“My heavens, what happened here?”
“Hahahaha, even the bloodsucker team has this day. Serves them right—always trying to reap without sowing. Now look, they’ve been cut off instead.”
“This was originally Young Master Mo and his group’s hunt. That bunch followed with ill intent, and in the end evil met evil. Truly satisfying.”
“Why do I feel like it’s too much of a coincidence… are you sure it wasn’t Young Master Mo’s design?”
“How could it be? Could they even control Qingyun Tigers? Impossible. More likely the Tigers smelled the stench of others they’d slain on that scum, and came for revenge.”
“Qingyun Tigers don’t have that trait. Ask a beast-taming cultivator.”
“This… for the moment even I can’t make sense of it.”
The crowd was disappointed.
“My younger brother looked so smug—he must’ve done something, right?” Jingcheng said slowly. “Or rather, your disciple must’ve. My brother was clearly listening to your disciple.”
Gu Baiqing slowly curled his lips, a trace of pride hidden in his smile, and nodded with a soft hum. “It was his doing.”
Although he didn’t know exactly what Mo Xuanli had done to cause this outcome, Gu Baiqing couldn’t stop the satisfaction rising in his heart at this method of revenge. This was his disciple.
See? As long as he wasn’t muddled by romance, falling into the deranged tropes of “master-disciple” stories, Mo Xuanli could truly grow into someone with a pure heart and noble spirit. Not entirely pure white, not entirely pitch black—capable of handling matters with ease, advancing and retreating with measured balance. Coupled with his innate diligence and drive, such a person was bound to survive well in the cultivation world.
Mo Xuanli was outstanding. Without bias, Gu Baiqing believed him to be the most exceptional, most promising person in this world—a jade about to reveal its true brilliance. As long as his identity wasn’t exposed, he would gradually step into the awe and admiration of all.
…
“You… you!” This time it was Ma Chuan who was about to spit blood from rage, furiously pointing at the three of them.
But Mo Xuanli suddenly said, “Oh no, the Qingyun Tigers are about to make a move. Don’t worry, we’re all fellow cultivators—I can’t just stand by and watch. After all, you gave me a flower just now, I ought to thank you, shouldn’t I?”
After speaking, Mo Xuanli clapped his hands.
Ma Chuan wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks, but he thought he saw ashes smeared on Mo Xuanli’s hands.
Before Ma Chuan could figure it out, he saw Mo Xuanli take the lead flying off on his sword, the three Qingyun Tigers staggering as they chased after him.
“They were our prey to begin with. We’ll just lure them farther away so you won’t get hurt by accident.” Jingzhan sneered.
“There are still plenty of Qingyun Tigers here. You’d best leave quickly,” Xie Qingrong added, his expression turning cold. “Next time, you might not be so lucky to only run into three.”
As the tigers’ roars faded into the distance, Ma Chuan let out a furious howl but in the end could only accept the fact that he’d been used, his efforts stolen by others. For the first time, he was the victim—and the frustration was beyond words.
He could only stagger off with his injured companions. Even as they left, they had no idea what had really happened. Unlike Mo Xuanli, the “scholar,” they had no knowledge of such things and couldn’t figure out why they had been attacked—only worrying about running into it again. But since they’d always been the ones taking advantage of others, how could they possibly swallow such a huge grudge?
Meanwhile, Mo Xuanli had already obtained the Tiger Spirit Holy Orchid he wanted, and together with Jingzhan had collected plenty of Qilin Incense. Their goals accomplished, once they released the three Qingyun Tigers, they planned to head to the Immortal’s Cave.
The three of them, after this journey, had forged a bond like brothers. They traveled onward in good spirits.
But just as they left the tigers’ territory, they were ambushed. Crimson lotus Scorpions—venomous demonic beasts. Against such creatures, there was no way to fight; the only choice was to run, otherwise one would inevitably be poisoned.
Yet when the three tried to flee, they found themselves obstructed by a formation encircling them. It couldn’t trap them fully, but it delayed them long enough for the Crimson lotus Scorpions to strike.
Their faces turned grim. They had a fair idea who was behind this.
“Looks like we were too merciful.”
“We thought they were just shameless scoundrels. Didn’t expect them to be ruthless schemers as well.”
“Careful!” Mo Xuanli shoved the other two aside midair, but his iron sword was struck by venom. An ordinary sword couldn’t withstand such poison—it melted quickly. Forced to abandon his flying sword, Mo Xuanli plummeted. At that moment, a Crimson lotus Scorpion darted beneath him, fangs bared, about to spit another jet of venom his way.
Jingzhan and Xie Qingrong moved instantly to save him—Jingzhan relying on his speed to catch him, while Xie Qingrong attacked the scorpion to divert its attention.
The venom shot past them, close enough to brush their hair. A moment later and they would have been struck.
