These days, although he hadn't chosen to break through, his spiritual energy had been steadily increasing with the aid of elixirs. However, the accumulation of quantity had gradually reached its peak. He sometimes felt that if his spiritual energy increased any further, he would either burst or transform into another state.
While cultivating and practicing various divine abilities, he accidentally discovered a divine ability technique hidden within his body. It felt innate, yet he seemed to have seen it performed by someone else. He couldn't recall where or by whom.
It was a lightning divine ability. When forming the hand seals, lightning would fill the sky. During the casting, myriad bolts would descend, with one specific lightning bolt relentlessly pursuing the opponent, making evasion impossible.
In his practice, by combining all his divine abilities and techniques, he had formed a new set of arts that could be infinitely varied in combat.
The arrow within his body, through his day-after-day refining, not only had its spiritual energy steadily increase but also gradually multiplied. One arrow became two, then two became four…
The Divine Sense Vajra Art had also reached the fourth level. The protective divine light shield around his body gradually thickened and seemed to be solidifying. After removing the influence of his cultivation, his own spiritual energy's destructive power and lethality also gradually increased.
As soon as Mo Qi had settled in, a commotion arose outside. A voice, laced with arrogance and anger, shouted, "Is Mo Qi there? If you are, come out. Don't hide in your room like a young lady unwilling to be seen."
It was an unfamiliar voice. Mo Qi was certain he didn't know this person. What was going on? He had just arrived and settled in, and he had already offended someone?
With a heart full of suspicion, Mo Qi walked out of his room. He saw three people standing in the courtyard. Judging by their appearances, they all looked to be in their thirties, though their actual ages were unknown.
The person in the middle had a full beard and a sturdy build, giving him a formidable aura.
The two on his left were thinner and shorter than him, looking like an adult with two children.
The voice that had just spoken was full of vigor, likely coming from the person in the middle.
Hearing the commotion, people from the nearby rooms emerged, looking like they were there to watch a show.
"What is it, Senior Brother? I've only just arrived. I'm not sure if I've offended you in any way," Mo Qi said, looking at the burly man in the middle, showing no signs of weakness.
The thin man to the right of the burly man spoke, "You still know that we are your seniors?" He pointed to the person in the middle. "This is our Eldest Senior Brother, Pi Shi." Mo Qi confirmed again that his senior brother was indeed very sturdy.
"You've been here for so long, why haven't you come to pay your respects? Even if you look down on us, you should at least show some respect to our Eldest Senior Brother. Our Eldest Senior Brother is currently at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. You haven't established your foundation yet, right? At most, you're at the Great Perfection of Spirit Condensation. What are you being arrogant about? You're just relying on your alchemy skills. What kind of skill is alchemy? Only a strong fist is the true principle."
This barrage of words hit Mo Qi like a series of blows, leaving him somewhat dazed.
Before the one called Pi Shi could speak, the person on the left sneered, "Shen Mazi, you're mistaken. He not only knows alchemy, but he's also the Vice Sect Master. Why would the Vice Sect Master come to pay respects to us ordinary disciples? We should be paying respects to the Vice Sect Master."
Pi Shi snorted and stared at Mo Qi, as if he had him cornered. "I don't care if you're the Vice Sect Master. Once you're on my territory, you have to listen to me. Today, I'll teach you a lesson. I won't make things difficult for you. Just admit your mistake and call me Eldest Senior Brother, and this matter will be over."
"What if I don't?" Mo Qi asked coldly, his voice deep.
Pi Shi met Mo Qi's gaze and inexplicably felt a tremor in his heart. This enraged Pi Shi. Damn it, he actually scared me.
It looked like a fight was about to break out. The surrounding people's eyes lit up, anticipating more entertainment.
These people were all too familiar with the situation; they had all experienced it and been subdued in this manner. In the days to come, they would all be long-term subjects of Pi Shi's tyranny. However, with each new arrival, they felt a sense of excitement because there was always someone worse off than themselves.
"I was wondering why the sun was so bright today and the magpies were chirping so cheerfully. It turns out another unlucky fellow has arrived."
