Qinglan City was like a pot of water on the verge of boiling—calm on the surface, yet seething with undercurrents due to the arrival of "Mr. Mo." He purchased the "Tingyu轩" mansion in the city center, a place long abandoned and reputed to be haunted. Previous owners had all met mysterious and violent ends, and the mansion's notorious reputation kept people at bay. However, after Mr. Mo spent a single night there, passersby the next morning were shocked to find the once-dilapidated and eerie estate completely transformed. The vermilion gates shone brightly, and a black plaque with golden characters hanging above read "Mo Residence," exuding an aura of coldness. Inside the high walls, one could faintly discern the outlines of pavilions and towers, with spiritual energy swirling about—no trace of ghostly presence remained. What frightened people even more was that no one had seen workers coming or going, nor had they heard any sounds of construction. It was as if the transformation had occurred out of thin air.
Mysterious, profound, and wealthy—such was the first impression Mr. Mo left on Qinglan City.
At that very moment, the city lord's residence was shrouded in gloom. City Lord Xiao Zhan, an early-stage Divine Sea cultivator, paced restlessly outside his beloved daughter Xiao Wan'er's chamber like any anxious father. From within the room came the young lady's painful moans, alternating between chattering teeth as if in an ice cellar and restless tossing as if in a sea of fire.
Three years prior, Xiao Wan'er had ventured out to hone her skills and accidentally entered an ancient secret realm. Upon her return, she was afflicted with a strange ailment. Her body would periodically become icy cold, like touchable millennia-old玄冰, radiating a chilling sensation, or scorching hot, akin to magma from the earth's core, emitting intense heat. Over the three years, Xiao Zhan had summoned numerous renowned physicians and even alchemists from the Flowing Cloud Sect, but all were at a loss. They diagnosed her with a peculiar mixed poison for which no medicine or stone could provide a cure.
Recently, Xiao Wan'er's condition had worsened, her breaths becoming as faint as a thread. The city lord's residence offered a substantial reward of ten thousand gold coins and even pledged a favor in exchange for saving the young lady's life. Lin Fan had also come on behalf of the Flowing Cloud Sect to examine her, spending several days before sighing and shaking his head. He identified the poison as the "Abysmal Ice Flame" toxin, which was beyond human intervention.
Just as all hope seemed lost, the master of the Mo Residence stepped forward to claim the city lord's reward notice.
When the news spread, the entire city was in an uproar. There were skeptics, the curious, and those waiting to see a笑话. Lin Fan, upon hearing this, sneered in disdain. If even he, a promising disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect, was powerless to help, how could a mysterious Mr. Mo make a difference? He decided to pay a personal visit to see who this Mr. Mo truly was and, incidentally, if the latter failed, it would only serve to highlight Lin Fan's own helplessness as being truly unavoidable.
On the afternoon of the day Mr. Mo claimed the notice, he arrived alone at the heavily guarded city lord's residence.
He was still dressed in an unremarkable black robe, his features obscured as if shrouded in a thin mist, with only his eyes—deep and haunting—revealing his presence. The captain of the guards, a mid-stage Body Tempering cultivator, intended to question him as per routine. However, upon meeting Mr. Mo's gaze, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his true energy freezing and leaving him unable to muster any resistance. Instinctively, he stepped aside.
Xiao Zhan received Mr. Mo in the parlor. Judging by his demeanor, he found Mr. Mo surprisingly young and initially harbored doubts. Yet, the latter's unfathomable aura and the confidence behind his claim on the notice compelled Xiao Zhan to maintain proper etiquette.
"Mr. Mo, it is an honor to have you here. I, Xiao, regret I could not welcome you myself," Xiao Zhan said with a拱手, his tone relatively polite.
Lin Fan sat nearby, clad in a spotless white robe of a Flowing Cloud Sect inner disciple. His usual gentle yet distant smile masked sharp, scrutinizing eyes as he observed Shen Mo.
