Immortality Through Array Formations

Mo Hua had never heard of this term before, so he asked, “Can it prolong life?”

Zhang Lan pondered, “It can be said to prolong life, but at the same time, it’s not really prolonging life.”

Elder Yu and the others exchanged glances, all somewhat perplexed.

Mo Hua then said, “Uncle Zhang, stop being cryptic.”

Zhang Lan was taken aback, thought for a moment, and then asked Mo Hua, “What is the most important thing for a cultivator?”

“Cultivation?” Mo Hua thought for a moment before answering.

“No,” Zhang Lan shook his head, “Cultivation is fundamental for a cultivator, but even more important is lifespan. Only with lifespan can one pursue cultivation and seek immortality.”

“Immortality is essentially the ultimate, eternal lifespan.”

Mo Hua understood, “Simply put, no matter what you do, you first need to be alive. Without life, naturally, you have nothing.”

“You’re right to think that way,” said Zhang Lan. “Even the most powerful cultivator must first be alive. Without lifespan, unable to continue living, even if one’s cultivation reaches the heavens, they can’t escape death.”

Mo Hua said, “So cultivators will try every means to prolong life?”

Zhang Lan nodded, “The saying ‘prolong life’ is actually incorrect. Nature has its course, and cultivators have their fate. When one’s time is up and lifespan runs out, no matter what, it’s hard to escape death.”

“But some pills and cultivation techniques can indeed prolong life…” Mo Hua said doubtfully.

While Mo Hua had never personally seen such pills and cultivation techniques that “prolong life”, they were often mentioned in the records of Tao cultivation, so it was nothing new.

“That’s why I say that these so-called ‘prolong life’ methods are not truly ‘prolonging life,\'” Zhang Lan continued.

Mo Hua listened carefully, waiting for Zhang Lan to go on.

Zhang Lan’s expression grew serious as he continued:

“Cultivators nearing their ultimate limit cannot extend their lifespan; this is bounded by the Heavenly Dao. The so-called prolonging of life for cultivators usually falls under two scenarios.”

“One is through cultivation techniques or pills, conditioning the physical body and meridians, eliminating the superfluous, removing illnesses, and thereby extending lifespan.”

“However, in this case, the cultivator’s ultimate limit has not yet arrived, and their lifespan is not exhausted. This kind of life extension uses up the lifespan that belongs to the cultivator themselves, so it does not truly extend life.”

“Once a cultivator truly reaches their limit, bounded by the Heavenly Dao, they are undoubtedly destined to die. To avoid death, they can only turn to heretical and demonic methods, practicing various forbidden techniques and concocting various forbidden pills.”

“The Human Life Pill is one of these forbidden pills.”

A chill went through Mo Hua’s heart as he asked, “Does concocting Human Life Pills require killing many people?”

Zhang Lan nodded, “It’s difficult to concoct Human Life Pills, it does require the taking of many lives.”

“To extend life with a Human Pill is to infuse a person into a pill, borrowing life from others. But such acts against the Heavenly Dao are extremely difficult. It may take a lot of effort, and one person can only borrow a little bit of life, which requires accumulating little by little, killing many to prolong one’s own life…”

A chill settled in Mo Hua’s heart as he gradually understood:

“The way of humans, taking from the insufficient to provide for the excessive, is all about exploiting others for one’s own benefit…”

“Noble Clans and great families grow powerful by exploiting Spirit Stones; the Taoist Court monopolizes by exploiting power; heretical demons are even more cruel, with some who drink blood, exploiting fresh blood; those who absorb souls, exploiting Spiritual Power; and those who concoct Human Life Pills, directly exploit human lives…”

Startled by these words, Zhang Lan said, “Who told you this?”

Mo Hua scratched his head, “Isn’t it that way?”

Zhang Lan wanted to say it wasn’t, but he vaguely felt that there was indeed truth to this reasoning, although he couldn’t immediately organize his thoughts.

Elder Yu was also slightly shocked and involuntarily looked towards Mo Shan.

Mo Shan shook his head, indicating it wasn’t him who taught these ideas, and he himself didn’t know why Mo Hua could speak such words.

After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan:

“If it really is a Human Pill that’s being concocted, then is this pill for the Householder to use?”

