Chapter 11
The Square market was composed of an inner market and an outer market. The inner market was controlled by the major sects and had comparatively more formal shops that sold precious medicinal pellets and weapons. While at the outer market cultivators sold their wares in a disorderly fashion as they pleased.
The effects of the items in the inner market were guaranteed, but they required awfully many spirit stones. The items sold in the outer market were cheaper, but were, in contrast, rather chaotic. One could spend a lot of spirit stones and only buy a piece of trash, but one could also buy invaluable treasures without spending any spirit stones at all. To buy items in the outer market one required a keen sense of sight and application of Qi.
However, in general, most cultivators preferred to shop in the outer market. Firstly because they’d spend fewer spirit stones and secondly because they all had thoughts of picking up missing treasures in mind. Most of the items sold at the outer market were found by cultivators in the Misty Ridge or at other treasure locations. Sometimes they themselves didn’t know their value, so inevitably some precious items were sold off to other cultivators.
Qin Mo slowly strolled through the outer market stopping from time to time to carefully survey the tops of roadside booths.
On top of these stalls were all one might need; there were medicinal pellets, there were spirit tools, and there were all kinds of bizarre items from the realm of cultivation. However, he was somewhat disappointed. After looking for so long, he still hadn’t seen anything he wanted to buy. He’d always been an individual with an arbitrary nature; doing things according to his mood, buying things according to what caught his eye.
In his heart, he faintly sighed. It seemed that this time it had been in vain. Putting down the item in his hand, he tidied his clothes and turned, preparing to leave.
Having barely walked some three steps away, he suddenly felt a sting at the sole of his foot. Lowering his head, he caught sight of a spire-like object beneath him and at once reached out to pick it up.
Just clasping it in his hand, Qin Mo immediately felt his spirit power quickly flow through his Dantian. Qin Mo, having never encountered such a situation before, was quite startled and hastily suppressed the spirit power within his body. Only then did he have the opportunity to carefully inspect the item.
The spire-like object had four sides, each of which was in the shape of a regular triangle, engraved with an unusual pattern. Unable to make out what it depicted, Qin Mo couldn’t help but extend a hand to trace its surface. The decorative pattern was glossy and smooth, giving no indications as to the method used to inscribe it.
Noticing the object in Qin Mo’s hand the cultivator on his side spoke up: “Taoist companion, this is a treasure containing cultivation secrets. I found it while passing through the Ancient Hidden territory. I only ask for 300 lower grade spirit stones!”
Hearing this, Qin Mo’s brow wrinkled slightly. Nevertheless, he knew that the Ancient Hidden territory indeed had many good items within it. Could it be this object really did conceal hidden secrets? However, merely the fact that it caused irregularities in his spirit power made him unsure of whether to buy it.
Seeing Qin Mo’s furrowed brows, the cultivator was under the impression that the price he’d asked was far too expensive and felt guilty. This item had indeed been one he himself had taken from the Ancient Hidden territory, but it was quite strange. No matter what he’d used, whether he hacked at it with a sword or set it ablaze, it remained unchanged and in the end, he had no choice but to give up. Simultaneously, he too felt that it was just a piece of worthless garbage.
Just a moment ago, he’d seen Qin Mo thoroughly inspecting the item. Eyeing Qin Mo’s high-quality silk clothing, he felt pleased. It had seemed he’d come across the progeny of a great clan who hadn’t spent many spirit stones and, unable to overcome his large appetite, openly asked for 300 lower grade spirit stones.
But now, seeing Qin Mo’s cold expression and silent demeanour, the guilt on his conscience weighed even heavier on his mind. Again he spoke: “Alright, kid, since you’re nice to look at, a bit cheaper, I can do 200 lower grade spirit stones!”
“Shixiong, you mustn’t be deceived by him. This thing is of no use. It’s absolutely not worth so many spirit stones!” Proclaimed a heated voice not waiting for the cultivator to finish speaking. Suddenly a youth leapt forward.
With the sound of this blaring shouting, only then was Qin Mo roused from his thoughts and looked up to see a youth wearing a Yueqing Sect robe. Understanding at once what he meant, he nodded and, facing the boy, spoke a “Thank you.”
As the youth heard Qin Mo’s words, the expression on his face abruptly turned blank and he muttered under his breath: “Shixiong actually thanked me.”
Qin Mo took out two conveniently stored lower grade spirit stones from his person and handed them to the cultivator whose complexion had been pallid since the youth arrived. Carefully putting the spire-shaped item into his Qiankun bag, he turned to leave.
The cultivator clutched the two lower grade spirit stones, reluctant, he called out towards Qin Mo’s turned back: “That thing really is a treasure! You’ve paid far too few spirit stones!”
The boy immediately recovered from his daze. Upon seeing the cultivator’s distressed state, he stood in front of him, blocking his view of Qin Mo, and fiercely said: “That thing’s a piece of trash. That is Shixiong’s benevolence; he spent two spirit stones to buy it. You should be content!”
Qin Mo had already gone pretty far but could still hear the conversation between them and couldn’t help but laugh a little within himself. The realm of cultivation really was quite fascinating!
At the edge of the outer market, a path led off in the direction of Yueqing Sect. Though it was quite deserted when Qin Mo had first arrived, now as he left, it was teeming with various spirit beasts. This was where cultivators came to sell them, thus it seemed unusually lively.
Qin Mo was slightly mysophobic and originally he didn’t want to enter the crowd and join in the fun. As soon as he looked up, however, he caught sight of a snow-white fox cub amongst a pack of ash-grey foxes. It appeared to be staring at him with its large unblinking eyes.
Qin Mo’s steps slowly came to a halt. This little fox’s white amid the mass of all these spirit beasts was extremely striking. He couldn’t possibly understand why no one had bought it yet.
It only took a moment and he’d find out why.
A female cultivator eyed the little white fox and her whole face beamed. With unwavering eyes, she fished out two spirit stones and paid the stall owner. Immediately she extended her hand wanting to pick the little fox up from the ground. Yet, before she’d even touched its fur, the little fox’s claw had already risen and on the cultivator’s hand there suddenly appeared five long scratch marks.
The female cultivator loudly shrieked. The stand owner begrudgingly returned the spirit stones to her and subsequently delivered a practised genuine apology. It appeared as though it was not the first time such a situation had occurred.
And yet the little white fox only licked its paws, its face revealing a look of disdain as it watched the scene unfolding before it. The furry face strangely bore a very human expression.
Seeing this, Qin Mo slowly stepped forward and pointed to the little fox saying: “I wish to purchase it.”
The stall owner saw someone approaching to buy a spirit beast and on his face appeared a thrilled smile. However, as his gaze followed the direction Qin Mo had pointed to, the smile momentarily froze and morphed into a look of helplessness. He spoke: “Taoist friend, you can still switch to a different one. This little fox is quite disobedient!”
Qin Mo’s expression remained unchanged and he stubbornly affirmed: “That one.” Just a moment ago, he’d seen the female cultivator pay twenty pieces of lower grade spirit stones. Therefore, he too handed twenty pieces to the stall owner and reached out to hold the little fox.
Sighing under his breath, the stall owner held the spirit stones in his hand, not placing them in his Qiankun bag as he knew they too would be returned.
However, what happened then left him dumbfounded. The little white fox which had, since its arrival into his possession, always been defiant with a penchant for casually attacking others, to his surprise, now obediently let this cold youth pick it up. Even behaving like a spoiled child as it rubbed against the boy’s palm.
Qin Mo carried the little fox and gently touched its paws from an angle that others would not be able to see.
No one had ever known that Qin Mo was, in fact, a fluffphile1. He was particularly fond of white fur. But he’d always thought the hobby was too feminine and had thus never expressed it openly. At the moment, he truly liked this little white fox and, in the realm of cultivation, most cultivators carried a spirit beast. Plenty of male cultivators also had ones that looked cute, this white fox was not at all that unusual.
He carefully took a closer look at it. However, he couldn’t find out its aptitude and could only roughly make out that the spirit beast’s cultivation had reached the 8th layer of Qi refining which was already pretty good. This in mind, Qin Mo’s mood improved and he couldn’t help but once more stroke its paws.
The little fox seemingly turned to face Qin Mo and rolled its eyes. Immediately its big, fluffy tail gently swayed and it hopped onto his shoulder as they returned to Yueqing Sect.
Within Yueqing Sect flying was not permitted, so Qin Mo could only walk towards the outer sect. Most of the outer disciples were stationed either on Yunjian Peak or Yunzhong Peak, the place where Lin Zizheng was staying was on Yunzhong Peak.
Since he was traversing the area on foot, Qin Mo had the opportunity to survey the surroundings. There were a total of six peaks in Yueqing Sect; Yunlan Peak, Yundan Peak, Yunshou Peak, Yunqi Peak, Yunjian Peak, and Yunzhong Peak.
Among them, Yundan Peak specialised in refining medicines, Yunqi Peak specialised in refining tools, and Yunshou Peak was where the sect raised and bred spirit beasts. Yunlan Peak was at the centre of the sect, surrounded by the other five peaks. What Qin Mo wasn’t aware of was that looking from above one would find that the entirety of Yueqing Sect was inside a huge spell array2.
