115: The inside should be combined with the outside, the loopholes in the magic circle, danger! (5400 words

Mo Fan took a deep breath and cast the Appraisal Technique on the black paper in his hand.

[A Supreme blade talisman containing Mo Lin's Primordial Spirit Light. It possesses immense power, can automatically lock onto a target, and can slay anyone below the Supreme level. After use, the Primordial Spirit Light will return to the main body.]

Mo Fan couldn't help but stare blankly at the appraisal information.

"This is a Supreme blade talisman—"

He thought of the sword talisman Liu Xiyan had given him before.

The sword talisman was already very powerful.

It could slay any expert below the Guiyuan Peak!

But this blade talisman before him was even more outrageous.

It could slay anyone below the Supreme level!

What was even more outrageous was that after this blade talisman was used, the Primordial Spirit Light wouldn't dissipate; it would automatically return to the main body!

This meant that even condensing such a Supreme blade talisman would not cause actual harm to the creator.

"Too powerful—"

Mo Fan was so astonished he was speechless.

Clearly, the person who consumed Primordial Spirit Light to create the blade talisman was likely a Supreme being.

Martial Dao consists of six Realms: Body Tempering, Innate, Foundation Establishment, Transcendent, Heavenly Mandate, and Returning to Origin.

And those who Break through the shackles and reach that unspeakable Realm are called Supreme.

Supreme is not a Realm name.

It is a conventional designation arising from people's yearning for invincible experts.

In reality, Supreme beings are too rare, and a universally suitable path for advancement cannot yet be summarized, so there is naturally no unified Realm name.

There are only a few Supreme beings on the entire Blue Star.

The Supreme experts of the Human Race can be counted on one hand.

Yet now—

Mo Fan's head was buzzing.

"My unreliable old man... is a Supreme expert?

"You must be kidding?!"

He either lies flat at home every day or goes out drinking. How does he look like a peerless master?

Just as Mo Fan was reeling from shock, Second Master Sun calmed down and continued:

"This is a blade talisman, refined by your father with great effort. It can keep you safe. Guard it well."

Hearing Second Master Sun's words, Mo Fan snapped back to reality, nodded slightly, and held the blade talisman in his palm.

The moment he touched the blade talisman, he felt a connection being established with it.

The blade talisman might hurt others.

But it definitely couldn't hurt him.

This was a feeling.

Mo Fan didn't know how this feeling originated.

But he knew this feeling was correct.

Taking a deep breath, Mo Fan looked at Second Master Sun, his gaze sincere:

"Grandpa Sun, can you tell me about my father?"

Second Master Sun was startled at first, hesitated for a moment, looked earnestly at Mo Fan a few times, then shook his head and said:

"Now that you have also embarked on the path of Martial Dao, it is fine for me to tell you some things."

Hearing this, Mo Fan pricked up his ears and listened intently.

Second Master Sun looked up at the clear, bright sky and slowly said:

"Your father, ah, he is a Martial Dao prodigy with unparalleled talent, unmatched by anyone. If he claims second, no one would dare claim—"

Before Second Master Sun could finish, Sun Shan, who had finished cutting and arranging the fruit platter, walked over and subconsciously interjected:

"Grandpa, isn't the universally recognized strongest Martial Dao talent the Principal of the Capital Martial Arts University? I heard he entered Returning to Origin at thirty-six, seemingly the youngest Returning to Origin expert in Human Race history..."

Hearing this, Second Master Sun paused, looked at his Granddaughter, and said:

"Are you talking about Li Yidao? Heh heh, that kid isn't even fit to carry Mo Lin's shoes."

"Grandpa, why would you say that about Principal Li? He even brought great medicine to visit you last year..." Sun Shan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Hearing this, Second Master Sun immediately felt a little awkward.

He lightly coughed twice to cover his embarrassment, looked up at the sky, and slowly said:

"If I recall correctly, that kid Li Yidao is forty-five now, right?"

"Mm, I think so..." Sun Shan nodded.

Second Master Sun continued, "Then what is his current Cultivation base?"

