The Quest for Immortality - Chapter 276 (Patreon)

Chapter 276: The Leader

Mr. Zhuang had mentioned Visualization Techniques to Mo Hua.

In the cultivation world, there was no technique for training spiritual sense; the only method to enhance spiritual sense was through Visualization Techniques.

Visualization Techniques were extremely rare, even among those from noble families; they were considered secret inheritances.

The Third Leader, the middle-aged evil array master Mo Hua had seen before.

For him to become a First Grade Array Master, and even have the potential to break through to Second Grade, he must have had an inheritance of array techniques.

Moreover, he had been in Heishan Stronghold for many years, killing countless cultivators and looting numerous cultivation resources and inheritances. It wasn’t surprising for him to possess a Visualization Technique.

Mo Hua was very curious.

He had long wanted to know what a Visualization Technique was.

Whether it truly could enhance spiritual sense just by looking at the diagram.

However, Mr. Zhuang had warned him that Visualization Techniques held unknown dangers, and should not be delved into or relied upon, so Mo Hua had not paid much attention to it before.

But even if he didn't use the Visualization Technique to enhance his spiritual sense, it would still be beneficial to take a look and gain some knowledge.

Perhaps the Third Leader had a Visualization Technique in his possession.

If it really was a Visualization Technique, and visualizing the diagram could indeed enhance his spiritual sense, he might be able to achieve the spiritual sense needed for Foundation Building earlier and become a Foundation Building cultivator sooner.

Otherwise, at the current rate of spiritual sense growth, reaching Foundation Building would take too long.

Mo Hua felt a bit excited, but after thinking it over, he felt somewhat dejected.

The Third Leader was a Foundation Building cultivator and an evil array master.

How could he possibly give Mo Hua the opportunity to steal the diagram?

Not to mention stealing it, it would be extremely dangerous even to hide nearby and take a look with him.

“Forget it. If one day I can take down Heishan Stronghold, then I’ll think of a way to get that diagram.”

Besides, this was just his speculation.

What the Third Leader had might not necessarily be a Visualization Technique; it could just be a rare array diagram.

For now, gathering information was more important.

Mo Hua calmed his mind and continued to eavesdrop.

After Scarface finished speaking, the pale-faced man was also a bit stunned and asked, “What kind of diagram is it?”

Scarface was unwilling to answer.

The pale-faced man continued to pester him, and Scarface couldn’t hold back any longer, cursing:

“How the hell should I know? Do I have a few heads to look at the Third Leader's things?”

The pale-faced man was somewhat disappointed but then asked:

“You’ve been here for so long, have you ever seen the First Leader?”

The pale-faced man had joined the stronghold later and knew less, whereas Scarface had been here longer and had more seniority.

But speaking of the First Leader, Scarface also shook his head:

“The First Leader is elusive. Not to mention me, even those who have been here longer than me may not have seen him.”

The pale-faced man asked again, “What about the other leaders?”

Scarface glanced at him, “Why, do you want to become a leader?”

The pale-faced man gave a sheepish smile but thought to himself, isn’t that obvious?

In Heishan Stronghold, who doesn’t want to become a leader?

Becoming a leader means wielding immense power, far above that of ordinary evil cultivators, able to do as one pleases.

A glint of greed flashed in the pale-faced man’s eyes.

Scarface saw his thoughts and said mockingly, “Let me tell you, so you can weigh whether you’re up to it.”

“To become a leader, you must first be a Foundation Building cultivator.”

“There are several leaders in Heishan Stronghold. The First Leader is enigmatic, and the Second Leader is a cold-blooded killer.”

“The Second Leader hasn’t been seen lately because the First Leader ordered everyone to keep a low profile. The Second Leader, unable to suppress his urge to kill, went to another city to kill people.”

“The Third Leader is an array master. You should know the status of an array master. All the arrays in Heishan Stronghold were set up by him. Besides the First Leader, no one dares to offend him.”

“As for the Fourth Leader, the previous one is dead, and this one is newly promoted. He likes to drink blood. If you provoke him, be careful not to get drained dry.”

