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Chapter 753: The Dense Forest
Chapter 753: The Dense Forest
This monster was a demon cultivator, and not an ordinary one at that.
Aside from cultivating a demonic cultivation technique and having the ability to "demonify" its body, it also bore the mysterious Four Symbols demon markings!
Mo Hua lightly licked his lips.
The Four Symbols Formation!
This was a type of formation distinct from the Five Elements and Bagua formation systems.
It was something not taught by the Tai Xu Sect.
In fact, most sects didn't have a legacy of the Four Symbols Formation, making it a rather rare technique.
"I must capture this monster, flay its skin, and copy down the formation markings..."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he pushed the Flowing Water Steps to its limit. His footsteps were like the wind as he followed the trail of blood on the ground, chasing after the severely wounded demon cultivator.
The demon cultivator had lost an arm and half of its body was covered in blood as it crawled along the ground, leaving a distinct bloody trail.
However, being a demon cultivator, its body recovered quickly.
The trail of blood on the ground initially flowed like a spring, gradually slowing to a stream, and finally leaving only intermittent bloody marks.
But no matter how faint the bloodstains were, they couldn't escape Mo Hua's spiritual sense.
Moreover, he also had the Heaven's Calculation technique.
With the guidance of the lines of cause and effect, it was almost impossible for this demon cultivator to escape.
After chasing for an incense stick's worth of time, the bloodstains on the ground had faded to the point of being barely noticeable, and only a faint bloody aura lingered in the air.
Mo Hua could only continue the pursuit by following the pale red causal line of blood.
But after another moment, the causal line suddenly snapped.
Mo Hua frowned and looked up, only to realize that he had unknowingly reached the depths of this mountain forest.
The trees before him were dense, their foliage shrouded in mist.
In every direction, as far as the eye could see, stretched the endless forest.
At first glance, one couldn't even tell where they were.
What was even more bizarre was that when he released his spiritual sense to perceive his surroundings, everything seemed normal. Only by carefully discerning could he realize that his spiritual sense was unable to "see" anything...
It was as if something was quietly absorbing his probing spiritual sense.
Or perhaps, the entire forest had woven a layer of spiritual "mist," blocking the perception of cultivators' spiritual sense.
The severely wounded demon beast had entered the forest, disappearing without a trace like a fish returning to the sea or a fierce tiger returning to the mountains.
"Did I lose it?"
Mo Hua's expression froze, his brows furrowing tighter.
With his spiritual sense and the Heaven's Calculation technique, he had basically never lost track of anyone before, especially not a severely wounded cultivator like this...
This dense forest...
Mo Hua stood there, staring at the forest before him for a long while, deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he realized something, his pupils trembling.
"What could block spiritual sense like this? This large-scale spiritual sense blockade must be a formation!"
However, in reality, it was usually impossible for a formation to completely "block" spiritual sense.
Most secretive formations focused on soundproofing and blocking spiritual sense to some extent.
But this so-called "blocking" of spiritual sense was, in principle, achieved by using the formation to generate chaotic spiritual energy that formed a "barrier" to obstruct spiritual sense perception.
The underlying principle was confusion at the spiritual energy level, not a true blockade at the spiritual sense level.
When one probed with their spiritual sense, they would still be able to sense the obvious obstructing "barrier."
However, the dense forest before him lacked such a barrier.
There was no obvious "barrier," yet it could block spiritual sense perception, making it difficult to discern what lay within.
And for a formation to truly "block" perception at the spiritual sense level, it had to, in principle, involve the utilization of some kind of spiritual power.
In other words, the formation within this forest was...
A Divine Path Formation?!
Mo Hua took in a sharp breath.
Unbelievable...
Buy one, get one free?!
He would never have imagined that right under his nose, within the familiar outer mountains of the Refining Demon Mountain, two rare formations had been quietly hidden.
The Four Symbols Formation on the demon cultivator.
And the Divine Path Formation that had merged with this dense forest...
Mo Hua released his spiritual sense once more, but as soon as it entered the forest, it was like a drop of ink in the ocean, disappearing without a trace.
In fact, if not for his powerful and qualitatively changed spiritual sense, keen perception, and subtle spiritual awareness, he wouldn't have even realized that his spiritual sense was "blind" when trying to perceive this forest.
His spiritual sense was "willfully ignorant"...
This forest existed and yet did not exist within his spiritual sense.
Mo Hua was amazed.
What a clever method.
What a formidable formation!
Mo Hua immediately wanted to step into the forest to study the Divine Path Formation, but he hesitated as he lifted his foot.
"This forest is a bit dangerous..."
The fact that the demon cultivator fled into the forest despite its injuries suggested that this forest was likely its sanctuary.
