Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 993: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (1)

(Note: I'm changing Hidden Dragon Estate to Crouching Dragon Estate)

In ancient times, they had a beautiful name: Four Celestial Spirits.

The so-called Four Celestial Spirits, also known as the Four Divine Beasts, refer to the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

In the present-day Demon Realm, Xuanyuan Palace holds supreme authority. However, strictly speaking, Xuanyuan Palace does not entirely belong to the Demon Realm's faction. Therefore, among the recognized lineages of the Demon Realm, the true noble bloodlines are those inherited from the Four Celestial Spirits.

These were precisely the four Demon Association representatives standing ahead of Greedy Wolf Clan’s Young Master, Zi Xing, whom Mo Mo was now observing:

Cang Jinshui, the clan leader of the Azure Dragon Clan.

Huang Baifu, the young master of the White Tiger Clan.

Qu Xinghe, the high priest of the Vermilion Bird Clan.

Ming Tushan, the elder of the Black Tortoise Clan.

Even though no one was actively displaying their power, Mo Mo could sense the overwhelming Demonic Energy in the air, almost as if it had materialized. He had also heard rumors that Xuanyuan Palace harbored a powerful Demon Clan figure—though it was unclear how they compared to the representatives of the Four Celestial Spirits’ bloodlines.The Demon Association had sent six representatives in total. Besides the four major clans and the Greedy Wolf Clan, the last seat was occupied by a frail, pale-faced man dressed in black.

Mo Mo noticed that this man’s gaze had been fixed on him the entire time. Though there was no clear hostility, it made him feel oddly uncomfortable. Unable to ignore it, he glanced at the man's nameplate:

Xiao Shengmo, City Lord of Fengdu City.

A Ghost Clan lord?

Mo Mo frowned slightly, suddenly understanding why the Fengdu City Lord was looking at him so strangely. After all, in a strict sense, Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters were perhaps the most hated adversaries of Fengdu City’s inhabitants.

For generations, Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters had roamed the world, eradicating spirits and supernatural entities. It was no surprise that Fengdu City harbored many who saw them as enemies.

At that moment, Lai Caisheng turned to Miss Gong, the secretary, who nodded before standing up. She carried a small box in her hands. Opening it, she revealed three vials, each containing a dark blue liquid.

“This is Heaven’s Tears,” Miss Gong said calmly. “It was recently confiscated from Yunnan. The Michael’s Society seems to be distributing it as a new type of narcotic. Typically, it is heavily diluted for sale, but these three vials contain the pure substance, seized from a recent shipment.”

After a pause, she continued, her expression serious:

“Furthermore, according to intelligence from the Special National Land Management Bureau, the individual secretly controlling these transactions in our country is known as Mr. Sun. He is likely a key member of the Michael’s Society. If any of you come across information about him, please inform us.”

At this, Huang Baifu, the White Tiger Clan’s young master, yawned and said indifferently,

“Maintaining world peace has nothing to do with us Demons. I’m only interested in this so-called Heaven’s Tears. Let’s cut to the chase—weren’t you going to demonstrate its effects? If you keep dragging this out, I’m going to fall asleep.”

Miss Gong glanced at Lai Caisheng, who nodded slightly. She then said,

“Since the Young Master is eager, let’s begin. Representatives of the Demon Association, please choose a participant.”

However, Huang Baifu immediately stood up, rolling his shoulders.

“No need for that—I’ll do it myself.”

“Young Master Huang…” Miss Gong frowned, about to say something.

To her surprise, Lai Caisheng simply waved his hand and smiled.

“If Young Master Huang is interested, then that works out perfectly.”

Huang Baifu smirked at him. “So, are you my opponent? They say you, Lai Caisheng, are the most talented young cultivator of the Daoist world. I’m really curious—how strong are you?”

Lai Caisheng remained unfazed. “That’s just exaggerated praise. Plain-Clothed Dao specializes in astrology and divination, not combat. I doubt I could even withstand a single move from you… Your opponent will be Mo Mo, the legitimate successor of Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters.”

Huang Baifu, seeing his provocation fail, shrugged it off. Instead, he turned to Mo Mo and said,

“So, the heir of Zhang Daoling’s Daoist lineage? I suppose that’s barely acceptable.”

Miss Gong then spoke at the right moment,

“Everyone, please proceed to the Inner Hall of the estate.”

