The Quest for Immortality

”The Sect Leader is right.”

The Canglang Sect Leader waved his hand, ”Proceed.”

”Yes.”

After Elder Ji left, the secret chamber became spacious and empty.

In the darkness of the night, the flickering candlelight appeared extremely somber, much like the expression of the Canglang Sect Leader, as sinister as water.

”Who made a move...”

”Could it be... because of that matter?”

The always composed Canglang Sect Leader unexpectedly showed a look of fear and unease on his face, feeling a shiver in his heart, he thought:

”This absolutely cannot be revealed, absolutely cannot...”

”This is... a grave crime that could lead to extermination...”

...

The next day, Mo Hua had just gotten up when Elder Ji arrived again.

”Are you going out to have fun today?” Mo Hua asked him.

Elder Ji, however, smiled and said, ”Today, there are some matters I wish to entrust to Young Master Mo.”

Mo Hua understood in his heart, this was not letting him play, but making him work, so he nodded, ”Alright.”

Originally, those extravagant things were not particularly entertaining anyway.

”Sir, please.” Elder Ji said, then led the way ahead.

After walking a few steps, Mo Hua suddenly asked, ”Elder Ji...”

Elder Ji turned back.

Mo Hua looked at the scar on his chest and said, ”I wanted to ask yesterday, this wound of yours...”

Elder Ji replied, ”It was torn by a beast, the injury is fine now, but the scar will take a little more time to heal.”

A beast...

Mo Hua nodded his head, expressed an ”Alright,” and did not ask further.

Then Elder Ji led Mo Hua to a rather large Artifact Refining Workshop within Canglang City.

”I’ve long heard of Young Master Mo’s remarkable talent and unparalleled skills in formations. Today, our Canglang Sect’s Refinery Shop has encountered a challenging problem, quite tricky, and we wish to seek Young Master Mo’s advice.” Elder Ji mentioned as they walked.

Mo Hua nodded, ”No problem, no problem.”

The two of them approached a massive Refining Furnace. .

This Refining Furnace had already ceased operation, as the formations inside had malfunctioned—not intentionally broken to test Mo Hua, but truly broken.

Moreover, this formation was a Second Grade Middle Stage formation.

The Third-Grade Canglang State Boundary is a weak third-grade boundary, with Golden Cores few and far between, not a single Third Grade Array Master, and among the Second Grade Array Masters, those reaching the middle stage level are indeed rare.

Within the Canglang Sect, most of the hired Guest Elder formation experts could not solve this problem.

Therefore, Elder Ji sought out Mo Hua for assistance.

When Mo Hua arrived, several Canglang Sect array masters, along with their apprentices, were studying the formation inside the Refining Furnace.

Upon seeing Mo Hua arrive, a trace of intimidation flashed in the eyes of these array masters.

As the saying goes, ”Outsiders are better at reciting scriptures.”

This outsider, Mo Hua, was about to take over the ”meal ticket” of these Canglang Sect Guest Elder array masters.

They harbored a certain degree of hostility towards Mo Hua, naturally.

Just that no one would say it outright.

Elder Ji cared not for these matters, he looked at Mo Hua and asked, ”Young Master Mo, what do you think...”

With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua immediately discerned where the problem lay with this furnace.

Since his teenage years, he had already been fiddling with refining furnace formations.

The Canglang Sect, known for its domineering nature, had mediocre industry.

The refining furnaces within the industry were indeed typical, and the refining furnaces they utilized were also still of the older style.

With such a simple structure, a Second Grade ”older style” refining furnace, Mo Hua could pinpoint the issue even with his eyes closed.

To resolve this would be but a matter of lifting a finger.

But he did not.

One must learn to be low-key, to be reserved.

There’s no need to appear too much like a genius, otherwise, it may incite jealousy and bring unnecessary trouble.

Mo Hua said, ”Let me take a look,” then climbed onto the Refining Furnace and ostentatiously examined it left and right, finally copying a Formation Diagram and sat at one side, pretending to concentrate on studying it.

The other guests, witnessing this, also sneered inwardly, thinking that the so-called genius from the Fifth-Grade Major Sect, whom the Sect Leader favored so much, was just this much.

