Chapter 29: I’m Just Saying

"I’m afraid you won’t have the chance."

Mo Qianqian clenched his fists, striking a fighting stance. His Spirit roused, and a transparent Spirit Body identical to him appeared to the front side of the brown-clad youth.

Then, a palm suddenly thrust out, chopping toward the brown-clad youth’s throat from the front as he charged over.

The brown-clad youth’s expression changed abruptly. He instinctively sensed danger, but before he could react, the Spirit Body’s palm blade heavily chopped onto his throat.

SPURT!

Blood sprayed out from the brown-clad youth’s severed throat.

"You..."

In an instant, the youth revealed a look of disbelief. However, the next moment, his entire neck was severed by the Spirit Body’s palm blade. His head separated from his body, and he died on the spot, his corpse falling forward.

Mo Qianqian couldn’t help but marvel inwardly, "Spirit Masters are truly effective killers!"

Spirit Masters were better for killing than assassins. Otherwise, with just his Body Cultivator strength, killing a Spirit Vein Realm Ninth Layer expert would have been extremely difficult.

Without overthinking, Mo Qianqian immediately stepped forward to search the body.

Finding nothing on the brown-clad youth, he was about to dispose of the corpse when he heard a commotion. It seemed Yuling Sect disciples were passing by. Mo Qianqian frowned and hastily fled the scene.

One hour later, in a mountain courtyard at the Yuling Sect.

Wu Yubai arrived in a hurry and reported to Elder Tan, "Elder Tan, this is bad!"

Elder Tan frowned. "What? Did you kill him, or did you let him escape?"

In his eyes, these were the only two bad outcomes.

"Neither." Wu Yubai looked anxious and somewhat hesitant to speak.

"Speak!" Elder Tan commanded in a deep voice.

"Someone found Tan Cheng’s corpse over twenty miles away!" Wu Yubai reported.

"What???"

Elder Tan’s body trembled violently, and he instantly flew into a rage. "Who killed him?"

Wu Yubai shook his head. "We’re not sure. Several disciples came to report it immediately after finding Tan Cheng’s body. His throat was severed. It doesn’t look like he was killed by a spirit beast, but rather a palm blade... It’s possible, just possible, that Mo Qianqian killed him."

"How is that possible? He’s only at the First Realm Fourth Level. How could he possibly kill Tan Cheng?" Elder Tan said in absolute fury.

"Then could there be someone backing Mo Qianqian? Or perhaps someone got to him first and captured him?" Wu Yubai said weakly.

"Whoever dared to kill my grandson, I will ensure they die without a burial place! Lead the way!" Elder Tan was seething with deep rage.

"Yes!"

Wu Yubai led Elder Tan to find the disciples who discovered the body, and then they headed to the woods.

Within the Yuling Sect, the news of Tan Cheng’s murder spread quickly.

"What? Tan Cheng was killed and decapitated?"

"Tan Cheng is Elder Tan Jiurong’s grandson. Who would be so bold as to kill him?"

"I heard Mo Qianqian came to the Yuling Sect and had a conflict with Elder Tan and Wu Yubai. Could it be that Mo Qianqian killed him?"

"Mo Qianqian? That former number one genius on the Hidden Dragon List who was crippled for attempting to indecently assault Ling Qingxue? Could he kill Tan Cheng? Also, what is he doing at the Yuling Sect?"

"It’s that same Mo Qianqian! He came to join the Yuling Sect, bringing along his wife, Shi Muyao, whom he married into the Southern Wilderness. They said he brought some Token, and even the Sect Leader showed up."

"Rumor has it the Sect Leader didn’t accept Mo Qianqian. But because of the Token, she accepted his wife, Shi Muyao. As for whether Mo Qianqian could kill Tan Cheng, it’s hard to say. After all, he’s a lackey of the Ling Family, and he has become a Body Cultivator—a First Realm Fourth Level Body Cultivator."

"What? His Spirit Vein was crippled, but he became a Body Cultivator instead?"

