The Quest for Immortality

This little rascal... he couldn’t have noticed me, could he?

How old is he? How strong is his Divine Sense? How could he possibly detect me, a dignified Golden Core late-stage cultivator, spying on him?

This can’t be that bizarre, right...

Elder Xun furrowed his brow.

After a moment, he lifted his head again, following the mountain path upward, continuing to trail behind Mo Hua.

But this time, he wised up. He didn’t dare to blatantly follow behind anymore. Instead, he moved through the trees, concealing his figure, simultaneously employing a secret technique to hide his aura, keeping a respectful distance as he shadowed him from afar.

He had to comply with the ancestor’s orders—to secretly watch over this young boy whose single strand of hair was more precious than his own arm.

After all, his arm, if broken, would simply remain broken.

But the boy’s hair? If even a single strand were missing, who knows how the ancestor would ”train” him afterward.

Elder Xun sighed helplessly.

Thus, Mo Hua walked ahead, while Elder Xun followed behind.

Mo Hua had no idea that as soon as he stepped into the mountain, he’d already gained a ”bodyguard.”

He was focused on carrying out his plan.

When arriving at an unfamiliar place, first familiarize yourself with the environment—this is the basic rule for a Monster Hunter.

The same applies to Big Black Mountain.

And it holds true for Refining Demon Mountain as well.

Mo Hua took out a map of Refining Demon Mountain.

This map was one he had bought for two Spirit Stones from Little Immortal City at the foot of the mountain.

The map simply marked out the mountain’s terrain, vegetation, and streams, but it was crude and simplistic, only providing a rough outline of the mountain range.

This surely wouldn’t suffice.

Mo Hua began his routine practice of personally measuring Refining Demon Mountain’s topography, using this basic map as a foundation to draw his own exclusive map of the mountain.

Refining Demon Mountain is vast, and monster beasts are numerous.

The outer regions are mostly populated with second-grade monster beasts, but in the deeper mountains, it’s said that there are even third-grade and fourth-grade monsters.

However, those third-grade and higher beasts are trapped in formations within the deeper mountains.

Disciples cannot enter the deep mountains.

Similarly, the high-grade monsters of the deep mountains cannot descend to the lower regions.

Mo Hua only planned to operate along the outskirts of the outer mountain.

The more experienced the Monster Hunter, the more cautious they become—the more self-aware, the longer they live, the more monsters they can hunt.

This is what his father, Mo Shan, had taught him.

Mo Hua deeply agreed.

Though he wasn’t ”old,” his methods were deft enough that he could barely be considered a ”seasoned” Monster Hunter.

On the mountain path of Refining Demon Mountain.

Mo Hua found a large rock, sat down, spread out his rudimentary map, and carefully examined it, memorizing various mountain ridges in his heart.

Then he gazed into the distance, taking in a full view of the outer mountain to cross-reference with the map in his mind, ensuring he had a thorough grasp of the terrain.

After finishing, he chose a route and set off up the mountain.

As he walked, he observed and recorded his surroundings.

Behind Mo Hua, far away in the bushes, Elder Xun silently followed with an astonished expression.

He realized he had underestimated the boy.

Sharpen the axe before chopping the wood.

Entering Refining Demon Mountain and first familiarizing oneself with its terrain—a concept that most disciples wouldn’t even consider, let alone execute.

Disciples of the sect cared only about the height of their realm, the depth of their cultivation, the strength of their Taoist Skills, and the sharpness of their swords or Spiritual Artifacts.

When entering the mountain, their minds were filled with thoughts of quickly hunting monsters.

They neglected the idea of first becoming familiar with the surroundings.

In magic battles between cultivators, life-and-death outcomes aren’t solely determined by strength or weakness.

Timing, terrain, and human harmony—all are indispensable.

Environment equates to ”terrain.”

This is something only experienced Monster Hunters or well-traveled veteran cultivators can truly understand.

Yet, watching this young boy in action, there was a smooth proficiency that seemed ingrained in his every move.

Elder Xun nodded slightly.

No wonder the ancestor valued this child. Though his talent looked ordinary, his actions revealed a certain skill and ingenuity...

And so, Elder Xun continued to watch as Mo Hua wandered alone through Refining Demon Mountain for an entire day.

Whenever Mo Hua encountered special terrains, minerals, herbs, or dangers such as swamps, quagmires, miasmas, or demon holes, he would document them.

If monsters appeared, a sweep of his Divine Sense alerted him in advance, enabling him to promptly evade.

On the rare occasion when luck betrayed him and he found himself cornered by a monster, leaving him no choice, he would employ the Concealment Technique to hide.

Some monsters, however, were inherently blind and relied on sensing aura to identify targets.

The Concealment Technique couldn’t fool them.

In such cases, Mo Hua relied on his movement technique, maneuvering cleverly to lure them to the edge of a cliff. Then, using his quick reflexes, he conjured instantaneous, ever-changing spells, forcing the monster off the cliff while retreating gracefully himself.

The more Elder Xun watched, the more alarmed he became.

If not for the fact that Mo Hua was at the Foundation Establishment stage, with a clear and pure aura undoubtedly signifying he was a human cultivator...

Elder Xun might have suspected that Mo Hua was an ancient shapeshifting demon in human guise.

His expertise was exceptional, his techniques were exemplary.

In the perilous mountains, where even late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples must tread carefully with utmost vigilance, the boy moved as if it was a casual stroll.

It was as if he were walking through his own backyard.

Such talent at such a young age... truly remarkable...

The more Elder Xun observed, the more admiration he felt, and his respect for Elder Master Xun grew spontaneously in his heart.

No wonder the ancestor!

To be able to see beyond the limitations of a mid-lower grade Spiritual Root and recognize the talent of this child.

Elder Xun reflected further...

Perhaps the ancestor had sent him to watch over this boy to ensure he would witness these things firsthand.

To let him realize that, though this child seemed ordinary in Spiritual Roots, his ingenuity and intellect were exceptional, promising great potential; that was why the ancestor showed such care for him.

”The ancestor truly had thoughtful intentions...”

Elder Xun sighed inwardly.

As he was deep in thought, he suddenly noticed that the sky was growing dim. The setting sun dipped below the mountain, and the evening glow painted half the sky red. In less than an hour, night would fall.