Such a large forest, combined with such an ingenious Divine Path Formation, was definitely not something that an ordinary cultivator could set up.
Thus, deep within this forest, there was a high probability that the demon cultivator's companions lurked.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Those who could associate with demon cultivators were either other demon cultivators or vicious demon practitioners.
Their cultivation levels were likely at the Foundation Establishment stage, and there was even a possibility of Golden Core cultivators among them.
At the moment, he was alone, only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and without any protection. It would be too dangerous to rashly enter the forest.
Mo Hua sighed.
He hesitated in front of the forest for a long time, his heart filled with reluctance. After much deliberation and consideration, he could only temporarily give up.
"What a pity..."
The Divine Path Formation was right before him.
But given the current situation, he didn't dare to take the risk. It would be better to leave and plan carefully before returning.
After all, the forest wasn't going anywhere.
Mo Hua turned back once more, his eyes filled with reluctance as he looked at the forest, as if it were his own vegetable garden.
"Once I'm fully prepared, I'll come back and harvest!"
Mo Hua nodded to himself and then reluctantly left.
...
After Mo Hua left, Xun Ziyou watched his retreating figure. Only after estimating Mo Hua's trajectory and confirming that he wouldn't be in danger in the short term did he turn and walk towards the forest.
His first priority in the Refining Demon Mountain was to ensure Mo Hua's safety.
Everything else came second.
Now that Mo Hua was safe, he could spare some time to investigate the demon cultivator.
The forest was enveloped in a thin mist, and the tall trees loomed over him, giving the place a primitive and desolate feel.
Xun Ziyou walked through the forest several times and released his spiritual sense to scan the area multiple times, but he still found nothing, causing his brows to furrow.
Feeling a bit dissatisfied, Xun Ziyou turned his head to the right and asked, "You lost it too, didn't you?"
On his right, a man clad in the robes of Chongxu Dao appeared, his expression somewhat embarrassed as he casually replied, "I was keeping an eye on Xiao'er. I wasn't really paying attention to anything else."
"Oh?"
The Chongxu Sect elder glanced at Xun Ziyou, feigning nonchalance as he asked, "Did you lose track of it too?"
Xun Ziyou didn't bother to reply.
The two of them released their spiritual senses and searched the mountain forest, only to furrow their brows in confusion.
"It's really gone..." The Chongxu Sect elder also grew serious, his expression perplexed. "What method did that demon cultivator use to hide from the spiritual senses of two Golden Core cultivators like us?"
"An invisibility technique? A concealment artifact?" Xun Ziyou shook his head.
The cultivation world was vast, with numerous techniques, methods, and artifacts. It was difficult for him to determine the exact method used.
Logically speaking, with their disparity in cultivation levels and the significant difference in the strength of their spiritual senses, even if the demon cultivator employed some means of concealment or disguise, it should not have been able to escape their perception.
Moreover, there was an even more important question.
Xun Ziyou frowned and asked, "How could there be a demon cultivator in Refining Demon Mountain?"
The Chongxu Sect elder's eyes narrowed as well. "There's an array sealing the mountain, and an array at the mountain gate to detect demonic aura. Every disciple entering the mountain has been checked with the Demon Repelling Mirror, and we elders also patrol the mountain regularly..."
"This mountain should only have sect disciples. Besides us patrolling Golden Core elders, there shouldn't be any other cultivators."
"How could there be a demon cultivator?"
"How did it get in, and how has it been hiding in this mountain? What is its intention?"
The two of them wore solemn expressions.
"Should we search the mountain?"
"That would create too much noise and draw unnecessary attention, causing panic and trouble. Moreover, we might not even find it..." After all, the demon cultivator had disappeared right under their noses.
"Should we keep watch here for a while?"
Xun Ziyou shook his head. "We don't have that much time."
Their primary task was to protect Mo Hua and Ling Hu Xiao.
Both of them sighed.
The Chongxu Sect elder looked at the mountain forest before them once more, his confusion growing. He muttered, "What method did it use to hide from our spiritual senses..."
Xun Ziyou also stared at the forest, his brow furrowed in puzzlement.
After a while, Xun Ziyou suddenly paused, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "Xuan Jian, have you been in this Refining Demon Mountain for a long time? Have you ever seen this forest before?"
The Chongxu Sect elder was taken aback and examined the forest before him once more, his brows slowly furrowing. "Now that you mention it... it does seem a bit unfamiliar..."
Refining Demon Mountain was vast, with many forests.
As an elder, he had been stationed here for a long time and had been to most places.
However, this particular forest, though it looked ordinary and similar to the others, perhaps a bit more expansive and without a clear boundary in sight, felt strangely unfamiliar...
