Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 596: You Teach

Mo Hua's divine sense was drawing ever closer to the Fifteen-Pattern threshold.

The range from Fourteen to Sixteen Patterns was considered the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment divine sense. There wasn't a significant bottleneck to break through—only time was required.

And during this time, Mo Hua was gradually settling into life within the Great Void Sect.

His days there were peaceful, uneventful. Aside from attending classes, he spent each day cultivating and drawing formation diagrams.

The Great Void Sect offered many courses.

Aside from formations, Mo Hua paid the most attention to the cultivation classes.

The one teaching them was Elder Gongsun, a Yu Hua (Ascension) Realm elder of the sect's inner court, deeply experienced and highly respected.

His teachings on Foundation Establishment cultivation were high-level yet presented in a simple, easy-to-understand manner.

Basic concepts were often supplemented by Elder Gongsun's personal disciples—who also served as instructors for the inner sect.

These cultivation methods represented the collective efforts of multiple generations of Great Void elders—condensed from the experiences and insights of cultivators dating back thousands of years.

Thanks to this, Mo Hua's understanding of Foundation Establishment cultivation was gradually becoming clearer.

However… in terms of actual progress, Mo Hua was still at the bottom of the pack.

This was because he was the only disciple in the entire Great Void Sect with a mid-to-low grade spiritual root.

And more importantly, his Dao foundation was built through "divine sense Dao-realization." While his divine sense was abnormally strong, his cultivation realm had barely been honed, and his physical and spiritual energy foundations were very weak.

Having a mid-to-low spiritual root meant that the limit of his spiritual circulation was low, and his cultivation speed was average at best.

Especially compared to the other inner disciples—most of whom had top-tier talent. In the Great Void Sect, there were no poorly gifted disciples.

So, naturally, Mo Hua's circulation count (a measure of one's spiritual power rotation) was the lowest among all.

And due to his weak foundation, his base cultivation ability was also the thinnest.

Though he trained diligently, Mo Hua could barely keep pace with others in terms of cultivation level. In every other regard, he lagged far behind.

Thankfully, Elder Gongsun was impartial and not overly strict.

As long as you worked hard and took things seriously, he didn't place unreasonable expectations on your performance.

So Mo Hua simply ground away—like water dripping on stone—slowly, steadily. His spiritual root was limited, so his progress would never be fast, and his foundation would never be very deep.

But Mo Hua had understood that from the beginning and didn't feel discouraged.

No matter how good or bad one's spiritual root, no matter how thick or thin one's foundation—

If you were chasing the Dao, the only path forward was undivided focus and devoted cultivation.

He couldn't change the spiritual root he was born with. So why waste time lamenting it? Better to invest all his energy into making progress, no matter how slow.

Outside of cultivation classes, the Great Void Sect also offered courses on the three major auxiliary disciplines:

Alchemy (丹),

Artifact Refining (器),

Talisman Crafting (符).

Unsurprisingly, Mo Hua was bad at all three.

It had been the same back when he was at Tongxian Sect—and in the Great Void Sect, it was even more obvious.

Alchemy required expensive herbs.

Artifact forging demanded raw strength.

Talisman crafting consumed huge amounts of spiritual power.

Even just buying brush and array paper for formation drawing was already quite expensive for him.

But the core of formation art was one's divine sense and its comprehension of the Dao.

The primary cost was mental and spiritual.

Alchemy, on the other hand, involved sky-high expenses: premium pill furnaces, rare pill recipes, medicinal leads, spiritual herbs, natural treasures—all of them were luxuries beyond Mo Hua's reach.

And the higher the grade, the more outrageous the cost.

Only those with clan backing, ample spirit stones, and a steady supply of spiritual materials could afford to burn money learning alchemy…

As for talisman crafting? Not only was it expensive—it also drained spiritual power like a leaky bucket.

