Chapter 24: Chapter 22: Liu Hui’s Metamorphosis

In the past month, Qi Yun had broken through to the Qi Refining Realm with his perfect Refined Body.

Because of this, his older brother, Qi Tian, was overjoyed. He sent Qi Yun a batch of Cultivation Resources, personally guided his Cultivation and stood guard for him, helping him ascend to the Qi Refining Third Heaven in one go.

And it was precisely because of this that Liu Hui had managed to survive until now.

But just now, in his clash with Mo Qi, the mere force from the gust of Mo Qi’s palm had completely suppressed Qi Yun.

Seeing Mo Qi’s return, Liu Hui’s spirits lifted. He said in a hoarse voice, "You must not go to the fight! Wang Hao has already broken through past Qi Refining and reached the Refining God Realm!"

This was a secret Liu Hui had learned from Qi Yun. In his eyes, no matter how strong Mo Qi was, he could not possibly be a match for a Cultivator at the Refining God Realm.

Mo Qi’s heart warmed. He helped Liu Hui sit up and said, "You don’t need to worry about me. But look at you. It’s only been a few days, and you’ve ended up in this state."

Liu Hui gave a bitter smile. "You solved my Innate Weaknesses. I had wanted to follow you to repay your kindness, but now it seems I won’t get the chance."

Hearing this, Mo Qi poked the Pig Emperor, who was sleeping on his shoulder.

"Give me a Yellow Dragon Ghost Infant Rice Ball."

The Pig Emperor, woken from its sleep, was quite displeased. It grunted and sent a telepathic message full of dissatisfaction, ’Are you trying to dock my rations again?!’

Mo Qi had warned it not to speak human language in front of others. Otherwise, given the Pig Emperor’s status as a Spirit Beast but its lack of actual Spirit Beast abilities, it would cause huge trouble.

"Cut the crap. You almost got me killed. How dare you complain?"

While climbing the Wailing Abyss, the Pig Emperor had told him a certain place had Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures growing, instigating him to go pick and cook them.

Who knew that a powerful Yin Soul was guarding the place? If it weren’t for the fact that his Netherworld Flames were effective against such evil creatures, Mo Qi would have already met his end there.

The Pig Emperor knew it was in the wrong and grunted. From who knows where, it produced a yellow rice ball the size of a baby’s fist.

Mo Qi took it and handed it to Liu Hui.

"Eat this. Everything will be all right."

Liu Hui gave the Pig Emperor a strange look and shook his head, thinking Mo Qi was just trying to comfort him.

"There’s no need. I know my own condition. I’m already crippled."

There were some things Mo Qi couldn’t explain. He could only stuff the rice ball into Liu Hui’s mouth and force him to eat it.

The Yellow Dragon Ghost Infant Rice Ball contained Ghost Infant Grass that ripened once every five thousand years and Yellow Dragon Fruit that ripened once every two thousand years, cooked with Five Treasures Corn. Not only could it heal injuries and expel poison, but it could also reshape a Cultivator’s foundation, repair their Dantian, and even give them a chance to obtain some Dragon Race Divine Techniques.

The moment the rice ball was swallowed, Liu Hui’s eyes and mouth closed, and he fell into a strange state.

Mo Qi nodded in satisfaction. The Medicinal Cuisine was taking effect. In just a short while, Liu Hui’s injuries would be completely healed, and his Cultivation would improve. If he was lucky enough to obtain a Dragon Race Divine Technique, his future would be limitless.

Qi Yun, who was standing to the side, had no idea what was happening. He waited in place, trembling with fear.

Seeing Mo Qi look at him, Qi Yun quickly said, "Mo Qi, we can talk about this! You heard him just now—Wang Hao has already broken through to the Refining God Realm. You’re definitely no match for him. As long as you let me go, I’ll have my big brother step in and protect you. How about it?"

Afraid Mo Qi wouldn’t believe him, Qi Yun added, "Don’t worry, my big brother is a veteran Elite Disciple. His master’s lineage is no weaker than the Wang Family. As long as he steps in, he can definitely make Wang Hao back down. I swear."

