The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2393: Retribution (2)

Yu Er's eyes stung slightly. She rubbed the corners of her eyes, swiped away her tears, and softly replied, "Mm..."

Mo Hua continued to carry Yu Er on his back, progressing towards the border of the Qianxue state.

Yu Er had intended to walk by herself, but after exiting the Blood Sacrifice Array, her Divine Sense had become inexplicably muddled, and her limbs felt weak and sore. Thus, she could only rely on Mo Hua to carry her.

Mo Hua's shoulders and back, though lean, appeared strong and gentle.

In Yu Er's perception, they seemed to possess the presence of supporting the heavens and bearing the earth, inspiring respect and a sense of peace.

...

On the outskirts of the Qianxue state boundary.

The exceptional disciples from the Four Sects and Eight Gates and Twelve Streams had been patiently anticipating Mo Hua's arrival.

However, before Mo Hua could appear, they witnessed the catastrophic collapse of the Great Formation on the distant horizon. Mountains crumbled, rivers turned to dust, and the world became eerily silent. Their expressions shifted to shock, their hearts violently stirred, with disbelief clouding their eyes.

It took a considerable amount of time for the initial shock to gradually recede.

Shortly thereafter, a new concern arose:

"Where is Mo Hua?"

"The Great Formation self-destructed, but where is Mo Hua?"

"Is he still trapped within it, unable to escape?"

"From Yanluo Mountain to the Qianxue state border, there is only this single path. Had he escaped, we would have surely encountered him."

"Furthermore, if he had indeed gotten out, the Taoist Court would have alerted us, and Taixu Gate would undoubtedly have received word as well."

"Yet, we haven't seen Mo Hua, nor have we heard anything. This implies he..."

Ye Zhiyuan's gaze grew unfocused as he murmured, "Could it be that Mo Hua... is dead...?"

"What foolishness are you spouting!" a disciple from Taixu Gate retorted furiously. "You're the one who's dead!"

"How could our Junior Brother possibly die?"

"Even if you were to perish ten thousand times over, our Junior Brother could never die!"

Ye Zhiyuan felt inclined to argue back, but upon seeing the menacing fury of the Taixu Gate disciples, who looked ready to tear him apart, he chose to remain silent.

The others also wore frowns, their expressions grim.

The assembled disciples of Taixu Gate, including Linghu Xiao, Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, Ouyang Xuan, Hao Xuan, Yang Qianjun, the five Ouyang brothers, and others – despite their reluctance to voice it aloud – all felt an oppressive weight settle in their chests, making it difficult to breathe.

Their Junior Brother, Mo Hua, was intelligent, honorable, compassionate, wise, and valiant. He possessed strong Divine Sense, was adept at Formations, excelled in movement techniques, and was skilled in Concealment. Whatever challenges arose, he invariably found a solution...

Such a Junior Brother simply could not be dead!

However, they soon came to realize this was merely their one-sided wishful thinking.

No matter how extraordinary their Junior Brother was, he remained human.

Just a Sect Disciple with Foundation Building Cultivation.

He could not achieve immortality.

To claim he would not die was nothing more than self-deception.

This was especially true considering he was within such a grand, bizarre, demon-infested Demon Path Great Formation, fraught with peril and extreme ferocity.

Given Junior Brother's cultivation level, merely ensuring his own safety and resisting the corrupting influence of the Demon Path would have been a stroke of immense luck.

And now, what terrified them even more was the fact that the entire Demon Path Great Formation had been obliterated by an unknown expert utilizing world-shattering techniques.

A terrifying aura of destruction had permeated the Great Formation, reducing all living beings to dust. How could their Junior Brother possibly have survived?

"Could it be that Junior Brother..."

Deep within, all the Taixu Gate disciples felt their hearts lurch and tremble.

Linghu Xiao pressed his lips together, his brow furrowed. "Let's... wait a little longer."

"Mm," Situ Jian and the rest of the Taixu Gate disciples concurred.

The exceptional disciples from the other Sects also remained, joining in the vigil for Mo Hua.

Yet, they waited for an extended period, waited until the Great Formation had completely collapsed, all life had turned to black ash, and Death Qi surged towards the heavens, still without any sign of Mo Hua.

"Junior Brother..."

A growing chill permeated the hearts of the Taixu Gate disciples. Some even began to develop red-rimmed eyes, discreetly wiping them away.

"Mo Hua... truly... died?"

Ao Zhan, Xiao Ruohan, and Shen Cangfeng from the Four Great Sects appeared somewhat stunned.

Among the Eight Great Gates, Song Jian of the Sever Gold Sect tightly compressed his lips, his heart heavy with grief.

Disciples of the Gui Water Sect, Qin Cangliu; Lu Zhenlong of the Purple Mist Sect; Ye Zhiyuan from the Daluo Sect; Feng Zichen representing the Carefree Sect; Shi Tiangang of the Vajra Sect... all these Heavenly Pride Disciples who harbored animosity towards Mo Hua experienced a complex wave of emotions, their expressions growing desolate.

They had held grudges against Mo Hua, intensely disliked him.

Yet, they had also been rescued by Mo Hua, and had personally received his kindness.

Now, after his act of saving them, Mo Hua himself declared his intention to save others, plunging into the malevolent Evil Path Great Formation, only to perish within its depths...

Such youth, such immense talent, yet he willingly sacrificed himself for the sake of others, meeting his end inside the Demon Path Great Formation...

This abrupt turn of events cast a pall over them, their hearts heavy with sorrow and a lingering bitterness.

When a person’s life concludes, it is akin to a flame being extinguished.

With his demise, all prior hatred and grudges naturally dissolved into nothingness.

They found themselves reflecting on Mo Hua’s positive attributes.

Some even recalled how Mo Hua had previously subdued the Four Sects to claim the title of Formation Leader, how at the Sword Discussion Conference he had patiently endured, meticulously planned, and then unleashed his formidable abilities, and how within the Blood Sacrifice Array, he had issued commands, steered the course of events, and preserved a multitude of Heavenly Pride Disciples... remembering these remarkable feats, their hearts swelled with profound emotion.

Their previous contempt transmuted into genuine admiration, and their hatred transformed into deep regret.

A few even showed slightly reddened eyes, their gazes filled with a profound wistfulness.

The surrounding atmosphere became exceptionally solemn, each individual immersed in mourning Mo Hua, silently paying homage to this brilliant genius who had been tragically cut down in his prime.

Even the very heavens and earth seemed to don a cloak of pervasive sorrow.

Amidst this somber and tragic ambience, a familiar, clear voice, laced with a hint of curiosity, suddenly resonated from behind them:

"What are all of you... doing here?"

Startled, everyone leaped and swiftly turned around, only to behold the very Mo Hua whom they had been "mourning," now standing silently behind them with a child on his back, his face etched with evident puzzlement.

The air instantly solidified, falling into a stunned silence.