Chapter 266: Chapter 265 Deep Mountain_1 Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and silently memorized these sixteen characters. It seemed that this map was no trivial matter—if not understood clearly, it would certainly be a significant hidden danger. Cultivators live off the land, making the best use of their local conditions. Near Tongxian City, there were neither fertile Spirit Fields, surging rivers and seas, nor Spirit Beasts suitable for nurturing. Nearby Loose Cultivators all had to make a living in Big Black Mountain. And to the south of the city, the Refinery Shops, Alchemist’s Businesses, and even the Fulu Building all depended on Monster Hunters to hunt Monster Beasts, strip their flesh and bones for materials, supplying the needs of Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and cooking. Studying Formations, Mo Hua also needed to gather a great quantity of Monster Blood to mix the Spiritual Ink. All the Cultivators of Tongxian City, whether it was for the sake of Tao Cultivation, production, or daily life, were closely connected to Big Black Mountain. If Big Black Mountain harbored deep-seated dangers, that would be a serious problem. Afterward, while Mo Hua studied the Reversed Spirit Formation, whenever he had free time, he ventured into Big Black Mountain. Whenever he came across a secluded or unfamiliar place, he would open the Sin Cultivator’s map to compare the locations, to see if he could find the places marked on the map. However, after searching for several days, he still found nothing. Feeling dejected, Mo Hua lifted his head to see a thick fog enshrouding the distant area, concealing the layered ridges of the mountains, blocking out the sunlight, creating a hazy, indistinct world where it was unclear where the mountain ended and the cliff began. That was the deep forest of Big Black Mountain, also the most dangerous part of Big Black Mountain. It was said the forest was unpredictable and perilous, and Cultivators who went there never returned. As Mo Hua watched, he suddenly startled and gasped in cold air: “The fog of Black Mountain can hide deep dens…” Could the location marked on this map be the deep forest of Big Black Mountain? Mo Hua’s eyelids twitched as he thought it more and more likely. He was thoroughly familiar with the Outer Mountain, and although he wouldn’t say he knew the Inner Mountain like the back of his hand, he was still very familiar with it. If the location recorded on the map was truly within the Inner or Outer Mountain, then he would definitely have some recollection. If not the Outer Mountain, not the Inner Mountain, then it must be the deep forest. The Sin Cultivator who vanished without a trace, the deep forest from which none returned. With a guess forming in his heart, a chill swept over Mo Hua. He hastily used his movement technique and ran back to Tongxian City, arriving breathlessly to find Elder Yu and urgently asked: “Elder Yu, has anyone ever been to the deep forest?” Frightened by the question, Elder Yu exclaimed, “Why are you asking about that? The deep forest is dangerous; you can’t go there.” He thought Mo Hua was curious and wanted to play in the deep forest. “I’m not going, I’m just asking.” Mo Hua caught his breath, “Is it true that once Monster Hunters enter the deep forest, they never come back?” Seeing Mo Hua’s grave expression and serious tone, Elder Yu knew this was likely no trivial matter and nodded: “Indeed, that’s the case.” “Since when did it start?” Elder Yu furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment before saying, “It was probably about two hundred, maybe over three hundred years ago…” “You’re not sure?” “I’ve only lived for a little over two hundred years, so how could I be clear about events before that? I can only go by hearsay.” Elder Yu stroked his beard, recalling the past, and then continued: “It seems that over three hundred years ago, although the deep forest was dangerous, it was still accessible.” “Accessible?” Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. Elder Yu nodded, “Yes, accessible, but with heavy fog, poisonous miasma, and stronger Monster Beasts, there were more Second Grade beasts.” Thinking further, Elder Yu added, “Although it was called the deep forest back then, it was actually just part of the Inner Mountain, except it was the most dangerous part of the Inner Mountain. But later on, too many Monster Hunters entered and never returned, and gradually, no one dared to go. The deep forest of Big Black Mountain thus became a taboo.” “Even Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage don’t dare to enter?” Elder Yu’s eyelid twitched, “Even those in the Foundation Establishment don’t dare, because Cultivators at that stage have died there.” Mo Hua’s eyes widened. “Even Foundation Building Cultivators can die inside?” Elder Yu nodded. “It’s not that they went missing? They died inside?” Mo Hua expressed doubtfully. Logically speaking, missing didn’t necessarily mean