Mo Yan straightened his back a little when Xie Zhaolin asked about a place to settle, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes.
"You have sharp eyes, Master. I've already made arrangements in the human realm," he said, voice unconsciously rising a bit. "I'm currently an Outer Sect Elder of Qingxi Sect. It's a minor position, but my status can withstand any scrutiny."
Xie Zhaolin raised an eyebrow, clearly a little surprised. She'd assumed Mo Yan had at most set up some hidden refuge in a remote area, never expecting he could embed himself in a sect.
Seeing her surprise, Mo Yan's confidence only grew. "I secured this identity sixty years ago. Qingxi Sect is a medium-sized sect at the junction of three prefectures. It doesn't attract much attention, yet it has a bit of foundation."
He pretended to stroke a nonexistent beard, pride written all over him. "Every three months I return, usually claiming to gather herbs while traveling outside. The sect members are used to it."
Xie Zhaolin's lips curved into a rare smile. "I underestimated you."
That compliment energized Mo Yan completely, making his gray robe almost seem brighter. "You flatter me, Master! I even have a small medicinal garden in the sect, growing spirit herbs as a cover. My residence is on the back mountain, very quiet, and there's a secret passage leading straight down to the nearby town."
Xie Zhaolin nodded thoughtfully. She'd heard of Qingxi Sect before—it was indeed a medium-sized sect, remote yet established, just as Mo Yan had said. More importantly, it was already outside the influence of the Hehuan Sect, making it an ideal place to settle.
"Does the sect have spots for secret realms?" she suddenly asked.
Mo Yan froze for a moment, then recovered. "Yes, yes! Qingxi Sect sends disciples to the Fusang Secret Realm every three years, and there are two spots in the Tianxu Secret Realm every five years."
A glint appeared in his eyes. "Even though I'm just an Outer Sect Elder, with some effort, securing a spot isn't difficult."
Xie Zhaolin's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. She knew these secret realms well—Fusang Secret Realm was rich in spirit herbs, while Tianxu Secret Realm held ancient ruins of cultivators. On her own, she could never enter these realms controlled by major sects.
But with Mo Yan as her inside contact, things were much easier. Although she still held the Outer Sect Steward token from Hehuan Sect, using it would be far too risky. Some secret realms only allowed disciples, and given her current cultivation and status, relying on Mo Yan's arrangements was safer.
"Let's go," she decided, "first to your Qingxi Sect."
At her words, Mo Yan formed hand seals. Gray-black baleful qi swirled in his palms, instantly forming a giant three-zhang-long sword hovering in midair.
"Master, please." He bowed, eyes showing a hint of deference.
Xie Zhaolin lightly leapt, landing steadily on the sword. The beast souls dove back into the Soul Nurturing Bead, and Mo Yan only began guiding the sword once she was stable. With a Golden Core cultivator clearing the path and Mo Yan's familiarity with the terrain, they encountered almost no obstacles.
Occasionally, low-level beasts wandered too close, but before Xie Zhaolin could even open her eyes, Mo Yan casually blasted them away with baleful qi.
Passing through layers of mist, the chilling aura of Blackwater Abyss gradually faded.
When they finally reached the outskirts, Xie Zhaolin opened her eyes, releasing Feng Wang from her spirit beast pouch. The little creature circled in her palm, its compound eyes flashing with curiosity.
"If you want to stay, you can dissolve the contract now," she said softly. "The Blackwater Abyss suits you better."
Feng Wang hesitated, circling a few more times, wings buzzing, before finally settling on her fingertip—choosing to stay.
Xie Zhaolin nodded, gathering a sliver of spiritual power at her fingertip and gently touching the contract mark on Feng Wang's head.
The mark slowly faded into tiny sparks, disappearing entirely. She guided Feng Wang back to its original hive in the forest, then quietly watched the remaining Yinsha bees, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
"Master?" Mo Yan asked quietly.
She withdrew her gaze. "Come with me."
With a flicker, she moved toward a remembered location, and Mo Yan, though puzzled, immediately followed. Soon, they arrived at a stone forest, jagged rocks rising everywhere, webs crisscrossing, the air thick with a foul stench.
"Sh-sh-sh—"
A horde of crawling sounds erupted from all directions.
Within moments, hundreds of Shisha Spiders swarmed out of crevices and caves, the smallest as big as washbasins, the largest rivaling a calf.
Mo Yan immediately understood. Without a word, he released his Golden Core aura. The entire stone forest trembled as countless webs quivered violently.
Low-level spiders froze under his pressure, legs trembling, unable to move. At that moment, the largest rock in the forest suddenly exploded. A jet-black spider the size of a grown man sprang out, eight crimson eyes locked on them.
"Early Golden Core Spider Queen?" Mo Yan's eyes showed contempt. "Don't worry, Master, I've got this."
The queen let out a piercing hiss, her swollen abdomen clearly carrying eggs. Though intimidated by Mo Yan's aura, her cultivation allowed her to move just barely.
Mo Yan snorted, teleporting above her.
The queen sprayed black venom, but Mo Yan's baleful qi shield blocked it. Gray-black qi formed dozens of sharp blades, instantly pinning all eight legs to the ground.
"Shh—" The queen screamed miserably, thrashing wildly.
Mo Yan showed no mercy, slamming his palm onto her head.
Crack!
Her skull shattered, green ichor spraying out.
A dark green monster pill floated up, carried by baleful qi. Mo Yan flicked it toward Xie Zhaolin, disdain clear. Seeing the immobilized spiders, Xie Zhaolin formed hand seals, sending precise threads of divine sense into each.
Soon, every Shisha Spider's consciousness was destroyed, leaving intact corpses. With a flick of her sleeve, she stored them all in her storage ring. Back at Feng Wang's hive, she handed the monster pill to her, rewarding the loyal little creature for its service since the contract.
Feng Wang eagerly accepted it, compound eyes shining, circling Xie Zhaolin three times. Suddenly, it split off over a hundred of its strongest worker bees, surrounding her.
The queen tapped her finger gently with its antennae, then flew back to the hive with the remaining bees and monster pill.
The hundred-plus workers obediently entered Xie Zhaolin's spirit beast pouch.
"Let's go," she said, turning, calm in tone.
Though curious, Mo Yan didn't ask further. He formed hand seals, summoning a baleful qi sword again, carrying Xie Zhaolin along a hidden path out of Blackwater Abyss.