The Quest for Immortality-Chapter 1273: Searching the Mountain (3)

This exquisitely designed cave abode was specifically requested by his mother from the Sect, made exclusively for her only treasured son.

In her words, Jin Yicai was born noble, with an extraordinary bloodline. How could he possibly live in the same Disciple’s Residence as those ordinary disciples?

The beautiful female disciple from earlier was not a servant.

Rather, she was a genuine female disciple from a distinguished family within the Sever Gold Sect, possessing a top-grade Spiritual Root.

In the eyes of others, she was a "Heavenly Pride" who excelled in both talent and beauty, someone unattainable.

But in this cave abode, she was nothing more than a plaything to warm his bed.

Jin Yicai, blessed with a prestigious background and exceptional Spiritual Root, even had a private cave abode within the Sect.

Countless young ladies from middling distinguished families within the Sever Gold Sect harbored dreams of marrying into the Jin family, basking in its glory.

He didn’t need to do anything. Simply leaving the door to his cave abode slightly ajar at night...

Was enough for various stunning women to squeeze inside, climbing onto his bed to offer themselves willingly.

Even if they were discarded afterward, these women accepted it with pleasure.

Even the guiding female disciples were changed every few days.

These practices clearly violated the Sect rules.

And yet, the upper ranks of the Sever Gold Sect were aware but deliberately turned a blind eye.

A senior brother of the Sever Gold Sect felt a twinge of jealousy and resentment in his heart.

Before he’d been promoted by Jin Yicai or had even stepped foot through the door of his cave abode, he had no knowledge of these matters at all.

Only after witnessing them firsthand did he realize the supposedly pure and noble "Fairies" so revered in the Sect could stoop so low.

Those grandiose Sect rules, for some people, were nothing but a joke.

Fame and wealth could rot the human heart to such a degree.

The senior brother of the Sever Gold Sect felt both sour and hateful in his heart.

What he hated was not the greed of human desires or the corruption of fame.

What he hated was that none of this had anything to do with him.

But now, things were different. He had already aligned himself with Mr. Jin.

As long as he followed Mr. Jin, step by step, even if his background wasn’t great, he would eventually rise above others and step onto a grand path of success.

He could already faintly smell the fragrance of fame and glory.

That fragrance was so alluring, much like the powdery scent from the previously graceful female disciple, captivating his soul.

At this moment, a faintly arrogant voice came from within the room.

"Jin Gui, what’s the matter?"

The senior brother addressed as "Jin Gui" quickly gathered his thoughts and respectfully replied:

"The Taixu Gate is still causing trouble."

Dressed in luxurious golden-threaded robes, Jin Yicai, with a lazy expression, furrowed his brows upon hearing this.

Jin Gui continued: "They’re equipped with ’Gold-breaking’ Spiritual Artifacts. The ordinary disciples probably aren’t their match."

Jin Yicai sneered, "Gold-breaking Spiritual Artifacts? Foolish tricks..."

He nodded slightly, "Convey my message: have the direct lineage disciples of the Jin family who have trained in the Sever Gold Sword Jue to a satisfactory level and whose Sever Gold Swords have been forged to confront the Taixu Gate."

After speaking, Jin Yicai let out a cold snort. "Do they really think my Sever Gold Sect is a rabble?"

Jin Gui responded, "Understood."

Jin Yicai paused for a moment in thought, lifting his gaze slightly. "What’s the situation with the Monster Beasts?"

Jin Gui bowed his head slightly as he reported, "Following your instructions, we’ve captured seventeen types according to the catalog. The remaining types are scarce and still being sought..."

Jin Yicai’s expression turned displeased.

Noticing this, Jin Gui’s heart sank. He immediately said:

"Refining Demon Mountain is vast, with steep terrain and dense forests. Monster Beasts are numerous yet difficult to find, and recently the disciples of the Taixu Gate have been causing interference, hampering our operations..."

"Once we’ve dealt with the Taixu Gate disciples, within half a month, all the types will surely be captured!"

Only then did Jin Yicai nod. "Don’t disappoint me."

Jin Gui resolutely declared, "Young Master, rest assured!"

The room then fell silent.

Jin Yicai calmly sipped tea.

Jin Gui stood there respectfully, not daring to utter a word.

The room, opulent and extravagant, was filled with the lingering smoke from an incense burner.

An air of wealth and ease permeated the space.

Jin Yicai took a sip of tea, yet an inexplicable irritation stirred within him.

If not for that incident, he wouldn’t have been placed under house arrest by his father, forbidden from stepping out of this cave abode. Even his mother’s pleas had no effect.

