Gu Baiqing hadn’t expected something so embarrassing to happen. In the original version, by this point, they had already revealed their identities and were traveling with the Third Elder’s party.
Naturally, the Third Elder and his group who had just stopped to rest at a nearby tea stand also turned to look.
Yu Qing, who had planned to wait for them to finish the formalities before bringing them to meet the Third Elder, saw them getting scolded and rushed forward anxiously.
“What are you doing? Didn’t anyone tell you before entering? You have to register when leaving, it’s for your own safety! If someone doesn’t return for a long time, we need to know whether they’re alive or not!”
What she said did make sense, but Gu Baiqing thought that even if someone really got into trouble, these people wouldn’t step in to help. After all, along the way they had seen more than a few corpses, some from different periods, some even still wearing the same identification tags that they were now lining up to hand over.
Mo Xuanli frowned slightly and spoke up directly: “We haven’t registered, and we don’t have any tags. Do we still need to line up?”
It was a normal enough question—but the moment he said it, the crowd around them exploded, buzzing with shocked whispers from every direction. Even Junhua looked at them with surprise.
The guard who had shouted at them earlier sneered coldly. “So you’re smugglers. You don’t look poor, what, can’t even afford the entry fee?”
“What, you think Beast-Taming Manor doesn’t have rules?” someone else yelled in agreement.
The Third Elder gave a sharp, disdainful snort. “Petty scoundrels.” Then he called out, “Yu Qing, come back. Don’t meddle in others’ business. Leave it to the guards. We’re done here.”
Clearly, the Third Elder didn’t even want to give them a chance to explain.
Yu Qing grew anxious. “How could you—ah, this area is under Beast-Taming Manor’s authority! You can’t break the rules. Don’t tell me you don’t even have spirit stones? Sneaking in like this is dangerous!”
Gu Baiqing, already irritated from being mocked, shot back, “Dangerous? We came from the south. Didn’t feel anything dangerous at all.”
Yu Qing froze.
The Third Elder, standing off in the distance, suddenly rose to his feet. “The south? So you really did sneak in through that broken-down barrier.”
Gu Baiqing’s expression shifted. “Broken-down?” That barrier had been painstakingly built by Zixiao Sect to protect ordinary citizens. It had guarded the southern region for centuries, with disciples constantly maintaining it.
Mo Xuanli noticed Gu Baiqing’s mood and took a step forward, his tone cutting coldly. “Seems we’re behind on the news. Since when did Ten Thousand Beasts Forest become the private property of Beast-Taming Manor?”
The Third Elder sneered, about to accuse them of making excuses—when Mo Xuanli spoke again, his voice calm and faint: “After all, before we came out, we were informed that the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest was a wild, open area. Anyone has the right to enter. Or… is that no longer true?”
At that, the disciples of Beast-Taming Manor stiffened as if someone had exposed a sore spot.
And the surrounding crowd went silent for a moment.
Something long-buried in their memory suddenly resurfaced—
Yes, the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest… had been naturally formed. Large beast forests like this one were never supposed to belong to any sect.
They were wild. Free.
So when had it become part of Beast-Taming Manor’s jurisdiction? The Manor only governed Longan Port, didn’t it?
Maybe it was because major sects rarely came here seeking spirit beasts that the place had gradually been monopolized by Beast-Taming Manor. Over time, people just subconsciously accepted it—as if it were a natural rule.
But in truth, anyone had the unconditional right to enter. No approval or registration was ever required.
The realization rippled through the crowd like a wave. Yet no one dared speak up.
Because some truths weren’t forgotten by accident—they were ignored out of helplessness. Those with weak power couldn’t change the situation, and standing out would only bring trouble. Better to go with the flow, pay a small price, and keep life peaceful.
So in their eyes, what Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli were doing, charitably put, was naive, unworldly, like reckless calves unafraid of tigers. Less charitably, it was plain stupidity, bound to end in a painful slap from reality.
Yu Qing’s face went pale, then green with anger. She was about to give up arguing when Mo Xuanli’s cold gaze swept toward the Third Elder.