"Guiyuan Seventh Level?" Sun Shan asked, sounding unsure.

"Hmph, a piece of trash. With that level, he still boasts every day that he is the Human Race's number one Genius?" Second Master Sun scoffed.

When this old man was forty-five, my Cultivation also Broke through to the Guiyuan Seventh Level. Did I go around telling everyone?

Only Li Yidao loves to show off, telling everyone he meets that his talent is unparalleled and that he is the youngest Returning to Origin expert, and so on.

In reality, there are still a few people whose Cultivation speed is faster than his.

"Ah... Grandpa, are you serious?" Sun Shan was stunned.

At only forty-five years old, his Cultivation had already Broken through to the Guiyuan Seventh Level, and he even had hope of Breaking through to Guiyuan Peak before fifty.

Such an unbelievable Cultivation speed, yet he was called trash by Grandpa?

Although Grandpa certainly seemed qualified to say that.

But calling someone trash behind their back... wasn't that bad?

Seeing his Granddaughter's astonished expression, Second Master Sun harrumphed:

"If I say he's trash, he's trash. That kid wants to compare himself to Mo Lin?"

"This..." Sun Shan was stunned, and at the same time, she grew curious about the supposed Mo Lin.

Mo Fan also looked at Second Master Sun with a nervous expression.

Seeing that he had piqued their interest, Second Master Sun smiled and said, "Do you know how old Mo Lin was when he entered Returning to Origin?"

"Uncle Mo... h-how old?"

"Twenty-eight," Second Master Sun said.

"T-twenty-eight?!" Sun Shan's eyes widened larger than a cow's. "H-how is that possible?"

Was this the kind of Cultivation speed a Human could possess?

Second Master Sun retracted his gaze, let out a slight breath, and his eyes became somewhat unfocused, seemingly recalling something.

After a moment, he continued, "Li Yidao only entered Returning to Origin at thirty-six.

"As for Mo Lin, at thirty-six, his Cultivation had long since Broken through to Guiyuan Peak.

"As for exactly when he Broke through, this old man isn't clear either."

Saying this, Second Master Sun shook his head helplessly.

If it hadn't been for that accident four years ago, he probably wouldn't have known for another year or two that Mo Lin was already at Guiyuan Peak and was seeking a way to Break through the shackles.

What was even more outrageous.

After not seeing him for two or three years.

This guy was already suspected of Breaking through the shackles and becoming the Supreme expert people spoke of!

A Supreme expert at forty.

What kind of talent was that?

Such an outrageous person had never appeared in the entire history of the Human Race!

"Guiyuan Peak at thirty-six, how is that possible..." Sun Shan murmured where she stood, her face filled with disbelief.

But she had no choice but to believe it.

She knew her Grandpa's personality; he always stated things as they were.

What he said was never false.

"Then where did my father go? What is he doing?" After a long moment of astonishment, Mo Fan raised the crucial question.

However, Second Master Sun shook his head helplessly:

"This old man doesn't know where your father went. He didn't even say goodbye to me. You don't need to worry; I can guess a few things.

"Your father leaving home was nothing more than seeking his own Dao.

"Judging from the blade talisman he sent back, even if he hasn't found his Dao yet, he's very close.

"You don't need to worry about your father. With his current Cultivation, he probably has no rival on the entire Blue Star.

"I believe it won't be long before he returns himself."

"I hope so." Mo Fan could only nod.

However, he quickly thought of another problem.

If his old man came back and found he inexplicably had an 18-year-old Granddaughter, how would he feel?

Rubbing his forehead, Mo Fan stopped thinking about these messy things, and while Second Master Sun was willing to talk, he threw out another question.

"Grandpa Sun, was my mother also an incredible Martial Dao Genius?

"And was she the daughter of some hidden power? When my father was down on his luck, the Family disagreed with them being together, so they were forced—"

"Stop, what you're saying is more outrageous than a TV drama."

Second Master Sun quickly stopped Mo Fan, shaking his head helplessly:

"Your mother was indeed a Martial Dao Genius, but compared to your father, she was far inferior, and your mother wasn't the daughter of some hidden power.

