The Quest for Immortality

Mo Hua was shaken and then slowly frowned:

”If we follow this law, doesn’t it mean that within one realm, cultivators can’t possibly resist a great demon?”

High-level cultivators cannot intervene, and low-level cultivators are powerless to resist.

Against someone like Qian Family Patriarch with high cultivation, one could rely on numbers and unity to subdue him.

But against a great demon like Feng Xi, numbers are useless. Exhausting its blood qi, it would replenish by consuming people.

The more people, the stronger the great demon might become.

Zhang Lan sighed deeply and said:

”’In one realm, the great demon is invincible,’ is a consensus in the cultivation world. Otherwise, the Dao Court wouldn’t have suggested relocating the city. This is an unavoidable and helpless decision.”

”But great demons also die, right?” Mo Hua asked.

Zhang Lan nodded, ”Naturally, all things in the world have life and death. No matter how strong a great demon is, it is still a demon, not an immortal. Naturally, it will die.”

”How do great demons usually die?” Mo Hua asked again.

Zhang Lan thought for a moment and replied:

”Some starve after consuming all the cultivators in a realm, some die of old age after thousands of years, some are eradicated by the laws of the Dao for breaking through their limits, and some are jointly killed by families and sects...”

”Jointly killed?” Mo Hua’s expression shifted.

”Don’t even think about it,” Zhang Lan guessed Mo Hua’s thoughts and quashed them:

”The families and sects capable of killing great demons have been passed down for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, with deep foundations, strong disciples, and protective arrays. Only then can they kill great demons... Even so, they suffer greatly and pay a heavy price.”

”Unless a great demon appears directly threatening their foundation, they wouldn’t risk everything to kill it.”

”There is no power in Tongxian City with such depth.”

”Moreover, such records are extremely rare, even in the texts of great families and sects.”

Mo Hua was a bit disappointed.

Indeed, others had thought of all the ways he could think of, and others had used all the usable methods.

The Dao Court had developed for over twenty thousand years, with countless brilliant talents. Other cultivators are not fools; they couldn’t have missed something he thought of.

But Mo Hua’s doubts only increased.

”Then why establish realm grades? Without these grades, high-level cultivators could kill great demons, right?”

”What are these grades based on?”

”Why is our realm specifically a second-grade one?”

”The eradication by the Dao laws, what specific laws are these, and how are they enforced?”

...

Mo Hua asked a barrage of questions, leaving Zhang Lan with a headache.

So, being too smart is not always a good thing.

The smarter one is, the more questions they ask, which can be troublesome.

Regarding the Dao Court’s coordination, the division of the Nine Regions, and the cosmic order, Zhang Lan couldn’t answer and wouldn’t spout nonsense.

First, it would mislead Mo Hua’s understanding of cultivation.

Second, Mo Hua was no longer a novice; he knew much more about arrays than Zhang Lan. Any nonsense would easily be caught by Mo Hua.

Admitting one’s ignorance is wisdom too.

Better to lose some face than to mislead.

Zhang Lan had to honestly say, ”I don’t know these things...”

”Alright.” Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.

Though Zhang Lan came from a prestigious family, he was still a Qi refining cultivator, so not knowing was understandable.

Yet Mo Hua was not entirely convinced:

”Is there really no way to deal with the great demon?”

Zhang Lan patted his shoulder:

”In the face of the Dao, cultivators are insignificant. A cultivator’s life is spent seeking the Dao, but the more one seeks, the more one realizes its profoundness, beyond human understanding or resistance.”

In other words, there’s no way.

Mo Hua said softly, ”So we have to relocate?”

Zhang Lan sighed, ”In a few days, the Dao Court will discuss again. If there’s no other way, we’ll have to head south to the wilderness.”

But there wasn’t much to discuss. It was just that no one wanted to make the final decision until necessary.

Relocating meant leaving their homes, facing uncertainty and hardship.

Mo Hua was unwilling and confused.

He wanted to understand the situation clearly.

The next day, he visited Mr. Zhuang.

”Sir, why do great demons exist, and why are realms graded?”

Mr. Zhuang silently looked at Mo Hua, ”Do you want to know?”

Mo Hua nodded.

Mr. Zhuang remained silent for a long time before saying:

”The great Dao’s cause and effect, I can tell you, but remember, do not speak of it to others, or you will invite disaster.”

