The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2325: Seven Stars Formations (part 3)

"The Beidou Seven Stars lend their names to the Seven Pavilions of the Taoist Court."

"Consequently, the authentic legacy of the Seven Stars Formation resides within the central Taoist Court's Seven Pavilions, alongside the Heavenly Observatory."

"This particular array possesses the ability to observe celestial occurrences and divine heavenly secrets. Should one achieve profound mastery, they can even command the very power of the stars..."

"It is a clandestine formation of the Taoist Court, deeply entwined with astronomical phenomena and arcane calculations, far too complex for ordinary cultivators or even most formation masters to grasp."

"In your current existence, the likelihood of you encountering an opportunity to learn it is slim. Even if such a chance arose, your ability to comprehend it would be highly questionable..."

Mo Hua remained lost in contemplation.

"Secret formations of the Taoist Court... observing celestial phenomena, deciphering heavenly secrets, drawing power from the cosmos..."

"Could this be the Taoist Court making a move?"

"Are the cultivators of Heavenly Mechanism employing the Seven Stars Formation of the Taoist Court to neutralize the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice Formation, thereby stifling the proliferation of malevolent Qi and applying pressure on Mr. Tu?"

However, the identities of these Heavenly Mechanism Cultivators remained an enigma.

Furthermore, the question lingered whether he, himself, might one day attain the skill to learn this profound Seven Stars Formation...

"The Seven Stars Formation, truly."

A fierce longing ignited within Mo Hua.

Yet, this was hardly the opportune moment to dwell on such matters.

Mo Hua's eyes shifted subtly.

Currently, with Mr. Tu being countered by the Taoist Court and contained by the Seven Stars Formation, Mo Hua sensed an undeniable opening.

Such opportune moments were often ephemeral; he had to act swiftly.

But what action should be taken?

A furrow creased Mo Hua's brow as he mulled this over, gradually formulating a plan.

The next time Mr. Tu inquired about the formation's progress, Mo Hua resolved to drop all pretense and reveal his hand:

"Mr. Tu, I have mastered it."

Mr. Tu appeared taken aback, stammering, "What?"

Mo Hua affirmed, "Everything you imparted to me concerning the Formation Pivot of the Desolate Heaven Blood Sacrifice, I have fully grasped."

Mr. Tu's pupils constricted suddenly, his gaze fixed on Mo Hua, his expression slowly hardening.

His intention had indeed been to guide Mo Hua in the formation's intricacies.

However, his true aim was to escalate the challenge, trapping Mo Hua in a quagmire of comprehension, succumbing to temptation, and ultimately eroding his moral compass. This slow descent would lead him to embrace the gruesome practice of painting formations with human blood and skin, completing his transformation from a mere Qianxue 'Formation Leader' into a Great Wilderness 'Evil Formation Genius'.

The formation was merely the 'lure', concealed beneath which lay a perilous trap.

Yet, Mo Hua had bypassed the trap entirely, consuming the 'bait' he had offered.

This would not be considered a significant issue in itself.

After all, when bait is cast, the angler must anticipate its consumption.

The crux of the matter now was that only Mo Hua, having partaken of the 'bait', could assist him in a critical task.

If Mo Hua were to lend his aid, it would undoubtedly resolve his immediate predicament.

What should have been a fortuitous turn of events was instead marred by an astonishing coincidence.

The synchronicity of it all made Mr. Tu suspect he was being subtly manipulated by the seemingly guileless Mo Hua.

Mr. Tu scrutinized Mo Hua intently.

The greater the purity emanating from Mo Hua's eyes, the more unsettling and peculiar they appeared to Mr. Tu, inducing a sense of unease.

Mo Hua's image within Mr. Tu's mind became increasingly bizarre.

Mr. Tu's ashen eyes remained fixed on Mo Hua. After a prolonged silence, he managed to suppress his burgeoning suspicions, offering only a perfunctory remark, "The path of formations is vast and profound; continue your studies," before departing.

However, his departure, and his failure to solicit Mo Hua's assistance, did not negate the persistence of the underlying problem.

The celestial glow of the Mystic Sky Beidou Seven Stars Formation shimmered on the distant horizon.

Mr. Tu felt an obstruction constricting his throat.

It wasn't solely the Seven Stars Formation; within the Blood Sacrifice Array itself, a contingent of demonic entities had begun to stir, sowing seeds of disquiet among their ranks.

Several days elapsed, leading to another Ten Thousand Demons Gathering.

The Featherization Old Demon of Yin Corpse Valley posed a pointed question to Mr. Tu: "When, precisely, shall the Divine Lord be resurrected?"

