"May I ask for your names, seniors?"

The three elders looked quite similar, but Mo Qi could tell they weren’t related by blood, nor were they actual brothers.

The three elders exchanged glances as they savored the aftertaste of the hot pot.

Soon, the elder at their head spoke up.

"We’ve lived in the Secret Realm for so long that we’ve forgotten our old worldly names. Instead, we use our generational title as a surname and our rank as our first name."

Another elder picked up where he left off, "We’re from the ’Ni’ generation. This is Brother Ni, I’m Second Brother Ni, and he’s Third Brother Ni."

"Your brother? Your second brother? And your third brother?" Mo Qi was baffled. ’Are those even names?’

"No, no! Not the word ’your,’ the name ’Ni’!" the head elder specifically pointed out.

’Heh! They sound exactly the same. What’s the difference?’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Mo Qi remained poker-faced, but he was laughing on the inside.

’They must have made these names up on the spot. Did they really think I didn’t see them signaling each other?’

’At least put some effort into it!’

"So, you can also call us Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother," the three elders said with perfectly straight faces, not a hint of a blush among them.

’Big Brother? Second Brother? Third Brother?’

Mo Qi wasn’t an idiot; he understood immediately.

’These three have been won over by the hot pot. But they’re too concerned with their pride to just come out and say they want to be friendly.’

’But aren’t these names they came up with even more embarrassing?!’

Mo Qi was too exasperated to even complain in his head, but he wasn’t about to refuse the three elders’ gesture of goodwill.

’Who knew if these old monsters, who had lived for over a thousand years, had fickle tempers? It would be a disaster if they suddenly turned on him.’

Thinking this, Mo Qi braced himself and called them out one by one.

"Big Brother... Second Brother... Third Brother..."

"Excellent, excellent! Well done! Hahaha." The three elders were deeply gratified and burst into hearty laughter.

"By the way, young man, today isn’t one of the days the Secret Realm is open. How did you get in? And who sent you?" Brother Ni, the leader, suddenly recalled something and asked with a smile.

"The Sect Leader sent me here to challenge the Void Road."

Mo Qi then recounted the whole story of his judgment by Yun Xuzi, including the incident with the Earth-level Spiritual Ore, explaining the entire sequence of events.

As Mo Qi spoke, the smiles on the three elders’ faces gradually vanished, and their expressions slowly darkened.

"This is absurd!" Third Brother Ni, the youngest of the three, had the shortest temper.

"Has that brat Yun Xuzi really gotten this foolish?"

’Judging Mo Qi? Doubting his talent and ability?’

’He had half a mind to go out right now, crack open Yun Xuzi’s skull, and see if it was filled with mush.’

’At sixteen, he can kill a Second-Level Demon Rabbit—equivalent to a Late-stage Purity Realm cultivator—with a single punch, and his skill with Medicinal Cuisine is masterful. If that doesn’t qualify him to be a Core Disciple, to be called a genius, then who does?’

’Making a rash decision without fully understanding the truth or confirming Mo Qi’s actual strength is not the mark of a competent leader.’

The three elders began communicating via telepathy.

"It seems we gave him too much free rein. That brat Yun Xuzi isn’t as cautious as he once was. He’s made a mess of the Void Sect."

"Indeed. He completely ignored so many suspicious details. And as for the Earth-level Spiritual Ore, the outcome may have been good, but the way it was handled was atrocious."

"We should pay a visit to the outside world. It’s not just for the boy, Mo Qi, but for the sake of the Void Sect itself."

After reaching a consensus, Brother Ni looked at Mo Qi and asked, "Young man, don’t you worry. With the three of us around, no one in the Void Sect will dare put you on trial again. Do you want to leave now, or do you want to challenge the Void Road?"

Mo Qi had anticipated that the three elders would back him.

As for the Void Road, after careful consideration, Mo Qi decided to challenge it now.

He had a feeling that once he left the Secret Realm this time, he might never have the chance to return.

