His arm was trembling incessantly, and his sleeve was completely blasted to pieces, exposing four or five shocking and horrific wounds. The entire arm looked as if it had been twisted out of shape, and fresh blood continuously dripped down from his fingertips.
Meanwhile, Mo Yang had retreated four or five paces with his expression unchanged, save for the slight rise and fall of his chest.
Before the other disciples could even recover their wits, Mo Yang spoke up, "Take a punch from me, too!"
Before Qi Heng could make a move this time, he flashed forward, executing the Lingxu Steps with lightning speed. Simple and brutal, he threw a punch straight ahead.
The Supreme Elder, who was watching from the shadows, instantly changed expression. He had already seen that Mo Yang's combat power far surpassed Qi Heng's. Qi Heng was already nursing quite heavy injuries; that last punch hadn't just injured his arm—it was likely his internal organs had suffered a severe shock as well. If another punch like that landed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Mo Yang, stop right there!"
Before the Supreme Elder could call out, Su Feier cried out first. She no longer dared to hide in the shadows; naturally, she could also see that while a punch like this wouldn't be fatal, Qi Heng would inevitably be severely injured, perhaps even half-crippled.
The fist was already right in front of Qi Heng. The ferocious wind of the blow whipped Qi Heng's hair into a frenzy, but at that exact moment, the fist ground to a sudden halt.
A faint smile surfaced on Mo Yang's face as he glanced at Qi Heng and said, "Senior Brother Qi, I said she ran onto my bed of her own accord—do you believe me or not?"
"Mo Yang, you're talking nonsense!" Su Feier rushed forward, glaring at Mo Yang with a face full of fury.
Mo Yang smiled with an air of utter indifference and said, "Though my talent is lacking, I, Mo Yang, have always done things openly and aboveboard. Since you claim I did *that* to you, I'll take responsibility for it. Rest assured, today I give you an open and honest promise: I will definitely take care of you. Once the hundred days of mourning for Master are over, I'll marry you and bring you up to Wood Peak!"
"Mo Yang, you..." Su Feier was utterly dumbfounded. Never did she expect Mo Yang to openly admit to it right in front of countless disciples without refuting it by so much as a single word. This counter-move completely short-circuited her brain.
The martial arts practice field erupted into total chaos, with all the surrounding disciples bursting into an uproar. Ever since Mo Yang had exposed his cultivation realm that day, he had become like a completely different person.
Even Qi Heng furrowed his brows. Not only had Mo Yang's combat power become terrifyingly formidable, but his personality was also completely unlike before, as if he had been thoroughly reborn.
Yet, seeing Mo Yang put on such an act, Qi Heng forced down his pain and shouted through gritted teeth, "Mo Yang, do you think that just because your cultivation isn't weak nowadays, you can act so lawless and unbridled?"
Mo Yang's expression abruptly turned cold as he cast a sneering look at Qi Heng. "Otherwise what? You still want to stand up for her and vent her anger? If I hadn't pulled my punch just now, would you still be standing here talking to me?"
With that, Mo Yang stamped his foot fiercely onto the ground of the practice field. The entire field seemed to shudder; the bluestones shattered with a continuous crunch, and several cracks spread outward from the sole of his foot for several meters.
Although the aura around Mo Yang vanished in a flash, it was ultimately captured by a few people.
Qi Heng's face turned pale, and he froze completely.
The Supreme Elder, the Sect Master, and the others who had been hiding in the shadows almost cried out in surprise. They could hardly believe their eyes, and as they exchanged glances, every single one of them was filled with shock.
Because that fleeting aura was actually that of the Early Level 2 Earth Profound Realm!
It had only been a few days...
When Mo Yang's cultivation had been exposed just a few days ago, wasn't he only at the Early Level 1 Earth Profound Realm?
During his fight with Qi Heng just now, Mo Yang had actually been concealing his cultivation all along!
How was Qi Heng supposed to accept this? He had been at a disadvantage the entire time, yet little did he know that Mo Yang hadn't even used his full strength.
As the number one prodigy of the Lingxu Sect, whom countless disciples looked up to as their cultivation benchmark, an endless wave of defeat washed over his heart at this moment, sweeping away every shred of his superiority until not a trace remained.