Scarface sneered, “Do you think you can replace any of them and become a leader?”

The pale-faced man’s face twitched, but he still put on a brave front, saying:

“Thirty years east, thirty years west. Who knows what the future holds?”

Scarface snorted coldly, “In thirty years, you might not even be alive.”

Being an evil cultivator in Heishan Stronghold was not a stable job. Not to mention reaching Foundation Building, even living to old age was rare.

The two men glared at each other and drank their wine in silence.

Mo Hua pondered quietly.

He had guessed right; there were indeed four leaders in Heishan Stronghold!

He had seen the Third and Fourth Leaders.

The Second Leader was away and hadn’t returned yet.

The First Leader was elusive, either in seclusion or not in the stronghold.

In other words, Mo Hua only needed to be wary of the Third and Fourth Leaders.

Avoiding them would keep him safe.

The only concern for Mo Hua was the First Leader’s cultivation level.

Since he was the First Leader, he must be the old evil cultivator who established Heishan Stronghold.

With so many ruthless evil cultivators under him, his cultivation level must be high.

It was uncertain whether he was in the mid or late stage of Foundation Building.

If he was indeed in the mid or late stage, it would be terrifying.

Elder Yu was only in the early stage of Foundation Building; if they were to fight, how could he win...

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

But this was not something he could worry about. For now, he needed to draw the stronghold map and gather more intelligence.

Mo Hua began working on the map of Heishan Stronghold.

Starting from the mountain gate, he marked the roads, houses, the residences of the evil cultivators, and the iron prison where they held cultivators.

He noted where the arrays were set up and what precautions were needed.

By analyzing the arrays, he could deduce the layout of the stronghold.

This way, he could guess the purpose of those tightly sealed places he couldn't investigate.

At night, Mo Hua continued to eavesdrop on Scarface and the pale-faced man.

In Heishan Stronghold, the evil cultivators rarely spoke much.

These two were exceptions.

Probably because they were on night guard duty and needed to talk to stave off boredom.

Mo Hua took advantage of this, hiding nearby to listen for useful information.

In Heishan Stronghold, dangers lurked everywhere, so Mo Hua couldn’t practice arrays on the Dao Stele at night.

But by occasionally immersing himself in his sea of consciousness and meditating before the Dao Stele, he could stay energetic even without sleep.

Moreover, with the Fourth Leader going out to drink blood and the Third Leader staying behind closed doors at night, it was actually the safest time for Mo Hua.

After chatting for a long time, Scarface and the pale-faced man suddenly started arguing.

Mo Hua listened closely.

It turned out Scarface, despite his fierce appearance, practiced an extraction technique.

The pale-faced man, despite his frail appearance, practiced a technique that borrowed others’ spiritual power to replenish his own.

The pale-faced man, being lustful, wanted to learn the extraction technique from Scarface to supplement his own Yang energy.

Scarface ignored him.

The pale-faced man, embarrassed and angry, taunted, “With your looks, practicing extraction? Aren’t you afraid women will be disgusted?”

Scarface retorted, “With your frail body, what’s the point of learning extraction? Don’t end up exhausting yourself to death.”

They exchanged a few more insults before starting to fight.

Scarface was a body cultivator, while the pale-faced man was a spiritual cultivator.

Scarface, relying on his physical strength, tried to get close to the pale-faced man, who used spells to keep him at bay, conjuring and launching fireballs.

He was also using the Fireball Technique.

Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then felt annoyed:

“What kind of trash is he, using the same technique as me?”

After watching for a bit longer, he suddenly noticed something interesting.

The pale-faced man’s Fireball Technique seemed more powerful than his own.

Though not as fast or accurate as his, the fireball's color was deeper, and its power was quite formidable.

It wasn’t a matter of cultivation level.

A typical ninth-level Qi Refining spiritual cultivator using the Fireball Technique wouldn’t have such power.

Could the pale-faced man have some secret to his Fireball Technique?

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