Chapter 79

"What the hell, how can someone at Qi Refining tenth level be this insane?"

Liu Yicheng tumbled out of the black hole, already outside the city.

His calf merely grazed by the Sword Qi, and the entire right pant leg was utterly shredded!

He secretly cursed inwardly.

Such a powerhouse, why not shine in Tiankui instead of showing off in this haven of Cultivators?

Yet this man moves silently, his aura only revealing Qi Refining sixth level!

"Hmph, the Seven Kill Array is already complete; once Lin Yutang dies, every Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining on the mountain and below will become Demon Seeds."

Liu Yicheng winced in pain, gritting his teeth.

His mental state wavered, nearly driving him into demonic deviation; a wisp of Evil Qi appeared at his fingertip.

The Longhua Precious Sutra has two volumes; the lower volume is said to rival the creation of heaven and earth—it is the Five Poisons Fortune Technique, requiring the cultivator to nurture at least one of greed, anger, delusion, pride, or doubt.

Whoever practices it will find their fortune and luck vastly superior to before, and no bottleneck will arise before forming a False Core.

However.

The deeper one advances, the stronger the Five Poisons become—for instance, his own greed, always craving yet never satisfied, had turned against him and nearly dragged him into demonic corruption.

"If I ever fall to demonic corruption, I'll just follow Brother Liang and practice the upper volume—indulge in excesses. Aside from bad luck, there's nothing wrong with it."

Though he'd never heard of anyone who practiced the upper volume and still lived to reach Golden Core.

When the Dao heart is stained, even soul transference and rebirth won't easily turn one back to the righteous path.

Fortunately, demonic cultivators can use Demon Seeds to advance.

Liu Yicheng pulled out the ancient text, a smirk tugging at his lips:

"Rumors say that with this book as aid, we only lack the missing snake gallbladder—then our sect can seize control of that snake corpse."

"I've accomplished great merit this time; with rewards added, I'm certain to break through to Foundation Establishment within thirty years. This humiliation today? I'll repay it tenfold!"

On the other side.

The avatar stood with hands behind his back, exuding the aura of a transcendent master.

He had saved the beauty, drawing the gaze of all—yet Chen Zhao sighed inwardly in regret.

The Immortal Binding Rope truly was a marvelous treasure, but his fortune had not yet arrived—he simply couldn't keep it.

"Thank you, savior! May I ask your esteemed name?"

Yang Xiao felt the man before her was ethereal and untouched by the Soul Slashing Blade Technique—her heart trembled with awe.

Could this man's power be so extraordinary, and his soul so strong as well?

"Mo Ya."

Chen Zhao sighed softly.

The Golden Chariot Beast had changed hands, the Immortal Binding Rope had slipped from his grasp—this mission yielded nothing but intelligence.

"Master Mo, your righteous heart and heroic spirit—I..."

Yang Xiao thought of the Golden Chariot Beast and blushed with shame.

"I will capture the Golden Chariot Beast for you. If you require it, I'll ask a Pill Master to forge a Golden Thunder Pill for you."

To ensure Chen Zhao believed her, she swore by her demonic heart.

Chen Zhao nodded slightly—her character was sound, truly worth waiting for.

Yet.

The Golden Chariot Beast had only just reappeared; its numbers couldn't be many. Fulfilling this promise might take decades.

"Twenty years. Master, wait for me twenty years—meet me right here, at this very spot."

Yang Xiao patted her chest, solemnly projecting her voice.

The eastern horizon turned pale, as if cleaved open by a single sword to herald dawn.

Cultivators nearby had watched for long; now that the two had finished, they surged forward, eager to beg for instruction.

Liu Yicheng's wanted poster had been posted throughout the city; many Qi Refining tenth-level cultivators had come and failed, barely escaping with their lives.

Over time, who didn't know the Immortal Binding Rope?

Yet now it had been slashed away, forcing Liu Yicheng to flee in disgrace—this Mo Ya, unknown and nameless, was this powerful?

Instantly, the main street was packed, shoulders brushing, elbows colliding—everyone wanted to kneel and pay homage, yet not even a single inch of space remained.

Chen Zhao had no interest in taking disciples; he calmly murmured, "The mountains are long, the waters far," then strode away, vanishing around the corner.

The crowd chased after him—but the narrow alley was already empty.

From then on.

The name Mo Ya was firmly established.