Mo Qi sneered and shook his head. He pointed at Liu Hui and said, "This is a conflict between the two of you, so you two will solve it. He will wake up in ten minutes at most. You will fight him, and I will not interfere. If you win, this matter will be written off. If you lose, Liu Hui will naturally deal with you. How about it?"

Instead of being alarmed, Qi Yun was overjoyed. "Really?"

In his eyes, Liu Hui was already a cripple. Forget his injuries not healing—even if they did, he was nothing more than a cultivator at the perfect Refining Essence Ninth Heaven.

But he was at the Qi Refining Third Heaven. They weren’t even in the same league.

"When I, Mo Qi, speak, my word is my bond."

"Great! Don’t you worry, I’ll contact my big brother to step in for you afterward." Qi Yun was full of confidence, certain of his victory.

Mo Qi shrugged, said no more, and walked directly into the inner room. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

If you were to ask what he was doing, he was, of course, taking a bath. He hadn’t cleaned up in a month. ’Am I supposed to fight Wang Hao looking like a beggar?’

Ten minutes later, Liu Hui woke up.

All the wounds on his body had scabbed over, his broken limbs had recovered, and his damaged Dantian had been repaired.

When he opened his eyes, two sharp gleams of light flashed within them, causing the waiting Qi Yun’s expression to change.

’Was that an illusion?’

CRACK!

As Liu Hui moved, the scabs of dried blood on his body cracked and fell away, revealing flawless, bronze-colored skin beneath.

A surge of pent-up energy welled up inside him, and Liu Hui couldn’t help but let out a long roar.

"ROAR!"

A cry that was neither human nor beast erupted from his throat, making Qi Yun’s heart tremble in fear.

’What was that sound? Why was it so terrifying? Just hearing it made my heart pound.’

If a knowledgeable person had been present, they would have recognized that Liu Hui’s roar was strikingly similar to a dragon’s cry.

Standing up, Liu Hui shook off the dried blood, feeling better than he ever had before.

He could feel an incredibly powerful force building up inside him, waiting to be unleashed.

He turned his gaze to the stunned Qi Yun, grinning to reveal two rows of pearly white teeth. The glint off them was blindingly bright in Qi Yun’s eyes.

"Come on. Let’s fight. We’ll determine not only a winner, but also who lives and who dies."

Although he had been healing just now, he had heard Mo Qi’s words.

Qi Yun retreated several steps. He wasn’t stupid; he could clearly see that something was off about Liu Hui’s condition. It was a world of difference from before.

If the old Liu Hui was just stubborn and tough—a true man—then the current Liu Hui gave off an impression that could be summed up in a single word: pride.

His posture, his gaze, his tone—every single detailed movement radiated that same sense of pride.

Standing before him, Qi Yun actually felt a sense of inferiority.

’How could this be?’ Qi Yun couldn’t understand it at all.

He suddenly remembered the rice ball Mo Qi had fed to Liu Hui before leaving. ’Could it be...’

It was completely unbelievable, but aside from that explanation, Qi Yun couldn’t think of any other possibility.

"What, are you scared?" Liu Hui smiled proudly.

Qi Yun’s expression tightened. He composed himself and carefully sized up Liu Hui, discovering that although his aura had changed dramatically, his Cultivation was still stuck at Refining Essence Ninth Heaven. He was instantly reassured.

"Hmph. Since you’re in such a hurry to die, I’ll grant your wish!"

Qi Yun attacked first, rousing his True Essence and striking out with a fist.

"Tiger Roar Fist!"

For a moment, his True Essence surged, coalescing in the air to form a ferocious tiger that lunged toward Liu Hui.

Liu Hui raised his hand. With a slight shift of his will, the powerful force within him found an outlet and surged forth, rushing into his Meridians and flesh.

"ROAR!"

A clear dragon’s cry echoed from within Liu Hui’s body as tiny, shimmering golden Dragon Scales appeared on his skin.

Vast True Essence instantly converged in his Dantian. The bottleneck of the Refining Essence Realm shattered, and his Cultivation began to skyrocket.

But Liu Hui had no time to pay attention to that; he threw a punch to meet Qi Yun’s attack.

