The monster from Bixiashenghua was a demon cultivator, and not just any demon cultivator. Besides cultivating demonic arts and having the ability to “demonize” its body, its body was also covered in mysterious Four Symbols demon patterns!

Mo painting gently licked his lips.

The Four Symbols Formation!

This was a type of formation different from the systems of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. Taixu Sect did not have it in its transmission. Even most ordinary sects did not possess the inheritance of the Four Symbols Formation method; it was a rather rare formation.

“I must capture this monster, skin it, and copy down the formation patterns…”

Mo painting’s gaze brightened. He urged his Passing Water Steps to the extreme, his footsteps like the wind. Following the bloodstains on the ground, he chased after the heavily injured demon cultivator.

The demon cultivator had lost an arm, and half its body was covered in blood. It crawled across the ground, leaving a clear trail of blood. But it was a demon cultivator after all, and its physical body recovered quickly. The bloodstains on the ground, which were initially like a gushing spring, gradually thinned out like a flowing stream, until only intermittent bloody prints remained.

But no matter how faint the bloodstains were, they could not deceive Mo painting’s divine sense. Moreover, he still had his Heavenly Machine Calculation. With the guidance of the causal line, it was almost impossible for this demon cultivator to escape.

So he chased for the time it takes to burn an incense stick. The bloodstains on the ground were almost imperceptible, and only a faint bloody smell remained in the air. Mo painting continued to chase, guided only by the faint red causal line of blood color.

But after chasing for a while longer, the causal line suddenly broke. Mo painting frowned, looked up, and found that he had arrived deep within this mountain forest without knowing it. The woods in front were dense and thick, covered in mist. Front, back, left, and right, it was boundless at a glance. At first glance, he simply did not know where he was.

What was even stranger was that when he released his divine sense and perceived, everything seemed normal. Only upon careful distinction could he discover that his divine sense was not “seeing” anything… It was as if something was quietly absorbing the probing divine sense. It was also as if the entire mountain forest had woven a layer of divine thought “mist,” obstructing the perception of the cultivators’ divine sense.

The heavily injured demon beast, upon entering the forest, was like a fish swimming into the sea, a fierce tiger returning to the forest, its trace lost.

“Lost the trace?”

Mo painting’s expression was slightly startled, and his brows furrowed even tighter. With his divine sense and Heavenly Machine Calculation, it was basically impossible for him to lose track of someone, let alone a heavily injured cultivator… This dense forest…

Mo painting stood blankly, staring at the dense forest. After looking for a long time, deep in thought, he suddenly realized something and his pupils constricted.

What could obstruct divine sense? Such a large-scale obstruction of divine sense must be a formation!

But ordinary formations actually cannot “obstruct” divine sense. Even the most secretive formations take into account sound insulation and divine sense obstruction. But this so-called “obstructing” divine sense formation, in principle, utilizes the formation to create chaotic spiritual power, forming a “barrier” to “obstruct” divine sense perception. The underlying principle is confusion at the spiritual power level, not obstruction at the divine thought level. When probing it with divine sense, one can clearly feel the hindering “barrier.”

But the dense forest before his eyes did not have this. There was no obvious “barrier,” yet it could obstruct divine sense probing, making it difficult for people to perceive thoroughly. And this kind of formation that could truly “obstruct” perception at the divine sense level, when deduced from principle, must contain the use of a certain class of divine thought power.

In other words, the formation inside this dense forest is… a Divine Path Formation?!

Mo painting involuntarily gasped. Unexpectedly… Buy one, get one free?!

He never expected that in this ordinary Outer Refinement Mountain, under his very eyes, two types of rare formations were quietly and silently hidden simultaneously.

The Four Symbols Formation on the demon cultivator’s body.

As well as the one integrated with the dense forest before his eyes… the Divine Path Formation!

Mo painting released his divine sense to look again, but as soon as his divine sense entered the deep forest, it was like mud entering the sea, without a sound. Even if his divine sense had not been powerful and qualitatively changed, his perception keen, and his divine thought entered the micro, he would not have perceived that his divine sense, while probing this dense forest, actually “saw” nothing…

Divine sense “seeing but not seeing”… This dense forest, in the divine sense, both existed and did not exist.

Mo painting exclaimed in his heart. What a clever method. What a powerful formation!

Mo painting immediately wanted to step into the forest to thoroughly research the Divine Path Formation inside the dense forest, but just as he lifted his foot, he hesitated.

“This dense forest is a bit dangerous…”

That demon cultivator was injured, yet it still wanted to run into this forest. This indicates that this dense forest is very likely its shelter. Such a large dense forest, such a clever Divine Path Formation, must have been set up by no ordinary cultivators.

