The Quest for Immortality

Thus, in ordinary Formations, the ”Formation” is the core—once there is a Formation, there is a Law, even if that ”Law” is very weak.

But in an Ultimate Formation, the ”Law” is the true core—only after one comprehends the Law can there be a Formation; without Law there is no Formation.

This different emphasis between Formation and Law is precisely the fundamental distinction between ordinary Formations and Ultimate Formations.

This point, Mo Hua had previously only vaguely grasped a little.

Now that he had entered the Great Wilderness, come into contact with Taotie’s Power, and sensed a deeper level of Law-changes, he finally gained a clearer realization.

The Bone Heavy Armor Ultimate Formation before his eyes followed the same principle.

The ”Formation Patterns” in terms of form were no longer a difficulty for a Formation Master of Mo Hua’s level.

The true difficulty still lay in the ”Laws” contained within the interior of the Formation.

And according to Mo Hua’s preliminary deduction, since this Bone Heavy Armor Ultimate Formation was related to the Shugu Main Department, related to the Ancestor Shubu, and related to the Endless Abyss,

The Laws it contained were, with high probability, also some kind of ”Taotie” Power.

And this type of Taotie’s Power very likely was connected to that twenty-three patterns Taotie Absolute Array contained in the Barbarian God head of the Shugu Skill Department, which he had already obtained but had yet to comprehend.

If he could comprehend this twenty patterns Bone Heavy Armor Ultimate Formation, perhaps he would be able to understand certain Taotie Laws.

Then, using these Taotie Laws as a ”springboard,” he could go on to comprehend the twenty-three patterns Taotie Absolute Array.

Thus, progressing from shallow to deep, step by step, within all kinds of complex Formations, and even within those Ultimate Formations that were incomparably abstruse, he would seek correlations between certain ”Laws,” then peel back the layers, slowly comprehend them, link them together, and finally integrate them thoroughly...

Almost only those true experts who had genuinely understood Formations could accomplish such a feat.

Yet Mo Hua never thought that far, nor did he know whether he counted as any kind of expert; he was simply driven by ”curiosity” and ”thirst for knowledge,” almost by instinct, using every means to seek the truth of Formations, to understand the ”Dao” behind the Laws.

Because he was pure, he was powerful.

And under the tempering of prolonged contemplation, Mo Hua’s comprehension also further strengthened.

This twenty patterns Bone Heavy Armor Ultimate Formation, in Mo Hua’s eyes, did not seem particularly difficult to understand.

After merely pondering it dozens of times, very quickly, Mo Hua relied on intuition and caught the faint scent of a ”Law’s” clue.

But Mo Hua was not very pleased.

For he suddenly realized that the situation was completely different from what he had imagined.

He had misjudged the ”Law.”

The ”Laws” contained in the twenty patterns Bone Absolute Formation and the twenty-three patterns Taotie Absolute Array were, again, not the same.

Even, in a certain sense, they were entirely two Formations that did not truly intersect.

Mo Hua let out a deep sigh; his mood was extremely complex.

The Taotie’s Power that engendered famines, and the Taotie Formation it represented.

The twenty patterns Bone Heavy Armor Ultimate Formation.

The twenty-three patterns Shugu Absolute Formation within the Barbarian God’s head.

The twenty-four patterns Twelve Scripture Gluttonous Spirit Corpse Formation.

An entire four Ultimate Formations, four Laws, all different!

Among them, the Famine Formation, the Shugu Absolute Formation, and the Twelve Scripture Taotie Spirit Formation—these three Ultimate Formations’ Laws, Mo Hua could at least still determine, had a certain connection to ”Taotie.”

But this Bone Heavy Armor Ultimate Formation was different again.

On its surface, this Bone Absolute Formation did not appear related to Taotie; the Law it contained was moreover peculiar, and Mo Hua could not determine what, exactly, the Law of this ”Bone” was...

Mo Hua lay on the stone chair and could not help rubbing the space between his brows, feeling a splitting headache.

”So this is an Ultimate Formation...”

”So this is Taotie...”

”So this is the ancient inheritance of the Great Wilderness...”

”These things... are far too difficult... Just who devised these Formations in the first place?”

”Are these things really something humans can learn, can truly comprehend?”

Mo Hua closed his eyes and rested for a while, calming his mood, then once more straightened his posture and continued his contemplation.

As for the Great Dao of the world, only by exhausting one’s years, poring over it, and engaging in bitter meditation can one gain anything.

Only after expending enough thought can one attain sudden enlightenment.

”Difficulty” is entirely normal.

If even he felt it so arduous, there was no need to speak of others.

And precisely because it was so arduous, if he could learn it, if he could integrate it thoroughly, he would naturally become stronger than others.

Relentlessly climbing to higher heights, seeking a deeper Dao.

This, too, was the ”Dao” of a Formation Master.

Within Mo Hua’s heart, a trace of relief rose again; he also gained a few more degrees of courage and a calmness in facing difficulty.

”That its Laws differ from Taotie’s is also a good thing—if I can master it, it means I can comprehend yet another Law...”

Mo Hua began to set his heart completely at ease and study the mysteries of the Shugubu, and the Bone Heavy Armor of the Ancestor Shubu.

Whether Iron Skill Bone and that Barbarian Soldier called ’Adage’ were currently fighting, he could not be bothered to care.

He entrusted General Lugu’s offensive to Dan Zhu and Chi Feng.

With Wufeng Ridge serving as a barrier, it was unlikely they could defeat the Shugubu, but to resist the Shugubu’s assault and temporarily ”turtle up,” the problem should not be too big.

Battle-hardened Chi Feng needed no further comment.

This prodigy Dan Zhu, after undergoing these battles, was gradually able to stand on his own as well.

Mo Hua, meanwhile, devoted his entire mind to researching Formations.

After all, his identity as a ”Shaman” was fake; ”Formation Master” was his true old profession.

Mo Hua began a closed-door retreat, ignoring outside affairs, and focused his entire attention on dismantling and studying the Ultimate Formation within the Bone Heavy Armor.

As time passed little by little.

Within the sealed and tranquil stone chamber, everywhere were the Formation Patterns that Mo Hua had dismantled, analyzed, reconstructed, and deduced.

At a glance, they were dense as a swarm, abstruse and profound; ordinary Cultivators, even those Formation Masters with some Formation foundation, could hardly understand this kind of ”dissection” method that Mo Hua had created for his own use, an independent lineage unto itself.