With a group of array masters and a group of apprentices, they methodically flipped through Formation Books, verified Formation Diagrams, checked Formation Patterns, and debated formation principles, researching for more than half a day in this way.

Mo Hua, on the other hand, sat to one side, staring at the Formation Diagram in a daze, pondering his own matters in his heart.

Until the sun set, the sky gradually darkened.

Mo Hua raised his head, glanced at the sky, then stood up, dipped a brush into some Fire Stone ink, and with a few simple strokes inside the Refining Furnace, he turned around and said to the refinery shop’s master:

”It’s ready; give it a try.”

The refinery shop’s master was startled, nodded, and then instructed, ”Light it.”

The Refining Furnace was reassembled, Spirit Stones were loaded inside, and someone began to ignite the furnace with Fire Spells as a primer.

A flash of red light, and the Refining Furnace roared and began operating.

The refinery shop’s master was overjoyed and said to Mo Hua, ”This young gentleman is indeed capable, just a few simple strokes, and the furnace is repaired.”

Mo Hua nonchalantly boasted, ”Although it seems like just a few simple strokes, I have actually pondered deeply about them for a good half day...”

Although the refinery shop’s master didn’t understand, he was impressed and held even more respect for Mo Hua.

Sure enough, success is not so easy to come by.

”Let’s go,” Mo Hua said to Elder Ji, then turned to leave, but was suddenly stopped by someone.

”Wait!”

Mo Hua turned back to see a tall and slender middle-aged man among the group of defeated Guest Elder array masters, bowing in respect to him and praising:

”As expected of Young Master Mo, I’ve long admired your name.”

Mo Hua was puzzled, ”And you are...”

The middle-aged man smiled, ”I am Zhao, an elder of the Canglang Sect.”

”Greetings, Elder Zhao,” Mo Hua replied politely.

Elder Zhao returned the gesture, ”I hope in the future we can often exchange knowledge on formations with Young Master Mo.”

Mo Hua nodded, ”Alright.”

”Then I won’t disturb Young Master Mo any longer,” Elder Zhao said.

Mo Hua cupped his hands, ”Farewell.”

Then Elder Ji led Mo Hua out of the refinery shop.

However, throughout the process, he didn’t speak with Elder Zhao; his gaze was restrained and even carried a trace of dread, as if Elder Zhao’s identity was not ordinary.

Before leaving, Mo Hua glanced back at Elder Zhao, sensing the Divine Sense aura on him, and showed a pensive expression.

...

In the following days, whenever Elder Ji had something to do, he would seek Mo Hua’s help.

He seemed to want to ”cook the rice,” letting Mo Hua get used to working for the Canglang Sect first, then giving Mo Hua an official title later.

Mo Hua did not refuse such requests.

Basically, as long as Elder Ji sought Mo Hua, Mo Hua, even though appearing slow and reluctant, resolved issues within a day.

Elder Ji also grew more respectful of Mo Hua.

In the cultivation world, all trades are highly reliant on formations.

And an array master with real skills and knowledge is an incredibly scarce talent, no matter where.

Thus, Mo Hua’s status in the Canglang Sect rose due to his formation skills.

However, what he truly wished to accomplish did not progress at all.

The rules of the Canglang Sect were strict and unyielding; wherever he went, Elder Ji followed. For some time, Mo Hua couldn’t find any breakthrough.

Mo Hua was somewhat worried.

...

Meanwhile, the Sect Leader of the Canglang Sect was equally anxious.

His nephew and Elder Sun had been missing for more than half a month without any news, and it was highly likely they were truly dead.

If they had simply died, it would be one thing, but if not...

Filled with anger, the Canglang Sect Leader was also deeply uneasy.

A terrifying sense of having one’s head on the chopping block made him restless.

That night, with a dark sky and high winds,

The Canglang Sect Leader, alone, exceptionally entered the forbidden area of the Canglang Sect, meeting a figure wrapped entirely in a black robe in an underground secret chamber.

He knelt on the ground, speaking in a low and devout voice:

”Gentleman, please divine for me.”

”Calculate who exactly killed my nephew...”

”Otherwise, I find it hard to find peace...”