Then, the depths of this dense forest most likely contain the demon cultivator’s companions. Things gather by kind, people gather by groups. The people who can be companions with a demon cultivator, even if they are not demon cultivators themselves, must be other fierce demon cultivators. Their cultivation level is at least Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core is also possible.

Now, he was alone, merely at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Without anyone to protect him, rushing into the dense forest would still be too dangerous.

Mo painting sighed. He patrolled in front of the dense forest for a long time, hesitant in his heart, weighing his options repeatedly, and finally decided to temporarily give up.

“What a pity…”

Clearly, the Divine Path Formation was right in front of him. But given the current situation, he could not risk it. He should go back first and make long-term plans. Anyway, the mountain forest was right here and wouldn’t grow legs and run away.

Mo painting reluctantly turned his head again and looked at the mountain forest, as if looking at his own vegetable garden.

“Wait until I’m fully prepared, then I’ll come back to pick vegetables!”

Mo painting nodded and then left somewhat unwillingly.

After Mo painting left, Xun Ziyou looked at his retreating figure, estimated Mo painting’s trajectory, and after confirming that he was not in danger for a short time, he only then stepped into the mountain forest.

He was here in Refinement Mountain, and his primary duty was to ensure Mo painting’s safety. Other matters were all secondary. Now that Mo painting was safe, he would take a little time to go check on that demon cultivator.

Thin mist hung in the forest, the trees were tall and straight, primitive and desolate. Xun Ziyou walked several circles in the mountain forest, released his divine sense to sweep several times, but still gained nothing. He couldn’t help but frown.

He was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, chasing a late-stage Foundation Establishment demon cultivator. And he could still lose track of it? He had indeed been a bit slack these years, but he was absolutely not this slack. It definitely wasn’t his problem.

Xun Ziyou was somewhat unconvinced. He turned his head and said to his right: “You lost track too, right?”

A light shadow appeared on his right, and a man wearing a Chongxu Sect Daoist robe appeared. His face was also somewhat embarrassed, but he said: “I was watching Laughing Child. I didn’t pay much attention to other matters.”

“How is it?” The Chongxu Sect elder looked at Xun Ziyou and said calmly: “You lost track?”

Xun Ziyou was too lazy to argue with him.

The two of them each released their divine sense and searched in the mountain forest for a while, and then both furrowed their brows.

“It really disappeared unexpectedly…” The Chongxu Sect elder also became serious, his expression puzzled: “What method did that demon cultivator use to deceive the divine sense of us two Golden Core cultivators?”

“Stealth technique? Stealth spiritual tool?”

Xun Ziyou shook his head. The cultivation world was vast, with numerous types of cultivation methods, Dao laws, and spiritual tools. For a while, he found it difficult to determine. By reason, with such a large disparity in realms and such a large gap in divine sense, even with some means of concealment or breath-covering, it should be impossible to deceive their perception.

Moreover, there was an even more important issue. Xun Ziyou frowned and said: “How can there be a demon cultivator in Refinement Mountain?”

The Chongxu Sect elder also had a heavy gaze: “There are formations sealing the mountain all around, at the mountain gate, there are formations monitoring demonic Qi, every disciple who enters the mountain is illuminated by a demon-expelling mirror, and we elders are constantly patrolling in the mountain…”

“There should only be sect disciples in this mountain. Besides us patrolling Golden Core elders, it’s impossible to have other cultivators.”

“How could there be a demon cultivator?”

“And how did it enter the mountain, how did it hide itself in this mountain, and what exactly is its plot?”

Both of their expressions were somewhat solemn.

“Should we search the mountain?”

“The commotion would be too great, and it would just make things complicated and cause panic. It would invite trouble, and we might not even find it…” After all, that demon cultivator disappeared under the eyes of two Golden Core cultivators.

“Should we keep an eye on this for a while?”

Xun Ziyou shook his head: “We don’t have that much time.” Their primary task was to protect Mo painting and Ling Huxiao.

Both of them sighed. The Chongxu Sect elder looked at the mountain forest in front again, and the more he looked, the more confused he became. He murmured in a low voice: “What method exactly did it use to deceive your and my divine sense…”

Xun Ziyou also stared at the mountain forest, frowning in puzzlement. After looking for a while, Xun Ziyou was suddenly startled, his gaze heavy: “Xuanjian, you’ve been in this Refinement Mountain for so long, have you ever seen this mountain forest before?”

The Chongxu Sect elder was startled, then sized up the mountain forest before him again, and his brows slowly furrowed. “It does seem… a little strange…”

Refinement Mountain was very large, and there were many mountain forests. But as an elder guarding Refinement Mountain for a long time, he had been to most places. But this mountain forest before him, although it looked like an ordinary forest with not much difference from other mountain forests, at most it was just vast, boundless at a glance, but relatively speaking, its aura was indeed too strange…

“Your meaning is, it’s not that the demon cultivator’s hidden method is skillful, but… this forest has something tricky?” the Chongxu Sect elder asked.

