Chapter 584: Secluded Cultivation, Preparing to Advance to Half-Saint
After the matter with the Bodhi Ancient Tree was settled, Mo Yu and his group didn't linger long in the Wild Ancient Domain. They set out and, after a few days of travel, returned to Yuanfu.
During this trip, Mo Yu undoubtedly gained the most benefits among them all. Not only did he successfully persuade the Bodhi Ancient Tree to nurture the Godly Wood Thunder, ranked second on the Mysterious Thunder List, but he also absorbed the soul power of a Dou Emperor and collected a large number of Bodhi Seeds. He even recruited several powerful experts to his side.
More importantly, thanks to the Godly Wood Thunder, Mo Yu had forged a connection with the Bodhi Ancient Tree. With this newfound friendship, Yuanfu would have a steady supply of Bodhi Seeds.
Bodhi Seeds were so valuable that just one could cause top-tier experts at the peak of Dou Zun to scramble for it. The seeds weren't sought after for any other reason than their ability to greatly increase the success rate of advancing to Half-Saint. This alone was enough to drive powerful individuals mad with desire.
With an ample supply of Bodhi Seeds, Yuanfu could not only cultivate its own Half-Saint experts but also use the seeds to attract more Dou Zun-level experts, continuously strengthening the faction.
The harvest from this trip was tremendous, but what pleased Mo Yu the most was slaying the Blacklight Saint, one of the Three Sky Lords. This not only dealt a severe blow to the Hall of Souls but also made Mo Yu's name resound across Zhongzhou.
Killing a Saint with the strength of a Dou Zun was an extraordinary feat, unheard of in the thousands of years of the continent's history. Mo Yu's name would be passed down for ages.
Yuanfu.
After returning from the Wild Ancient Domain, Mo Yu and his group rested for a full week to recover from their exhaustion. This trip had been anything but easy.
At the entrance of a cave, Uncle Snake looked at Mo Yu and smiled, "Now you can focus on your secluded cultivation. Leave Yuanfu's affairs to me. Your most important task is to reach Half-Saint as soon as possible."
Mo Yu nodded silently. Half-Saint was a critical threshold—if crossed, one would truly step into the ranks of the continent's peak experts. If not, one would remain at the top-tier level but still far from challenging a colossus like the Soul Clan.
"Once you start your retreat, I'll help Xiao Yu, Cai Lin, Little Doctor Fairy, and Qing Lin with their progress. They're not ordinary women. With the right opportunities, their strength will grow quickly. By the time you emerge, they won't hold you back," Uncle Snake said as he patted Mo Yu's shoulder. He glanced over to where Cai Lin, Little Doctor Fairy, and the others stood silently, not interrupting the conversation.
"Yes," Mo Yu nodded lightly. He then took out all the Bodhi Seeds he had and handed them to Uncle Snake. "Please take care of these Bodhi Seeds. If anyone is close to advancing to Half-Saint or has made significant contributions, you can give them out as rewards."
Uncle Snake hesitated briefly before accepting them. As a Half-Saint himself, he knew just how precious Bodhi Seeds were. With these seeds, Yuanfu's strength could grow significantly in a short time.
Seeing Uncle Snake accept the seeds, Mo Yu smiled. "It's time for me to start. I don't know how long this retreat will last, but it probably won't be short. During this time, you all should follow Uncle Snake's guidance."
"Understood," Xiao Yu, Cai Lin, and the others nodded in agreement.
"Take care, Uncle Snake," Mo Yu said, taking a deep breath as he cupped his fists respectfully. Without further hesitation, he turned and walked into the thick stone doors that lay ahead, while everyone watched in silence.
Boom!
As Mo Yu entered, the enormous stone doors slowly lowered, slamming shut with a loud thud, stirring up a cloud of dust. The sight of the closed doors left everyone silent. They all had a feeling that Mo Yu's retreat this time would not be a short one.
"Let's go. All we can do now is wait for him to successfully advance to Half-Saint," Uncle Snake sighed, then stored the Bodhi Seeds and slowly left. Cai Lin and the others followed him, glancing back at the stone doors with every step.
Inside the stone cave, Mo Yu sat cross-legged. He didn't begin cultivating immediately but instead opened his robe, exposing his chest. His eyes narrowed as he stared at a dark, soul-infused mark on his chest—the Devil Soul Mark.
This mark was left by the Three Sky Lords before their death. It was a final strike made with their combined soul power and the souls they had absorbed—a vicious Devil Soul Mark.
A Half-Saint's final killing move was not something to be taken lightly. Even for a regular Half-Saint, once marked by the Devil Soul Mark, the best-case scenario was enduring constant torment; at worst, it could lead to death.