"In this era, those hidden powers struggle even to maintain their Legacy.

"They are all sending their children to the Three Great Academies. How would they dare oppress a Genius like your father?"

Hearing this, Mo Fan was startled, then nodded thoughtfully: "That's true."

Pausing, he continued, "Then my mother—"

"Died in childbirth..." Second Master Sun sighed.

Hearing this, Mo Fan froze, petrified on the spot, unable to speak for a long time.

Is this why Dad has always been indifferent toward me?

Wait, a Martial Artist's body is so strong, how could she die from childbirth... Is there another reason?

Mo Fan frowned. Although he was suspicious, Second Master Sun seemed unwilling to say more, and he couldn't press the issue... "Shan Shan, why don't you see Mo Fan off? You young people have things to talk about."

Having talked enough, Mo Fan said goodbye to Second Master Sun and prepared to leave.

"No need to trouble Shan Shan, I can go back by myself." Mo Fan quickly refused.

"It's fine, let her take you. She has nothing to do idling at home all day, doing nothing but watching TV dramas."

"Uh, alright." Mo Fan reluctantly agreed... "Mo Fan, where do you work now?"

Walking along the road, Sun Shan asked casually.

"Yuxu Academy," Mo Fan replied truthfully.

"Oh, you passed the Utility Disciple assessment for Yuxu Academy?" Sun Shan was surprised at first, then a hint of joy flashed in her bright eyes.

"Yes, I was quite lucky," Mo Fan said with a smile.

"That's great. Although Yuxu Academy Utility Disciples are called Laborers, they still provide some Cultivation resources and can even go to the Scripture Hall to exchange for Cultivation Techniques.

"Even the Scripture Hall in the Menial Service Yard holds several volumes of first-rate Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills.

Although exchanging for a Cultivation Technique might take several years of saving up, it's still a hope. You are so outstanding, you will definitely be able to Break through Body Tempering, become Innate, and be promoted to an Outer Sect Disciple in the future.

Smiling casually, Sun Shan continued:

“Outer Sect Disciples have an obligation to fight against demons. This way, maybe we can even meet on the defense line later.”

“Go, Mo Fan!” Sun Shan couldn't help but clench her embroidered fist, cheering Mo Fan on.

In response, Mo Fan shook his head helplessly, seeming hesitant to speak.

However, just then, Mo Fan paused and focused his gaze on the distance.

After seeing who arrived, Mo Fan smiled, turned to Sun Shan, and said, “Someone is here to pick me up. You don’t need to see me off. You should head back first.”

“Ah?” Sun Shan was startled. Immediately, she saw a tall, exquisitely beautiful figure in a white dress with an unparalleled aura walking towards them.

“Why did you come?” Mo Fan frowned, looking at his daughter.

“I was worried about you. Your phone wouldn’t connect,” Mo Yingying pouted.

Mo Fan was stunned, saying awkwardly, “My phone seems to be out of battery. I forgot to bring a spare battery when I left—”

“No wonder. As long as you're fine, shall we go back?” Mo Yingying reached out and linked arms with Mo Fan, pulling him along.

“Hey, slow down. Why are you walking so fast?”

“The rice is cooking in the pressure cooker. If we walk slowly, it might explode.”

“I give up on you. You run out even when you're cooking rice.”

“Hmph, hmph, it’s all your fault for not answering the phone.”

“I told you the battery died.”

“I don’t care.”

...

The voices gradually faded away. Watching the two figures disappear around the street corner, Sun Shan stood rooted to the spot. For some reason, her mood suddenly became complicated.

Finally, she sighed and turned to go home... Meanwhile.

After walking a short distance, Mo Yingying looked seriously at Mo Fan, her father, and said:

“Dad, that woman isn’t a good person. You should break up with her quickly.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Mo Fan was confused.

“Oh, don’t look at how you two have a marriage contract and an amicable relationship now. But in a few years, she will bring the marriage certificate to your door and break off the engagement!”

