"Senior Sister, you just don't get it, do you? The Flying Peng is famous for its speed. Since we can fly fast, why bother crawling along at a snail's pace? If you're scared, just say so!" Mo Yang said without looking back.
After crossing several stretches of dense forest, Mo Yang finally slowed his flight.
Xu Xin’s face had turned pale with fright. She shot Mo Yang a fierce glare, having silently cursed him as a madman countless times along the way. What left her most speechless was that Su Feier, who was trembling so violently she nearly tore Mo Yang’s robes off, was actually cheering and saying how thrilling it was.
"Senior Sister, what are the cultivation levels of the strongest disciples from the other three sects?" Mo Yang asked.
Xu Xin took a deep breath, swallowing her anger, and pondered for a moment before replying, "At last year's Martial Arts Gala, Long Wu and Qian Wushuang from the Dragon Pool Pavilion had already reached the Earth Profound Realm. After a year of cultivation, they have likely stepped into the Level 2 Earth Profound Realm."
"Mu Qiu from the Jade Pure Sect is also very strong. The fact that they took first place last year was largely due to him!"
Mo Yang frowned and asked, "What is his cultivation level?"
"He was at Level 2 Earth Profound Realm back then. As for his current strength, we won't know until we face him."
Mo Yang continued, "And what about the Xuan Sect?"
"The Xuan Sect's strength is similar to our Lingxu Sect. However, the technique Pang Long practices focuses on external cultivation; not only is his strength ferocious, but his physique is exceptionally sturdy. He has no match at the same cultivation level. Given his talent, he has likely reached the Earth Profound Realm by now."
Mo Yang calculated silently. He only cared about practitioners at the Heaven Profound Realm; as for those below it, he didn't feel the need to pay them any mind. Since he had been cultivating the Emperor Xing Sutra, he had at least that much confidence.
In Mo Yang's view, Mu Qiu of the Jade Pure Sect was the most likely to have broken through to the Heaven Profound Realm, though the others had a chance as well—after all, he himself was the best example of that.
"I should be able to manage..." Mo Yang muttered softly.
Hearing this, Xu Xin couldn't help but scoff. "You underestimate these people. This is your first time participating in such a competition. If you fight someone at your own level, you will surely lose—you lack combat experience!"
"I don't know what method you used to raise your cultivation to Level 3 Earth Profound Realm, but facing those experienced prodigies, you might not even be able to handle an opponent at the Peak Level 1 Earth Profound Realm!"
Mo Yang just smiled, not bothering to refute her. His goal was simple: to make up for his master’s regrets. That was all.
***
After several hours of travel, Xuantian City appeared in the distance.
At that moment, Mo Yang’s expression shifted slightly, for he noticed a figure ahead walking through the air, without the aid of any external force.
This was the first time he had seen a powerhouse capable of traversing the void through their own strength.
"Above the Grandmaster level... such a powerhouse has never appeared in previous Martial Arts Galas..." Xu Xin was also incredibly shocked. Only by transcending the Grandmaster realm and stepping into the Battle King Realm could a practitioner walk through the void as if it were solid ground.
Furthermore, it was a woman who looked no older than twenty. She wore a long dress, her long hair cascading down to her waist like a waterfall. Her figure was graceful, and as she stepped through the air, she exuded an air of extraordinary elegance.
"Tsk, tsk, she’s ethereal, like a fairy. She must be a beautiful young lady, and so powerful at that. I wonder which family she hails from!" Mo Yang whispered as he observed her. He had intended to ask which force she belonged to, but the words came out sounding different.
Xu Xin let out a cold snort. Some character traits were clearly innate; the moment he saw a pretty girl, he behaved like this.
Just as they were watching in astonishment, the woman tilted her head slightly, sweeping two indifferent glances toward them.
Mo Yang reflexively murmured, "Tsk, tsk, truly beautiful!"
Xu Xin hurriedly warned, "Stop looking! Such a powerhouse must come from a major force; she is not someone you can afford to provoke. Be careful, or she might just dig your eyes out!"
Mo Yang curled his lip dismissively. "Senior Sister, you're being unreasonable. If someone is that beautiful, they shouldn't be forbidden from being looked at. It’s like a beautiful view—it only has meaning if there’s someone who knows how to appreciate it, right?"
"Besides, I am pure by nature and am only observing her with a clean gaze!"
