Chapter 124: New Heart, New Joy

At the same time, at the edge of Qingqiu City.

As the sword light descended, the city's protective array locked onto Mo Mo Bu Yu, projecting an overwhelming aura that made him feel as if a needle were pricking his back.

But what truly sent a chill through his heart was the figure that emerged from that sword light.

A Dao-Union sword cultivator!

"I am Mo Mo Bu Yu of the Great Desert Blade Gate. May I ask your revered title, Elder?"

The thought of fleeing vanished instantly—escape from a Dao-Union sword cultivator?

What's the difference from seeking death?

Then again, according to the information I obtained, when ancient cultivators emerge, isn't it usually the Return-to-Void who arrives first, and only if they can't handle it does the Dao-Union step in?

Why did I skip the Return-to-Void stage entirely? "Que Xie."

Mo Mo Bu Yu felt the Dao-Union sword cultivator named 'Que Xie' gaze at him—the terrifying pressure made his magic power and soul tremble…

Well, actually, it didn't.

Zixuan Zhenjun merely gazed calmly at him.

"Young friend, don't be nervous. I am the head of the Ancient Cultivator Response Division—Station Chief of the Righteous Alliance Branch. You are not a demonic cultivator; as long as you have not committed evil deeds, I will not lay a hand on you."

Evil deeds?

Does reading someone's mind count? Mo Mo Bu Yu opened his mouth, about to speak.

"Friend, hold on."

Turning toward the voice, the newcomer also carried a long blade, his white hair loosely tied behind his head, his eyes sharp and deep, his slender yet upright frame like a pine tree, each step measured as if by a ruler.

Mo Mo Bu Yu froze: "Uncle?!"

Zixuan Zhenjun frowned slightly: "Friend, what do you mean?"

"Mo Bu Yu is a junior of my sect, a kind-hearted man—I had to come see for myself." Mo Mo Bu Yu's uncle walked right up behind him. "Friend, rest assured—I understand the rules."

"Good. You understand."

Zixuan Zhenjun did not dwell on it, turning directly to Mo Mo Bu Yu: "Mo young friend, since your emergence, have you taken any lives?"

Mo Mo Bu Yu paused, then answered firmly: "No."

"Have you forcibly drained others' essence, desires, lifespan, or blood qi?"

"No!"

Lifespan and blood qi were fine.

Desires?

What would a blade cultivator even need that for?

"Have you, to understand this modern world, used mind-reading techniques on others?"

"..."

Hearing this, Mo Mo Bu Yu's heart sank. He glanced sideways at his uncle.

"Tell the truth."

A chill ran through him—he instantly knew he could not lie.

"... Yes."

As soon as the word left his lips, his entire body tensed.

But the expected thunderous measures did not come—only a faint, calm voice echoed again.

"During the mind-reading, was the target's soul damaged?"

"No! And I left some spirit stones as compensation!"

Hearing this, Zixuan Zhenjun finally nodded.

The Ancient Cultivator Response Division does not impose harsh penalties on emerging ancient cultivators; as long as their offenses are not too severe, negotiations are possible.

Mo Mo Bu Yu, in fact, is already among the better cases among emerging ancient cultivators.

After asking a few more questions, Zixuan Zhenjun allowed Mo Mo Bu Yu's uncle to take him away.

Of course, he still had to report to the Ancient Cultivator Response Division—every emerging Return-to-Void ancient cultivator must complete this procedure.

But if one is Dao-Union or higher, it's unnecessary—only confirmation that they are not a demonic cultivator who kills without number, treating human life as grass, is required.

…………

In the evening, the city's protective array was deactivated.

Citizens of Qingqiu City gradually emerged from the Xian Sect outpost, schools, and Alliance shelters.

Most knew only that the emerging ancient cultivator had been found and the crisis resolved, but nothing about what had actually happened.

