Chapter 9: Return to the Black Lotus Mountains

"Child, after your father passed away, I was unable to take good care of you, and you have suffered quite a bit. I have always felt guilty about it. Now that you have finally succeeded in manifesting your human form, I had intended to keep you by my side to guide you well. However, it seems you have your own path to follow now, and I will not hold you back," Elder Xuan Yu said with a sense of comfort, yet also with a hint of regret.

Two individuals, both alone, from this moment on, became the closest of kin in this world

Turning away, Mo Zhiyao departed without any lingering attachment

Among the entire Mo clan, there are very few young individuals of the same generation who possess magical artifacts. Among those who own magical treasures, there are only two: one is Mo Haoming, who is renowned as the first genius of the clan and is also the only grandson of the Grand Elder Mo Tianyuan. The other is Mo Ning'er, the daughter of the clan leader Mo Wanjun

Especially in terms of danger perception, it is even more acute than that of ordinary monsters. This subtle intuition has allowed Mo Zhiyao to evade several life-threatening crises

Thus, any treasure related to flight is esteemed as part of the category of spiritual artifacts

Only by reaching the fourth level of the Return to God realm can a practitioner step into the void and soar through the skies. Before that, they can only gaze at the "emptiness" and sigh. Thus, flying artifacts are precious in this regard, as they grant practitioners below the Return to God realm the ability to fly

In comparison to treasures related to attack and defense, flying-type treasures are rarer, one in ten thousand, and their preciousness is evident.

As the number of magical patterns increases, the degree of compatibility between the ancient demonic essence within and Mo Zhiyao becomes increasingly evident, while the sensitivity of Mo Zhiyao's various senses also enhances exponentially.

Elder Xuan Yu was deeply moved by Mo Zhi Yao's call of "Grandpa," and the glimmer in his eyes made his vision blur. He rose and approached Mo Zhi Yao, helping him to his feet, and gently stroking the top of his head, he said with a choked voice: "Good child, good child"

However, this spiritual artifact is too precious for me to accept," Mo Zhiyao stood up and said sincerely. Elder Xuan Yu was right; a spiritual artifact, at a critical moment, truly is the key to survival. This gift is too heavy, so heavy that Mo Zhiyao cannot accept it

It is likely related to Mo Zhiyao's diligent and unremitting study over the previous seven years, where the accumulation of knowledge over these seven years, combined with a profound inner energy, enabled Mo Zhiyao to successfully condense the human pattern.

The gust of wind that brushed past just now carried with it a faint scent of blood, which Mo Zhiyou could subtly detect. Moreover, this scent of blood was distinctly human

The grandfather and grandson conversed late into the night, and only reluctantly did Elder Xuanyu personally see Mo Zhiyao to the door. Watching this fledgling eagle depart alone, he began to embark on his journey of soaring through the skies.

The Na Yu is a common magical tool used by cultivators to store personal belongings. It contains a square space that can hold various items, with the exception of living creatures. However, the size of the space depends on the quality of the Na Yu. Generally speaking, it is typically around one hundred zhang in circumference, which is sufficient for use

However, in just a month's time, the progress in cultivation has reached such a level, and the degree of smoothness far exceeds what Mo Zhiyao had anticipated.

However, your previous situation, which I provided for you, ended up harming you. Now, however, things are different. Seeing how you dared to accept Mo Lang's bet before, although I do not know why you were so confident, I believe you have your reasons. Therefore, these things of mine are naturally meant to be left to you; am I to take them to the grave or let others benefit from them instead? Elder Xuan Yu looked at Mo Zhi Yao before him, his kind smile revealing a hint of affection. Therefore, these things of mine are naturally meant to be left to you; am I to take them to the grave or let others benefit from them instead? Elder Xuan Yu looked at Mo Zhi Yao before him, his kind smile revealing a hint of affection.

After half a month's time, Mo Zhiyao, who had been lurking during the day and emerging at night, finally returned to the Black Lotus Mountain Range

With a push of his foot against the ground, the figure of Mo Zhiyao, resembling a spirit monkey, vanished into the dense forest that obscured the sky and sun, thus commencing his journey of slaughter and enhancement

Subsequently, Elder Xuanyu first assisted Mo Zhiyao in refining the "Lingxiao," and then informed him of the usage method. The refined "Lingxiao" is concealed on Mo Zhiyao's back, and it can be utilized as long as sufficient spiritual power is infused.

Elder Xuan Yu said to Mo Zhi Yao: "This spiritual artifact, named 'Ling Xiao', has only one function, which is to enable flight in midair"

ritual implements, magical treasures, spiritual tools, spiritual treasures

The fifth magic rune has successfully coalesced after devouring the life essence of the recently slain unicorn stone ape

A gust of wind rose from the forest, brushing against Mo Zhiyao's face, causing the branches and leaves to rustle. Mo Zhiyao's expression suddenly changed, his ears slightly trembling as they caught a faint, inaudible sound.

Leaning against an ancient tree, Mo Zhiyao took out a bag of clear water and drank it heartily, gradually recovering the stamina he had previously expended

By the way, is the space in your Na Yu sufficient? Is there anything else that needs to be prepared? Elder Xuan Yu inquired in detail, as if treating a departing child.

You are out there training alone, and I cannot be of any assistance. This spiritual artifact, keep it with you; it may save your life in a critical moment

In a relatively open area, a gigantic beast is engaged in a fierce battle with a human cultivator.

