Inquiry about immortality

Chapter 2400 Upstream and Downstream

Ripples spread across the water's surface, but quickly subsided, making it impossible to see the Ink Phoenix hiding in the Ink River from the outside.

Qin Sang and Mo Yan hid inside Mo Feng's belly, surrounded by complete darkness. Mo Feng's internal organs and flesh were also black, clearly indicating that it was not a normal living being.

Just as Qin Sang was hesitating whether to use her Heavenly Eye Divine Power in front of Mo Yan to spy on the outside world, Mo Yan picked up a paintbrush and made a stroke in front of them. The brush tip swept across the void without leaving a trace of ink.

Qin Sang found that her field of vision had suddenly widened. She could not only see the scene in the Mo River, but also vaguely see the banks of the Mo River through the water.

"This is……"

Qin Sang tried to turn his eyes, but found that he couldn't control them. He suddenly realized that they were seeing the outside world through Mo Feng's eyes.

This black phoenix recognizes Mo Yan as its master, and Mo Yan controls where it wants to go, leaving Qin Sang to watch from the sidelines.

Since that was the case, Qin Sang decided to remain a bystander. She then noticed that Mo Yan was controlling Mo Feng's eyes to move upwards and gaze at the top of the Mo River.

The ink tide condensed in the sky above this ink-wash landscape, transforming into a cloud of ink that never dissipated.

The dark clouds were thick and heavy, but they were not still. You could see them flying and colliding with the naked eye, just like the dark clouds before a storm.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the dark clouds, and five figures flew out one after another: the Plague Lord, the Gu Granny, and the Three Elders.

To Qin Sang and Mo Yan's disappointment, none of the five demons were injured and all had full strength, indicating that they had not fought a desperate battle with the Five Immortals Sect.

The five demons working together to resist the ink stains would naturally be much easier, but it cannot be ruled out that they might have the same methods as the inkstone.

Top-tier experts possess exceptionally keen senses, and if someone were to be watching them, they would quickly be noticed. However, Mo Yan did not look away from Mo Feng, and the five demons remained completely unaware, huddled together discussing something.

Only five demons came down; the five immortals of the Five Immortals' Abode were nowhere to be seen.

"It seems it's just them. The Black Demon King and them are not on the same side..." Qin Sang thought to herself.

He had initially suspected that the Black Silence Demon King had approached the Plague Lord with ulterior motives, just like them, but now it seemed that wasn't the case. Fortunately, he had joined Tianyunpu; if it weren't for the Five Immortals' Abode and Chilian, he would still be kept in the dark.

"Won't they discover Mo Feng?"

Qin Sang saw that after the Plague Lord and the others finished their discussion, they dispersed. Some were looking at the ink-wash landscape, while others kept staring at the Ink River, almost looking directly at her. Qin Sang felt a little worried.

As the weakest party, they had better stay hidden in the shadows and wait for the Five Immortals' Abode and the Plague God to fight each other to the death, then they could reap the benefits.

“As long as Mo Feng stays hidden in the river, they should have a hard time finding us,” Mo Yan said, controlling Mo Feng’s gaze to fall on the Plague Lord.

All signs indicate that the Plague God is the mastermind among the five demons.

The three elders were clearly entering for the first time, and they all looked at this extraordinary world with amazement.

The one staring intently at the Ink River was none other than the Plague Lord of Miasma. It was unclear what he had seen, but after a moment, he pointed in the direction the Ink River was flowing and said, "Let's go downstream!"

Gu Lao and the three elders had no objections and were about to set off when a small deer suddenly darted out from the forest on the riverbank.

The deer seems to leap out of the painting, sketched with just a few strokes yet capturing its essence perfectly, hopping and jumping with a startled expression.

"Roar!"

Tigers roar in the forest.

A sudden gust of wind shook the mountains and fields, causing the grass and trees to bend over. Then, a fierce tiger rushed out of the forest and pounced on the deer.

“Wait,” Gu Lao called out to the Plague Lord, “Let’s test this beast’s abilities first…”

As she spoke, Gu Lao's fingers trembled slightly, and a transparent bubble suddenly appeared in front of the little deer. The little deer jumped in and was unable to move, letting the bubble carry it towards Gu Lao. The fierce tiger, relentless, leaped up.

Suddenly, a colorful cloud, seemingly appearing from nowhere, engulfed them. A few tiger roars echoed from within, and then all was silent.

The Gu Granny was somewhat disappointed. "So you really are just a lowly, insignificant demon!"

Immediately, the colorful clouds parted, and two clumps of ink fell into the ink river, splashing water.

"It seems that most of the ink beasts here are far weaker than the ink phoenix," Qin Sang said.

“Yes, this black phoenix should be the overlord of this area,” Mo Yan agreed.

Having learned of the Ink Beast's abilities, the five demons no longer hesitated and flew downstream along the Ink River. Ink Ink immediately manipulated the Ink Phoenix to follow, and the Ink Phoenix swam in the Ink River undetected.

