Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2422 Chapter 1099: The Hundred Flowers Jade Token

After bidding farewell to Lord Yellow Mountain, Mo Hua made his way down the mountain. In the small Immortal City nestled at the mountain's base, he expended some Spirit Stones to arrange for the construction of a temple dedicated to Lord Yellow Mountain. He also hired people to regularly deliver offerings, ensuring the Mountain Lord wouldn't suffer from hunger or exposure to the elements.

Even though the Lifebound Divine Statue had been located, the matters of incense and faith were evidently overlooked by Lord Yellow Mountain.

Yet, sustenance is a basic need!

This applies to deities just as it does to mortals.

Having completed these arrangements, Mo Hua cast a final glance at Kushan Mountain, silently offering his well wishes to Lord Yellow Mountain, before departing by carriage.

A considerable distance remained to Taixu Gate after leaving Kushan Mountain behind.

Mo Hua settled into the carriage, closing his eyes to cultivate and rest.

The rhythmic cadence of horse hooves continued for an indeterminate period until, abruptly, the forest grew somber, an unnatural silence descended, and a faint metallic tang mingled with a pervasive Evil Qi filled the air.

Mo Hua's eyes slowly opened.

Ever since he became entangled with fated malevolence, he had developed an acute sensitivity to esoteric energies such as 'life' and 'death,' and particularly 'Evil Qi.'

Previously, when confronted with Evil Qi, he relied on his Divine Sense to perceive it or employ computational power for analysis.

Now, Evil Qi, especially at the causal level, registered to him almost like a scent, something Mo Hua could detect almost purely by instinct.

Mo Hua lifted the carriage curtain to peer outside.

A desolate village lay before them, its dilapidated homes bearing faint traces of former inhabitants, now utterly abandoned.

The residual blood Qi in the atmosphere had been thinned by the mountain breeze.

However, a palpable sense of deadly malevolence permeated the surroundings.

Without the need for calculation or deduction, Mo Hua's mind was instantly flooded with visions.

His ocular senses seemed capable of perceiving the cause-and-effect relationship of death with perfect clarity, witnessing the world's suffering and despair.

Images flashed of Demon Cultivators engaged in murder, blood-draining rituals, corpse manipulation, and skinning.

Innocent cultivators were depicted in their desperate struggles, futile resistance, and agonizing pain.

The spectacle unfolded in stark monochrome, yet it was vividly stained with blood.

A faint sigh escaped Mo Hua.

The carriage continued its journey, passing several more villages and encampments, all eerily deserted.

Even a once-vibrant city, where Mo Hua had previously ambled through its streets, savored a bowl of noodles, and enjoyed acrobatic performances, now lay in utter ruin.

A shadow of melancholy crossed Mo Hua's features.

"This is the calamity of the Blood Sacrifice..."

When the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Formation is enacted, an altar is indispensable as the focal point for the blood sacrifice.

The altar situated in Solitary Mountain City had been dismantled by Mo Hua, and the one in Little Fishing Village was similarly destroyed by his hand.

Consequently, the cultivators residing in those two locations were spared from the blood sacrifice disaster, with no lives lost.

However, Mo Hua was incapable of eradicating every single altar.

For some to survive, others inevitably had to perish.

These Immortal Cities and villages had succumbed to calamity, their inhabitants subjected to torture and slaughter by Demon Cultivators during the blood sacrifice ordeal, their very essence and profound despair offered to the altar.

The once-thriving settlements of these cultivators had transformed into desolate ruins and abandoned hamlets.

These were lives, undeniably.

Yet, owing to their status as low-level cultivators, living in poverty and obscurity, they were afforded only a fleeting moment of communal sorrow before life moved onward.

Some individuals felt no grief whatsoever.

To them, the only reality was the cold, stark figures recorded in the archives of the Taoist Court.

Many humble Loose Cultivators, even after perishing, failed to be registered in the official death tolls.

Those who truly bear the immense cost of pain, despair, and death during these great catastrophes are the silent, the "majority."

They lived their lives unremarkably.

Upon their passing, they departed without a sound, interred silently amongst the hills and grasses.

Mo Hua's gaze, filled with compassion yet tinged with helplessness, finally relinquished a sigh as he softly murmured:

"Still… not strong enough..."

As the heavens ceaselessly revolve, a gentleman ought to pursue self-improvement without respite.

Only through attaining sufficient strength can one reshape the dynamics of the Cultivation World, and even influence the destiny of all living beings.

Mo Hua lifted his eyes towards the vast, imposing, and seemingly infinite sky, a sense of dazed uncertainty washing over him.

…

Departing from Kushan Mountain, the carriage journeyed onward, and after approximately half a day, it finally re-entered the Qian Learning State Boundary.

However, Mo Hua did not immediately proceed to Taixu Gate; instead, his first stop was Gui Water Sect. There, as he had anticipated, he found Yu Canghai, formerly an Elder of the Water Prison Sect.

Following the Water Yama incident, Yu Canghai had taken temporary refuge with the Gu Family to evade notice. Mo Hua had not pursued the matter further, but unexpectedly, Yu Canghai had since ascended to the position of an Elder within Gui Water Sect.

Yu Canghai expressed a degree of surprise at Mo Hua's arrival, then let out a sigh before explaining:

"With the backing of the Gu Family and an introduction from Supervisor Gu, I was able to join Gui Water Sect and assume the role of an Elder."

"The higher-ups of the Gui Water Sect were purged by the Taoist Court, leaving most of the remaining disciples with little knowledge of my history. They perceive me merely as a 'spy' placed by them, thus they refrain from provoking me or probing too deeply into my background."

"The Gui Water Sect's legacy largely stems from the Water Prison Sect. I find the task of teaching straightforward, and serving as an Elder is not a burden."

Mo Hua then inquired, "Did you take in Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi?"

"Indeed, I did," Yu Canghai affirmed, "I feel more at peace only when these two children are kept close."

"Should they manage to enter the Inner Gate in the future and become my direct disciples, I could then officially carry on the heritage of the Water Prison Sect."

"In that case, I could depart this life without any regrets, facing my ancestors in the netherworld with a clear conscience."

With a sigh, Yu Canghai bowed respectfully to Mo Hua, stating, "All of this is thanks to you, my young brother. I am deeply indebted."

Mo Hua simply nodded, offering no words.

Yu Canghai stood and poured Mo Hua a cup of tea.

Accepting the teacup and taking a sip, Mo Hua suddenly declared, "The Water Prison Forbidden Box is now in my possession."

Yu Canghai visibly trembled, scalding his hand with the tea he spilled. He looked up at Mo Hua, his expression one of utter disbelief.