The Quest for Immortality

To truly find one’s path between the realms of man and deity, one must explore and discover on their own.

”By the way,” Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked, ”Mountain Lord, what about ’dragons’? Are there any progression paths for the Dragon Soul?”

”Dragons?” Lord Yellow Mountain was momentarily stunned, ”What does this have to do with dragons?”

Mo Hua was unsure how to respond.

He couldn’t exactly tell Lord Yellow Mountain that he ’consumed’ a dragon...

Mo Hua said, ”Some time ago, by chance, I encountered descendants of the Great Wilderness and witnessed a Dragon Soul, so out of curiosity, I wanted to ask you.”

Upon hearing this, Lord Yellow Mountain was quite surprised and asked, ”Then where is this Dragon Soul now?”

It’s in my stomach... Mo Hua remained silent for a moment and could only say, ”I don’t know either...”

Lord Yellow Mountain felt a bit regretful, pondered for a moment, and said, ”Dragons are divine beasts, and a Dragon Soul is the soul of a divine beast, in some sense, it’s a presence comparable to a ’deity’.”

”But the number of dragons is exceedingly rare, and Dragon Souls are rarer still.”

”Even when I was once the God of Solitary Mountain, who lived for countless years, I barely ever witnessed a Dragon Soul firsthand.”

”The secrets of Dragon Souls, perhaps only the ’Dragon’ race itself, or humans with the bloodlines of true dragons and Karma Dragons know.”

”Humans with the bloodlines of true dragons or Karma Dragons?” Mo Hua asked.

Lord Yellow Mountain replied, ”The lineage of the Dao Court Emperor inherits the blood of true dragons. The royal family of the Great Wilderness inherits the blood of Karma Dragons.”

”Moreover, in the Barbaric Wilderness, Northern Border, Western Extreme, some hidden clans, and even some of the current Great Families and major clans, the blood of Karma Dragons occasionally flows.”

Mo Hua was enlightened. .

He had heard Master Xia mention the distinction between true dragons and Karma Dragons.

But hearing about these forces with the Karma Dragon bloodline was new to him.

”Even Great Families and major clans have the Karma Dragon bloodline?”

Mo Hua couldn’t help but remember his outstanding and gallant junior brother, whose spear struck like a dragon.

”Junior Brother is from the Bai Family and has cultivated the Path of the Dragon; does this mean that the blood of the Karma Dragon flows in him as well?”

Mo Hua thought it wasn’t impossible.

If he met Junior Brother again, he must ask him.

The knowledge about the Divine Way was almost complete, and Mo Hua mentally noted all the crucial information, then glanced back at Lord Yellow Mountain, noticing a subtle golden hue enveloping him, curiously asking:

”Mountain Lord, you have...”

Mo Hua thought for a moment but chose not to mention ”Lifebound Divine Statue.”

Heaven and earth have six ears.

And he bore many causal ties.

If those four words slipped out and were deduced by those with malintent, it might bring unexpected disaster to Lord Yellow Mountain.

Mo Hua then said, ”With that item, can you restore your strength to its peak as before? You were formidable back then.”

At the pinnacle of the Third Grade, just one step away from the Fourth Realm Mountain God.

His cultivation made even Evil Gods envious.

His divine skill’s power was astonishingly strong.

He even built such a large Divine Temple and constructed so many divine statues.

His followers must have been abundant, and the incense must have been prosperous.

Comparing the past to now, it’s truly a world of difference.

Lord Yellow Mountain said gladly, ”Having the origin, anything is possible, though it won’t be fast. The path of a deity still requires gradual cultivation.”

Mo Hua also felt happy for Lord Yellow Mountain and further asked, ”To reach the Third Grade, must you establish widespread Taoist Fields and absorb the incense of the living beings?”

Lord Yellow Mountain shook his head.

”You don’t need to?” Mo Hua asked.

With a profound gaze, Lord Yellow Mountain slowly sighed, ”The support of the living is illusory.”

”Among all existences in this world, whether human, demon, or deity, most are puppets to power, fame, authority, and status.”

”As are humans...”

”With power, one is an emperor; without it, they’re merely a commoner in the world.”

”With supreme cultivation, one is revered as a master; losing it, they’re but an ant in the cosmos.”

”I, as a Mountain God, am no exception.”

”Back when my Divine Thought was mighty, and I wielded boundless power, naturally, I was majestic, with thousands worshiping me, and incense was flourishing...”

”But the one truly majestic wasn’t me, but the Heaven and Earth Might that used me as a ’puppet’...”

”Those who’ve worshiped, weren’t truly worshiping me; they worshiped the power of my deity form.”

”Such support is inherently illusory.”

”Once the Heaven and Earth Might is lost, people disperse, incense breaks off, and in essence, I’m merely a minor Mountain God in a decrepit temple, unnoticed by the world.”

”Thus, I’ve come to understand: deities, born to uphold the Dao, should eschew worldly desires, cultivate calmly, and foster goodwill without seeking others’ support, setting up incense broadly, or forcefully pursuing cause and effect.”

”If it’s all illusion, then there’s no joy in its coming, no sorrow in its leaving; focus on self-cultivation to realize one’s origin is enough...”

Lord Yellow Mountain spoke with profound meaning.

Mo Hua paused in thought, reflecting.

This enlightenment, he had heard from Lord Yellow Mountain before, but hadn’t truly understood it until after experiencing things in Solitary Mountain, and now it had a different flavor.

Deities pursue the Dao, not incense.

Incense follows the heart of people, ethereal and transient.

Yet, the Great Dao exists within Heaven and Earth, eternal and everlasting.

Similarly, a cultivator should seek the Dao, not merely cultivation, power, fame, profit, and status.

Mo Hua nodded, earnestly saluted Lord Yellow Mountain, and said, ”Thank you for your guidance, Mountain Lord.”

Lord Yellow Mountain hurriedly waved his hand, ”The vicissitudes of life, amid adversity, lead to minor realizations; if it helps a friend, all the better, but I cannot accept such a grand gesture.”

Mo Hua nodded, ”You’ve been a great help to me.”

The two continued to drink and chat for a while, and as it grew late, Mo Hua had to leave. He could not keep Elder Xun waiting outside indefinitely.

As he was about to leave, Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked Lord Yellow Mountain, ”Staying in this dilapidated temple for cultivation, will you be disturbed by spirits?”