"City Lord is too kind," Shen Mo's voice was flat, betraying no emotion. He didn't even glance at Lin Fan, as if he were mere air.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Lin Fan's face as he spoke up, his tone laced with condescension: "Mr. Mo? Are you aware that Miss Xiao has been afflicted by the exceedingly rare 'Abysmal Ice Flame' poison? This poison, a clash of yin and yang, intertwines ice and fire, having already permeated her heart meridians and bone marrow. It is not something ordinary pills can cure. Even my teacher, the Flowing Cloud Sect's Alchemy Hall elder, would likely..." He shook his head, leaving the rest unsaid—a veiled attempt to undermine Shen Mo's resolve and remind him to back down.
Shen Mo finally turned his head slowly, his gaze falling on Lin Fan for the first time. His eyes were calm, yet they sent an unexplained chill through Lin Fan.
"Abysmal Ice Flame?" A faint mockery curled Shen Mo's lips. "The name is quite the stretch, more form than substance. In reality, it's nothing more than a mix of 'Subterranean Cold Poison' and a trace of 'Fire Scorpion Demon Energy'—impure and haphazard, a child's play."
Ignoring Lin Fan's abruptly changed expression, Shen Mo addressed Xiao Zhan: "Your daughter was poisoned on the Frost Descent Day three years ago, at the Black Wind Gully, three hundred li west of the city. At the time of poisoning, there should have been a peculiar herb with blue and white blossoms beside her, correct?"
Xiao Zhan's body jolted violently, his face drained of color. "How... how does sir know?!" These details were known only to him, his daughter, and a few trusted confidants! Not even Lin Fan had previously been so precise!
In that moment, Xiao Zhan's last shred of doubt vanished, replaced by unprecedented hope and reverence. "Sir is truly a divine being! I implore you to save my daughter. I, Xiao, will repay you with all my might!"
Lin Fan's face darkened completely. Shen Mo's words were like an invisible slap, stinging his pride.
Shen Mo indifferently said, "Prepare a quiet chamber and gather these medicinal materials." He casually produced a jade slip listing the required items. Among them were obscure herbs like "Yin-Condensing Grass" and "Crimson Sun Fruit," and one or two highly venomous ones.
Xiao Zhan did not dare to hesitate, immediately ordering his men to comply.
Inside the quiet chamber, Shen Mo dismissed everyone except Xiao Zhan, who stayed to guard. He took out a plain yet ancient-looking stone cauldron—a treasure from the Netherworld Palace's vault named "Melt Heaven," capable of resizing at will—and began adding the herbs one by one.
He did not use firewood. Instead, a leaping flame of chaotic hue emerged from his palm—the Annihilation True Fire! This fire was not merely hot but also possessed devoured and refined power.
Controlling the flame, adding herbs, melting liquids, condensing pills... Shen Mo's movements were fluid and graceful. Within the cauldron, strange phenomena emerged intermittently—ice crystals forming, flames erupting—before finally calming. He was not crafting a traditional detox pill but a special "Toxin-Devouring Pill" using the core power of the *Annihilation Swallowing Heaven Art* to consume toxins, supplemented by the herbs to balance the concoction.
When the pill was complete, a strange fragrance filled the air, invigorating the senses.
Shen Mo approached Xiao Wan'er's bedside. The girl's face alternated between cyanosis and erythema, her breaths shallow. He took out a silver needle—actually a filament condensed from Annihilation True Qi—and with lightning-quick hands, inserted it into dozens of major acupuncture points on her body. Secretly, he channeled his technique, guiding the "Toxin-Devouring Pill's" efficacy into her system. Meanwhile, he acted like an invisible vortex, gradually extracting and devouring the寒毒and fire toxins that had plagued her for three years.
Though the process seemed perilous, with Xiao Wan'er's body trembling violently and her complexion shifting erratically, everything was under Shen Mo's precise control. The ferocious toxins were forcibly stripped away and consumed by the Annihilation True Qi, transformed into pure energy that quietly replenished his reserves.
Xiao Zhan watched with bated breath from the side, too anxious to interrupt.
After about the time of burning an incense stick, Xiao Wan'er's body gradually stabilized. The cyanosis and erythema faded, replaced by a normal rosy hue. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, weakly calling out, "Father..."