"Disciples of the sect sparring should stop at the point of mutual courtesy; take care not to damage our harmony!" Seeing that the situation was turning sour, the Supreme Elder hurriedly materialized.
Without giving the surrounding disciples a chance to speak, he turned to them and commanded, "Quickly help your Senior Brother away to recuperate! His cultivation only broke through recently, and he still needs time to consolidate and adapt to this newborn power!"
Naturally, this was also the Supreme Elder giving Qi Heng a graceful way out, while simultaneously comforting him to prevent any mental trauma from taking root in his heart.
Watching the old man before him, Mo Yang couldn't help but sigh that ginger truly gets hotter the older it gets. However, he couldn't be bothered to say anything further and simply turned around, walking away from the practice field.
Yet the Supreme Elder did not try to stop him, and while the disciples in the background chattered endlessly—with Su Feier glaring at him through gnashed teeth—there was simply nothing they could do to him now, leaving them with no choice but to watch him leave with their own eyes.
However, no sooner had Mo Yang returned to Wood Peak than the Supreme Elder came trailing right behind him.
"What is this? Could it be that the Supreme Elder has come to reward me?" Mo Yang caught sight of the Supreme Elder standing at the entrance of the small courtyard and furrowed his brows slightly.
Faced with this old fellow, Mo Yang didn't dare to act rashly or forcefully nowadays. Putting aside the other party's formidable cultivation, that old fox's cunning nature alone was enough to keep anyone on guard.
"Humph, a reward? You eat your fill and wipe your mouth clean, and now you want to leave while still expecting a reward?"
The Supreme Elder's words made Mo Yang stumble, nearly causing him to cough up a mouthful of fresh blood.
What does "eat your fill" even mean?!
Mo Yang frowned. Although this old man looked cold-faced and his words seemed laced with anger, there wasn't a shred of murderous intent in them. He had no idea what kind of medicine the old man was selling in his gourd.
"Swish!"
Right at that moment, however, the Supreme Elder suddenly made his move, his figure flashing toward him like a lingering shadow.
Mo Yang's pupils contracted. He immediately executed the Lingxu Steps to retreat at maximum speed, but evasion was utterly impossible—the Supreme Elder was simply too fast, his form like a ghost. After a few blinks, a palm heavily imprinted itself onto Mo Yang's chest, knocking him back step after step.
Mo Yang felt a stabbing pain in his chest. While inwardly shocked, a surge of anger rose within him as well, and he shouted coldly, "Old thing, I never expected you to be so indiscriminate either! Since you see it that way as well, looks like Your Grandpa here has no choice but to make it a reality!"
Watching Mo Yang retreat into the distance with a furious expression on his face, a flicker of hard-won success flashed deep within the Supreme Elder's eyes. He then maintained his facade of anger and once again flashed forward.
Not daring to conceal anything further, Mo Yang pushed his entire body's cultivation to the limit. Golden true qi overflowed across the surface of his skin, and a formidable aura erupted fiercely from within his body.
Chapter 7: The Second Floor of the Stone Pagoda
The Supreme Elder paused slightly and said, "Earth Profound Realm Level 2—why aren't you continuing to hide it? You look like you're not convinced; today, this old man will beat you until you are!"
"Old man, don't force me!" Mo Yang drove the true qi within his body to the maximum, shouting angrily.
"I'm forcing you precisely because of that!"
...
Shortly after, the wind began to howl through the small courtyard as two figures flashed past each other at lightning speed, continuously producing a series of clashing impacts. The span of a single cup of tea later, Mo Yang's figure was sent flying backward with a slap.
After steadying his footing, Mo Yang's chest heaved violently as he gasped for heavy breaths. Though the exchange had been brief, the constant execution of the Lingxu Steps to dodge had consumed a massive amount of his true qi.
He stared coldly at the Supreme Elder. Although this old man's attacks had been heavy, the force was controlled to absolute perfection; he wasn't genuinely trying to harm him.
"Brat, is that it? This old man thought you were about to fly up to the heavens, given how cocky you were acting back at the practice field!" The Supreme Elder stood with his hands behind his back, looking sideways at Mo Yang with a cold sneer.
Despite speaking those words, his heart was far from calm. For so many years, this was the first time he had ever laid eyes on a monstrous cultivator like Mo Yang.
