"City Lord Dong, do you truly intend to attack me?"
He hovered in the air and asked sternly.
"And if I do?"
Dong Haoqing answered arrogantly.
Though he was merely the lord of Cloudmoor City, he had reached the Eighth Layer of the Core Formation Realm.
His strength ranked fifth in Search Province, surpassed only by Mo Lingyuan, Shen Xinghu, Jin Pingqi, and Yun Shengya.
Those four were in western Search Province and were all but certain not to appear in Cloudmoor City. Naturally, he had no fear of the man before him.
"Oh?"
Mo Lingyuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"Then don't blame this old man for showing no mercy!"
His voice sank.
"No mercy?" Dong Haoqing gave a cold laugh. "I'd like to see how you plan to do that!"
"Hm?"
Feng Lingyu had just arrived outside the Cangri Sect when she saw this scene and let out a startled sound.
Seeing that a battle was about to erupt, she hurried twenty li back, retreating to the sky above Cloudmoor City.
At the same time, she drew on her Source Power to form a barrier around herself and the city's people.
She knew Dong Haoqing had reached the Eighth Layer of the Core Formation Realm. A battle involving him was no small matter!
Above the Cangri Sect.
"You arrogant wretch! You destroyed a sect before my eyes and still want to seize its resources? Die!"
Dong Haoqing roared. Privately, he muttered, The Cangri Sect is practically half mine. You dare take its resources? You deserve to die!
He drove his Source Power wildly. Source Qi swirled around him as he let out a proud cry: "A cup of wine holds the sun and moon; within my belly rests heaven and earth!"
Boom!
A wine bottle as vast as a mountain suddenly appeared and crashed down toward Mo Lingyuan.
The bottle blotted out the sky. Everyone in Cloudmoor City stared in astonishment, struggling for breath.
Only Feng Lingyu's barrier kept them from truly suffocating.
But Feng Lingyu was faring poorly. She was only at the Second Layer of the Core Formation Realm, and even driving her Source Power to its limit, she could barely withstand the bottle's might. Her body felt ready to split apart, and sweat poured from her.
Still, she refused to retreat. She pushed her Source Power even harder, determined to protect the people of Cloudmoor City!
"Alas!" Mo Lingyuan shook his head and looked at Dong Haoqing with sorrow in his eyes. "What a pity."
"Damn you!"
Seeing this, Dong Haoqing felt deeply humiliated and poured out still more Source Power.
Boom!
In an instant, the bottle's might grew stronger!
"Pfft!"
Feng Lingyu, above Cloudmoor City, suffered first. Unable to hold on any longer, she spat blood and fell like a kite with its string cut.
Crash!
The barrier over Cloudmoor City shattered with her fall.
"Ah!"
The bottle's might fell mercilessly upon the people of Cloudmoor City. They clutched their heads and cried out in agony.
Feng Lingyu watched, her heart burning with worry, but she was powerless to help.
Bang!
Just then, the image of the wine bottle shattered into ash and vanished like smoke. Its crushing might disappeared in an instant!
Relief swept over Feng Lingyu and the people of Cloudmoor City. They had escaped death by a hair.
"How? Impossible!"
Above the Cangri Sect, Dong Haoqing's pupils contracted in disbelief.
How did he dispel my attack without even making a move? Is he that much stronger than I am?
Someone this powerful... could he be Mo Lingyuan?
Damn it! Why did he come here? How did I manage to provoke him?
Dong Haoqing was overcome with regret. He drove his Source Power to its limit, turned into a streak of light, and fled.
Bang!
The moment he reached the sky above Cloudmoor City, he exploded into a cloud of blood.
His Source Core was ground to dust and scattered to the winds!
"The city lord... he's dead?"
The people of Cloudmoor City stared at the bloody burst in the sky, exchanging looks of disbelief.
Feng Lingyu swayed, dumbstruck.
Dong Haoqing was at the Eighth Layer of the Core Formation Realm, yet even his Source Core was reduced to dust.
