https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-135-A-Chance-Encounter-Part-III-/12540818/
Chapter 134: Searching (Part Two)
Chapter 134: Searching (Part Two)
After Elder Yu finished speaking, he led the group into the depths of Great Dark Mountain.
At a campsite near the outer mountain entrance, they met up with Yu Chengyi.
Elder Yu asked, "Any news?"
Yu Chengyi's clothes were damp from the rain, his face pale, and his brows furrowed. "The rain was too heavy. After the storm, there are no traces left in the mountain. We have no idea where he might have gone."
Elder Yu sighed heavily. "This complicates matters."
Great Dark Mountain was vast, and even if they were just searching the outer regions, it would take seven or eight days to cover the area thoroughly. If they wanted to conduct a more meticulous search, it would take even longer.
If something had happened to Old Zhao, the odds of finding him safe and sound were slim.
The hunters at the campsite wore worried expressions.
A crisp, childish voice piped up from among the group. "Where did Uncle Zhao enter the mountain?"
Everyone turned to look at Mo Hua, who was standing behind Mo Shan.
Although Mo Hua was young, he was familiar with most of the hunters present, who affectionately called him "Little Formation Master." Thus, despite his age, they did not overlook his question.
Yu Chengyi quickly called Mo Hua over and unfolded a map, pointing to a mountain path. "Old Zhao entered from this mountain pass in the evening."
Mo Hua took a quick glance before closing the map and retrieving his own from his storage bag.
As Mo Hua spread out his map, the others gathered around, their eyes widening in surprise.
The map was incredibly detailed, marking not just mountain paths, poisonous swamps, and miasma zones, but also the locations of fragrant herbs, spirit grasses, and mineral deposits.
The map was so densely packed with information that if Mo Hua hadn't been limited by space, he probably would have noted every tree and described each one in detail...
Mo Hua pointed to a spot on his map. "Is it here?"
Yu Chengyi nodded.
Mo Hua compared the location to his compass, which had a diagram of the Parent-Child Compass Formation drawn on it, and his brows furrowed as he studied it.
Yu Chengyi's heart tightened, and he asked, "What is it?"
Mo Hua pointed to several locations on the map. "There were spiritual power fluctuations here."
"What does that mean?"
"It means someone has been here and used spiritual power."
The group exchanged glances, their expressions astonished.
One of the hunters blurted out, "You can tell that from here?"
Mo Hua nodded. "This is the Parent-Child Compass Formation. I placed stone needles in the mountain, and if there are spiritual power fluctuations nearby, this compass will show them."
The hunters' eyes widened, and they regarded Mo Hua with newfound respect.
Elder Yu's expression brightened slightly. "We must waste no time. Let's go there now!"
Without further delay, the group set off, with Mo Shan quietly trailing behind Mo Hua after a brief reminder to "be careful."
After a short break for tea, they arrived at the location Mo Hua had indicated.
It was a small hill with a narrow mountain path leading downward, a forest upward, and a cliff to the right.
Mo Hua located the stone needle and noticed that the array patterns on it had faded and warped due to the intense spiritual power fluctuations.
"Well?" Yu Chengyi asked anxiously.
Mo Hua nodded. "Indeed, someone has been here, and they are not only skilled in cultivation but also caused quite a disturbance. There should be traces nearby."
Yu Chengyi instructed, "Spread out and search the area."
Soon, someone shouted, "Over here!"
The group rushed over and found the ground littered with mottled, broken stones and trees snapped in half. On the nearby cliff face was a diagonal palm print imbued with faint earth-attribute spiritual power.
Yu Chengyi examined it and said, "Mountain Splitting Palm. It's Uncle Zhao."
Mo Shan also stepped forward, his fingers brushing the cliff face before bringing them to his nose to sniff. His expression turned cold as he said, "There's blood, but the rain washed it away."
The faces of the others grew grave.
Elder Yu asked Mo Hua, "Are there any other traces?"
Mo Hua checked the compass and saw that many of the lights had dimmed or disappeared. He shook his head. "It's been a while, and the spiritual power fluctuations are too weak to discern now."