Tears welled up in Xiao Zhan's tiger-like eyes, his emotion overwhelming. He stepped forward and tightly grasped his daughter's hand. Then, turning around, he bowed deeply to Shen Mo: "Sir's life-saving grace is etched in my memory! Ten thousand gold coins in thanks, along with my city lord residence's guest advisor token, please accept them!" He presented a storage bag and a jade token engraved with the Qinglan City emblem.
Without even glancing at the storage bag filled with spirit stones, Shen Mo casually pocketed the guest advisor token and said indifferently, "I share a bond with your daughter. This is but my duty. Keep your gold."
Nonchalantly dismissing the fortune as if it were nothing! This transcendence and poise left Xiao Zhan in awe once more, deepening his conviction that Mr. Mo was no ordinary man!
When Shen Mo emerged from the quiet chamber, Lin Fan, waiting outside, had turned an unpleasant shade of green. He couldn't fathom why this Mr. Mo could so effortlessly counter a poison that even his own master found challenging. This realization filled him with unprecedented frustration and a creeping sense of unease.
...
Several days later, Qinglan City's triennial grand auction commenced at the "Treasure Gallery." The event drew all the city's prominent figures and those from the surrounding areas. Lin Fan, of course, was in attendance, his goal clear: to secure a "Barrier-Breaking Pill" that would aid his breakthrough to the Divine Sea realm. Determined to succeed, the Lin family had prepared a substantial sum to ensure his acquisition of the pill, further solidifying his status within the Flowing Cloud Sect.
The auction atmosphere was electric, with a array of treasures on display. Lin Fan remained patient, waiting until the "Barrier-Breaking Pill"—a dragon's-eye-sized pill radiating immense medicinal energy—was presented on the stage.
"Barrier-Breaking Pill, starting bid at five thousand low-grade spirit stones!" announced the auctioneer.
"Six thousand!" Lin Fan bid first, his voice steady and confident, leaving little room for competition. Many smaller families, previously interested, backed down, unwilling to cross paths with this Flowing Cloud Sect genius.
The auctioneer scanned the room. "Six thousand spirit stones. Any higher bids?"
Just as the gavel was about to fall, a calm voice emerged from a silent private room on the second floor:
"Ten thousand."
Though soft, the bid echoed clearly across the auction hall.
The room fell silent, all eyes turning to the private room—Mo Residence, Mr. Mo!
Lin Fan's composed demeanor froze. He snapped his head up, glaring at the room with a flash of anger. He countered, "Eleven thousand!"
"Twenty thousand," came the indifferent reply from the private room, as if uttering a trivial number.
A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd. Twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones far exceeded the pill's normal value!
Lin Fan's face turned ashen, his fists clenched. This Mr. Mo was clearly targeting him! Suppressing his rage, he made another bid: "Twenty-one thousand!" This was nearly the limit of his personal resources.
"Thirty thousand," the voice from the private room remained unwavering.
"You!" Lin Fan could no longer contain himself. He stood abruptly, staring at the private room, his voice brimming with barely restrained fury and threat, "Mr. Mo! Does your residence truly wish to cross the Flowing Cloud Sect?"
A brief silence ensued in the private room, followed by a light laugh laced with undisguised contempt: "At an auction, the highest bidder prevails. If the Flowing Cloud Sect cannot afford the price, why embarrass yourselves by attending?"
The phrase "embarrass yourselves" stung Lin Fan like needles, contorting his handsome features. The crowd's reactions varied—sympathy, mockery, and schadenfreude—all making him squirm with discomfort.
In the end, the gavel fell. The Barrier-Breaking Pill was awarded to Mr. Mo for the exorbitant price of thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones.
As Shen Mo strolled out of the private room, passing by Lin Fan—whose face was ashen and body trembling—he whispered in a voice only the two could hear:
"Prince Lin, some things are never meant to be yours, no matter what."
These words struck Lin Fan like thunder. Flashbacks flooded his mind—the snowy night three years ago, the少年's defiant gaze before plunging off the cliff, the black jade pendant he had stolen... Countless images surfaced!
He snapped his head up, fixing Shen Mo's retreating figure with a deathly pale face, his eyes brimming with shock, terror, and a touch of疯狂的杀意!
'He knows! He must know something! Who on earth is he?!'