Mo Xingkong

The Tongtian River raged violently, its waters surging wide as they reached this point, where countless boulders had piled up to form a stretch of rocky shoals extending over ten miles.

Qin Jue led his Black Scale Horse along the gravel-strewn riverbank. Unlike other martial artists who hurried past, he frequently stopped to survey the surrounding terrain.

"A fine spot."

Qin Jue marveled inwardly. The world's primal energy here was several times denser than outside.

He greedily drew a long breath, and the Nine Revolutions Viscera Refining Secret Record began circulating on its own. His pores opened wide, voraciously absorbing the free-floating energy in the air. For a martial artist, such a training environment was a rare, sought-after opportunity.

"This rocky shoal looks dangerous, but it's actually a treasure ground that gathers wind and concentrates energy. Training here will surely yield twice the results with half the effort."

Qin Jue muttered to himself, pulling a strip of dried meat from his pack. He chewed as he continued his observations.

By now, the outer edges of the rocky shoal were already crowded with a bustling throng.

Aside from Qingcang and the disciples of Zhanfeng Academy, most were lone martial artists or clan warriors. They gathered in small groups, occupying high ground, eyeing everyone around them with wary vigilance.

"Oh? Isn't this Brother Qin?"

A teasing voice came from behind a nearby boulder. Qin Jue paused mid-motion and turned to look.

A lean young man stepped out from behind the rock, a shrewd smile on his face. It was Mo Xingkong, the intelligence dealer he had met at the Myriad Scrolls Pavilion.

Qin Jue swallowed the dried meat and shot him a glance. "Brother Mo has a wide network. A place like this naturally can't do without you."

"Of course. In this line of work, a dull nose would have starved me long ago."

Mo Xingkong chuckled, sidled up, and looked Qin Jue up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Brother Qin, you've got some nerve. You crippled Ning Zhiyuan just a few days ago, and now you dare to barge into Silver Moon Bay? Aren't you afraid that Ning Family big shot will tear you apart?"

"That Ning Family big shot?" Qin Jue patted his Black Scale Horse's neck casually, looking clueless. "Which one? There are so many Nings, I can't keep track."

"Ning Wuque!"

Mo Xingkong's eyes nearly popped out as he stared at Qin Jue like he was a monster. "The outer academy's ninth-ranked 'Cold-faced Cold Spear' Ning Wuque! You... you really don't know?"

"Is he famous?" Qin Jue asked back, his expression utterly unruffled.

"I'm convinced. Truly convinced." Mo Xingkong shook his head helplessly, pointing east. "See that path? Half an hour ago, that lord just led his men through there. He didn't even lift a hand—just his blood energy and Sha Qi knocked out seven or eight unlucky fools who got too close. As for the stalls, they were crushed flat by the pressure from his mount."

Qin Jue followed his gaze.

At the eastern entrance, a line of deep hoofprints marked the ground. The rocks around them had all cracked to powder, showing the terrifying force of the mount's charge. On both sides of the road, a few martial artists sat slumped, pale-faced, gasping for air, their eyes full of lingering fear.

"Good that he's gone." Qin Jue withdrew his gaze, calm as ever. "Since Brother Mo is here, I take it you have some news about Silver Moon Bay for sale?"

"Heh, talking to a sharp one saves trouble!"

Mo Xingkong rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice. "The situation in Silver Moon Bay changes by the minute. I've got the latest map here, marking the positions of all the major forces and a few possible locations for the anomaly's source. For old times' sake, a friendly price—twenty Gold Coins."

Without a word, Qin Jue fished out twenty Gold Coins and tossed them over.

For a martial artist, an accurate piece of information could save a life at a critical moment. This amount of gold was nothing.

Mo Xingkong caught the coins, beamed, and pulled out a piece of parchment to hand to Qin Jue, adding an explanation:

"The 'Withered Wood Forest' in the east is the hottest spot right now. Ning Wuque took his men straight there. Word is someone picked up an Origin Spirit Stone there."

Qin Jue's eyes flickered slightly at this.

Mo Xingkong read his expression, grinned slyly, and added, "Origin Spirit Stones are good stuff. They're the essence of condensed world primal energy. One stone alone can save a Hundred Refinements [Jade Bone] realm martial artist months of bitter training. With luck, it might even help break through a bottleneck."

"If you don't want to run into Ning Wuque and his crew, you'd best avoid that direction."

