Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2081 Chapter 990: Rebirth

As the Sword Discussion Conference draws near, tension has abruptly gripped the entire Taixu Gate.

From the highest ranks to the lowest, every individual clings to a fragile thread of anxiety within.

Elder Master Xun hasn't made an appearance in ages.

These days, Mo Hua shoulders the full burden of Formation classes, managing everything from preparing lessons and delivering instruction to grading assignments all by himself.

Elder Master Xun, meanwhile, acts like a detached overseer, remaining secluded in the Elder's Residence, pouring his full focus and endless effort into deducing mysteries around the clock.

Not even the Taixu Sect Master enjoys such ease.

During his visits to feed the Big White Dog, Mo Hua caught glimpses of the Sect Leader now and then, noticing how weary he appeared, his once-lush dark hair starting to thin out noticeably.

Furthermore, the Elders Mo Hua runs into are all rushing around with grave faces, each deeply engaged in readying the diverse preparations for the Sword Discussion Conference.

Yet the disciples of Taixu Gate feel the deepest unease.

After all, they are the ones set to compete in the sword battles.

This event hinges on the Sect's reputation, family stakes, and each person's destiny ahead.

Deep in their chests, a heavy weight dangles, stirring worry while also crushing down oppressively, leaving breaths labored and shallow.

Amid the intense practice of cultivation arts and spell clashes, the disciples' faces grow ever more serious and weighted.

They barely exchange words even over meals.

Noon arrived at the Disciple's Residence.

While chomping on a chicken leg, Mo Hua glanced around and saw the dining hall, once buzzing with jokes and chatter, now chilled under an icy veil. Heads bowed low, folks ate in total silence, prompting him to shake his head in dismay.

This won't do.

Such a heavy mood could easily lead to stomach troubles.

Mo Hua swiveled to eye Cheng Mo sitting next to him.

The usually chatty Cheng Mo had turned utterly "quiet," his features set hard as he mechanically munched on a bland pork knuckle.

Mo Hua passed him a chicken leg.

Cheng Mo paused in surprise, lifted his gaze to spot Mo Hua, and murmured softly, "Thank you, Junior Brother."

Mo Hua inquired next, "How's your training for the sword competition coming along?"

Cheng Mo gave a nod and replied, "It's okay..."

Still, his look wavered, plainly short on assurance.

Mo Hua felt somewhat confused. "Your base seems solid enough. Why the doubt?"

Cheng Mo's spirit weighed heavy, and he had little urge to chat, yet he couldn't brush off Mo Hua's question. After a brief reflection, he let out a sigh:

"Junior Brother, honestly speaking, at my current cultivation stage, be it in techniques or body strength, I have hardly any flaws. Within my Cheng Family, if I rank myself second, nobody would dare say they're first."

"Yet here in the Qian Learning State Boundary, only the 'top' talents from the Four Great Sects and Eight Gates gather. My aptitudes come off as average at most, and the most I can claim is a bit more endurance through my 'tough hide and robust build' over the rest."

"Facing real sword fights and clashing against those sect prodigies, I... really hold no edge..."

Cheng Mo brimmed with self-doubt.

Situ Jian and several others close by nodded in agreement too.

Back in their own clans, they stood without question as the "elite."

Place them anywhere else across the Nine States, and they'd shine as "geniuses" unseen for centuries.

Even more so, just any ordinary Taixu Gate disciple dropped into the Big Black Mountain State boundary—Mo Hua's homeland—would count as a "stunning talent."

However, with all these standouts converging in the Qian Learning State Boundary, since each hails as "elite" from their homes, in comparison, they all fade to "ordinary," without standout skills, seamlessly merging into the crowd.

Cheng Mo and his peers aren't lacking; it's simply that the other disciples nearby possess overwhelming strength.

Sky stretches beyond every sky, and superiors tower over all.

Beyond geniuses lurk even mightier "geniuses."

Their own "genius" serves only as the entry gate to enter the Qian Learning State Boundary and behold those far greater prodigies.

A touch of sentiment stirred in Mo Hua's core.

Fortune favored him through Divine Sense Proving the Dao, letting him slip in via a lucky "shortcut."

Otherwise, given his talents, he'd never even touch the Qian Learning State Boundary's doorstep, much less gain entry to Taixu Gate as a Junior Brother.

Mo Hua tallied quietly to himself and grasped that amid the current Taixu Gate, the sole figure truly qualifying as a "top genius" was Xiaoxiao, the one who'd entered from 'outside.'

Linghu Xiao, from the Chongxu lineage.

His Sword Heart gleamed with pure insight, marking his Sword Dao gift as a once-in-five-centuries marvel in the old Chongxu Gate's legacy.

Without the Three Sects Unification, Taixu Gate would lack even this single "top genius."

Mo Hua sensed a twinge of discontent at first, but reflection brought acceptance.

Supreme geniuses ought to align with the premier Four Great Sects.

That leaves lesser gifts to flow toward the Eight Great Gates.

Armed with the finest geniuses, the Four Great Sects dominate sword discussions and claim victory after victory.

Such dominance, in turn, draws ever more elite talents their way.

The rejects then trickle to the Eight Great Gates, the Twelve Streams, and down to the Qian Learning Hundred Gates.

In this setup, for Taixu Gate—alongside the Eight Great Gates—to snag even a handful of genuine top geniuses proves immensely challenging.

"Not only do Spirit Stones and legacies get split unevenly, but talents face division too..."

Mo Hua pondered with a quiet sigh.

The lone outlier remained the Tai'a Sect of three years back.

Back then, Tai'a Sect topped the Eight Great Gates in standing, boasting great renown, and housed two or three top geniuses inside.

But such peaks breed pride, and youth surges with vital Blood Qi; after a mishap on the Rouge Boat, their "Sword Discussion" eligibility got stripped away.

Following losses in sword discussions, Tai'a Sect sank into a slump.

Today, on the surface, Taixu Gate merges the Three Sects, pooling their talents.

Still, with the "elite" skimmed off, it hardly outstrips the old top-ranked Tai'a Sect among the Eight Great Gates by any wide margin.