---

Since this was Mo Mo’s first time at Crouching Dragon Estate, everything felt unfamiliar to him. So when they followed Miss Gong to the Inner Hall, he couldn’t help but be shocked by its construction.

The so-called Inner Hall was actually located underground—a massive, man-made arena hidden beneath the estate.

However, the arena was far from pristine. Mo Mo noticed numerous signs of damage, suggesting it had seen frequent use.

Now, the Demon Association and the Daoist Alliance stood on opposite sides of the stage, their stances clearly divided.

Huang Baifu had already leaped to the center of the platform, while Mo Mo remained below, speaking with Miss Gong.

“Mr. Mo Mo, please hold onto this vial of Heaven’s Tears,” Miss Gong said seriously. “We would prefer if you didn’t use it right away.”

Mo Mo nodded. “You want to demonstrate its true power… meaning, I should only use it if I’m losing?”

“Correct.” Miss Gong nodded. “Of course, this is not meant as an insult to your strength, Mr. Mo Mo. However, your opponent is Huang Baifu, the White Tiger Clan’s young master… Since he was chosen as their representative, I’m sure you understand what that implies.”

Mo Mo said seriously, “I heard that the Four Celestial Spirits clans inherit the legacy of the Four Divine Beasts, and their most powerful descendants receive the blessing of the Divine Beasts, making their strength unfathomable.”

Miss Gong added, “Not only that, but Huang Baifu is one of the rare bloodline descendants in the past hundred years to exhibit a reversion phenomenon in the White Tiger clan. It’s said that even without using the power of the White Tiger’s inheritance, he once fought to a draw with Cang Jinshui, the current clan leader of the Azure Dragon clan.”

“This isn’t just a tough opponent…” Mo Mo smiled bitterly. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle him at all.”

“Mr. Mo Mo, don’t worry too much,” Miss Gong reassured him. “The Daoist Association representatives here will ensure that nothing happens to you.”

Mo Mo understood this well. Although this was supposedly a test for ‘Heaven’s Tears,’ it was essentially just an excuse for the Daoist and Demon factions to resolve some issues. He had simply stumbled into it at the wrong time.

Thinking back, though… Wasn’t Miss Gong’s appearance a little too coincidental? Just as he had finished speaking with Captain Ling Feng, she had immediately shown up with this request, as if she already knew he would agree.

Suddenly, a thought struck Mo Mo, and he quickly asked, “Did Lai Caisheng send you out at the start?”

Miss Gong hesitated for a moment before regaining her composure and replying calmly, “I told you, I sensed fluctuations of magical power outside the door and came out because I was worried something was wrong.”

“Is that so?” Mo Mo waved his hand dismissively. “Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, having the chance to fight against the most outstanding genius of the White Tiger clan is a rare opportunity. Whatever the real purpose behind all this, I’m still quite willing to face Huang Baifu.”

Miss Gong remained silent for a while before nodding. “In that case, please step onto the stage, Mr. Mo Mo.”

Mo Mo chuckled carefreely and strode toward the arena.

“If you use Heaven’s Tears, be sure to use the Strike God Technique to strengthen your body… Also, don’t exceed three minutes,” Miss Gong suddenly whispered behind him.

Mo Mo turned his head, smiled slightly, and whistled. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re actually quite beautiful?”

Before Miss Gong could respond, Mo Mo flipped onto the stage. He scanned the crowd and finally locked eyes with Huang Baifu, then said in a loud voice, “I came in a hurry and didn’t bring my weapon. Would anyone be kind enough to lend me a wooden sword?”

Huang Baifu sneered. “A wooden sword? Quite confident, aren’t you?”

Mo Mo shook his head. “I’m just used to it. Hasn’t anyone told you? Celestial Masters always use wooden swords to perform rituals, subdue demons, and exorcise evil.”

“Not bad.” Huang Baifu suddenly laughed. “If you survive, I’ll buy you a drink!”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Mo Mo smirked.

Just then, a sharp whooshing sound rang out, and a streak of light shot toward Mo Mo. When he caught it, he found that it was indeed a wooden sword—except this one was completely black, radiating a dark glow.

“This sword is called Black Abyss. I picked it up from a reckless Daoist. Consider it a gift.”

Mo Mo turned toward the source of the voice, stunned. The one who had tossed him the sword wasn’t a fellow Daoist Association member but rather the Demon Association’s Fengdu City Lord.