Back in Tongxian City, Mo Hua had heard Master Chen the artifact smith mention talismans. But here in the Great Void Sect, he was learning just how deep the rabbit hole went.

Talismans were a field that evolved from both artifact refinement and formation drawing, but eventually branched off into its own independent path.

The earliest talismans were drawn on paper, similar to formations.

But paper-based talismans were unstable:

Paper was a poor medium,

They were prone to misfiring and exploding,

Their shelf life was short,

The spiritual power stored in them was limited,

And their effects weren't very strong.

As cultivation society advanced, these old-fashioned paper talismans gradually faded out of use.

Modern talismans were made with jade.

Using jade as the medium, one could fuse formations and refinement techniques together to create refined jade talismans.

Talisman crafters would seal spells into these jade pieces, creating consumable magic items with limited uses.

However, the crafting process consumed a massive amount of spiritual energy.

And Mo Hua—who had almost no spiritual power to begin with—was completely unsuited for talisman crafting.

As for artifact refining?

Let's just say… lol.

Mo Hua's physical body was so weak, even among spiritual cultivators, he ranked at the very bottom.

Most clan disciples—even those who specialized in spiritual cultivation—would still practice some basic body refinement techniques. Not for hand-to-hand combat, but just to bolster their physical durability.

So for them, swinging a heavy hammer and forging a spiritual weapon wasn't a big deal.

But Mo Hua?

He struggled to even pick up the hammer.

During one class, he gave it everything he had—face red, arms trembling—and still couldn't lift the heavy iron hammer. Eventually, he seriously considered disassembling it and drawing a formation inside to "enhance" it.

The instructor quickly stopped him:

"Let it go. Just… don't bully the hammer like that."

"It didn't choose this life…"

The hammer wasn't the problem—Mo Hua was.

Mo Hua asked,

"Then Instructor, should I still study artifact refining?"

The instructor looked pained, clearly torn.

He had taught at the Great Void Sect for years, but this was the first time he'd met a disciple who couldn't even lift a hammer.

If you couldn't hammer metal, you couldn't refine artifacts—simple as that.

So he said helplessly,

"Just do what you can. Learn what you can. Don't force it—and most importantly, don't hurt yourself…"

Because he knew…

Mo Hua was extremely talented in formation arts and favored by Elder Xun. If he injured his hands and couldn't draw formations, he'd definitely catch Elder Xun's ire.

Mo Hua sighed deeply.

There was nothing he could do.

Artifact refinement required physical strength.

Talisman crafting required spiritual power.

Alchemy required a mountain of wealth.

He lacked all three.

Only formation drawing—fueled by divine sense—was truly suitable for him.

So Mo Hua reduced the time he spent on "refining," "alchemy," and "talisman crafting" classes and shifted more energy toward studying formations.

But he still attended those three classes.

Because as the old saying went:

"You don't have to master it—but you must at least understand it."

He didn't need to personally master pill-making, weapon forging, or talisman crafting—but he did need to understand the basic principles, commonly used spirit tools, talismans, and pills, their uses, and their dangers.

This way, in the future—when walking the cultivation world—he wouldn't get poisoned, ambushed by artifacts, or blown up by talismans.

…

In addition, the Great Void Sect also offered classes in Dao arts.

These classes were divided into three categories:

Spiritual Cultivation (灵修),

Body Cultivation (体修),

Sword Cultivation (剑修).

You could study whichever path you preferred.

Mo Hua was a spiritual cultivator, so naturally, he prioritized the spiritual cultivation courses.

However, he quickly discovered that the techniques and spellcasting philosophy taught in the sect were completely different from the kind he practiced.

The Great Void Sect—and mainstream spiritual cultivation in general—emphasized powerful, flashy techniques.

Cultivators with high-grade spiritual roots would cultivate top-tier methods and learn advanced spells, relying on deep reserves of spiritual power to unleash devastating attacks.

One powerful move—one finishing strike—to reverse the tide of battle.