Before his fist even made contact with Qi Yun, a suffocating pressure crushed the tiger formed of True Essence, causing it to evaporate.

"No!" Qi Yun shrieked in terror.

But Liu Hui’s fist didn’t stop. It landed on his chest.

BOOM!

With a deafening bang, Qi Yun was torn to shreds by the tyrannical force, his flesh and blood turning to dust that scattered across the ground.

Even in death, Qi Yun never would have imagined he would meet such an end.

However, Liu Hui’s movements did not stop. The aura around him was still growing stronger.

A surge of Dragon Energy shot out from his Dantian and rushed straight to his mind.

Gradually, his eyes turned red. His consciousness could no longer control the explosive increase in power, and he became lost within the Dragon Energy.

The golden scales grew even more dazzling, and his hands actually began to show signs of transforming into Dragon Claws.

"KILL!"

Liu Hui’s explosive shout shattered the entire house. Just as he was about to go berserk, a large hand pressed down on his skull.

BAM!

An irresistible force brought Liu Hui to his knees.

"KILL! KILL! KILL!"

Liu Hui struggled and roared, but he could not break free from that hand.

"Kill what? Can’t I even take a bath in peace?" Mo Qi suppressed the rampaging Liu Hui with one hand while tying his pants with the other.

At this moment, Liu Hui’s hands, which had partially transformed into Dragon Claws, grabbed Mo Qi’s arm, intending to use his strength to flip him over.

"Snap out of it!"

Mo Qi twisted his wrist, flicking Liu Hui’s hands away. He then grabbed him by the neck and, with simple brutality, swung him up and smashed him violently into the ground.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Once, twice, three times...

As Mo Qi thrashed him about, the madness in Liu Hui’s eyes gradually faded, and he regained his senses.

"Hiss..." Liu Hui sucked in a sharp breath.

"Ow, ow, ow! I’m awake now, stop swinging me around!"

Mo Qi put Liu Hui down, finished getting dressed, and smiled. "Not bad. You actually obtained the Dragon Transformation Divine Technique."

Liu Hui caught his breath and then, with a THUD, knelt before Mo Qi.

"My Lord, you have saved my life twice now. I, Liu Hui, have no way to repay you. I only ask to follow by your side, to serve you loyally for the rest of my life. I will never betray you. If I ever have a disloyal thought, may my body and soul be obliterated, never to enter the cycle of reincarnation!"

Whether it was because of the debt of gratitude or Mo Qi’s god-like, miraculous methods, Liu Hui had decided to follow him no matter what.

Just ten minutes ago, he was a cripple with broken limbs and a shattered Dantian. But with just a single rice ball, he was now full of life and vigor, and his Cultivation had increased dramatically.

If he wasn’t mistaken, his Cultivation had now stabilized at the Qi Refining Sixth Heaven.

If he hadn’t experienced it himself, Liu Hui would never have believed such a miracle was possible.

Mo Qi was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "Brother Liu Hui, what are you doing? Get up, quickly."

Liu Hui did not get up. He said stubbornly, "Please grant my request! If you do not agree, I will kneel here until you do."

Mo Qi was so exasperated he had to laugh. He’d only ever heard of people begging for favors; he’d never seen someone beg to be a slave.

"Fine, fine, fine. If you want to follow, then follow. But from now on, we’ll call each other brothers. No master or subordinate."

"Yes, My Lord." Liu Hui was overjoyed. He stood up excitedly, swinging his arms to feel the explosive increase in his power.

"I said, we’re brothers from now on. You don’t need to call me ’My Lord’," Mo Qi emphasized.

"Yes, My Lord."

Mo Qi: "..."

"My Lord, just how strong are you?" Liu Hui asked curiously. He had always thought that even if Mo Qi was stronger than him, it was only by a little bit.

But just now, when he had gone berserk, although his Cultivation was only at the Qi Refining Sixth Heaven, his actual combat strength was likely far greater than that of an ordinary Qi Refining Ninth Heaven cultivator.

Even so, Mo Qi had casually beaten him to the ground with one hand.

Mo Qi didn’t answer, only smiled faintly.

"Let’s go. It’s time to see an old friend."