The Quest for Immortality

Most of these blood slaves were already dead, drained dry of blood before the battle began.

A few were still barely clinging to life, but their Blood Qi had been depleted, their foundations damaged—it was doubtful they could be saved.

There were also some cultivators who’d had their blood extracted, turned into mummified corpses and hung from the rafters.

Some had their blood brewed into ”Blood Wine,” stored in the cellars for Demon Cultivators to drink.

In the secret chamber, there were all sorts of cruel torture devices, inscribed with Evil Formations. No real purpose—just pure, twisted amusement at others’ suffering...

...

Mo Hua walked along, taking in every sight.

Some things—knowing and seeing—are two very different matters. Only by witnessing, by experiencing firsthand, can you truly understand what they mean.

Everything before him spoke, vividly and wordlessly, to Mo Hua:

In the eyes of Demon Cultivators, people are just emergency ”rations,” wine-making ”produce,” or bred ”livestock”—but never, ever ”people.”

These grim scenes engraved themselves deeply into Mo Hua’s mind.

Mo Hua said nothing, his silence heavy.

Xun Zixian caught the look on Mo Hua’s face, and finally spoke slowly: ”Cultivators have levels in cultivation, and the strength of their power differs.”

”Some cultivators, once their cultivation is strong, bear the world upon their hearts and benefit all living beings through their own efforts.”

”But others, armed with power, use it for oppression, enslavement, slaughter, even wanton massacre of weaker cultivators.”

”This is the division between Righteous and Demonic.”

Xun Zixian then pointed to all the Evil Formations spread throughout the Demon Sect, and said:

”Formations are just the same.”

”Some Formation Masters comprehend the Heavenly Dao and use Formations for the good of all.”

”Some Masters, however, have corrupt Heart Skills, exploiting Evil Formations for their own selfish gain—even obliterating their Taoist Heart, and committing slaughter in pursuit of powerful Formations.”

”This is the fundamental difference between Righteous Formation Masters and Evil Formation Masters.”

”Many cultivators live their whole lives sheltered, never understanding what ’Demon’ truly means. Some, on a stray thought, see no harm in falling into the demonic path, even thinking that becoming a Demon and killing at will makes them look powerful.” 𝖗ã𐌽ꝊВĚṧ

Xun Zixian sighed deeply, looked at Mo Hua one last time, and solemnly said:

”Cultivating as a Demon may grant you strength and sway over the winds and rains, but you will never attain true Dao, nor transcend to immortality.”

”You must decide—do you want to become immortal, or are you just chasing raw power?”

”This question may seem easy at first. The real challenge is—after countless trials and suffering, after years have passed and time has worn you down—can you still hold onto your original aspiration, and still see this truth clearly?”

Xun Zixian’s tone was grave and low.

Mo Hua’s pupils trembled slightly—he nodded deeply.

From then on, he was lost in thought all the way, until he reached the deepest part of the Demon Sect, where he met the Demon Head and laid eyes on the massive Blood Pool used for cultivation. Only then did he snap back to reality and study the Blood Pool before him.

The pool was enormous, cast from white bones, its edges dotted with monstrous demon statues carved from fiendish stone—all twisted, hideous forms.

To fill this Blood Pool, who knows how many deaths, how much blood would be needed?

But now, the pool was empty.

A whole pool of blood, drained by the Demon Head wielding the power of the Evil Dragon, at the moment of his last stand.

Inside the pool, Evil Formations were everywhere—but only the ordinary ones, meant for nourishing the pool and keeping the blood fresh and flowing.

It was not the mighty ”Four Symbols Green Dragon Evil Formation.”

Mo Hua circled the Blood Pool once, found nothing of value, and gave up, following a group of elders, ready to set off back to Taixu Gate.

But before leaving, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and went to ask Xun Ziyou:

”Elder Xun, did you encounter a skinny elder in the Demon Sect, someone with a dog Pattern on his body, surname ’You’?”

”Dog Pattern?”

”Yes.” Mo Hua nodded.

Xun Ziyou thought for a moment, then shook his head. ”When raiding the Demon Sect, I fought with more than ten Demon Sect Elders, but never saw a Golden Core Demon with a dog Pattern carved on him.”

Mo Hua frowned.

Never saw him...

Did that Elder You get wind of it and flee? Or was he killed by other Golden Core Elders?

”Is he important?” Xun Ziyou asked Mo Hua.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

He couldn’t really say.

By rights, this ”Elder You” should be a key figure. But the dog Pattern made him seem like just a lackey.

Even so, as a Golden Core, it seemed unlikely he’d willingly act as a ”dog.”

And although Mo Hua had tricked him, he could sense that Elder You was far from simple.

He was only fooled due to his lack of Formation knowledge.

When an expert cons a layman, it’s basically a guaranteed win.

Still, the real reason Mo Hua was preoccupied with Elder You was that the man owed him 1.8 million Spirit Stones.

That debt, Mo Hua remembered perfectly well.

”Mo Hua?” Xun Ziyou found Mo Hua daydreaming, his eyes flickering, obviously scheming something, so he called out, ”What’s the matter? Is there something suspicious about Elder You?”

”Nothing,” Mo Hua replied, ”I was just asking off the cuff.”

Xun Ziyou looked at Mo Hua with obvious doubt.

Mo Hua said, ”It’s getting late, Elder Xun. Let’s head back to the Sect, or Elder Master Xun will be worried.” .

Xun Ziyou’s focus shifted right away; he nodded:

”You’re right, let’s head back.”

For now, the urgent thing was to get the child Mo Hua back to the Sect—it was no good to have him wandering around this blood-soaked place, or who knows what he’d get mixed up in. There’d be no way to explain to the ancestors.

And so, the Taixu Sect Elders escorted Mo Hua, loading onto the carriage, heading back to Taixu Gate.