"Begin!" Two more heavenly lightning bolts struck, like two celestial rivers descending from the sky, roaring and magnificent.
Mo Qi did not dare to hesitate. He raised the Pangu Banner, which hovered in the air, emitting black mist that surged outwards, instantly colliding with the lightning energy. It momentarily supported the lightning energy, preventing it from descending further.
Immediately, the black mist rapidly shrank, as if a flood had surged, causing mountains to collapse and dikes to break.
As one waned and the other waxed, the lightning energy surged forward, scattering the black mist, then continued on, tearing apart the Pangu Banner. Fragments scattered across the ground.
Although his magic treasure was destroyed, Mo Qi gained precious time to escape. He unleashed his spatial technique and fled.
With a thunderous roar, the lightning energy struck a void, still emitting a deafening sound.
Mo Qi emerged from another direction, his face grim. "Still no martial ethics!"
Ye Bufan was very surprised. "You know spatial techniques?"
Mo Qi nodded. "A little!"
"Stop joking. There are two more heavenly lightning bolts, and they're coming!" Ye Bufan said with a smile.
The two heavenly lightning bolts poured down like a breached Milky Way.
Seeing their approach, surging and roaring with immense power, Mo Qi felt a pang of fear. He immediately made several strokes in the air. However, as the spatial interface had just formed, a deafening roar echoed, followed by a shower of golden sparks. The energy shattered like glass shards, scattering and permeating the air.
Mo Qi was greatly alarmed. He raised the Jade Tablet of Creation, which emitted a white light that enveloped the entire world.
Mo Qi felt his entire hand trembling, as if he were holding a sack with a giant python wriggling inside.
Immense power pressed down, and the sack almost slipped from his grasp.
However, fortunately, apart from this, he felt no other discomfort. It seemed the lightning bolts had not struck him.
He looked up and saw the dazzling light, with countless sparks like luminous beasts intertwined within, tearing at each other with hissing sounds, as if flesh and skin were being ripped apart.
Finally, a mountain-like impact struck, pushing Mo Qi's body backward at high speed.
His entire body almost flew up.
However, Mo Qi used the power of the "thousand jin drop" to resist the impulse to fly. Simultaneously, he used the momentum of his retreat to gradually dissipate the incoming force.
He looked up again and saw the white light rapidly contracting, soon resembling a flock of beasts returning to their nests, retreating back into the Jade Tablet of Creation.
As the light faded, boundless darkness once again engulfed Mo Qi.
Ye Bufan looked at Mo Qi and sighed, "I offered you fortune, but sadly, you refused it."
Mo Qi felt bewildered. "What? What fortune did you give me?"
Ye Bufan chuckled. "That heavenly lightning just now. If you had let it strike you, it would have transformed your body, nourished your soul sea, and greatly advanced your cultivation. But you refused, scattering all that fortune."
"This... that's too melodramatic. You call that fortune? Then why didn't you tell me?"
"I wanted to teach you a lesson: opportunities and dangers coexist. There's no free lunch in the world."
"Who knows if you were trying to strike me dead?"
"Here's another chance for you. It's coming again." Ye Bufan suddenly clenched his hand and then abruptly opened it.
A bubble burst forth from his hand, striking towards Mo Qi. The bubble expanded infinitely, on the verge of bursting.
"Is this a legacy?" Mo Qi asked, somewhat confused.
The continuously expanding bubble drew closer. He could almost foresee that once it struck him, it would be catastrophic, destroying everything.
This explosion would surely turn him into dust.
Instinctively, at the last moment, he unleashed his spatial technique to dodge.
The bubble struck the ground with a roar. The earth churned, rocks flew through the air, and a massive mushroom cloud surged upwards, lingering in the air for a long time.
"What's going on?" Ye Bufan said, somewhat annoyed. "I offered you fortune, and you refused it. What did you come here for then?"
Mo Qi shook his head with certainty. "Forget it. I don't want any fortune or legacy. I think it's better to be alive."
With that, he turned and walked forward.
After walking for a long time, he returned to the same spot. "Where is the exit?"
"Congratulations, you have passed the test," Ye Bufan said with a smile. "Actually, that wasn't really fortune. You saw through it."
"What? It was just a test? Tests like that can kill people," Mo Qi exclaimed angrily.
"I wanted to teach you a lesson: believe in your inner feelings, don't let others sway your thoughts. If you are easily swayed, you will fall into others' traps," Ye Bufan said.
"This... alright, whatever you say is right," Mo Qi replied.
Ye Bufan spread his hand, and several ancient texts appeared. "Choose one of these texts."
Mo Qi glanced over them. "Medical Immortal Soul Chaser," "Universe Hegemon Body Art," "Supreme Divine Ability," "Great Ancestor's Qimen"...
Before he could even read the names of the latter few, he stepped forward and took the "Medical Immortal Soul Chaser" from Ye Bufan's hand.