Back when Mo Yang was brought back to the sect by the Fourth Elder, the Supreme Elder had already marveled at Mo Yang's extraordinary comprehension—which was also the exact reason why he paid so much attention to Mo Yang once it was discovered the boy could cultivate.
So much so that he was single-mindedly intent on matchmaking Su Feier and Mo Yang!
Because he knew very well in his heart that if they wanted to keep Mo Yang here, they had to give him something to be emotionally attached to. The Fourth Elder had already fallen in battle, and aside from that, the only person he could think of was Su Feier.
He knew Mo Yang's temperament to some extent over the years, especially given all of Mo Yang's reactions after the Fourth Elder's death. Once Mo Yang had emotional ties here, even if he were destined to leave eventually, he would inevitably maintain ties with the Lingxu Sect.
Before Mo Yang could open his mouth, the Supreme Elder waved his hand, and a box the size of a palm flew toward Mo Yang as he spoke, "This is a spiritual herb I obtained while traveling outside a few years ago. Your cultivation is breaking through too fast; consuming it will help consolidate your foundation. Brat, the path of cultivation is long—do not be impatient!"
Mo Yang caught it in his hand and opened it. Inside lay a withered-looking spiritual ginseng. He was struck by a wave of disbelief; this kind of spiritual ginseng was exceedingly rare and offered immense benefits to cultivators. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected the Supreme Elder to simply hand it over to him like this.
"Old man, what on earth are you trying to do?" Mo Yang frowned as he looked at the Supreme Elder. When someone shows excessive courtesy for no reason, they either have a traitorous intent or are up to robbery—he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
"This is compensation from me to you. The sect indeed owes you a debt over the years, but you must also look at the bigger picture. Forget about our Lingxu Sect—throughout the entire Xuantian Continent, it is the exact same: only the strong possess dignity and a way out, while the weak are merely eliminated. Therefore, you must become strong; do not let down the Fourth Elder's expectations of you!"
Having said his piece, the Supreme Elder did not linger, turning around and walking out of the small courtyard.
Mo Yang stared at that stalk of spiritual ginseng in contemplation for a long time before frowning and muttering, "This old fox is too cunning. Could he be purposely provoking me into 'eating' Su Feier so as to trap me in the Lingxu Sect..."
He looked up toward the courtyard entrance and said speechlessly, "Old thing, you really do harbor ill intentions... You still want to provoke Your Grandpa into eating meat? Keep dreaming your spring and autumn dreams!"
Afterwards, he inspected the spiritual ginseng in his hand and hurried back into his room. A windfall treasure like this needed to be refined quickly—who knew when this old man might come back to snatch it away?
Meanwhile, now that the challenge match had concluded, the entire Lingxu Sect was already buzzing with gossip. Many disciples still found it hard to believe that even Qi Heng had been defeated by Mo Yang's hands. All sorts of speculations regarding Mo Yang emerged in an endless stream, and naturally, the rumors concerning Mo Yang and Su Feier were continuously brought up, giving rise to plenty of wild guesses as well.
"It's a pity Senior Sister Xu from the main peak is still in seclusion. Otherwise, knowing her temper, she definitely would have come to slaughter her way to Wood Peak!"
"Senior Sister Xu's cultivation hasn't even stepped into the Earth Profound Realm yet. Even if she did come to Wood Peak, I'm afraid she wouldn't be a match for Mo Yang!"
"Did this fellow somehow stumble upon a secret fortune in secret? How on earth did he become so strong?!"
...
Up on Wood Peak, inside the Stone Pagoda, Mo Yang directly consumed and refined that stalk of spiritual ginseng. The immense spiritual energy transformed into golden true qi that surged through his meridians. Originally, completing the reconsolidation of his previous two cultivation realms would have required several days, but now he finished it completely in a mere two hours.
When Mo Yang went to sense his state, he was astonished to discover that his cultivation had actually surged from the Early Level 2 Earth Profound Realm to the Mid Level 2, and it was still slowly climbing upward, finally stopping only as it neared the peak of Level 2.
The medicinal efficacy of the spiritual ginseng was simply too immense. In Mo Yang's estimation, this ginseng had to be at least five hundred years old, otherwise it could never have contained such a vast reserve of spiritual energy.
"This time, I really have that old fellow to thank!" Mo Yang muttered to himself before resuming his cross-legged posture to cultivate.