If this were a traditional Chinese ink painting, the banks of the Ink River would be narrow, yet its length would be unexpectedly long.

The five demons continued to fly downstream, but could not see the end of the Ink River for a long time.

The winding river flows between the mountains, some majestic and some gentle, each with its own unique shape. Occasionally, you can see small bridges over flowing water and houses nestled in the mountains.

Mo Feng's territory is vast, and the five demons have never encountered a Mo beast as powerful as Mo Feng.

After flying for a while, the five demons suddenly stopped in front of a mountain. Qin Sang and Mo Yan arrived shortly afterward. It turned out that the Mo River had forked here, flowing in different directions to the left and right. The river channels were almost the same width, making it impossible to tell which was the main channel and which was the branch.

They gazed into the distance, but saw no sign of the two black rivers converging.

All the demons looked at the Plague God, but the Plague God hesitated to move forward.

Seeing this, the three elders exchanged glances and asked in surprise, "Fellow Daoist, you haven't been here before?"

The Plague God nodded helplessly, offering no explanation, and frowned as he stared ahead, seemingly calculating.

"Otherwise, let's split up and go our separate ways," the old man in the brocade robe suggested.

“This is the worst possible strategy,” Gu Lao shook her head. “The Five Immortals of the Five Immortals’ Temple will arrive soon. They are from the same school, and their combined strength is formidable. We all need to avoid them. If we split up, it would be too dangerous if we encountered them.”

Everyone present naturally understood this principle, but the Plague God hesitated and remained indecisive. What other options were there?

Inside Mo Feng's body.

Mo Yan was looking in the same direction as the Plague God, his expression solemn.

Qin Sang knew that Mo Yan was also making calculations, but since she knew nothing about this place and couldn't help, she silently admired the scenery in her field of vision.

On the banks of the Mo River stands a mountain, its slopes covered with strangely shaped cypress trees, and at its foot grows a grove of black bamboo. Behind the bamboo grove is a large mansion that caught Qin Sang's attention, along with several other rows of houses separated from the mansion by the bamboo grove, resembling a village.

This kind of scene is not uncommon in traditional Chinese ink wash landscape paintings.

Just like before, these houses and mansions were all unclaimed. There were plenty of birds and beasts in the mountains, but they wouldn't wander in.

Looking at these scenes, Qin Sang always felt awkward. Now she realized what was wrong: if humans were added to this ink wash landscape, it would appear very harmonious.

A small bridge spans a flowing stream, houses stand neatly arranged, and people work at sunrise and rest at sunset...

Once enlightened, demon cultivators possess wisdom no less than humans, and they also know how to build pavilions and towers. However, their nature dictates that they will not be entirely the same as humans. Qin Sang always felt that these houses and residences were more like places for humans to live in than for demon beasts.

But this is the Demon Realm, a hundred and eight thousand miles away from the Great Zhou Dynasty, and there are no humans here at all. Qin Sang doubted that her senses were wrong.

At this moment, Mo Yan seemed to have thought of something, nodded slightly, and his expression softened.

"Fellow Daoist, do you perhaps have some connection with this place?"

Qin Sang voiced the question that had been weighing on her mind.

Mo Yan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Whether you believe it or not, I knew nothing about this before I came here. But after entering, I felt right at home. Many places felt familiar, and I inexplicably knew how to avoid those ink marks. When I saw Mo Feng, I thought I could give it a pair of spiritual eyes, and I succeeded on the first try."

Seeing that the inkstone did not appear to be fake, Qin Sang was surprised and pondered, "The principles of painting are interconnected; not all of them are subtle and mysterious. Some lines, brushstrokes, and compositions could be done by any painter with a certain level of skill."

“Indeed! I also suspect that the owner of this place must be a master painter who has reached the pinnacle of his art…”

Unlike Qin Sang and the others, Mo Yan looked at the ink landscape painting and appreciated it from the perspective of a 'painter'.

His face was full of admiration, even amazement.

Qin Sang suddenly realized a problem, "So, you're saying that even you, fellow Daoist, can't be sure if there's a connection between this place and that place?"

What he wanted was the relic of an ancient demon cultivator. If the two places were unrelated, even if he obtained some treasure in this landscape, he would probably only be able to use the inkstone.

Mo Yan nodded and comforted him, "The Plague God went so far as to invite the Three Elders to set up a trap, so it must be related to that place."

"hope so!"

Qin Sang nodded, then suddenly a thought struck her: "They're here!"

At the same time, the plague demons and others suddenly turned around and gazed upstream. Behind them, several powerful auras were made no attempt to conceal themselves.

"Come so fast!"

"It's Gu Lao," Gu Lao said in a deep voice.

The green vine on the old man's arm shimmered with spiritual light. After sensing for a moment, he said, "All five immortals are here, and they have all come in person!"

With the arrival of the five immortals, and no longer possessing Chi Lian and Gu Mei, any force facing these five top experts would feel pressure.

"There!"

Without further hesitation, the Plague God pointed to the tributary on the left.