Xu Xin was utterly speechless. She had seen shameless people before, but never one this shameless. He had been staring at the young girl so hard he was practically drooling, yet he could still justify it so grandiosely.
Su Feier frowned, lost in thought. "Brother Mo Yang does have a point!"
Xu Xin’s face went dark. Su Feier had changed so much recently that she barely recognized her; now she sided with Mo Yang on everything, even finding logic in his shameless excuses!
As they spoke, the woman in the distance moved further away, disappearing from sight entirely within a few breaths.
Only then did Mo Yang sigh. "To be able to walk on air at such a young age... She seemed to be heading toward Xuantian City as well. Could she be here to watch the matches?"
Mo Yang’s heart remained unsettled. It was clear how terrifying the prodigies from the major forces were. At such an age, they already possessed the cultivation of a Battle King or even higher—far beyond him. Never mind him, even the elders of the Lingxu Sect were several major realms behind.
Xu Xin was also confused. She had never seen a powerhouse of this caliber at previous Martial Arts Galas. Moreover, the woman was too young; in all likelihood, she was a prodigy from a major force. It stood to reason that a four-sect competition would not interest someone of her status.
After arriving in Xuantian City, the group was taken to their designated area, and an inn had already been prepared for them.
"Familiarize yourselves with the area. The people from all four sects have arrived, so remember not to cause any trouble when you go out!" the Third Elder instructed before heading off to attend to other matters.
Seeing the other disciples follow Qi Heng, Mo Yang also left the inn. The city was bustling, and as it was his first time here, he intended to look around.
"Brother Mo Yang, let's go for a walk together. I hear this place is most interesting at night, with plenty to eat and do!" Su Feier seemed to have been waiting for Mo Yang.
She then dragged a reluctant Xu Xin out with them.
Mo Yang nodded helplessly. Before they left, the Sect Master had asked him to look after Su Feier, and since Qi Heng and the others were gone, he couldn't refuse.
"When we entered the city, I noticed a pill shop. I intend to sell a few pills and buy a sword," Mo Yang said.
He had been considering this for a while. He didn't have a decent weapon; though the Fourth Elder had left him a sword, he had buried it in the Fourth Elder's cenotaph.
Su Feier didn't give it much thought and actually seemed excited; she wanted to see if they had any other beauty-enhancing pills.
She had changed significantly since taking those pills. Although they had nearly cost her her life, the effects were astonishing. Her body felt imbued with a spiritual aura, her skin was as delicate and fair as a newborn's, and her figure had become increasingly graceful—she even felt she had grown in certain areas.
Xu Xin frowned slightly, feeling that Mo Yang’s ideas were often strange. While others went to pill shops to buy, Mo Yang was there to sell.
After winding through several streets, the trio arrived at a pill shop. As they stepped inside, a young girl greeted them with a smile, knowing that since pills were extremely expensive, those who dared walk in were either rich or noble.
"How much are your Marrow Cleansing Pills?" Mo Yang asked directly.
"Twenty thousand silver taels each. How many does the young master need? If you buy in bulk, we can offer a discount!" the young girl said, smiling as she gestured for them to move toward another section of the shop.
"Could we speak in private? I am not here to buy, but rather to sell some Marrow Cleansing Pills," Mo Yang said in a lowered voice.
The girl froze, looking at Mo Yang in surprise before sizing him up.
"What, you don't buy?" Mo Yang frowned.
"I—I have never encountered this before. Young master, please wait a moment. I cannot make this decision myself; I must report to the manager," the girl stammered before hurrying off.
Shortly after, a middle-aged man walked out with her.
"Manager, this is the young master," the girl said.
The middle-aged man stepped forward and inspected Mo Yang for a moment, then glanced at Xu Xin and Su Feier before asking, "You wish to sell Marrow Cleansing Pills?"
Mo Yang remained calm and nodded. "Your shop sells them for twenty thousand silver taels each. I am asking for fifteen thousand. Is the manager interested?"
Behind him, Xu Xin and Su Feier were secretly shocked. Mo Yang really dared to ask for that much. The cost of the herbs they used to refine these in the sect was barely a few dozen taels, yet he was marking them up hundreds of times over.
The manager narrowed his eyes, surveying Mo Yang. "We only sell pills."
Mo Yang remained calm. "Ten thousand, how about that?"