He knew not how much time had passed. As the Star Emperor Scripture technique circulated ceaselessly within him, a certain resonance seemed to form between him and the Stone Pagoda. Brilliant radiances flowed across the surrounding pagoda walls, making them look as though they were veiled in a layer of profound mystery.
At this moment, Mo Yang's cross-legged body gave a sudden jolt. Strings of acoustic waves unexpectedly echoed from within the Stone Pagoda, growing increasingly grand as they reverberated through the tower. Sounding like pure notes from antiquity, they gave him a sensation of sudden enlightenment.
"Could this be the true intent of a Daoist technique?!"
Layers of ripples stirred in Mo Yang's heart. Those strands of sound waves echoed in his mind, as if guiding him to comprehend the abstruse mental arts of the Star Emperor Scripture. At the same time, the radiance flowing across the surrounding walls lit up the mysterious runes carved upon them, causing them to emit strands of divine brilliance.
At the staircase leading to the second floor of the Stone Pagoda, the barrier trembled before parting like dissolving mist.
"This... the barrier has dissipated!"
While astonished, a wave of joy rose in Mo Yang's heart as well. He had originally thought he would need to reach the Heaven Profound Realm before he could unlock the second floor, never expecting it to open ahead of schedule.
He hastily rose to his feet and strode toward the stone steps, a deep sense of anticipation welling up within him as he looked up the winding staircase.
Without hesitation, he stepped onto the stairs, meeting zero resistance. A moment later, he smoothly arrived on the second floor.
However, the second floor was completely different from the first. The very first thing that came into his view was a pitch-black alchemy furnace. The tiny flame within the furnace seemed as though it had never been extinguished, for he could clearly see firelight dancing within it at a single glance.
"How is this possible? Could the fire in this alchemy furnace have burned eternally without going out?"
Mo Yang's heart refused to calm. On the Xuantian Continent, alchemy formed a lineage of its own; those unique alchemy techniques and mysterious pill recipes were just like profound cultivation manuals—they were rarely passed down to outsiders, and ordinary cultivators could seldom touch upon them.
He struggled to steady his emotions, then stepped forward step by step.
The area around the alchemy furnace was in complete disarray, scattered with long-decayed medicinal herbs along with a few ancient scrolls caked in dust.
Mo Yang's mind had already pieced things together. Walking cautiously up to the alchemy furnace, he bent down to pick up a tattered ancient scroll and flicked away the dust on its surface, revealing ancient characters that had been sealed away in obscurity for God knows how long.
Though ancient, the script shared a certain affinity with modern writing, and upon close inspection, he could still distinguish them.
"Divine Alchemy Dao!" Mo Yang softly read the words aloud.
Chapter 8: Divine Alchemy Dao
Mo Yang carefully unfurled the ancient scroll, his breathing growing increasingly rapid as his gaze swept across the contents.
Because within that scroll were not only alchemy techniques, but also no fewer than a hundred different pill recipes.
Just reading the names of many of these medicinal pills made them sound extraordinary and divine. The scroll itself had long since turned yellow, making it obvious at a glance that it possessed immense age; many of the recipes recorded inside had likely long since lost their transmission. The crucial part was that detailed functions and applications were appended beneath every single recipe.
Mo Yang's hands trembled slightly, his heart stirred to an indescribable degree of excitement. In his wildest dreams, he never expected that the second floor of the Stone Pagoda would conceal such a treasure. For a cultivator, mastering the art of alchemy was equivalent to acquiring an inexhaustible treasury of cultivation resources.
He knew very well what this scroll in his hands meant for him. With alchemy techniques and so many pill recipes in hand, as long as he acquired the corresponding herbs, he could begin concocting pills. Once he had medicinal pills to aid him, he would advance in strength at an even faster pace.
Suppressing the fierce excitement in his heart, he closed the scroll and began searching the surroundings.
The only disappointing discovery was that the second-tier mental arts of the Star Emperor Scripture did not appear; there was not the slightest change on the surrounding pagoda walls.
"I suppose it's because my cultivation hasn't stepped into the Heaven Profound Realm yet... No matter, let's get familiar with this alchemy art first..."