But Mo Yu wasn't overly concerned. After all, he possessed the Black Lotus Heart Flame, ranked third on the Heavenly Flame List, which specialized in countering foreign soul powers!
With this thought, Mo Yu willed the Black Lotus Heart Flame to appear. A black, lotus-shaped flame slowly emerged, floating in midair. A strange soul force spread out, and under Mo Yu's direction, it rushed toward the Devil Soul Mark on his chest like a ravenous wolf.
Zzzt, zzzt!
The moment the Black Lotus Heart Flame touched the mark, crackling sounds filled the air. The once-dominant Devil Soul Mark immediately began retreating under the pressure of the flame.
Mo Yu's eyes lit up at this. As expected, the Black Lotus Heart Flame was the perfect counter for such soul-based attacks. If the Three Sky Lords had known this, they would have been furious enough to crawl out of their graves.
The mark that had taken such effort to leave on Mo Yu's chest was now being easily neutralized by the flame, rendering their final move useless.
The black lines of the mark squirmed like small snakes, but with each writhing movement, the dark energy was gradually purified by the Black Lotus Heart Flame. Although the process was slow, the outcome was certain.
As the mark was refined, the powerful soul energies of the many Dou Zuns and the Half-Saint beast, absorbed by the Three Sky Lords, became nourishment for Mo Yu's Black Lotus Heart Flame.
Mo Yu couldn't help but smile at this thought. Such rich soul energy would be difficult to come by, even for the most powerful ancient clans. Yet here he was, receiving it as an unintended "gift" from the Three Sky Lords.
If he could fully refine the soul energy within the mark, the Black Lotus Heart Flame would likely return to its peak, or at least come close to it.
As time passed, the mark grew fainter, and a dense, liquid-like soul energy could be seen within. The refining process had been slow, but effective.
Mo Yu didn't know how long he had been at it, but by the time the mark had mostly faded, two-thirds of his Dou Qi reserves had been depleted. This spoke volumes about how troublesome the Devil Soul Mark was. Even a small trace of it had nearly exhausted him.
But the payoff would be great. The immense soul power within the mark would greatly strengthen the Black Lotus Heart Flame.
What Mo Yu didn't expect was that this refining process would take an entire year.
One year had passed.
Yuanfu had spread the word that their leader, Mo Yu, had gone into seclusion to break through to Half-Saint. Everyone eagerly awaited the day when Yuanfu would gain another Half-Saint.
As time went on, the entrance to Mo Yu's secluded retreat became overgrown with vegetation. Moss covered the stone door, and the area had become a restricted zone, with only a few individuals allowed near it.
Although the waiting made some anxious, Uncle Snake's ability to sense Mo Yu's faint but stable aura through the mountain reassured everyone. Mo Yu was alive and undergoing some form of transformation.
The only thing left to do was wait patiently.
While Mo Yu was in seclusion, Zhongzhou had been relatively calm. The Hall of Souls hadn't retaliated yet, giving Yuanfu time to strengthen itself under Uncle Snake's leadership.
Many experts, drawn by the rumors of Bodhi Seeds, flocked to Yuanfu. Even peak Dou Zun experts couldn't resist the lure of the seeds, and many joined as guest elders.
However, Uncle Snake wasn't foolish enough to give away the seeds immediately. These powerful newcomers understood that they had to contribute to Yuanfu before earning such a valuable reward.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yu, Cai Lin, and Mo Yu's three new disciples continued to grow stronger, ensuring that Mo Yu's influence over Yuanfu remained firmly intact.
With Yuanfu growing rapidly and Starfall Pavilion under Yao Lao's leadership flourishing as well, the alliance between the two factions became a powerful force that even the Hall of Souls and the Pill Tower could not ignore.
But the peace didn't last long.
A shocking piece of news soon spread across Zhongzhou. One of the Eight Ancient Clans, the Spirit Clan, had mysteriously vanished without a trace.
When experts ventured into the Spirit Realm, they found it completely empty. Not a single soul remained—not even the Spirit Clan's descendants. The entire clan, numbering in the millions, had disappeared.
This strange and terrifying event caused an uproar across the continent. All the great powers were left speculating, trying to uncover the cause.
Had Mo Yu been present, he would have known the truth: the Soul Clan had wiped out the Spirit Clan, absorbing their Dou Emperor bloodline. No other faction could have pulled off such a feat in complete secrecy.
However, even if Mo Yu knew, there was little he could do to change the outcome. Once the Soul Clan's plans were set in motion, nothing could stop them—unless the other Emperor Clans immediately united against the Soul Clan, which was unlikely.
Mo Yu understood this. He wasn't planning to reveal the truth about the Spirit Clan's destruction, as doing so might push the Soul Clan into a desperate corner.
For now, his priority was to break through to Half-Saint.
(End of Chapter)
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