"Could it be that this little girl has finally found her conscience today, or is the beauty-retaining pill I refined just that potent? To think she has the patience to wait here...tsk tsk... If she could just curb that overbearing and sharp-tongued nature of hers, she wouldn’t be so annoying," Moyang couldn't help but mutter to himself.
He then deliberately coughed a few times. Startled, Su Fei'er woke up, and the moment she opened her eyes to see Moyang standing before her, she jumped in fright and snapped angrily, "Moyang, you hooligan, what do you think you’re doing?"
"Uh..." Moyang froze, a sense of relief washing over him; the little girl was finally back to normal.
But before he could say a word, Su Fei'er seemed to fully regain her senses. She hurriedly stood up, straightened her long dress, and raised a hand to tuck back her hair before saying, "When did you get back... Here, this is the medicinal material you wanted!"
As she spoke, she took a Spatial Ring from her bosom and handed it to Moyang.
Moyang was stunned once again. He reached out to touch his forehead and pinched his own cheek—it wasn’t a hallucination. A few breaths ago, she had been one way, and now she acted like a completely different person. She hadn’t lost her temper at him, and even her tone was unrecognizable.
"Are you... is there anything else? If not, I’ll be heading back!"
Moyang took the Spatial Ring, watching Su Fei'er’s somewhat awkward and flustered demeanor, and felt completely bewildered.
After a long pause, Moyang snapped back to reality and said, "Nothing else. You go ahead!"
Even after watching Su Fei'er walk out of the courtyard, Moyang was still scratching his head. But he had no time to dwell on these things right now.
With the materials in hand, he had to get to refining.
For the next half-month, Moyang spent almost all his time hiding on the second floor of the Stone Tower, refining pills. A few times when he emerged, he almost didn’t recognize himself in the bronze mirror—disheveled and unkempt, he looked exactly like a beggar.
However, his gains over the past half-month were significant. Through repeated attempts, his alchemy skills had grown increasingly proficient. Only occasionally did a momentary lapse in concentration lead to a failure in condensing the pill. The materials in his Spatial Ring had all been transformed into bottles of pills.
He had refined dozens of bottles of Marrow-Cleansing Pills alone, as well as Beauty-Retaining Pills, Spirit-Origin Pills, and Bone-Mending Pills!
The Spirit-Origin Pill and the Bone-Mending Pill were among the easier ones to refine. The Spirit-Origin Pill contained spirit energy and could be used to supplement cultivation, or to quickly recover true qi when one was running low. The Bone-Mending Pill was the most basic type of healing medicine recorded in the ancient scrolls of the Divine Pill Path.
For Moyang, what mattered was simply success or failure. He had personally tested every pill he refined, and they all indeed had excellent effects. In his view, that was enough to call it a success.
Besides his improving alchemy, Moyang’s cultivation had also slowly grown, advancing from the early-phase of the Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 3 to the mid-phase.
The true qi in his dantian had been exhausted and restored time and again during his refining process; it had not only grown in volume but also become more refined and potent. Furthermore, the mysterious mark that had appeared in his dantian when he first started practicing the Star Emperor Pagoda had become much clearer, resembling a closed gate.
***
Chapter 12: Caught Red-Handed
That evening, Moyang brought some wine and food and left Wood Peak, heading toward the back of the Lingxu Sect.
There was a graveyard there, and toward the rear stood a freshly built cenotaph. Weeds had already begun to sprout on the mound. A evening breeze swept through, causing the plants to rustle, and the entire cemetery was permeated with a bleak atmosphere.
Moyang walked straight to the cenotaph, laid out the wine and food, kowtowed several times before the grave, and sat down in silence.
"Master, I’ve come to see you."
"Don’t blame your disciple for not visiting these past few days. I’ve been busy cultivating. I want to grow strong as quickly as possible so I can avenge you sooner."
"My cultivation is no longer weak—it’s stronger than any other disciple in the sect. Look, I’ve already reached the Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 3 mid-phase..."
"Master, I’ve also learned alchemy. I’m becoming quite skilled at it now, and I can already refine several types of pills..."
"..."
As the setting sun dipped below the mountains, Moyang sat alone before the Fourth Elder’s cenotaph, whispering to himself, his voice gradually choking up.
At times he would giggle like a child, talking incessantly to the grave, rambling on about the Star Emperor Pagoda, the Cauldron of Fortune, and even taking out pills to show them off, moving from talk of cultivation to the trivialities of daily life.
Night gradually enveloped the earth. It wasn't until the stars filled the sky that Moyang left the back mountain.