It was just like that guy, Jiang Laoda. He had built up his spiritual power, activated a sword technique, condensed a surge of pure golden sword qi, and aimed to end the fight in a single slash—life or death in one blow.

Though… he missed. And died.

But Mo Hua knew—that wasn't really his fault.

That strike was indeed powerful and awe-inspiring.

Anyone else might've been split in half.

It was just his bad luck to run into Mo Hua.

So, unfortunately… his promising career ended early.

Mo Hua felt kind of bad for Jiang Laoda.

But those kinds of techniques, while impressive, required long charge times and consumed vast amounts of spiritual power. During the buildup, you were either vulnerable to interruption—or just standing there like a punching bag.

Mo Hua remembered the golden light that had enveloped Jiang Laoda while he was casting his sword technique.

Because of that glow, Mo Hua's Water Prison Technique failed to interrupt him. Even Fireball was weakened.

"That golden glow… what exactly was it?"

Curious, Mo Hua went to ask the sect's Dao arts instructor.

The instructor explained:

"That's the Golden Body Technique."

"Golden Body Technique?" Mo Hua was startled. He had never heard of it before.

The instructor elaborated:

"It's a special kind of spell, focused on defense—but it's not the same as barrier-type techniques like Golden Bell Shield."

"The Golden Body Technique cloaks you in golden light, strengthening your body and protecting your meridians. This reduces the damage you take from spells…"

"More importantly, it allows uninterrupted flow of spiritual energy through your meridians."

"That part is crucial!"

"In short—it keeps your spellcasting from being interrupted."

"While under the effect of Golden Body, you can cast even the slowest and most powerful killing moves without fear of disruption, and resolve the fight in a single moment."

"It lets you go one-vs-ten, using a top-tier Dao art to crush a group of enemies and turn the tide of battle!"

"That's the ultimate goal of spiritual cultivators: to unleash ultimate power through the most devastating techniques."

…

Mo Hua was fired up just listening to it.

But then he thought about it again… And realized it had nothing to do with him.

He didn't know any top-tier Dao arts.

Even if he did, his spiritual root was bad, and his Qi sea was thin—he might not have enough spiritual power to even cast them.

And even if he could cast one… it wouldn't help.

In a fight between cultivators of the same realm, Mo Hua's body was one of the weakest.

Even with Golden Body Technique activated, he probably wouldn't survive long enough to finish casting.

Mo Hua knew full well—he couldn't take a beating.

He was like a piece of paper.

Even with some extra protection, he was just a slightly thicker piece of paper. Still flimsy.

Still, he had learned a lot from that lesson.

This was, after all, the Qianxue Province Realm—a place with ancient heritage and deep traditions.

The logic of "Golden Body Sword Qi" or "Golden Body Spellcasting" was something completely new to him, totally different from his own fighting style.

A shame… he couldn't use it.

Mo Hua walked a path taught by Grandpa Kui:

"Of all techniques under Heaven—speed reigns supreme."

Paired with his unusually strong divine sense and fast spiritual power flow, it was actually basic spells like Fireball that made the best use of his strengths.

"High-tier techniques…"

Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked,

"Instructor, do these powerful spells always require divine sense targeting?"

The instructor was surprised.

"You know about divine sense targeting?"

Mo Hua gave a modest smile,

"Just a bit."

The instructor looked at him with newfound appreciation.

Sure, his spiritual root was poor, his Qi was thin, he didn't know many spells, and definitely hadn't learned any high-tier techniques.

But… he had knowledge.

To know about divine sense targeting—now that was rare.

The instructor nodded approvingly:

"Of course. The world is full of illusions and shifting forms. What you see with your eyes isn't always real—and what you can't see might not be fake."

"If a cultivator relies only on their eyes, they're doomed to be misled."

"True essence is perceived through the divine sense."

"The stronger your divine sense, the truer the reality you perceive."

