The Quest for Immortality

”He could take first place even with his eyes closed!”

The faces of all the Elders looked extremely grim.

”This so-called ’Mo Hua’ evil prodigy, don’t you all have an inkling of his current level in Formation?”

The Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect felt a chill surge through him:

”With Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he tramples the third generation, towers over the Four Sects, unrivaled among the Eight Gates, sweeping through the Twelve Streams, suppressing disciples from the countless gates of Qian Learning Hundred Gates and beyond...”

”He’s a once-in-a-millennium, ’cliff-like’ peerless evil prodigy!”

”As long as he exists, within the Qianxue state boundary, all Formation disciples must bow to him, living in the shadow of this ’prodigy’, forever unable to lift their heads.”

”From now on, at the Array Competition, we Four Great Sects can only vie for second place; even getting a glance at the ’Leader’ position is a mere luxury.”

The tone of the Elder from the Heavenly Sword Sect was filled with shock, his heart filled with dread.

Elder Shen, along with the Elders from the Longding Sect and the Wanxiao Sect, also had faces as cold as frost.

It was just their bad luck that such a naturally gifted prodigy, unparalleled, impossibly matched, happened to join the Taixu Gate.

So unlucky...

”So, should we?” The Elder of the Longding Sect had a slightly cold gaze.

The Elder of the Wanxiao Sect frowned, ”Don’t act rashly, a natural prodigy, do you truly dare to make a move? Be careful not to damage your luck...”

The Elder of the Longding Sect said, ”I’m not really going to make a move against him, what I mean is, try to win him over, get him to join our Four Great Sects.”

”If we can’t, then find a way to lead him astray, lure him.”

”Wine, women, wealth, since he is human, he must like one or two. Once he indulges in pleasure, lost in women, his life will be over...”

”Geniuses often flourish in ’talent’, but fail in ’heart’.”

”Taixu Gate isn’t foolish, how could they possibly let you do as you wish?”

”It’s worth a try, there’s nothing to lose; otherwise, where could I find another figure to rival him in Formations?”

”I still think it’s not quite right...”

...

The crowd discussed eagerly, but couldn’t come to any conclusion for quite a while.

Two hours later, having reached no decision, they each left with their own thoughts.

In the great hall, only Elder Shen was left.

Elder Shen frowned.

No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t come up with any method to contend with this ’prodigy’ from the Taixu Gate.

Let alone winning, balancing the scales was even a luxury.

His Divine Sense surpassing third-rank was too defying of the heavens...

Not to mention his solid and terrifying Formation skills.

Elder Shen shook his head and sighed.

”Mo Hua...”

Now, just hearing this name sent chills down his spine, and sometimes even nightmares.

Elder Shen slowly walked out of the great hall, but after a few steps, his pupils contracted, his steps faltering.

”No, this name... why does it sound so familiar?”

”Is it because I’ve been mentioning it too much lately? Or had I heard it somewhere before?”

Elder Shen’s frown deepened.

Mo Hua.

Mo Hua...

Mo...

Elder Shen’s eyes suddenly widened, the bits and pieces of memories he had once forgotten slowly floated to the surface.

Chills continuously surged to his heart.

His body trembled, and he rushed back to his elder room, hands shaking, searching one by one through the many scrolls on one side.

He was looking for a registry.

The ease with which he discarded it then matched the difficulty he had in finding it now.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time passed, Elder Shen found a dusty, ordinary ”registry” book at the bottom of a stack of files in a corner.

His hands trembling, Elder Shen slowly opened the registry.

On the registry was written ”Although there is a Sect-Entering Order, the qualifications do not match, pending discussion.”

And the name on the registry was...

”Mo Hua, a Loose Cultivator from Li State.”

Elder Shen’s face went pale.

The words he spoke when he rejected this Loose Cultivator’s Sect-Entering Order echoed in his ears again.

”A Loose Cultivator from the remote lands of Li State...”

”Mid and Lower Grade Five Elements Spirit Root...”

”Unsightly...”

”Under ’Specialty’, wrote... Formations?”

”He’s bold... Ignorance is fearless...”

”Cultivators from small places, perhaps learning a few formations makes them feel superior, not knowing the vastness of the world...”

”This is Qian State, the Qian Learning State Boundary, where geniuses from the Cultivation World gather, his ’genius in formations’ is dispensable...”

”Fortune is one thing, but... a great opportunity like this from the Qian Taoist Sect, he couldn’t bear it!”

”Such great fortune isn’t necessarily a good thing...”

”Those with little fortune can’t handle such extraordinary wealth...”

...

Elder Shen only felt a burning pain on his face, bitterness in his heart.

”This disciple, holding a Sect-Entering Order, wanted to join my Qian Taoist Sect, but I... rejected him...”

This prodigy, dominating three generations, unrivaled by the Four Sects, a solitary figure, was someone I personally... handed over to the Taixu Gate?

Elder Shen’s heart was as cold as an ice cellar.

And even more... the ”Sect-Entering Order”.

Now it seemed clear that this ancient Sect-Entering Order had significant cause and effect.

This child, holding the Sect-Entering Order, wanted to join the Qian Taoist Sect; it was likely a gift from an expert, who remembered past causes and effects, granting my Qian Taoist Sect a chance. ȓΆΝỔΒÊs̈

And I personally extinguished this monumental opportunity, severing this cause and effect...

Elder Shen looked ashen, in an instant feeling as if heaven and earth had collapsed, ”buzzing” in his head, eyes darkened, he slumped to the ground.