The Quest for Immortality

”Go back.”

”Mm.” Little Shuizi said happily.

The two children, each carrying a small fish basket, held hands and returned to the village without a care in the world.

After they left, in front of the empty riverbank, Mo Hua slowly appeared.

Gazing at the backs of the two children, Mo Hua looked confused and murmured softly:

”Nothing unusual... Could it be that I’m wrong?”

A moment later, Mo Hua’s figure disappeared again.

The sunset dyed the evening glow red.

In the small fishing village, the Fish Cultivators who went out to fish also returned home one after another, with smoke curling up from the chimneys.

Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi, too, returned to their homes.

The family gathered together, chatting and laughing over dinner. After the meal, Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi practiced cultivation for a while, then fell asleep peacefully.

Mo Hua’s gaze was slightly concentrated as he sat cross-legged on the branches of a large tree outside the village, closing his eyes to rest.

Time slowly passed.

The crescent moon hung high, the night deepened, and the small fishing village grew increasingly quiet.

Approaching midnight, Mo Hua suddenly opened his eyes.

At the same time, there was movement in the fishing village.

Two small black shadows quietly climbed over the wall of Old Yu’s house. After landing, they walked together along the village path towards the outskirts of the village.

It was precisely Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi.

Mo Hua’s eyes slightly flickered, moving silently like a specter, quietly following them.

The two children were completely unaware.

They kept walking out of the village, along the desolate riverbank in the pitch-black night, heading downstream, gradually straying farther away.

They walked to the foot of a desolate mountain.

The two children exchanged glances, then supported each other as they climbed up the rugged mountain stones.

They climbed to the mountainside, where the terrain was gentle, covered with wild grass.

Amidst the cover of wild plants, there was a cave.

The two children knelt in front of the cave, respectfully saying: ”Senior, we have arrived.”

Before long, an aged voice came from within the cave: ”Good, have you diligently practiced the cultivation technique I taught you?”

Little Shunzi said respectfully: ”We have remembered Senior’s instructions and have not slacked off.”

Little Shuizi nodded in agreement.

”Very well...”

The voice inside the cave seemed somewhat weak and was accompanied by suppressed coughing.

After a while, the aged voice spoke again:

”Next, I will teach you something else.”

The two children’s eyes lit up, ”Senior, what else will you teach us?”

”Didn’t you say...” the person within the cave coughed, ”that your grandfather, father, and mother often go down to the river and you are afraid that the Water Demon might eat them, so you want to learn some protective spell points, so you have the power to save yourselves and others in times of emergency...”

”Next, what I will teach you is a spell. It can transform the water energy you cultivate into dense hidden weapons, used to paralyze and harm enemies.”

The two children were overjoyed and bowed repeatedly, saying:

”Thank you, Senior!”

Little Shuizi, however, was somewhat curious and asked: ”Senior, what is the name of this spell?”

”Yes, and the cultivation technique you taught us, I also don’t know its name...” Little Shunzi added.

The person within the cave said hoarsely: ”You do not need to ask or concern yourselves with it. Whatever inheritance I teach you, just learn it well.”

The two children hesitated slightly.

Although they were young and were grateful for the Senior’s teachings, they were not foolish. A heritage that discloses neither its origin nor name inherently had some issues.

The aged voice inside the cave then said:

”Some things, knowing is trouble, not knowing is fortune.”

”Knowing everything too clearly is not necessarily a good thing.”

”Don’t you want to advance your cultivation? Don’t you want to achieve Foundation Establishment? Don’t you want to reach Golden Core after Foundation Establishment? Don’t you want to learn great skills and live with dignity, free from bullying?”

The expression of the two children grew solemn, and they nodded, saying:

”We do!”

”Since you do, then study earnestly and don’t ask too many questions about other matters.”

”Yes, Senior.”

The person within the cave said: ”Now, I’ll teach you the mantra of this spell, the critical points for circulating spiritual power, and the meridians to be traversed... Remember carefully.”

Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi said solemnly: ”Alright!”

Then that old voice began to teach the spell’s key points. .

The two children listened very attentively.

”This spell is in the same line as the cultivation technique I passed on to you. With the cultivation technique, the spell’s power can be greatly enhanced. Without the support of the cultivation technique, the spell is just ordinary. ”

”The most important aspect of using this spell is to attack when the opponent is unprepared, catching them off guard. Once spiritual power condenses into a hidden weapon and infiltrates the body, it is like a deeply poisonous parasite, causing immense pain and being difficult to eradicate.”

”The difficult part of this spell lies in the high requirement for spiritual power control and the complex meridian circuits, which require years of practice to master...”

The person in the cave stopped speaking suddenly.

Little Shunzi asked in confusion, ”Senior, master what?”

”It’s nothing...” The old voice slowly said, ”Did you remember what I just taught you?”

Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi nodded, ”We remembered it all.”

”Good, and one more thing... You must diligently practice this spell usually, but unless absolutely necessary, do not use it lightly, and do not mention that I have taught you the cultivation technique and spell to anyone.” The person in the cave said seriously.

”Senior, we have remembered.” Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi earnestly said.

”Hmm, that’s all for today, you may leave now.”

Little Shunzi and Little Shuizi respectfully bowed toward the cave, then climbed back down the mountain following the path along the mountain wall.

After the two children left.

In front of the cave halfway up the mountain, it became silent for a while.

The night was deep and the moonlight was cool.

A moment later, that old voice again came from the cave, ”What Taoist friend, since you are here, why not show yourself?”

Mo Hua, who was outside the cave and deep in thought, was startled upon hearing.

Did he actually discover me?

He must be a master...

The person in the cave spoke again: ”We are just passing acquaintances, I mean no harm, why hide and not show up, Taoist friend, come and meet.”

Mo Hua thought for a moment and slowly revealed his form, but the night was pitch black, blurring his silhouette, making it indiscernible.

The person in the cave, seeing someone indeed present, immediately had his tone deepen and asked:

”This Taoist friend, what might be your background? Why have you come here?”

Although he feigned calmness, Mo Hua could hear deep vigilance and a hint of hidden hostility in his tone.

This person behaves strangely...

Mo Hua silently pondered:

”I don’t know how he detected my concealment, but since he can discover me, it shows that his divine sense is stronger than mine...”

”At least the Foundation Establishment Peak, no, even the Foundation Establishment Peak might not detect me, should be at least Golden Core...”

”However, his breath is weak, lacking qi, clearly suffering from serious injuries.”

”Hiding in the cave not daring to show himself, the situation seems quite unfavorable.”

”And this is the Second Grade State Border, even if he is Golden Core, under the suppression of the Heavenly Dao, he’s just as useless as Uncle Gu, only able to exert Foundation Establishment Peak strength...”

Mo Hua quickly assessed the general situation, then began setting an array formation outside the cave without saying a word.

The person in the cave immediately sensed something unusual and promptly changed his tone:

”Taoist friend, what is your intention?”

”Taoist friend?”

”Why is the Taoist friend silent?”

...

Mo Hua completely ignored him.

In a situation where the details are unknown and he doesn’t hold the reins, he didn’t bother with unnecessary words.

As more formations were set, the person in the cave became much more conciliatory.

”Taoist friend, if you have any needs, feel free to ask.”

”Taoist friend, I have no ill intentions.”

”Taoist friend, why not come into the cave, let’s talk and become friends...”

Mo Hua continued to act as though he heard nothing, proceeding to draw his formations alone.

Only after finishing the formation did he stop his hand.

By this time, the surroundings of the cave were covered with densely packed killing formations.

These killing formations were like an enormous spider web, encasing the entire cave, filled with dangerous killing intent.

Mo Hua nodded and then said:

”Alright, now we can talk...”