"It seems I'm finally going to get a break. Forget serving tea and pouring water, forget making beds and folding quilts, forget washing clothes and cooking. Let others do it from now on."
"You're courting death!" Pi Shi roared. He formed a hand seal with his left hand, clenched his right fist, and his body swelled. His mountain-like form charged towards Mo Qi.
As soon as he clenched his fist, runes began to spin, and a mass of mist erupted, condensing into a larger fist in front of his own. It instantly expanded, and along with his body, it struck towards Mo Qi. It carried a gust of wind and momentum, with faint thunderous sounds echoing.
Judging by the trajectory of the attack, if it landed squarely, it would surely crush Mo Qi into a pulp.
However, Mo Qi, oblivious to the danger, formed a hand seal with his left hand and clenched his right fist, meeting the attack with utter recklessness. In front of his fist, a stream of light energy gradually formed, with a swirling vortex at its center. Something flashed within it, too dazzling to be clearly seen. Around Mo Qi, a layer of protective light energy also gradually enveloped him.
But the onlookers could see clearly that under Pi Shi's fist, which was larger than a room, Mo Qi's fist was almost negligible. His entire person was enveloped in the opponent's shadow.
The scene was like a giant foot stepping on an ant. The outcome was predictable. Many couldn't bear to watch and closed their eyes. A few timid individuals had already cried out in alarm, as that punch would inevitably result in a spray of blood and a bloody mess.
Pi Shi's fist continued to expand. The moment it came into contact with the protective divine light condensed from Mo Qi's lifelong cultivation, it creaked. The divine light instantly collapsed, like a flood violently hitting a thatched hut, shattering into pieces.
Mo Qi's body, along with the fragments, was sent flying backward to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood from the corner of his mouth.
With a deafening roar, like thunder erupting from the ground, Pi Shi's spiritual energy-condensed fist phantom exploded. Pi Shi's body, like a kite with a broken string, flew backward, almost falling out of the courtyard wall. With a crack, he landed on the wall and then rolled off, spitting out blood, motionless.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock!
What had happened? Pi Shi, who had held the absolute advantage, should have emerged looking heroic and refined after the fight. After all, it was an eagle catching a chicken. How could the situation be the exact opposite?
Only at the very end did many see Pi Shi's spiritual energy form suddenly deflate, as if it had been pricked by something. But what could be so sharp? What could pierce through his lifelong spiritual energy and wound him?
Only Pi Shi knew that he had indeed been pricked by something, like a thorn. It had pierced through his fist, traveled along his arm into his chest, and then passed through his chest!
But he couldn't understand, what thorn was so potent? A cactus encountering a stone roller, even its thorns would be crushed into powder, wouldn't they?
Although Mo Qi had spat out blood, after a few breaths, he was fine and stood up.
Shen Mazi and the other person stared blankly for a long time. When they saw Mo Qi walking towards them, their eyes showed infinite fear, and their legs trembled like sieves.
Mo Qi struck each of them with a punch, sending them directly into the mud. Then he leaped over, walked straight to Pi Shi, felt his breath, and found him still lively. He immediately felt more confident.
He then grabbed Pi Shi by the collar and lifted him up. Pi Shi was actually taller than him. He lowered him slightly to a lower position.
Then, he slapped him back and forth on both ears, "Hey, Eldest Senior Brother, wake up!"
Pi Shi slowly opened his eyes, his body still limp like a puddle of mud. Seeing Mo Qi's sharp gaze, Pi Shi slowly closed his eyes again.
Mo Qi raised his arm again, the slaps resounding loudly. "Hey, Eldest Senior Brother, wake up!"
Pi Shi immediately widened his eyes, daring not to close them again.
"Now, I ask you, who is in charge here?" Mo Qi said majestically.
"You!" Pi Shi gritted out the word from between his teeth.
Mo Qi gave him another slap, knocking out a few teeth that fell to the ground. "What? What did you say? I can't hear you."
"You, it's you. You're in charge here," Pi Shi shouted with all his might.
