The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2265: Heavenly Escape "Slaughter" (part 3)
Previously on The Quest for Immortality...
Should I hesitate any further, the fate of my junior brothers becomes truly unpredictable.
Mo Hua pondered silently to himself:
"Heavenly Mechanism Causality is truly marvelous. If an opportunity arises, I must seek out some Karma Path inheritance to study thoroughly..."
"Be it for preserving lives or claiming them, it would prove immensely useful..."
Yet that's a concern for the future.
At present, having saved all his fellow sect members, Mo Hua confronted a fresh dilemma:
What course of action to take next?
Mo Hua contemplated quietly.
Through everything observed and overheard on the journey, clarity was gradually dawning on him.
All that lay ahead had been cunningly orchestrated by Mr. Tu—or more precisely, by the Evil God.This encompassed the earlier Asura battle.
The Asura battle served to incite disciples from the Four Sects and Eight Gates of the Twelve Streams to slaughter one another, stirring up deep-seated killing intent and hatred.
Next, the Evil Path Great Formation would activate, trapping these disciples in a sealed array for a genuine bloodbath.
Killing intent, hatred, agony, remorse, despair—all would ferment inside the Large Formation.
Ultimately, survivors with bloodied hands from slaying peers and sect brothers, hearts overwhelmed by extreme pain and regret, their Taoist Heart utterly broken, combined with exceptional Spiritual Root talent, would make ideal "containers" for Evil Thoughts.
Though not the Evil God himself and thus unaware of every detail, Mo Hua's insights allowed him to conceive over a dozen methods to exploit these "demonized" Heavenly Prides as vessels, forging them into tools for the Evil Path.
Be they minions, Divine Servants, sacrifices, nightmares, Demon Monsters, or Demon embryos... they ranked as premium "materials."
This demonized carnage painted a brutal scene, with slaughter as its core theme.
All the rules were dictated by the Evil God.
Mo Hua might not be the Evil God, yet he grasped the Evil God’s essence intimately.
Even if he evaded pursuit from the Four Sects and Eight Gates alongside his junior brothers, and even miraculously eliminated all others to endure, they could never emerge as the genuine "victors."
Adhering to the Evil God’s rules guaranteed defeat.
With circumstances so dire...
"Then I must establish my own rules and follow my personal 'guidelines'."
Mo Hua propped his chin, eyes gleaming with resolve.
In the earth-level Asura battle, slaughter was essential—eliminate all rivals so Taixu Gate could claim first place.
But for this "heaven-level" grand escape, the approach reversed: he needed to rescue.
Killing wouldn't resolve it; more deaths meant heavier slaughter, denser Evil Qi, empowered Large Formation, deeper entrapment in the Evil God’s scheme, rendering survival hopeless for all.
Thus, defy convention and prioritize salvation.
Save disciples from the Four Sects and Eight Gates of the Twelve Streams, even those few from Qian Learning Hundred Gates—rescue whoever can be saved.
Rally all uniteable forces, bring everyone onto one vessel.
Only this way could the overwhelming majority endure.
Yet saving demanded selectivity, not blind efforts.
Hundreds of Heavenly Prides from major sects existed; piecemeal rescues were infeasible with scarce resources.
Moreover, even if saved, they might defy orders, and sheer numbers could breed disorder.
"So... capture the 'thief' by striking the king first. Seize pivotal Heavenly Prides, then leverage them to command the局面..."
Mo Hua’s eyes lit up as a strategy took shape.
"Rest another 30 minutes, then we move out." Mo Hua directed once more.
All were taken aback; Situ Jian inquired: "Junior Brother, where to?"
"To save people."
"Save people?"
"Yes!" Mo Hua affirmed with a nod, offering no details, merely ordering: "Soon, I’ll inscribe formation marks—apply them to your foreheads to shield your Sea of Consciousness. Crucially, never remove them."
Everyone assented gravely.
Subsequently, Mo Hua utilized remaining formation materials and Spiritual Ink from the Sword Discussion Conference to craft basic Divine Tao Formations, which everyone affixed to their foreheads for safeguarding their Sea of Consciousness against Evil Spirits’ interference.
In the interim, Ouyang Xuan and the others began stirring awake.