A faint, inscrutable smile appeared on the manager’s lips. He looked at Mo Yang silently for a moment before asking, "How many do you have?"
"I have two hundred." Upon hearing this, a flash of barely perceptible shock crossed the manager's eyes.
Mo Yang looked very ordinary. Although he couldn't detect his cultivation, Su Feier and Xu Xin’s strength was nothing special; they didn't look like prodigies from a major sect.
*Could he be from the Pill Sect?*
Otherwise, where would he get so many Marrow Cleansing Pills? Even their entire shop didn't have that many in stock.
After a brief hesitation, the middle-aged man changed his demeanor, his face breaking into a smile. "I didn't expect a young friend like you to have such a refined hobby as visiting Xuantian City. Please, come upstairs!"
He led the way, his attitude having become significantly more respectful.
Mo Yang remained calm as he followed, though he was pondering the manager’s sudden change in attitude. His first thought was the Pill Sect.
Xu Xin and Su Feier exchanged glances, both stunned. They had no idea what was going on.
Su Feier, simple-minded, didn't think twice, but Xu Xin was different. She looked at Mo Yang deeply. The more she interacted with him, the more mysterious he seemed, giving her an indescribable feeling.
***
The three of them were led to a private room, where the manager personally served them three cups of fine tea.
"Young friend, do you have any other pills on you?" the manager asked with a smile.
Mo Yang sat down and took a sip of tea. He knew the manager was testing him, as someone from the Pill Sect would certainly have more than one type of pill.
"I do have other pills, and I am willing to sell them, but it depends on the price you offer," Mo Yang said, setting down his cup with a faint smile.
The manager’s expression shifted slightly; he was now convinced Mo Yang was from the Pill Sect. He smiled broadly and said, "The price depends on the pill. What do you have?"
Mo Yang smiled and took three bottles from his robe, containing Marrow Cleansing Pills, Beauty-Enhancing Pills, and Spirit Source Pills.
The manager took them cautiously and opened the stoppers to inspect them one by one. The glint in his eyes grew brighter. As someone who dealt with pills for years, even if he couldn't refine them, he knew quality when he saw it. These were top-tier—far superior to anything in his shop.
In his mind, Mo Yang wasn't just an ordinary Pill Sect disciple, but a genius-level one, or else he couldn't have achieved such a level of alchemy.
"It is a rare honor for a young friend like you to visit Xuantian City. Meeting is fate; let's consider ourselves friends. How about we trade the three types of pills at the fifteen thousand tael rate you mentioned earlier?" In the middle-aged man's view, building a connection with a core disciple of the Pill Sect would make his business much easier in the future.
Xu Xin and Su Feier sipped their tea silently. They knew nothing of alchemy and didn't dare say a word, though they were absolutely stunned by the turn of events.
"Let’s do as the manager says!" Mo Yang chuckled inwardly. *True to the saying, merchants are inherently cunning. While the other party might make a fortune from the resale, I am certainly not losing out.*
Mo Yang then retrieved the pills from his Storage Ring—two hundred of each.
Looking at the white jade bottles appearing on the table, the manager couldn't contain his delight; his face was beaming.
He sent someone to fetch bank notes, totaling nine million silver taels. Even in high-denomination notes, it formed a thick stack.
Mo Yang didn't linger; he tucked the notes into his Storage Ring and rose to leave.
"Might I ask for the young brother's name? I shall pay you a visit one day!" The manager’s attitude had shifted from "young friend" to "young brother," and he looked like he wanted to swear a brotherhood oath.
"Mo Fei," Mo Yang replied.
"Mo Fei... 'Mo Ran Shi Fei Fei'—what a great name with such a wonderful meaning!" The manager didn't know where he drew that interpretation from.
Until they left the shop, Xu Xin and Su Feier were still dazed. They gave Mo Yang strange looks—the entire Lingxu Sect combined probably wasn't as wealthy as Mo Yang was now, and a shop manager had actually wanted to curry favor with him.
Who would have thought that this seemingly plain fellow could transform into a genuine tycoon in the blink of an eye?
"Why was he so respectful to you?" Xu Xin finally couldn't help but ask, thoroughly perplexed.
Mo Yang spread his hands. "If you were him, and someone casually produced that many pills, who would you think I was?"
"A disciple of the Pill Sect?" Xu Xin frowned.
Mo Yang smiled. "It seems Senior Sister isn't stupid after all!"