"Whether it's sword techniques or spellcasting—using your divine sense to lock onto your target is best."

"To master divine sense targeting is the mark of a true spiritual cultivator."

Mo Hua nodded, reassured.

"That's more like it."

After all, no matter how powerful your spell was—if it missed, it was useless.

And his divine sense just so happened to be pretty strong.

Still, he reminded himself not to become too dependent on that strength.

He needed to be prepared—always.

He had to think about how to deal with those elite geniuses with great spiritual roots, powerful cultivation, and devastating techniques…

Just having a strong divine sense wasn't enough.

So, Mo Hua didn't just take spiritual cultivation classes.

He also audited the body and sword cultivation classes.

Not because he planned to train in those arts himself—he just wanted to understand them.

"Know yourself, and know your enemy."

He wanted to learn:

How body cultivators fought,

What kind of techniques sword cultivators used,

How they defended themselves,

And what their weak points were…

So that, in future battles, he could develop effective counters.

This was a kind of reverse learning—a different way of putting knowledge into practice.

The only subject Mo Hua truly excelled at was formation arts.

In all other areas—cultivation, alchemy, artifact refining, talismans—he couldn't compare to his fellow disciples at all.

So within the Great Void Sect, Mo Hua was something of an oddity.

His formation skills were exceptional, but everything else was bottom-tier.

Eventually, after getting to know him better, the other disciples gradually accepted this "low-grade spiritual root," "wandering cultivator" background disciple—diligent, but extremely one-sided.

And that was the extent of it.

On the surface, Mo Hua was just a slightly unusual, but not especially remarkable disciple.

Still, he got along well with people.

Most of the disciples at Taiyi Pavilion were quite friendly toward him.

There were a few, of course, who came from powerful backgrounds and acted arrogant, clearly troublemakers—but Mo Hua just stayed far away from them. Not worth the hassle.

There were also quite a few female disciples in the Great Void Sect.

Most of them came from noble families—fair-skinned, beautiful, even in their identical sect robes they still stood out with their charm and elegance. Naturally, they had many admirers.

Mo Hua glanced at them a few times… but after quietly comparing them in his heart—

He still thought his Little Senior Sister was the prettiest!

Just thinking of her made him space out a little.

Memories of their time together in Tongxian City and while wandering resurfaced.

"I wonder where she is now…"

Mo Hua sighed softly, then shook his head and gently tucked the memory away in his heart.

And then—continued his hard training. Studying formations with renewed determination…

…

The scenery of the Great Void Sect was ancient and serene.

Thousands of disciples cultivated here.

Aside from those at Taiyi Residence, there were countless other prodigious talents whom Mo Hua was unfamiliar with—many he hadn't even seen in person.

Among them were proud scions from prestigious clans, awe-inspiring geniuses, and dazzling female cultivators with stunning beauty...

These chosen disciples gathered together, competing with one another fiercely.

Sometimes, they would even get caught up in petty jealousies and rivalries, stirring up waves of drama.

But none of that had anything to do with Mo Hua.

What he needed to do was simple:

—Work hard to raise his cultivation.

—Strengthen his divine sense.

—Master more profound formations!

That was all he cared about.

The rest? He didn't bother with.

So day after day, Mo Hua cultivated quietly, studied formations quietly.

And eventually—without even realizing it—his divine sense quietly broke through the barrier of Fourteen Patterns, advancing to Fifteen.

Fifteen Patterns—this was the mark of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with a solid foundation.

And once he reached Sixteen Patterns, he'd be eligible to study mid-grade second-rank formations!

Only one more Pattern to go!

Mo Hua felt a surge of excitement.

After thinking it over, he ran to Elder Xun to tentatively ask:

"Elder, can I… start learning Fifteen-Pattern formations?"

Elder Xun paused, momentarily stunned.

He had originally assumed the Fourteen-Pattern formations would occupy Mo Hua for quite some time.