Gu Lao and the others didn't know whether the miasma and plague god were just guessing or had actually deduced the result. The pursuers were approaching, and there was no time to hesitate.

Mo Yan followed without hesitation.

Not long after they left, five streaks of light appeared upstream of the Mo River and landed at the fork in the river.

Besides the Black and Yellow Guardians, there were two stunningly beautiful women: one dressed in a white fur coat with an ethereal air, and the other with a slender waist like a snake and a graceful, charming figure. In addition, there was an elderly man, who appeared to be the oldest of the five immortals. He was hunched over, leaning on a short cane, and had a kind and benevolent face.

The five immortals arrived in their true forms, but Chi Lian and Gu Mei were nowhere to be seen.

……

At this moment, outside the abyss.

Chi Lian and Gu Mei flew back to the shore, looked at each other with bitter smiles, both feeling as if they had survived a calamity, and secretly rejoiced.

When the power of the fox spirit and the willow spirit was withdrawn from them, both women were weak and exhausted. Coupled with the previous fierce battles, they were no longer able to participate in the fight, so the five guardians left them outside.

"What do we do now?" Gu Mei asked.

After this battle, much of the grudge between them was resolved.

Perhaps because their whereabouts had already been exposed, the five guardians did not restrict their movements this time.

“We cannot stay here any longer,” Chi Lian said warily, glancing around. The henchmen of the Plague God could arrive at any moment. “We must quickly adjust our breathing, return to the North Bank branch, gather troops, and prepare to meet the five protectors.”

The situation ahead is unpredictable, and the five guardians are the core strength of the Five Immortals Sect, so their loss is not to be tolerated.

Gu Mei nodded, sat down on the ground, and swallowed a bottle of pills.

"It's just a pity about Fellow Daoist Qingfeng..."

Chi Lian looked into the abyss and silently recited in her heart.

……

The five immortals chased the plague god to the fork in the river, but lost track of him.

The Black Guardian's nostrils twitched, and he helplessly spread his hands.

The fox spirit gazed ahead with her beautiful eyes, which seemed to change constantly like clouds and mist.

Bai Xian took out a few wooden sticks, tossed them into the air, and they landed on the ground, swaying precariously. He picked up his cane and poked at the sticks a few times, then pointed forward, "In that direction."

The Black Protector looked incredulous. "Old man White, is your divination accurate or not?"

Bai Xian scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "I'm sure I'll get it right once in ten tries. Before I came here, I had failed nine times in a row."

These words immediately drew several disdainful glances.

The fox spirit ignored them and suddenly flew towards the tributary on the left. The four immortals had no doubt about her judgment and followed closely behind.

Bai Xian's face crinkled into a wide smile. "Granted! Granted!"

Meanwhile, the Plague Lord and his men ahead were rushing forward without stopping, but they had to conceal their presence, so their speed was inevitably slower. Before long, they sensed the pursuers closing in from behind.

Seeing that they had failed to shake off the five immortals, they stopped concealing themselves and increased their speed significantly.

For a time, three forces were locked in a relentless pursuit along the Mohe River.

Qin Sang and Mo Yan were looking forward to the two sides fighting as soon as possible, but unexpected changes occurred not long afterward.

‘Wow! ’

‘Wow! ’

……

Without any warning, the once calm river suddenly surged with waves, which crashed against both banks.

The three forces simultaneously stopped their pursuit, looked down, and confirmed that it wasn't the wind, but the earth itself that was shaking!

The earthquake caused the river to surge violently.

All the demons became wary, and soon realized that the source of the earthquake was actually behind them.

"How could this be?"

Puzzle and Inkstone looked puzzled; clearly, neither of them had expected such an unexpected turn of events.

"This fluctuation... is not simple!"

The green vines on the old man's arm trembled repeatedly, and his expression grew increasingly serious as he looked at the Plague God. "We may have gone in the wrong direction."

"This……"

The Plague God frowned deeply.

Just then, they sensed that the five immortals who were closely following behind had suddenly changed direction and were flying upstream of the Mo River, which only added fuel to the fire.

"Fellow Daoist, you must make a decision as soon as possible. The upstream area has already shown signs of change, and such a violent one at that. If you insist on going downstream, and the fluctuations upstream are indeed real, you will be handing over the opportunity to yourselves..."

The three elders all spoke up to offer their advice.

Even the Plague Lord hesitated, not daring to stick to his own judgment, and sighed, "The three fellow Daoists are right, let's go upstream first."

The situation immediately reversed, and the five immortals gained the upper hand, becoming the pursuers.

As the demons gradually disappeared into the distance, Qin Sang and Mo Yan remained in the same spot.

Mo Yan's expression shifted. The three elders' words made sense. The end of the Mo River was far away, and they were watching helplessly as something happened upstream, which seemed to be not far away. They had to go and see it no matter what, and they couldn't just hand it over to someone else.

The decision wasn't difficult; Mo Yan immediately ordered Mo Feng to change direction and return the way they came. (End of Chapter)