Because a moment ago they had all seen very clearly that Moyang had not unleashed any true qi, acting exactly as he always did.
"Considering that you used to be a disciple of Wood Peak, I'll spare your life. Get lost!" Moyang swept a faint glance at Luo Hao, then looked toward the others.
Although those few had come along with Luo Hao, their cultivation was on par with his, and at this moment they looked at Moyang with uneasy suspicion, their guilty consciences already getting the better of them.
Just at that moment, a figure flashed over at top speed—it was the Second Elder.
He had heard the commotion here and come to investigate. His gaze first landed on Luo Hao, whose face was pale and whose expression remained extremely painful. A slight frown immediately creased his brow, a trace of puzzlement surfacing on his face. Then he swept a glance back at Moyang and asked the others with a hint of doubt, "What is going on here?"
Those disciples had felt somewhat guilty before, but seeing the Second Elder arrive, the hesitation on their faces transformed instantly into a fierce viciousness as they pointed straight at Moyang. "It was Moyang who beat and injured Luo Hao!"
"Second Elder, over the years the Fourth Elder taught Moyang many cultivation techniques and secret arts. We figured we couldn't let him just leave with those techniques and secret arts for fear they would be leaked outside. We were only trying to persuade him, but this trash Moyang... he actually launched a sneak attack and injured Luo Hao!"
"Right, it was this trash... He suddenly ambushed and injured Senior Brother Luo Hao!"
The disciples pointed at Moyang, out of habit about to call him trash, but remembering the scene from a moment before, they hurriedly changed their words.
The Second Elder frowned, feeling utterly baffled in his heart. He knew full well just how useless Moyang was—he couldn't even condense true qi. To injure Luo Hao, who possessed the cultivation of the Spirit Awakening Realm - Stage 1, using only a sneak attack?
Moreover, seeing Moyang today, he vaguely felt something was odd; Moyang seemed somewhat different from yesterday.
Still, hearing the words of those disciples, he didn't dwell on it further. Casting a cold glance at Moyang, he spoke, "The cultivation techniques and secret arts of the Lingxu Sect indeed must not be leaked. Even though you cannot cultivate, just to be safe, I have no choice but to cripple your meridians!"
A flash of anger crossed Moyang's eyes, while a cold smile appeared on his face. "The techniques were passed down to me by my Master. What qualifications do you have to take them away?"
Over the years, the Fourth Elder had often gone out in search of spiritual herbs for him, leaving him no time to attend to sect affairs. The various elders had long been deeply dissatisfied, and Moyang, as the primary cause, naturally became a thorn in their eyes.
Moyang was crystal clear on this point. Knowing he could not leave safely today, he immediately dropped all politeness.
Sure enough, as soon as Moyang spoke, the Second Elder flew into a rage.
"You little bastard, today, never mind crippling your meridians—if I want your life, I'll take it whenever I please!" Never expecting Moyang to dare speak to him like this, the Second Elder made his move directly, channeling his true qi as he raised a palm and fiercely lashed it down toward Moyang's head.
To any ordinary person, this strike would be fatal.
The Second Elder clearly meant to kill; he intended to finish Moyang off right here.
Chapter 3: Taking the Sect Master's Daughter Hostage
Those disciples all looked at Moyang with gloating satisfaction, especially Luo Hao, whose expression was hideously ferocious.
They had been wondering how to add fuel to the fire, but they never imagined Moyang would seek death of his own accord, daring to stand up to the Second Elder with such direct and unyielding defiance.
Naturally, they could also see that the Second Elder intended to kill him; the moment that palm fell, Moyang was a dead man.
Yet at that exact instant, Moyang's body flashed backward in a violent retreat, moving with unimaginable speed. At the same time, a wave of energy suddenly erupted from within his body.
Moyang was furious. He hadn't expected the Second Elder to attempt a direct, merciless execution!
Though he knew the Second Elder possessed the cultivation of the Heaven Mystic Realm—surpassing his own by a full major realm—he had no choice. If he didn't fight back, he would surely die.
