Chapter 1: Mo Zhi Yao
A crisp sound, akin to the shattering of glass, echoed as the patterns transformed into a ball of fluorescence, scattering around like fireworks. Mo Zhiyao's heart sank to the depths. Elder Xuan Yu also wore a face of disappointment, yet upon seeing Mo Zhiyao's evident despondency, he managed to force a smile and gently said: "Do not lose heart; this time is much better than the last. We were only a little short of success. Go back and practice more, and try again after some time."
"Do not give up, there is definitely still hope," Elder Xuanyu said gently in a low voice, his eyes filled with encouragement, yet still unable to conceal a hint of compassion
Surrounded by the crowd, Mo Heng wore a proud expression akin to the moon being embraced by the stars. A casual glance caught his attention, and he was momentarily taken aback, followed by a smirk of mockery curling at the corners of his mouth
Apart from the rustling sound of the wind, no one answered Mo Zhiyao's questions
Although this is the back mountain, it is still within the territory of the Mo family. The fact that this person could appear here without alarming anyone, not even Elder Xuan Yu who was just present, how could Mo Zhi Yao not feel a chill of fear?
Father The disheveled strands of hair obscured the overwhelming hatred in Mo Zhiyao's eyes His frail figure appeared so desolate and lonely under the slanting rays of the setting sun
Feeling the spiritual energy entering his body, Mo Zhiyao closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and allowed the spiritual energy in his dantian to flow throughout his body under the guidance of Elder Xuan Yu, ultimately converging in his left arm
Ah! The oppressive roar pierces through the night, allowing anyone to hear the pain and despair within. Elder Xuan Yu, who has reached the foot of the mountain, pauses his steps, and the compassion in his eyes deepens.
The nails dug deeply into the palm, and the blood flowing between the fingers dripped onto the ground, appearing so glaring.
"What happened to your face?" Upon seeing the bloodstains on Mo Zhiyao's face, Elder Xuan Yu's expression changed. "Is it another attack from Mo Henggan?"
Elder Xuan Yu sighed in his heart, comforted Mo Zhi Yao with a few words, and then turned to leave
Starting at the age of five, Mo Zhiyao began to practice the fundamental techniques just like the other children in the clan
The difference in strength between a single pattern promotion and a nine-pattern promotion is completely like heaven and earth. Therefore, everyone strives to improve themselves, as even an additional single pattern can lead to a significant disparity in combat power after promotion
Mo Zhiyao nodded. Over the years, Elder Xuan Yu had been helping him, but unfortunately, he had not lived up to expectations
A gust of wind blew, lifting the cuff of the left sleeve pressed against the tree trunk, revealing a somewhat pale arm. Mo Zhiyao's gaze fell upon the arm, and the pain in his eyes deepened.
A mysterious pattern, shimmering with a faint silver light, gradually emerged on Mo Zhiyao's left arm. The radiance intensified, and the pattern became clearer.
Alright, let's not dwell on that. Zhi Yao, let's see what progress has been made today. Elder Xuan Yu stepped forward, took Mo Zhi Yao's left hand, grasped her wrist, and a thread of pure spiritual energy flowed in, guiding the spiritual energy that Mo Zhi Yao had stored in her dantian.
This is the back mountain of the family. Ever since the death of his father, Mo Cang, Mo Zhiyao moved out from the inner courtyard and built a thatched cottage on the back mountain, living alone.
To be expelled from the clan is equivalent to severing all ties with the Mo family, no longer being a member of the Mo family. Naturally, Mo Zhiyao has no right to enter the Mo family ancestral hall to pay respects to his father, Mo Cang
Mo Zhiyao's disregard ignited Mo Heng's pent-up anger. He snorted coldly, his disdainful voice rising a few notches, laced with a hint of malice: "Useless! Just like your deadbeat old man, both of you are useless!"
As soon as he spoke, Elder Xuan Yu noticed the instant dimming of Mo Zhi Yao's eyes, realizing he had misspoken, and quickly changed the subject
Mo family's first genius, Mo Haoming, has successfully condensed seven lines of runes, which allowed him to advance to the Gathering Qi Realm. Now, he has condensed five more lines, and it seems that this is not his limit, thus he has not yet advanced to the Spirit Transformation Realm
Mo Zhiyao's breathing became almost imperceptible, as he cautiously and steadily channeled the spiritual energy within him into the patterns on his left arm, not daring to be the slightest bit careless
The silver pattern grew increasingly bright and dazzling, becoming clearer as the pulse on Mo Zhiyao's arm throbbed rhythmically, witnessing the complete and splendid pattern about to fully take shape
The Twelve Levels of Cultivation: the first level is to gather Qi, the second level is to transform the spirit, and the third level is to absorb essence. However, prior to this, it is necessary to condense the Human Pattern! Only by successfully condensing the Human Pattern can one step into the first level and begin the true path of cultivation
Mo Heng's father, Mo Lang, is one of the newly appointed twelve elders of the clan, taking the place of Mo Zhi Yao's father, Mo Cang. Many years ago, Mo Lang and Mo Cang competed for the position of elder, and as a result, Mo Cang emerged victorious, leading to a strained relationship between the two families, with their descendants also harboring mutual animosity.