As he entered Yunzhong Peak, Qin Mo released his divine knowledge to sense Lin Zizheng’s location. He was in an area that Yunzhong Peak’s outer disciples used as a resting spot. There appeared to be many other disciples with him. Qin Mo’s heart relaxed, it seemed that Lin Zizheng’s days in the outer sect were indeed passing well and, as he made his way in Lin Zizheng’s direction, his gait became a lot livelier. “You good-for-nothing, tell me, where did you get these spirit stones from?” the intense voice of a youth suddenly came from ahead of him.
“Wei shixiong, earlier this morning I also saw Lin Zizheng, the scum was buying a refining furnace at the Square market!” said a small boy standing beside the youth, sucking up to him.
“Trash3, I don’t know where you stole the spirit stones from, but I will report it to the elders and you will be expelled from Yueqing Sect!” He said, ruthlessly kicking the person on the ground. The other disciples by his side followed suit, landing to ambush him.
Qin Mo arrived just in time to watch the scene unfold. A crowd of outer disciples closely surrounded a young boy who had fallen, punching and kicking him. The boy was Lin Zizheng.
Seeing this, Qin Mo’s pupils constricted and the expression on his face became tense. He shouted: “Stop!”
Lin Zizheng curled up on the ground, enduring the pain of being beaten he silently bit his lower lip. His fingertips moved slightly and a dark mist which could not be seen by the naked eye noiselessly slipped into the youth’s head. His current level of cultivation was too low and there were many cultivators of outstanding strength in Yueqing Sect. Thus he couldn’t blatantly retaliate and could only covertly place poisonous mist in their bodies.
Immediately, his target shifted to another person and his fingers faintly moved. But before he could summon the black mist, he heard a familiar voice coming from the side and his movements became stiff. In the wake of it all, the crowd of disciples all turned their heads.
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Damn this was long. So sleepy, I stayed up putting together a 3000 piece puzzle. I’m an idiot, forgive me ladies and gents I can’t follow a proper schedule for the life of me, so please bear with my capricious updating habits. Hope you enjoy and, if you haven’t, check out our new project if you’re interested. Peace out.
-Bean
1Basically he loves soft fur. I’m so so so tempted to write Furry here despite it absolutely not being the case. I’ve seen the word fur too much today and my brain is a little messed up. (‵_´)ゞ
2I’m certain there’s a better way of phrasing this but honestly I’ve delayed this long enough and I believe you guys understand what I’m talking about (think Full Metal Alchemist magic circle thing)
3Okay if I’m honest the author reuses the same goddamn word as an insult like thrice so I took some creative liberty, of course maintaining the same meaning.
Chapter 12
Sunlight illuminated the youth’s body, seeming to coat him in a layer of gold. He slowly walked from beneath the light, clothed in white, hair like ink, a little white fox atop his shoulder, as though he’d just stepped out of a painting.
As he approached, only then did everyone notice that his thin lips were tightly pursed and that his eyes gave off a cold air. He appeared to be furious.
Qin Mo’s pace was obviously rushed as he moved to the front of Lin Zizheng. The originally arrogant disciples now obediently withdrew to the side and made way for Qin Mo to pass.
The head of the youths hesitated somewhat: “Shixiong…”
Qin Mo paid him no notice, gently raising the sorry figure of Lin Zizheng off the ground and wiping the dust off his face. His brows wrinkled and he somewhat distraughtly asked: “Are you alright?”
Looking at the slender jade-like hands supporting him, Lin Zizheng slowly shook his head and answered: “Its nothing serious.”
Hearing this, Qin Mo’s heart was provoked into a violent rage. So this was how his days were spent here? Being bullied and abused as a good-for- nothing? From the beginning, he’d been under the impression that Lin Zizheng’s life in the outer sect was, as stated in the book, one where he’d befriended all his seniors and was respected by his juniors. Shixiong and Shidi living a life of harmony and getting along. Once again, he quickly glanced at the incomparably ashamed Lin Zizheng and his sword began to stir. His eye coldly swept across the young disciples before him and he said: “If I recall correctly our noble sect does not allow infighting between its disciples.”
Seeing the ever cold and calm Shixiong expose an expression that was even icier than usual, several of the disciples slightly trembled. Their hearts secretly cursed Lin Zizheng, but they couldn’t say anything to refute. After all, they knew that what they had just said about Lin Zizheng stealing spirit stones was just spoken to frame him. If they were to bring it up in front of Shixiong, the outcome would be even worse.
Qin Mo gave a ‘humph’ and sternly reprimanded: “Go to the outer sect penalty elder and accept your punishments.”
Upon hearing these words, the disciples couldn’t help but tremble even more violently. A few of them began to cry out: “Shixiong, forgive us!”
The penalty elder of the outer sect was named Dong Qingci. Although his name implied great kindness and he looked like a gentle-hearted person, he was actually an individual of vicious and merciless character. Whenever a disciple who’d disobeyed fell into his hands, if they didn’t die, then he’d at least rip their skin off.
Hearing the sound of their anguished wails, Qin Mo was not moved in the slightest. This time they’d really gone too far. He’d personally seen this much only once, he couldn’t possibly imagine how much more had happened that he hadn’t seen.
“Shixiong, leave them be.” At that point, a pair of cool hands grabbed Qin Mo’s. When he turned to look, he saw Lin Zizheng’s large eyes staring back at him, a slight spark in his gaze as he spoke in a gentle tone.
Seeing his tender yet unyielding demeanour, Qin Mo’s stance also softened and he faintly sighed under his breath. Apparently, Lin Zizheng still possessed the disposition of a Holy Father as had been written in the book. Others bullied him so, yet he still acted with consideration towards them. In fact, what Qin Mo wasn’t aware of was that, within his heart, Lin Zizheng grimly laughed. Fancy sending them to the penalty elder to settle this? How on earth could they be let off so lightly! Naturally, it would only be interesting if he repaid his enemies with his own hands! That in mind, Lin Zizheng’s eyes lightly narrowed, within them flashed a trace of treachery.
Although Qin Mo was slightly dissatisfied, he honoured Lin Zizheng’s decision. He only swept a cold glance across the crowd, without anything left to say. Immediately, his gaze shifted to Lin Zizheng and he pondered for a moment before saying, “Come with me.”
As they arrived at an area where they were alone, Qin Mo looked over Lin Zizheng briefly and only then told him: “I’ll be to going into seclusion soon.”
Lin Zizheng’s expression became somewhat unnatural, though Qin Mo hadn’t taken note of this change and continued: “While I’m in seclusion, there won’t be anyone to take care of the Spirit Field outside my Dongfu. En. If you’re willing, you can come to Yunlan Peak as my attendant and help take care of my Spirit Field.”
Qin Mo spoke these words with some hesitation. After all, he came from the modern era of equality. Being someone’s servant was not at all a splendid affair. However, Lin Zizheng’s current situation was awful. After becoming his attendant, with Qin Mo’s reputation, the way other’s treated him was bound to improve at least by a bit.
What he didn’t know was that, in Yueqing Sect, becoming a senior disciple’s servant was not considered losing face at all, as it signified that you had received their acknowledgement. Only in that case would you be made an attendant.
The corners of Lin Zizheng’s mouth rose to form a light smile as he looked at him and gently answered: “Alright!”
Qin Mo first went to Jin Linfeng and reported to him on the matter of his going into seclusion. After that, he took Lin Zizheng to the elder of Yunlan Peak and informed him of his circumstances then led him back to his Dongfu.
In addition to the stone room where he ordinarily resided, Qin Mo’s Dongfu also had a stone room beside it that had always been unoccupied. Outside there was also a considerably large patch of Spirit Field which contained a few species of spirit grasses. However, since Qin Mo had never been an attentive person, their growth was not at all good.
After handing over the trivial task to Lin Zizheng, Qin Mo would be ready to go into secluded cultivation and break through to the foundation building phase.
Watching the little white fox that stood on Qin Mo’s shoulder the whole time, Lin Zizheng’s eyes flashed and he asked: “Shixiong, you won’t put the fox down?”
Qin Mo stared blankly for a moment and then looked at the little fox.
Stroking its soft fur, he answered: “No need.”
Lin Zizheng obviously noticed that Qin Mo’s expression had softened, and the glare in his eyes became harsher. Shixiong treated this fox very well! It really… made a person want to maim it!
The little white fox appeared to momentarily sense Lin Zizheng’s intense malice and stared directly at him with the corners of its long pointed mouth seemingly forming a taunting curve.
Noticing this, Lin Zizheng’s hand, hidden within his long sleeves, clenched tightly. He stood unmoving, watching Qin Mo and the little fox as their silhouette gradually faded from his view.
After entering his room, Qin Mo did not rush to begin cultivating. Rather, he took out the pyramid-shaped object he’d bought earlier that day at the Square market and carefully observed it.
As he delicately touched the design on top, he frowned slightly. What was this thing? Thinking it over for a moment, Qin Mo splashed a single drop of blood onto it. Generally, treasures in novels would recognise their master through this kind of action. However, the object before him right now did not change in the slightest. Qin Mo was unwilling to give up and poured spirit power into it. It still remained unaffected.
Qin Mo suddenly recalled the spirit power anomaly he had experienced when he first held the object. Gritting his teeth, Qin Mo injected his own spirit power into it.
This time, an unusual transformation unexpectedly occurred and Qin Mo’s spirit power suddenly became uncontrollable as it quickly flowed into the object. Even if he wanted to recover his spirit power, at this point, there was nothing he could do.