The Second Elder's palm struck empty air, and he stared in astonishment at Moyang, who had retreated over ten meters away, because at that moment an extremely powerful wave of true qi was radiating from all around Moyang's body.
After a closer look, his expression abruptly shifted, for it was actually the fluctuation of Earth Mystic Realm cultivation!
How could this be possible?
In the Lingxu Sect, who didn't know that Moyang was a good-for-nothing incapable of cultivation?
Yet the aura emanating from him right now was actually much stronger than even a few of the Lingxu Sect's Heavenly Prodigies.
One had to know that the Lingxu Sect's acknowledged top Heavenly Prodigy disciple seemed to be only at the Spirit Awakening Realm - Stage 3 Peak, still a major breakthrough away from the Earth Mystic Realm, and he was several years older than Moyang.
Luo Hao and the others in the rear were dumbfounded as well, unable to comprehend what had just happened for a moment.
"I only want to leave in peace!"
Moyang's voice rang out. At this moment, his entire demeanor had undergone a drastic transformation. Wisps of faint light could be vaguely seen circulating across the surface of his body—that was the result of true qi projecting outward through the skin, and it was the hallmark of Earth Mystic Realm cultivation.
"Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 1, you actually..." For a moment, the Second Elder was dazed, because it was all too sudden.
An acknowledged good-for-nothing reaching the Qi Condensation Realm might be understandable, but to reach the Earth Mystic Realm?
He clearly remembered that just yesterday at the back mountain, he had sensed Moyang and found not a shred of cultivation. How could it be that overnight...
Just then, the First Elder also appeared, evidently drawn here by the commotion.
Looking at Moyang, he wore a look of utter disbelief as well, his heart shaken to the core.
However, he saw the situation before him clearly. With a quick shift of his thoughts, he cast aside everything else and was the first to speak to Moyang: "Since you are already able to cultivate, you should simply stay here at the Lingxu Sect with peace of mind. The sect will not treat you unfairly, and it won't have wasted all the painstaking effort the Fourth Elder put in over the years!"
"Ha. Won't treat me unfairly? How has the sect treated me all these years? If not for my Master's protection, would I have today?" Moyang directly sneered.
Since they had already broken all pretense today, he had no more considerations to worry about.
Having lived in the Lingxu Sect for ten years, he knew the true faces of these elders all too well. Now they merely saw his talent; if he had only displayed Qi Condensation Realm cultivation, the First Elder would likely have tried to kill him instead.
He continued, "My Master died a miserable death at the hands of Dadao Sect experts, and the sect didn't dare to make a sound out of anger. I can understand that, but you shouldn't have pointed all your spears at me. I wanted my Master to live more than anyone else!"
The First Elder narrowed his eyes, his expression gradually turning cold.
"You refuse to stay?"
His tone already carried a hint of chill.
Moyang slowly shook his head.
"You can leave, but cripple your own meridians first, and I'll let you go!" Seeing Moyang's resolute expression, the First Elder's tone turned completely frigid.
"An ungrateful wolf that can never be fed. The sect has raised you for so many years—if not for the sect, could you have reached where you are today? Do you think this place is somewhere you can come and go as you please?" The Second Elder also spoke, a murderous glint lingering in his eyes.
Moyang sneered, then shouted coldly, "In that case, I formally renounce the sect today!"
As he spoke, the first layer of the Star Emperor Scripture mental cultivation method silently revolved within him, and his true qi was driven into a wild frenzy.
While the First Elder and Second Elder flew into a rage, they couldn't help but feel a jolt of shock inside. The aura currently erupting from Moyang was immensely powerful, far surpassing that of an ordinary Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 1 cultivator.
By now, quite a few disciples had been drawn by the commotion and were crowding around.
Moyang had constantly been turning over in his mind how he could leave alive. Although earth-shattering changes had occurred to him overnight, he was well aware of the terrifying power of the First Elder and Second Elder. If he fought them head-on, he wouldn't last a few rounds.
Without a sound, he glanced at the surrounding sect disciples, then his gaze landed on a young girl who had just appeared—it was the Sect Master's daughter, Su Fei'er!