At some point, the elder had already walked over. He placed a hand on Yu Qing’s shoulder, silently signaling her to step back.
Yu Qing, exhausted and annoyed, withdrew. She figured this arrogant fool was about to be taught a hard lesson. After all, her Third Grandfather was already at the Nascent Soul stage.
Beast-Taming Manor might not be a major sect, but not for lack of powerful cultivators—they even had a Tribulation-Stage patriarch guarding them. It was just that their cultivation methods were too narrow, with the core techniques kept strictly within the clan, limiting their growth.
The Third Elder stood with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes half-lidded as he regarded the two before him. “Young people these days are truly arrogant. Don’t think that just because you subdued a Sunset Lizard in Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, you’re something special. The forest is under our jurisdiction. What’s wrong with that?”
Mo Xuanli’s lips curved slightly. “This junior is enlightened. When I return to Zixiao Sect, I’ll make sure this outdated information gets corrected.”
That one phrase, Zixiao Sect—one of the four great immortal sects—stunned everyone present.
From dead silence to a wave of shocked murmurs.
“You…” Yu Qing’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Mo Xuanli’s tone remained level. “I’m sure Beast-Taming Manor must have already coordinated with our Zixiao Sect. From now on, we’ll stop maintaining the barrier around Ten Thousand Beasts Forest. But if your manor fails to manage it properly, and the beasts escape to harm the mortals within our jurisdiction—then I’m afraid we’ll have to hold someone accountable.”
The barrier along the southern border had indeed been established by Zixiao Sect. Even if others didn’t know that, Beast-Taming Manor certainly did. Faces around them turned visibly strained.
The Third Elder’s breath caught in his throat—he couldn’t swallow it, couldn’t spit it out—his face flushed blue with suppressed fury. But he still forced himself to stay composed. He was an Elder of Beast-Taming Manor, after all; even if the visitor came from Zixiao Sect, he had his pride.
He stepped forward, voice tight. “You… who exactly are you? Are you truly from Zixiao Sect?”
All eyes turned toward Mo Xuanli.
Mo Xuanli clasped his hands in a proper salute and said evenly, “Disciple of Zixiao Sect, under Elder Luofeng—Mo Xuanli.”
“What! Mo Xuanli?!”
The Third Elder’s composure broke, his voice rising uncontrollably.
He hadn’t even added the title—but who among them hadn’t heard of that name? At least eight or nine out of ten people present knew exactly who Mo Xuanli was.
The youngest cultivator to reach the Tribulation Stage, the sole personal disciple of Elder Luofeng — a true prodigy of cultivation.
Ranked second in the Void Spirit Secret Realm leaderboard, inheritor of the Void Spirit Space Legacy.
He personally forged an immortal-grade spiritual artifact, shocking the entire cultivation world.
Just recently, he even eliminated a demonic puppeteer and destroyed a Spirit-Gathering Array.
Such a gifted and extraordinary individual stood among the absolute top of his generation’s young elites.
Anyone who hadn’t heard of him must have either been secluded for years—or a mortal.
Naturally, there were still people like Junhua. Seeing everyone react so strongly to Mo Xuanli’s identity, she grew curious, but given the current situation, she suddenly curved her lips into a teasing smile and said, “Oh? So even Zixiao Sect manages the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest now? Then who exactly are we supposed to pay from now on?”
At her words, the crowd immediately began whispering among themselves.
They only knew that the southern border of the forest fell under Zixiao Sect’s protection, but that was just for a few small mortal fishing villages.
Gu Baiqing understood that Junhua was deliberately trying to make things difficult for Beast-Taming Manor, so he spoke up at once: “How could Zixiao Sect possibly collect fees? The Ten Thousand Beasts Forest doesn’t belong to Zixiao Sect, nor do we govern it. We merely maintain the barrier to prevent beast disturbances. We didn’t know what the situation was here—after repairing the barrier in the south, we came straight over.”
His tone was candid enough—but every word landed like a resounding slap across Beast-Taming Manor’s face.
