The Quest for Immortality

...

A group of people chattered as they walked into the ruined temple.

Mo Hua, hidden in the crevices of the beams and borrowing the moonlight, watched secretly and saw that the ruined temple bustled with activity as more than ten people joined in. Find more chapters on

Most of them were Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.

Some carried knives, some were equipped with swords, and a few pushed carts on which storage boxes sat, containing unknown contents.

The frontmost Cultivator, dressed in green robes and armed with a sword, appeared middle-aged and had an air of gentle refinement.

He seemed to be the leader of the group.

Though his Cultivation was also at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, it was clearly deeper than the rest, and his footsteps were methodical.

Mo Hua heard others call him "Boss Jiang."

"We’ve been travelling day and night, and brothers are tired. Let’s rest in the temple, and continue on our journey at dawn. Delivering the goods will earn us some Spirit Stones to live with ease..."

His voice was warm and cultured.

The other Cultivators nodded in agreement, placed their luggage down, and found a clean spot to sit cross-legged.

Some took out dry food to eat, some drank wine to relieve fatigue, and some, perhaps exceedingly tired, lay down and slept immediately.

A few people spoke in hushed tones, to which Mo Hua pricked up his ears to listen.

"Boss, how much longer..."

"Three to four days’ journey..."

"How much can we make?"

"Don’t think too much. Let’s see when we get it..."

"The others..."

"It’s just us..."

...

The few chatted for quite a while.

Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, not understanding their conversation, and just as he tried to listen more closely, suddenly Boss Jiang’s expression changed.

"Something’s not right!"

The other Cultivators, taken aback, showed looks of astonishment.

"Boss, what’s the matter?"

"What’s happened?"

Boss Jiang stood up and slowly looked around, his gaze turning sharp, "There’s someone here!"

Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.

The people in the ruined temple were shocked, stood up, and with their Divine Senses colliding, swept the area carefully, only to become collectively frowning.

"Boss, there’s no one..."

Boss Jiang wiped the ground with his hand, his eyes alert, "The ground is still warm, indicating that a Cultivator warmed himself here not long ago..."

He looked around and found the skin of the sweet potato Mo Hua had partially eaten.

Holding the skin, his face showed confusion.

Suddenly someone exclaimed, "Boss, look!"

Boss Jiang, alerted, walked over and followed the direction pointed to by that person, and saw patterns crisscrossed on the ground as if newly smeared...

Boss Jiang felt a shudder in his heart, "Is this... Formation?!"

His usually gentle eyes suddenly became sharp, and he commanded authoritatively, "Everyone on guard!"

All the Cultivators present, their weariness dispelled, drew their swords or brandished their knives, channelling their Spiritual Power, their expressions extremely grave.

Yet, after a moment, the ruined temple remained completely silent.

Whether by the naked eye or the perception of Divine Sense, they found not a single trace.

Someone hesitated, "Boss, could we have been mistaken..."

Boss Jiang frowned, pondered for a moment, and shook his head:

"No, the Formation has just been erased, there is residual warmth. Someone was here in this ruined temple very recently..."

"In these desolate mountains with paths scarce and far between, only this ruined temple stands; that person would not have gone far, likely hiding from us due to our numbers..."

"Or perhaps... laying an ambush for us..."

The faces of the other Cultivators tensed.

"Boss, what should we do?"

After pondering for a moment, Boss Jiang looked at the ruined temple and spoke loudly, "Whichever Taoist Friend is present, why not show yourself?"

"Meeting by chance is fate..."

"We have no quarrel with you, and we will not harm you. A random meeting in the wilds can lead to friendship..."

...

Boss Jiang spoke politely, but Mo Hua remained unmoved.

One cannot see the heart through the belly. How could he know whether this group was good or bad?

Boss Jiang had exhausted his words, and seeing that there was still no response from the surroundings, his eyes grew cold, and he said sternly:

"If this Taoist Friend won’t show common decency, don’t blame me for being discourteous..."

"Once I tear down this ruined temple and smash this divine statue, leveling this place to the ground, let’s see where you can hide..."

Tear down the temple?

Mo Hua was taken aback, and glancing down, he saw Lord Yellow Mountain, the spirit residing in the divine statue, looking indignant yet helpless.

The Mountain God was now in shambles and stood no chance against this band of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

If his dwelling – the clay statue – was destroyed, he truly might lose his foundation.

Mo Hua didn’t particularly care.

The mountain was vast, the night was deep, and even if the temple was torn down, he could still flee, but Lord Yellow Mountain couldn’t run from the mountain god’s temple...

He still had a host of questions to ask this destitute Mountain God.

After some thought, Mo Hua dispelled his Concealment Technique and called out crisply:

"I’m coming out!"

Boss Jiang was startled by the sound. He had thought that anyone daring to stop here in the dark of the night must be a seasoned traveler, experienced in the ways of the wild.

But why did the voice sound so young?

Before he could gather his thoughts, he saw a young Cultivator jump down from the rafters, petite in stature with a handsome face and innocent expression.

Boss Jiang was stunned, and then felt a chill in his heart, he couldn’t help but ask:

"Are you human, or a ghost?"

Mo Hua glanced at him disdainfully, "Are you the ghost?"

Boss Jiang saw that Mo Hua’s voice and appearance were vibrant and lively, indeed not like a spirit but a real, live, young Cultivator, and he relaxed slightly.

But then he furrowed his brows again, "Are you alone?"

Naturally, Mo Hua wasn’t going to say he was alone, and simply replied:

"I got separated from my master and fellow senior and junior disciples. I was resting in this ruined temple temporarily and will look for them tomorrow."

With a Sect...

Boss Jiang’s brow furrowed slightly but did not take it to heart.