Mo Hua’s expression became serious, and he nodded.

Mr. Zhuang sighed lightly and said:

”All things in the world originate from the Dao.”

”The Dao produces One, One produces Two, Two produces Three, and Three produces all things. Great demons and realm grades are all derived from the Dao.”

”Violating the Dao gives birth to calamities, hence great demons.”

”The Dao’s balance divides the Nine Regions, hence the grading.”

Mr. Zhuang explained succinctly.

Mo Hua frowned, carefully pondering.

Mr. Zhuang further explained:

”Great demons are a form of the Dao’s calamities. Cultivators go against the Dao, defying natural order, thus breeding calamities.”

”Calamities against the Dao are called Dao calamities.”

”And great demons are one form of Dao calamities.”

”’Dao calamities’ is a term used internally by the Dao Court’s Divination Bureau. It is not mentioned outside. The Dao Court claims to follow the Dao. If there are Dao calamities, it implies the Dao Court is at fault, against the Dao.”

Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua sternly:

”So these words are for your ears only. Especially the term ’Dao calamities.’”

Mo Hua solemnly nodded.

After thinking for a while, Mo Hua slowly said:

”So that pig became a great demon because the Qian Family Patriarch’s actions were against the Dao, nurturing a Dao calamity within the demon?”

After all, he had killed and refined hundreds of people over two hundred years, committing countless atrocities.

Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ”In simple terms, yes, but there’s more at play, which you need not know now.”

”Is it a strange Daoist?”

Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, his gaze sharpening, ”Who told you this?”

”The Qian Family Patriarch and a young alchemist at the Alchemy Hall both mentioned a Daoist.”

Mo Hua answered honestly, ”The evil techniques and the longevity elixir recipes were given by a Daoist, but I don’t know if they referred to the same person.”

Mr. Zhuang pressed Mo Hua’s shoulder, his expression severe:

”Do not mention or think about that Daoist. Forget him.”

Mo Hua wanted to ask why but seeing Mr. Zhuang’s unprecedentedly grave expression, he nodded:

”Yes, sir.”

Mr. Zhuang breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Mo Hua had never seen anyone make Mr. Zhuang so wary.

But since Mr. Zhuang warned him, he decided not to dwell on it and instead asked about other matters:

”Sir, what about the realm grading?”

”What do you want to know?” Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua organized his thoughts and continued:

”Why does the Dao Court grade realms?”

”If there were no grading, there would be no cultivation restrictions, and the Dao Court could send high-level cultivators to kill great demons, preventing the devastation within the realm.”

Mr. Zhuang countered, ”What supports the grading?”

Mo Hua thought for a moment, ”The eradication by the Dao laws?”

Because without the Dao laws’ enforcement, cultivators wouldn’t be bound by realm grades.

The realm grading would be meaningless.

”What are the Dao laws?” Mr. Zhuang asked.

Mo Hua was stunned, muttering, ”How would I know...”

Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly, ”You know.”

Mo Hua was bewildered, ”I know?”

When did I know? Why don’t I know...

Mo Hua frowned, pondering for a while. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he exclaimed:

”Could it be... arrays?!”

Mr. Zhuang nodded, ”Indeed.”

”But... where are the arrays?”

Mo Hua guessed but still couldn’t understand.

Mr. Zhuang pointed to the sky, and Mo Hua looked up, seeing the vast sky, endless, with clouds rolling, full of mysteries.

”This sky is an array!” Mr. Zhuang said solemnly.

Mo Hua’s mind was shaken, he couldn’t help but exclaim:

”This is... an array?”

”Indeed.” Mr. Zhuang nodded, his gaze profound, ”And it’s not just any array. It’s a great array, the most powerful known in the world!”

”The most powerful array...” Mo Hua was dazed, muttering, ”Then isn’t it...”

Mr. Zhuang nodded, ”The innate great array, the legendary celestial-grade array!”

Mo Hua was profoundly shocked, speechless for a long time.

The sky above is actually the most powerful array in the world.

This world’s strongest array has always been suspended above, covering every inch of the cultivation realm, shielding every cultivator.

What an incredible, towering feat...

Mo Hua looked up at the sky, deeply feeling his own insignificance and the boundlessness of array studies.