Upon returning to Wood Peak and stepping into the courtyard, he saw the Supreme Elder peering toward the gate, seemingly waiting for his return. Standing beside him was another figure: Su Fei'er.
An ominous premonition immediately arose in Moyang’s heart, but he didn't hesitate and walked into the courtyard.
"Hmph, you black-hearted brat, where have you been?" Seeing Moyang, the Supreme Elder let out a cold snort and barked at him.
Moyang frowned, glanced at Su Fei'er, and said to the Supreme Elder, "Old man, if you have something to say, say it fast. If not, beat it. Don't disturb my cultivation!"
"Hmph, cultivation? I’d like to see how far you’ve gotten after having Fei'er take so many medicinal materials from the treasury!" The Supreme Elder sneered, then raised his hand and unleashed a move—the Tyrant Fist.
Under the night sky, blinding true qi lit up the courtyard. The moment the fist was thrown, it emitted a sonic boom. Moyang recognized it instantly as the fifth level of the Tyrant Fist.
In truth, the moment he heard the word "treasury," he had vaguely realized that the matter had been exposed. No wonder the old man was so furious.
However, there was no time to explain. He fiercely mobilized the true qi in his dantian and countered with his own Tyrant Fist. Golden true qi surged from his body, enveloping his fist so intensely that it looked almost tangible.
"BOOM!"
In the blink of an eye, the two fists collided, creating a vibration that sounded like metal striking metal. The entire courtyard trembled.
Moyang was forced back a few steps. He was secretly shocked; the Supreme Elder’s cultivation was profound, and even though this was a casual blow, the power remained terrifying.
But the Supreme Elder was even more shocked. After the punch, an exclamation escaped his lips: "Brat, you’ve actually reached the fifth level too!"
"No, not just the fifth level of the Tyrant Fist. Your cultivation..."
Before Moyang could steady himself, the Supreme Elder flashed in front of him, grabbed his wrist to sense his energy, and then said with an expression of disbelief: "Stage 3 mid-phase? Brat, you..."
Before the strike, he had known Moyang’s cultivation must have increased, but he never expected him to have reached the Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 3 mid-phase.
Moreover, Moyang’s strength was incredibly fierce, making the Elder's own arm feel slightly numb. This kind of power was unlike anything a Stage 3 cultivator should possess; it felt more like the strength of someone who had reached the Heaven Mystic Realm.
Su Fei'er, standing to the side, was equally astonished, her mouth agape.
The Supreme Elder was also bewildered. He remembered clearly that when Moyang first revealed his cultivation, he was only at the Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 1 early-phase. The second time, during his fight with Qi Heng, Moyang was already at the Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 2. Now, he had reached the Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 3.
Once could be called luck, but Moyang was simply abnormal!
"Old man, the Lingxu Sect has such a massive treasury, I only took a few materials. Was it really necessary to make such a fuss?"
Moyang shook off the Supreme Elder’s hand and stepped aside.
Upon hearing this, the Supreme Elder was so angry his face turned black. He scoffed, "A few materials? Every single one of the few spiritual herbs in the treasury is gone, and half of the other materials have vanished. You call that 'a few'?"
"Do you know how many years it took to accumulate those materials..." The Supreme Elder looked at Fei'er, intending to reprimand her, but he opened his mouth and held it back.
"Old man, speak clearly. I did use some common herbs, but when did I take so many? And as for spiritual herbs, I haven't used a single one." The materials Moyang had asked Su Fei'er to retrieve were all common herbs, and the pills he had been refining didn't require spiritual herbs at all.
The Supreme Elder glared at Moyang, raised his hand, threw a Spatial Ring at him, and sneered, "Brat, the evidence is irrefutable. Still want to lie? Take a look for yourself!"
Moyang suspiciously took the Spatial Ring. He hadn't even asked Su Fei'er to fetch materials yet, so what was this?
He scanned the contents and was also stunned. He looked up at Su Fei'er.
"Hmph, why aren't you arguing now?" the Supreme Elder barked.
"Uh, this..." Moyang didn't know what to say. The ring was stuffed with all kinds of medicinal materials—a significant amount—and there were also over ten jade boxes. He took a glance and realized they were indeed spiritual herbs, which were rarely seen under normal circumstances.
By now, he understood perfectly: Su Fei'er must have gone to the treasury on her own initiative. Furthermore, this girl must have had a lapse in judgment, stuffing in over thirty types of common herbs and even throwing in the spiritual herbs. Crucially, it seemed she had been caught red-handed by this old man.
Moyang was left feeling like he wanted to cry. He was in so deep that even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn't wash him clean, and Su Fei'er’s expression didn't look like she was framing him on purpose.
