The Quest for Immortality

Before Uncle Gu’s presence, it would have been too conspicuous to act.

After resolving the Formation, the door to the secret chamber had already opened, revealing a pitch-black interior.

Mo Hua pondered, ”Uncle Gu, would you like to go in first?”

Although it was a secret chamber, inside Bishan City, it was unlikely to contain any danger.

The many followers of Fire Buddha would not be able to hide inside it.

But just in case, Mo Hua still exercised caution and did not rashly descend.

If the sky were to fall, with Uncle Gu, this ”big fellow,” to support it, it wouldn’t be the turn of a minor Cultivator like himself to take risks.

Gu Changhuai nodded and entered the secret chamber.

Mo Hua waited for ten breaths of time, and seeing that nothing unusual had occurred inside, he then followed in.

Upon entering the secret chamber, Mo Hua looked up and saw Gu Changhuai standing at the center of the room, his face grave.

Mo Hua looked around and saw that the rather spacious secret chamber was a mess, filled with many Storage Bags.

Some of the Storage Bags had been opened.

Others were piled up in a corner of the wall.

At the same time, the chamber was filled with bloodied Spiritual Artifacts and a variety of artifacts that seemed to have been looted from the Xie family.

It looked as if after a search, the ”useless” items were packed in Storage Bags, then prepared for disposal.

This Jia Ren was seen doing the ”cleanup” of the messy work.

His specialty in Disguise also made him most suitable for deceiving the public, wind up these kinds of affairs.

The secret chamber did indeed contain a hidden compartment.

There were no anomalies around the hidden compartment, but certainly, it must have been fitted with a Formation...

Gu Changhuai appeared hesitant, debating whether to call over another Formation Master from the Taoist Court.

But after glancing at the composed Mo Hua beside him, he gradually dismissed the thought.

”What kind of Formation is this?”

Gu Changhuai asked Mo Hua.

Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.

This was the first time Gu Changhuai had ever asked him about a Formation.

Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, thoroughly examining the structure of the hidden compartment several times, after some Calculation he cautiously said:

”This is a Second Grade ’Sealing Formation’ with fourteen Patterns, sealing the items within and merging their aura with the earth and stone, making it less likely for a Cultivator to detect...”

”A Sealing Formation is quite ordinary.”

”What’s abnormal is that hidden within it, there also seems to be a ’Yuan Magnetic Formation’...”

”The hidden compartments here are all considered as mediums for the Yuan Magnetic Formation, which are also a type of Formation ’mechanism’...”

”If one initiates the Formation incorrectly during the opening process, it would trigger the Yuan Magnetic Formation, sending out a message through a subtle magnetic flow...”

”That message would likely be...”

Mo Hua thought for a moment and slowly continued, ”To alert certain people that the hidden compartment has been ’discovered by an outsider,’ prompting them to be extra vigilant...”

This was also the little scheme Jia Ren had in mind.

On the brink of death, he was still thinking of sending a warning...

Gu Changhuai maintained a composed expression, but his heart gave an involuntary jolt.

On the surface, these ordinary-looking hidden compartments, could reveal so much just by sight...

So, this was what a real Formation Master was like...

To observe the subtle and grasp the situation.

Seeing a single leaf is to foresee the coming of spring and autumn.

After finishing his analysis, Mo Hua turned to ask Gu Changhuai, ”Uncle Gu, am I right?”

Gu Changhuai vaguely responded, ”Hmm...”

He felt oddly guilty.

Next was to take out the items from the hidden compartment.

Seeing that Gu Changhuai had no objections, Mo Hua began to work himself.

As usual, he meticulously used the Formation Pen to draw the Formation Patterns, unlocking the Second Grade ”Sealing Formation.”

Then, with extreme caution, he avoided all the ”mechanisms” of the Yuan Magnetic Formation and took out a Storage Bag from within the hidden compartment.

It was akin to a tiny mouse silently sneaking the ”fatty meat” from a mousetrap.

Mo Hua handed the Storage Bag to Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai had not expected it to be so simple and sighed involuntarily before opening the Storage Bag and checking its contents one by one.

Inside were quite a few Spirit Stones.

There was a scroll of Cultivation Technique, named ”Flesh Transmutation Skill.”

It was an Evil Path Skill that, after cultivation, would allow one to abandon their natural appearance, transforming their flesh at will and easily shape-shifting.