The Parent-Child Compass Formation was time-limited. When spiritual power fluctuations first occurred, the lights on the compass would be bright, but they would gradually dim and eventually disappear over time.
Yu Chengyi thought for a moment. "Probably around the middle of You hour. It's been almost one shichen (two-hour period)
."
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled. As a Formation Master, he had an exceptional memory. Although he hadn't paid much attention, he still had a vague impression of the compass readings from before he ate.
He spread out the map and marked several points. "These points here likely had some sort of conflict around You hour, but it might not have been Uncle Zhao. It could have been other cultivators or yaoguai (demon beasts)
. And these points might not be entirely accurate..."
"It's better than nothing," Elder Yu said. "Having a direction is better than blindly searching."
Elder Yu patted Mo Hua on the shoulder. "You've done well. If we still can't find him, then it's just bad luck for Old Zhao."
Mo Hua nodded, his expression a little dejected.
"Are there any other clues?" Elder Yu asked.
Mo Hua examined the map once more and then drew out several lines. "There have been continuous spiritual power fluctuations along these routes. We should search them thoroughly."
Elder Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, and the other hunters' hearts stirred as well.
The continuous spiritual power fluctuations indicated ongoing battles, meaning someone was being pursued!
The question was, was the pursuer a yaoguai or another cultivator?
Elder Yu's expression turned solemn, and he made a decisive decision. "Split up! Smaller groups of three, larger groups of five. Assign at least ten people to each of these lines. Be cautious and signal with a whistle if you find anything."
With Elder Yu's orders, the hunters sprang into action, quickly dispersing in different directions.
Elder Yu turned to Mo Hua and instructed, "Stay with your father and don't wander off."
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded.
As night fell, the group searched for the missing hunter in the rain-soaked Great Dark Mountain.
After another shichen, they found more signs of conflict and even fragments of vine armor, but they still couldn't find Old Zhao.
Mo Hua marked all the points of conflict on the map and then studied it, a frown on his face.
With signs of conflict and evidence of being pursued, Old Zhao must have been severely injured. He couldn't have gotten far, likely still somewhere near the roads marked on the map.
But with so many people searching, why hadn't they found him? If he was alive, they should have found him by now, and if he was dead, they should have at least found his body...
Puzzled, Mo Hua turned to his father, who was standing behind him, and asked, "Father, how do you usually search for people?"
"How do we search?"
"Do you use your spiritual sense to find them?"
Mo Shan thought for a moment. "We use our eyes to look for traces, our ears to listen for sounds, our noses to smell for blood, and our spiritual sense for simple awareness."
That didn't seem to be an issue...
Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly had another idea. What if he disregarded his physical senses and solely relied on his spiritual sense? Mo Hua's eyes brightened, and he closed his eyes, releasing his spiritual sense.
Suddenly, his surroundings turned into a blur of whiteness.
The mountains, trees, streams, and cultivators in the night lost their outlines and original colors, transforming into faint spiritual power silhouettes.
The spiritual power silhouettes of the world were mostly light blue, while the cultivators' silhouettes varied depending on their spiritual roots and the attributes of their cultivated techniques, displaying the five elemental colors.
In his spiritual sense, everything had clear boundaries.
Mo Hua further disregarded his physical senses and pushed his spiritual sense to the limit.
The boundaries of his perception expanded, and the spiritual power silhouettes became even clearer.
"Nothing..."
Mo Hua opened his eyes and moved to the next intersection. He closed his eyes again and released his spiritual sense.
Mo Shan didn't know what Mo Hua was doing, but he didn't disturb him and quietly followed his son.
"Nothing," Mo Hua murmured.
"Nothing..."
Mo Hua continued on, releasing his spiritual sense as he walked. After passing several cliffs, he suddenly stopped.
Mo Shan's heart tightened, and he saw Mo Hua abruptly open his eyes and point ahead. "There's someone over there!"
Mo Shan and several nearby hunters immediately rushed forward, pushing aside the vegetation. They shone their torches, and there, hanging from the branches of a tree, was Old Zhao, barely clinging to life!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