"Uh, old man, this... look, the materials are here. Why don't you just take them back?" Moyang coughed a few times, trying to offer a solution.
"Hmph, brat, I don't care why you took those materials. I’ll let you keep them today. But you must remember, this is half the sect's fortune. There are some things you need to finish for me soon!"
"Uh, what things?" Moyang asked, confused.
"Brat, don't think I don't know about your little schemes! Half a month ago, I saw Fei'er leave your courtyard in the middle of the night with my own eyes. You’ve already reached this point, and you still want to deny it?" The Supreme Elder glared at him.
***
Chapter 13: Senior Sister Xu Visits
Moyang stared blankly at the Supreme Elder, his forehead covered in dark lines. He was speechless to the extreme—the old man had been spying on him all this time.
At the same time, he felt a jolt of alarm. He hadn't sensed a thing. If the person had been an enemy, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Old thing, have you been spying on me?" Moyang looked coldly at the Supreme Elder.
"Brat, you lured Fei'er to Wood Peak in the middle of the night; can I not come check?" The Supreme Elder glared back.
He continued with a sneer, "You brat, don't think you can deceive me with your innocent look. Every time you finish eating, you wipe your mouth and refuse to acknowledge the tab. If I didn't keep an eye out, she’d be sold out by you without her even knowing!"
Su Fei'er, standing to the side, glared at the Supreme Elder in shame and anger before turning and rushing out of the courtyard.
Watching Su Fei'er leave, the Supreme Elder’s expression softened instantly. He lowered his voice and said, "Brat, did you see that? In the past, she would have pulled out half my beard, but look at her now. Have you ever seen her so shy? Fei'er must be in love with you."
"Although she has a slightly headstrong temperament, she is kind and simple at heart..."
"Brat, you’re just a block of wood. Who leaves a piece of fatty meat right in front of their mouth and doesn't eat it?"
"Damn... old man, you're a ruthless one!" Moyang didn't know what else to say. He now realized that this old guy was truly shameless.
"Brat, I'm doing this for your own good. You won't find another chance like this!" The Supreme Elder coughed a few times, his face remaining as thick as ever.
Moyang watched silently. He knew exactly what this old rascal was aiming for: to make him stay in the Lingxu Sect for good.
*Nice try, trying to tempt me with a pretty girl. Do I look like that kind of person?*
"Brat, ask yourself, don't you want to eat it at all?" Seeing Moyang’s indifferent attitude, the old man asked a surprisingly blunt question.
"No!" Moyang shook his head.
"You... you blockheaded fool! You’re going to be the death of me!" The Supreme Elder gritted his teeth in frustration and turned to walk out of the courtyard.
Moyang pondered for a moment and said, "Old man, forcing me to stay is useless. The Lingxu Sect is merely a speck on the Xuantian Continent. The world is vast and boundless; one day I must step out. I can’t stay here forever!"
"However, rest assured, I am not an ungrateful person. My master taught me from a young age to know gratitude and repay it. This is what my heart dictates."
The Supreme Elder stood silently at the gate without turning around, a faint smile on his lips. Still, he seemed annoyed, let out another snort, and walked away.
Only then did Moyang impatiently examine the Spatial Ring, so excited he could have screamed. Many of the materials were for other types of pills, and the most precious were the spiritual herbs.
"Tsk tsk, this girl is quite something. Knowing big brother was out of supplies, she prepared them in advance... a teachable soul indeed... I’d feel guilty if I didn't reward her properly..." Moyang muttered to himself, contemplating that one of these days, he would have to give this girl a few extra "little pills."
...
Over the next period, Moyang spent his time refining pills and pondering those ancient runes.
A month flew by. In the second level of the Star Emperor Pagoda, the shelf Moyang had moved in was filled with bottles of pills. Even through the glass, one could smell the rich fragrance.
In addition to the four types of pills he had refined earlier, Moyang had successfully refined the Spirit-Gathering Pill. This pill was used during breakthroughs to concentrate true qi in the body to the maximum, improving the success rate, while also containing a considerable amount of power.
The refinement was much more difficult than the previous pills, requiring five types of materials. But as Moyang’s alchemy skills improved, it was no longer a major hurdle.
Furthermore, he had made progress on the ancient divine runes. Although he could barely copy and trace them, that in itself was a rare feat. He discovered that the rune he was studying could isolate aura; if he could fully engrave it and carry it with him, it would be akin to practicing a technique to conceal one’s cultivation.