"Whoosh..."
Moyang channeled his internal power to the limit, executing the Lingxu Sect's movement technique, the Lingxu Steps. Feigning an attack, his body instead flashed rapidly off to the side.
Both the Second Elder and First Elder assumed Moyang was about to face them head-on, and instinctively channeled their true qi in defense. They never expected Moyang's target wasn't them at all; his body whipped past in a blur and charged straight toward the disciples.
"You little beast, you're courting death!" The Second Elder roared in fury upon recovering his senses.
"Moyang, how dare you! All disciples fall back!" the First Elder also barked.
Yet at such close range, everything was already too late.
Moyang's body surged forward like an arrow released from a bow, flashing right before Su Fei'er. He grabbed her and pulled her in front of him, his left hand jabbing swiftly against her body a few times to seal her true qi, while his right hand instantly locked around her throat.
Many of the disciples were still wearing blank expressions; having just arrived, they had no idea what was happening. Furthermore, faced with Moyang, the universally acknowledged good-for-nothing, who would ever fear him or step out of the way?
"Moyang, you piece of trash, how dare you touch me!" Su Fei'er hadn't yet recovered her wits and started berating him the moment he grabbed her.
Seeing this scene, the charging First Elder and Second Elder changed color drastically and abruptly slammed their brakes to a halt.
"I only want to leave safely. Don't force me to kill her!" Moyang's tone was ice-cold as he stared fixedly at the First Elder and Second Elder.
"Moyang, do you have any idea what the consequences of doing this are?" the First Elder bellowed.
Moyang remained silent, keeping his grip on Su Fei'er's throat as he slowly retreated.
Only then did those disciples snap back to reality. Feeling the powerful aura fluctuations radiating from Moyang, their expressions all shifted; not one of them was free from shock.
Wasn't Moyang a piece of trash? Why was his aura so terrifying?
The crucial point was that Moyang's actions today were simply too shocking—he actually dared to use the Sect Master's daughter as a hostage to threaten the sect elders.
Su Fei'er's face had long since turned pale with fright, and she didn't dare make the slightest movement, terrified that Moyang might actually strike.
"Moyang, I'll never bully you again, please don't..." The sharp, piercing aura emanating from right against her throat threw her into complete panic. She began begging for forgiveness, her voice even carrying a sob.
"Moyang, are you truly going to turn against the sect?" Just at that moment, a slightly aged voice drifted over.
A middle-aged man and an old man appeared simultaneously, walking toward them.
Moyang's heart tightened instantly, his expression growing even more grave. The Sect Master and the Supreme Elder had actually arrived at the same time! Leaving aside the Supreme Elder, the Sect Master's cultivation was even higher than the First Elder's.
"Moyang, don't do anything foolish. If the Fourth Elder were still alive, he wouldn't wish to see you act like this!" the Sect Master said, sounding quite calm.
With a majestic air, he silently gazed at Moyang. Though he looked composed, his heart was anything but; he simply couldn't fathom where Moyang had obtained his Earth Mystic Realm cultivation!
He and the Supreme Elder had naturally known about the situation here for a while, otherwise it would have been impossible for them to speak to Moyang so peacefully.
Moyang was also well aware that the Supreme Elder and Sect Master had appeared without immediately attacking, choosing instead to offer peaceful persuasion, all because of the Earth Mystic Realm cultivation he had displayed.
After all, his current cultivation had already surpassed every single disciple in the Lingxu Sect.
"Look at the fine mess you've made!" The Supreme Elder stepped forward, sweeping a cold, sneering glance at the First Elder and Second Elder.
Then he looked toward Moyang, a trace of wonder flashing in his eyes. He nodded in satisfaction before speaking: "Rest assured, as long as you stay, Wood Peak will not be merged away, and from now on no one in the sect will dare to give you a hard time!"
As he spoke, he even glared back at the First Elder and Second Elder, fixing them with a stern look.
He continued, "The Fourth Elder's cenotaph has only just been erected. Do you really intend to leave?"
