The Quest for Immortality

”Mo Hua!” Bai Zisheng said happily, ”Did you bring something to eat?”

”No…”

”Then did you come to play with me?”

”Not really... I came to see Mr. Zhuang,” Mo Hua honestly replied.

Bai Zisheng felt quite disappointed.

”Have you finished your homework?” Mo Hua asked.

”Not yet, almost there, but I don’t feel like doing it anymore,” Bai Zisheng said, then lay down again.

Mo Hua’s eyes brightened, ”So, you’re not busy now?”

”Suppose so,” Bai Zisheng nodded.

”Then let’s spar!”

”Spar!” Bai Zisheng sat up excitedly, but looking at Mo Hua, who was at the fifth level of Qi refining, with scant spiritual power and a thin figure, he frowned and said, ”What are we going to spar with?”

Mo Hua whispered, ”We can spar with movement techniques.”

Bai Zisheng felt it was a bit boring, ”That sounds dull.”

”If you don’t want to, then never mind,” Mo Hua turned to leave.

Bai Zisheng quickly stood up and grabbed Mo Hua, saying, ”It’s not dull, not dull at all, it’s definitely better than lying around doing nothing.”

Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and then suggested, ”Add a box of begonia pastries for Zixi.”

”Okay,” Mo Hua readily agreed.

The two marked a boundary under the big locust tree, each standing at one end.

Mo Hua said, ”Start,” and saw Bai Zisheng’s gaze change instantly. In his white robe, he pounced like a fierce tiger, his speed incredibly fast.

Mo Hua’s eyelids twitched, he held his breath and concentrated, predicting Bai Zisheng’s trajectory in his spiritual sense, and lightly sidestepped to avoid him. Then, with a tap of his foot, he lightly retreated three meters.

”Eh?”

Bai Zisheng was surprised; he thought he would have caught Mo Hua this time, but Mo Hua had merely shifted slightly and dodged past him.

”Where did you learn this movement technique from?”

”A passing, unknown, kind-hearted uncle taught me,” Mo Hua replied.

Bai Zisheng was confused and didn’t bother to inquire further, but his competitive spirit was aroused, and his eyes shone even brighter.

”Be careful!”

Bai Zisheng pushed off the ground, and a faint golden spiritual power flashed on his body. In a blink, he appeared in front of Mo Hua again, reaching out to snatch the jade pendant from Mo Hua’s neck.

Mo Hua leaned back, almost falling, but used his spiritual power to pull his body back, lightly retreating while staying close to the ground.

Bai Zisheng’s hand grasped at nothing, and he turned and pounced towards Mo Hua even faster.

Mo Hua, having not completed his move and unable to adjust his technique in time, was too late and was tackled to the ground by Bai Zisheng, who snatched the jade pendant.

Bai Zisheng pulled Mo Hua up, somewhat guiltily saying, ”I didn’t hold back for a moment there, you alright?”

Mo Hua rubbed his arm, slightly in pain but no worse for wear, ”It’s fine, it’s just a spar.”

Bai Zisheng then relaxed and shook the jade pendant in his hand somewhat proudly, ”Don’t forget the beef and snacks.”

Seeing his childish demeanor, Mo Hua couldn’t help but laugh, ”Don’t worry, I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

”Okay,” Bai Zisheng nodded repeatedly, then hesitated, ”Still play, no... spar!”

Bai Zisheng corrected himself; sparring was serious business, unlike playing.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and regretfully shook his head, ”No, our cultivation levels are too different. It would still be a loss even if we played a few times.”

Bai Zisheng, who came from a prominent family outside Li province, had superior spiritual roots, cultivation techniques, and was a family prodigy with exceptional comprehension. Although he often appeared carefree, his strength was not to be underestimated.

Having used the Passing Water Step a few times just now, Mo Hua knew very well that with his current movement techniques, he couldn’t possibly outmatch Bai Zisheng.

Moreover, Bai Zisheng’s realm was significantly higher than his.

Mo Hua couldn’t help but sigh.

Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua looking a bit down and said, ”I’ll suppress my cultivation level and compare with you.”

Mo Hua was stunned, ”Is that really okay?”

”If it’s a spar, it needs to be fair. Relying on higher cultivation to win would be bullying,” Bai Z

isheng said righteously, ”Besides, we’re comparing movement techniques, so it shouldn’t depend on cultivation anyway, or it wouldn’t be fun.”

Mo Hua nodded, ”Alright, but let me rest a bit.”

After resting, Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng, who had suppressed his cultivation to the fifth level of Qi refining, had a few matches.

The results were entirely different.

Even though Bai Zisheng’s cultivation was suppressed and his techniques and movements were high-grade, the lack of cultivation support made his moves significantly slower.

Mo Hua’s spiritual awareness could clearly see this.

Most of Bai Zisheng’s moves could be anticipated by Mo Hua’s spiritual awareness, and he could dodge them using the Passing Water Step. Occasionally, some very tricky moves came in too fast for Mo Hua to dodge, and he had to admit defeat.

The two agreed on twenty rounds to determine the winner. If the jade pendant could be snatched, Bai Zisheng would win; if not, Mo Hua would win.

As evening approached, the two had their wins and losses, roughly even, but Bai Zisheng was slightly better.

Bai Zisheng had a lot of fun, and Mo Hua gained a deeper understanding of the Passing Water Step.

Bai Zisheng wanted to continue sparring, but Bai Zixi quietly reminded him about ”homework,” which felt like a bucket of cold water poured over him. Bai Zisheng had no choice but to stop and hurriedly finish his homework before it got dark.

Mo Hua bid them goodbye, promising to come again the next day, and under Bai Zisheng’s repeated reminders, agreed to bring the wine, meat, and begonia pastries.

Under the locust tree, everything was observed from a bamboo pavilion by Elder Gui.

Elder Gui watched Mo Hua’s departing figure with a meaningful gaze, ”The Zhang family’s Passing Water Step, huh...”