Then the scorpion reared its head high. Mo Xuanli knew this was bad. He pulled another sword from his storage pouch, hacking at the formation, and shouted: “Concentrate your strength on breaking the formation! Now!”
Neither of them hesitated—they did as he said. But it already felt too late.
The venom fell like a fountain from above, the formation still intact. Just as the three were about to abandon the attempt and think of another way, suddenly an opening tore open in the formation before them. A hand reached in, grabbing Mo Xuanli’s collar. Mo Xuanli reacted instantly, reaching left and right to pull Jingzhan and Xie Qingrong with him.
With a tremendous pull, the three of them were yanked out in an instant.
The formation sealed shut again, leaving the venom contained within.
The Crimson lotus Scorpions, no longer seeing their targets, burrowed into the earth and fled.
The three of them panted heavily, still shaken, before turning in surprise to look at the person before them.
Mo Xuanli didn’t recognize him, but he could guess from the obvious signs: a gleaming bald head, a signature kasaya, a red mark between the brows. A disciple of Wuxiang Temple.
And the immense spiritual power, the natural aura of authority, the skill just displayed in countering the formation—it could only be the renowned monk of this generation, Qian Yue.
“Qian Yue? It’s really you.” Xie Qingrong was the first to speak, his voice delighted, clearly familiar.
“So it was the famous Qian Yue. We owe you just now—thank you.” Jingzhan expressed his gratitude while studying him. So this was the Buddhist cultivator his elder brother often praised?
But Qian Yue’s gaze turned toward Mo Xuanli.
Mo Xuanli, curious himself, hurried to rise and salute when he saw Qian Yue looking at him, introducing himself.
Qian Yue followed with his own introduction—his tone calm, neither warm nor cold. Once finished, he asked Mo Xuanli directly: “Are you all right? Do you feel unwell?”
Mo Xuanli froze. The other two also looked on in surprise.
After all, Qian Yue looked like a towering ice sculpture. Although he was a strikingly handsome monk, his features hardly moved, showing no emotions. It wasn’t the aloof coldness of arrogance, but the genuine sense of all is emptiness. For him to suddenly voice concern for someone he had just met was baffling.
“I… I’m fine. Thanks to your timely intervention, I wasn’t hurt.”
Qian Yue’s sword-like brows knit together ever so slightly. “Not just now—you carry the aura of the demon race on your body.”
The words struck like thunder from a clear sky. Mo Xuanli froze on the spot, blood congealing as the words echoed in his mind, turning to ice.
His pupils contracted; his face stiffened against his will.
He never expected that on such an ordinary day, in a chance encounter within a secret realm, a Golden Core-stage monk would actually…
“What?” Jingzhan thought he had misheard and asked in puzzlement.
Mo Xuanli’s grip tightened. A flood of thoughts raced through his mind—should he deny it? Escape? Or… silence them?
“I sensed demonic qi. Could it be that Young Master Mo once suffered an attack, was wounded, or violated by the demon race? If demonic aura lingers, it is no trivial matter. It must be purged early, otherwise it will disturb the mind, hinder cultivation, and easily lead to qi deviation.” Qian Yue’s voice was cool and crisp, the words somewhat stiff, as if unaccustomed to speaking at such length.
But to Mo Xuanli, it was like a stone smashing the frozen lake, opening a pocket of space where fish could finally breathe.
His heart nearly stopped—he had thought…
This time Mo Xuanli didn’t even need to speak. Jingzhan immediately said, “Ah, he must be talking about that incident on Ten-Thousand Swords Island, when you were attacked by the Sword Demon.”
Mo Xuanli nodded along. “At the time I was indeed injured and fell unconscious. But the medical cultivators examined me afterward and said I’d be fine.”
“Likely some remnants remain that will take time to purge. We can look for spirit herbs that dispel demonic qi in the secret realm—it may help,” Xie Qingrong suggested.
Qian Yue nodded in agreement. “If need be, I can recite sutras for Young Master Mo.”
The chanting of Wuxiang Temple monks was not ordinary chanting—it was infused with spiritual power, a method to dispel demonic qi. In truth, the Buddhist Dao of Wuxiang Temple was the most effective counter against demonic taint. Unfortunately, very few could cultivate this path, which was why Wuxiang could not become one of the Four Great Immortal Sects.
Hearing this, Mo Xuanli knew the monk harbored no other suspicion. At last, he relaxed somewhat.
“There’s no need to trouble yourself. Truly, I am fine,” Mo Xuanli replied. His tone was polite, yet firm enough that Qian Yue did not press further.
The interlude passed. Jingzhan, remembering their humiliation, fumed with the urge to hunt down Ma Chuan for revenge—
But before he could speak, Xie Qingrong let out a startled “Huh?”