These words struck straight at Moyang's weak spot!
The Sect Master also spoke at this point: "If you truly wish to leave, I won't stop you. But if you are willing to stay, you can cultivate peacefully right here on Wood Peak, and you may visit the Scripture Pavilion whenever you like—no one will disturb your cultivation!"
He then sighed lightly. "The Fourth Elder died a tragic death at the hands of others; how could we not want to avenge him? But as you know, our Lingxu Sect is far too weak compared to the Dadao Sect. We have to consider the lives of the hundreds of disciples across the entire sect..."
A silence fell over the scene, the atmosphere instantly turning somewhat bizarre. Every single gaze converged upon Moyang.
After a long while, Moyang let out a soft sigh and said, "I will stay to observe a hundred days of mourning!"
With that, he released his grip on Su Fei'er.
Moyang did this partly because he genuinely wanted to observe mourning for his Master, and partly because he was deeply aware of his current predicament—if he completely burned his bridges, he would never make it out alive.
Upon hearing this, the Sect Master and Supreme Elder exchanged a casual glance, a trace of relief showing in both their eyes, and nodded. "That is for the best!"
Once she recovered her wits, Su Fei'er hurriedly retreated to the Sect Master's side, casting an angry glare at Moyang.
The Sect Master hastily spoke, "Fei'er, do not be impolite. From now on, you two must interact more; you are the future of the sect!"
The First Elder and Second Elder dared not say anything more at this point, though this was ultimately the best possible outcome. After all, although Moyang was only at the Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 1, he was stronger than any Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 1 cultivator they had ever seen. If he could remain permanently in the Lingxu Sect, he would surely become a major pillar of support for the sect in the future.
Moyang said nothing, turning silently to walk back toward Wood Peak.
A bloody storm was thus quelled. The watching disciples all secretly breathed a sigh of relief before bursting into animated discussions.
After the disciples had all dispersed, leaving only a few elders behind, the Sect Master finally frowned and looked toward the Supreme Elder, saying, "Not long ago I inspected his condition, and at that time there wasn't the slightest trace of true qi fluctuation in his body. Why would he suddenly..."
The Supreme Elder gazed far off toward Wood Peak and sighed lightly. "This little fellow is no simple character. His cultivation bottleneck seems to have been completely shattered. With his talent, it won't be a few years before he shines brilliantly!"
The First Elder said, "I'm afraid he might not stay in the sect forever!"
The Supreme Elder said in a deep voice, "His talent is extraordinary. If we truly cannot keep him, then we must not completely burn our bridges with him; otherwise, he will become a major calamity for the Lingxu Sect in the future!"
Chapter 4: The Demonic Girl Su Fei'er
Returning to Wood Peak, Moyang sorted out his thoughts and began meditating in cultivation.
Having wasted ten years, he had only a single thought in his mind now: to grow strong as fast as possible.
The first layer of the Star Emperor Scripture corresponded to the first four realms: the Qi Condensation Realm, the Spirit Awakening Realm, the Earth Mystic Realm, and the Heaven Mystic Realm. Now that Moyang had reached the Earth Mystic Realm, he intended to recultivate the previous two realms, effectively recasting his foundation.
Although Moyang had never heard of the moniker "Star Emperor" and didn't know what level of supreme martial art the Star Emperor Scripture belonged to, since it dared to use the title "Emperor," it was likely an immensely powerful entity—especially when recalling the figure he had seen inside the Stone Tower, who possessed the overwhelming presence of an ancient god or demon, radiating a domineering aura that swept across heaven and earth.
When he first circulated the Star Emperor Scripture last night, he hadn't noticed any abnormalities, but now, as he recultivated his previous realms, his past pathways of energy circulation were forcibly altered. As the mental method operated, the surrounding spiritual qi was forcibly drawn in, continuously seeping into his body through the skin of his physique.
It felt as though his body was undergoing a metamorphosis; his meridians were forcibly widened, and the earthy-yellow true qi from before gradually transformed into a golden yellow with each successive circulation of the technique.
