Mo Qi's own latent spiritual energy flowed through his meridians. With his growing combat experience, he gradually learned to harness it.
The next moment, a thunderous roar echoed, and flashes of light erupted and died.
Countless blade and sword light projections clashed everywhere, tearing at each other before falling silent.
The sword light projections covered a wider area, but the blade light, with its reckless charge, shattered them into pieces.
Finally, with a deafening boom, the spiritual energy confrontation was unleashed. Mo Qi and Zhang Longxin were sent flying backward, both crashing to the ground.
Without hesitation, they both sprang up and unleashed the same techniques at each other, colliding again, and then being repelled once more.
The onlookers were stunned. "Are these Foundation Establishment cultivators fighting against Nascent Soul cultivators? I clearly feel like two Foundation Establishment cultivators are battling."
Initially, the fight was evenly matched. However, as time passed, Mo Qi gradually gained the upper hand. Zhang Longxin began to falter, his sword energy becoming more chaotic, and his spiritual energy consumption increasing.
Conversely, Mo Qi grew stronger with each passing moment, quickly reducing Zhang Longxin to a purely defensive state.
Mo Qi's momentum surged as he fought, shouting, "Are you convinced? I tell you, I am your Vice Sect Master. Whether you are convinced or not, you will be. Now, and in the future, forever. I will always be above you. What can you do about it?"
Zhang Longxin focused all his energy on defending, not daring to spare any attention to reply to Mo Qi.
Mo Qi, having no intention of prolonging the struggle, seized an opening and flicked a bolt of energy, striking Zhang Longxin's leg and sending him to the ground, unable to rise.
"So anticlimactic," the surrounding spectators felt as if they had been slapped. Embarrassment flickered across their faces as they dispersed.
Did this commotion not alert Wu Fan, the elders, or the peak lords?
Of course not. Some had been watching all along.
However, the rules of the Lingxiao Sect dictated that strength was paramount. As long as it wasn't blatant bullying, no one would interfere. On the contrary, they believed that such an environment was precisely what forged a person's will and character.
The three were injured to varying degrees. Mo Qi turned and flicked his sleeves, walking away. Their fate was of no concern to him.
Fortunately, the three had close friends who quickly arrived, carried them away, and returned for healing.
Mo Qi continued to search for Wu Fan.
To his surprise, Wu Fan's abode was not difficult to enter. There were no guards, nor any restrictions. He simply strode in confidently.
Wu Fan was meditating with his eyes closed. Mo Qi felt it would be impolite to disturb him, so he found a place to sit and waited for him to finish his cultivation.
Wu Fan did not even lift an eyelid, nor did he mention their fight, as if he knew nothing about it.
If you don't know, then I won't speak.
Suddenly, Wu Fan spoke, "You've come in but remain silent. Do you wish to meditate with me?"
Mo Qi, completely unprepared for the old man to speak, was startled, his heart pounding.
"I just want to understand clearly, how do you plan to use me?" Mo Qi asked directly.
"Use?" Wu Fan's eyes snapped open, and he stared intently at Mo Qi. "Why do you say I will use you?"
"Heh heh," Mo Qi chuckled and said, "Don't play innocent. You went to great lengths and devised all sorts of schemes to force me to reveal myself, all because you want to exploit my talent in alchemy, don't you? It's the same for you as it is for Xiao Cong'er."
"However," Wu Fan continued to gaze at Mo Qi, a half-smile on his lips, "don't forget, you still hold a love letter from Xiao Cong'er. If she wanted to use you, you probably wouldn't have gotten that letter, would you?"
Mo Qi was momentarily speechless. "I, I mean her, the forces behind her want to use me."
Wu Fan pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "My forcing you to reveal yourself was merely to know who you are. It's not as complicated as you think. How about this: regarding alchemy, unless you are willing, no one in the Lingxiao Sect, including myself, will force you to refine pills."
Mo Qi blinked in surprise. Had he compromised so readily? Mo Qi remained unconvinced. "Knowing who I am, but not using me, then what is your motive?"