The spinning body flew out like a cannonball, crashing down into the dust. "Puff!" A spray of fresh blood gushed out, and Mo Zhiyao felt as if his chest were on fire, with waves of darkness washing over his vision.
Mo Zhiyao's expression showed not the slightest fluctuation, as if he had not heard anything, and he walked straight past Mo Heng and his group without even casting a glance at Mo Heng
Furthermore, if you are expelled from the clan, you will no longer have the opportunity to pay respects and bow to that dead old man of yours!" Lowering his head, Mo Heng approached Mo Zhi Yao, and the smile on his face appeared particularly cruel
By condensing a human pattern, one can advance to the Gathering Qi Realm. However, once this advancement is made, it becomes irreversible. Any subsequent human patterns that are condensed can only be used to advance to the next level, the Spirit Transformation Realm
However, being rebuffed by the person he had always looked down upon, Mo Heng felt a loss of face, embarrassed in front of everyone, which ignited the ferocity within him. He immediately cast aside the slightest regret in his heart and shouted angrily: "I say you are worthless, and your father is worthless too! What do you think about that?"
Mo Zhiyao gave a bitter smile without saying a word. Although Elder Xuanyu is one of the twelve elders of the clan, he is known for his peaceful demeanor and does not enjoy vying for power and profit. Mo Zhiyao did not want to provoke a conflict between Elder Xuanyu and Mo Lang, Mo Heng's father, who is also one of the twelve elders, due to his own matters
Elder Xuan Yu. Mo Zhi Yao quickly stood up, looking at the kind old man across from him, feeling a warmth in his heart. Ever since his father, Mo Cang, passed away, the only one in the clan who has consistently treated him well is this Elder Xuan Yu. After Mo Zhi Yao moved to the back mountain, Elder Xuan Yu would often come to visit him.
"Oh, isn't this the first good-for-nothing of the Mo family, Young Master Mo Zhiyao?" Mo Heng stopped in his tracks, crossing his arms, with a blatant hint of provocation. The people beside him also halted, looking forward at Mo Zhiyao with mocking expressions.
Ah! With a roar of anger, all the repression in Mo Zhiyao's heart was completely ignited by Mo Heng at this moment, like a volcano erupting, unstoppable. His frail body resembled a moth drawn to the flame, suddenly charging towards Mo Heng, whose size was twice his own.
However, when Mo Cang was still alive, Mo Heng was somewhat restrained. Now that Mo Cang is dead and Mo Lang has ascended to the position of elder, Mo Heng has begun to act without restraint.
For seven years without interruption, the spiritual energy within Mo Zhiyao has been exceedingly abundant, yet for some unknown reason, he is unable to condense the human pattern
With each advancement in realm, one is granted an opportunity to recondense the human pattern, with a minimum of one being able to be condensed. However, if the number of human patterns condensed at each level is too few, the realms that can be attained will also be limited, making further advancement impossible. The reason is simple: the foundation is too weak
"That good-for-nothing Mo Zhi Yao, how can he be compared to our brother Mo Heng? At the age of 12, he still can't even condense a single pattern. Moreover, his elder father has been dead for over a year. If it weren't for his father protecting him all this time, he would have been expelled from the clan long ago." The bamboo-pole-like Mo Yang also wore a similarly disdainful expression
Indeed, indeed! Brother Mo Heng's father is one of the Twelve Elders, how could his qualifications be lacking?" Another youth, slender like a bamboo pole, echoed in agreement.
"Seeking death!" Mo Zhiyao, who had always endured insults without retorting and allowed himself to be manipulated, unexpectedly resisted in public, which only intensified Mo Heng's anger. He threw a punch, accompanied by a whistling sound, that struck fiercely against Mo Zhiyao's chest.
Mo Zhiyao's steps suddenly came to a halt, and he turned around. His eyes were instantly filled with bloodshot veins, and he looked at Mo Heng with a gaze as fierce as a starving wolf. His cold voice seemed capable of freezing the air as he spoke slowly and deliberately: "Who do you say is useless?"
Turning around, Mo Zhiyao's pupils suddenly constricted as a figure that could be described as enormous appeared behind him, seemingly out of nowhere. At the age of twelve, Mo Zhiyao barely reached the height of the other party's knees.
With a punch, he struck the ancient pine tree beside him, and bright red blood flowed down through his fingers. Mo Zhiyao's expression was blank, yet the hint of pain flickering in his eyes revealed that his heart was not as calm as it appeared on the surface
Brother Mo Heng is capable of condensing five lines of patterns; even when compared to our Mo family's top genius, Mo Haoming, he is only two lines short. In my opinion, ranking in the top five is not a problem at all
"Why?" Mo Zhi Yao is like an injured wild beast, licking its wounds alone in a desolate place. "Why can't it condense into a human form?"