He hadn't expected it would truly be only "some time"—and such a short time at that!

It felt like he had just taught Mo Hua a Fourteen-Pattern formation—and now, in the blink of an eye, the boy was asking to move on to Fifteen.

After a long silence, Elder Xun finally nodded slowly.

"Alright. But don't rush. Focus on stabilizing your current level first."

"Mhm!" Mo Hua nodded obediently.

After Mo Hua left, Elder Xun's expression darkened. His gaze became solemn.

He was beginning to think—this child… Mo Hua… was becoming a little terrifying.

At this point, it wasn't even a matter of whether he learned formations quickly or well.

This kind of advanced-tier divine sense, growing at such a rapid pace—it was unbelievable. Unheard of.

If he let Mo Hua continue like this unchecked, he might actually end up creating a true "formation demon"—a monster with no equal in the path of formations...

"But…"

Elder Xun furrowed his brow.

Learning too quickly was not always a good thing.

"The tree that stands out in the forest… is the one the wind will try to break."

And right now, Mo Hua was way past just "standing out."

If he kept growing like this, his branches would reach past the mountain peak and stretch into the heavens.

Too eye-catching.

If this continued, he'd become a target of:

Fear from the great clans,

Jealousy from fellow disciples,

Covetousness from the demonic sects…

And if he truly fell into demonic hands, those lunatic old devils had a thousand ways to forcefully cultivate him—twisting him into a complete, deranged "little demon overlord."

There were already cases of this happening…

A formation master with an overwhelmingly powerful divine sense—once corrupted by demonic forces—was too dangerous.

And once someone fell into demonic cultivation, their Dao foundation would be destroyed.

It might seem like their power increased—but in truth, they would forever be cut off from the true Dao, reduced to mere puppets of the demonic path.

As for the noble families…

Mo Hua had no blood ties to any of them.

He had only two options:

Become a hunting dog for the clans—used by them for their gain,

Or be ostracized and suppressed by them.

And if his heart remained righteous, if he ever acted against the interests of the great clans—he could be jointly executed by all of Qian Province's major houses.

As for relying on the sect…

The sect could serve as his support.

But at the end of the day, a sect's foundation is still made up of people.

Mo Hua's problem was—he had joined too recently. His connections were shallow. Even if some disciples treated him as a peer, their bonds were still fragile.

"Only over time, and through shared trials, do true friendships form."

With his current relationships, if a real crisis hit—no one would risk their life to help him.

If this continued, Mo Hua could easily end up isolated, a pawn caught between the demonic sects and the noble families…

Elder Xun's brows tightened more and more.

"I need to think of a plan…"

But for now, he had no good ideas.

The next day, during his formation class, Elder Xun looked at Mo Hua—the boy's innocent face, his obedient demeanor, his focused eyes—and momentarily fell into a daze.

He felt a mixture of pity, heartache, and deep reluctance.

"What should I do with this child…"

His expression grew more and more complex.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua was just sitting there, completely confused, wondering why Elder Xun kept staring at him.

Only when class began did Elder Xun finally shift his gaze away, open his lecture scroll, suppress his thoughts, and prepare to begin the lesson.

Just then—an inner sect elder knocked on the door from outside.

Seeing Elder Xun's frown, the elder immediately felt enormous pressure. He knew full well—Elder Xun hated being interrupted while teaching.

But he had no choice.

"Elder Xun, there's… an urgent matter from the rear mountain."

"Rear mountain?"

Elder Xun was momentarily surprised, then nodded.

"Understood."

The elder let out a sigh of relief, bowed, and quickly left.

Elder Xun was about to pause the class, assign self-study tasks, and step away—but suddenly, he paused, eyes lighting up.

He pointed to Mo Hua and said:

"Mo Hua, you teach them!"

Mo Hua froze.

The other disciples stared wide-eyed—mouths agape like they'd just seen a ghost.

(End of Chapter)