Mo Qi threw him to the ground. "You call yourself sturdy? I think you're not sturdy at all."
A round of applause and cheers erupted from the surroundings!
The mood of the onlookers also quietly shifted.
It was only then that they realized that seeing Pi Shi get disciplined was more satisfying to their hearts than seeing Mo Qi get beaten.
"Vice Sect Master!" "Vice Sect Master!"… The voices rose one after another, ceaselessly.
Mo Qi waved his hand. "I'm different from them. You don't need to praise me so much. I've experienced the taste of being praised to death." He paused and then added, "In short, if others don't offend me, I won't offend them. Let's all get along from now on. No more Eldest Senior Brother or Second Senior Brother. We are all brothers."
Another thunderous round of applause followed, lasting for a long time.
From then on, the Youth Peak was filled with an atmosphere of peace.
Mo Qi's daily work remained alchemy and cultivation, day after day. He almost forgot that he still needed to establish his foundation.
His mastery of elixirs, however, had greatly improved. He often concocted new things. One day, he accidentally refined an invisibility pill. After taking it, it proved effective, and he was incredibly excited because his long-held dream could now be realized.
He knew that in a certain spot in a forest behind the Youth Peak, one could see the bathing pool below, and the female disciples of the Youth Peak bathed there every day!
This was an absolutely heaven-sent opportunity! Foolproof! Without anyone knowing!
The very first moment, he stood there, looking with wicked intent. If it were before, he would have had to hide in the bushes, nervously and cautiously, afraid of being discovered. But now, it was blatant, and he could see everything clearly. He could even count the moles on the bodies of some female cultivators.
Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from beside him. Who was lurking there? He'd go and deal with them. Mo Qi's face showed an evil expression. As he walked over, he was stunned. He saw Wu Fan lying in the grass, drooling at the corner of his mouth.
Mo Qi was taken aback. His next thought was to leave.
"Who?" Wu Fan suddenly felt a disturbance beside him and asked alertly.
Mo Qi immediately felt a headache. He couldn't escape. With Wu Fan's cultivation, even if he couldn't see him, as long as there was any disturbance in the air, he couldn't escape his "claws." If he tried to escape, he would surely be blasted into a pulp.
Mo Qi took another pill and revealed his form.
"What a coincidence, Sect Master," Mo Qi said, looking at the sky. "I was just passing by here. Are you also passing by, Sect Master?"
Wu Fan was clearly startled, then quickly got up from the ground, wiped the drool from his mouth, and coughed dryly. "Uh, yes, I was going to Shaoqing Peak and passing through here."
"Is that so? Then I'll be going. I'm going to Youth Peak," Mo Qi said, slowly walking past Wu Fan.
When he turned his head back, Wu Fan was gone.
However, Mo Qi was burdened with a psychological load. He lived his days in constant fear, not daring to go out at night. He worried about being silenced!
Not many days later, Wu Fan issued an order to all peaks: Mo Qi had performed well over the past year, making significant contributions to the Lingxiao Sect through his alchemy, and was promoted to Vice Sect Master of the Lingxiao Sect ahead of schedule!
Mo Qi felt no joy at his promotion, but he was also relieved. It seemed he was safe now! It was obvious that this was Wu Fan's way of winning people over. Smart people just needed to accept the appointment.
Mo Qi immediately rushed to Shaoxia Peak. Firstly, to thank the Sect Master for his nurturing, and secondly, to declare his commitment, stating that he would do his best to be the Sect Master's right-hand man, work diligently in his duties, and dedicate himself wholeheartedly to the sect. He also stated that he would not see things he shouldn't see and would not say things he shouldn't say.
Wu Fan nodded with satisfaction. "Good, good. Young people have a bright future. My position will be yours sooner or later."
Despite being promoted to Vice Sect Master, Mo Qi still lived on Youth Peak, still respectfully called Han Yang "Master," and continued to cultivate under Han Yang. His days seemed no different from before. However, occasionally being addressed as "Vice Sect Master" by fellow disciples made him feel very pleased.