Mo Heng is thirteen years old this year and has condensed five lines of patterns. How could Mo Zhiyao, who is one year younger and has not even condensed a single line of patterns, be a match for him? He was brutally sent flying
The bitterness on Mo Zhiyao's face was unmistakable, and with a nonchalant nod, he smoothed down his cuffs to cover his arms
Haha, with five lines on my palm, I am more than capable of ranking in the top ten among the entire clan
However, individuals possess different qualifications; some can only condense a single pattern at most, which is already their limit, and they do not advance further, unable to condense a second pattern.
"Since you and I are both in such despair, let us give each other one last chance!" A voice, deep enough to shake the soul, echoed in the mind. Following that, a massive hand grasped the frail body of Mo Zhiyao, and the enormous figure melted into the night.
The sudden sound of conversation coming from afar caused Mo Zhiyao's expression to quickly withdraw, becoming wooden once again. His left arm, which was resting against the tree trunk, was lowered, and the hanging sleeve concealed his bare arm.
Although no one drove him out, Mo Zhiyao had already discerned a great deal from the attitude of the servants. At such a young age, he had already experienced the vicissitudes of human emotions.
With the soles of his shoes caked in mud and sand, he forcefully ground them against Mo Zhiyao's face twice. Mo Heng turned around, raising a reckless and unrestrained laugh, and left with a group of youths. Struggling to get up from the ground, Mo Zhiyao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, hastily brushed the sand and mud off his face, and staggered towards his residence.
A gentle voice sounded, and an elderly man dressed in blue appeared behind Mo Zhiyao without anyone noticing.
When the empty bright moon was obscured by a massive figure, Mo Zhiyao could only see the pair of blood-red eyes that sent shivers through his very soul.
Mo Zhiyao sat cross-legged on the ground, allowing the cold wind to tousle his hair and his garments to flutter and rustle
Half an hour later, Mo Zhiyao, whose mood had gradually calmed down, propped himself up with one hand, stood up, and prepared to return to his thatched cottage
Hmph, this Mo Heng is becoming increasingly unreasonable! Elder Xuan Yu's expression turned grim. If it weren't for your father's death, how could it be Mo Lang's turn to sit in this position of elder?
Mo Zhiyao, however, is an anomaly, as he is unable to even condense a single trace of human essence. In the past, Mo Cang summoned all the elders of the clan, and even the clan leader personally intervened, yet they could not uncover the reason behind this.
Mo Zhiyao felt that he was so out of place in this entire world, completely unable to integrate into it, or perhaps, he had been abandoned by this world
Mo Zhiyao can tolerate others insulting him, but he absolutely cannot tolerate anyone insulting his father. Mo Heng has touched his bottom line, finally provoking a backlash from Mo Zhiyao
The bright stars and the luminous moon, the gentle night breeze, the chill of late autumn midnight, carries an endless desolation, much like the current state of mind of Mo Zhi Yao.
Seeing the fierce gaze of Mo Zhiyao, Mo Heng instinctively took a step back. The previous words had also slipped out without thought, and after speaking, Mo Heng felt a twinge of regret in his heart. After all, Mo Cang was one of the elders in life and had died for the clan. If Mo Heng's words were to fall on the ears of the clan's elders, he would likely have to endure at least a scolding.
There is no doubt that Brother Mo Heng has good talent, but being the elder's son? Hehe, that is not necessarily the case. Our clan's number one good-for-nothing is also the elder's son. The boy with a baby face, Mo Hang, curled his lips, his tone laced with disdain
Step! A paw stepped on Mo Zhiyao's face, and Mo Heng sneered as he said: According to the clan rules, anyone who cannot condense a human pattern before the age of thirteen, regardless of their status, must be expelled from the clan. There is only one year left, and by then you will be left to wander the streets, so cherish this last bit of time well
Following the sound, a group of boys, all around the age of twelve or thirteen, approached from a distance. The speaker was a robust youth, surrounded by the others, with a stocky build and a face full of flesh.
Why? Why can't I condense a human pattern! Mo Zhiyou's face twisted, with deep unwillingness in his eyes, his hands digging fiercely into the soil beneath him. One more year, even just a single human pattern would suffice, I only wish to pay tribute to my father, is this too much to ask?
If one is unable to absorb spiritual energy, Mo Cang would have given up. However, Mo Zhi Yao can absorb spiritual energy like an ordinary person and store it in the dantian, yet he is unable to condense it into a human pattern.
"Yes, just like that, relax a bit, and concentrate your spiritual energy steadily within it." Elder Xuan Yu's face also showed a hint of tension, yet he spoke slowly.
For several years, Mo Cang sought renowned doctors, but unfortunately, after consultations, all were at a loss and could offer no solutions, up until now
Beginning with 1 and ending with 9. Before each level of attainment, it is possible to condense up to 9 patterns, but at least 1 must be condensed in order to advance.