mo Hua was ecstatic.

This meant the problem of spirit stones for fueling his Earthfire Formations was also resolved!

Learn formations, draw formations, use formations…

Not only would he avoid losses—he could actually turn a profit, and stockpile a massive amount of spiritual ink.

But Mo Hua had barely enjoyed his victory for a few days before noticing—something felt off again…

Deep within the mountains, Second-Rank demon beasts had suddenly grown scarce.

It was as if they had all gone into hiding—too scared to show themselves.

Before, these beasts used to strut around like kings—fearless, proud, unchallenged.

Now?

Whenever they saw the big tiger—or worse, Mo Hua—they acted like they'd just seen a ghost, bolting long before either of them got close…

Even when they did move, they crept along cautiously, as if terrified of accidentally stepping into an Earthfire Formation.

When hunting, they prioritized speed.

They'd eat only until 70 or 80% full, then rush back to their dens to hide, burying themselves deep within their lairs, terrified of being sensed by Mo Hua's divine sense.

Mo Hua was both helpless and a little angry.

"Second-Rank demon beasts, and not a shred of spine!"

But what could he do?

It was already like this—he had no choice but to pack up the spiritual ink he'd already prepared and use it sparingly.

That said, the beasts becoming so timid wasn't entirely a bad thing.

At the very least, it meant that from now on, the demon hunters heading into the mountains would be much safer.

When Elder Yu learned that Mo Hua had been hunting Second-Rank demon beasts in the deep mountains, he was shocked—

But then again, after thinking it over, not that shocked.

Second-Rank demon beasts…

It was the kind of thing he never even dared imagine in the past.

But over the past four or five years, all the things he never dared imagine had kept coming true.

Elder Yu felt a bit wistful…

Then, his eyes grew firm with resolve.

"The path of cultivation is endless.

I'm not old yet. I'll keep cultivating.

The Golden Core realm may be far,

But there's nothing that says I can't dream it."

The deep mountains grew quiet.

Black Mountain's demon hunters returned to their usual way of life.

Mo Hua camped out for a few more days but didn't even catch a glimpse of a Second-Rank beast.

So he gave up—at least for now—and went back to studying the Earthfire Formation.

He was about to leave Tongxian City soon,

But his current divine sense formation-drawing speed still wasn't fast enough…

He wanted to draw faster.

"But how can I draw faster?"

Mo Hua had already given it everything he had.

He had a fourteen-pattern divine sense, deep and profound.

Reconstructed through the Heavenly Derivation Art, it was refined and heavy like mercury—his divine control was already incredibly strong.

He had learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation, achieving precise control over spiritual power.

With Heavenly Mechanism Deduction, he had deepened his understanding of formation principles.

At his current stage, there probably wasn't anyone who could draw faster than him…

And yet—it still wasn't enough.

Grandpa Gui had once said:

"Among all techniques in the world, speed breaks through all."

The same applied to drawing formations with divine sense.

Mo Hua furrowed his delicate brows, lost in thought.

He had tried every method… except—

"Heavenly Trick Deduction…"

Mo Hua had never actually seen his master draw a formation.

But the fastest person he'd ever seen laying down formations was his Martial Uncle, the Trickster Daoist.

And the Trickster's formation arts were rooted in the logic of Heavenly Trick Deduction.

If Mo Hua learned that—

Wouldn't he be able to draw even faster?

He still felt his understanding of Heavenly Trick Deduction was far too shallow.

What he currently grasped… was a far cry from his Martial Uncle's level.

"Should I… study from him?"

A thought stirred in Mo Hua's heart.

In his sea of consciousness, memories surfaced—

Of the Trickster Daoist using the Heaven-Sealing Formation of Trickery to seal the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, wiping out the demonic cultivators within…

Of him using Heavenly Trick Deduction to crack the Heaven-Obscuring Formation in a matter of moments…

"Heavenly Trick Deduction…"

A technique that splits demonic thoughts—perfect for quickly dissecting formations.

Naturally, it could also be used to quickly lay down formations like the Heaven-Sealing Trap.

Mo Hua had no clear idea yet…

But suddenly—a flash of inspiration struck.

Heavenly Trick Deduction and "Sowing Demons in the Dao Heart"

One is outward, one is inward—they're two sides of the same coin.

If his understanding of Heavenly Trick Deduction wasn't deep enough…

Could he reverse the logic by analyzing it through "Dao Heart Demon Seeding"?

"Dao Heart Demon Seeding…"

This technique, based on Heavenly Trick Deduction, was the art of transforming oneself into a demon—splitting off a strand of demonic will, forming a demon seed, and planting it into another cultivator's Dao Heart.

But Mo Hua was a proper, righteous cultivator.

He couldn't actually seed demons in others, nor truly split off demonic intent.

But—what if, instead of splitting off demonic will,

He split off part of his divine consciousness?

The method should be the same.

Without succumbing to demonic corruption, it wouldn't count as true demon seeding.

"Split divine consciousness…"

"Let's give it a try…"

Mo Hua closed his eyes, and following the logic of Trickster Dao, began splitting off a portion of his divine sense using Heavenly Trick Deduction.

This form of separation was based on trickery logic—complex and mysterious.

He could only imitate—like a child copying brushstrokes—recalling over and over the scenes of his Martial Uncle drawing and breaking formations.

He didn't know how long passed.

Suddenly, Mo Hua had a moment of clarity.

The path of trickery snapped open.

His divine sense… began to split.

Within his sea of consciousness, a strange change unfolded:

Black, eerie lines appeared across his divine sense avatar.

These lines looked like peeled-off fragments of Mo Hua's own divine sense—

But also like extensions, reaching outward along some mysterious law of Dao.

A Trickster-style split of divine sense…

Similar to how his divine sense had once been restructured—

But fundamentally different.

This split was more like a recompilation, or a derivation, using the logic of Heavenly Trick Deduction to reformat his spiritual awareness.

It was both painful and profound.

In that hazy process, Mo Hua could vaguely feel his divine consciousness aligning, bit by bit, with the laws of the Trickster Path.

He didn't know how long it lasted.

Eventually, the splitting concluded.

Mo Hua opened his eyes—

And saw a faint, inky-black shadow overlaying his body.

With every movement, there was a ghostly afterimage.

This layer of ink-shadow wrapped around him—like a phantom cloak.

Not quite an illusion.

Not quite real.

It looked like a—

Pure, shadow-black, water-ink Dao robe.

(End of Chapter)