"Do you mean that it's not that the demon cultivator's concealment technique is exquisite, but that there's something odd about this forest?" The Chongxu Sect elder asked.
Xun Ziyou slowly nodded.
The Chongxu Sect elder released his spiritual sense and scanned the area.
However, despite being Golden Core cultivators with powerful spiritual senses, their spiritual senses had not undergone a qualitative change, and their perception was not sharp enough. Moreover, they lacked expertise in formations and did not have related experience.
As he swept his spiritual sense through the area, the forest still appeared empty.
The Chongxu Sect elder asked, "What's odd about it?"
Xun Ziyou shook his head.
He hadn't figured it out yet either.
Xun Ziyou furrowed his brows in thought, suddenly remembering Mo Hua.
He recalled how Mo Hua had stared at this forest earlier, his eyes gradually lighting up as if he had discovered something.
Afterward, Mo Hua had taken a step forward as if wanting to enter the forest, but he had hesitated and ultimately decided against it. Before leaving, he had turned back and given the strange forest one last meaningful glance.
Xun Ziyou pondered carefully, finding it hard to believe.
Could that Mo Hua boy have noticed something? "But how is that possible?"
If two respectable Golden Core cultivators like them couldn't see it, how could a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him have seen it?
Xun Ziyou frowned.
But what if it were true...
What if Mo Hua had indeed noticed something?
Then it would mean that the secret of this forest was related to something Mo Hua was very familiar with, something that Xun Ziyou himself was not proficient in.
That something was... formations!
Could this forest have been arranged with a formation, allowing it to block the spiritual senses of Golden Core cultivators unknowingly, providing a hiding place for the demon cultivator?
What kind of formation was it? Xun Ziyou looked around but couldn't find any traces of a formation. There were no clues, and the ordinary-looking forest left him perplexed.
What kind of formation could it be? And how had Mo Hua seen through it?
After all, he was a Golden Core cultivator himself.
He had lived for over two hundred years, yet he couldn't see it, but that boy, who was not even twenty years old, could...
Xun Ziyou sighed deeply.
Geniuses were annoying.
Especially formation geniuses.
Formations were too abstruse, and the depths of their mysteries were too profound.
When it came to formation geniuses, one might not even know how formidable they truly were, nor could one fathom the extent of the gap between oneself and them...
The Chongxu Sect elder, seeing the changing expressions on Xun Ziyou's face, sighed and asked, "Do you know something?"
Xun Ziyou came back to his senses and, after some thought, decided that these were merely his speculations. It would be better not to speak about them for now.
"No, I'm just lamenting our negligence as elders, allowing a demon cultivator to infiltrate." Xun Ziyou sighed.
Hearing this, the Chongxu Sect elder nodded in agreement.
Xun Ziyou continued, "This matter is strange. After reporting it to the sect, we can discuss a solution. For now, let's keep it between ourselves to avoid spreading information."
"That's a good idea," the Chongxu Sect elder nodded.
After their discussion, the two of them prepared to leave.
The Chongxu Sect elder was annoyed, "Don't play dumb with me. I saw it with my own eyes. That kid, from a distance of over a hundred feet, without even gathering sword qi, shook his spiritual sense, and a spirit sword flew out. It shone with golden light, exploding with sword qi that shredded the demon cultivator's demonified arm, staining half its body with blood..."
That child, Mo Hua, was only at the mid-stage of foundation establishment.
For someone of that level to exhibit such remarkable sword flight technique, at such a great distance, with such speed and overwhelming power...
The Chongxu Sect elder was still shaken as he recalled the event.
Xun Ziyou wore an expression of "shock," shaking his head, "No way, how is that possible? You must have seen it wrong."
The Chongxu Sect elder was speechless, "How could I have seen it wrong?"
"You definitely saw it wrong." Xun Ziyou's face turned serious as he asserted, "That wasn't sword flight. It was a type of hidden weapon with an array engraved on it. Its power was actually quite ordinary, but the demon cultivator was already severely wounded and unable to resist, which is why it was blasted into such a pitiful state."
The Chongxu Sect elder found this hard to believe, "A hidden weapon with an array? Your nonsense should at least be somewhat believable!"
Xun Ziyou retorted, "Have you ever seen a cultivator at the mid-stage of foundation establishment perform sword flight from over 160 feet away with such immense power?"
The Chongxu Sect elder hesitated, "Well... no, I haven't..."
Indeed, this went against his common sense.
"Moreover," Xun Ziyou continued, "when it comes to sword flight..."
