The Quest for Immortality

Refining Demon Mountain, Outer Mountain.

In a forested area, several disciples dressed in Tai’a Sect Taoist robes moved cautiously, sweeping their gazes around as they walked slowly forward.

Leading the group was a tall and upright man with a handsome and refined face, holding a crimson-gold Yellow Maple Longsword.

He was none other than Ouyang Feng, the senior brother of the Tai’a Sect, who had interacted with Mo Hua when he first entered the Taixu Sect.

There were five others with him as well.

Among them, four were older in age and at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, the same rank as Ouyang Feng.

Trailing behind them was a thin and slightly dark-skinned little cultivator, who looked somewhat frail and displayed a more nervous, wooden expression.

After walking for some time, a Tai’a Sect senior sister turned and advised the little cultivator:

”Little Wood, we can only take you twice to familiarize yourself with the terrain of Refining Demon Mountain. From now on, monster hunting will be up to you.”

”Two years from now, the Debating Sword competition will take place. Your elder brother is busy and may not have time to look after you, so you’ll have to understand.”

The little cultivator, addressed as ”Little Wood,” stole a glance at Ouyang Feng, who was walking ahead—tall, straight-backed, and with his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes—and then nodded slightly.

”Elder Sister Qian, I understand,” he murmured softly.

This senior sister’s name was Ouyang Qian, also a member of the Ouyang family. Hearing this, she smiled, patted Little Wood’s head, and advised:

”Refining Demon Mountain is dangerous, so be careful.”

”Understood,” Little Wood nervously replied.

However, being naturally taciturn and not good with words, he didn’t say much more.

As the group walked on and reached the mountainside, a Tai’a Sect senior brother with a long face and the surname ”Ma” suddenly frowned and said:

”It’s been a while since we last came to the Outer Mountain—why have all these peaks been occupied?”

Ouyang Feng’s gaze flickered slightly.

The Tai’a Sect senior sister named Ouyang Qian also extended her Divine Sense and, a moment later, said in surprise: ”Why are there so many people in this mountain?”

They were all disciples at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

Refining Demon Mountain was vast, and disciples at the Foundation Establishment Middle Phase and Late Stage hunted in different areas.

Due to the complex mountain terrain and crisscrossing paths, the routes to different hunting areas varied as well.

The peak they were on was part of the outer periphery, an area for low-grade monster beasts.

Ouyang Feng and the others had come here only when they were at the Foundation Establishment Middle Phase and first began hunting monsters.

Later, when they entered the Inner Mountain to hunt monsters of Second Grade Middle Stage or higher, they hadn’t returned since.

According to their previous experiences, there shouldn’t be too many disciples heading into the mountains at this time, and the Outer Mountain should be relatively quiet. They didn’t expect to find so many disciples in the mountain today.

”Which sect’s disciples are these?”

”Judging by their Taoist robes, it looks like... Taixu Sect?”

The group exchanged puzzled glances.

In the Qian Learning State Boundary, the Four Great Sects reigned supreme.

However, in Refining Demon Mountain, the Four Great Sects each had their own designated territories and very rarely interacted with one another.

Outside of the Four Great Sects, they could never have imagined that those occupying the peaks wouldn’t belong to the Twelve Streams’ Sever Gold Sect, known for their heavily aggressive Sword Qi.

Nor would they have expected it to be one of the top-ranking sects among the Eight Great Gates.

Instead, it turned out to be the Taixu Sect, a sect that had always been tepid, neither rushed nor outstanding, seemingly on the verge of falling to the bottom ranks without anyone noticing...

”How could it be the Taixu Sect?”

”I don’t know...”

”Does the Taixu Sect have any formidable Sword Dao heritage?”

”Our Three Sects share some historical ties—Tai’a Sword Casting, Chongxu Sword Qi, and Taixu Sect’s Sword Intent, perhaps?”

”I’m not sure. The Elders rarely mention it.”

”But Sword Intent is far too difficult, isn’t it? Isn’t it essentially untrainable at the Foundation Establishment level?”

”Then how are they hunting monsters?”

”Through Tao Cultivation Martial Arts? Or Spells?”

The group looked increasingly confused but decided to continue forward, choosing narrower paths while keeping their movements discreet.

Soon, they saw group after group of Taixu Sect disciples dressed in uniform armor, wielding Spiritual Artifacts, moving through the mountain with coordinated steps and orderly formations.

Although they were some distance away, they still caught glimpses of the monster-hunting process.

First, the disciples scouted and tracked their targets; then, they set a Formation for an ambush.

When the Formation exploded, heavily injuring the monster, a team of disciples surrounded and attacked it swiftly and efficiently, acting in seamless coordination as though they had practiced countless times.

The Tai’a Sect group was secretly stunned.

This wasn’t ordinary sect disciples hunting monsters.

Even Taoist Soldiers hunting monsters weren’t much different from this.

Moreover...

The long-faced, Ma-surnamed Tai’a Sect senior brother furrowed his brows and said: ”Since when did the Taixu Sect excel in Formations?”

The traps set for ambushes, the armor worn, the Spiritual Artifacts wielded.

All of it bore Formation-specific designs tailored to specific functions.

These Formation Diagrams were engineered based on monster habits, trap characteristics, and the construction of the Spiritual Artifacts, refined into tools, standardized into hunting procedures, and even disseminated among disciples...

This wasn’t something an ordinary disciple could achieve.

They themselves had stumbled through hunting monsters with much difficulty at the start, fully understanding how challenging it was.

And they could also fully grasp the terrifying advantage of such a streamlined hunting system.

Compared to other sect disciples, the Taixu Sect’s ”monster hunting” was an entirely different concept.

Ouyang Feng’s eyes revealed a thoughtful look as he ordered:

”When you return, tell the next batch of junior brothers to avoid these peaks in Refining Demon Mountain and not to provoke the Taixu Sect disciples lightly.”

Though the Tai’a and Taixu Sects shared some historical ties, they were ultimately separate sects now.

Once divided, emotional bonds would inevitably fade over time.

Moreover, even within the same sect, disciples often engaged in open and covert rivalry, leading to grudges. Inter-sect relations were even less cordial.

In Refining Demon Mountain, cultivators hunting monsters, harvesting materials, and earning Merit Points had always been fertile grounds for conflict.

If their sect’s disciples clashed with Taixu Sect disciples, judging by the current circumstances, they would undoubtedly suffer significant losses.

The Taixu Sect’s hunting teams, operating in squads of five with elaborate Formations, well-equipped Spiritual Artifacts, and disciplined coordination akin to Taoist Soldiers, were more than a match even for powerful monster beasts, let alone other cultivators.