Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2134 Chapter 1006: Victory and Defeat (Part 3)

A thrilling yet sorrowful clash between young geniuses wrapped up in an oddly unresolved "unfinished" conclusion.

The cultivators watching felt a blockage in their hearts, leaving them incapable of saying anything.

Mo Hua's deployment of the Fireball Technique left every spectator in stunned silence.

...

No matter the twists along the way, defeat remains defeat, and triumph stays triumph.

Mo Hua felt quite cheerful.

Securing the biggest success with the least effort, by wrapping up the match with a simple Fireball Technique, suited the moment perfectly.

The sword discussion wrapped up, so Mo Hua and Linghu Xiao prepared to depart from Mount of Tao.

At the fork in the path, they ran into Qin Cangliu once more.

Qin Cangliu fixed his gaze on Mo Hua, his expression swirling with tangled feelings: loathing, respect, fury, and a subtle hint of bitterness.

All those sentiments surged inside him, rendering him mute, until he forced out one phrase:

"Mo Hua, I will remember you..."

With those words spoken, he spun around and walked away, never glancing back.

Mo Hua's attitude stayed steady; he'd heard remarks like that before.

In contrast, Situ Jian, trailing behind, let out a quiet sigh.

Junior Brother just gained another foe from the sword discussion...

The group headed back toward Taixu Gate.

During the return journey, Linghu Xiao stayed quiet.

Mo Hua stole a few covert looks at him and then softly inquired, "Xiaoxiao, are you feeling down?"

Linghu Xiao shook his head at first, but facing Mo Hua's pure and honest eyes, he couldn't help nodding and confessing:

"I lost."

Mo Hua questioned him, "Do you believe you'll win every single battle in your life?"

Despite his impressive aptitude and mighty sword skills, it was impossible for him to avoid every setback.

For instance, today he fell to Qin Cangliu.

Yet it was exactly his talent that ensured he wouldn't suffer endless losses; ultimately, he'd claim far more victories.

Mo Hua agreed, "Yes, nearly all cultivators go through wins and losses throughout their journeys."

"In truth, both triumphs and setbacks serve as the Great Dao's guidance for those on the path of cultivation, molding their Tao."

"A win strengthens your direction, a loss helps refine it."

"When you prevail, press forward; when you falter, spot the gaps and gradually enhance yourself step by step..."

Mo Hua went on, "This is the lesson I've drawn from array formations."

"To many, I appear as a prodigy in formations, the top figure in arrays, unbeatable during the Formation Competition."

"Yet in reality, I face failure repeatedly while studying formations."

"I struggled to grasp or sketch an array, failing over and over, so I persisted in studying, practicing, and comprehending... and through accumulating those failures, I slowly achieved success."

The Taoist Stele allowed him to surpass the bounds of divine sense, granting extra chances to hone formations beyond what typical cultivators could manage.

This implied he endured tens or hundreds of times more array-drawing mishaps than peers.

Just because he encountered so many more failures in formations than anyone else.

That's how he grew so formidable, reaching heights where fellow Formation Masters of his age couldn't even catch a glimpse of him.

"Genuine power emerges from endless setbacks."

"Ignore the acclaim from others, and don't assume a so-called 'genius' must dodge every defeat."

"That's the thinking of the ordinary."

"Real prodigies concentrate solely on their personal Dao."

"Authentic Sword Cultivators fixate only on their own blades."

"Everything else fades away."

"Your deepest aspiration alone holds true weight. All wins and losses are just passing mists."

Linghu Xiao felt deeply touched; after some reflection, his gaze sharpened with resolve, "Junior Brother, I get it."

Cheng Mo and Situ Jian appeared lost in thought as well.

Even Ouyang Xuan shot Mo Hua a glance filled with astonishment.

Noticing Linghu Xiao's comprehension, Mo Hua gave a nod.

Xiaoxiao served as Taixu Gate's Sword Dao prodigy and his own Junior Brother.

Mo Hua truly wished for him to remain untouched by fleeting reputations, steadfast in his Sword Dao, steadily advancing to emerge as a legendary Sword Cultivator of unparalleled might someday...

...

In the end, the group made it back to Taixu Gate.

With the sword discussion concluded, they enjoyed a short break.

Mo Hua had one concern weighing heavily on him, tied to the "Fireball Technique."

He went to find Xie Ling, seeking opinions from others about his Fireball Technique.

Up on the stage amid the sword discussion, the massive array had muffled the surrounding chatter.

He remained unaware of people's views on his Fireball Technique.

Mo Hua was eager to learn if the wisdom from Old Kui—that "Taoist Skills vary widely, each with strengths, true power comes from the heart, so even Fireball Technique holds great potential"—had resonated with the audience.

Thus, he had to consult someone.

Xie Ling, having wrapped up his duties at the Yellow Character Bureau, claimed two victories before his exit from the competition. Though disappointed, he'd given his all without any lingering what-ifs. Afterward, he'd watched from the sidelines and caught wind of the crowd's talks.

Mo Hua's inquiry left Xie Ling pausing, as if reluctant to share.

Under Mo Hua's gentle urging, Xie Ling sighed and murmured:

"Junior Brother, people are calling you cunning and underhanded, saying you used the Fireball Technique to 'snipe' opponents..."

"A sneaky Formation Master who dabbles in Fireball Technique."

Mo Hua froze, then expressed some disbelief.

His refined Fireball Technique had evidently gone unappreciated.

They even accused him of "sniping" foes...

Mo Hua sensed a touch of exhaustion.

Noticing this, Xie Ling offered timely encouragement:

"Junior Brother, your Fireball Technique was genuinely impressive. I was utterly amazed when I witnessed it, never imagining it could be applied like that..."

This compliment came across as a bit clumsy.

Still, it warmed Mo Hua's heart slightly.

His fellow Junior Brothers were truly the finest.

With that in mind, he resolved to strive harder, aiming to elevate Taixu Gate to one of the Four Great Sects, transforming all his Junior Brothers into "prodigies of the Four Great Sects"...

Even so, Taixu Gate's standing in the sword discussion grew increasingly shaky.

The day's events in the sword discussion had come to a close for now, and sure enough, Taixu Gate dropped to second position.

Leading now was Heavenly Sword Sect, followed by third-place Qian Taoist Sect, and fourth Longding Sect.

Taixu Gate failed to hold onto the top spot.

What's more, even second place hung by a thread.

The whole sect's mood turned heavy and tense...