dead. How could it be certain they died in the depths of the mountains? “Because their bodies were found on the outer edge of the deep mountains.” The more Mo Hua listened, the more he found it strange. “Who died?” Elder Yu’s expression turned complex, “The former Chief Elder of the Qian Family.” “The Qian Family?” Mo Hua found it hard to believe. Elder Yu gave a slight nod and explained to Mo Hua: “Back then when I was but a minor Qi Refinement Cultivator, I heard that the Chief Elder of the Qian Family entered the deep mountains and vanished without a trace. After half a month, the Patriarch of the Qian Family led a search party, determined to find him alive or dead.” “A clan’s Chief Elder, with such high status and authority, how could he just die ambiguously. At that time, the Qian Family already held great power, had many hands, so they dared to venture into the mountains, but even so, they dared not to be careless.” “From Foundation Establishment to Qi Refinement, nearly the entire force of the Qian Family mobilized. The cultivators stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a human net, pushing inwards from the outskirts toward the deep mountains. Eventually, under a tree on the edge, they found the body of the dead Chief Elder of the Qian Family.” “It’s said that his death was very strange, missing an arm, as if bitten off by Monster Beasts, but after all, this is just hearsay, and the Qian Family has never disclosed the cause of death.” “And then?” Mo Hua asked. “Afterwards, it came to nothing. The Qian Family dared not probe any deeper. With the death of a Chief Elder at the Foundation Establishment Stage and the recovery of the body, they had some sort of explanation. To venture any further into the mountains, if they truly encountered some great peril, it’s likely that the Qian Family would’ve been annihilated.” Elder Yu seemed somewhat schadenfreude yet also a bit regretful. Presumably, he felt schadenfreude regarding the death of the Qian Family’s Chief Elder and regretful that the Qian Family didn’t face complete calamity deep in the mountains. Mo Hua said, “After that incident, no cultivators dared to enter the deep mountains again?” Elder Yu corrected, “Some dared, but none were able to return.” “There are plenty of people in this world who are audacious or ignorant of their limits, both the highly skilled and brave, as well as the foolish who know no fear. However, no matter who they were, once they entered the deep mountains, none have ever come out.” Mo Hua’s gaze grew complex as he slowly said, “Did they enter the mountains of their own free will?” Elder Yu smiled and was about to say more when his expression suddenly changed. The smile faded, and he said gravely: “You… do you know something?” Mo Hua took out a map and handed it to Elder Yu, recounting the events involving Bald Tuo and the other Sin Cultivators, including the sixteen characters. “Black Mountain dense fog can cover abyss and thicket; midnight thrice, cast a stone to ask the path.” Elder Yu muttered to himself, growing more alarmed as he did. His mind raced as his voice trembled, “Do you mean that the deep mountains of Big Black Mountain might be a huge den of villains and that, over the past two to three hundred years, extremely vicious Sin Cultivators have been lurking inside?” Mo Hua slowly nodded. Unable to restrain himself, Elder Yu stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, brows furrowed. After several rounds of pacing, Elder Yu collected his thoughts, sat back down, took a sip of tea to calm himself, and said in a deep voice, “There indeed is such a possibility…” “Over the past two hundred years, not to mention cultivators from other regions, even Monster Hunters have gone missing in the deep mountains.” “The former elders of the Monster Hunting Guild, including myself, have, time and again, sternly warned not to venture into the deep mountains, for it often leads to disaster.” “But there were Monster Hunters who disregarded our advice, entered the deep mountains, and were never heard from again.” “I was previously only angry at their stupidity, not knowing whether they were dead or alive, but now, considering everything, I realize there are many intrigues involved.” “Those who could become Monster Hunters, those who could make a name for themselves in the Inner Mountain—are any of them unaware of the dangers of Big Black Mountain? How many of them do not cherish their lives to the point that they would foolishly enter the deep mountains?” “Even if they didn’t value their own lives, their wives and children rely on them to earn Spirit Stones through Monster Hunting in order to survive. With families to care for, how could they rashly risk their lives?” “If they died, leaving behind widows and orphans to suffer miserably, how could they be unaware of that?” “It appears now that they did not willingly enter the deep mountains, they were either captured or killed and then taken into the depths of the mountains.”