Xun Ziyou slowly nodded.

The Chongxu Sect elder released his divine sense and swept around. But although they were Golden Core cultivators and their divine sense was powerful, it had not yet undergone qualitative change, their perception was not keen enough, and they were not proficient in formations and had no experience with related formations. With a sweep of their divine sense, the surrounding mountain forest was still empty.

The Chongxu Sect elder couldn’t help but ask: “What trick?”

Xun Ziyou shook his head. He hadn’t figured it out yet either.

Xun Ziyou frowned in deep thought, and suddenly thought of Mo painting. He remembered that Mo painting had just been staring at this mountain forest, looking for a long time, his eyes getting brighter and brighter, as if he had discovered something. Then he wanted to step into the mountain forest, but after hesitating for a moment, he didn’t go in and turned back to look at this strange dense forest meaningfully before leaving.

Xun Ziyou carefully pondered, finding it hard to believe. Mo painting, that child… wouldn’t have seen something, would he?

“But how is that possible?” Neither of them, two dignified Golden Core cultivators, could see it, so how could he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, see it?

Xun Ziyou frowned. But assuming it was true… Assuming that child Mo painting really saw something. Then that would explain that the secret of this forest involved something Mo painting was very proficient in, while he was not skilled. That is… formations!

This dense forest was set up with formations by someone, so it could obstruct the divine sense probing of Golden Core cultivators unknowingly, providing a hiding place for the demon cultivator? What kind of formations?

Xun Ziyou looked at the ordinary mountain forest in front of him, which had no trace of formations and showed no clues, his expression somewhat blank. What kind of formations could this have? How did that child Mo painting see it? No matter what, he was a Golden Core cultivator. He who had lived for more than two hundred years didn’t see it, while this child, not yet twenty years old, was able to see it…

Xun Ziyou deeply sighed. Genius was simply hateful. Especially genius in formations. Formations were too obscure, and the water inside was too deep. Some formation geniuses, you don’t even know where they are powerful, let alone how big the gap is between you and them…

The Chongxu Sect elder beside him saw Xun Ziyou’s expression change incessantly and sighing non-stop, and frowned and asked: “Do you know something?”

Xun Ziyou was startled, came back to his senses, thought about it, and felt that these were all just his guesses, so it was better not to say them out yet.

“No, I just sighed that we elders were negligent and actually let a demon cultivator mix in.” Xun Ziyou sighed.

The Chongxu Sect elder nodded when he heard this.

Xun Ziyou continued: “This matter is strange. After reporting to the sect, we will discuss how to solve it. You and I should not announce it first to avoid leaks…”

“That’s also good.” The Chongxu Sect elder nodded.

After the two of them finished discussing, they prepared to leave. Only before leaving, the Chongxu Sect elder suddenly thought of something and felt a little palpitation, asking: “Right, what about that ‘imperial sword’ matter?”

Xun Ziyou feigned ignorance, “What ‘imperial sword’?”

The Chongxu Sect elder was annoyed, “Don’t pretend you don’t know, I saw it with my own eyes, that child was more than a hundred zhang away, didn’t even gather sword Qi, just a shock of divine sense, a spiritual sword flew directly out, the golden light was dazzling, exploding a ball of sword Qi, twisting and breaking that demon cultivator’s demonized arm, staining half his body with blood…”

That child named Mo painting, although he was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Imperial sword at this level actually had such a fierce technique, such a far distance, such a fast speed, such powerful power… The Chongxu Sect elder still felt a lingering fear when he thought of it now.

Xun Ziyou had a look of “shock” and shook his head, saying: “No way, how is that possible? You definitely saw wrong.”

The Chongxu Sect elder was speechless, “How could I see wrong?”

“You just saw wrong.” Xun Ziyou said with a serious expression and affirmed: “That wasn’t imperial sword, it was just a type of hidden weapon with formations painted on it. The power was actually just average. It was just that the demon cultivator was already heavily injured and powerless to resist, that’s why it was exploded so miserably.”

The Chongxu Sect elder found it hard to believe, “Hidden weapon with formations painted on it? Even if you talk nonsense, you need some basis!”

Xun Ziyou counter-asked: “Then have you ever seen a sword cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment who can imperial sword one hundred sixty zhang and still have such great power?”

The Chongxu Sect elder paused, “This… indeed not…” This kind of thing indeed violated his common sense.