Hearing this, Mo Fan looked bewildered.

Finally, he shook his head and said, “The marriage contract between Sun Shan and me was arranged by my dad and her Grandpa Sun when they were joking around.

“We were only five or six back then. How could we understand these things?”

“These are all feudal bad customs. I discussed canceling the engagement with Sun Shan two years ago.

“After all, neither of us had many feelings for the other.

“Grandpa Sun was also quite open-minded and agreed to it.”

“Ah?” Mo Yingying was stunned.

“So that's how it was?”

“That’s exactly right.” Mo Fan nodded.

“Then Dad exaggerated when he told me about this!”

Mo Fan: “?”

“Oh my god, I deliberately tried to provoke her just now. She must have misunderstood...”

Mo Yingying covered her face, wishing she could find a tree to hang herself from.

“It’s no big deal. She doesn’t like me anyway. Let her misunderstand. Hurry back, or the cooker might really explode.”

“Uh, I was just kidding earlier. I used a rice cooker...”

Mo Fan: “?”

...The Sun Family.

Sun Shan absentmindedly pushed open the main door.

And just as absentmindedly returned to the courtyard.

“You’re back so soon? Didn’t you take the chance to grab a meal or watch a movie with Mo Fan?” Second Master Sun looked at his Granddaughter with surprise.

“His girlfriend came to pick him up and take him home...” Sun Shan said, lowering her head.

“Girlfriend...” Second Master Sun fell silent.

Finally, he glanced at his Granddaughter and said:

“You, ah, clearly like him in your heart, but you never dared to show it, always hiding it away.

“Now look, he's been snatched away, hasn't he?

“You two had such a good relationship when you were little—you were the definition of a Golden Boy and Jade Girl. But you, starting in junior high, decided to act cold and aloof.

“When Mo Fan came over to visit, you deliberately hid from him.

“Two years ago was even more outrageous—you actually agreed to Mo Fan’s request to cancel the engagement. Grandpa even wondered if your brain had filled with water back then.

“Now you know how to regret it, right?”

Second Master Sun was a little angry.

His Granddaughter was good in every way.

It was just that her personality was too soft; she was indecisive and overthought things, ultimately leading only to regret.

But children and grandchildren have their own fortunes, so he couldn't be bothered to interfere too much.

“Wuwuwu, I'm a girl! How can I be proactive? Girls should be aloof! If you’re too proactive, you won’t be cherished...” Sun Shan sobbed, tears falling like pearls.

“You deserve to be single...” The old man looked up at the sky, speechless.

“Wuwuwu, Grandpa, I feel so bad. I want to eat durian!”

“If you want to eat it, go buy it yourself. Just remember not to bring it back here. Eat it outside before you return,” Second Master Sun instinctively leaned back and said.

Sun Shan: “...”

...New Calendar, January 21st.

New Year’s Eve, seeing out the old year and welcoming the new.

Cleaning the house, eating the reunion dinner, and welcoming the New Year.

Amidst the sound of firecrackers, Mo Fan and Mo Yingying exchanged smiles.

“Dad, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year.”

“Where's my red envelope?”

“Here.”

“Only two yuan?”

“It’s a lucky money tradition; they’re all like this.”

“You are so stingy.”

“Who says? I am always generous; I treat money like dirt.”

“I don’t believe it, unless you take me to the aquarium, the amusement park, and the zoo tomorrow. Oh, and we have to watch a movie too!”

“My apologies. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have denied being stingy.”

?!

...The First Day of the Lunar New Year.

Mo Fan took his daughter to the aquarium, the amusement park, and the zoo... and finally watched a movie.

When he returned home, Mo Fan was physically and mentally exhausted.

“Going out to play is too exhausting. I’d rather stay home and Cultivate for ten thousand years—”

“I agree, but I have to go back to the Academy tomorrow. There’s something going on at Chixia Peak. If we don’t play now, I don’t know when we’ll get another chance.” Mo Yingying spread her hands, sounding a bit helpless.

“When are you going back tomorrow?” Mo Fan was surprised.