All he could do was look on helplessly and let this weird thing continue to absorb his spirit power. Soon darkness filled his vision and he lost consciousness.
At that moment, Qin Mo was surrounded by sparks of violet lightning. The little white fox ran forward, but could not get any closer to him. Its eyes reddened and impatiently it circled in place.
After some time, he managed to wake up from the coma, though he wasn’t sure how long had passed. Casting a somewhat complicated gaze at the object in his hand, his heart brimmed with joy. He hadn’t expected it to contain a thunder core.
A thunder core was a type of elemental spirit essence in the realm of cultivation. Within nature, it was the purest thunder trace element and was considered extremely rare. It could be used by cultivators with thunder spirit roots to purify spirit power, speed up their cultivation, and form formidably powerful thunder from within their bodies. As for whether it had any other uses, Qin Mo did not know, no one had come across a thunder core in the past several thousands of years.
Thinking of this, the corner of Qin Mo’s mouth lightly picked up. His luck was nevertheless pretty good. After removing the thunder core, the pyramid-shaped object appeared completely unaltered. He played with it for a while and then once again put it back into his Qiankun bag.
Immediately he turned to look at the anxious little fox beside his face and couldn’t help but stroke its head before closing his eyes and beginning to cultivate.
Having gone into seclusion, Qin Mo was isolated from the affairs of the outside world, so he was completely unaware of all that transpired in his leave, including the occurrence of a major event in Lin Zizheng’s life.
He’d originally thought that after becoming his attendant the way Lin Zizheng was treated would change for the better. However, he had misjudged the hearts of the people.
In Yueqing Sect, due to Shixiong Qin Mo’s standing, nobody really dared bully Lin Zizheng again. But the resentment in their hearts became all the more intense. Why Lin Zizheng? When he first arrived at the sect he got the sect head’s special consideration and now even more-so he was being favoured by Shixiong.
This sentiment finally came to a breaking point when Lin Zizheng went to Misty Ridge alone.
A group of outer disciples secretly joined forces and prepared to assassinate Lin Zizheng inside Misty Ridge. After all, it was common for disciples in the early stages of Qi refining to die there.
Whilst being chased, Lin Zizheng frantically fled into the depths of Misty Ridge.
Since the emergence of Misty Ridge, no one had ever safely returned from its deepest parts. Seeing this, the group of outer disciples were put at ease, it seemed that Lin Zizheng was truly gone this time.
Five years later Qin Mo had yet to come out. A youth appeared at the head of Dengtian Road in Yueqing Sect. His face was still young and tender, but one could already see the distinct sharpness it would possess in the future to come. His eyes were quite bright and stature wise he was slender but not frail. At the corner of his mouth hung a gentle smile.
Standing before Dengtian Road with just a hint of a smile, he stepped forward. Step by step, he walked quickly and firmly onward.
In just one day, the boy had scaled the full length of the road. The entirety Yueqing Sect was astonished; since the inception of Dengtian Road, never had anyone been capable of completing the journey in so short a timeframe.
Yet this boy had.
The author has something to say:
Well, in the last two days I’ve noticed even more personal reminders, the author expresses their great joy! Since everyone’s shown such approval towards me! So today the author is strongly determined to succeed and has decided to double down!
~\(≧▽≦)/~ Lalala, this is the first. Page Page
Ah okay! Hope everyone enjoys, see ya next chapter.
-Bean
Chapter 13
As he saw the people of Yueqing Sect gather because of him, the boy’s face revealed a gentle, heartwarming smile.
“Ah! Isn’t he Shixiong’s servant, Lin Zizheng?” From within the crowd, someone recognized the youth before them and exclaimed in amazement.
“He…… Didn’t he go into the depths of Misty Ridge? How’s he come back now?” The tone of the disciple exposed the guilt on his conscience. At the time, he had also been a member of the group who pursued Lin Zizheng. Seeing he had returned safely and trekked across Dengtian Road in so short a time frame, his heart suddenly tensed and he feared that Lin Zizheng would speak out on what he had done.
It appeared he had heard their words and the smile on his face became softer whilst his gaze seemed to unintentionally sweep across them.
He answered the assembly of seniors with courtesy, replying to their many questions. The rest, however, did not have much to say and remained silent. Afterwards, he headed towards Yunlan Peak and Qin Mo’s Dongfu.
Witnessing that Lin Zizheng had not revealed their prior plot to murder him, many of those present couldn’t help but breath a sigh of relief. At the same time, within their hearts, they were still bothered. How did this Lin Zizheng come back! How is his fate so strong!
However, what they failed to notice was that as he passed by, occasionally black insects appeared and began to burrow into their bodies. “The kid is not bad, his bone age is only fifteen and his cultivation has already reached the seventh layer of Qi refining.” Deng Qianli looked at Lin Zizheng’s back, his eyes flashed briefly as he spoke with a smile.
“He is quite good, but I’m getting the overarching sense that something is wrong.” Jin Linfeng’s brow wrinkled slightly, his face revealed his distrust. Having thought about it for a while, without finding anything out of the ordinary, he smiled in relief: “Must be my imagination. After all, he is Xiao Mo’s servant.”
Back at Qin Mo’s Dongfu, Lin Zizheng wiped the gentle smile off his face and walked blankly to the still secluded Qin Mo’s stone room. Reaching out and gently touching the stone door, he muttered in a low voice: “Shixiong.”
At the moment, he lowered his head and no one could see the expression on his face. A cool breeze crossed over the expanse, fanning the long hair on his forehead and revealing his clear, stunning eyes.
After some time had passed, Lin Zizheng turned and went over to the Spirit Field. Looking at the dying spirit grass, he began carefully watering it as though he’d never left.
A month later, Qin Mo opened his eyes in the stone chamber. Sensing the abundant spirit power in his body, he looked at the roaring thunder fire burning in his Dantian and nodded in satisfaction. At last, he’d finally built his foundation!
Standing up and tidying his clothes, Qin Mo turned to walk over to the chamber’s exit when he noticed his hair had already grown quite a bit behind him. It seemed a long time had passed. He didn’t know how Lin Zizheng’s life had passed here.
It was noon and the sunlight outside was extremely bright. Qin Mo had just stepped out of the room when, with a quick glance, his line of sight fell on a youth hard at work in the Spirit Field. Qin Mo couldn’t help but stare blankly. Had it really been so long? Even this child who had once only reached to his chest was now almost as tall as him.
Lin Zizheng’s hands were raised in line with his chest, his fingers swept back and forth, striking each and every one of the hidden method points. There, amidst the sky, a burst of water suddenly materialized and was cast onto the spirit grass.
When he turned and saw Qin Mo standing in front of the entrance to the stone room, his gaze couldn’t help but linger and he stood expressionlessly still for a while.
Naturally, Shixiong was a man of utmost beauty. His long eyebrows like willow leaves, his stature tall as jade, his clothes a spotless white, his long ink hair draped over his shoulder and behind him. Even though concentrated cold Qi lingered around his body, it still made people want to approach him like moths to a flame.
“Shixiong.” The youth’s voice was barely audible and slowly dissipated into the air.
“En.” Seeing Lin Zizheng again, Qin Mo’s heart was also delighted. He nodded slightly and joy briefly flashed in his pupils.
Lin Zizheng’s sudden and rapid advancement in cultivation surprised him a bit. He then immediately realised that during his time in seclusion Lin Zizheng must have come across some sort of stroke of luck. Only then he’d grown up so fast. Assuming that perhaps it was the youth’s secret, Qin Mo questioned it no more and so did not find out about the attempt on the boy’s life whilst he was gone.
The young man before him was coming to resemble the protagonist in his memory more and more; cultured, refined, and good-natured. He had no knowledge of the outer disciples whose flesh was unwittingly being devoured by poisonous insects and of those already dead. Had they known the thoughts in Qin Mo’s heart, would they had risen from their graves to sneer? Him cultured and refined?! Him kindhearted?! After Qin Mo had gone out, he spent some time just staying at his Dongfu. During this period, he took care of the spirit grass with Lin Zizheng and although it didn’t make it as lush as that on Yundan Peak, it was still considerably good.
For the rest of the time, he guided and directed Lin Zizheng in cultivation, teased the little fox, and passed fleeting hours in a relaxed atmosphere.
One day, a light blue paper crane flew by Qin Mo’s Dongfu, circling his body twice before resting on his finger and coming to halt.
As he viewed its contents, his eyes narrowed slightly. The paper crane relayed Jin Linfeng’s voice, summoning him to the main hall of Yunlan Peak.
After telling Lin Zizheng, Qin Mo headed off to Jin Linfeng at a moderate pace.
Qin Mo had barely set foot in the main hall of Yunlan Peak when he found the frowning Jin Linfeng. He was staring at an opened invitation with an unconvinced expression on his face. Upon hearing the sound of footsteps he noticed Qin Mo approaching.
Sweeping a glance at Qin Mo, he discerned that his cultivation had already reached the foundation building phase. Jin Linfeng couldn’t resist breaking into a gratified smile, his brow also relaxed as he said: “Xiao Mo, good! You built your foundation so soon!”
Hearing his praise, Qin Mo’s face remained unchanged and he only gave him a passing glimpse. Jin Linfeng’s expression lagged after which he immediately smiled and cursed: “You brat, don’t always wear such a wooden look! There are other things to do in life!”
Once he’d spoken, Jin Linfeng once again knit his brows.