Before he could finish, the Chongxu Sect elder interrupted, already nodding in agreement, "You're right. Even our sect's disciple, Ling Huxiao, who has an innate talent for the sword, hasn't learned sword flight yet. And Mo Hua isn't even a sword cultivator. How could he possibly wield such a formidable sword flight technique?"
"Indeed." The Chongxu Sect elder couldn't help but nod.
Leaving other things aside, if he were to compare sword cultivation talent, he would confidently place Ling Huxiao at the top, not just within the Chongxu Sect but perhaps even among all cultivators in the Qian Xue State.
If Mo Hua truly knew how to perform sword flight, and it was as powerful as what he witnessed, then wouldn't Mo Hua be even more of a sword cultivation genius than Ling Huxiao?
That was impossible!
The Chongxu Sect elder gradually became convinced.
He had been quite far away and hadn't seen the scene clearly. He had only "thought" that Mo Hua was performing sword flight, and from a great distance, the spirit sword had struck the demon cultivator, exploding with sword qi and blood.
But now that he thought about it, sword flight didn't seem very plausible.
It made more sense if Mo Hua had used a type of spirit weapon with an array engraved on it, akin to a hidden weapon, to achieve that feat.
The Chongxu Sect elder nodded slightly.
Xun Ziyou, standing beside him, silently breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
He had managed to muddle through this...
Mo Hua kept doing such "eye-catching" things, and he had to make up excuses and find reasons to cover for him to avoid unnecessary attention.
Fortunately, the things this child did were getting more and more "outrageous."
If he told others about it, they might not even believe him.
On the contrary, the excuses he made up seemed more "plausible."
Xun Ziyou sighed inwardly.
Not only did he have to ensure Mo Hua's safety, but he also had to make up excuses and lie for him.
Wasn't he working hard too?
"I'll have to get him to treat me to a drink sometime in the future..."
...
On the other hand, Mo Hua met up with Ling Huxiao and the others.
"It got away, we couldn't find it," Mo Hua sighed.
Everyone felt a bit disappointed. They had come so close to killing the demon cultivator.
"Let's head back first and see how Cheng Mo is doing. As for that demon cultivator, since it's in the mountain, it won't be able to escape for long," Mo Hua said.
I will flay that demon cultivator's skin!
Mo Hua silently vowed.
The group began their journey back, but Ling Huxiao seemed deep in thought along the way. He kept stealing glances at Mo Hua, and eventually, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you know how to perform sword flight?"
Mo Hua was a little surprised but nodded, "A little bit, but it's not the orthodox sword flight technique. It mainly relies on the array on the sword."
Ling Huxiao hummed in acknowledgment but didn't say anything further. However, he now regarded Mo Hua as an even more formidable "expert."
"I'll definitely have a match with him someday..."
Ling Huxiao firmly decided.
Upon reaching the foot of Tai Xu Peak, the group parted ways.
Ling Huxiao returned to the Chongxu Sect.
Mo Hua and the others headed back to Tai Xu Peak.
When they reached the mountain gate, Situ Jian asked, "Little Senior Brother, should we inform the sect elders about the demon cultivator?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and felt that the incident was a bit strange. He could keep it from others, but he should inform the sect elders.
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded.
Subsequently, he sought out Elder Song, who was in charge of various disciple matters within the sect, such as attendance, and informed him about encountering the demon cultivator at Refining Demon Mountain.
"A demon cultivator!"
Elder Song's expression turned solemn as soon as he heard those words.
"Alright, I will notify the sect elders on duty at Refining Demon Mountain to be cautious and ensure the disciples' safety," Elder Song assured.
"The sect elders on duty at Refining Demon Mountain? Is it Elder Xun?" Mo Hua asked.
Elder Song was a little surprised, "You know him?"
Mo Hua shook his head, "We've met once, and I've heard his name, but I don't really know him."
Elder Song nodded, "Yes, if there's anything, Elder Xun will come to ask you later."
"Okay, I understand," Mo Hua replied.
After reporting the matter to the sect, Mo Hua felt relieved. He went to check on Cheng Mo again.
Cheng Mo's injuries had improved significantly.
"We avenged you and cut off that monster's arm," Mo Hua said, showing Cheng Mo the severed arm before keeping it.
Cheng Mo's breath was a little weak, and he forced a smile, "Thank you, Little Senior Brother."
Seeing his dejected expression, Mo Hua said, "That was a demon cultivator, and it was very powerful. The five of us joined forces and only managed to cut off its arm. It managed to escape."
"Focus on recovering. Once your injuries are healed, we'll go and teach that demon a lesson. We'll flay its skin too!" Mo Hua encouraged.
Hearing this, Cheng Mo's spirit lifted, and he smiled as he nodded, "Okay!"
(End of Chapter)
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