Chapter 74: Chapter 72: Assassinating Mo Qi

From the bottom of his heart, Mo Qi had no desire to speak with someone like Qi Tian. The man was a meddlesome fool with no real skill, yet he loved to put on airs.

No matter how many times he was put in his place, he never seemed to learn, always spouting the same meaningless drivel.

"And you?" Mo Qi turned to Diao Qing. "What’s your grievance with me?"

’It made sense for Qi Tian to be making trouble for him. After all, he was connected to Qi Yun’s death. Avenging one’s brother was a matter of course.’

Diao Qing smiled warmly. "There is no enmity between us, but you’ve offended someone you shouldn’t have. Don’t worry, we won’t kill you. If you come with us obediently, you might even be spared any physical suffering."

"Heh. So Wang Xinglong sent you, just as I thought. No need to test me. Whether you want to kill me or capture me, let your actions speak for themselves!" Mo Qi said coolly.

Diao Qing was quite surprised. Mo Qi had actually seen through his probing.

If Mo Qi had shown even a flicker of hesitation at the offer of being spared death and pain, Diao Qing would have struck instantly, forcefully crippling him.

But the smarter a person was, the more suspicious they tended to be. Mo Qi’s reaction made him difficult to gauge.

’Is he bluffing, or is his confidence real?’

Until he was sure, Diao Qing didn’t dare to act rashly.

Qi Tian had no such reservations. Qi Yun’s death had been a constant torment, and he had sacrificed much for a chance at revenge. He had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

"I’ll make you kneel before me, you worthless trash, and beg me for mercy!"

Qi Tian struck first. Using a Body Technique, he closed the distance in a few quick bounds and appeared before Mo Qi, his hand shooting out to grab his neck like an eagle seizing a chick.

He intended to suppress Mo Qi with this humiliating gesture, to make him understand the vast gulf in their power.

Diao Qing remained in place, a sharp glint in his eyes, his thoughts a mystery.

Just as he was about to grab Mo Qi’s neck, a triumphant smile appeared on Qi Tian’s face.

PAK!

A soft crack, and the smile on his face froze.

Mo Qi had extended a single finger and pressed it into the center of Qi Tian’s palm, stopping his hand dead just a foot away.

"How is that possible!"

Qi Tian’s face drained of color. His grab might have seemed casual, but he had actually used fifty percent of his power.

That was half the power of an expert at the Refining God Ninth Heaven!

And Mo Qi had blocked it with a single finger.

The visual impact of this stunned not only Qi Tian himself, but also Diao Qing, whose jaw dropped in disbelief from a distance.

"I refuse to believe a good-for-nothing like you is this strong!" Qi Tian roared, violently grabbing the finger pressed against his palm.

This time, he used his full strength, intending to snap Mo Qi’s finger.

"You dare look down on me? I’ll make you regret it!"

Yet, no matter how much force Qi Tian exerted, he couldn’t budge the finger one bit.

He felt as if Mo Qi’s finger was even harder than a Mystic-Level Weapon.

Back at the bottom of the Earth-level Spiritual Ore, Mo Qi had absorbed the energy radiating from the Spirit Marrow, which had pushed his Seventh Turn Foundation Establishment of the Nine Transformations into Spirit to its absolute peak.

What exactly was Foundation Establishment?

In the process of the "Nine Transformations into Spirit," Mo Qi had experienced the First Transformation Spirit Communication, the Second-Turned Live Fetus, the Third Transformation Breath, the Fourth Transformation: Bone Tempering, the Fifth Transformation Nourishing Divine Being, and the Sixth Transition Essence Purification.

These stages respectively reshaped Mo Qi’s Spirit, Fetus, Breath, Bones, Divine Being, and Essence, causing him to undergo a six-part metamorphosis.

Foundation Establishment, then, was the process of coordinating these six foundational aspects: Spirit, Fetus, Breath, Bone, Divine Being, and Essence.

If Spirit, Fetus, Breath, Bone, Divine Being, and Essence were the bricks and tiles, then Foundation Establishment was the process of using them to construct a great tower.

Now, that tower was complete, and Mo Qi’s physical body was several times more powerful than before.

This was one of the reasons why, even without his Domain, he could contend directly with someone in the Purity Realm.

Qi Tian was only at the Refining God Ninth Heaven, making him far, far weaker than Mo Qi.