Amidst the dense forest, Mo Zhi Yao breathes in the air infused with the scent of dew, feeling so refreshed that every pore in his body seems to be indulging in a free flow of breath. The crimson light in his eyes flashes recklessly; here, this will be his first step towards the pinnacle!

And that monk, whom Mo Zhiyao recognized, was indeed the young man in splendid attire who stood behind Fu Kuan in the Shanyuan Building a month ago, and whom Mo Zhiyao regarded as a formidable rival

The red glow in Mo Zhiyao's eyes grew increasingly bright, emanating a strong sense of bloodlust. With a wave of his arm, the enormous corpse vanished into thin air.

Hahaha, silly child. I am already over a hundred years old this year. Unless something significant happens within the clan, I hardly ever go out. Moreover, I am all alone, without children or grandchildren, and I have long regarded you as my grandson. These worldly possessions will eventually belong to you.

The Black Lotus Mountain Range is seldom trodden by anyone. Previously, Mo Zhiyao and that mysterious person lived on the outskirts for ten months without encountering a single soul. This area is even deeper, yet someone has appeared here.

After advancing for approximately 10 miles, the view ahead became expansive, and the scene that came into view caused Mo Zhiyao's pupils to suddenly constrict

Mo Zhiyao furrowed his brows, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes, before ultimately becoming resolute. His ghostly figure glided towards the source of the scent, moving without making a single sound.

At this moment, Mo Zhiyao is in a position that is already quite deep. Although there is still a considerable distance to the innermost region of the Black Lotus Mountain Range, the monsters that appear here possess formidable strength. For instance, the unicorn stone ape encountered earlier already exhibits a high level of intelligence

After resting for a while, Mo Zhiyao stood up, stretched his body, and prepared to continue delving deeper

Xuan Yu. Grandfather!" Mo Zhi Yao's eyes immediately turned red, and he knelt down on both knees, respectfully bowing three times to Elder Xuan Yu.

He converged his entire aura, making even his breathing seem almost imperceptible. At this moment, if Mo Zhiyao were to remain still, unless one stood directly in front of him, even the most sensitive of beasts would likely be unable to detect his presence.

The skin of the unicorn stone ape, as solid as rock, appeared as fragile as paper before Mo Zhiyao, crumbling under pressure. Several black lines penetrated its surface, and within just a few breaths, the frantically struggling unicorn stone ape collapsed with a thunderous crash, sending up a cloud of dust

As for the spiritual artifacts, not all of the twelve elders within the clan possess them. Mo Lang is one of them; otherwise, he would not covet Mo Cang's relics. Among Mo Cang's relics, there is indeed a spiritual artifact.

Everything is ready. Yesterday, I instructed my subordinates to prepare a large amount of clean water and food, as well as some clothing and other supplies. As for the valuables, my father left me quite a bit, enough for my needs said Mo Zhiyao with a nod

Bidding farewell to Elder Xuan Yu, Mo Zhi Yao unfurled his body technique, blending into the night. Mo Zhi Yao has a particular fondness for the pitch-black darkness, and he chose to depart at the stroke of midnight.

With a long sigh, Mo Zhiyao exhaled deeply, the red glow in his eyes receding, replaced by a look of excitement. He raised his left arm, revealing five patterns of human symbols and five patterns of demonic symbols.

The days of living on raw meat and drinking blood have been quite sufficient for Mo Zhi Yao. This time upon returning, the most he has brought back is food. As for other matters, he is here to cultivate, not to indulge in leisure, and thus does not need to carry anything else

"Hmm, Zhi Yao understands." Mo Zhi Yao nodded, but secretly pondered that although he only had three human patterns, if he added the two demonic patterns, it would amount to five. As long as he could condense one more demonic pattern, the quantity would meet the minimum requirement to use "Ling Xiao." However, Mo Zhi Yao was uncertain whether human patterns and demonic patterns could be simply added together; the specifics could only be known through experimentation.

However, with your current cultivation level, you are still unable to use this 'Lingxiao'. Only when the number of human patterns reaches six or more can it be barely utilized, and to use it freely and as desired, one must reach more than sixteen human patterns. Of course, what I am referring to is the total number of human patterns, which is unrelated to the realm.

The three newly formed magical runes were created at the cost of nearly a thousand demon beasts' lives. Although the condensation of the two human runes was within Mo Zhi Yao's expectations, the smoothness of the process left him unexpectedly delighted

Leaving the Mo residence, Mo Zhiyao took one last look at this place that had left him cold at heart, the curve of his lips extremely frigid: "Mo family, I will return. By then, all that you owe me must be repaid double!"

Therefore, I suggest that during your training, you should not delve too deeply into the Black Lotus Mountain Range. At the very least, wait until after the sixth pattern, when you are able to use this 'Lingxiao', before venturing a little deeper.

Wiping away the tears at the corners of their eyes, the two sat down again

Mo Zhiyao's ghostly figure circled behind the unicorn stone ape, feet touching the ground, leaping into the air, fingers curled like hooks, suddenly plunging into its crown

Xuan Yu, Elder, this, this. Mo Zhi Yao suddenly felt that the object in his hand was as heavy as a thousand pounds, and his mind was in great turmoil, to the point that he was somewhat stammering while speaking

With a swift motion, like a razor-sharp blade, a hand sliced through the neck of a massive unicorn stone ape, as large and robust as a small mountain, sending a spray of blood mist into the air, accompanied by a piercing, mournful scream that echoed across the sky