That immortal-like master is terrifyingly strong. No wonder I couldn't see through his cultivation. Could he be Mo Lingyuan?
She turned the possibility over in her mind.
"From this day forward, Feng Lingyu is the new lord of Cloudmoor City!"
As she wondered, a commanding voice rang out from afar, resounding throughout Cloudmoor City.
"Yes, master!"
Feng Lingyu answered respectfully.
The people of Cloudmoor City rejoiced at the announcement. The deputy city lord was far kinder than the city lord had been. They would all support her!
All except the Yang Household. They remained mired in the shock of Dong Haoqing's death, unable to accept it.
"Feng Lingyu, your first act as city lord is to drive the Yang Household into the Desolate Wilderness Forest!"
Another commanding voice rang out.
"Yes, master!"
Feng Lingyu bowed as she answered.
She dared not disobey. In any case, she had wanted to rid the city of the Yang Household, that pack of "pests."
Having given his orders, Mo Lingyuan smiled faintly and descended back into the Cangri Sect.
An uproar swept through Cloudmoor City at his words.
"The Desolate Wilderness Forest? Even ordinary cultivators dare not go there. Mortals who enter are sure to die!"
"Hahaha! The Yang Household deserves it!"
"Exactly! This should have happened long ago!"
The people of Cloudmoor City talked excitedly, as though the whole world were celebrating.
"No! Please, no!"
Only the members of the Yang Household raised their faces to the sky and wailed.
"How... how could this happen?"
Yang Xiaosheng slumped in his great chair, his eyes vacant as he muttered over and over.
Heavenly Mist Sect.
Within the Sect.
Sect Discussion Hall.
"Sect Master, I destroyed the Cangri Sect that came to cause trouble and drove the Yang Household into the Desolate Wilderness Forest."
Mo Lingyuan returned to the hall as a streak of light and delivered his report.
"The Desolate Wilderness Forest?"
Zhang Xingfeng, Dongfang Muxue, Chen Guyu, and Lü Liu all voiced their surprise.
Driving the Yang Household, a Lineage of mere mortals, into the Desolate Wilderness Forest was no different from sending them to their deaths.
Still, this was indeed the best way to handle it. Cultivators could not readily attack mortals, so they would leave them to fend for themselves!
"A wise decision, Elder Mo!"
Dongfang Muxue praised him.
"Thank you, Elder Mo. That was thoughtful of you!"
Zhang Xingfeng was deeply grateful.
Mo Lingyuan merely smiled faintly.
He took out a Storage Bag. "Sect Master, these are the resources I found in the Cangri Sect."
"Inside are thirty-six Supreme Source Stones, one hundred and twenty High-Grade Source Stones, three hundred and eight Middle-Grade Source Stones, and twelve hundred Low-Grade Source Stones."
"There's also a Yellow-Tier Lower Grade Cultivation Method and Cultivation Art, along with sixty-two Storage Bags and other items..."
As he spoke, Mo Lingyuan handed the Storage Bag to Li Moqing.
"Thank you for your efforts, Elder Mo."
Li Moqing accepted it with a smile.
"It was nothing."
Mo Lingyuan sat down, calm and unruffled.
"In twenty-four days, the Qigu Secret Realm will open. Cultivators at the Eighth Layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm and below will be permitted to enter."
"Xingfeng, Muxue, Guyu, train hard. When the time comes, go in and seize what you can."
"Remember, whatever Heavenly Treasures you see in the secret realm, bring them all back!"
Changing the subject, Li Moqing took out three Storage Bags and handed them to Zhang Xingfeng and the other two, giving them careful instructions.
The system had only told Li Moqing when the Qigu Secret Realm would open and what its rules were. It had not told him what treasures lay inside.
Naturally, he had to prepare plenty of Storage Bags so they could pack up as many treasures as possible and bring them back!
"Yes, Master!"
"Yes, Master!"
Zhang Xingfeng and the other two accepted the Storage Bags and answered solemnly, though they could not help feeling puzzled.
Before you continue