Chapter 294: Human Longevity Pill
“Human Longevity Pill?”
It was Mo Hua’s first time hearing the term, so he asked, “Can it extend one’s life?”
Zhang Lan thought for a moment. “You could say it extends life, but it’s not truly extending life.”
Elder Yu and the others exchanged glances, looking puzzled.
Mo Hua said, “Uncle Zhang, don’t keep us guessing.”
Zhang Lan paused, then asked, “What’s the most important thing for a cultivator?”
“Cultivation?” Mo Hua replied after some thought.
“No.” Zhang Lan shook his head. “Cultivation is a cultivator’s foundation, but even more important—what truly matters—is lifespan. Only with lifespan can one pursue cultivation and seek immortality.”
“What we call immortality is, in truth, the ultimate and eternal form of lifespan.”
Mo Hua nodded in understanding. “In other words, no matter what a person does, they must first live. Without life, everything else is meaningless.”
“That’s right,” Zhang Lan said. “No matter how powerful a cultivator is, they must first live. Once their lifespan runs out, they can no longer survive. Even if their cultivation reaches heaven and earth, they will still perish.”
“So cultivators will try every possible method to prolong their lives?” Mo Hua asked.
Zhang Lan nodded. “The phrase ‘prolonging life’ isn’t quite right. The Heavenly Dao has its laws; each cultivator has their destined lifespan. When the final limit approaches and lifespan is exhausted, death is inevitable.”
“But there are indeed pills and techniques that can extend one’s life…” Mo Hua said, puzzled.
He’d never personally seen such pills or techniques, but records of them were common in cultivation texts—not exactly unheard of.
“That’s why I said,” Zhang Lan replied, “those so-called methods of prolonging life aren’t truly prolonging life.”
Mo Hua listened carefully, waiting for Zhang Lan to continue.
Zhang Lan’s expression grew solemn.
“When a cultivator’s end is near, their lifespan cannot be extended. This is the decree of the Heavenly Dao. What cultivators call prolonging life usually falls into two categories.”
“One is through pills or cultivation techniques that regulate the body and meridians—removing impurities, curing ailments, and thus lengthening life. But in such cases, the cultivator’s end has not yet arrived; their lifespan isn’t truly exhausted. What they gain is merely reclaiming their own lost vitality, so it isn’t really extending life.”
“But once a cultivator truly reaches their limit—when the Heavenly Dao decrees their end—death is inescapable. To defy it, one must tread the path of heresy, practice forbidden arts, and refine forbidden pills.”
“The Human Longevity Pill is one such forbidden pill.”
Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart. “To refine it… you have to kill many people, don’t you?”
Zhang Lan nodded. “It’s extremely difficult to refine—a great many must die for it.”
“To refine a Human Pill to prolong life means using human beings as ingredients, borrowing lifespan from others. But to go against the Heavenly Dao is incredibly difficult. One can only take a tiny fraction of another’s life, so it takes countless deaths to gather enough to sustain one’s own.”
A cold understanding dawned in Mo Hua’s eyes.
“The path of man—always taking from the insufficient to serve the excessive. Exploiting others for one’s own gain…”
“Clans and noble families grow fat by exploiting spirit stones; the Dao Court monopolizes power and exploits authority. The demonic and heretical are more brutal—they drink blood and devour spirit. As for those who refine the Human Longevity Pill—they directly exploit human life itself.”
Zhang Lan’s expression changed. “Who told you that?”
Mo Hua scratched his head. “Isn’t that how it is?”
Zhang Lan wanted to deny it, yet the logic felt disturbingly sound. For a moment, his thoughts tangled.
Elder Yu was also startled and turned to look at Mo Shan.
Mo Shan shook his head, meaning, I didn’t teach him that. He too was baffled by how Mo Hua could speak such words.
After thinking for a bit, Mo Hua asked,
“If this really is a Human Pill, then… is it being refined for the Bandit Chief?”