Zhang Lan still furrowed his brows, thinking about what Mo Hua had said. Only when he heard this did he remember that currently, the most important matter was concerning the Black Mountain Stronghold. He speculated:

“That Householder is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators live no more than three hundred years, the middle and later stages have longer lifespans but only up to four hundred years. With this calculation, it’s likely that the Householder is nearing his limit, so he set up a stronghold deep in Big Black Mountain, gathering evil cultivators, robbing and killing, concocting pills to extend his life…”

“These actions, they are all prohibited by the Taoist Law, aren’t they?” Mo Hua said.

“Correct, they are all major crimes punishable by beheading, dismemberment, or even execution on the torture rack,” Zhang Lan sighed, but his expression lightened somewhat. “Such an act of concocting Human Pills incurs the wrath of both heaven and humanity. Once reported, the Taoist Court will certainly pay great attention and will likely dispatch Taoist Soldiers, exterminating all these evil cultivators!”

Elder Yu and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.

If that was the case, exterminating the Black Mountain Stronghold wouldn’t be so tricky.

After contemplating for a moment, Mo Hua asked again,

“Could it be that these evil cultivators are keeping such a low profile because they are also afraid of revealing their tracks and alarming the Taoist Court, which might result in being encircled and eradicated by the Taoist Soldiers?”

Zhang Lan pondered for a bit and nodded, “Quite possible, but…”

Immediately afterward, Zhang Lan thought of another question and asked Mo Hua,

“Making Human Pills is a top secret, and the Pill Room where Human Pills are made is even an off-limits area. All these are not to be known by outsiders, how exactly did you manage to sneak in?”

Elder Yu and the others all looked at Mo Hua curiously.

“It was nothing special, just took advantage of the third householder going out and mixed in with stealth.”

Mo Hua described it nonchalantly.

“And then?”

Zhang Lan continued to ask, knowing that it couldn’t be that simple.

“Then I was a bit delayed by some matters and got caught by the third householder…”

Everyone’s expressions changed drastically, and Mo Shan’s heart skipped a beat, his expression filled with worry.

“Caught by a Foundation Establishment evil cultivator, and you still made it out alive?” Zhang Lan asked somewhat shocked, “How on earth did you get out?”

“The third householder sent me out,” Mo Hua said.

Zhang Lan disbelieved, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Mo Hua replied, “Really.”

Zhang Lan said, “Is he out of his mind?”

“His mind isn’t gone, but he might have thought wrongly and misunderstood,” Mo Hua explained.

“Misunderstood what?”

“He mistook me for an old demon that had seized another’s body.”

“Seized another’s body?” Zhang Lan was taken aback and couldn’t help asking, “Why?”

Trying to appear modest, Mo Hua nevertheless couldn’t help feeling a bit smug and said,

“Maybe because my Divine Sense is strong.”

Zhang Lan startled, “I know your Divine Sense is strong, but not to the extent that…”

While speaking, Zhang Lan suddenly felt a movement in his Divine Sense, his expression dramatically shifting to disbelief, “Your Divine Sense…”

Upon hearing this, Elder Yu also released his Divine Sense. A moment later, he widened his eyes and abruptly stood up.

He had not noticed it until now, until Divine Sense was mentioned and he opened his own to probe Mo Hua.

But just a fleeting glimpse was enough to unsettle him.

Mo Hua was surrounded by a hazy aura, the breath faint and indistinct, indecipherable in its truth and false nature.

The stronger the Divine Sense, the more obscure it becomes.

This meant that Mo Hua’s Divine Sense had become so strong it could rival his and even obstruct his perception!

But how could this be? He was at the Foundation Establishment level, whereas Mo Hua was only at the Qi Refinement stage! This completely broke his understanding of Tao Cultivation…

Elder Yu looked rather astonished, “Your Divine Sense…”

Scratching his head sheepishly, Mo Hua confessed,

“My cultivation is at the Qi Refinement stage, but my Divine Sense has already made it to the Foundation Establishment…”

Everyone inhaled sharply, and in an instant, the room went silent as a grave.

Meanwhile, deep in the mountains,

The third householder was also murmuring to himself, “Qi Refinement cultivation, Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, how is this possible…”

He realized something was amiss.