The strangest part was that when Moyang finished his cultivation session, he discovered a mysterious imprint had appeared in his dantian, though that imprint was still very blurry, revealing no distinct anomalies.
"A powerful supreme technique is indeed different. Recasting the foundation has made my true qi several times denser. With my current cultivation recultivating the previous two realms, I can complete it in half a month. By then, my combat power will definitely leap to a whole new level!" Moyang muttered to himself in silent wonder after sensing the changes.
Following that, he entered the Stone Tower, attempting to begin comprehending the runes carved upon the tower walls.
...
Having weathered the previous events, Wood Peak grew completely tranquil. Not a single disciple dared to come cause trouble anymore, nor even dared to set foot on Wood Peak.
Early the next morning, just as Moyang stepped out of the Stone Tower, he sensed an aura approaching the courtyard.
Frowning slightly, he peered outside through a crack in the door and saw a figure sneaking around the courtyard entrance, peeking timidly into the yard. It was actually Su Fei'er.
Moyang had very little to do with Su Fei'er. Aside from yesterday's incident, during the few previous brief encounters, Moyang had always been the one getting bullied.
As the Sect Master's daughter, she could essentially do as she pleased in the Lingxu Sect. Furthermore, owing to her charming figure and striking appearance, she had countless admirers. Combined with her eccentric and mischievous personality, all of this gave rise to her demonic-girl temperament.
Moyang frowned. Su Fei'er had been used as a hostage by him just yesterday; her coming here now surely meant nothing good.
After a moment of silent contemplation, he pushed open his door and walked out. Su Fei'er was startled, then glared at him with an angry expression.
"What are you here for?" Moyang asked coldly.
"Well, if it isn't the trash Moyang! How dare you speak to this young lady like that? Do you think just because you can cultivate now, this girl can't deal with you anymore?" Seeing Moyang's expression, the anger on Su Fei'er's face grew even thicker.
As she spoke, she swiftly drew a short sword from her sleeve and lunged straight at Moyang.
Moyang stood silently in place without the slightest dodge. Until the blade was right in front of him, he made no move. Then, channeling his true qi instantly into his palm, he reached out and directly grabbed the gleaming short sword.
The sharp edge was blocked by a thin layer of protective true qi, failing to even touch Moyang's skin.
Then Moyang exerted force with his palm, slowly tightening his grip. The flashing blade actually curled directly inward, followed by a crisp, lingering chime as the sword body snapped in two.
Su Fei'er froze in place, a look of shock rising in her eyes, and instinctively retreated.
Yet Moyang's body flashed forward like a phantom shadow, and by the time Su Fei'er recovered her senses, Moyang's right hand was already tightly locked around her throat.
That sharp, cutting aura made her feel as though a razor-sharp sword were laid across her neck, freezing her stiff on the spot.
Moyang didn't strike, instead staring coldly at Su Fei'er as he spoke in a flat tone, "I am no longer the person I used to be. Other people might pamper and spoil you, but I won't. If you ever dare make a move against me again, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Su Fei'er stood there in a daze. Moyang's eyes were like two bottomless pools of dark water; a single glance made her heart flutter with panic.
Moreover, the oppressive and terrifying aura radiating from Moyang at this moment seemed even stronger than yesterday, which deeply frightened her.
Before she could fully recover, Moyang withdrew his hand, turned around, and walked back into the room. With a loud *bang*, the door closed.
Left standing in a daze, Su Fei'er stamped her foot in fury, glaring resentfully at Moyang's door as she scoffed, "Moyang, you just wait! I'm going to tell the Supreme Elder that you molested me!"
With that, she actually reached up and tore several rips into her own dress, messed up her dark hair until it was completely disheveled, and then stormed angrily out of the courtyard.
Moyang didn't pay her any mind whatsoever. After washing up, he walked straight out of the courtyard and headed down Wood Peak; he was going to the Scripture Pavilion.
Within the Lingxu Sect, ordinary disciples were not allowed to enter the Scripture Pavilion at will, because all of the sect's cultivation techniques and secret manuals were kept there. It was only opened to disciples at specific times or as rewards.