The Quest for Immortality

Xun Zixian’s eyes flickered. He immediately raised his fingers and summoned a beam of white sword light, stabbing toward the writhing blood-patterned White Bone Stele.

A layer of red light surfaced on the White Bone Stele.

The sword light pierced the sinister blood-colored barrier, grinding against it until the blood-red shield fractured inch by inch, then sliced straight onto the face of the White Bone Stele.

A crack split across the stele’s surface. Beneath the fissure, flesh squirmed, and a shrill scream sounded.

”Ghost sound?”

Xun Zixian’s expression shifted. He hurriedly covered Mo Hua’s ears, but Mo Hua’s face remained unfazed.

This level of Evil Spirit’s voice couldn’t shake his resolve or Divine Thought. On the contrary, several nearby Golden Core Elders all frowned, faces uncomfortable, some even nauseated to the point of retching.

Seeing the screams growing ever more piercing, Xun Zixian immediately said, ”Everyone, together! Tear this stele apart!”

The other Golden Core Elders, knowing how wicked this bone stele was, all unleashed their Magic Treasures and, holding nothing back, shattered the blood-patterned White Bone Stele into dust.

The white bones turned to powder, flesh evaporated, and the writhing blood patterns, having lost their anchor, gradually faded until they vanished completely.

With the power of the Formation broken, the condensed Blood Qi scattered from all around, slowly dissipating.

Xun Zixian let out a small sigh of relief, but immediately his heart tightened again.

”A Third Grade Evil Formation forged from white bone as medium, rotting flesh as foundation, and fresh blood for Mo—there are still plenty more around here. If we let them be, and they gorge themselves on blood and death, who knows what terrifying things might happen...”

Xun Ziyou spoke up at once, ”I’ll go call the other Elders, inform the Taoist Court, and gather up a force. We’ll strive to destroy all these White Bone Formation Steles in short order.”

”Good,” Xun Zixian nodded.

Soon after, more than a dozen Golden Core cultivators assembled. Guided by Xun Zixian, they located every scattered Evil Formation Stele in the blood-soaked swamps of Yanluo Mountain, shattering each and breaking the Formation entirely.

The blood-red in the sky faded a little, though still visibly coagulating at a slow rate.

The Evil Formations of Yanluo Mountain kept on operating.

”Still too slow; I’m afraid we won’t make it in time...” Xun Zixian frowned.

”Elder,” Mo Hua suddenly said, ”Let me take a group to look for the White Bone Stele as well. If we split into two teams, we’ll be faster.”

Xun Zixian looked toward Mo Hua, ”These are Third Grade Evil Formations—can you find them?”

”Let me try,” answered Mo Hua.

Xun Zixian never doubted Mo Hua’s insight and skill in Formation, but he was still a bit concerned, so he turned to Xun Ziyou.

Xun Ziyou understood, and nodded, ”I’ll bring a few Elders with Mo Hua. He won’t encounter any danger.”

”Mm,” Xun Zixian nodded.

Time was pressing; there was no room for more deliberation.

Xun Zixian remembered something and solemnly warned Mo Hua, ”Just destroy them, don’t look too closely, don’t dwell on it, and never try to learn from them.” . ṟ𝘈NóＢÈs

The more gifted a disciple, the quicker they might stray; one step on the Evil Path, and it’s eternal ruin.

Mo Hua nodded, ”Elder Zixian, I understand.”

Thus the group split into two teams: one led by Elder Xun Zixian, the other by Mo Hua, searching for the White Bone Formation Steles and destroying them all.

The Evil Gods on the White Bone Formation Steles were Third Grade, well beyond Mo Hua’s Formation expertise.

But his Divine Sense was only a hair short of the Third Grade, Twenty Patterns; not drawing Formations, just finding Third Grade Formations wasn’t too difficult.

Moreover, these Evil Formations churned with fresh blood, had absorbed massive quantities of Evil Qi, and in Mo Hua’s Divine Sense, they stood out like ghostly flames at noon—glaring and unmistakable.

Mo Hua didn’t even need Formation Calculation; he could spot them at a glance.

Xun Ziyou, plus the Taixu Gate and several Taoist Court Golden Core Stewards, were all led by Mo Hua, moving through the blood-drenched toxic swamps of Yanluo Mountain.

Mo Hua took a few steps and, catching something from the corner of his eye, pointed with his finger, ”There!”

Xun Ziyou and several Golden Core Elders exchanged glances, then unleashed their Spirit Swords and activated Golden Core Spiritual Power, tearing away the swamp weeds on the surface, and sure enough, uncovered a buried bone stele below.

Blood patterns writhed across its surface.

Xun Ziyou and company wasted no time—blade lights and spells burst forth, the bone stele became powder, blood patterns vanished, and the Evil Formation was destroyed.

Mo Hua forced himself to look away from the blood patterns, refusing to study the Evil Formation Patterns, lest those filthy evil glyphs corrupt his eyes.

Truth be told, though, he was a bit interested deep down.

He was a Formation Master; Formation Masters exhaust all the myriad arts.

Evil Formations were also a type of Formation, and within them lay a kind of ”Dao.”

Besides, his Taoist Heart was steadfast; he devoured Evil Spirits, refines evil thoughts, and tempers Taoist Heart, with resistance to ordinary evil influences.

But still, he didn’t indulge.

Heeded good advice, filled his belly.

Elder Xun Zixian’s guidance was something he truly valued; it wouldn’t do to let pride arise just because his Divine Thought was strong.

The bone stele was shattered, ghost sounds dissipated, and the Evil Formation was destroyed here. Mo Hua then moved onward; after a while, he reached a hollow and pointed underground:

”There’s another one.”

Xun Ziyou’s group of Golden Core Elders joined forces again, dug open the earth, destroyed the stele, and broke the Formation.

After this, Mo Hua repeated the process—he’d point out a spot, and Xun Ziyou’s Golden Core Cultivators would destroy it.

With him and Elder Xun Zixian working in tandem, the pace of breaking Formations more than doubled.

Soon, the blood-patterned bone steles of Yanluo Mountain were nearly all destroyed.

The evil aura at the horizon faded as well.

The lingering blood mist in the air gradually evaporated away.

Everyone felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted.

Mo Hua reunited with Xun Zixian.

Xun Zixian looked at Mo Hua, nodded with comfort, and said, ”Well done. You’ve worked hard.”

”Elder, you’re too kind—this is what disciples ought to do,” Mo Hua replied warmly and politely. He turned, glanced at Yanluo Mountain, and added, ”There are likely some bone steles still left behind in the mountain.”