When Mo Qi returned to his residence, he found a crowd gathered by his courtyard. Judging by their attire, they were all Outer Sect Disciples.
"The man of the hour is back!"
Upon seeing Mo Qi, the crowd parted to form a path, and all eyes focused on him.
There was curiosity, surprise, and disdain, but most of all, their gazes held a strange, fervent heat.
Mo Qi was confused. He didn't know what had happened or why this group had surrounded his home.
"You must be Mo Qi, right?"
A young man of about fifteen or sixteen stepped out from the crowd. His black hair was tied back, and his Essence Energy overflowed from his body. Even through his clothes, one could sense the formidable strength of his physique.
He had clearly reached the Refining Essence Ninth Heaven, just half a step away from breaking into Qi Refining.
Mo Qi nodded, his expression impassive.
"My name is Qi Yun. I want what's in your courtyard. Name your price."
His tone was flat, but his words dripped with an undeniable arrogance.
Mo Qi paused, saying nothing.
He walked into the courtyard and saw the carcasses of the Wind Tiger and the Earth Bear. They must have been sent over by the Inspector Elder.
On his way back from the Martial Hall, Mo Qi had already skimmed through the Medicinal Cuisine Record and now had a clear understanding of the basic principles of Medicinal Cuisine.
He had asked the Inspector Elder for the Wind Tiger and the Earth Bear originally just to cook something delicious.
Now, he had the perfect ingredients to experiment with Medicinal Cuisine.
"Not for sale." Mo Qi waved his hand dismissively.
Qi Yun's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of annoyance in his heart.
His older brother was an Elite Disciple, and thanks to his brother's protection, his path on the Martial Dao had always been smooth and unobstructed.
Because he never lacked Cultivation Resources and possessed outstanding talent, his overall strength ranked in the top five among Outer Sect Disciples.
As a result, few in the Outer Sect dared to defy him.
He didn't pay much mind to Mo Qi's sudden appearance. He hadn't been present for the entrance trial and couldn't have cared less.
As for the eighty-percent completion rate, he considered it a joke.
'So what if he got a hundred percent if he can't even condense True Essence?'
If one of his underlings hadn't reported that Mo Qi had the carcasses of a Wind Tiger and an Earth Bear, he wouldn't have deigned to interact with him at all.
"A bottle of Spiritual Essence Pills." Qi Yun named a high price, causing the surrounding Outer Sect Disciples to gasp.
Spiritual Essence Pills were excellent items that aided Cultivation with outstanding effects. They were also incredibly expensive. Forget Outer Sect Disciples; even ordinary Inner Sect Disciples rarely had them.
Mo Qi glanced at Qi Yun and shook his head again.
To others, Spiritual Essence Pills were a treasure, but to him, they were less appealing than jelly beans.
"Aren't you being a bit too greedy? You should know that greed gets you nowhere!" Qi Yun said coldly.
He thought Mo Qi was trying to extort him.
Although he was already at the Refining Essence Ninth Heaven and could break through to the Qi Refining Realm at any moment, he had not yet achieved a perfect state of Refining Essence.
While the Wind Tiger and the Earth Bear weren't true Demon Beasts, the essence of their blood and qi could help him achieve a perfect Refining Essence state.
Therefore, Qi Yun was determined to get the Wind Tiger and the Earth Bear.
"I have my own use for the Wind Tiger and the Earth Bear. I won't sell them no matter the price, so please, all of you, go back," Mo Qi explained patiently.
But Qi Yun didn't believe him.
"Fine, fine, fine. I didn't realize a new Outer Sect Disciple like you had so much nerve. Trying to make me, Qi Yun, your sucker? I think you're tired of living!"
"Let me tell you, I'm taking the Wind Tiger and the Earth Bear today. You'll give them to me whether you want to or not!"
Mo Qi shot Qi Yun a faint glance and chuckled inwardly. 'Where did this self-important idiot crawl out from? Is he crazy?'
After understanding the initial divisions of the Martial Dao, Mo Qi already had a certain grasp of his own strength.
Because of the Nine Transformations into Spirit, he was temporarily unable to condense True Essence and hadn't mastered any combat techniques. He might not be a match for an expert in the Qi Refining Realm.
But in the Refining Essence Realm, his physique was enough to let him dominate completely.
'Perfect or imperfect Refining Essence, it's all meaningless fluff.'
Qi Yun and his group hadn't witnessed Mo Qi clearing the trial, so their knowledge of him was limited to hearsay.
Thanks to Wang Hao's interference, the discussions about Mo Qi mostly described him as either a cook or a good-for-nothing.
Thus, Qi Yun had a preconceived notion of Mo Qi and looked down on him.
"Scram!" Mo Qi usually had a good temper, provided his cooking and ingredients weren't involved.
"You're courting death!" Qi Yun was enraged. How dare a good-for-nothing tell him to scram.
"You've got some nerve!" Qi Yun gritted his teeth. "I heard you're supposed to have a life-or-death battle with Young Master Wang Hao. I don't think that'll be necessary. Today, I'll show you the gap between a good-for-nothing and a genius!"
As his voice fell, Qi Yun moved his feet, an aura like a tiger or leopard rising around him as he threw a straight punch at Mo Qi.
Mo Qi scratched his head. He enjoyed the process of cooking far more than fighting.
'But people just keep jumping out of nowhere to cause trouble for me. If that's the case, I'll just have to fight fire with fire!'
Just as Mo Qi was about to make a move, a dark figure leaped from the crowd and slammed a palm against Qi Yun's fist.
CRACK!
With a sharp sound, Qi Yun was forced back. The dark figure stumbled back several steps after landing before stabilizing.