“What?” Seeing him so troubled, Qin Mo couldn’t help but ask. “Zhengyang Sect has sent out an invitation, calling the younger generation to discuss cultivation techniques at Zhengyang Sect. This is something that has never happened before! The assembly of major sects is held once every ten years and the next one is a long time away.” Jin Linfeng handed the invitation to Qin Mo, his voice full of doubt.
Qin Mo turned over the invitation in his hand. Indeed, it was inviting the young disciples of Yueqing Sect to stay at Zhengyang Sect for some time while conducting an assessment for the young disciples to compete amongst themselves. In the lower right corner of the invitation, there was also the unique symbol of Zhengyang Sect – a large sun.
“I’ll go then.” However, Qin Mo didn’t think about it as much as Jin Linfeng did. He felt that, like building a cart behind closed doors, cultivating alone was also no good1. Different disciples could, by learning from each other’s strengths, improve their own.
Hearing this, the corner of Jin Linfeng’s mouth rose slightly. Qin Mo had always been so fearless, he couldn’t help but smile: “Whether or not you’ll be able to take the lead with your current strength, make them know how astounding Yueqing Sect’s great Shixiong is!”
Qin Mo nodded, without anything to say, he was confident in himself. In the early days, Shixiong was indeed the best of those in the younger generation. Since he was already here, he’d decided it was necessary to continue maintaining his dominance.
After bidding farewell to Jin Linfeng, Qin Mo returned to his Dongfu and told Lin Zizheng of the matter. Lin Zizheng was now at the seventh layer of Qi refining. This level of cultivation at his age was also considered excellent. Naturally, Qin Mo decided to take him along to Zhengyang Sect.
After listening to what Qin Mo had to say, Lin Zizheng smiled and answered: “As Shixiong says so it shall be.”
Qin Mo was quite satisfied with his answer. He only knew now what a wonderful thing it was to have a well-behaved little Shidi. As the journey to Zhengyang Sect would take Jin Linfeng a few days, the young disciples were led by Qin Mo.
Yueqing Sect lay in the north of the boundary of the blue sky, while Zhengyang Sect was more or less in the south. The two sects were rather far apart. So Qin Mo made use of a flying mystic item, Yueqing Sect’s Cloud Boat, for its speed.
Having already flown through the air for nearly ten days, despite consuming spirit gathering pellets from the start, Qin Mo had still become exceedingly exhausted by this point. He looked back at the famished disciples behind him and decided to stop and rest for a while.
The place where the Cloud Boat landed was a wide open clearing next to a dense forest. Unlike Misty Ridge, although people came there to seek treasures, the degree of danger found within the thicket was far from that of the Ridge. Thus everyone rested feeling at ease.
Qin Mo sat at the corner edge of the clearing. Even though all the disciples greatly admired their Shixiong, the cold Qi he had absorbed into his body kept them at a distance. Only Lin Zizheng sat quietly by his side.
Some disciples went hunting in the nearby forest. Once they’d returned, they first took the best of the wild boar flesh they’d caught and brought it over to Qin Mo. Seeing him give a nod of indifference, they quickly left.
As he watched the situation unfold, Lin Zizheng’s mouth curled upward faintly and he spoke: “Great.”
Upon hearing him whisper, Qin Mo, somewhat puzzled, asked: “What’s great?”
Lin Zizheng’s brows curved and he continued: “This boar meat is great!” In his heart, he thought to himself, great, no one dares snatch Shixiong from me.
Qin Mo obviously had no culinary talents, therefore he only clasped his hands indifferently and stood to the side, watching Lin Zizheng aptly roast the meat.
Yet the tips of his ears slightly reddened. Last time it was because he was injured that he allowed Lin Zizheng, this child, to prepare food for him. This time, he was obviously fine but could still only help himself to the barbecue, giving the illusion that he was bullying the child.
Although in his mind he had already gone over multiple thoughts, Qin Mo’s expression was still the same as he calmly accepted the barbecue that Lin Zizheng handed to him and ate it up.
Qin Mo’s ears stirred, from his side he seemingly heard a snapping sound. His hands tightened, a light flashed in his eyes as he looked into the thick woods ahead and sternly shouted: “Who’s there!? ”
The author has something to say:
~\(≧▽≦)/~ Lalala, two more to go. Page Page
Lol eyebrows like willow leaves look like this. You poor pure child you, Qin Mo, you don’t have a clue. ( ･ᴗ□ )
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Happy New Year Peeps! I’m c□urrently travelling and I’ll be starting
classes soon so the update pace may slow down a bit, but mama didn’t raise no quitter. Enjoy!
1Idiom used here that is meant as one is prone to be overly subjective if they disregard the outside world.
Chapter 14
In the wake of Qin Mo’s shouts, the still resting disciples immediately stood up on guard, quickly grasping their weapons and bracing themselves as they followed Qin Mo’s gaze forward.
The snapping got louder and louder, sounding much like food being chewed. As they listened to it, their bodies trembled in fear. At that moment, all those present were on edge, looking towards the sound’s origin and waiting to find out what was to come.
Just as everyone stared wide-eyed, the small shrubbery before them slowly disappeared and a group of large black figures gradually came into view. The crowd of disciples sucked in mouthfuls of cold air.
To their surprise, it was giant forest ants!
The giant forest ant was a type of large black ant that occurred only within forests. It was about a meter high and three meters long. What made it so terrifying though was its large bite.
They were satisfied eating anything; flowers and trees on the roadside, even the flesh and blood of humans and animals.
Generally, the cultivation level of giant forest ants was rather low, roughly only reaching to about the third layer of Qi refining. However, their formidable nature came from the fact that they were herding animals. If they ever were to appear, it would be as a large group. The giant ants in front of everyone now were about half the height of a person. By now they had already cleared the shrubbery and even the sporadic flowers and vegetation on the ground, having completely emerged from the brush before them.
A panicked look appeared in the eyes of many of the disciples. The giant forest ants ahead of them stood densely packed, just at first glance there appeared to be hundreds of them. No one could have anticipated that so tiny a forest could hide so many.
The two giant antennae at the forehead of one of the giant ants pointed directly at them. As though it could sense the taste of human flesh, the antennae suddenly shook rapidly producing a droning hum. Out of the blue, the leading giant ant’s large dark eyes turned in an unusual manner, inside them, a strange white light flashed.
“Ah!” One of the younger disciples, unable to endure the severity of the moment, unconsciously swung the long sword in his hands towards the giant ant in front.
Just then, a loud bang rung as a notch appeared in the sword. While the giant ant merely swayed its hardly ailed body. Yet another feature of the giant forest ant; its ridiculously strong defence. Its body was completely covered in a hard black shell which was impervious to the best common cultivation tools.
It seemed to have been irritated by the disciple’s provocation. Its two front claws1 moved slightly, its enormous body was extremely light and it jumped up in place before rushing straight toward the disciple. At the end of its sharp stinger, the sunlight gleamed in an incomparably odd green light. Obviously, it was coated with a strong poison.
The disciple’s pupils constricted and his body froze unable to move. All he could do was watch as the giant ant rushed towards him. In the end, he desperately closed his eyes.
“Get out of the way!” As he heard a clear cold voice beside his ear, the disciple’s body suddenly fell to the ground, painfully thrown back. Yet the disciple didn’t care in the slightest, he merely stared wide-eyed at the situation developing before him.
Shixiong held a dark green long sword in his grasp, blocking the giant ant’s attack. At that moment, the monster’s black against the white clothes created quite the impact.
As though it had not noticed the differing strength, the sword swiftly danced in Qin Mo’s hands. After several large blows, the giant ant met his death under his sword. Considering the fact he had already built his foundation, the disparity between his level and the giant ant’s level was quite clear.
The giant black ant lay on the ground, dark green liquid seeping from its messy wounds. As the soil first came into contact with these liquids, the originally level land eroded to form multiple pits. Now and then, large quantities of green smoke emerged from them. Its pungent odour made Qin Mo scowl.
As the living giant ants noticed the fallen body on the ground, they rushed forward with great excitement and, in no more than a second, devoured the corpse in its entirety.
Before the crowd could get over the shock, the giant ants once again shifted their focus onto them. It seemed that as they had just made a meal out of their companion, they had become all the more excited and their black eyes assumed a dark red shade. Their long antennae shook and they rushed forward towards them.
Perhaps it was Qin Mo killing one of their own that caused such rage from the other giant ants, as particularly many swarmed around him. From afar, within the dense black mass, only the corner of a white robe could be faintly seen.
Qin Mo clenched Biyoujian in his hand and looked at the giant ants before him. In his eyes, shone a calmness as he swung the long sword at his chest slowly, extremely slowly. Yet none of the giant ants could break through his defence. After a while, in front of him, an undulating wave pattern slowly emerged. Like ripples on the water’s surface, it gradually burst forth. As the surge lines enveloped the giant ants, they seemed to disappear as if melting away.
“Purging Wave sword technique!” Behind him, the disciples watched the scene around Qin Mo and whispered amongst themselves.
Yueqing Sect was not only one of the three major sects under the boundary of the blue sky, it was also still a sword sect and it’s disciples, for the most part, were sword cultivators. The Purging Wave sword method was one of its hidden teachings.
The so-called technique, carefully selected for its quality, made use of slow movements. Applying gentleness to conquer strength, it was capable of producing the most powerful corrosive rippling waves and was the technique Qin Mo had just used.
