The Quest for Immortality

Xun Ziyou’s gaze darkened slightly, and he nodded.

The Elder of Tai’a Sect spoke in a solemn tone: ”Our Tai’a Sect wishes to advance further!”

Xun Ziyou’s gaze stiffened slightly, and he nodded lightly, ”You want to join the Four Great Sects?”

The Elder of Tai’a Sect looked as if it were only natural.

Xun Ziyou frowned, ”Impossible, the Four Great Sects and Eight Great Gates are fixed, and cannot easily be altered due to the outcomes of one or two debates.”

The Elder of Tai’a Sect smiled faintly, ”It’s going to change.”

Xun Ziyou’s gaze became sharp.

He had heard this news before, but had not taken it seriously.

Sect reform is a significant matter, and if truly implemented, the resistance would be immense.

It wasn’t the first time over the past hundreds of years that such suggestions have been made, but they mostly ended as thunder without rain, eventually forgotten.

”Really?”

”Before the dust settles, nothing can be certain. But supposedly, the probability is high.”

The Elder of Tai’a Sect continued, ”If sect reform truly takes place, breaking the current structure of the Four Great Sects and Eight Great Gates, then our Tai’a Sect’s opportunity will arise!”

”This opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!”

”As you said, the Four Great Sects and Eight Great Gates are fixed and won’t change due to momentary fluctuations in sect strength.”

”Even if our Tai’a Sect were genuinely stronger than the Four Great Sects, we wouldn’t easily ascend to their rank.”

”But as long as sect reform occurs, anything is possible!”

Xun Ziyou considered briefly and then said in a somber tone: ”So, you plan to collaborate with Sever Gold Sect?”

”It’s not ’collaboration,’” the Elder of Tai’a Sect seemed mildly annoyed, ”such a distasteful way to put it... It’s mutual support, aiding one another.”

”Our Tai’a Sect wishes to advance further, moving from the Eight Great Gates to the Four Great Sects.”

”Sever Gold Sect, naturally, also desires progress, moving from the Twelve Streams to the Eight Great Gates.”

”Although, officially, the Eight Great Gates and Twelve Streams are not ranked strictly, the sect hierarchy and public reputation differ significantly.”

Xun Ziyou’s expression turned somewhat grim, and he said helplessly:

”If some advance, others will inevitably regress...”

”If Sever Gold Sect progresses and joins the Eight Great Gates, won’t our Taixu Gate regress, dropping into the Twelve Streams?”

The Elder of Tai’a Sect sighed, ”That depends on Taixu Gate itself.”

”When it comes to sect interests, no one else can be relied upon—it all depends on yourselves.”

”Let me be candid: if your Taixu Gate truly excels during this opportunity, ascending directly to the Four Great Sects is possible.”

”If you fail to measure up and fall from the Eight Great Gates, who can you blame?”

Xun Ziyou sighed softly.

The Qian State Dao Debate and the competition among Heavenly Pride candidates—how easily can one ’excel’ in such circumstances...

The Elder of Tai’a Sect glanced at Xun Ziyou, took a sip of tea, and spoke slowly:

”Our Tai’a Sect Leader has already spoken with the Chief Elder of Sever Gold Sect. I don’t know the specifics, but it’s presumably about sect reform or mutual support.”

”Sever Gold Sect has an extensive network.”

”Certain strengths, which are beyond Tai’a, Chongxu, and Taixu—the three aligned sects.”

”The sects intend to nurture ties, and naturally, there’s more interaction between the disciples below.”

He sighed again, ”Given our long-standing rapport, I won’t hide this from you—I’m merely giving you a heads-up. It’s best for Taixu Gate to stay vigilant.”

”The Dao Debate Congress is the truly critical matter.”

”Our three sects share a lineage and origins; we were the same alliance generations ago. I sincerely hope that when Tai’a Sect ascends to the Four Great Sects, Chongxu Gate progresses further, your Taixu Gate doesn’t end up falling from the Eight Great Gates.”

The Elder of Tai’a Sect looked at Xun Ziyou with a complex expression.

Xun Ziyou’s demeanor was grim as he took a long, deep breath and said:

”Understood...”

...

The issue of reform stirred hidden currents among the higher levels of various sects.

Yet Mo Hua remained completely unaware, nor did anyone bother mentioning it to a little disciple like him.

He still cultivated in silence, attending daily lessons.

At the same time, he painted formations relentlessly day and night, aiming to break through his realm to achieve Divine Sense at the Eighteen Patterns level and subsequently learn Eighteen-Pattern formations.

But the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao Laws persisted.

His Divine Sense could not grow.

Whenever he had spare time, Mo Hua would also study the Heavenly Dao Law within his Sea of Consciousness, attempting to grasp its mystery.

But after countless hours of meditation and pondering, he still gained nothing.

After all, matters at the level of ”laws” were far beyond the comprehension of a little cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm like him.

Only now did Mo Hua realize he had been somewhat arrogant before.

He could only take a step back.

Rather than seeking to understand the mysteries of the law, he simply hoped it would ’eat its fill’ and leave him alone, so it wouldn’t obstruct his breakthrough in Divine Sense.

As Mo Hua refined his Divine Sense further, the law gradually loosened its grip as well.

But when it would finally ’be fed’ and lift its restrictions remained unknown...

...

During the free time period, Mo Hua practiced swordsmanship, hunted hawks, and earned merit points as usual.

With one swift strike, golden light flashed, and the hawk plummeted.

Mo Hua rushed over with his blade, drained its blood, plucked its feathers, skinned it, removed its bones, and gathered various materials.

By noon, he felt a bit weary. He drank some fruit wine and ate some spiritual meat before climbing atop a tall tree to rest with his eyes closed.

But he hadn’t rested long before he sensed faint movement.

Mo Hua opened his eyes and peered down through the dense leaves, spotting a group of five battling a monster beast.

These five were dressed in the Taoist robes of Tai’a Sect.

The other four were unfamiliar to Mo Hua.

But one of them was a ”familiar face”—the younger brother Senior Brother Feng had entrusted him to watch over, Ouyang Mu.

Unlike the sword-browed, star-eyed, tall and heroic Senior Brother Feng,

This younger brother appeared slim, with bronzed skin, looking very much like a ”Little Wood.”