He then pointed to a black mark at the southern end of the map, his expression turning more serious.

"As for the 'Broken Cliff Gorge' in the south, that's a death zone. Not only are the currents fierce, but a Mysterious Water Flood Dragon has made its lair there. That Fierce Beast is already a high-rank Savage Species, with skin and bones like iron and bronze. An ordinary Hundred Refinements realm martial artist wouldn't even be enough to fill its teeth."

Qin Jue listened, cross-referencing the map's information with the terrain before him.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted on the riverbank not far away.

"You dare snatch my Snake Saliva Grass? You're asking for death!"

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A furious shout was followed by the clash of weapons.

Two martial artists who had been traveling together suddenly turned on each other. One of them erupted with inner force, and a layer of blade light flared over his long saber.

"Shriek!"

Taking advantage of his companion's unpreparedness, he swung a vicious, force-laden slash that tore through the air with a sharp whistle. The other's protective skin membrane was ripped apart like thin paper, half his body cleaved open in an instant as blood mist exploded!

"Pah! Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures go to the capable! Now that you're dead, this thing is naturally mine!"

The man's face twisted savagely as he snatched the Snake Saliva Grass, ignoring the fearful stares around him, and darted into the boulders.

The surrounding martial artists wore expressions ranging from cold indifference to naked greed, but not a single one showed any sympathy.

"Tsk, men die for wealth, birds die for food." Mo Xingkong shook his head, utterly unphased. "In this rocky shoal right now, whoever has the biggest fist calls the shots."

Qin Jue glanced at the corpse, his eyes calm.

Martial arts competition was, at its core, a sifting of the waves. To stand at the peak, one's path would inevitably be paved with white bones. Every martial artist knew this well.

"Thanks." Qin Jue tucked away the map and mounted his horse.

He did not head east, nor did he go south. Instead, he pulled the reins and rode straight northwest.

In that direction, the map marked the "Boulder Maze"—a land of death.

"Brother Qin, have you lost your mind!?" Mo Xingkong froze, shouting from behind, "That's a dead end over there. How could there be any opportunity there!"

Qin Jue did not even turn his head, merely waving a hand. "Fewer people. More peace."

Mo Xingkong stared at Qin Jue's retreating back, rubbed his chin, and a sharp glint flickered in his eyes.

This kid... is interesting.

Knowing full well that Ning Wuque was over there, he not only avoided him but instead headed straight for that death ground. Either he was a reckless fool, or... he had seen something that even he himself had not yet grasped.

"Heh heh." Mo Xingkong chuckled, his figure flickering as he vanished into the crowd.

After breaking away from the crowd, the surrounding noise gradually faded.

This area was dense with towering boulders, each one soaring into the clouds, piercing the sky. The weather was overcast, and the air carried a suffocating pressure.

Qin Jue rode on his horse, appearing to wander aimlessly, but in truth his eyes were half-closed, his spiritual sense drawn inward.

"Hum—"

In his mind, the phantom of the mysterious Broken Sword suddenly blazed with light!

Void Clarity Sword Heart, activate!

In an instant, Qin Jue felt the world before him become completely different.

Where the wind came from, where it went; the direction of the water's flow; the dance of every speck of dust in the air—all became crystal clear, as if everything had been slowed countless times.

The chaotic heaven and earth energy that others saw as disorderly now revealed a profound and mysterious pattern in Qin Jue's perception!

Qin Jue narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Mo Xingkong is indeed well-informed, and there are no lack of experts among the martial artists present. Unfortunately, all they see is the surface. This violent energy is nothing but a smokescreen. Unless a Nascent Core Realm powerhouse comes in person, who could see through its true origin?"

Qin Jue raised his hand, his slender fingertips lightly tracing through the air, carefully sensing the flow of energy.

He could clearly feel that although the energy here was not as violent and conspicuous as that in the east, it possessed a unique rhythm, as if... as if a sleeping Fierce Beast was breathing!

The energy in the east was gushing outward, but here, it was continuously converging!

At this thought, the corners of Qin Jue's mouth lifted slightly.

Interesting.

This boulder forest likely hid something extraordinary.

Without hesitation, Qin Jue suddenly spurred his horse. The Black Scale Horse beneath him seemed to sense its master's intent, its four hooves flying as it silently dashed deeper into the stone forest.

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