As the disciples that were wearily struggling to cope with the attacking giant ants saw Qin Mo so effortlessly putting an end to the monsters, their eyes couldn’t help but light up and within them rose a heroic spirit. Continuing to exert their formidably powerful swordsmanship, they were truly astounding disciples of the sect. In a flash, the giant ants were being annihilated where they stood.
More and more black carcasses piled on the ground, until there were only about ten giant ants left still alive. At that point, the leading giant ant stood in place, raising its body up, its two long antennae violently swaying. For a time, the air was once more filled with an intense buzzing.
Just then, the other ants stopped attacking and silently returned to their leader’s side. They lowered their bodies and kneeled in ardent respect, seemingly waiting for something.
Seeing them act in such a way, the already relieved disciples became once again nervous. Uncertain of what more was to come, one after another they concentrated at Qin Mo’s side. “Bang!” An incredibly loud noise sounded. Everyone’s gaze followed it as they all froze, stunned.
In the middle of all the buzzing, an even larger forest ant had appeared in the sky. It was the size of about four to five ordinary giant forest ants and its whole body was scarlet. Most peculiar though was the presence of two pairs of enormous wings behind it and it was with these wings that it was currently flying through the air.
The giant red ant approached the leader giant ant, circling around it several times. The leader ant’s antennae shook and it immediately kneeled on the ground.
The giant red ant’s mandibles2 abruptly swelled and it suddenly jabbed them into the head of the leader ant. At that moment, something appeared to flow into the red ant from its mandibles.
Qin Mo eyes widened. He could clearly see the red ant’s cultivation level rising from the 7th layer of Qi refining to the 8th layer.
In a few short moments, all that remained of the leader ant was a shrivelled exoskeleton. The red giant ant drew out its mandibles, shaking its body as though it were dissatisfied. Once again it inserted them into the head of another giant ant and drained it in much the same manner.
All anyone could do was watch blankly as its cultivation level steadily rose, finally breaking through to the foundation building phase.
“Its actually a forest ant queen…” A disciple muttered.
The forest ant queen was, without any reservations, the most powerful of all the giant forest ants. Unlike other giant ants, its only duty was to continuously conceive offspring and the way it enhanced its cultivation was also quite simple; all it had to do was absorb the strength of the other forest ants.
Recalling this information, the faces of all those present became deathly pale. They didn’t want to become food for the queen. “It doesn’t matter, Shixiong has already built his foundation. He’s so strong, he’s definitely able to defeat this measly little ant!” The disciple who had spoken secretly watched Qin Mo’s face. Noticing that he only looked at the ant queen before him indifferently and, furthermore, didn’t dispute the claim he’d made, he couldn’t help but declare even louder.
“Yeah, Shixiong surely will! He’s also in the foundation building phase!” Upon hearing this, the rest of the disciples also couldn’t help but reveal spirited smiles as they watched Qin Mo in admiration.
After a while, the giant forest ant seemed to be full. Opening its mouth, it turned its attention to the crowd.
Qin Mo tightened his grip around the sword in his hand. As he stepped forward, a hand suddenly reached out to stop him.
“Shixiong, this time let me deal with it.” The sound of a youth’s honest voice resonated. Qin Mo turned his head to see Lin Zizheng holding his hand, the corner of his mouth slightly raised, speaking as gently as a light breeze.
Qin Mo stared blankly and then nodded in agreement. In his opinion, every person had to mature at some point. Moreover, Lin Zizheng was this world’s protagonist and even if he was ultimately no match for the forest ant queen, Qin Mo was still there.
Though he held these sentiments in his mind, he didn’t notice that he still firmly held his sword and his body remained in a stance that appeared prepared to charge forward at any moment. With regard to this Lin Zizheng, who had practically grown up watching him, was still extremely concerned.
Hearing Lin Zizheng’s words and then seeing Shixiong’s lack of objection, the face of the disciple behind him twisted in dissatisfaction.
“Tch, he’s only at the 7th layer of Qi refining! Wanting to already defeat an ant queen is really delusional! Does he want Shixiong to collect his corpse for him?” The speaker was an elite child of the inner sect, his cultivation was already at the 9th layer of Qi refining. He looked at Lin Zizheng with disdain as he ridiculed him.
In the blink of an eye, he noticed that Shixiong was coldly watching him and he swallowed the rest of his words, feeling the regret set into his heart. How could he have forgotten that this Lin Zizheng was Shixiong’s attendant. By saying such things about him, one was certain to make Shixiong displeased with them.
Lin Zizheng didn’t take the slightest notice to the idle gossip behind him. He cared for no one but Shixiong. This time, he’d undertaken the task simply to show off his capabilities to him, that was all.
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Woohoo! Alright! chapter is a bit longer than usual but I’ll try to get it out during the next week. See ya then babes & boys.
-Bean
1Fun Fact: Ants like most other arthropods have something called tarsal claws at the ends of their legs. Don’t even ask why I know this lol.
2The pincher thingies at an ants mouth typically used to grab food or fight and shit.
Chapter 15
The ant queen was obviously using spirit knowledge. It had kept its eye on Qin Mo from the moment it appeared, as it sensed that of all those present only Qin Mo exerted such intense pressure upon it.
At present though, it watched as Lin Zizheng drew closer, its immense wings fanning faintly and its enormous mouth slightly ajar, a dark black liquid erupted from its mouth and straight at Lin Zizheng.
Seeing the poisonous liquid, Lin Zizheng’s face did not show a single trace of panic. With a wave of his hand, the handle of a □ □1 materialised from thin air and in his right hand.
The weapon was more than eight feet long, its body completely black and underneath the sunlight, glints of gold flickered on the sides. Its tip was silvery white and looked exceptionally sharp.
As Lin Zizheng seized the □ □ with a gentle wave, the poison that had already arrived before him dissipated into nothing. Yet the weapon’s tip remained as shiny as ever.
The ant queen stared blankly, obviously, it had not anticipated the little ant it was faced with to dodge its poison attack and couldn’t help but get somewhat annoyed. Flitting its wings, it flew forward attacking Lin Zizheng, planning to use its mandibles to suck him dry.
Lin Zizheng’s eyes narrowed whilst he watched the ant queen’s ambush.
He bent down, immediately leaping up to meet the ant queen head on. Behind him, Qin Mo’s brow gently creased and unwittingly he stepped forward before stopping again. He hadn’t expected Lin Zizheng to be so impulsive, going so far as to fight fire with fire.
The movements of both person and ant struck rapid, colliding with each other in a flash. As he reached the ant queen, Lin Zizheng’s body suddenly turned. No one present could see how he’d done it, but in a wink, he’d appeared behind the queen’s body as though he’d teleported.
The □ □ held high, Lin Zizheng’s face no longer bore his usually gentle smile, but was instead rather solemn.
Suddenly, the □ □ swung down once more, embedding into the crack between the ant queen’s head and its body. The queen didn’t react for a bit, but then it was struck by the pain in its neck. Its wings beat even harder, forming a strong wind and blowing the surrounding objects into the distance.
No matter how the ant queen struggled, Lin Zizheng’s grip around the □
□ did not loosen and it dug deeper into the neck, pinning the queen to the ground.
The ant queen’s neck was its weakest point and after scuffling on the ground for a moment, it gradually ceased all movement and no longer made any sounds.
Lin Zizheng readily summoned a cascade of bright orange flames and cast them on the queen’s body. In the span of a second, the ant queen, who’d just been showing off its prowess in martial arts, was gone. Looking at the pile of black ash in the dirt, Lin Zizheng once more picked up the □ □
.
The crowd of disciples watched dumbstruck. They hadn’t expected him to actually be capable of executing the foundation phase ant queen. They simultaneously felt astonished by the feat and by its absurdity, gazing at Lin Zizheng with different eyes. No wonder Shixiong regarded him so highly. As it turned out, he’d actually possessed such abilities. Qin Mo looked on as the youth holding the □ □ walked over step by step towards him, the sunlight striking his figure from behind gave off a notably towering impression. Qin Mo couldn’t help but feel a little moved. Regardless of what is changed, the era of the protagonist is bound to come.
Petting the little fox on his shoulder, Qin Mo turned to the disciples behind him and spoke: “Let’s leave.”
Noticing the little fox, He felt somewhat surprised. It seemed to had disappeared since the giant forest ants had first arrived. Now that they were gone, it also chose to come out. So his spoiled spirit pet was really only interested in saving its own neck? Qin Mo slightly furrowed his brow.
Appearing to have guessed what Qin Mo was thinking, it rolled its eyes at him. Its mouth opened slightly and a wad of purple spirit grass appeared in his hand.
Flipping the herbs in his hand over a few times, a flash of perplexity passed across his eyes. He wasn’t sure of the nature of the spirit grass, nor of the little fox’s intentions.
A disciple next to him glanced at the spirit grass in his hands and, seeing it, immediately blurted out: “Ah, its drifting grass!”
“En?” Qin Mo was somewhat unconvinced, he had never heard of drifting grass before.
“I’ve also seen it in Shifu’s ancient scripts. It doesn’t effect cultivators, much like any common weed, however, one of its properties is that it attracts giant forest ants. As a result, the commonly seen drifting grass is usually destroyed. Though if I remember correctly it only grows on top of cliffs. How’d it get here?” The disciple’s face brimmed with concentrated confusion.
