Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2091 - 993: Odds of Victory (2)
Previously on Immortality Through Array Formations...
The Sect Master of Taixu paused briefly in thought, then spoke:
"Ouyang Xuan ranks as the top talent and mightiest disciple from the Tai’a lineage this generation, though his temper isn't the best, and he's got a stubborn streak..."
He aimed to ready Mo Hua's mind so no clashes might arise.
Mo Hua replied: "Sect Master, no need to fret. My own temper's pretty foul too, and I'm stubborn as well. We'll hit it off just fine."
Taixu Sect Master: "..."
"Truly... no issues?" the Taixu Sect Master asked deliberately.
"None at all," Mo Hua affirmed with a nod, "I actually prefer folks who are 'unyielding'."
The Taixu Sect Master stayed quiet for quite some time before letting out a sigh: "Fine then..."
And with that, the decision stood firm.
Bringing in Ouyang Xuan of the Tai’a Sect rounded out Mo Hua's full team.
That said, Mo Hua hadn't laid eyes on this "Ouyang Xuan" yet, so he remained in the dark about the man's disposition, his cultivation stage, or how well he'd mesh with the group—making it tough to plot ahead. Such matters would have to wait until they met face-to-face.
Within the Disciple’s Residence, a stack of maps lay spread before Mo Hua.
These maps illustrated all sorts of landscapes: towering peaks, winding streams, murky bogs, jagged cliffs, ancient remnants, hidden grottos, and more.
Senior Sister Murong had handed them all over to him.
Such landscapes could well appear amid the Sword Discussion Conference.
On top of that, he had various strategy sketches, Formation Diagrams, and blueprints for forging Spiritual Artifacts.
These outlined combat tactics he'd run through in simulations.
Even with such thorough groundwork, Mo Hua couldn't shake off his anxiety.
Sword discussions differ sharply from formation contests.
Formations fell squarely in his wheelhouse; no rival could rattle him, particularly against peers from sects in the Qian Learning State Boundary.
But swordplay? He lacked any real battle know-how.
Theory alone from "watching" wouldn't cut it without hands-on fights.
What's more, his viewing experience was slim—just one prior event, and that came before the overhaul.
Post-sect reform, the sword discussion rules and setup had shifted entirely.
Back then, Mo Hua poured everything into gearing up for the Formation Competition, skipping the live event.
He'd caught wind of alterations through hearsay, never seeing them unfold firsthand.
As a result, his strategies went untested, leaving him doubtful of their success.
The Sword Discussion Conference drew hordes of entrants, twisted landscapes, fluid setups, and endless unknowns.
Plus, facing so many prodigies, even alongside Xiaoxiao, snagging the top spot felt like grasping at the heavens.
"This doesn't bode well... perhaps I ought to divine it?"
Mo Hua wavered a bit, pulled out a Copper Coin, and after a quick divination, his brow furrowed tight.
Heavenly secret Calculation linked "cause" straight to "effect."
In his present setup, every scheme, prep, and advantage failed to yield the "effect" of claiming first in the sword discussion.
The gap between this cause and effect stretched impossibly wide.
It signaled that taking the sword discussion crown was all but a pipe dream.
Mo Hua looked pensive.
This marked the mark of "Heavenly secret," a verdict on cause and effect.
To the world at large, "Heavenly secret" looked vague and slippery.
Yet the deeper Mo Hua delved, the clearer it became: Heavenly secret boiled down to piling up endless causal chains, with causality ruling over all existence.
Still, its profound layers and shifting flows made it seem intangible.
Yet the core strands shone through.
Stack enough solid "causes," and the sought "effect" would follow.
As one versed in "Heavenly secret Calculation," "Tricky Calculation," and "Back Origin Calculation," boasting superior Divine Thought and Dao-proven via Divine Sense, Mo Hua neared a "Heavenly secret intuition" by immersing in raw facts and causal principles.
It was a basic gut feeling.
But Mo Hua's potent Divine Sense and grasp of Divine Thought turned this into an "innate" knowing.
He scarcely needed full divining or deep probes; a mere reflection showed the road ahead as blocked.
He yearned to seize first in the Formation Competition.
Yet this "effect" dangled high and distant, beyond grasp.
Mo Hua let out a soft sigh.
"Still no dice..."
"Just how do I claim first in the Formation Competition?"
This puzzle had gnawed at Mo Hua for days, haunting his meals and strolls alike.
The harder he mulled, the more he sank into despair.
His personal power stayed modest at best.
Xiaoxiao packed a punch, sure, but he stood alone.
The elite youths from the Four Great Sects came as packs.
Anyone with a clear-eyed, humble view could see: for him, topping the sword discussion lay far beyond reach.
Save for freakish fortune.
But fortune proved fickle, no foundation to build on.
Beyond the Disciple’s Residence, amid a quiet copse, Mo Hua mulled this dilemma as he wandered the trail post-lesson.
He missed the voice hailing him entirely.
"Junior Brother..."
"Junior Brother?"
Mo Hua jolted alert, snapping back to find Xie Ling addressing him.
Xie Ling passed over several Jade Slips, "Junior Brother, since you expressed curiosity about cultivators’ 'tombs' and yin residence formations, I rounded up a few for your review."
"Oh..." Mo Hua murmured distractedly.
After his trip to the Solitary Mountain City graveyard, he'd spotted holes in his Dao path regarding tomb arrays and linked lore.
Despite one tomb delve under his belt, countless nuances escaped him still.
Thus, he'd turned to Xie Ling from the Gen State’s Qiongyin Realm, heir to clan geomancy arts, for guidance and material hunts.
The cultivation realm sprawled endlessly, yet a cultivator's days were finite, capping their wisdom and tales.