Xu Xin snorted. "He runs a pill business in Xuantian City; there must be a powerful force behind him. aren't you afraid that if your pretense is exposed, he’ll come after you?"
Mo Yang curled his lip indifferently. "He got the pills, and I got the silver. No one lost out. Besides, once we leave here, who knows who? What is there to fear?"
Turning into a quiet corner, Mo Yang took out two hundred thousand in silver notes from his Storage Ring and handed them to Su Feier and Xu Xin respectively.
Su Feier took them without hesitation, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Mo Yang. She felt more and more that Mo Yang was just wonderful—in every way.
Xu Xin was stunned. She hadn't expected this at all. A million taels, and Mo Yang hadn't even blinked as he handed it to her.
"Money isn't everything, but you can't do anything without it. Practitioners need vast resources to support them; there will be many uses for this later," Mo Yang said calmly, then shoved the notes into Xu Xin’s hands and kept walking.
Xu Xin paused, suddenly realizing that Mo Yang wasn't all that bad. Though he was improper at times, most of the time he seemed quite decent.
Later, Mo Yang selected a long sword forged from tempered steel at a weapons shop, spending two hundred thousand taels.
Su Feier, now clutching her massive pile of silver notes, completely reverted to her true self. She bought everything she liked in Xuantian City, and soon her Storage Ring was filled with all sorts of strange and curious items.
She then dragged Mo Yang into a luxurious restaurant. "Brother Mo Yang, Senior Sister Xu said this is the most gorgeous restaurant in Xuantian City. Since we're finally here, we shouldn't miss it!"
As they walked inside, Mo Yang paused. He saw that mysterious woman again, sitting alone by the window, looking cold and distant.
Xu Xin and Su Feier clearly saw her too. Su Feier went quiet immediately; she had seen with her own eyes that this woman could traverse the void.
Xu Xin glanced at her, then looked at the table next to them and whispered, "Those are people from the Xuan Sect. The one on the outside is Pang Long. He is arrogant by nature. If he tries to provoke you, just ignore him!"
Mo Yang said nothing. He walked over and, as the table in front of the mysterious woman happened to be empty, they sat down.
"Yo, isn't this Junior Sister Xu from the Lingxu Sect? It’s been a year, and you’ve only become more beautiful and charming!" As they approached, Pang Long clearly spotted Xu Xin and spoke with a grin.
He then picked up his wine cup and moved toward their empty table. His gaze swept over Mo Yang and landed on Su Feier. "Is this also a junior sister participating in the gala? Tsk, tsk, the Lingxu Sect might be pathetic, but it certainly produces beauties!"
Su Feier’s face turned angry, and she shifted closer to Mo Yang. Even she could tell Pang Long was bad news.
Xu Xin’s expression was also cold. She nodded slightly but remained silent. She had fought Pang Long at a past Martial Arts Gala and knew his character well—especially last year, when he had intentionally torn her robe, nearly causing her to be humiliated in public.
"Junior Sister Xu, I thought you wouldn't dare come this year. Thinking back to our duel on the arena last year, it truly brings back fond memories. It’s just a pity I didn't get to see more of your spring charm. You’d better be careful this year!" Pang Long said, glancing at his fellow disciples, who all burst into laughter.
Mo Yang sat down calmly, then turned to Pang Long. "Get lost."
***
Mo Yang uttered the words calmly, and the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
The laughter of the Xuan Sect disciples ceased, and several cold, sharp gazes fell upon Mo Yang.
Pang Long’s face turned icy. The hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly, showing his intense agitation. "Brat, what did you say?"
Mo Yang remained calm, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. "What, you didn't hear me? Fine, I'll say it again: I told you to get lost!"
"Very well. Interesting." Two chilling rays of light flashed in Pang Long’s eyes. He crushed the wine cup in his hand, splashing wine all over the floor.
Xu Xin’s expression changed instantly. She hurried to say, "Pang Long, you were the one who provoked us first! Do you really intend to start a fight?"
Pang Long’s gaze was sharp. He scanned Mo Yang coldly, then turned to Xu Xin and sneered, "So you’ve reached the Earth Profound Realm. Now, this is becoming interesting!"
He stood up, glanced at Mo Yang again, and sneered, "Brat, you’d better pray for your life. If I run into you in the arena, you might have the luck to arrive, but you won't have the luck to walk away!"