However, during the process, a Cultivator’s self-awareness would gradually become confused.

Eventually, they no longer knew whether they were man or woman, tall or short, fat or thin, and might even forget whether they were ”human.”

Once the flesh spiraled out of control, it would become twisted and deformed.

They had to drink human blood to maintain human form.

Mo Hua glanced over it a few times, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.

He had originally wanted to learn the ”Disguise Technique,” but now it seemed that since this Cultivation Technique was so malevolent, he wouldn’t be able to learn it.

What if he did learn it, and his parents, master, Junior Brother, and Junior Sister couldn’t recognize him in the future?

Moreover, it required drinking human blood...

He would never drink it.

Aside from this ”Flesh Transmutation Skill,” there were several other Evil Path Skills that, although sinister, weren’t particularly special.

In the end, there was a jade slip.

Mo Hua could tell at a glance what it was.

”It’s a Letter Token!”

Gu Changhuai’s gaze also suddenly sharpened.

The Letter Token, which Jia Ren had not carried on his person and had no idea he was being watched before his misfortune, most likely still had its content intact.

And that Letter Token could very well contain the clue to the whereabouts of the Fire Buddha!

Gu Changhuai focused his gaze on it and his expression suddenly stiffened.

Inside the Letter Token, a vast expanse of white appeared—completely empty of any writing.

”What is this...” Gu Changhuai frowned.

”Is it sealed?” asked Mo Hua from the side.

Looking at Mo Hua, Gu Changhuai said somewhat numbly,

”You wouldn’t happen to know how to... unlock seals as well, would you...?”

”I do, actually,” Mo Hua nodded, ”a bit...”

”How... how does one unlock it?”

When it came to the principles of Formation, Mo Hua became excitable.

He had been researching the unlocking and decoding of seals for a long time, and now he could finally ”show off.”

”The principle of adding a seal is based on the Magnetic Pattern principles of the Yuan Magnetic Formation...”

”Fixed Magnetic Patterns, through a certain agreement, match Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, and this agreement itself is a kind of magnetic flux. After the magnetic flux circulates, it will generate Secondary Thunder Patterns...”

”So to unlock a seal, one must find the Secondary Thunder Pattern that serves as the Sealing Pattern. By applying the Secondary Thunder Pattern in reverse to the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, one can dissipate the ’Magnetic Ink Mist,’ thus breaking the seal and revealing the hidden words...”

...

Gu Changhuai felt numb listening to it.

He felt that he could understand each word individually, but put together, he was completely lost.

The words spoken by Mo Hua were clear and organized, but utterly perplexing.

All this talk of ”magnetic” this and ”Pattern” that, was like the magnetic flow—swarming and intricate, entering his left ear and exiting through the right.

He had not memorized anything, his mind like a field covered in heavy snow, blank and utterly bewildered.

”The principle is roughly like that...”

After explaining, Mo Hua asked Gu Changhuai, ”Uncle Gu, did you understand...?”

Gu Changhuai paused, then forced himself to assert calmly,

”Mm, I got it...”

In front of Mo Hua, he could only pretend to understand.

Although in reality, he didn’t grasp a single bit...

Fearing Mo Hua would continue, Gu Changhuai quickly said,

”Let’s not delay, first let’s unlock the ’Sealing Pattern’ on the jade slip...”

”Catching the Fire Buddha is urgent...”

”Mm, mm,” Mo Hua nodded vigorously.

Gu Changhuai, for some reason, felt a silent sigh of relief in his heart.

Then he saw Mo Hua focus intently, looking at the jade slip while continuously drawing some strange and curious Formation Patterns on paper, occasionally mumbling to himself...

”This isn’t...”

”Not this...”

”It looks a bit like...”

”Not this...”

...

Mo Hua was utterly focused, with a gleam in his eyes, like the twinkling of stars.

Gu Changhuai’s gaze trembled, and he unconsciously slowed his breathing, afraid to disturb Mo Hua.

After an unknown period, a flicker of light crossed Mo Hua’s eyes.

”I’ve unlocked it!”

Gu Changhuai was inwardly shocked and simultaneously somewhat incredulous.

”What does it say inside?”

Mo Hua then immersed his Divine Sense into the jade slip.

Within the jade slip, a vast emptiness held only eight characters:

”Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, Heaven Beyond Cave Heaven.”