Duobao Daoist, by the abyss, stroked his beard and nodded ceaselessly. "Hmm, good, these few people are not bad. They are strategic and not rash. If they can pass, they will all achieve something."
Golden Spirit Mother shook her head. "The others are merely imitating. Only he is truly formidable."
Duobao Daoist knew very well who she was referring to as "he" and immediately said with a smile, "He probably won't take us as his masters. You shouldn't hold out too much hope."
Golden Spirit Mother couldn't help but sigh. "Yes, his starting point is too high, and his talent is also immense. It won't be long before his cultivation surpasses ours. How can we possibly control him?"
At this moment, another leaf fell. Everyone saw almost simultaneously that it was a spirit leaf!
The four of them simultaneously reached out to snatch it, and one of them managed to grab it.
Mo Qi wasn't unable to snatch it; he had deliberately feigned a move.
Snatching it at this moment would make him the target of everyone's attention!
As expected, another person lunged forward and engaged the leaf-snatcher in a fierce struggle. Lost in their battle, a fire dragon shot up from the abyss, engulfing both of them and dragging them into the depths.
Mo Qi and the remaining person, Liang Qianfeng, exchanged glances, then looked at the incense burning in the distance.
The incense was still as long as a middle finger!
"Let's take turns," Liang Qianfeng proposed.
Mo Qi readily agreed, "Alright."
But in reality, both of them knew very well that if they took turns, they would both perish.
Based on the previous frequency of spirit leaf drops, the remaining time would not allow for five or six more spirit leaves to fall.
Even if one person obtained all the spirit leaves, it might not be enough.
It would be the most ideal outcome if one of the two of them passed.
But who should be the one to pass?
Both of them believed it shouldn't be the other.
Liang Qianfeng was at the late stage of True Immortal cultivation, originally the highest among these testers!
But this fellow in front of him had actually increased his cultivation while being tested. With a rapid ascent, he had surpassed Liang Qianfeng. How infuriating!
However, he still felt that the temporarily increased cultivation couldn't match his steady progress. With his rich combat experience, he could instantly kill him.
At this moment, a poisonous leaf fell, and the two of them yielded to each other. "You first."
As a result, neither of them made a move. Finally, they looked at each other and smiled, "I didn't expect everyone to be so polite!"
Then, another spirit leaf fell. Both of them pounced simultaneously. Mo Qi unfolded his Golden Light Shrinking Ground Technique, gaining the advantage and snatching the spirit leaf into his hand.
Liang Qianfeng was relentless and chased after him, unfolding his body to snatch it.
Mo Qi naturally wouldn't be polite and wouldn't hold back at this moment. He directly unleashed his ultimate move: "Pangu Divine Power, Heaven Shaking!"
A white light flashed, and the entire space trembled. The ground shook. Liang Qianfeng felt a jolt, and his entire body exploded on the spot.
What happened?
Duobao Daoist and Golden Spirit Mother exchanged bewildered glances, admitting they hadn't clearly seen how Mo Qi unleashed that move.
Moreover, the power explosion was too shocking, making it unbelievable!
Liang Qianfeng, who was also a True Immortal, was actually killed by a single blow from him, clean and swift, without any hesitation.
Furthermore, the destructive power unleashed by Mo Qi's move had not yet ended!
The leaves above began to rustle and fall, as if the large tree had been violently shaken, causing its leaves to descend.
This scene was also completely beyond Mo Qi's expectations!
Because he couldn't see the large tree at all within his line of sight. He had subconsciously assumed that these leaves were falling from the sky!
Duobao Daoist and Golden Spirit Mother were even more astonished. No tester had ever been able to accelerate the falling of leaves in this manner. If they had, the testing rules might have needed to be changed.
Although Mo Qi was surprised, his mind was clear. He immediately unfolded his Golden Light Shrinking Ground Technique, weaving through the falling leaves. He quickly collected dozens of spirit leaves and, with a flash of his figure, retreated to the Red Water Abyss, landing beside Duobao Daoist.