Zhang Lan frowned, then recalled their current situation and reasoned,
“That Bandit Chief is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Early-stage Foundation Establishment grants only about three hundred years of life; later stages perhaps four hundred. Judging from that, his lifespan must be near its end. That’s why he built a stronghold deep in Black Mountain, gathered heretical cultivators, killed people, robbed goods, and refined pills to prolong his life…”
“All such deeds are forbidden under the Dao Laws, aren’t they?” Mo Hua asked.
“Indeed. Punishable by beheading, dismemberment, even execution by array.”
Zhang Lan sighed, but some relief showed on his face. “Refining Human Pills is an atrocity that enrages both heaven and men. Once reported, the Dao Court will take it extremely seriously—they’ll dispatch Dao Soldiers to annihilate every one of those heretics!”
Elder Yu and the others also breathed easier.
If that was true, eliminating the Black Mountain stronghold might not be so difficult after all.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked,
“These heretics keep such a low profile—could it be because they fear exposure, fearing the Dao Court’s wrath and the encirclement of Dao Soldiers?”
Zhang Lan nodded thoughtfully. “Highly possible. However…”
He suddenly thought of something else and turned to Mo Hua.
“Refining Human Pills is top secret, and the pill chambers are forbidden grounds. Outsiders shouldn’t even know of their existence. How did you get inside?”
Elder Yu and the others looked curiously at Mo Hua.
“It wasn’t much. I just snuck in while the Third Chief was away.”
Mo Hua said it lightly.
“And then?”
Zhang Lan pressed, knowing it couldn’t have been that simple.
“Then I got delayed a bit… and was discovered by the Third Chief.”
Everyone’s expression changed. Mo Shan’s heart sank in alarm.
“You were discovered by a Foundation Establishment heretic—and lived?” Zhang Lan said in disbelief. “How did you get out?”
“The Third Chief sent me out,” Mo Hua said.
Zhang Lan frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“It’s true.”
“Then he must have lost his mind.”
“His mind was fine… maybe just confused. Probably misunderstood.”
“Misunderstood what?”
“He misunderstood me for an old monster who’d possessed someone.”
“Possession?” Zhang Lan was startled. “Why would he think that?”
Mo Hua tried to sound modest but couldn’t hide a trace of pride.
“Maybe because my Divine-Sense is strong.”
Zhang Lan froze. “I know your Divine-Sense is powerful, but not to that extent…”
As he spoke, his own Divine-Sense suddenly stirred. His face changed drastically, disbelief flooding his eyes. “Your Divine-Sense…”
Elder Yu, hearing that, released his Divine-Sense as well—then widened his eyes and abruptly stood up.
Until this moment, he hadn’t noticed. But once Divine-Sense was mentioned, he probed Mo Hua—and what he sensed shocked him.
In the perception of Divine-Sense, Mo Hua’s presence was hazy, his aura indistinct, impossible to grasp clearly.
The stronger the Divine-Sense, the more obscure it appeared.
That meant Mo Hua’s Divine-Sense was already powerful enough to rival—or even obstruct—theirs!
But how was that possible? Elder Yu was Foundation Establishment, while Mo Hua was only Qi-Refining! It defied all cultivation logic…
Elder Yu stared in disbelief. “Your Divine-Sense…”
Mo Hua scratched his head, embarrassed.
“My cultivation is at the Qi-Refining stage… but my Divine-Sense has already reached Foundation Establishment.”
Everyone drew in a sharp breath. In an instant, the room fell into utter silence.
…
Meanwhile, deep within the mountains.
The Third Chief muttered to himself, “Qi-Refining cultivation… Foundation Establishment Divine-Sense? How is that even possible…”
He, too, had realized something was very wrong.
…
[Author’s Note]
It’s the Dragon Boat Festival—wishing everyone a happy holiday! 🎋
The first volume is nearing its end; I’m tying up a few threads, so updates are a bit slower.
Still maintaining two chapters a day—should speed up soon.
(End of this Chapter)