The figure was a short young man with a sallow complexion and a scrawny build, looking somewhat malnourished.
"Liu Hui, you're ruining my plans again!" Qi Yun recognized the figure and flew into a rage.
"Don't think I won't actually cripple you!"
Liu Hui grinned, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth. His voice sounded a bit childish. "Qi Yun, trying to rob a newcomer again? I'm truly embarrassed for your brother!"
Qi Yun looked as if someone had stepped on his tail, his expression turning savage.
"Go! All of you, get him! Grab him! I'm going to break all four of his limbs today!"
Qi Yun's older brother was named Qi Tian. Though only a year older, he already had a Refining God Cultivation, ranked among the Elite Disciples, and had even been taken as a disciple by an Elder. He had great potential to become a Core Disciple.
It was precisely because of this that Qi Yun could do as he pleased in the Outer Sect.
But he hated it when people compared him to his brother. Ever since they were children, he was inferior to Qi Tian in every way, and all the glory was overshadowed by him.
That was why he was so desperate to achieve a perfect Refining Essence and close the gap between himself and Qi Tian.
Hearing Qi Yun's command, the surrounding disciples all attacked, swarming forward.
Liu Hui's expression changed. He whispered to Mo Qi, "I'll hold them off! You run! It's best if you hide in the Martial Hall or the Task Hall. They won't dare to touch you there."
Then he charged into the crowd.
Mo Qi didn't move. He could tell that Liu Hui was only at the Refining Essence Eighth Heaven, and his Essence Energy was impure. His strength was far inferior to Qi Yun's.
Most of Qi Yun's lackeys were Cultivators below the Refining Essence Seventh Heaven, so Liu Hui was handling them with relative ease.
'That idiot, why isn't he running?' Liu Hui was extremely anxious when he saw Mo Qi just standing there.
He knew full well he was no match for Qi Yun. The only reason he dared to thwart him time and again was because he relied on the sect rules, which forbade disciples from killing each other in private disputes.
Plus, he was fast. Every time he angered Qi Yun, he could always escape smoothly.
His original plan was to attract the attention of Qi Yun's group, let Mo Qi escape in the chaos, and then find a chance to slip away himself.
Who would have thought Mo Qi would do nothing?
"Die!"
As the battle reached a stalemate, Qi Yun made his move.
He leaped into the air, strands of Essence Energy coiling around his right arm. It glowed brightly as an immense force, like a river bursting its dam, surged and roared, smashing toward Liu Hui's back.
At that moment, Liu Hui had just sent two Refining Essence Seventh Heaven Cultivators flying. His old force was spent, and new force had yet to be generated.
'It's over!'
Liu Hui knew he couldn't dodge this punch. If it hit, he would be severely injured, if not killed.
A vicious glint flashed in Qi Yun's eyes. Liu Hui had used his speed to ruin his plans multiple times; it was unforgivable. As for the sect rules... 'If no one can prove Liu Hui died at my hands, who could punish me?'
At this thought, the force behind his punch increased by another thirty percent.
Just as Liu Hui despaired, a large hand, hard as steel, grabbed his shoulder and pulled him aside.
A figure—not massive, but upright and tough—appeared before him.
Who else could it be but Mo Qi?
'How is he so fast?!' Liu Hui clearly remembered Mo Qi being several dozen feet away just a second ago.
BAM!
Qi Yun's full-force punch was stopped by Mo Qi's single hand, caught in his palm.
All of its momentum collapsed in that instant. The attack, condensed from all his Essence Energy, was like a crazed, barking dog that had been clubbed into silence and laid down.
"H-How is that possible?" Qi Yun looked as if he had seen a ghost.
He was at the Refining Essence Ninth Heaven! And one on the verge of achieving a perfect Refining Essence, at that!
Moreover, he had used the High-Level Martial Technique Blast Beast Fist, given to him by Qi Tian. This punch carried a force approaching twenty thousand pounds.
Caught off guard, even a common Qi Refining First Heaven Cultivator wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
But Mo Qi had caught it with one hand, his body as steady as a mountain. He hadn't even been pushed back; his arm didn't even tremble.
Liu Hui and everyone else were completely dumbfounded.
'This can't be real, can it?! Is this a trick?! Is this a new Outer Sect Disciple?!'
"Scram." Mo Qi grabbed Qi Yun's arm and flicked it lightly.
Qi Yun felt an irresistible force throw him through the air. He crashed through several large trees before finally hitting the ground.
Countless bones in his body were broken, and his internal organs were severely damaged. Qi Yun spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he passed out.
The remaining lackeys didn't dare to linger. They hoisted Qi Yun up and scattered, wishing they had extra legs to run faster.
"Thank you for your help, Brother Liu Hui. I'm deeply grateful," Mo Qi said with a smile, cupping his fists.
Hearing Mo Qi's words, Liu Hui finally snapped out of it and shook his head with a wry smile. "I was being meddlesome. With your abilities, Brother Mo, Qi Yun wouldn't be your match even if he had three heads and six arms."
Although Liu Hui was telling the truth, Mo Qi felt that someone who would still step forward, knowing he was outmatched, was a person worth befriending.
He smiled and said, "Don't say that, Brother Liu Hui. A man as upright and unconventional as you is a rare sight. If you don't mind, from now on, we're friends—no, brothers!"
Liu Hui was stunned, then overjoyed. A hint of color returned to his sallow face.
"Alright! Then in the future, I'll be counting on your care, Brother Mo."
Mo Qi smiled faintly, his nose twitching slightly as a piece of information from the Chaos Scripture appeared in his mind.
"Haha, Brother Liu Hui, it's your lucky day!"