"Uh... Big Brother, this junior wishes to challenge the Void Road."

"Excellent. To be honest, we are also quite eager to see how you’ll perform."

The three elders joined hands, and as they dispersed the dense fog, a towering and magnificent mountain appeared before Mo Qi’s eyes.

Its peak was lost in the clouds, and its breadth stretched beyond sight.

Countless Spiritual Medicines and Treasures grew upon the mountainside, radiating a lustrous glow. A thick, invigorating essence of flora washed over him, revitalizing his spirit.

Mo Qi was stunned by the sight. ’An entire mountain of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures... Just how much Medicinal Cuisine could he make with all this!’

He finally understood why the Secret Realm was the backbone of the Sect’s growth, and why experts at the Void Realm and above longed to practice their Cultivation here.

’This isn’t a Secret Realm, it’s a treasure trove!’

The Pig Emperor, perched on Mo Qi’s shoulder, stared blankly at the mountain before them.

"Mo Qi, my ancestral memories were just triggered. Some new information has surfaced in my mind, and I haven’t sorted it all out yet. But my intuition tells me this mountain is more than it seems."

Hearing the Pig Emperor’s telepathic message, Mo Qi gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Just then, a passage just wide enough for a single person to walk through split open at the base of the mountain.

"Go on. The Void Road is inside."

Mo Qi strode forward and entered. Liu Hui had told him that challenging the Void Road was a wondrous process with numerous benefits.

However, as he stepped into the passage, the Chaos Scripture in his mind trembled faintly. An incomparably majestic power radiated from it, and a blinding light illuminated the corridor, as bright as day.

"The Secret Realm Soul, born and nurtured by heaven and earth, is an exceedingly rare and miraculous object. It can be absorbed by the Sea of Consciousness to nourish a Soul Flame."

The emotionless voice of the Chaos Scripture sounded in Mo Qi’s mind.

’Soul Flame? What’s that?’

"The Soul Flame, also known as Knowledge Fire, is a flame of the spirit. It can merge with the Celestial Fire within your body to complete a metamorphosis. Its effects are threefold: first, it strengthens the soul; second, it can subdue the Netherworld Flame; and third, it tempers both will and physique."

Mo Qi’s heart leaped at the words. All three effects of the Soul Flame were related to increasing his power.

’For me, this is fantastic news!’

’But... the Secret Realm Soul. It sounds like the very lifeblood of this Secret Realm.’

’If I just let the Chaos Scripture absorb it, what would happen?’

The Chaos Scripture, sensing his thoughts, answered, "The Secret Realm will collapse."

’What? The Secret Realm will collapse?!’

Mo Qi hesitated. Although Yun Xuzi’s actions had reduced his sense of belonging to the Void Sect to nothing, this was still the place where he had grown up.

The Secret Realm was the source of the Void Sect’s power and the place where the three elders lived and practiced their Cultivation.

If the Secret Realm were to collapse, the Void Sect would lose its ability to compete with the other Three Great Sects. It wouldn’t be long before it fell from the ranks of the Four Great Sects, and might even be slowly consumed and annexed by the other three.

When that time came, the people of the Void Sect would be plunged into misery, and countless lives would be lost.

Mo Qi had considered getting revenge on Yun Xuzi, but he wasn’t about to drag so many innocent people down with him.

Besides, Yu Liang and Yang Ming were also members of the Void Sect. If the Sect fell, they wouldn’t escape the consequences either.

So, after much deliberation, Mo Qi decided to forgo this incredibly tempting opportunity.

After he explained the situation to the Pig Emperor, it rolled its eyes. "Are you an idiot? That so-called Secret Realm Soul... just don’t absorb all of it! Absorb a portion of its power and leave enough behind to sustain the Secret Realm. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?"

’Huh?’ Mo Qi was stunned. ’You can do that?’

And finally, the Chaos Scripture told him: Yes!