Because of this, even highly important tasks had to be entrusted to others.

He had even been harshly scolded by his father over the matter.

In his entire life, he had never been subjected to such reproach.

In his anger, Jin Yicai let out a "crack," crushing the teacup in his hand into fragments.

Jin Gui was startled.

Soon, the beautiful female disciple from earlier gracefully walked in upon hearing the sound. She wiped the spilled tea for Jin Yicai, replaced the cup, poured a fresh one, and then retreated with a seductive glance and a graceful sway.

Jin Gui lowered his head, but couldn’t help sneaking a few glances through the corner of his eye.

These women were the finest in the Sect, completely out of his reach.

Jin Yicai noticed the minutiae of Jin Gui’s expression.

Jin Yicai let out a faint smirk and said indifferently:

"Have you memorized everything I told you?"

Jin Gui hurriedly replied, "I’ve memorized it."

"Good." Jin Yicai stirred the floating tea leaves with the lid of the teacup. "This matter is of utmost importance and must not fail. If you can handle it well..."

Jin Yicai took a small sip of tea:

"I’ll take you onboard."

Jin Gui trembled all over, his face lighting up with joy. Regardless of rank, he immediately knelt and kowtowed:

"Thank you, Young Master!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Young Master!"

"Jin Gui will henceforth go through fire and water, following you unwaveringly!"

Jin Gui swore loyalty with trembling excitement.

Jin Yicai nodded approvingly, glancing down at Jin Gui kneeling on the ground, but in his heart, he couldn’t help but think:

"He looks exactly like a dog..."

...

The next day, Mo Hua led his team back into Refining Demon Mountain to continue scouring the area.

However, this time he noticed something was off.

The disciples of the Sever Gold Sect had suddenly grown stronger.

Although they wore the same golden Taoist Robes, their gazes were more arrogant, their Spiritual Roots more superior, their cultivation deeper, their Sword Qi sharper, and even their golden Spirit Swords were noticeably different.

Additionally, they were using advanced sword techniques.

When the two sides clashed, the pressure on the Taixu Gate side abruptly increased.

Mo Hua had no choice but to personally step in.

Fortunately, despite the strength of the Sever Gold Sect disciples, they were all at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Given Mo Hua’s current cultivation level, his powerful Divine Sense, near-instant Fireball Technique, and various cunning and disruptive control spells were sufficient for him to shine in this kind of large-scale battle among cultivators.

Not to mention, he also had Formations.

Thus, while the battle was arduous, Mo Hua and his comrades still emerged victorious, though many of them sustained injuries.

The Sever Gold Sect suffered a loss, but the damage wasn’t too severe.

At least the number of disciples hung on trees and painted with turtle drawings had significantly decreased.

Both sides ceased their fighting, exchanged harsh words, and then retreated to their respective Sects.

Back at the Sect, the disciples of the Taixu Gate tended to their injuries.

Mo Hua examined everyone’s wounds and became aware of a problem:

The Gold-breaking Armor seemed to have lost its effectiveness...

The Gold-breaking Armor, inscribed with the Kejin Formation, was specifically designed to counter gold-series spells, with exceptionally high resistance to Golden Spiritual Power.

But the newly arrived Sever Gold Sect disciples appeared to be core disciples of the Sever Gold Sect.

The Taoist Skills they practiced were the true and complete Sever Gold Sword Control Jue.

The Sword Qi they unleashed, while technically gold-series Sword Qi, was, in essence, "Sword Qi."

Gold-breaking Armor solely countered gold-series spells, but its defense against Sword Qi was negligible.

As a result, this confrontation left more Taixu Gate disciples injured.

But... how could one defend against Sword Qi?

Sword Qi itself, how did it differ fundamentally from ordinary Spiritual Power? And why was its power significantly greater than that of standard spells?

There were still eight days until the next resting period.

Mo Hua decided to investigate these questions during this time.

Otherwise, in future confrontations, even more fellow disciples might be hurt, and engaging in this feud with the Sever Gold Sect would ultimately prove disastrous.

Mo Hua specifically sought out Elder Yi, who taught Taoist Skills, for guidance.

Afterward, he also consulted several sword cultivators, including Situ Jian, to gain clarity.

He began to understand.

The power of sword cultivation was most directly manifested through "Sword Qi."

And the potency of Sword Qi partly relied on the "Sword Weapon."

Sword Weapon...

Mo Hua recalled the luxurious golden Spirit Swords hanging at the waists of the Sever Gold Sect disciples, and a spark of inspiration lit up in his eyes.

"The Spirit Swords of the Sever Gold Sect..."