Hearing this, Qin Mo’s brow furrowed even deeper. It was as Shifu had said, the incident surrounding the invitation really was quite strange. Although he had read the original novel, he couldn’t remember its plot. He glanced over at Lin Zizheng. The protagonist is here, there shouldn’t be any major issues!
That thought in mind, with a twist of his wrist, Qin Mo placed the drifting grass into his Qiankun bag and took out the Cloud Boat, preparing to leave with the Yueqing Sect disciples.
“The fellow Daoist upfront! Wait! Wait!” Before they could board the Cloud Boat, they heard an anxious call from behind. Turning to look, they saw a cultivator wearing earth coloured robes quickly staggering towards them.
Waiting for him to get nearer, they could see that he wore a Zhengyang Sect robe, but he seemed quite embarrassed. His clothes were torn, his hair dishevelled, and his whole body was covered in wounds. He appeared to had just gone through quite the struggle.
Seeing the state he was in, they again recalled the fierce fight they had just run into and many of the disciples couldn’t help but sympathize with him in their hearts.
As he approached, the cultivator noticed the crowd’s gaze focus on him and with uneasiness drawn over his face, he somewhat nervously spoke: “I am a disciple of Zhengyang Sect. I came to the area to gain experience, but I didn’t think I’d come across a group of giant forest ants. Several of my companions who’d come here with me were killed.”
The cultivator’s voice carried a mournful tone, his expression revealing his resentment. His fists tightly clenched and then slowly released, “I was lucky enough to escape with my life and now I wish to quickly return to my sect. I was wondering if you could bring me along with you?” His eyes centred on Qin Mo, betrayed a bit of nervous anticipation.
Once they heard all this, the hearts of the Yueqing disciples grew compassionate and they all looked to Qin Mo.
Under the stares of so many, Qin Mo rather uncomfortably turned his head and, glancing at the cultivator before him, faintly nodded. The cultivator, who claimed to be named Shi Ying, was a disciple related to one of the elders of Zhengyang Sect. He seemed to be quite talkative and as such was rather easily accepted into the group.
Whilst he talked and laughed with the rest of the disciples, Shi Ying looked at Qin Mo, who only stood to the side, and a shy smile crept onto his lips. From his Qiankun bag, he took out a pale green spirit fruit and presented it to Qin Mo.
Sweeping a quick look at Shi Ying’s smiling face, Qin Mo thanked him and took the spirit fruit from his hand. However, he only held on to it and didn’t immediately eat it. After all, Qin Mo had always conducted himself with strictness, unless absolutely necessary, he preferred to not eat in front of others.
Noticing this, Shi Ying’s pupils subtly flashed: “Shixiong Qin Mo, this spirit fruit tastes quite good. It can also improve the spirit power within a cultivator’s body. It would be better to try it!”
Qin Mo’s hand tightened around the spirit fruit. Why did he get the feeling that Shi Ying seemed a bit overly eager for him to eat it? Thinking of this, Qin Mo nodded slightly, gave a quiet “En”, and pressed the spirit fruit to his lips, while discretely looking at Shi Ying from the corner of his eye.
Sure enough, as Qin Mo had expected; as Shi Ying watched Qin Mo prepare to bite into the fruit, he could no longer conceal the smile on his face, as a tinge of ridicule pulled at the corners of his mouth.
The moment the spirit fruit was about to touch his lip, Qin Mo’s wrist twisted slightly and it disappeared. His gaze at once turned severe as he examined Shi Ying, asking: “Who are you?”
The smile on Shi Ying’s face suddenly stiffened and he answered somewhat awkwardly: “Shixiong Qin Mo, What do you mean? I am Shi Ying!”
Qin Mo did not answer him, only his expression became even graver. Seemingly frightened by Qin Mo’s reaction, Shi Ying’s face fell and he just muttered: “Shixiong Qin Mo…”
As he spoke, his expression shifted, becoming rather sinister. He opened his hands and a sharp palm shot forward at Qin Mo’s face, as he uttered menacingly: “Manghuang2 palm, Zhengyang Sect’s unshared hidden technique. Let’s see how you escape this time!”
Faced by the sudden threat of the fierce palm, Qin Mo’s face remained unchanged, his jade-like slender hands slightly turned, radiated a light glow. He lifted them up and with so simple a motion stopped Shi Ying’s mighty blow.
“No, it can’t be! How are you so strong?” Shi Ying’s hands were restrained. Unable to move at all, his face twisted with disbelief and he looked at Qin Mo with eyes full of fear.
Before all this, he was the one who’d planted the drifting grass on them. He’d believed that the giant ants would leave most of the group from Yueqing Sect either dead or injured. However, unexpectedly they’d all escaped the scourge and in the end even dealt with the ant queen so effortlessly.
Thus, with the failure of that plan, he hatched a new one; he plotted to trick Qin Mo into eating a poisoned piece of fruit. Yet he failed to foresee that Qin Mo would see through his lie. More so, what made it so difficult for him to accept his defeat was the fact that he’d fully perfected his cultivation in the Qi refining phase. When caught in sneak attacks not even the edge of his hem could be caught.
Thinking of this, Shi Ying’s gaze teemed with deep disappointment. It was apparent, he’d failed his mission of intercepting and weakening the Yuqing disciples.
To his side, the disciples finally realised Shi Ying’s hand in their plight. Seeing that he had the cheek to mount a sneak attack on their Shixiong, they seethed with rage and glared at him intensely, wishing they could devour his flesh3. “Who sent you?” Qin Mo’s brow wrinkled, as he asked coldly.
“Haha, you’re done for! We, Zhengyang Sect, will become the first in the boundary of the blue sky!” The air was suddenly filled with Shi Ying’s frantic laughter and he spoke, his tone demented.
As soon as this was said, the disciples fell into an uproar. After all, Zhengyang Sect was also one of the three major sects. Its disciples primarily relied on body refining. Simply put, they were all brawn but simple-minded. While their techniques had always been quite exceptional.
Following Shi Ying’s laughter, black blood began trickling from his mouth. In just a moment, his head rolled to one side, no longer breathing.
Lin Zizheng, who had become sullen since Shi Ying’s attempted sneak attack on Qin Mo, now came forward and looked over Shi Ying’s present state, declaring: “Dead.”
Qin Mo’s pupils shrunk. He hadn’t anticipated he’d actually commit suicide by taking poison. The trail unexpectedly broke off in such a manner. As for what he’d last said about Zhengyang Sect, Qin Mo didn’t have the slightest bit of confidence in it.
Loosening his hold on Shi Ying, Qin Mo icily ordered the disciples to look after the corpse. He sped up the Cloud Boat’s flight, intent on reaching Zhengyang Sect quickly and figuring out the truth of the matter.
Atop the Cloud Boat, the disciples argued spiritedly whether or not Shi Ying’s words were to be believed. Considering the fact that he wore robes from Zhengyang Sect and used their secret Manghuang palm technique, unavoidable doubt was cast on Zhengyang Sect.
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Getting major Wen clan vibes from this Zhengyang Sect (Sun symbol anybody). Hehehe 1Okay so the boxes are here in the original but like is it just me or is this thing a sword? I feel like its sword. 8 feet definitely long for a sword but like ehhhh ¯\_(*-*)_/¯. Though adding the boxes makes it seem like “something” else. Hahaha, I’m an idiot. Oh well staying true to the content is my virtue.
2Manghuang: directly translates to uncultivated poisonous so it’s basically a poison hand technique.
3I know this sounds weird as shit but it legit says they want to eat him and idk how to make this sound good man.
Chapter 16
Even though Qin Mo had increased the Cloud Boat’s speed, it still took the party a few days to reach Zhengyang Sect.
Before they had passed through the Sect’s gate, Qin Mo and the others got off the Cloud Boat. Just as they did, they spotted a group of people emerge from one of Zhengyang Sect’s buildings and rush straight towards them.
It was a few middle-aged folks, all wearing Zhengyang Sect’s earth-toned robes. They glanced over Qin Mo and the group, uncertainty in their eyes.
Leading the group, stood a large, tall middle-aged man. He appeared strong with firm muscles and tanned skin, emitting an aura of dependability. Just hearing him loudly say: “You lot are from Yueqing Sect?”, attracted the attention of everyone present.
After Qin Mo’s group confirmed, the middle-aged brawny leader’s brow wrinkled slightly and his eyes fixed firmly onto them. Because of the largeness of his eyes, the moment they’d settled on them, the man suddenly gave off a sense of ruthlessness. “Your claims are unsubstantiated, what proof is there?”
Hearing this, the faces of the disciples of Yueqing Sect turned grim. What did he mean by doubting their identities? But it would do no good to provoke those before them right now, so all they could do was swallow their dissatisfaction. Qin Mo furrowed his brow and slowly spoke, “This senior, I don’t understand what you mean by this?”
“When I say show us your proof, I mean show us your proof. Doesn’t Yueqing Sect have this… this identification jade for its disciples? Why so troublesome!” The man was obviously not a patient one; seeing no movement from the other side after a while, he couldn’t help but become more violent.
“You…” before Qin Mo could finish what he was just about to say, he was interrupted by the man before him. The man roughly grabbed the cloth at Qin Mo’s waist, tightly grasping his qiankun bag, as though trying to find what he is looking for there.
Seeing the man’s actions, Qin Mo brought up his right hand, sending out a ball of purple energy at him. But with a wave of the man’s hand, the ball of energy dissipated into thin air.
