Chapter 293: Intelligence
Chapter 293: Intelligence
The group finally returned to Tongxian City in high spirits. Elder Yu dismissed everyone else and kept Mo Hua, Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi, Yu Chengwu, and Zhang Lan from the Dao Ting Si.
Elder Yu led them to the parlor of the southern city's refinery, which was secluded and warded by an array, ensuring privacy.
Everyone knew what Elder Yu intended, and their expressions turned solemn.
Elder Yu took a sip of tea and asked Mo Hua, "Are there really rogue cultivators in the depths of the mountains?"
Mo Hua was prudent in his actions. His prolonged stay in the mountains suggested that he had made some significant discoveries.
Recalling their previous speculations about the mountains, Elder Yu suspected that Mo Hua's earlier claims might be true—that deep within Daheshan Mountain lay a group of rogue cultivators, and their influence was likely not insignificant.
However, Mo Hua shook his head. "Not rogue cultivators."
Elder Yu was taken aback for a moment before heaving a sigh of relief.
It was a relief that they weren't rogue cultivators...
"They're evil cultivators," Mo Hua said.
Elder Yu's heart, which had just calmed down, was stirred up again, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Evil cultivators?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Mo Shan and the others wore astonished expressions, and Zhang Lan's face turned solemn as he asked, "How many are there?"
"Several hundred."
"Can you be more specific?"
"About five to six hundred," Mo Hua replied.
Everyone, including Elder Yu, inhaled sharply, astonished by the number.
Five to six hundred evil cultivators! Evil cultivators were different from ordinary cultivators as they practiced forbidden arts that were not sanctioned by the Dao Ting. These arts tended to offer rapid progress, immense power, and mysterious effects, making them extremely formidable opponents.
The evil cultivators usually hunted by the Dao Ting were solitary figures, rarely traveling in groups. Yet, hidden deep within Daheshan Mountain, there were five to six hundred of them.
Although Zhang Lan trusted that Mo Hua wouldn't lie, he still blurted out, "Are you sure you didn't mistake them for something else?"
"I saw them with my own eyes and counted them personally," Mo Hua said confidently.
Zhang Lan nodded, then suddenly realized something amiss. "If you saw them and counted them yourself, how did they let you get close enough to do that?"
"I learned the Concealment Art. They couldn't see me," Mo Hua explained.
Concealment Art...
Zhang Lan then recalled that Mo Hua had indeed learned this art.
Although he had been informed beforehand, Zhang Lan still found it incredible that Mo Hua could gather information right under the noses of five to six hundred evil cultivators and escape unscathed.
This young man, Mo Hua, truly possessed remarkable courage and skills.
Zhang Lan felt he should be shocked, but somehow, he couldn't muster the feeling anymore. He had become somewhat numb to Mo Hua's feats, thinking that no matter how outrageous the situation, if it involved Mo Hua, it didn't seem so far-fetched...
"You've got quite the bold spirit..." Elder Yu remarked.
He then asked, "What else did you find out?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment before slowly filling in the details. "The evil cultivators are gathered in a mountain stronghold called Heishan Stronghold."
Heishan Stronghold...
The name itself sent a chill down everyone's spines.
The stronghold of evil cultivators nestled deep within Daheshan Mountain—the name Heishan evoked a sense of darkness and malevolence.
"Do you know the location of Heishan Stronghold?" Yu Chengyi inquired.
Mo Hua took out a map with two lines drawn on it.
This was a simplified map of the deep mountains, sketched from Mo Hua's memory. One line represented the route he had taken to reach the stronghold, a hidden mountain path between cliffs that led directly to the entrance of Heishan.
The other line was his return route, starting from the stronghold's entrance and extending to the inner mountains.
The routes on the map were drawn based on Mo Hua's impressions and might not be entirely accurate, but the general direction was undoubtedly correct.
Everyone studied the map, their faces reflecting their surprise.
"As expected of an array master, your memory is impressive," Zhang Lan exclaimed, then added curiously, "But how did you navigate through the thick fog in the deep mountains?"
"Because I'm an array master," Mo Hua replied.
Zhang Lan didn't understand.
Mo Hua explained, "The dense fog in the mountains isn't naturally occurring. It's an array cast by the third-in-command of Heishan, which makes it difficult to discern one's bearings..."
"But as an array master myself, the array he set up actually made it easier for me to determine my location."
Zhang Lan nodded, grateful that Mo Hua was an array master. Otherwise, they wouldn't have known that the thick fog was caused by an array, let alone how to navigate through it.
Even if they had known about the array, their lack of expertise in arrays would have left them just as clueless in the fog-shrouded mountains.
It was Mo Hua's proficiency in arrays and quick wit that had unveiled this mystery.
Zhang Lan marveled at this realization.
Upon hearing the mention of the "third-in-command," Mo Shan's expression shifted, and he asked, "Third-in-command?"
Mo Hua nodded. "The leader of Heishan Stronghold is a Foundation Establishment-stage evil cultivator."
Mo Shan's face turned grim. "How many leaders are there in total?"
"There are four," Mo Hua answered.
Everyone exchanged glances, their faces growing more somber.
Elder Yu asked, "What else do you know about these four leaders?"