At this moment, the pillar of incense had just burned out!
The timing was perfect, and the task was completed cleanly and efficiently!
Duobao Daoist and Golden Spirit Mother were dumbfounded!
No one had ever collected dozens of spirit leaves within the time it took for one stick of incense to burn!
Mo Qi always managed to surprise them again and again, constantly pushing the limits of their endurance!
Therefore, after two rounds of testing, only Mo Qi had passed.
Then, Duobao Daoist summoned the disciples of the Shangqing Sect who possessed independent immortal mountains and let Mo Qi choose his master.
Mo Qi decisively refused, "Can I just join the sect without formally becoming a disciple?"
"Not become a disciple?" Duobao Daoist was a little surprised. "You won't even pay respects to my master, Lingbao Tianzun? Actually, if you don't think highly of any of us, I can introduce you to my master. Then you'll be our junior brother."
Mo Qi shook his head. "Because I have already taken a master before, taking another master would be unfair to everyone."
Everyone nodded repeatedly, "Yes, that makes sense." Then they dispersed.
Duobao Daoist, however, was in a dilemma. "Joining without becoming a disciple, there's no precedent for this in my sect."
After hesitating for a long time, he said, "How about this, you come with me to see Master. If he agrees, you can join. If he doesn't, you can go back to where you came from."
Mo Qi nodded. "Alright."
So, Duobao led Mo Qi into a dark room.
The room was empty, except for a shrine at the front.
Duobao led Mo Qi to the shrine, burned incense, and prostrated himself. "Master, your disciple is presiding over the entrance selection today. I have found a promising talent named Mo Qi. His bones are exceptionally good, and his future is boundless. However, because he has already taken a master before, he only agrees to join our sect and is unwilling to become my disciple. Your disciple dares not make a decision lightly. I request Master to make the final judgment."
The room was filled with swirling smoke. The wisps of green smoke gradually condensed into a human figure, which settled above the shrine, ethereal and indistinct.
He glanced at Mo Qi. "You wish to enter my sect but not become my disciple. What do you take my Biyou Palace for?"
"A place for free and unfettered cultivation."
"Where do you get the confidence to believe you can be different and break the conventions of my Shangqing Sect?"
"I don't need to say more. Haven't my uniqueness already been demonstrated through the entrance test?" Mo Qi said neither servile nor overbearing.
"If you don't become a disciple, you are disrespecting my sect. If you disrespect my sect, why should we accept you?" Lingbao Tianzun maintained a cold tone throughout.
"True respect is etched in the bones, not spoken from the mouth, nor placed beneath the knees. True respect is when our sect is invaded by foreign enemies and needs disciples to step forward, and we do not retreat but fight bravely."
"Eloquent words are not respect either. Honestly, my impression of you is not very good, but for some reason, I still want to accept you into the sect," Lingbao Tianzun said after a moment of silence, then turned to Duobao. "Take him down and handle the entrance procedures."
Duobao was overjoyed and bowed again. "Thank you, Master."
The green smoke gradually dissipated, and the figure gradually vanished.
Afterward, Duobao Daoist led Mo Qi out and announced to the sect members that Mo Qi was a new disciple of the Shangqing Sect.
After joining, Mo Qi remained dutiful, causing no trouble. Every day, besides cultivation, he practiced alchemy, living a simple life.
He had little interaction with other disciples in the sect, only occasionally visiting Duobao Daoist.
Duobao also felt a kinship with Mo Qi and always received him warmly.
One day, Mo Qi, as usual, went to visit Duobao Daoist.
Outside the cave, he heard voices within.
A strange voice said, "Fellow Daoist, there are some things I must speak my mind about. Jiang Xia, relying on his master's favor, is arrogant and looks down on everyone. You say you are assisting the Zhou Dynasty, so you should focus on assisting it. Yet, you specifically target the Daoists of the Shangqing Sect, saying that the Shangqing Sect has no distinction between those with fur and horns, or those born from wetness and eggs, accepting all without discrimination. But no matter how hard the sect leader tries, the disciples are ultimately insignificant beings, difficult to achieve true enlightenment. Killing them is destiny, so upon encountering any disciple of the Shangqing Sect, they are all killed. Pity Daoist Gongming, Daoist Sanxiao, and the Four Sages of Jiulong Island were killed in this manner. Their cultivation was all in vain. Although they are named on the Investiture of the Gods, achieving sainthood and the Dao is likely hopeless."