Faced with such circumstances for the first time, Qin Mo was caught off guard, and his hands jerked up. Immediately, Biyou Jian appeared in his hand, its tip pointed forward at the man in front of him.
The man, seemingly angered by Qin Mo’s attitude, released his hold and balled his hands into fists. His eyes lit up as if they were on fire and he shouted, “Kid, you hesitate to comply only to be forced onto worse, this elder is not one you should offend so lightly!” looking like he wanted to throw a fist his way.
The man’s hands were covered in a layer of red flames, placing intense pressure on Qin Mo. Qin Mo eyes couldn’t help but darken, this person’s cultivation level must have been at the core formation phase. Even with that mind, his hands still clenched around Biyou Jian.
“Stop, is my disciple so easily bullied? Are you not members of Yueqing Sect?” The strong man’s fist was inches away from hitting Qin Mo, when suddenly a loud roar billowed from an unknown direction, leaving the crowd in a state of shock. A figure appeared between Qin Mo and the strong man, blocking the fist. “Sect Head!” Seeing him, Yueqing Sect’s disciples couldn’t help but gasp.
Jin Linfeng nodded towards the disciples and quickly looked over Qin Mo’s body, relaxing only after having found no injuries. He then turned to face the strong man with a vicious glare, speaking in a sarcastic tone, “I hadn’t expected that the head of Zhengyang Sect would enjoy bullying the juniors.”
The ill-tempered man was the head of Zhengyang Sect, Kong Fan. Listening to Jin Linfeng’s words, his tanned face turned red. Just then he remembered something and looked back at Qin Mo’s group, speaking defensively, “He was unwilling to provide evidence of him being a member of Yueqing Sect. Moreover, he was the first to attack!” Confidence framed across his face as he finished.
“You… you bastard!” Hearing his reasoning, Jin Linfeng’s became even more enrage, he raised the longsword in his hand as if prepared to attack Kong Fan.
Cao Yong, the Zhengyang Sect elder that had been standing behind Kong Fan the whole time, now came forward, pulling the hostile Kong Fan back and blocking Jin Linfeng’s movement at the same time. An honest smile appeared on the elder’s face, “Sect leader Jin, please don’t misunderstand, our head is just too ill-tempered. So much has happened recently, he was put into a bad mood.”
As he spoke, the elder’s expression became graver, “As of late, someone has been impersonating disciples from major sects and engaging my Zhengyang Sect. In the end, many Zhengyang Sect disciples were murdered, which is why we are confirming the identities of all disciples entering Zhengyang Sect here! Furthermore…”
Pausing, the elder scanned through the group of disciples behind Jin Linfeng, “The invitation asking you to come to Zhengyang Sect was not sent by my sect. The disciples who’d come here to participate in the test were all ambushed on the way, many sects lost a lot of disciples!” “What? Was there such a thing?” Hearing the news, Jin Linfeng’s face changed. He seemed rough, and while he was usually crude, he was in actuality quite sharp at times. At first he had thought the invitation was a bit strange, but he had not expected such a sinister scheme.
“En, we did get ambushed during our journey.” Qin Mo, who had been standing silently at the sidelines, also came forward. He nodded slightly to the disciple behind him, prompting them to bring out Shiying’s body.
Seeing Shiying, the face of Cao Yong, who’d just been speaking, suddenly shifted and his body trembled uncontrollably as he muttered, “I never thought this one could have been a spy.”
After a moment, the man seemingly realized his blunder and a smile returned to his face. He spoke to Qin Mo, “I don’t know whether Shizhi may discipline him for me, after all, he was my… corrupt disciple!”
Hearing this, Qin Mo only nodded his head but did not say anything.
Realizing Zhengyang Sect’s gate was not the best place to talk, Zhengyang Sect welcomed Jin Linfeng and Qin Mo’s group in.
It seemed as though all kinds of disciples, from big and small sects under the boundary of the blue sky alike, had come. Following Jin Linfeng’s arrival, he was invited to the main hall of Zhengyang Sect, and a discussion of the odd events ensued. In the meanwhile, Qin Mo and other disciples were led to a separate room.
Qin Mo sat on a soft cushion, carefully thinking over the contents of the original novel, but still couldn’t remember what had happened during this timeframe. However, the original Lin Zizheng seemed to have risen after his Shixiong entered the foundation building phase, could this time around really be compared to the original?
Someone knocked on the wooden door lightly, and Qin Mo stopped his wild contemplations, got up and opened it. At the door stood an unfamiliar disciple, food in his hands. Looking at his stiff figure, he appeared to be from Zhengyang Sect. Noticing Qin Mo, a smile rose on the disciple’s face, and he handed him the food, saying: “Shixiong, here is tonight’s dinner!”
Qin Mo nodded, took the meal, and thanked the disciple as he turned back to the room.
Many people had gathered in the main hall of Zhengyang Sect, all of whom wore serious expressions.
“According to the captured traitor, Demonic cultivators had planted undercover spies in various sects since a while back. The attacks on the major sects were all perpetrated by the Demonic cultivators!” said the woman sitting beside Jin Linfeng, putting her jade cup down as she watched the crowd.
The woman looked to be in her twenties with a highly dignified bearing. She sat upright, looking ahead with a very stern expression, her eyes steadfast.
All those present did not dare look down on her for being a woman, for she was one of three major sects’ leaders, Yunyin Sect’s Liu Yun. Listening to her at the moment, their faces revealed expressions of hesitance.
“Are the Demonic cultivators insane? They’ve always been weak, their strength is so far below that of the three major sects! How would they set up such a gathering and take out all the major sects at once?” spoke Kong Fan from above, he’d never been one for thinking much and, hearing Liu Yun’s statement, was quite skeptical.
Seeing that no one believed her, Liu Yun did not show any dissatisfaction. Instead she spoke, “A few days ago, we saved someone on the road.”
Having said that, Liu Yun’s brow wrinkled slightly, and she took a sip of her tea before continuing, “The individual used to live in a village that was massacred by Demonic cultivators.” Hearing this, everyone in the room couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air. Massacring a village could only be done by Demonic cultivators who’d lost all reason.
“The person said, it was apparently because the villagers had found a precious type of spirit grass in their village. The Demonic cultivators, not wanting news of it to spread, could only silence them.” As she spoke, Liu Yun paused and looked around the room, then resumed.
“Most importantly, is the entrance to Huangtian’s secret territory was right next to the village!” Liu Yun’s face was still serious, but by the end, her expression also bore a bit of bewilderment.
“You mean, the grass was found at the edge of Huangtian’s secret territory? That can’t be right, it’s not yet time for it to open!” At a loss, Jin Linfeng questioned. Suddenly, as though he’d just thought of something, his face suddenly changed and taking a deep breath, he said, “What you mean is, Huangtian’s secret territory has opened prematurely?”
Hearing this, the faces of those present also changed dramatically, oddly enough, revealing a bit of excitement.
Huangtian’s secret territory was the most mysterious hidden realm under the blue sky. It opened once every 50 years, and those who could enter were all cultivators below the core formation phase. Every cultivator that entered the secret realm would have great gains.
In all of history, there were cases of Huangtian’s secret territory had opened in advance. It was a once in a lifetime event, but whenever it did open early, there were countless good things inside, even Green Root grass which would help one breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage could be found everywhere.
Most of the people present were the leaders of various sects, many of whom were stuck creating completed golden cores and hearing the news, unconsciously showed expressions of joy. If Huangtian’s secret territory had really opened early, everything that the Demonic cultivators had done made so much more sense.
Huangtian’s secret territory could only be entered by a hundred people anytime it opened. Although there were countless low-level disciples in the various sects, only a limited number of people could gain access to the area. At the same time, Huangtian’s secret territory was a place where danger lurked at every corner, an ordinary disciple entering inside would not even survive a single day.
As long as the Demonic cultivators did away with the elite disciples sent by other sects, they would be able to have more of their own disciples enter inside.
“Move! Go check the village!” A fire lit inside everyone’s hearts, they got up one after another to go prepare to investigate whether the news was true. However, before they could fully stand, they fell back into their chairs!
Scoping out the states of their □ □ , everyone was shocked. They had actually unknowingly eaten Spirit Scattering pills.
Spirit Scattering pills were a type of □□ under the boundary of the blue sky. Once dissolved in water and drunk by a cultivator, it would make the spiritual power in the cultivator’s body disappear for a day. Within that single day, they would be the same as an ordinary person.
Looking at the jade cups beside them, they immediately understood where the Spirit Scattering pills had been stowed. They’d all been under the impression that nothing could happen to them within Zhengyang’s main hall, little could they guess the Demonic cultivators would have another opportunity to take the advantage.
Kong Fan fiercely clenched his teeth. Eyes turning red, he roared angrily,
“Damn it, I didn’t think there would still be traitors in Zhengyang Sect!”
To the side, Cao Yong’s face suddenly turned an unmatched white, and his lips trembled as he said, “By now, the disciples within the sect should have finished their dinner.” Hearing this, the entirety of the main hall immediately fell silent. This could only mean that everyone in Zhengyang Sect had very likely already consumed a Spirit Scattering pill.
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Translator(s): Teo Editor(s): Bean Proofer(s): DarkSapphire, Bet
Chapter 17
“Dong!” with a loud bang, the entirety of Zhengyang Sect seemed to shake. Several sect heads with ashen expression sat in the main hall, beside them stood their disciples.