Time flew—before anyone noticed, twenty years had passed.

The avatar, now at Qi Refining twelfth level, altered his appearance and arrived to keep the appointment.

The streets teemed with Cultivators, especially those trapped at bottlenecks, their progress limited by their techniques, coming year after year seeking a chance to receive transmission.

Of course.

There were also many Tiankui disciples.

Leading them were three black-robed disciples; Chen Zhao pushed through the crowd, eager to get closer.

Logically, inner disciples should have their own masters—coming here seemed disrespectful. But Mo Ya's legend grew ever more divine.

Elders, hearing of his youthful genius, all wanted to lure him into the inner sect.

The Outer Disciple ranks were vast; the sect couldn't possibly know them all, especially cultivators like Chen Zhao who practiced in solitude.

"What do you know? Elder Chen has fought countless battles and always overcome stronger foes—how can this man compare?"

As he drew near, Chen Zhao finally saw who was speaking.

The young man's bearing was imperious, his posture straight as a sword, and a jade pendant at his waist was engraved with the character "Yu."

"Brother Duan has slain demons and vanquished evils, a hero for the ages — why must he fawn over a flower thief?"

Another youth was honest and mild-mannered, his face full of premature gravity, but the girl beside him was strikingly heroic in looks, and she snapped sharply:

"You surnamed Duan — since you look down on Senior Brother Mo, you certainly didn't come here to recruit. Are you here to pick a fight?"

"Exactly! I want to have a try with him, otherwise my Sword Heart will know no peace!"

The girl's willow brows instantly shot upward; she was about to raise her sword and challenge him, but was held back by the youth beside her.

"Enough, enough, Sister Jing'an — you know as well as anyone, sword cultivators are all a bit stubborn in the head. Don't take it to heart with him."

"Senior Brother Liu just broke through to Qi Refining Twelfth Layer, doesn't he go shout challenges at Senior Brother Chen's door every day?"

Chen Jingying's beautiful eyes shifted, and her anger vanished at once.

One supposed the world was vast, yet truly each thing had its match — the girl feared nothing under heaven, yet she alone softened before her younger brother.

"Still, what Senior Sister Yang reported to the sect was indeed this time and this place — why haven't the two of them arrived yet?"

She transmitted her voice quietly, an anxious look on her face.

Chen Jing'an, on the other hand, was perfectly composed.

"Senior Brother Mo appears and disappears like a spirit, but he's one of us after all — no need to worry."

Even if Master were to blame us, there's still Senior Brother Sifan to speak up for the two of them — surely he can't scold even a Foundation Establishment cultivator's own son.

As for who ought to be anxious...

"That bald donkey's helpers have grown red-eyed; I've already cut down two of their Supervising Disciples. I see they're still harboring wicked intentions."

Chen Jingying propped her chin on her hand and let out a long sigh.

Without Golden Core emerging, Foundation Establishment reigns supreme. Now the two sects are at each other's throats like fire and water — Ban Ruo Men may well throw obstacles from the shadows.

She looked around, but there were too many loose Cultivators to tell apart.

And when she turned her head back—

She saw Yang Xiao drift in lightly, landing atop the eaves.

"This junior, Yang Xiao, is fortunate not to have failed the mission."

At these words, the crowd erupted at once. A few people's eyes flickered, and Chen Jing'an took note.

He frowned — how could this senior sister be so rash?

Yang Xiao too was inwardly anxious. She had only heard her avatar's whisper before making this high-profile appearance, and she had not the slightest confidence.

As undercurrents surged—

Chen Zhao, of all people, flipped up onto the eaves, drawing a cold sweat from the others.

"I'm here."

"You shouldn't have come."

Yang Xiao handed over the Storage Bag, her lips parting.

However—

The words reached her lips, yet she dared not speak them.

Those seven wore ill intent on their faces, every one of them at Qi Refining Eleventh Layer — equal to her — and the juniors were even worse off.

Once fighting broke out, the outcome would be decided in an instant — how could any Elder arrive in time to reinforce?

She listened closely; the faint hiss of swords leaving their sheaths was almost imperceptible, accompanied by the tapping of a Tin Staff on the ground.

The seven men's faces were dark as still water; even the juniors had noticed.

Chen Zhao tucked his hands into his sleeves and squinted with a light smile.

"You've all come from afar — why not show yourselves and meet us?"