“I just need to arrive before 8 PM. Dad, you don’t need to go back with me. It’s the New Year; you should stay home and rest for a few more days~”

“It’s fine. I feel it’s more fulfilling to return to the Academy and Cultivate.” Mo Fan said earnestly.

“Dad, you’re too competitive!”

“Am I? I don’t think so—right?”

...The next day, Mo Fan visited the Sun Family to pay his New Year respects.

Next, he ran all over Jiangcheng, buying a large pile of well-regarded pastries and some refreshing snacks.

Finally, he even gathered many ingredients that were usually unavailable at Yuxu Academy.

After filling his entire system space, it was almost dark.

“Let’s go, back to the Academy!”

They ate dinner early.

The father and daughter set off, heading toward Yuxu Academy.

“Dad, hold on tight, we're taking off!”

Mo Yingying summoned her Flying Sword, carrying Mo Fan as they pierced the sky and rushed toward the high altitude.

Five minutes later, the two stopped briefly in front of the gate of Yuxu Academy.

After showing their identity tokens to avoid being attacked by the Magic Array, Mo Yingying continued carrying Mo Fan, piercing the sky and landing in the Outer Sect.

Setting Mo Fan down, Mo Yingying smiled sweetly, “Dad, I’m going back to Chixia Peak. I’ll come see you when I have time.”

After speaking, Mo Yingying transformed into a streak of brilliant light and vanished from Mo Fan’s sight.

“That’s truly enviable.”

Mo Fan looked toward the horizon, his face full of envy.

When will I be able to fly on a sword?

Returning to his residence, Mo Fan tidied up slightly, took the prepared local specialties, and headed to No. 23 Spirit Herb Garden to visit Li Xinghe.

To Mo Fan’s surprise, he found the place empty.

Li Xinghe, who never left the No. 23 Spirit Herb Garden, was actually absent at this moment.

He didn’t think much of it, turned and left the Spirit Herb Garden, took out some pastries, snacks, and the Jiangcheng specialties he had just bought, and walked toward Hidden Sword Peak.

Climbing Hidden Sword Peak, he arrived at the Sword Pavilion.

“Happy New Year, Senior Sister.” Mo Fan handed the items to Chu Qian.

“Haha, Happy New Year. Junior Brother, you’re back so soon?”

As she spoke, Chu Qian pulled out a red envelope and tucked it into Mo Fan’s hand: “May you have great fortune and prosperity~”

“Thank you, Senior Sister~” Mo Fan squinted and smiled.

“Hehe, hurry up and find your Jingjing. She should be practicing swordplay in the back mountain right now.” Chu Qian teased.

“The back mountain?” Mo Fan nodded and turned to walk toward the back mountain.

“Youth is truly wonderful, such desirable love.” Watching Mo Fan’s departing back, Chu Qian smiled brightly.

Mo Fan, who hadn’t walked far, heard that sentence, immediately stumbled, and nearly fell to the ground... “Huh, no one is here?”

He arrived at the back mountain.

But Mo Fan didn't see anyone.

“Did we miss each other?

“Or has she not come over to practice swordplay yet?”

After thinking for a moment, Mo Fan found a clean large stone and sat down.

“I’ll wait and see. She probably hasn’t arrived yet.”

However, just then, Mo Fan frowned, quickly concealed his aura, and subtly hid behind the stone.

Soon, a ripple of spatial energy appeared in the open space not far away.

Three figures wrapped in black robes, their faces obscured, slowly walked out from within.

“Two Holy Envoys, this is the Sword Pavilion. Please act quickly, Holy Envoys.”

“My Senior Brother and I cooperated internally and externally, and although we cracked the flaw in Yuxu Academy’s Magic Array, we can only maintain it for a quarter of an hour at most.

“After a quarter of an hour, the Magic Array will automatically repair itself. At that time, we will be instantly locked onto and won’t be able to escape even if we had wings...”

(P.S.: This chapter is equivalent to two and a half chapters before the paywall. It felt better to write it all in one go, so I didn't split it up—)