“Moreover, imperial sword, ah…” Xun Ziyou continued: “Even your Chongxu Sect’s genius disciple with a clear sword heart hasn’t learned imperial sword yet, has he? Mo painting is not a sword cultivator, how could he use such a fierce imperial sword?”

“That’s also true.” The Chongxu Sect elder couldn’t help but nod. Not to mention anything else, when it came to sword Dao talent, he dared to affirm that Ling Huxiao was absolutely outstanding in Chongxu Sect, and even in the entire Qian Xue Province, he was in the top ranks. If Mo painting really knew how to imperial sword, and such a powerful “imperial sword,” wouldn’t he be even more of a genius than Chongxu Sect’s sword Dao genius?

This was absolutely impossible!

The Chongxu Sect elder gradually believed it. He was relatively far away and didn’t see too clearly himself. He just “felt” that Mo painting seemed to be imperial sword, and then from far away, he hit that demon cultivator, sword Qi overflowed, and a ball of bloody mist exploded. But now that he thought about it, imperial sword was obviously not very reasonable. Imperial was a certain type of spiritual tool in the form of a hidden weapon with special formations painted on it, which was just reasonable.

The Chongxu Sect elder nodded slightly. Xun Ziyou beside him saw this and silently breathed a sigh of relief. He finally managed to deceive him… Mo painting did such an “eye-catching” thing, and he still had to talk nonsense and find reasons to cover for him to avoid unnecessary attention. But the good thing was that this child’s actions were more and more “outrageous.” Even if he said it, others might not necessarily believe it. Conversely, his nonsensical excuse seemed much more “reliable.”

Xun Ziyou sighed silently. Not only did he have to protect him thoroughly, he also had to make up excuses and cover up lies for him. Was it easy for him? “Later, when I have a chance, I’ll have this child treat me to a drink…”

On the other side, Mo painting met up with Ling Huxiao and the others.

“It ran away, I couldn’t find it.” Mo painting sighed. Everyone was a little regretful. Just a little bit more, and they could have killed that demon cultivator.

“Let’s go back first and see how Cheng Mo’s injuries are. As for that demon cultivator, since it’s in the mountain, it won’t be able to run away eventually.” Anyone who dares to attack my junior brother of Taixu Sect, I will eventually skin it! Mo painting said silently in his heart.

The crowd then walked back. Only on the way back, Ling Huxiao was obviously heavy-hearted. He was behind and secretly looked at Mo painting several times, and finally couldn’t help but ask: “You can imperial sword?”

Mo painting was somewhat unexpected and nodded: “I can a little bit, but it’s not considered orthodox imperial sword. It mainly relies on the formations on the sword.”

Ling Huxiao said “um” and then didn’t say anything else, but in his heart, he regarded Mo painting even more as an unfathomable “expert.”

“Eventually, I will fight him…” Ling Huxiao said firmly in his heart.

Upon reaching the foot of Taixu Sect’s mountain, the crowd separated. Ling Huxiao returned to Chongxu Sect. Mo painting and the others returned to Taixu Sect. Upon reaching the mountain gate, Situ Jian asked: “Junior brother, should we tell the elders in the sect about the demon cultivator?”

Mo painting thought about it and felt that this matter was a little strange. He might not need to tell others, but he should notify the elders in the sect.

“Um.” Mo painting nodded. After that, he found Elder Song in the sect, who was responsible for attendance and various disciples’ matters, and told him about encountering the demon cultivator in Refinement Mountain.

“Demon cultivator!” Elder Song’s expression immediately became serious when he heard this.

“Good, I will notify the sect elders on duty in Refinement Mountain about this matter, so they can pay attention and also ensure the safety of the disciples.”

“The elder on duty in Refinement Mountain? Is it Elder Xun Ziyou?” Mo painting asked.

Elder Song was a little surprised, “You know him?”

Mo painting shook his head, “I met him once and heard his name, but I don’t know him.”

Elder Song nodded, “That’s right. If there are any matters at that time, Elder Xun will come and ask you again.”

Mo painting nodded, “Um, okay.”

After reporting to the sect, Mo painting relaxed. He went to check on Cheng Mo again. Cheng Mo’s injuries were much better.

“We avenged you and chopped off one arm of that monster.” Mo painting still had that small section of arm, showed it to Cheng Mo, and then kept it himself.

Cheng Mo was a little weak and smiled bitterly: “Thank you, junior brother.”

Mo painting saw that he was a little dispirited and said: “That was a demon cultivator, very strong. We five people joined forces and only managed to break one of its arms, and it still got away.”

“You should heal well. When your injuries are better, we will go back together and chop that demon evil and even skin it!”

Cheng Mo’s spirit indeed vibrated when he heard this, and he smiled and nodded: “Good!”

(End of this chapter)