Their Divine Sense bore damage, faces ashen, yet with the source of their Divine Thought affliction eradicated, no ongoing threat lingered.
Mo Hua felt completely at ease.
After 30 minutes, Mo Hua rallied the group and departed anew.
Heavenly Prides from other sects were strangers to Mo Hua, but Sword Discussions had forged Karma links, enabling him to trace their auras.
Yet what astonished Mo Hua was the potency of these causal auras.
Why so strong?
Mo Hua wondered.
Did these Heavenly Pride disciples cherish his memory so deeply within?
Was he truly that memorable to them?
Nevertheless, urgency pressed; no time for deeper probing—he pursued the causal trails onward.
Before long, he located his initial target.
This individual counted as a Mo Hua "old acquaintance"—Song Jian, his "agent" embedded in Sever Gold Sect.
Song Jian wasn’t solitary; fifteen Sever Gold Sect disciples encircled him.
As Sever Gold Sect’s premier talent, numerous sect mates naturally trailed him, heeding his command.
Now ensnared in the Evil Path Great Formation, perils omnipresent, they clearly "huddled for survival," hunting an exit.
But the Evil Path Great Formation brimmed with lethal snares at every turn—escape wasn’t so straightforward.
Song Jian’s brows knitted tightly, expression somber, fraught with anxiety. Just then, he glimpsed Mo Hua.
Song Jian froze momentarily, then inwardly rejoiced, though his face twisted in rage. Sword drawn, he aimed it at Mo Hua, teeth clenched in wrath:
"Mo Hua—enemies inevitably cross paths; at last, I’ve found you. Today spells your doom!"
With those words, he lunged ahead, unleashing Sever Gold Sword Qi resolutely, launching at Mo Hua first.
Cheng Mo surged forward, axes whirling to parry Song Jian’s Sever Gold Sword.
Linghu Xiao pointed fingers, gathering Chongxu Sword Qi to repel Song Jian.
Song Jian staggered back, retreating amid his group.
Mo Hua scoffed, "Sever Gold Sword Jue amounts to little more than this."
Song Jian seethed with fury but eyed Linghu Xiao and Mo Hua’s five Tai’a brothers warily, holding back rash assaults. Instead, he instructed his disciples:
"Taixu Gate’s might is overwhelming; direct confrontation is folly—let’s withdraw."
He pivoted to depart, but Mo Hua halted him: "Song Jian."
Song Jian turned.
Mo Hua stated calmly: "The Evil Path Great Formation brims with perils everywhere; solo escape is impossible. Why not ally with Taixu Gate for a shared path to survival?"
Song Jian sneered, "Delusional. Sever Gold Sect and Taixu Gate are foes; how could I team up with you?"
Mo Hua’s eyes narrowed sharply, "You disregard your own life and these fifteen sect brothers trailing you?"
"Absent my lead, lost in the Evil Formation, death is certain."
"You’re all elite Heavenly Prides of Sever Gold Sect’s current generation—if lost..." Mo Hua chuckled, "Sever Gold Sect suffers a colossal blow."
Song Jian paled, inwardly torn.
After a pause, he demanded solemnly, "Do you genuinely possess the means for our escape?"
Mo Hua declared confidently, "Recall, I’m the Qianxue Array Dao Leader."
Song Jian’s gaze grew grave, inner turmoil raging like heavenly strife, until he clenched his jaw:
"Very well! I accept your proposal!"
Thus resolved, Song Jian wheeled back, solemnly addressing the other Sever Gold Sect disciples:
"The grudge between Sever Gold Sect and Taixu Gate—allying with Mo Hua is my sole choice. It binds none of you. Should sect elders question you, lay all blame on me."
Song Jian’s resolve shone firm.
Emotion rippled through the Sever Gold Sect disciples, bolstering their morale as they bowed deeply:
"You bear humiliation for duty, shielding our lives."
"We’ll stand by you in fortune and woe, sharing triumphs and trials, braving fire and calamity unflinchingly henceforth!"
Song Jian appeared consoled, then eyed Mo Hua with a mix of sorrow and ire, "Lead the way, please."
Mo Hua nodded, a subtle smile curving his lips.