In front of them was a pair of restrained Zhengyang disciples. They were the spies who had previously taken the opportunity to put the Spirit Scattering pills into everyone’s food and tea.
“Not good, Sect Head, more and more Demonic cultivators are gathering outside the sect door!” a young disciple from outside the sect anxiously ran in, a slightly panicked look about him.
“What’s all this commotion for? Isn’t the large protection array activated?” Kong Fan glared, his face was flushed, his extreme rage was evident.
“It is already activated, but just now three Core Formation Demonic cultivators are outside, attacking it…” the disciple with an unnerved face, spoke hesitantly.
“This is unacceptable! Do they really think we’ll sit here waiting for death, powerless to fight back?” Kong Fan slammed the table with his palm, fracturing the wood. Although the spirit power in his body had been sealed, his body was still stronger than that of an ordinary person. Beside him, the faces of Jin Linfeng and the others also looked quite unsightly. They were all sect heads, within the boundary of the blue sky their strength had been at the top. Being forced into such a state by Demonic cultivators, it really was unsightly.
“Move, let’s head out!” After thinking for a while, Kong Fan’s brow creased and finally spoke. No one had any objections, even without spirit powers, no one was willing to shrink back into a corner like a turtle at such moment.
Qin Mo who had stayed behind Jin Linfeng the whole time also followed the group and walked out.
Too much had happened during their journey and Qin Mo’s heart naturally felt compelled. Thus he had been cultivating inside of his room and had not eaten his dinner, luckily escaping everything with his spirit power intact.
A hand pulled on Qin Mo’s, and when he turned his head, he saw Lin Zizheng looking at him with concern.
Believing Lin Zizheng to be afraid, Qin Mo couldn’t help stretching out his hand and gently patting him, he moved his lips slightly and whispered, “don’t be afraid.”
Hearing this, Lin Zizheng couldn’t help feeling dazed. He had only been worried about Da-Shixiong’s safety, not afraid, but seeing Qin Mo’s usual expressionless appearance, the corner of Lin Zizheng’s mouth rose.
It was already dark outside, but at the front of Zhengyang Sect’s gate, there were a variety of incessant dazzling flickers. They were caused by the magic treasures being held by the Demonic cultivators in their persistently attack on Zhengyang Sect’s large protection array.
Noticing the crowd come out, the leader at the front of a group of three put down their arms and watched them intently. “Sect Heads, long time no see! I missed you so much!” among the three, a woman wearing a long red dress called out. She had an enchanting figure, and when she saw them, her eyes lit up, her snake-like waist shook as she threw a wink at the crowd. In the end a matchless tease.
“Humph! Devil woman.” Liu Yun puffed coldly, bearing obvious extreme disdain towards the woman. She had always been rigorous with people and despised that type of frivolous woman.
“Stop your nonsense with them!” A thin old man in a yellow robe came out beside the woman and glared at her. His gaze shifted to look down at the crowd, an ominous glint flashed across his eyes, and he spoke sinisterly, “Hand over the key to Huangtian’s secret territory, and we will spare your lives!”
Hearing this, the people below finally realized the true purpose of tonight’s attack. Even if Huangtian’s secret territory was opened, it couldn’t be entered without the keys. Without them, one could only pick at spirit grass on the outskirts.
Huangtian’s secret territory required a total of five keys to open; one had recently been stolen by the Demonic cultivators, each of the three major Sect had one, and the one remaining was scattered among the other sects. Tonight, they had come to force Zhengyang Sect to hand over their key.
“Hand it over!” Seeing everyone present had remained silent, the yellow robe old man’s face became ever more malevolent.
“Humph! In your dreams!” Kong Fan snorted icily, his words crystal clear. In the darkness of the night, the faces of the three Core Formation Demonic cultivators instantly changed. To their surprise, despite everyone present not having the faintest ability to fight back, they still dared show such arrogance.
Then there was the Core Formation Demonic cultivator who had as of yet not spoken. In an abrupt gesture, the corner of his lip suddenly cracked upward, revealing a grim smile. A withered arm slowly pulled out a shuttle- shaped object from within his robe. It was sharp-pointed with two colors glowing around it.
Everyone was surprised, this thing was actually a magic treasure.
Qin Mo carefully looked at the long shuttle, his Biyou Jian was one of the highest quality magical items. It emitted a blueish-green glow and was already an extremely rare item to see. Supposedly, it was discovered by Jin Linfeng in an ancient and secret location. However, this long shuttle had a bicolored glow about it, yellow and black, undoubtedly it was a treasure. No one knew where this Demonic cultivator could have obtained such an item.
The Demonic cultivator’s face revealed a strange smile as he took the long shuttle and jabbed it at Zhengyang Sect’s gate.
“Quick, add spiritual stones to the array!” Cao Yong’s pupils constricted instantly, and he hastily commanded the disciples next to him. Zhengyang Sect’s large protection array’s power was not very strong, so it relied on a large number of spirit stones to increase its defensive capabilities.
Unfortunately, by the time the disciples were able to add the spirit stones, it was already too late. A crack had appeared on the large protection array. Delight rose to the three Demonic cultivators’ faces, and in an instant, they appeared on the other side of the array. At the same time, two more Demonic cultivators passed through the array. Behind them, the large protection array slowly closed up again.
After entering the large array, the three looked at one another and went straight at the sect heads, after all, they currently had no spirit power in their bodies. For the Demonic cultivators, it was as simple as reaching out and grabbing. At this point, how could they still expect them to be incapable of finding the keys? This considered excitement filled the eyes of the three.
Seeing the oncoming attack, the faces of the weaker sect heads shifted slightly, but Kong Fan, Jin Linfeng and Liu Yun’s expressions remained unchanged, and they stood their ground. The three major sects had existed for so long, they would not fall so low yet.
“How bold, acting as if I, of Zhengyang Sect, was a nobody?” A loud voice rang from behind them, and suddenly three cultivators blocked the path of the attackers.
The three demonic cultivators couldn’t help but furrow their brows slightly. The new assailants were also at the Core Formation phase. Damn it, why were their spirit powers still there. Despite having this thought in mind, they were still committed to the plan and quickly clashed with the three cultivators.
The two demonic cultivators that came in together dashed in the direction of the disciples. Before they had reached them, one of the demonic cultivators shot out a few thin needles. They were covered in a black **, just one glance was enough to see that they had been dipped in poison.
Watching the situation unfold from the crowd, Qin Mo’s brow wrinkled lightly. Quickly, he stepped forward, and with a fierce wave of his wide sleeve, he created a powerful air current, immediately sending back the poisonous needles.
“Hehehe, so one of the fish has escaped the net, this is so exciting! I must make you into my puppet!” The two demonic cultivators had already arrived before them. Upon seeing Qin Mo’s movement, one of the demonic cultivators licked his dry lips with an excited smile on his face.
Hearing his words, Qin Mo recalled his familiarity with the demonic cultivator, having met him twice in the past, it was Mingshan Laogui.
“It’s just a kid at the beginning stage of Foundation Building! Nothing to be surprised about!” The other demonic cultivator scoffed coldly, disdain on his face. Finishing his remark, he went for the crowd behind Qin Mo, ready to attack.
There was a flash before his eyes, Qin Mo swung his sword at the attacker, the demonic cultivator had been careless for a moment and was forced to retreat back.
“Hehehe, Ming Xue, this kid actually wants to fight us with his beginning stage of Foundation Building’s strength. Us, two seniors at the middle stage of Foundation Building, it really… makes me even more excited!” Mingshan Laogui laughed oddly once more.
“Kid, if you really want to die, I’ll help you!” Ming Xue was forced back by Qin Mo, unease filled his heart, his expression grew fierce, and an ominous glint appeared in his eyes as he looked straight at Qin Mo.
Qin Mo’s hand tightened around Biyou Jian, it seemed the two men were prepared to fight him together. However, that did not make him shrink back at all, and the spirit power within his Dantian started circulating quickly.
Lin Zizheng’s moved forward slightly behind Qin Mo, but as he was about to step forward, a golden figure suddenly appeared. Just looking at the folding fan he held, the golden silk robe he wore, and the noble manner he carried himself with, it was clear; this person was Kong Xiao.
Seeing Kong Xiao and Qin Mo standing side by side, Lin Zizheng couldn’t help but pause, tightly clenching both his fists.
The corner of Kong Xiao’s mouth rose slightly, and he spoke with a smile, “Why does even the most general of personnel indiscriminately enter our Zhengyang Sect! Then let me welcome you!” He folded his fan and, without waiting for a response, went straight for Ming Xue.
With a single glance, Qin Mo noticed that Kong Xiao had already entered the Foundation Building phase and returned his focus to fighting Mingshan Laogui.
Even though Mingshan Laogui’s cultivation was higher than Qin Mo’s, he had always been a cautious person, so even in facing a junior, he had no intention of taking it easy. He stretched out his withered palms, making a few symbols, and three figures appeared from thin air, puppets he had refined. With the appearance of the puppets, Qin Mo’s attention focused on them. Two were actually at the first level of Foundation Building, the other was also cultivated to the 10th layer of Qi Refining.
Come to think of it, Mingshan Laogui would never be reconciled in not making him one of his puppets.
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Translator(s): Teo Editor(s): Bean Proofer(s): DarkSapphire, Bet
Chapter 18
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