The Quest for Immortality

Other Tiger Demons prefer raw meat, but it likes grilled meat more.

I wonder if it’s because I’ve been feeding it dried fish since it was young and spoiled its taste...

Mo Hua murmured in his heart, but his hands kept busy, and after a while, he had the meat grilled and handed it to the Big Tiger.

The Big Tiger let out a roar towards Mo Hua and then used its paws to hold the grilled demon leg, munching deliciously, with its tail constantly wagging, looking relaxed and carefree.

...

From then on, the Big Tiger’s taste was spoiled by Mo Hua.

Unless necessary, it wouldn’t eat raw meat.

Whenever there was meat, it would immediately bring it to Mo Hua, letting Mo Hua use the Formation to grill it, and only then would it eat.

Mo Hua sometimes didn’t want to grill, but seeing the Big Tiger circling him with a greedy look, he couldn’t bear it and had to indulge it.

However, meat wasn’t always available.

This place, the Great Wilderness, is truly desolate, not a single person in sight, and even Monster Beasts are rare.

This is contrary to Mo Hua’s previous impressions.

In his understanding, this place, the Great Wilderness, is desolate and savage, and there should be plenty of Monster Beasts.

Mo Hua speculated that perhaps it’s because of the spreading war and the Barbarian Soldiers passing through.

Along the way, the Monster Beasts were either slain by the Barbarian Soldiers or fled away upon hearing the news.

After all, no matter how strong the Monster Beasts are, they can’t withstand the army led by the Great Wilderness Prince.

Under the spreading war, even the gathering Monster Beasts must avoid the sharp edges to survive.

Mo Hua sighed softly.

Since he couldn’t identify the direction, it didn’t matter to him. He just followed the traces of Monster Beasts, riding the Big Tiger and moving forward.

”Catching Monster Beasts” was the only thing he could do.

And it was something he had to do.

Catching a Monster Beast was enough for the Big Tiger to have a meal.

With food, the Big Tiger could survive.

Otherwise, with this scorching sun and vast earth, Mo Hua could survive with Fasting Pills, but as a ”big eater,” the Big Tiger would surely starve to death.

Thus, Mo Hua rode on the black and white Big Tiger, hunting Monster Beasts while advancing aimlessly through the land of the Great Wilderness.

Traveling during the day, killing Monster Beasts.

At night, if there was no wind, he could move a bit.

If the wind was strong and the night cold, he had to stop and rest temporarily.

The Big Tiger lay on the ground, while Mo Hua wrapped himself in a blanket, cushioning himself under the Big Tiger’s belly, using its fluffy fur for warmth.

Days dawned and dusk fell, and then dawn came again.

In this cycle, months unknowingly passed.

Mo Hua finally crossed the brown-red desert and saw a different landscape.

This was a vast mountain range, rugged and dangerous, with red-brown shrubs growing.

The Monster Qi between the mountains was denser, and Mo Hua seemed to faintly sense the presence of some living people.

After walking for so long, he finally saw living people.

There was a hint of excitement in Mo Hua’s heart.

Afterwards, Mo Hua didn’t hesitate anymore, riding the fierce tiger into the deep mountains.

The mountain forests were steep, but every grass and tree was relatively intact, seemingly unaffected by the Great Wilderness Barbarian Soldiers’ march and thus hadn’t suffered large-scale destruction.

The variety of Monster Beasts in the forest also increased considerably, lighting up the Big Tiger’s eyes.

Mo Hua, however, released his Divine Sense, observing the surroundings to search for human traces.

After all, Monster Beasts can’t speak; only by finding people can Mo Hua understand what this place is and where he is, allowing him to decide what to do next.

One man and one tiger walked through the forest, with no Monster Beast daring to offend them.

The tiger is the King of Demons, making all beasts retreat; no ordinary Monster Beast dared to challenge its majesty.

Moreover, the Big Tiger was still a Second Grade peak Big Monster Beast.

After walking in the mountains for a while, Mo Hua’s Divine Thought suddenly sensed the aura of two cultivators.

He pondered for a moment and then said to the Big Tiger:

”You wait for me here.”

The Big Tiger was too mighty and conspicuous, making it inconvenient to move with it and inquire about news.

But the Big Tiger didn’t listen and continued to follow Mo Hua, seemingly afraid that if Mo Hua left, he would be lost again.

Mo Hua sighed and could only comfort it, saying, ”I’ll be back in a moment.”

The Big Tiger tilted its big head, clearly doubtful.

Mo Hua had no choice but to remove his Storage Bag and place it in front of the Big Tiger, saying, ”I’m leaving my Storage Bag with you, guard it for me, and I’ll surely come back to take it.”

The Big Tiger lay on the ground, using its paws to firmly hold onto Mo Hua’s Storage Bag, then nodded.

Mo Hua was really helpless, thinking that this Big Tiger was really becoming sentient.

Then Mo Hua’s figure gently faded and he left invisibly.

The Big Tiger instinctively panicked, nearly rising, but after thinking for a moment, it reluctantly lay back down, placing its head on the Storage Bag, waiting for Mo Hua like ”guarding a rabbit.”

...

On the other side, Mo Hua, hidden, reached a mountain cliff. Looking down, he saw two cultivators walking side by side on the steep mountain path.

These two cultivators had tangled hair, bare-armed, dressed in animal skins. Their faces, back necks, and arms were all engraved with Beast Patterns.

At first glance, they were not cultivators of the Daoist Court Nine Provinces, but didn’t seem like sinister Monster cultivators either; they were likely Barbarian Tribe cultivators.

Moreover, one was a hunched old man with Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivation, wrinkles all over his face, exuding an unusual aura.

The other was a child around ten years old, at the Qi Refinement fourth or fifth level.

Seemed like grandfather and grandson.

At this moment, the grandfather and grandson were walking into the deep mountains, talking along the way. Mostly, it was the old man instructing the child.

Their language carried a clearly noticeable Barbarian Tribe accent but was largely speaking in the official language of the Taoist Court.

Mo Hua could roughly understand as well.

As for why this Barbarian Tribe grandfather and grandson spoke the official language of the Taoist Court, Mo Hua had an idea.

The Great Wilderness with its three thousand Barbarian Tribes had its own writing and language.

But later, when the Desolate Royal Family rebelled and the Taoist Court subdued them, the Taoist Court issued decrees forcing all clans of the Great Wilderness to learn the writing and language of the Taoist Court.

To destroy a culture of a tribe, one must first abolish its writing and language.

Thus, now most clans in the Great Wilderness grew up knowing the unified language of the Nine State, though it might be mixed with some Barbarian Tribe accents.

As grandfather and grandson walked and chatted along the mountain path.

Their conversation was fragmentary and scattered.

Mo Hua silently listened from the side, and suddenly, his expression changed.

He just heard ”sacrifice” mentioned in the grandfather and grandson’s fragmented words.

”Sacrifice... what?”

Mo Hua’s eyes slightly narrowed.