On the street, several flamboyant hooligans laughed as a jetbike painted with sword-air-thunder motifs roared past—but due to inferior paint materials, the thunderous sound exceeded the legal limit.

They were eventually caught by traffic police and taken to detention.

Xu Xing, standing by the roadside, watched the entire scene and smiled.

"These people are everywhere."

He now carried a black-and-white Dao banner inscribed with the four large characters: "Fate and Fortune Rest With Me," its surface fluttering gently in the wind.

Xiang Yuanjun stood before him, having set up a small stall—the two together looked exactly like traveling fortune-tellers.

During her travels across the Central Continent, whenever she arrived at a new place, she would set up just such a stall.

The first person to stop at her stall, she would read their karmic threads and offer guidance.

If in a good mood, she might even help them turn misfortune into fortune.

Soon, two figures walked down the street.

One was thin and weathered; the other had an ordinary face, marred by a grotesque scar.

It was Mo Mo Bu Yu and his uncle.

"Martial Uncle, how are my Master and senior brothers?"

"They're all doing well."

In fact, one could even say very well.

"Then Junior Sister…?"

"……She's also doing well."

"That's good, that's good!"

Mo Mo Bu Yu let out a breath of relief, although Martial Uncle had said the process of the Great Desert Saber Sect merging into the Orthodox Alliance went very smoothly.

But this kind of thing… no matter how you thought about it, there must have been a period of upheaval.

Fortunately, fortunately Junior Sister and everyone else were fine.

Actually, long before entering closed-door cultivation, he had secretly made up his mind — whether he succeeded this time or not, he would propose to Junior Sister!

The Combined-Path Saber Cultivator paused, glanced at Mo Mo Bu Yu, seeming to want to say something but then holding back.

However, Mo Mo Bu Yu was still immersed in the world of his own fantasies at this moment, and did not notice his Martial Uncle's strange expression.

When he suppressed his thoughts and looked up, he immediately spotted a rather strange stall by the roadside.

An elegant woman with her eyes covered, endowed with spiritual beauty, her aura ethereal and elusive.

Looking further back, there was a person carrying a black-and-white Daoist banner, the banner's surface inscribed with four large characters: 'Fortune and Misfortune Are Mine to Decide.'

What an enormous boast! Xu Xing: "……"

Mo Mo Bu Yu's heart stirred: "Martial Uncle."

"Go ahead." The Combined-Path Saber Cultivator nodded slightly.

Just right — let Mo Bu Yu shift his attention first, while he himself thought about how to tell him the truth in a more tactful way.

After receiving his Martial Uncle's agreement, Mo Mo Bu Yu came before the stall.

"I'd like to…"

He had only uttered two words when a slip of paper drifted to him.

"I'll give you a few characters."

The voice reached his ears, and then Mo Mo Bu Yu only felt his vision blur.

By the time his sight cleared again, the stall, the Daoist banner, and that spiritually-endowed elegant woman had all vanished, as if they had never existed.

His heart jolted, but at the same time he also saw the characters written on the slip of paper.

【New heart has its joy】

Hmm? What does this mean? Just as he was about to reach out and take it, the slip of paper burst into flames, and in the blink of an eye was burned to a handful of flying ash.

Combined-Path?

"Martial Uncle!" A series of bizarre incidents made Mo Mo Bu Yu dare not be careless any longer. "That fortune-teller just gave me a slip of paper and then vanished!"

"Fortune-teller? What are you talking about?"

The Combined-Path Saber Cultivator who had just told him to go over now seemed to remember nothing of what had just happened at all.

Mo Mo Bu Yu's heart grew more and more alarmed — even his Martial Uncle hadn't noticed? Could it be… an expert above Combined-Path?

Just as he was about to continue explaining, he discovered his Martial Uncle looking at him, his gaze somewhat complicated.

"Mo Bu Yu, your Martial Uncle has some news to tell you."

Second update, please subscribe!! (End of this chapter)