The Quest for Immortality

So the current Formation Pivot resembled a surging river.

The flow of Spiritual Power was very distinct.

Even with his eyes closed, Mo Hua knew which way to go.

Following the flow of yuan magnetic currents within the Formation Pivot, Mo Hua, like a gecko, kept moving forward. He didn’t know how long he had walked when he reached the end of the passage.

The passage was dim and the Formation Patterns were invisible.

But with Divine Sense, Mo Hua could sense that the flow of yuan magnets converged at the far end before jointly flowing downwards, controlled by a central pivot.

And this central pivot of the Compound Formation was akin to the main pivot of a Large Formation—managing the entire set of yuan magnetic Compound Formations!

Found it!

A joy arose in Mo Hua’s heart.

There was a glimmer of light at the end.

Using his hands and feet, Mo Hua climbed to the end, poking his little head through a gap in the building to look down.

As expected, there was indeed a room below, a Secret Chamber with the main control Formation Pivot.

Among the Secret Chamber, Formation Patterns were densely spread.

In the middle was an Array Plate with the central Formation Pivot depicted on it.

Mo Hua held his breath, running his Stealth Technique to its limit before opening his bright, sparkling eyes and peering down through the gap.

He saw that there was another person in the Secret Chamber.

This person was both thin and tall, dressed in an elegant and luxurious dark robe, with a deathly pale face and bloodshot eyes, with deep wrinkles etched onto his face.

Birds of a feather flock together.

As a Formation Master himself, Mo Hua could tell at a glance that this person was a skilled Formation Master, and moreover, his aura was unnatural, with an indelible bloody stain on his hands.

An Evil Formation Master.

A Second Grade high-rank Evil Formation Master!

A chill went through Mo Hua’s heart.

This Evil Formation Master was currently sitting in the Secret Chamber, engrossed in drawing a bloody Formation. Every so often, he would raise his head, scrutinizing the main control Array Plate in front of him, monitoring the movements within the Demon Palace.

Occasionally, he would pick up a goblet, taking a sip of wine.

The wine was a deep red, with a strange eye floating in it.

That eye would, from time to time, blink.

Mo Hua found it somewhat chilling and took another look at the Evil Formation Master before silently withdrawing his gaze.

He feared being discovered by the Evil Formation Master, so he didn’t look for too long.

After withdrawing his gaze, Mo Hua began to silently ponder.

”What should I do next...”

This Evil Formation Master had a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation and knew the Nineteen Pattern Formations.

Mo Hua had originally thought about challenging this Formation Master to a contest, but now it seemed he had been naive.

Second Grade Nineteen Patterns were already the pinnacle for a normal Second Grade Array Master.

And since he was an Evil Formation Master, he surely had some bizarre Formation techniques.

It seemed unlikely he would win in a straightforward contest.

Besides, this was the Demon Palace, fraught with danger; there were no conditions for a ”normal” challenge.

The main task was what mattered.

The outcome of a contest in Formations could be set aside for now.

Mo Hua contemplated for a while, silently saying to himself,

”If that’s the case, then should I find a way to assassinate this Evil Formation Master?”

Not killing seemed impossible.

He was an Evil Formation Master, controlling the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, monitoring every rustle and stir within the Demon Palace.

To bypass him and enter the inner sanctum to find the Fire Buddha was utterly impossible.

Capturing him alive was also not easy.

Since he controlled the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, he would certainly be proficient in yuan magnetic Formation techniques, with many means of communicating. If he were to send out a message unawares, it would easily create complications.

So, it was necessary to remove this ”stumbling block” first...

I wouldn’t contest him in Formations.

Although I am a Formation Master, I am also a Cultivator.

Cultivators seek longevity, naturally placing life and death first.

Knowing I’d likely not win and still taking the risk to compete would be foolish...

Mo Hua nodded in agreement.

A fake contest between Formation Masters would settle who was better in Formations.

A real contest between Formation Masters was to kill the opponent first.

Then compare whose Formation was superior.

Even if I ultimately lose in Formations, the opponent would have already lost his life.

A win-win!

Mo Hua silently made up his mind,

”Find a way to kill that Evil Formation Master...”

But it seemed that he himself couldn’t do it.