For the next several days, Mo Yang remained inside the Stone Pagoda, comprehending the alchemy techniques. While alchemy techniques weren't as abstruse as cultivation manuals, every technique possessed its own unique merits. What mattered most was the mastery of alchemy methods and the control of details—practice makes perfect, after all.
Naturally, factors like the alchemy furnace and the alchemy flame were directly bypassed by Mo Yang since ready-made ones were right here inside the Stone Pagoda, saving him the trouble of worrying about them.
For him, everything was already in place; all that was missing now were the herbs.
"Herbs... It looks like I'll have to go take a look inside the Lingxu Sect's treasury first..." Mo Yang furrowed his brow in thought. Although the Lingxu Sect wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, it had been passed down for several centuries; there ought to be quite a few good things in its treasury.
While he could purchase them at herb shops in the external cities, in Mo Yang's view, letting prime resources sit unused was practically a crime against heaven and earth.
However, the sect's treasury and scripture pavilion were typically guarded by sect elders; sneaking in without a sound was simply impossible.
Yet right at noon on this particular day, while Mo Yang was sitting cross-legged in the courtyard to adjust his breath, a familiar aura entered his perception. Discovering that it was Su Feier, Mo Yang immediately felt a wave of amusement. He had been agonizing over how to break into the sect's treasury, and now here came the key, walking right to him.
"Mo Yang, get out here, you bastard!"
Unlike last time when she acted all sneaky, Su Feier charged directly into the small courtyard and began berating him at the top of her lungs.
Mo Yang slowly opened his eyes and frowned. "What are you here for again? Do you feel like last time's farce wasn't enough, and you have to strip yourself naked and charge down from Wood Peak before you'll be satisfied?"
"I never imagined you could be so shameless as to actually dare to go to my father and propose marriage! Don't even dream about it—I'd rather die than marry you!" Su Feier flared up with rage, her anger intensifying all the more upon seeing Mo Yang.
"What the..." Mo Yang was somewhat dazed.
Propose marriage? What on earth is that?
Thinking it over carefully, a vague intuition told him that old scoundrel of a Supreme Elder was likely playing tricks again. Yet after a brief moment of thought, the corners of his mouth gradually curled upward into a smile.
He looked up at the furious Su Feier, spread his hands, and said, "Now listen here, Big Miss, you can't blame me for this. Back then, you were the one who insisted on claiming I molested you, and you made a huge fuss that everyone found out about. If I hadn't done that, I'd inevitably be branded with the reputation of eating and running!"
Standing up, Mo Yang stared at Su Feier with an intentionally mischievous look while speaking, "Besides, looking at you closely, I've found you're actually not bad at all. While your looks might not be drop-dead gorgeous, you're passable enough, and your figure is... tsk tsk... not bad! Quite large, too!"
"Bastard, keep looking and I'll gouge your eyeballs out!" Flustered and enraged, Su Feier whipped her body to the side, glaring sideways at Mo Yang with a cold gaze.
At this point, she felt nothing but deep regret. Had she known it would turn out like this, she wouldn't have pulled that stunt for all the world. Now, she had made everyone in the sect suspect whether Mo Yang had truly done something to her, and every time they looked at her, their gazes were bizarrely strange.
Watching Su Feier's exasperated expression, Mo Yang gave a few dry coughs and said righteously, "If you want peace and quiet, that's fine too—but you have to help me with a favor first!"
Upon hearing this, Su Feier's willow-leaf brows knitted together slightly as she let out a cold huff. "You think I'd believe your ghost stories?"
Mo Yang spread his hands with a helpless expression. "Believe it or not, up to you!"
Seeing that Su Feier didn't retort, he continued, "My request is very simple. I need a few types of medicinal herbs; you go fetch them for me, and from here on out, you and I will mind our own business!"
Su Feier looked Mo Yang up and down sideways. Catching her drift, Mo Yang hurriedly turned around, went into his room, and brought out a sheet of paper. It was a list of herbs required for the pills he intended to try concocting, complete with the corresponding quantities noted down.
"These are all common herbs, and you're the Sect Master's daughter—it's just a trip to the treasury," Mo Yang said as he handed the list over to Su Feier.
With no other options left to her, Su Feier hesitated for a moment before taking the list, scanning it over, and then telling Mo Yang, "If you dare break your word, I'll make sure you turn into a eunuch!"