The Quest for Immortality

The rugged mountains were treacherous, and the scenery was eerily beautiful.

Fallen leaves had accumulated in thick layers, becoming soft and spongy as they rotted and merged with the soil.

A pale yellow miasma floated between the mountains.

Milky white mist shrouded the forest.

The babbling streams, originating from nowhere in particular, moistened the rugged rocks and disappeared without a trace.

Mo Hua had taken a Miasma Repelling Pill, dispelling the miasma within his body, released his Divine Sense, and, while guarding against the Monster Beasts in the forest, carefully walked northward along the rough mountain path.

After walking for the better part of the day, until the sun had set and twilight enveloped the mountains and the forest grew darker and deeper.

Mo Hua looked up and saw that the night was deep and foggy, the miasma thick, obstructing his Divine Sense.

The range of his Divine Sense was less than half of what it was during the day.

The Monster Qi in the mountains also thickened gradually.

Some Monster Beasts, which were ”lively at night and sleepy during the day,” seemed to be waking up, emitting strange, indescribable growls within the desolate night, resonating deeply through the mountains.

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

It seemed he could no longer travel by night...

He remembered the old temple mentioned by the elder, so he released his Divine Sense, chose a direction, and headed towards a hidden mountain path.

After passing through a stretch of woods and climbing over a giant boulder, another half an hour brought him to an old temple halfway up the mountain.

The temple was dilapidated but showed signs that people sometimes passed by, perhaps Cultivators resting there.

The Monster Qi and miasma nearby were also lighter.

In front of the decaying temple, there was a flight of stone steps, rough and steep.

Mo Hua ascended the steps with agility, as fluid as water, and in no time reached the gate of the old temple.

One of the temple doors was missing, and the other, weathered by sun and rain, was mottled and in terrible shape.

Upon entering, the walls let in the wind, and the place was dirty and messy.

Melancholic moonlight shone through the roof, casting onto a clay statue at the center that reflected a ghastly light.

The face of the mud statue was long and narrow with human features, yet none at all.

The eyes, illuminated by the moonlight, revealed a sinister gleam that pierced the dark night, staring at Mo Hua in a human yet Non-Human manner.

Mo Hua was unafraid, staring back at the mud statue with wide open eyes.

After locking gazes for a while, perhaps due to the shifting moonlight, the statue’s gaze seemed to silently wander away...

Mo Hua, however, did not look away and continued to approach the statue, eyes intense as he gazed at it.

The mud statue promptly remained still and well-behaved.

Mo Hua stepped onto the offering stage and examined the statue closely, muttering,

”That’s not right, why is there nothing?”

”There should be something...”

”I couldn’t have seen it wrong...”

Mo Hua was puzzled.

The light had gone out from the statue’s eyes, which now seemed eager to close.

Mo Hua licked his lips, ”Such a shame...”

He then jumped off the offering stage, cleared a spot on the ground, and using Divine Consciousness Control Ink, drew a Warm Fire Formation.

As the Warm Fire Formation lit up, an orange flame arose, dispelling the night within the temple and the chill of the mountains outside.

Wrapped in a small blanket and seated by the fire, Mo Hua felt very warm.

As the warmth rose, Mo Hua suddenly felt hungry, so he took out some mountain yams and dried meat from his Storage Bag and roasted them over the Warm Fire Formation.

Sitting by the fire, eating the fragrant and sticky mountain yams, chewing on spicy beef jerky, and drinking the sweet fruit wine brewed by his mother,

Mo Hua shook his head and swayed, completely content.

After eating his fill, Mo Hua extinguished the Warm Fire Formation, wrapped himself up tightly in the blanket, and, taking advantage of the residual warmth on the ground, drifted into sleep.

All was quiet again within the old temple.

The cold moonlight shone down once more, illuminating the eyes of the clay statue on the offering stage.

The statue’s icy gaze slowly lowered to rest upon Mo Hua, who, wrapped up like a ”little dumpling” and fast asleep, oblivious to the world.

The statue’s gaze flickered, as if it were pondering something.

For the duration of brewing a pot of tea, a faint white glow emerged from the statue.

This glow, seemingly real and yet illusory, was indistinct and obscure.

It could be sensed by the Divine Sense but was invisible to the eye.

The white light slowly stretched out and gradually condensed into a narrow human figure.

Your adventure continues at

It emerged from the mud statue, shedding its shell, body like a human, face like a monster, with long whiskers, narrow eyes, and yellow fur.

This Yaoying moved stealthily, and with each gust of chilly wind, it approached Mo Hua, extending long claws, and said in a sinister voice,

”Young friend...”

”Turn around and look...”

”See for yourself who I am...”

It intended to convey this sinister whisper into the Cultivator’s dreams.

To startle him awake from his dreams.

But before it had finished speaking, the one who seemed to be ”deeply asleep” suddenly turned his little head. His large eyes stared straight at it, and he asked,

”Who are you?”

The wickedly-faced Yaoying was startled.

”You weren’t sleeping?”

Immediately after, it was shocked again, ”You can see me?”

”Didn’t you ask me to look at you?” Mo Hua said, puzzled.

”No, no...”

The Yaoying shook its head repeatedly; the ”seeing” it referred to was in dreams, casting itself as a frightening nightmare.

Not to be actually seen with eyes in reality.

The Yaoying became somewhat panicked, ”What’s going on with this boy...”

How could he see it?

Could it be... his Divine Sense was too strong?

That’s impossible, how powerful could the Divine Sense of a little child be?

”Who are you?” Mo Hua asked again.

Regaining its composure and about to show its anger, the Yaoying saw Mo Hua’s eyes clear and piercing, even carrying... a hint of strangeness, as if to see right through it.

The Yaoying’s heart skipped a beat, only to hear Mo Hua say crisply,

”Were you the thing inside the mud statue just now?”

”The clay statue of the Mountain God Temple...”

”Are you the Mountain God?”

”No, that can’t be right. The old man at the foot of the mountain told me that the Mountain God had turned evil and has already been slain.”