The Feather Transformation Demon Head of the Demon Sword Sect echoed this sentiment in a raspy voice, stating, "This is taking far too long; the Demon Sword Sect cannot endure such a protracted delay."

The perpetual conflict between the righteous and demonic factions raged with brutal intensity, yet the righteous side consistently held the upper hand. Each day of delay translated into the inevitable demise of another disciple belonging to the Demon Sword Sect.

Yin Corpse Valley possessed an ample supply of Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses to serve as expendable forces.

The Demon Sword Sect, conversely, suffered irreplaceable losses with each Sword Slave disciple who resonated with the demon sword.

Given the current decline of the demonic path, the recruitment of new disciples was an arduous undertaking; they simply could not afford such attrition.

Shangguan Wang remained silent, his countenance grim as he observed Mr. Tu.

Mr. Tu could only respond with, "Soon."

The Featherization expert from Yin Corpse let out a scornful laugh. "You uttered the identical sentiment ten days prior. Even twenty days ago, that was your precise statement."

"Now, with the Seven Stars positioned prominently overhead and the formation acting as an impediment, Mr. Tu..." A pair of eyes, tinged green amidst the shroud of decay, fixed upon Mr. Tu with palpable resentment. "What precisely are your intentions?"

The grand hall teemed with demon cultivators, all eyes fixed on Mr. Tu.

Under normal circumstances, they would have never dared to "force the palace" in such a manner.

However, with Ancestor Qianxue standing guard outside, coupled with the swarm of aristocratic family and sect cultivators, and Taoist Court officials as numerous as scavenging hawks, such formidable external adversaries meant the progress of the Blood Sacrifice had been repeatedly hindered, advancing at a glacial pace.

If this situation persisted, their demise was all but certain.

Mr. Tu's expression was as cold as ice.

A motley collection of demons, frenzied and avaricious, utterly unmanageable; only the resurrection of the Divine Lord could possibly fulfill their grand promise.

Concurrently, only through the Divine Lord's resurrection could his own reputation be sufficiently elevated to impose order upon them.

Any further delay would inevitably incite this very group of demon cultivators to instigate a full-blown riot.

At this critical juncture, only a single individual possessed the capability to resolve his predicament.

Furthermore, only one person held the key to assisting the Divine Lord in his "resurrection."

Yet...

Despite the apparent necessity, Mr. Tu harbored profound reservations, even a trace of inexplicable dread.

This peculiar dread felt somewhat absurd; even Mr. Tu himself could not pinpoint the exact source of his apprehension regarding Mo Hua.

The parasitic deity had been sealed by a sacred artifact.

While its divine sense was potent, its strength was relative only to cultivators of the same cultivation realm.

Its cultivation base was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage.

How could he, a formidable expert at the Feather Transformation stage, feel dread towards a cultivator who had only reached Foundation Establishment?

Mr. Tu found the situation rather ludicrous, yet he couldn't help but frown, lost in contemplation, unable to reach a decision for a considerable duration.

This grand assembly, referred to as the Ten Thousand Demons Gathering, inevitably dissolved into discord.

The surging malevolence within these demon cultivators, if not promptly unleashed, would inevitably erupt into chaos, resulting in a situation spiraling beyond all control.

Returning to his secluded chamber, Mr. Tu sat in solitary contemplation, but after extensive deliberation, he ultimately concluded there was but one path forward.

Outside stood the formidable forces of Qianxue, the officials of the Taoist Court, and the formidable Mystic Sky Beidou Seven Stars Formation.

Within resided the relentless urgings of the Evil God, coupled with the looming threat of chaos amongst the demon cultivators.

Confronted by these twin pressures of internal and external strife, Mr. Tu found himself with no alternative.

He was compelled to exhaust every possible means to accelerate the descent of the Divine Lord.

"As for Mo Hua..."

Mr. Tu gently caressed the piece of human skin paper in his hand. It bore an intricate Demon Demon Map, upon which Mo Hua's likeness was superimposed onto the depicted demon monster...

"For the present, let us utilize him..."

...

Within the confines of the flesh prison.

Mo Hua, engaged in the tedious task of painting a formation, was abruptly startled by a chilling sensation crawling up his spine. Turning, he beheld the corpse-like visage of Mr. Tu standing directly behind him, his gaze devoid of warmth.

Mo Hua expressed mild surprise, "Mr. Tu?"

Mr. Tu spoke with a faint, impassive tone, "I require your assistance with a certain matter."

Mo Hua inquired with confusion, "And what might that be?"

Mr. Tu paused momentarily, his gaze turning frigid, before slowly articulating, "I need you to meticulously draw a formation for me, one capable of instigating the resurrection of the Divine Lord..."