The Quest for Immortality

”Elder Master...”

Mo Hua spoke softly, his voice somewhat hoarse due to the dryness, seemingly the aftereffect of residual Divine Thought affecting his body.

”Hmm.” Elder Master Xun continued to use a vermilion brush, marking something on the Formation Paper, then looked up slightly, glanced at Mo Hua, and asked:

”How is it?”

Mo Hua’s Divine Sense observed within, perceiving his own Sea of Consciousness, discovering the persistent presence of demon wraiths’ ”Evil Thoughts,” which were gradually eroding his Taoist Heart, though already much weaker.

It seemed that while he was unconscious, his Sea of Consciousness was persistently, autonomously ”digesting” these mottled bloodthirsty desires.

”Much better,” Mo Hua said.

Elder Master Xun nodded.

Mo Hua glanced at the Formation Paper in Elder Master Xun’s hand, ”Elder Master, these are...”

Elder Master Xun sighed softly:

”You took such a long leave, and then fell unconscious for two days, I had to grade these Formation coursework myself...”

Even if I wanted to be lazy, I couldn’t.

Mo Hua smiled a little awkwardly.

Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua again, various thoughts flashed in his eyes, but ultimately all were silently hidden.

”Ziyou told me about the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons matter.”

”You did well.”

”But about this matter, do not mention a word to the outside. I have instructed all Inner Sect Elders and disciples involved not to disclose your ’name’.”

”I’ve also informed those at Tai’a Sect and Rushing Void Sect.”

”Not just you, but also Ling Huxiao, Shangguan Mu, and Song Jian, none of these kids’ names will be mentioned outside...” .

Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, ”For the sake of confidentiality?”

”Not entirely,” Elder Master Xun sighed, ”Confidentiality is necessary.”

”The Valley of Ten Thousand Demons incident is a significant scandal, but precisely because it is a ’scandal,’ it is not advisable to make it public, or else there would be...”

Elder Master Xun paused, then continued, ”...some unpredictable consequences, with uncertain fate.”

”Moreover, this is also for your own good.”

”You are Sect disciples, focusing on cultivation is the main task, there’s no need to get involved in these bloody conspiracies.”

”What’s more, this matter also involves some from the Monster Gate Demon Path.”

”Once tainted by such matters, it’s easy to draw other people’s criticism. Too much gossip can negatively affect your own Tao cultivation journey, and it would be a bad bargain...”

Elder Master Xun’s expression was somewhat solemn.

He only hinted slightly.

Yet Mo Hua roughly understood.

Once the matter of the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons is revealed, it would be hard to explain.

How did three Foundation Establishment Middle Phase disciples survive from the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons, full of Foundation Establishment Late Stage and even Peak evil spirits, with the help of another Foundation Establishment Middle Phase disciple?

This sounded somewhat like a fantasy.

Normally, such a scenario seems impossible.

Others would find it hard to believe.

Moreover, once trapped in a land of evil spirits, living with monster cultivators every day, would there be situations under duress or temptation, where evil pills were consumed, human flesh eaten, demon skills practiced, or an evil sword forged?

All of this would arouse baseless suspicion.

Words are terrifying.

Once someone with ill intent spreads slander and fans the flames, tossing dirt onto them, it would be impossible to prove their innocence under the scenario of three people making a tiger.

People demanding you to cut open your stomach for the truth don’t actually care if you are innocent.

As for himself, coming from a Loose Cultivator background, his relationship with fellow disciples is pretty good, so he’s not afraid of such rumors.

He’s also unconcerned about slander from other Sects.

But for the others, it’s different.

Ling Huxiao is a Sword Dao genius of Rushing Void Sect.

Though Shangguan Mu appears unremarkable, he’s a direct lineage of the Ouyang Family and has an outstanding brother.

Moreover, the personalities of both are either reclusive or wooden, and their relationships with fellow disciples are not good, nor are they eloquent.

Once rumors start, they might not even know how to defend themselves.

And then there’s Song Jian...

Oh, as for Song Jian, it doesn’t matter.

Mo Hua suddenly realized.

He always thought of himself as an obscure little disciple, not famous, and thus believed others wouldn’t pay attention to him, so he never considered such matters.

Now that Elder Master Xun mentioned it, he realized that sometimes causing harm doesn’t require weapons or facts, just knowing how to ”spread rumors” is enough.

Mo Hua nodded solemnly, ”Elder Master, I understand, thank you for your concern.”

Elder Master Xun nodded.

Smart children are indeed good...

Just a slight hint, and they comprehend it themselves.

Mo Hua then whispered: ”Elder Master, how will the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons incident ultimately be resolved?”

He was quite curious.

Within the Qian Learning State Boundary, where Sects are numerous and the academic atmosphere is flourishing, setting up bases, raising monster cultivators, and enticing disciples into the Demon Path.

The Sever Gold Sect has made such a big blunder, no matter how they cover it, they can’t possibly keep it covered, right?

Elder Master Xun hesitated, then suddenly paused, and asked Mo Hua in return:

”What do you think?”

Mo Hua was startled, ”What do I think?”

Elder Master Xun nodded, ”If you were the ’ancestor’ of the Qian Learning State Boundary and the Sects, how would you handle it? And if you were a high-level of the Taoist Court, what would you do?”

Mo Hua furrowed his eyebrows, following Elder Master Xun’s train of thought:

”If I were the ’ancestor’ of the Qian Learning State Boundary...”

Mo Hua pondered for a moment and couldn’t help but admit: ”...then this matter, surely must be as ’covered’ as possible.”

”Though the Sever Gold Sect made a mess, when one is damaged, the whole Qian Learning State Boundary suffers.”

”If others know, within the Qian Learning State Boundary, there are people setting up demon valleys, coercing and enticing disciples into the Demon Path, then all Sects within the Qian Learning State Boundary would be implicated.”

”Sever Gold Sect lures disciples into the Monster Path, then other Sects are unlikely to be clean either.”

”After all, in the eyes of outsiders, the Qian Learning State Boundary is united. They aren’t aware of the disputes and contradictions among the Sects, they would only think the entire Qian Learning State Boundary is in collusion, murky, and thereafter wouldn’t send disciples here to study anymore.”