Following his gaze, they saw several figures lying in the grass not far away.
Jingzhan ran forward—sure enough, it was Ma Chuan and his followers. So it had been them who set the trap.
But now…
Mo Xuanli also came closer, his face shifting. He saw Ma Chuan’s pallor, his chaotic spiritual energy, and his cultivation… had fallen back to early Foundation Establishment.
The others had all been reduced to Foundation Establishment as well.
Xie Qingrong turned to Qian Yue. “Was this your doing?”
Qian Yue pressed his palms together. “Along the road I met several fellow Daoists who had suffered at their hands. After hearing of their misdeeds, I happened upon them scheming against you, so I gave them a little punishment.”
“The methods of Wuxiang Temple are truly formidable,” Xie Qingrong said. “You actually dissolved their Golden Core spiritual power, forcing their cultivation back a stage.”
Mo Xuanli and Jingzhan were equally stunned. To achieve such a feat normally required someone at Gu Baiqing’s level. Yet Qian Yue, merely at Golden Core, could do it? Clearly it was not just the temple’s techniques—this monk himself was formidable.
If the three of them faced him, they might still contest each other. But against Qian Yue… they knew they had no chance.
Qian Yue inclined his head. “They wielded Golden Core cultivation yet bullied the weak and committed evil without end. This humble monk merely returned them to Foundation Establishment so they may train anew. Hopefully they will take this chance to repent.”
Was this… the mercy of the Buddha? Those men had countless enemies, and this realm was perilous. Unlike Mo Xuanli, not everyone dared to push forward. Having their realms crippled so suddenly—could they even survive? But such matters were no concern to the others. It was simply evil meeting its retribution.
“So you were following their trail?” Jingzhan exhaled, asking curiously.
Qian Yue said, “No. Coincidence. I was heading to the Immortal’s Cave and happened to cross paths.”
The three exchanged a moment of awkward silence. This was entirely the opposite direction. If not for seeking the Tiger Spirit Holy Orchid and Qilin Incense, who would come here?
And if Qian Yue had already encountered other victims, then surely he had been closer to the Immortal’s Cave before.
Qian Yue seemed slightly uneasy. “Later, perhaps…”
Xie Qingrong seemed to grasp something and spoke directly: “Why don’t you come with us, Qian Yue? We’re heading to the Immortal’s Cave as well.”
Some tension eased from Qian Yue’s expression. Though subtle, the three noticed it and almost found it amusing—that such a powerful monk could actually have the little flaw of a poor sense of direction.
After a brief rest, the four set out together.
Even as they flew on their swords, Mo Xuanli could feel Qian Yue stealing glances at him again and again.
Unease gnawed at him. He finally gathered courage to draw closer and ask.
But Qian Yue did not bring up the demon aura. Instead, with a faintly baffled look, he said, “I keep feeling that Young Master Mo carries the aura of our Wuxiang Temple’s seals. It is very strange.”
Perhaps because he had already been startled earlier, Mo Xuanli was calmer now. “I was frail and sickly as a child. It seems once a monk blessed me—it might be from that.” Perhaps that high master truly had come from Wuxiang, though not every monk would be willing to bless a half-blood.
When facing Qian Yue, one had to tread carefully.
But Qian Yue continued: “If you don’t mind, Young Master Mo, may I examine your body later?”
Mo Xuanli’s expression shifted. He knew his body’s secret was not so easily exposed, yet this man’s perception had already exceeded his expectations.
He knew Qian Yue meant well. But the monk’s gaze filled him with fear—that at any moment, he might utter a word that would lay Mo Xuanli bare, shattering the fragile beauty of his present life and plunging him into h*ll.
Mo Xuanli’s hand involuntarily tightened again, a dark thought rising in his heart, the impulse to… strike.
Perhaps, he should find the chance to do it. Even if this man was strong, he should still risk it all. He had struggled so hard just to survive until today, so hard to finally have a Master, so hard for everything to finally move toward the light… he could not allow anyone to destroy it.
…
“This monk Qian Yue is truly formidable. Before, it was only that he kept a low profile. One must admit, he’s the strongest of this generation,” Jingcheng said seriously.
After he spoke, there was no reply from Gu Baiqing. Turning his head, he saw Gu Baiqing’s expression unreadable.
“What’s wrong? Worried? Isn’t it already fine now?”
Gu Baiqing blinked slowly, reaching out to stroke Three Bean’s soft fur.
Would it truly be fine? In the original text, here in this Void Spirit Secret Realm, Qian Yue died under Mo Xuanli’s scheme. It was also one of the bloody events that exposed Mo Xuanli in the future.
Because Qian Yue touched upon the deepest, most terrifying secret in Mo Xuanli’s heart. Even though back then Mo Xuanli had not yet gone entirely mad, he still struck out for the sake of self-preservation.