Of course, a dragon might be mighty, but it still couldn’t suppress the local snake. They normally wouldn’t have bothered with unnecessary conflict; venting their anger now wouldn’t change the situation later. But since they were already here, and clearly meant to issue a warning to Beast-Taming Manor, they might as well seize the opportunity.
Originally, when their identities were accidentally revealed in the forest by other traveling disciples, the Manor’s people had treated them with courtesy, even offering hospitality. It had seemed like a friendly beginning.
But now… everyone watching could feel the tension and awkwardness pressing down—even more so for the people of Beast-Taming Manor themselves.
If it had been an ordinary disciple, the Third Elder might still have postured a bit. But Mo Xuanli’s name carried too much weight. He didn’t dare act high and mighty anymore—especially since what their sect had been doing wouldn’t stand up to public scrutiny.
Still, holding his tongue didn’t mean he would swallow his pride.
The Third Elder forced a laugh, suppressing his irritation. “Hahaha, so it’s a junior from Zixiao Sect! I was just wondering how someone so young could have such high cultivation. A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Our sect has always been on good terms with Zixiao Sect. And of course, we’ve never claimed the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest as our private property. It’s just that, since our immortal gate is situated here, we naturally wish to help our fellow Daoists enter and exit the forest smoothly. Everyone gives us that courtesy of their own accord. You see, I was merely leading an occasional patrol—why, when we encounter cries for help, we even lend our aid.”
Occasional patrols—what a pleasant way to describe it. More likely, they scouted for good prey to snatch from others, guarding their territory and refusing to let outsiders take away the best beasts. And “lending aid”? That only applied to distress signals cast with their own sect’s spell formations. Anyone else’s, they ignored.
Gu Baiqing hadn’t expected the Third Elder to be so shameless. He was just about to retort when the elder suddenly turned to Mo Xuanli with a smooth smile.
“Some time ago, we had disciples who also participated in the Void Spirit Secret Realm. They came back full of praise for Young Master Mo’s prowess. To meet you here today is a great honor indeed. My hands are rather itching—I wonder if I might have the chance to test the skills of Elder Luofeng’s personal disciple? I trust Young Master Mo won’t refuse?”
Before Mo Xuanli could answer—
The Third Elder’s smile twisted into a cold sneer. “Don’t worry, Young Master Mo. I’ll show restraint. Please!”
With that, he raised his dragon-headed staff and unleashed a spell attack.
A Nascent Soul cultivator’s spell was no joke—startled cries rang out as the crowd scattered to avoid the blast.
Mo Xuanli’s face darkened; in a flash, he grabbed Gu Baiqing and soared onto the nearby city wall on his sword, narrowly dodging the strike.
The spell’s shockwave overturned all the nearby stalls, injuring several who failed to escape in time.
“Xuanli…” Gu Baiqing started to speak, but Mo Xuanli turned, his expression cold and focused. “Master—leave this to me.”
Gu Baiqing froze. Mo Xuanli had misunderstood.
In terms of cultivation stages, a Golden Core facing a Nascent Soul was like a lamb before a tiger—certain death.
Mo Xuanli must have thought Gu Baiqing didn’t believe he could win, and planned to intervene.
But that wasn’t it at all. Gu Baiqing had no intention of interfering—come on, he was the male lead. Beating someone of a higher stage was practically part of the job description!
And besides, it had been too long since his disciple had real combat practice. Always lecturing or meditating alone wasn’t enough—progress had slowed.
A live battle like this was the perfect experience. He silently thanked the Third Elder for volunteering as a sparring partner.
“I was just going to say—Beast-Taming Manor’s people may not excel in swordsmanship, but their beast-controlling abilities are strong. Be careful of that. And if you really can’t hold out, remember this: take down the leader first.” Gu Baiqing gave him a quick instruction.
Mo Xuanli’s eyes flickered, and he smiled slightly. “Understood, Master. Wait here—your disciple will come fetch you shortly.”
The moment he finished speaking, the opponent’s second attack came flying.
A parasol appeared out of thin air—its canopy spun rapidly, dispersing the entire spell into harmless points of light.
Mo Xuanli held the parasol gracefully and drifted down from the city wall. “Then this junior shall respectfully comply.”