"I wonder what kind of power the other runes contain... These patterns hold the true meaning of the Dao; they are too profound. I still need enough time to comprehend them and finish the engravings!"
Moyang searched around the walls of the tower. His cultivation was approaching the Heaven Mystic Realm, but the mental cultivation method for the second layer of the Star Emperor Pagoda had yet to appear.
"The mysterious mark in my dantian is becoming clearer. What exactly is it? Could it be the 'Heavenly Dao inheritance' mentioned by that mysterious expert? And what is the Heavenly Dao inheritance?"
Moyang still hadn't figured out the "layers of seals" and "Heavenly Dao inheritance" mentioned by the mysterious expert he’d met in the Stone Tower.
He had been taking Marrow-Cleansing Pills lately, and his body had undergone an earth-shaking transformation; his six senses had grown sharper. He had checked his body more than once and found no seals. As for the "Heaven-defying power" or the "Heavenly Dao inheritance," he found nothing.
After practicing the Star Emperor Pagoda, the only anomaly in his body was that mysterious mark.
At noon, Moyang was meditating in the courtyard. Not long after, he sensed two auras approaching.
"Is it that old man again? No... this is..."
Moyang frowned. Although Su Fei'er was among them, the other person was not the Supreme Elder, and they carried a hint of killing intent.
Before he could finish his meditation and stand up, a sharp aura burst into the courtyard.
"Moyang, come out! I challenge you!" The voice was full of anger, and the sharp aura surged into the courtyard with her.
Moyang opened his eyes to see two figures entering. One was naturally Su Fei'er, and the other was a woman holding a sword. Seeing him sitting in the courtyard, she immediately pointed her blade at him.
Moyang recognized this person: Xu Xin, whose reputation and cultivation on the main peak were second only to Qi Heng. The "Senior Sister Xu" in the mouths of all the disciples!
In the past, Moyang had only seen her from a distance. For years, they had never even met face-to-face, let alone interacted.
But with Qi Heng as the precedent, Moyang guessed her intention and reason immediately.
He stood up slowly, looked at Xu Xin calmly, and said, "Senior Sister is looking for me? May I ask why?"
"You still dare to ask me?" Xu Xin furrowed her brows. Her anger was not hidden at all, and her tone sounded like an interrogation.
Moyang looked at the woman silently and replied calmly, "If Senior Sister is here as a guest, I welcome you. If you are here to cause trouble, you are no match for me."
***
Chapter 14: The Scarier the Witch, the Better
Moyang’s tone was very calm. Toward this Senior Sister Xu, they had always stayed out of each other’s way, and he didn't want any unpleasantness between them.
Xu Xin was also scrutinizing Moyang, but Moyang had deliberately restrained his aura, making it difficult for her to sense his exact cultivation level.
Hearing his words, she let out a cold snort and said, "Don't put on an act. I’ve heard about your affairs, and I’ve heard that Senior Brother Qi was defeated by you. But just because he lost doesn't mean I will!"
"As a disciple of the sect, you dare to mess around with a junior sister, causing endless rumors and corrupting the sect's atmosphere. The Elders value your talent and don't want to expel you, but I will not tolerate this!"
On the side, Su Fei'er glanced at Moyang from time to time, looking embarrassed and helpless. She kept pulling on Xu Xin, whispering to persuade her.
Others might not know, but she was very aware that half a month ago, Moyang’s cultivation had already reached the mid-phase of the Earth Mystic Realm - Stage 3. Even if Xu Xin joined forces with Qi Heng, they would be no match for him.
She still vividly remembered the miserable state of Qi Heng during his fight with Moyang. With Moyang’s personality, if Xu Xin kept pushing, a fight would be inevitable, and heaven only knew what would happen.
Moyang remained calm, his face devoid of emotion. He scanned Xu Xin and said, "You should leave. I don’t want to hit a woman, and I don’t want the reputation of being disrespectful to my seniors."
But as soon as these words left his mouth, Xu Xin was instantly enraged.
"You look down on me? Today, I will rid the sect of a menace like you!" Xu Xin’s face turned cold, and killing intent flickered in her eyes.
She pulled away from Su Fei'er and lunged at Moyang with her sword.
Moyang looked helpless. He couldn't be bothered to dodge and didn't even mobilize his true qi. He simply raised his hand and grabbed the sharp blade with his bare hand.
Xu Xin’s expression flickered. She snorted and exerted more force, pushing forward.
However, no matter how hard she pressed, the sword didn't move an inch. It was as if the blade was clamped between two pieces of profound iron.
Su Fei'er hurriedly spoke up, "Moyang, calm down..."