Ye Bufan frowned. "You prodigal! You chose the most unpromising one."
Mo Qi just instinctively felt that he desperately needed books on medical skills right now, for some unknown reason.
"Uh, you said to pick one freely."
As soon as he touched the book, it burst into flames with a whoosh.
Mo Qi was startled and immediately shook his hand.
But the flames seemed to be stuck to his hand, impossible to shake off. He hopped around in pain, then rolled on the ground, his soul feeling like it was about to leave his body.
Fortunately, the book quickly burned out. Moments later, the fire extinguished, leaving Mo Qi's hand charred black, with a faint smell of cooked meat.
Mo Qi was in tears. "Are you still testing me?"
Ye Bufan chuckled and produced another stone. "This is the true legacy. Take it."
Mo Qi dared not reach out to take it. He looked at the stone, then at Ye Bufan, and slowly got to his feet.
"Forget it, I don't want the legacy. Just let me out."
"You..." Ye Bufan was furious. "What did you come in here for?"
Mo Qi replied like a stubborn pig, "To play. What business is it of yours?"
Ye Bufan, enraged, kicked him, waking him up.
After waking up, Mo Qi realized it had all been a dream. He was still trapped in darkness.
Then, he decided to meditate and cultivate. Since he couldn't get out anyway, he might as well cultivate here.
His heart calmed down.
Once his mind was at peace, a flood of information surged into his consciousness: interpretations and treatments for various divine and difficult illnesses, as well as formulas and refinement methods for rare divine elixirs.
A thought struck him: could this be the Medical Immortal Soul Chaser?
Without time for surprise, he immediately held his breath and focused, meticulously memorizing the impressions in his mind, fearing he might miss even the smallest detail.
These things were already etched into his mind. He just needed to recall them, deepen his understanding, and make them his own mastery.
This process lasted for several hours!
Then, he stopped memorizing and began to cultivate his techniques!
The Seven Star Flame Slash he had obtained in the Liang Kingdom's palace had not been fully digested. Perhaps this was an opportune moment.
So, he took out the ancient text, reviewed the basic cultivation mantra and energy circulation methods, and began to practice.
Time continued to tick by.
Meanwhile, outside, people were growing impatient.
Everyone was speculating whether Mo Qi had met with misfortune.
Wei Sanxiao seized the opportunity to say, "It seems he cannot come out. He has been kept by the Ye family ancestor."
"What do you mean by that, always being sarcastic?" Elder Lang said. "Ever since the Third Prince returned, you haven't shown a pleasant face. What are your intentions?"
"You, on the other hand, have always been all smiles," Wei Sanxiao said with a straight face. "I'd like to ask you, why are you so subservient and fawning towards someone of unknown origin? What are your intentions?"
Elder Lang was furious. "What are you talking about? We have all verified that he is our Third Prince. No one has any doubts, only you suspect everything. Shouldn't you reflect on yourself?"
Wei Sanxiao chuckled. "Not everyone has been tested, have they?"
At this moment, a group of people approached from a distance, surrounding Sun Qian and the others. Their faces were ferocious, and their expressions were full of anger.
Elder Lang recognized them as the families of Ye Bao, Ye Changfeng, and others whom Mo Qi had killed earlier.
These people were still thinking of resisting Mo Qi!
At this moment, Sun Qian and the others were not to be outdone, preparing for battle. The atmosphere was tense, on the verge of erupting.
Zi Luo shielded Ye Qingqing behind her and said loudly, "What do you want? Mo... Ye Yun must have obtained a legacy inside, which is why he has been delayed for so long. If he comes out later and sees how you are treating us, will you still be alive?"
The Ye family members, led by Ye Bao's father, Ye Changhe, were indeed intimidated and froze for a moment.
Wei Sanxiao smiled. "Whether he obtained a legacy or not, we'll know if we go in and look."
Just then, a resonant voice approached from afar. "What are you? Is the Ye family ancestral shrine a place you can enter?"
Everyone looked towards the sound and saw a burly figure approaching. Many felt he was unfamiliar. Elder Lang recognized him at a glance as Ye Xingchen, who had just been released.
"Marquis Ye," Elder Lang said respectfully.
The other elders also bowed and shouted, "Marquis Ye!"
Ye Xingchen waved his hand at them and walked directly to Wei Sanxiao. "Did you just say you wanted to enter the ancestral shrine?"
Wei Sanxiao coughed. "I said it, but I didn't say I wanted to go in." He pointed at Ye Changhe, Ye Heng, and the others. "I was referring to them."
Ye Changhe was not afraid. He turned and looked sternly at Ye Xingchen. "I want to go in and see. What's wrong with that? If an outsider can go in, why can't I?"
Ye Xingchen had also heard about Ye Yun's return.
He also knew that if he hadn't returned, he himself would still be imprisoned.
Regrettably, he had not yet met him in person.