Wu Fan said calmly, "Your growth is the growth of the Lingxiao Sect. We grow together. That is enough for me."
Mo Qi's mind replayed his words as he unconsciously walked out of Wu Fan's residence and then down the mountain.
Meanwhile, at the Divine Sword Sect, Bu Qingqing was kneeling before Celestial Master Zhang, confessing her guilt. "Sect Master, I previously placed that girl in the Lingxiao Sect with the intention of having her monitor them and report any significant developments to us immediately. I never expected her to be a mole planted by the Taihe Sect within our own." Please punish me for my lack of vigilance."
Celestial Master Zhang waved his hand. "Rise. It was an unintentional mistake. Moreover, by sending her out in such a roundabout way, you have, in a sense, helped us recover some losses."
Not long after, Mo Qi appeared at the entrance of the alchemy room. He was there voluntarily to refine pills. The disciples at the door informed him of a rule that struck him like a bolt from the blue: "You may refine pills freely within the alchemy room, but all pills refined belong to the Lingxiao Sect. Private possession is not allowed. This does not apply to personally provided alchemy ingredients."
Mo Qi's anger flared. He roared, "Personally provided ingredients? Where am I supposed to get so many ingredients?"
The gatekeeper disciple completely ignored his rage and calmly replied, "You can buy them outside the sect's gates. However, we usually exchange them for contribution points." He then pointed in a direction. "Look, go up the stone steps, and the second grand hall on your right is called the Hall of Barter. There's a stone tablet at the entrance that lists all the tasks the Lingxiao Sect requires disciples to perform. Completing tasks earns you corresponding contribution points, which can then be used in the Hall of Barter to exchange for anything you desire, including magical treasures, alchemy ingredients, daoist robes... You see the clothes you're wearing? They probably haven't been changed in a long time. Would you like to..."
Mo Qi subconsciously glanced at his own clothes. He felt he couldn't stay any longer and fled as if escaping for his life.
He returned to change his clothes, thankfully having spares in his travel bag. However, there weren't many, and he was indeed quite strapped for cash.
His travel funds were dwindling. Buying a few clothes was manageable, but if he wanted to purchase alchemy ingredients, he would likely need to undertake some sect missions.
There was more than one mission tablet in front of the Hall of Barter. Based on the nature of the tasks, they were divided into the Treasure Hunting Tablet (primarily for finding treasures or magical artifacts), the Spirit Herb Tablet (for finding various spirit herbs), the Rent Collection Tablet (assisting in collecting taxes and rents from the populace and cultivation families within the sect's sphere of influence), the Alchemy Tablet, and the Conquest Tablet (assisting the sect in expanding its territory)... Among these, the Rent Collection Tablet offered the lowest contribution points, typically a few points for a single trip. The Conquest Tablet offered the highest, with a minimum of ten thousand contribution points.
The contribution points for alchemy ranged widely, from fifty thousand to one hundred thousand, depending mainly on the quality of the pills and their inherent value. For example, a top-grade Longevity Pill, which has the effect of prolonging life, offered fifty thousand contribution points; a top-grade Spirit Energy Pill, which helps cultivators increase their spiritual energy, offered eighty thousand; a top-grade Emergency Pill, which can instantly stimulate a person's potential and boost their cultivation by twofold, offered fifty thousand; and a top-grade Nascent Soul Pill, which can help Nascent Soul cultivators shorten their Nascent Soul stage and successfully break through to the Soul Division stage, offered one hundred thousand. Low-grade healing pills offered twenty contribution points; low-grade beauty pills offered ten; low-grade sleep-inducing pills offered ten; and low-grade aphrodisiac pills offered five.
Mo Qi considered for a moment and decided to refine a batch of Spirit Energy Pills. Not only would this earn him a significant amount of contribution points, but it would also help Jin Dan and the others quickly improve their spiritual energy and overcome their current difficult situation.
He then proceeded to the Hall of Barter to register for the mission, collect his contribution points and spirit stones, and then entered the alchemy room.
Upon entering, he was dumbfounded. A long queue had already formed.
It was a case of too many monks and too few ovens!