Then, Duobao's voice was heard slamming the table from within. "Outrageous! Jiang Xia, that scoundrel, has truly angered me to death!"
"Yes, Fellow Daoist," the strange voice seized the opportunity to say. "As a disciple of the Yuqing Sect, even I feel Jiang Xia is too arrogant and presumptuous. I've told him, but he doesn't listen. Relying on his master's favor, he never takes me seriously. Whenever I speak, he scolds me severely, calling me indecisive and disloyal. My other fellow disciples, influenced by his emotions, have also attacked me. It doesn't matter if I suffer some grievances; I feel it's unfair to the fellow Daoists of the Shangqing Sect. I have come to invite you, Fellow Daoist, to descend the mountain with me to support the Yin Dynasty and give him some karma, so he knows that the Shangqing Sect is not to be trifled with, and that arrogance comes at a price."
There was a moment of silence within the cave. Then, Duobao slowly said, "Shen Bao Daoist, it's not that I am unwilling to descend the mountain with you, nor that I don't want to avenge my fellow disciples. It's just that Master has given prior instructions: our sect's disciples are strictly forbidden from descending the mountain to obstruct Jiang Xia's support of Zhou and his campaign against Yin. Any violation will be at your own risk."
Shen Bao continued to persuade earnestly. "Fellow Daoist, Uncle-Master, out of respect for my Master, he cannot openly say it, but disciples are being harmed one after another. Do you think he can't be heartbroken or filled with hatred in his heart? I think he must have given you some hints, but you haven't noticed them."
Inside, there was silence again, as if Duobao was indeed contemplating whether his master had given any hints.
However, Mo Qi, standing outside, saw through it clearly. With just a few words from Shen Bao, he realized that this fellow definitely had ulterior motives and was trying to sow discord here.
Speaking ill of one's own family behind their backs is not the act of a gentleman!
Moreover, he had learned from Long Ji that Jiang Xia's support of Zhou and campaign against Yin was in accordance with the will of heaven. If you were to support the Yin Dynasty, wouldn't that be seeking death?
Just as Duobao was about to speak, Mo Qi suddenly burst in and looked at Shen Bao. "This Fellow Daoist, I will descend the mountain with you."
Shen Bao had a shifty, rat-like appearance, clearly not a good person. Seeing someone suddenly barge in and volunteer, his heart brightened. But upon closer inspection, he realized that this fellow's cultivation was about the same as his own. This cultivation...
Shen Bao frowned.
Duobao immediately looked at Mo Qi and shook his head. "You don't know the full story. Don't casually get involved in this matter."
Mo Qi chuckled. "Senior Brother worries too much. I'm not saying I'll do anything when I descend the mountain. I just want to see, to gain some experience."
Although he hadn't formally become a disciple, he addressed the Shangqing Sect disciples as senior brothers and sisters.
Duobao thought for a moment and felt that since Mo Qi had joined the sect, he had always abided by the sect's rules and cultivated peacefully. It was time for him to go out and gain some experience.
He then nodded in agreement. "Then you may descend the mountain, but be extra careful in all matters. Also, do not obstruct Jiang Xia's support of Zhou and his campaign against Yin."
He then turned to Shen Bao and said, "He will descend the mountain with you. My junior brother is by no means ordinary. Take good care of him."
Shen Bao, upon hearing this, cursed inwardly. At first, he thought Mo Qi's cultivation was too low and he wasn't worthy of descending the mountain to campaign against Zhou with him. But then Mo Qi said he would only descend and not help. Did everything he said earlier go to waste? What was the point of him descending the mountain? Was he insulting his intelligence?