"As expected of the former number one on the Hidden Dragon List. Even that couldn’t completely ruin him!"

"The Ling Family definitely won’t let him off. Without an elder’s backing, no matter how monstrous his talent, he will likely be eliminated by the Ling Family. Furthermore, Ling Qingxue of the Ling Family has already taken his place, becoming an even more monstrous genius."

"Let alone the Ling Family, even Elder Tan probably won’t spare him."

Throughout the Yuling Sect, disciples were discussing the matter, and almost everyone suspected Mo Qianqian of being Tan Cheng’s killer.

Some were angry, while others just enjoyed the show.

Meanwhile, in a mountain courtyard, two women sat at a floral tea table. Both women were in their early twenties and possessed extraordinary temperaments.

Upon hearing the news, both showed slight surprise on their faces.

"Mo Qianqian?"

The woman in the red dress said, "It seems a storm is brewing. The former number one on the Hidden Dragon List has become a Body Cultivator and come to our Yuling Sect. And Tan Cheng just happened to die!"

"Pei Hong, Tan Cheng was decapitated. You didn’t do it, did you?" the other woman in the purple dress asked.

"Aren’t I sitting here drinking Cloud Flower Tea with you? I haven’t left the Yuling Sect during this time. Besides, do you really think the former number one on the Hidden Dragon List, who transitioned to a First Realm Fourth Level Body Cultivator after his Spirit Vein was crippled, lacks the strength to kill Tan Cheng?" said the red-dressed woman named Pei Hong.

The purple-dressed woman shook her head. "Tan Cheng’s group has always supported Shangguan Jing. If you wanted to kill him, it’s not impossible that you intentionally appeared here with me to establish an alibi. As for Mo Qianqian, if his realm were higher, he might have a chance against Tan Cheng. But at the First Realm Fourth Level, he seems to fall a bit short."

The red-dressed woman also shook her head. "You underestimate those at the top of the Hidden Dragon List. Realm doesn’t completely dictate strength.

"As for Tan Cheng, he was nothing but a lapdog for Shangguan Jing. His death won’t impact her much. However, that Shi Muyao, who entered the Yuling Sect with the Token, will probably give Shangguan Jing a headache."

Hearing this, the purple-dressed woman disagreed. "That Shi Muyao is only at the Spirit Vein Realm Fifth Level with no special talent. Even if the Sect Leader accepted her as an in-name disciple, it’s purely because of that Token. It won’t affect the Sect Leader’s Direct Disciple, Shangguan Jing, in any real way.

"Instead, she might target the two of us because of this."

"So, should the two of us join forces?" the red-dressed woman smiled.

"We don’t trust each other, do we?" The purple-dressed woman retorted, adding, "Let’s drop this topic. I won’t trust you. For all I know, you and Shangguan Jing are secretly plotting to get rid of me.

"But speaking of which, Mo Qianqian and the Ling Family are now mortal enemies. If we find him and hand him over to the Ling Family, don’t you think we could gain massive benefits and even curry favor with Ling Qingxue?"

Pei Hong neither agreed nor disagreed. She pondered for a moment before suddenly asking, "If we help Mo Qianqian, would the rewards be even greater?"

The purple-dressed woman’s expression changed. "Can you withstand the Ling Family’s wrath? This isn’t just about you. If things go wrong, the entire Yuling Sect could suffer!"

"I was just saying." The red-dressed woman smiled and didn’t bring it up again.

In another location, the Sect Leader’s Direct Disciple, Shangguan Jing, also received a report from a female disciple.

"She’s merely at the Spirit Vein Realm Fifth Level," Shangguan Jing said indifferently.

"But she is a disciple bearing the previous Sect Leader’s Token. And she’s only sixteen right now. You must keep your guard up, Senior Sister," the female disciple said.

"I am the master’s direct disciple. Did she show favoritism toward me?

"She has always advocated for ’fair competition’. Even if she becomes my junior sister, it won’t change anything!" Shangguan Jing stated.