Simply put, there were many people wanting to refine pills, but the alchemy furnaces were extremely limited!
Those who entered the alchemy room first underwent initial refinement to determine the quality of the pills. Then, based on the pill quality, they would be directed to the appropriate alchemy zone for refinement.
The top-grade zone had five alchemy furnaces. As the number of people who could refine in this area was very small, there was generally no waiting.
The mid-grade zone had fifteen furnaces, and the lower-grade zone had thirty. The vast majority of people were concentrated in the mid and lower-grade areas, hence the need to queue.
There was also a special-grade zone with only one alchemy furnace, but it remained empty, as no one was qualified to use it.
Mo Qi thought to himself, as an alchemy prodigy, his pills should at least be of special-grade quality. He walked directly towards the special-grade zone.
However, he was stopped by a disciple at the entrance.
"Isn't this Vice Sect Master Mo?" the disciple said with a smile. "I recall you're quite skilled at silk drawing."
"You know I'm skilled at silk drawing, yet you won't let me in," Mo Qi said irritably.
"Drawing a thousand threads doesn't mean you can barge in recklessly, nor does it mean you can refine special-grade pills," the disciple said with disdain.
"To refine a Spirit Energy Pill, you must submit it to Steward Huang, who manages the furnace room, for appraisal. If he declares your pill to be of special-grade quality, then it is special-grade quality.
He gestured towards a room on the side, where a white-bearded old man was dozing at a table.
With no other option, Mo Qi followed the regulations and proceeded to the initial refinement area. Two people were already there undergoing initial refinement. Upon seeing Mo Qi, they both wore expressions of contempt. "Isn't this the Vice Sect Master? Why are you refining pills? Shouldn't you just use silk drawing directly?"
"I'd like to see if you can truly refine good pills solely through your silk drawing technique and the quality of the Fire Fox Larva Pupae."
"How can it be that easy? Without several years of accumulated experience, it's impossible to refine good pills."
Mo Qi ignored their sarcasm and mockery. In truth, he himself was unsure. So far, he hadn't refined many pills. The one time he refined under Xiao Cong'er's deception, he was still in a fog, and only she knew if it had been successful.
When the two finished their initial refinement and presented their pills, they were dark red and dull, resembling stones. The two men looked slightly embarrassed, knowing their quality was poor and somewhat shameful.
Mo Qi couldn't help but chuckle. This chuckle angered the two men.
They didn't leave, instead crossing their arms and glaring at Mo Qi. "Good, let's see what you're so proud of. Let's see what kind of pills you can refine."
Mo Qi glanced at them. "I have no intention of competing with you two. However, with the quality of pills you've refined, I can do better even with my eyes closed. So please, don't show them off everywhere."
"Too arrogant!" The two were thoroughly provoked. "Utterly disrespectful."
One of them, with cross-eyes, named Chu Daozhi, angrily said, "Dare you make a bet? If you can refine pills of higher quality than ours with your eyes closed, then we will never enter this alchemy room again. If you cannot refine pills of higher quality than ours, then you will also never enter this alchemy room."
The other, a big-mouthed man named Wei San, chimed in, "Agreed."
Mo Qi's spirit was ignited. "If I cannot refine pills of higher quality than yours with my eyes closed, then not only will I never enter this alchemy room, but I will never refine pills again!"
The people queuing heard the commotion and all converged towards them.
When they heard the stakes of the bet, a clamor erupted.
Many were eager to see the spectacle and egged them on. "Good, we agree! Let's do it now!"
The big-mouthed man glanced at the surrounding crowd and smiled, "With so many people as witnesses, you must keep your word then."
"I will never go back on my word!"
Someone in the crowd handed over a black cloth strip. "Blindfold yourself, to prevent cheating!"
Another person handed over a talisman. "A black cloth strip alone isn't enough. I have a restriction talisman here. Stick it on the black cloth strip, and then it's foolproof."
Are these people here to be referees?
Mo Qi accepted the black cloth strip and the talisman one by one. After preparing all the ingredients, he followed their instructions, tying the black cloth strip around his eyes and affixing the restriction talisman.