The Taoist Soldiers Court, Taoist Court, Monster Hunters, and all the cultivators from various families and Sects mobilized.
A dense throng of cultivators started from the outer edges of the deep mountains and pushed inwards, leaving no nook unexamined.
Meanwhile, under Mo Hua’s arrangement, they removed the Fog Formations in the deep mountains one by one. At the same time, they placed stone needles painted with the Compass Child Formation made by Mo Hua in every corner of the deep mountains to monitor any stirring of the wind and grass.
Mo Hua began the task of drawing the map of the deep mountains.
He would draw every peak, every stone, every blade of grass, every tree on the map.
He had done this work in the Outer Mountain and the Inner Mountain, and now, he was doing it all over again in the deep mountains.
The deep mountains were once a taboo in Big Black Mountain, a place that instilled fear in all cultivators.
And most of the fear comes from the unknown.
As long as all the secrets hidden in the deep mountains are unearthed, and the mists dispelled, the deep mountains that once made the cultivators pale with fear would no longer be frightening.
The process of searching the mountains progressed bit by bit.
The map of the deep mountains was also being perfected little by little.
But on the map, there were still several blank spots, locations where Second Grade Monster Beasts lived or had their nests.
With so many cultivators searching the mountains, ordinary First Grade Monster Beasts had long since fled at the sight of them.
But Second Grade Monster Beasts were different, robust with Blood Qi, surging with demonic power, not something Qi Refinement Realm cultivators could provoke.
Even if they gathered the strength of many to kill one or two Second Grade Monster Beasts, the casualties would be quite heavy.
Moreover, the pressing matter was to search for the whereabouts of the ancestor of the Qian Family, and they couldn’t waste time entangled with these Monster Beasts.
Therefore, when everyone searched the mountains, they could only avoid these Second Grade Monster Beasts.
After nearly seven days, everyone worked together to search the whole of the deep mountains, but still, they found no trace of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.
"Could the Patriarch of the Qian Family not be in the deep mountains?" Leader Yang wondered.
Elder Yu shook his head, "Impossible, if he went to other Immortal Cities, he would have been discovered by now. Big Black Mountain is secluded, the most suitable place for him to hide. Moreover, he has to take a pig with him and to refine Pills..."
"Then, there’s only one possibility left..."
Leader Yang looked towards the blank spaces on the map.
The blank spaces on the map were areas that hadn’t been searched, which means... the lairs of Second Grade Monster Beasts!
The expressions of everyone became grave.
Second Grade Monster Beasts were powerful, and their lairs were deep and perilous.
Monster Beasts of the same realm were much stronger than cultivators.
Even Leader Yang, who was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, leading Taoist Soldiers into the lair, would likely suffer numerous casualties if they enraged a Second Grade Monster Beast.
"How could the Patriarch of the Qian Family think of this method?" Court Leader Zhou frowned.
Elder Yu sighed, "Before he made his fortune, the Patriarch of the Qian Family was also a Monster Hunter."
Thus, using the Monster Beast’s lair to fake the Chief Elder’s death, using Monster Beasts as Pill Furnaces to cultivate Pills, all of these, bore some hallmarks of a Monster Hunter’s practices.
Court Leader Zhou said with regret, "The Patriarch of the Qian Family indeed has clever means; it’s just a pity, they were not used for the Righteous Dao."
"Any clues from the third Householder?" asked Elder Yu.
"He’s tight-lipped, not saying anything," said Leader Yang.
"So what do we do?" Zhang Lan frowned, "Shall we search the Second Grade Monster Beasts’ lairs?"
If they went to search, the loss would be heavy, possibly costing many lives.
But if they didn’t search, once the Patriarch of the Qian Family successfully refined the Lifespan Transformation Elixir, the number of cultivators dying at his hands could be even more.
Whichever option they chose, it was a difficult decision.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "How about I go take a look."
Everyone was slightly stunned, with Leader Yang asking, "What are you going to look at?"
"I’m going to look at the Formations."
"Formations?" Leader Yang was somewhat puzzled.
Mo Hua nodded, explaining:
"The Patriarch of the Qian Family relies on Formations for his actions, whether establishing Black Mountain Stronghold or using cultivators to refine Pills—all have traces of Formations."
"If he’s hiding in the lair of a Monster Beast in these deep mountains, he would definitely have set up some Formations around, whether to hide, for early warning, or for defense."
"I can see the traces of Formations."
"If there are traces of Formations in the lair of Second Grade Monster Beasts, then it means a cultivator definitely has been in there. And someone who can enter the lair of a Second Grade Monster Beast in the deep mountains, that person is most likely the Patriarch of the Qian Family!"
On hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up, and they agreed:
"It’s worth a try!"
Elder Yu said, "I’ll go with you."
He was a bit concerned for Mo Hua and didn’t want him to take risks.
Leader Yang shook his head, "We few at Foundation Establishment will all go together."
Although Mo Hua was skilled at concealment and acted with astuteness, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t encounter danger.
And in searching for the Second Grade Monster Beasts’ lairs, the dangers faced were either the Second Grade Monster Beasts or, facing the Patriarch of the Qian Family himself.
Leader Yang was also hoping to get Mo Hua to join his Yang Family; viewing Mo Hua, albeit presumptuously, as ’his person’, he was therefore even less willing to let him get hurt.
"Sure!" everyone nodded in agreement.
So a group of Foundation Building Cultivators surrounded Mo Hua, protecting him as they searched in the deep mountains for the lairs of Second Grade Monster Beasts...