That calm composure—and the effortless way he neutralized a Nascent Soul’s spell—made the Third Elder’s face tighten in disbelief.
Was he already nearing the late Golden Core stage?
No… even a late-stage Golden Core shouldn’t have been able to counter him this easily.
While the elder was still processing that, Mo Xuanli had already switched weapons—the parasol became a sword as he advanced. The onlookers gasped. Some had heard of the “Divine Nine Transformations,” but this was the first time they’d seen it with their own eyes.
A weapon that could freely shift forms, combined with a clever and flexible mind—his attacks became endless in their variations, overwhelming and impossible to predict.
Within just ten moves, the Third Elder could no longer hold on.
Still, he refused to show weakness. Yes, he was Nascent Soul, and perhaps his individual combat power wasn’t stronger than Mo Xuanli’s—but if he hadn’t possessed great overall strength, how could he have advanced to Nascent Soul in the first place?!
The Third Elder instantly withdrew to a distance, raising his hand as a complex summoning seal swiftly took form in his palm.
Powerful spiritual energy erupted from his body in an instant.
A moment later, the roars of spirit beasts shook the air.
Two enormous beasts appeared from afar—one from the sky, one from the ground—charging toward Mo Xuanli at lightning speed.
Their sudden arrival made the onlookers immediately cast protective spells, afraid that even just watching might get them caught in the crossfire. After all, these were no ordinary beasts.
Mo Xuanli leapt into the air and began countering them nonstop. The two beasts were powerful on their own, but their coordinated attacks were even fiercer—together they fought on par with another Nascent Soul cultivator, and with the Third Elder’s support from outside, it was clear that if this were a battle to the death, he was going all out.
The fight was extremely intense. Some spectators couldn’t even keep up with Mo Xuanli’s speed, let alone his defensive maneuvers and counterattacks—dazzling and blindingly fast.
Gu Baiqing squinted, holding Three Bean in his arms as he sat leisurely on the city wall like he was watching a competition, analyzing where Mo Xuanli slipped up, where he was lacking, and where he could improve—carefully observing just how much his disciple’s combat skills had advanced.
Then a voice sounded beside him. “One’s a wood-type, the other a wind-type—both extremely strong spirit beasts, dozens of times more powerful than a Sunset Lizard. As expected of a Nascent Soul cultivator’s contracted beasts. Your little brother’s having a tough fight; he’s probably at a disadvantage. Still, that old man shouldn’t dare to kill him outright—but some injuries are inevitable.”
Gu Baiqing looked up and saw Junhua standing beside him, her bright orange dress shining dazzlingly under the sunlight. With her vivid beauty and graceful figure, she was truly a stunning woman.
Suddenly Junhua let out a surprised “Eh?”
“What’s this? A mistake? That kind of slip shouldn’t have happened.”
Gu Baiqing, who hadn’t noticed, quickly turned to look—and sure enough, Mo Xuanli’s movements were slightly rushed and unstable.
From his arms, Three Bean muttered softly, “Just now, Xuanli glanced over here.”
Gu Baiqing: “…”
Junhua blinked, then laughed. “So the pretty boy got distracted worrying about the handsome one?”
Then she boldly shouted toward the dueling arena, “Focus on your match! Leave your brother to me—I’ll make sure he doesn’t get caught in the blast!”
In truth, Junhua had come for exactly that reason—this pair of amusing brothers shouldn’t end up with the weaker one injured. But after she yelled that, why did the pretty boy’s performance only get worse?
And what was with those frequent glances in her direction? Did he not trust her ability to protect his brother? She was certainly stronger than that seemingly powerless one sitting here!
Feeling underestimated, Junhua immediately scooted closer and sat right beside Gu Baiqing, as if to prove with her actions that she truly meant to protect him—even if she got hurt, she wouldn’t let Gu Baiqing be harmed.
![Sick Beauty [Rebirth]](https://i1.wp.com/lazygirltranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/007S8ZIlgy1gitg84z0hfj30rs12wmzj-1.jpeg?resize=151,215 "Sick Beauty [Rebirth]")