The two of them weren’t even in the same league.

Qi Tian had been driven half-mad by his brother’s death, losing his former composure, but his combat instincts were still sharp.

Two consecutive failed moves made him understand that Mo Qi was absolutely not the weakling he had imagined.

On the contrary, he was a supreme master who had hidden his abilities incredibly well!

"Diao Qing, what are you waiting for? Let’s attack together!"

Qi Tian gritted his teeth and once again activated the Combat Secret Technique he had used during their duel, his aura swelling explosively.

But when he turned his head, he saw no sign of Diao Qing.

’That damn bastard actually ran away!’ Qi Tian cursed under his breath. Instead of retreating, he advanced, lunging at Mo Qi with reckless abandon.

Mo Qi shook his head. ’This fight is so dull. What a waste of time.’

If not for certain reasons that made him hesitant to reveal his full power, he would have summoned his External Incarnation to fight in his stead long ago.

"I won’t lose to you! I will avenge Qi Yun! Even if I die, I’m taking you with me!"

Roaring, Qi Tian threw his arms around Mo Qi, pinning his arms to his sides and holding him tight.

At that exact moment, a shadowy light suddenly appeared behind Mo Qi, aimed straight at the back of his head.

"Die!"

The attacker was, of course, Diao Qing.

After Mo Qi demonstrated his formidable power, he knew he was no match for him in a head-on fight.

Thus, he had used a Secret Technique to melt into the shadows, creating the illusion of an escape.

In reality, he had been circling nearby the whole time, waiting for an opportunity.

When Qi Tian used his own body as a set of chains to bind Mo Qi, Diao Qing launched his fatal strike.

His custom-made gloves were indestructible, and each of the ten fingertip blades was coated in a lethal poison: Instant Death.

"Heh." Mo Qi let out a soft chuckle. ’I’ve been waiting for you.’

With a mere thought, his Sword Skill Domain fell upon them.

Both Qi Tian and Diao Qing were frozen in place by the Domain Power, unable to move in the slightest.

The two men’s faces went pale, filled with utter terror.

"Th-this... this is a Domain?!"

Diao Qing had thought Mo Qi might be strong, but he had never dreamed he would have mastered a Domain.

’To hell with him being a "Kitchen Hand"!’

’To hell with the "Refining Essence Realm"!’

’To hell with "unable to condense True Essence"!’

If someone like Mo Qi could be called useless, then weren’t so-called geniuses like them even worse than useless?

He finally understood why a peerless genius like Liu Hui was willing to follow Mo Qi as a subordinate.

At the Void Sect, those self-important disciples who had tried to cause trouble for Mo Qi had all been taken down by Liu Hui.

Everyone had assumed Mo Qi avoided these fights because he was a powerless coward.

They never knew the truth: Mo Qi was simply too powerful. He couldn’t be bothered to act, couldn’t be bothered to waste his time on a group of immature fools.

Diao Qing knew he had been wrong. His master, Wang Xinglong, had been wrong. The entire Void Sect had been wrong!

’Perhaps what Mo Qi has shown is still just the tip of the iceberg,’ he thought. ’And don’t forget, it’s not just Liu Hui. Yang Ming and Yu Liang are also unbreakably loyal to him!’

It was impossible to imagine what sort of power could command the loyalty of a mighty Void Realm Elder and the chief Alchemy Master.

In that moment, a thousand thoughts raced through Diao Qing’s mind.

Though he had been cautious and prudent, and had never truly looked down on Mo Qi, the man was far, far more powerful than he had ever imagined!

Mo Qi pushed Qi Tian aside and removed Diao Qing’s gloves.

"Poison from a Black Mamba Snake Demon. Instant Death. Guaranteed to kill anyone below the Void Realm. You’re quite ruthless," Mo Qi remarked, casually playing with the gloves.

"Indeed. But your insight is even more venomous than the poison," Diao Qing replied with a gentle laugh, his voice mild.

Once out of combat, Diao Qing reverted to the harmless guise of a gentle scholar.

"To be defeated by a Domain... I, Diao Qing, accept my loss completely. However, I have one question, and I hope you can enlighten me." Diao Qing showed no fear of death, instead speaking with the casual air of an old friend.

Mo Qi remained noncommittal, merely looking at Diao Qing.

"What realm are you, exactly?"