Mo Hua nodded. "I overheard two evil cultivators on guard duty talking about them..."
Of course, both of those cultivators had already met their demise at Mo Hua's hands...
"The first-in-command founded Heishan Stronghold. He has the highest cultivation level and is the most mysterious, rarely showing himself. The second-in-command is bloodthirsty and is currently out on a killing spree, away from the stronghold. The third-in-command is an array master who specializes in evil arrays, and the fourth-in-command is a newcomer who enjoys drinking blood. When human blood isn't available, he goes out at night to drink the blood of demons..."
Mo Hua shared all the intelligence he had gathered on the four leaders of Heishan Stronghold.
Four Foundation Establishment-stage evil cultivators!
Elder Yu's brow furrowed in concern.
Although he had anticipated that these evil cultivators were up to no good and had been secretly developing their strength for many years, he hadn't expected there to be as many as four Foundation Establishment cultivators among them.
Moreover, they were cultivators who had cultivated forbidden evil arts.
A gloomy atmosphere hung over the group.
Seeing this, Mo Hua asked, "Elder Yu, do we stand a chance against them?"
Elder Yu shook his head decisively. "We don't stand a chance."
"Not at all?"
"Not with just our strength, no."
"What should we do, then?" Mo Hua frowned, sharing their concern.
Elder Yu turned to Zhang Lan and bowed respectfully. "We can only seek help from the Dao Ting."
Mo Hua knitted his brows slightly. The Dao Ting Si didn't have many people, but then he realized that Elder Yu was referring to the "Dao Ting," the main organization, not just their local branch.
If that was the case, then what Elder Yu meant was...
"The Dao Soldiers?" Mo Hua asked in surprise.
The Dao Soldiers, as their name implied, were a military force comprised of cultivators, under the direct jurisdiction of the Dao Ting.
When local Dao Ting Si branches encountered threats they couldn't handle, they could directly petition the Dao Ting to dispatch Dao Soldiers to suppress the threat.
Mo Hua had never seen the Dao Soldiers, but he had heard that they were extremely powerful and commanded great respect.
The evil cultivators of Heishan Stronghold were too strong; even if all the demon hunters joined forces, they might not be a match. Thus, the only option left was to request the deployment of the Dao Soldiers.
Zhang Lan nodded slightly. "I'll return to the office and inform the chief of the situation, asking him to petition the Dao Ting to dispatch the Dao Soldiers to eradicate the evil cultivators!"
Requesting the Dao Soldiers was not something that could be done overnight. It would take time for the Dao Ting to assess the threat posed by the evil cultivators, approve the request, and then mobilize the Dao Soldiers.
Knowing that they must act swiftly, Zhang Lan stood up to leave, but Mo Hua stopped him.
"I'm not done with the intelligence yet."
"There's more?" Zhang Lan blurted out, "Just how much information have you gathered that you're not done yet... Did you figure out everything about Heishan Stronghold?"
"It's not that exaggerated..." Mo Hua smiled and then took out another map, spreading it on the table.
The map depicted towering buildings and intricate formations. At first glance, it seemed to be a large architectural layout, but as Zhang Lan examined it more closely, his eyes widened in surprise.
This was definitely not an ordinary architectural map!
Zhang Lan pointed to the map, his tone incredulous. "You didn't..."
Mo Hua nodded. "It's a map of Heishan Stronghold."
Zhang Lan asked again, unable to hide his astonishment. "Did you steal this?"
"I drew it myself."
Zhang Lan found it hard to believe. "You could draw this just by looking at it?"
The map included the structures of the cultivation buildings and the design of the formations. Moreover, given the size of the stronghold, one would have to survey the area, analyze the layout, and possess an expert understanding of formations...
"I'm an array master," Mo Hua said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Zhang Lan was speechless.
Fine, you're an array master, you're amazing.
Elder Yu, on the other hand, studied the map intently, marveling at its detail and precision.
The map was comprehensive and meticulous, marking the residences of the evil cultivators, the prison cells, and even the kitchen.
What made it even more impressive was that Mo Hua had created this map right under the noses of the evil cultivators, making it all the more valuable.
As Elder Yu examined the map, his brow furrowed, and he pointed to a particular area.
"What is this place?"
The map was divided into two sections: the front stronghold and the rear stronghold.
The front stronghold was depicted in great detail, but the rear stronghold was much more simplified, likely because it was more dangerous and Mo Hua hadn't explored it as thoroughly.
However, within the simplified map of the rear stronghold, there was one area that was exceptionally detailed.
The paths, beast gates, blood formations, the layout of the main hall, and even the beams were all clearly marked. In the center of the hall was a pill furnace, and there was even a pig depicted.
"This is the evil cultivators' pill refining room," Mo Hua explained.
Zhang Lan's expression turned grim. "What kind of pills are they refining?"
Mo Hua shook his head. "I don't know, but I saw them using humans to refine pills. The room was filled with blood mist, and some of the medicinal herbs seemed to be alive."
Elder Yu frowned. He didn't know much about evil cultivators, and he had never heard of this type of pill.
Zhang Lan's face was stern as he said in a cold voice, "They are refining the Human Longevity Pill!"
(End of Chapter)
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