83: flaw

"Damn it..."

The Spectral Shadow's heart gradually sank. The flame of hope that had just been ignited was actually extinguished by this little Foundation Establishment Stage demon before him.

If it were in the past, he could have crushed such a small demon with a backhand; how dare it shout in front of him? His heart became increasingly unwilling and resentful.

His original intention was to leave behind his Legacy. Otherwise, he would not have passed down the Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment chapters, leaving word that anyone who cultivated to Foundation Establishment could come here to receive his Legacy.

It was just that he hadn't expected that although his forced Breakthrough to Nascent Soul had failed, he had glimpsed some of the power within the Nascent Soul, allowing his Soul to persist until now.

Therefore, he regretted it.

If he were given another chance, he definitely would not have left that message, nor would he have split his Legacy token into three pieces, turning them into a trial.

This resulted in the Zhou Family only accidentally gathering the fragments and arriving here today.

The Spectral Shadow wanted to cry but had no tears. He originally didn't have this idea; if the arrival had been a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he definitely wouldn't have entertained the thought of Possession.

It was just that he hadn't expected the person who came, Zhou Leren, to be completely without cultivation, which reactivated his dead heart. He sighed secretly, feeling that Heaven had been kind to him.

Although his Breakthrough to Nascent Soul had failed back then, he was able to persist until now, and at this final moment, he encountered a person without any cultivation.

He truly was favored by destiny. This was an Opportunity for him to start over, and of course, he had to firmly grasp this Opportunity.

Yet, he never expected that fate would play such a cruel joke on him.

"Fate is unfair!"

The Spectral Shadow sighed in his heart, thinking that he was so brilliant and talented back then, yet he suffered from a lack of a Nascent Soul Legacy, forcing him to deduce the method for breaking through to Nascent Soul, ultimately leading to this outcome.

If only... "Senior, please be on your way!"

Mo Xuan spoke respectfully, interrupting the complex emotions intertwined in the Spectral Shadow's heart. A black profound light shot straight toward the Spectral Shadow.

"No!"

A scream rang out. The Spectral Shadow shattered, unable to reform, turning into black smoke and dissipating between heaven and earth.

"Hoo~"

Zhou Leren let out a long breath upon seeing the Spectral Shadow dissipate.

Mo Xuan was secretly vigilant. Seeing that the Spectral Shadow had truly vanished, he then exerted his magical power, lifted the stone disk, and immersed his Divine Sense into it:

"Puhua Yuanlun Scripture!"

The Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core chapters of the cultivation method were all contained within.

Mo Xuan nodded and swallowed the stone disk into his abdomen.

After looking around and finding nothing else of value, he then led Zhou Leren away from the area.

He took down the token above the stone gate. The stone gate closed, reverting to its original appearance.

"Let's go."

Mo Xuan spoke, startling the complicated-looking Zhou Leren awake.

Zhou Leren regained his composure and nodded in agreement.

Mo Xuan led Zhou Leren, following the undercurrent back up to the river, just as he was about to take Zhou Leren out of Qianmo Valley.

An aged voice entered his ears:

"Fellow Daoist, please stop!"

Mo Xuan's heart was suddenly startled. His previous Divine Sense scan had not detected any anomalies.

"Master, Elder Huo Ye, Sect Head..."

Zhou Leren's voice, filled with disbelief, rang out.

Three figures appeared in the sky, forming a triangular formation, surrounding Mo Xuan and Zhou Leren. They were none other than the three Foundation Establishment Stage Great Cultivators of the Crescent Moon Sect.

Each of the three held a Formation Plate in their hands. A transparent Grand Array appeared, enveloping the surrounding dozens of miles.

One Late Foundation Establishment Stage, two Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. Mo Xuan's heart tightened slightly, and he asked in a deep voice:

"Three Fellow Daoists, where did I expose a flaw?"

Mo Xuan was puzzled. He had always been cautious, yet he didn't know why he had exposed a flaw.

Hearing this, the Xianyue Sect Master stroked his beard slightly and chuckled softly:

"Elder Huo Ye is the Artifact Refining Great Master of our sect. Although the jade pendant on Yue Ren's body was cleverly disguised, Elder Huo Ye still noticed some clues."

"This is nothing, after all, everyone has their own Opportunity."

"We only kept an eye on things just in case."

"We didn't expect it would actually come in handy."

After speaking, a faint blue spirit insect appeared in his hand. Its tentacles emitted a faint glow, and an invisible blue line, undetectable by Divine Sense, pointed toward Zhou Leren.

Zhou Leren's expression changed. He took the token from his waist and threw it out, his face grim.

Only this token on his person belonged to the Crescent Moon Sect. As for the Disciple robes he was wearing, he had already changed out of them before coming here.

He had originally intended to destroy this token after leaving Qianmo Valley, but he hadn't expected that the Crescent Moon Sect had already tampered with it. This meant that Zhou Leren had been exposed from the very beginning.

"Not bad. As expected of a Genius Disciple of our sect, your reaction is indeed quick."

The Xianyue Sect Master looked greatly relieved upon seeing Zhou Leren's performance, praising him softly.

The powder scattered by this faint blue spiritual moth was invisible, odorless, and undetectable, making it a rare item for tracking.

Looking at the three people ready for action, thoughts raced through Mo Xuan's mind as he analyzed different escape plans.

"Three Fellow Daoists, do you truly intend to stop me from leaving?"

While thinking, Mo Xuan spoke these words, questioning the three, his Aura growing heavier.

"As long as Fellow Daoist leaves behind the items belonging to our sect and our sect's Disciple, we naturally won't make trouble for Fellow Daoist and will let Fellow Daoist leave."

The Xianyue Sect Master, however, spoke indifferently, as if he hadn't noticed the burgeoning Qi on Mo Xuan's body.

"I can agree to share the items with the Crescent Moon Sect, but the person cannot be left behind."

Hearing this, Mo Xuan took a step back.

"Then there is nothing to discuss. Fellow Daoist, beware of perishing here today!"

The Xianyue Sect Master's tone turned cold, and his expression grew increasingly indifferent.

"Fellow Daoist, why not ask Yue Ren his own opinion? If he is willing to stay in our sect, why must Fellow Daoist insist on forcing him?"

Just then, Elder Qingshuang, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke.

After speaking, she looked toward Zhou Leren nearby and said softly:

"Yue Ren, are you willing to stay on Muyan Peak and cultivate with me?"

"All resources on Muyan Peak can be used by you, and I will also impart all my knowledge to you."

Hearing this, Zhou Leren's eyes held a hint of bitterness. He parted his lips, wanting to say something, but in the end, he only shook his head, softly yet firmly.

Mo Xuan watched coldly. If Zhou Leren was truly willing to stay here, he would not stop him and would let him go.

But if he was unwilling, then he had to bring Zhou Leren back to the Zhou Family intact, no matter what.

Elder Qingshuang was about to persuade him further, but she was interrupted by the Xianyue Sect Master.

"Enough. Since that is the case, then Fellow Daoist can only blame his bad luck."

"Attack!"

The Xianyue Sect Master shouted. The Formation Plate in his hand glowed brightly. Elder Qingshuang and Elder Huo Ye did the same, injecting their magical power into their Formation Plates.

The Grand Array surged with light, and streams of attacks began to condense.

Just as the Xianyue Sect Master gave the command, Mo Xuan took Zhou Leren and plunged headfirst into the nearby river.

"Not good!"

"They are trying to escape!"

Seeing this, Elder Qingshuang shouted repeatedly. The Formation Plate in her hand reversed, and the formation changed accordingly.