This Evil Formation Master was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, his cultivation was much higher than Mo Hua’s, plus it was essential not to make too much noise.

Mo Hua thought it over and felt that, maybe, he didn’t need to take action himself.

”I can’t kill him, but I have a ’bodyguard’...”

Mo Hua then slowly withdrew from the Formation Pivot passage.

While retracing his steps, he also released his Divine Sense, observing his surroundings, and, combining his understanding of the Demon Palace structure, he roughly determined the location of the ”Yuan Magnetic Secret Chamber.”

Mo Hua then followed the Formation Pivot passage back to the entrance of the outer hall.

Gu Changhuai and his two companions were waiting outside, and seeing Mo Hua return, they all felt relieved, then asked,

”How did it go?”

Mo Hua nodded and said, ”Found it! There’s a secret chamber, inside is the central control for the Formation Pivot, and there’s an Evil Formation Master overseeing it...”

”To lay hands on the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, that Evil Formation Master must be killed stealthily...”

Gu Changhuai immediately asked, ”Where’s the chamber?”

Mo Hua answered, ”I remember the way, just follow me...”

”But before we do that, we need a good plan on how to ’assassinate’ that Evil Formation Master. The action must be quick, and no outsiders can find out...”

Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and then said,

”I have a Second Grade Superior short knife with a Wind Blade Pattern cast inside the blade. Once stabbed into a cultivator’s heart meridian, the Spiritual Power will turn into a Wind Blade and instantly shred the heart.”

Mo Hua nodded.

Uncle Gu was reliable in matters like this.

But just to be safe, Mo Hua still suggested,

”Uncle Gu, how about... you get some poison as well? The extremely toxic kind, the blood-sealing kind, to coat the blade...”

Gu Changhuai silently looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua whispered, ”I’ve never done this sort of thing, just as a precaution...”

After a moment of silence, Gu Changhuai silently took out a bottle of poison and silently applied it to the short knife...

This poison wasn’t his, it had been confiscated from a Sin Cultivator.

Their Taoist Court didn’t use poison.

Generally speaking...

Seeing Gu Changhuai apply poison to the knife, Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Gu An and said,

”Little Brother An, do you have a stick?”

Gu An was taken aback, ”What kind of stick?”

”The kind used to hit someone over the head and knock them out.”

Gu An shook his head, ”No...”

”It’s okay, I have one.”

Mo Hua took out a thick iron rod from his Storage Bag, as thick as the mouth of a bowl.

This was the Thousand Jun Stick, though only a Second Grade one.

After Mo Hua reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he couldn’t use the First Grade Thousand Jun Stick forged by Master Chen in Tongxian City anymore.

So he took the time to visit Tai Xu City, just beyond Taixu Gate, and spent over a hundred Spirit Stones to buy this Second Grade rod-shaped Spiritual Artifact.

Though it had a different form and another name,

Mo Hua, quite sentimental, and in order not to forget his original intentions, continued to walk the path of ”knocking people unconscious” and thus also named it the ”Thousand Jun Stick.”

On the rod, Mo Hua had drawn a Second Grade Thousand Jun Formation.

Mo Hua handed over the Thousand Jun Stick to Gu An, ”Try it and see if it feels right in your hand.”

Gu An took it with a blank expression and swung it a few times, then slowly nodded and said,

”It’s alright...”

”Let me tell you when the best time is to use the stick to knock someone out...”

Mo Hua began to impart the technique of ”hitting with the stick to knock someone unconscious” to Gu An, who listened with a baffled expression.

After finishing, Mo Hua asked,

”Do you remember?”

Gu An nodded dumbly, ”I remember...”

”Good!”

”And since he’s a Formation Master, his Divine Sense is sharp. You must be careful when you assassinate him...”

Mo Hua went on to explain the other details of the ”assassination” of the Evil Formation Master.

How not to be detected, how to cover his mouth to prevent him from making a noise, how to guard against him using formations, how to prevent him from communicating using the Yuan Magnetic...

Once they were properly prepared, Mo Hua nodded and said,

”Let’s set out!”

Thus, three Taoist Court cultivators, with complex emotions, followed behind Mo Hua, embarking on the path to assassinate the Evil Formation Master...