His face remained expressionless, showing no trace of joy or malice, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

Mo Mo grasped the black wooden sword, and immediately, a chilling aura surged through his entire body, making him shiver involuntarily. He stood frozen for a moment.

Huang Baifu frowned at the Fengdu City Lord. “Xiao Shengmo, I don’t need you meddling in my duel with this little Celestial Master.”

Xiao Shengmo merely chuckled coldly and said nothing.

Unexpectedly, Mo Mo let out a deep breath, then bowed to the Fengdu City Lord. “Thank you for the gift, senior.”

Holding the wooden sword, Mo Mo’s spiritual energy surged like a rushing tide, causing the black sword to tremble violently as if it were excited.

“Hah, Changhe Daoist took in quite the disciple,” an elder in the Daoist Association remarked, stroking his white eyebrows with a smile. “At such a young age, his cultivation is already this profound. Rare, indeed. He’s just a step away from achieving oneness with heaven and man.”

The surrounding Daoists turned to look at the elder, only to see him sit cross-legged and close his eyes in meditation. No one dared to disturb him—after all, he was highly respected not just in the Daoist Association but in the entire Daoist world.

Everyone refocused on the battle.

By now, Mo Mo had already launched the first strike, attacking Huang Baifu. In an instant, dozens of black winds erupted from the black wooden sword, sweeping across the battlefield.

…

Mo Mo let out a slow breath, staring at the senior in front of him. Now that he thought about it, he still didn’t know this senior’s real name.

He had never quite believed the name he had overheard back in Lüjia Village by the sea. It was likely a false name.

“Huang Baifu truly deserves to be called the strongest genius of the White Tiger clan,” Mo Mo said with a bitter smile. “That day, even though I wielded the black wooden sword and felt my power surge, I still couldn’t break through his defense. In the end, I had no choice but to use Heaven’s Tears.”

Mo Mo’s expression grew complicated.

“Are you unwilling to accept the result?” Luo Qiu asked.

“There’s a natural gap between humans and demons,” Mo Mo replied, quickly regaining his composure. “Not to mention, Huang Baifu carries the bloodline of the Four Celestial Spirits’ Divine Beast, the White Tiger. Losing to him isn’t shameful. The only regret is that I couldn’t force him to reveal his true power.”

“What was the effect of Heaven’s Tears?” Luo Qiu suddenly asked.

As if expecting this question, Mo Mo answered without hesitation. “Extremely bizarre. The moment I used it, my spiritual energy nearly tripled, and my stamina became endless, making me feel almost invincible. I even stopped feeling pain, and my reflexes improved significantly. But even then, I still couldn’t defeat Huang Baifu. The fact that the Western ‘Michael’s Society’ managed to develop such a drug is truly astonishing.”

Mo Mo paused before continuing thoughtfully. “What’s even more shocking is that Heaven’s Tears works on cultivators like us… If not for its severe side effects, I imagine many people would fight over it.”

Luo Qiu didn’t seem particularly concerned about that and instead asked, “What happened next?”

Mo Mo recalled, “The battle ended in my complete defeat. Afterward, I lost consciousness due to the effects of Heaven’s Tears. But some senior Daoists helped me recover, and not only did they heal my injuries, but they also refined my spiritual energy, making me stronger. I guess you could say it was a blessing in disguise. Though, to me, it felt more like compensation for being used as a test subject.”

Mo Mo looked into the eyes of the senior before him and noticed that they remained completely calm. Scratching his head, he said, “How should I put it…? Honestly, I do feel a bit frustrated about being manipulated, but the Daoist Association compensated me… Thinking about it that way, there’s no need to dwell on it too much.”

“Why?”

“Why…” Mo Mo was momentarily stunned before replying instinctively, “The Daoist path is about severing karmic entanglements and maintaining tranquility. If I get too caught up in matters of cause and effect, wouldn’t that mean I’ve fallen into a lower state of cultivation? Besides, if I let something like this make me obsessive, it would affect my cultivation. If my mind becomes too clouded by resentment, how can I even talk about pursuing the Dao?”

“And now?” Luo Qiu asked calmly. “Earlier, you said that the poison in your body was inflicted by someone from the Daoist world… Do you still hold the same view?”

Mo Mo fell silent for a moment, then let out a deep sigh. With a wistful expression, he muttered, “It feels like… somewhere along the way, something went wrong… The human heart.”

(End of Chapter)