Despite her words, a sharp glint flashed through Shangguan Jing’s eyes.

Meanwhile, far away from the Yuling Sect, Mo Qianqian had entered a vast forest.

Given his lifelong experience surviving assassinations by the Ling Family, his survival skills in the wilderness probably surpassed even some ancient masters. Entering a hidden, ancient stone forest, Mo Qianqian halted his steps.

He thought, "The Shi Family, the Chen Family, Kong Mingcheng, and Kong Ren are definitely searching frantically for me. Even people from the Cloud Void Sect have arrived. Now, add the followers of that elder from the Yuling Sect... that’s quite a lot of people."

Mo Qianqian pondered for a moment, a cold sneer flashing across his face. In the past, he had faced far more danger than this. The Shi Family and the Chen Family posed no threat to him whatsoever. The only real threats were Kong Ren, that elder from the Yuling Sect, and whatever experts the Cloud Void Sect might send.

However, in such a vast area, how easy would it be for a few threatening individuals to find him? He was top-tier at hiding and counter-tracking. If he didn’t intentionally show himself, Mo Qianqian was confident that neither those few nor anyone else would ever have the chance to find him.

"Do they think they can just track someone down and guarantee they’ll catch them? Let them play by themselves!" Mo Qianqian muttered with a smile.

He sat cross-legged on the ground and took out a First-Grade Superior Elixir to consume. His targets were Ling Qingxue and the Ling Family. These people weren’t even worthy of being his opponents!

Activating the World-Destroying Heaven-Shattering Technique, Mo Qianqian began to refine the elixir. Normally, a First-Grade Superior Elixir should only be refined by someone at the Spirit Vein Realm Fifth Level or above. But with his physical body, he was confident he could withstand it even at the First Realm Fourth Level.

One day later.

SIZZLE!

Mo Qianqian’s physical body underwent another transformation as a powerful surge of energy coursed through him.

"First Realm Fifth Layer!" Mo Qianqian was instantly overjoyed.

Operating the World-Destroying Heaven-Shattering Technique to refine elixirs indeed yielded incredible progress. His physical body had advanced once again, breaking through from the First Realm Fourth Level to the First Realm Fifth Layer! With his current strength, Mo Qianqian was confident that even without using the World-Destroying Heaven-Shattering Technique, he could defeat Wu Yubai.

"It will be hard to break through again in the short term. I should upgrade the elixirs’ spirituality first!"

Immediately, Mo Qianqian summoned his Spirit Body to elevate the elixirs’ grade. He owed the Pavilion Master a massive favor, so he naturally had to complete the cooperative task of upgrading the elixirs and deliver them as soon as possible. He also understood that to make the Pavilion Master value him, he had to demonstrate sufficient worth.

Several days later, Mo Qianqian finished upgrading all forty elixirs provided by the Pavilion Master.

Wearing a mask, he slipped into Qingcheng and once again arrived at the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion.

The person manning the counter on the first floor had changed. It was now a different young woman, also refined and beautiful. However, unlike Li Rong from before, this woman showed no arrogance on her face. Upon seeing Mo Qianqian enter, she smiled and walked briskly toward him.

"Sir, the Pavilion Master has left instructions. The moment you arrive, I am to take you to see him immediately," the beautiful woman greeted him with a smile. "However, the Pavilion Master is currently discussing matters with an important guest. Please allow me to go up and announce your arrival first."

"An important guest?" Mo Qianqian was taken aback.

Who could possibly be considered an important guest in Qingcheng? However, he didn’t think too much of it and waited in place.

Before long, the beautiful woman hurried downstairs and smiled at him. "Sir, the Pavilion Master invites you up!"

Mo Qianqian nodded slightly and followed her upstairs.

On the third floor, after receiving the Pavilion Master’s permission, Mo Qianqian opened the door and saw someone sitting opposite the Pavilion Master.

Upon seeing that person, Mo Qianqian was instantly startled.