The Quest for Immortality

”The words he speaks, you must remember them well and never forget.”

”And also...” Old Yu sighed and said with emotion:

”Although we are Loose Cultivators and live a life of poverty, we must uphold righteousness.”

”I am old, my life is thus, without much ability to repay the benefactor’s kindness, but you two children are different. You are young, the road ahead is long...”

”If in the future your Tao Cultivation is successful, you must find a way to repay this great kindness well.”

The two grandsons nodded earnestly:

”Yes, Grandpa, we remember!”

”Good.”

Old Yu nodded in relief.

... .

At this moment, behind the small fishing village.

In front of the Little Immortal’s shrine, incense smoke curled up, and there was no one around.

Mo Hua, who had already left, gradually revealed his figure again.

His gaze was deep, staring at the shrine for a few more glances, and then slowly said: ”Come out.”

There was no movement within the shrine.

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

Just as he was becoming a bit impatient, from inside the shrine, a silver light flashed slightly, and a pure white little silver fish swam out shakily, nodding towards Mo Hua as if bowing.

At the same time, a slender and crisp voice entered Mo Hua’s ears.

”Greetings, Benefactor...”

Mo Hua was somewhat stunned.

He only knew that something sneaky was hidden in his shrine, but he never thought it would be a silver little fish.

Moreover, this little fish had pure Divine Thought, without a trace of evil spirit.

Recalling the past, Mo Hua understood.

”You are... the River God I killed before?”

The little silver fish shivered and said softly, ”In response to the benefactor, yes...”

”That’s not right...” Mo Hua frowned, ”Old Yu calls me benefactor because I saved him, but I killed you, why do you also call me ’Benefactor’?”

The little silver fish said in a soft voice: ”The benefactor killed me but also saved me, showing me mercy by sparing my life...”

”Showed mercy?”

Mo Hua was taken aback and then remembered...

Back then, when he killed the corrupted River God and searched its altar, he indeed discovered a blood-colored small fish.

At that time, he had a spontaneous urge to crush it.

The little fish desperately shook its body, shaking off the filthy blood and revealing its silver-white form.

Mo Hua noticed it didn’t have a bloody abnormal aura, nor was it tainted by evil spirits, so he felt compassion and spared its life.

And that little fish turned into a silver light and swam away, its destination unknown.

So it was that little fish from back then.

Mo Hua realized and asked again: ”What is your origin exactly?”

The little silver fish replied softly:

”To be honest with the benefactor, this minor god was originally the River God of the Mistwater River, protecting the local waters, relying on the offerings from Fish Cultivators to continue the Divine Way...”

”Then one day, a terrifying Evil God invaded my Taoist Field, polluted my Divine Thought, and eventually even destroyed the entire fishing village, completely eradicating the foundation of my Divine Way...”

”I lost my foundation and could only become a puppet of the Evil God, gradually degenerating over the years, retaining only this sliver of clarity.”

”Originally, this sliver of ’Clarity’ of Divine Thought was about to extinguish when the young master killed the Evil God, severing my corrupted Divine Body, also letting me go free, and even the shrine I’m now inhabiting belongs to the young master, feeding on the young master’s incense.”

”The young master indeed gave this minor god a ’rebirth grace’, naturally making him my ’benefactor’.”

Mo Hua was a little dazed.

Even he didn’t realize that unknowingly, he had done so many good deeds...

”Severing the Divine Body, preserving a sliver of Divine Thought...”

Mo Hua shuddered in his heart.

This is quite similar to Lord Yellow Mountain.

Back then, Lord Yellow Mountain had fallen, walked the wrong path, and was severed of his powerful Divine Body by the Taixu Gate predecessors using Divine Thought into a sword, leaving a sliver of pure Divine Thought, thus ’reborn’ into a desolate Mountain God.

This little silver fish is the same.

Except, it was cut by himself.

”Are you still the River God now?” Mo Hua asked.

The little silver fish nodded its tiny head, ”This minor god still has some of the River God’s authority, but most of the divine skills and the memories of the deities were all severed...”

”Severed?” Mo Hua was slightly startled and asked: ”Then do you remember anything from before? The divine skills of the deities, and the Evil God who polluted you.”

The little silver fish shook its head, ”After being severed, most of it isn’t remembered.”

”Alright...”

Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.

He was quite curious about how the Evil God degenerated and how the deities managed to develop divine skills.

Especially the blood sea divine skill of the River God, which left a deep impression on him.

It seems there’s little chance of that now.

The deities are born from the Dao.

This Dao seems to include not only part of the ability but also part of the memory.

The two complement each other, innately present.

But if severed, both would be lost.

Mo Hua silently pondered in his heart.

The little silver fish suddenly seemed a bit ashamed and said softly: ”Apologies, benefactor, this minor god secretly consumed your ’incense’...”

”No matter, you can eat it.” Mo Hua generously said.

After all, he couldn’t consume it himself.

”However, since you’ve taken the incense, you have accepted the obligation, you must ensure the safety of this fishing village.”

”You don’t have to mind greedy people, nor force impossible tasks, but for things within your ability, do not shirk away.”

”And never tread the path of evil again...”

Mo Hua instructed.

The little silver fish received Mo Hua’s approval, happily wagged its tail, and nodded repeatedly:

”Many thanks, benefactor, this minor god will definitely remember benefactor’s teachings!”

Mo Hua nodded.

”Alright, I should be going too.”

The little silver fish respectfully said: ”Take care, benefactor.”