The Nether Race was the name of Queen Mo Yan’s people.

The Nether Ancestor was a legendary figure within the Nether Race. He once single-handedly led the weak Nether Race from a struggle for survival to an age of glory, even managing to suppress humanity, the continent’s sovereigns, and rule for an entire era.

He was an existence far, far more ancient and distant than even Queen Mo Yan.

So ancient, in fact, that the vast majority of the Nether Race had either forgotten him or were completely unaware that such a great hero had ever existed in their history.

It was only because Yan had become the Queen of the Nether Race that she had any knowledge of this history. She had also come into contact with items imbued with the Nether Ancestor’s aura, which was how she was able to recognize it now.

’I never would have thought... The Nether Ancestor’s Mansion, which my people have sought for countless years and eventually gave up on finding, is actually here!’

In the darkness, Yan stared at the side of Mo Qi’s face, her mind wandering.

’That stone gate outside is a seal. It completely cut off the aura, so even I didn’t notice anything amiss. And I have no idea how to activate it... so how did that silly kid know the Seal Technique to undo it?’

’Just how many more secrets does he have?’

As if sensing her stare, Mo Qi looked down and met Yan’s gaze.

Just then, a strange force suddenly pressed down on him. He stumbled, losing his balance as his descent abruptly doubled in speed—and continued to accelerate.

Startled, Mo Qi realized they were about to hit the bottom.

The bizarre force remained, making it impossible for him to get his footing. He could only scoop up Yan, hold her protectively in his arms, and then instantly twist his body to land on his back. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

BOOM!

His back hit the ground first. Mo Qi slammed heavily onto the hard, rocky floor.

The violent impact sent a sweet taste rushing up his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. With no time for any other thought, he hurriedly checked on Yan in his arms. Only after confirming she was unharmed did he let out a sigh of relief. Then his head lolled to one side, and he passed out cold.

BOOM!

With another loud thud, Li Yuanhao landed beside them, equally unconscious.

Nestled in Mo Qi’s embrace, Yan blinked in surprise. She had, of course, seen everything he had just done.

A warm feeling flooded her heart, and a breathtakingly beautiful smile bloomed on her face.

"You silly kid!"

She chided him with a soft, affectionate laugh, pressing her small face tightly against Mo Qi’s chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist, closed her eyes, and gently inhaled his scent.

At that moment, her heart felt a peace she had never known before.

Even with the Nether Ancestor’s Mansion right before her, and even knowing that a Precious Treasure left behind by the Nether Ancestor was certainly here, none of it mattered compared to Mo Qi’s embrace. It all seemed dull and uninteresting.

"SNORT!"

The Pig Emperor wobbled out of Mo Qi’s pocket. It hadn’t passed out, but the fall had left it completely dazed and confused.

"You’d best stay quiet. If I hear so much as another peep out of you, you’ll be headed for the cooking pot!"

Yan’s cold voice echoed in the Pig Emperor’s mind, accompanied by an impossibly powerful spiritual pressure. The Pig Emperor was so frightened it froze in place, not daring to even breathe.

’Who in the world is this girl? How can she make me feel such immense pressure!’ the Pig Emperor thought to itself, feeling both worried and expectant.

Its Combat Power might be low, close to zero even, but when it came to mental fortitude, the Pig Emperor had never been afraid of anyone.

Not even Mo Qi, when wielding the Power of the Dragon Vein, could exert the slightest pressure on it.

But this little girl, Yan, made it feel like death was upon it.

’Sigh. I don’t know if getting tangled up with her is a good or a bad thing for Mo the kid,’ the Pig Emperor lamented with a long sigh. It flopped down where it stood, not daring to move again.

Mo Qi’s blackout didn’t last long. He awoke in less time than it would take for half a stick of incense to burn.

"Whew! Such pure Energy!"

Upon waking, his nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, his face filled with delight.

Yan calmly released her arms and moved out of his embrace.

Now free, the Pig Emperor hastily leaped onto Mo Qi’s shoulder.

It shot a wary glance at Yan before asking in confusion, "Pure Energy? Why don’t I feel anything?"

"You can’t feel it?" Mo Qi asked, surprised.

’With the Pig Emperor’s sensitivity to Energy, there’s no way it can’t sense it!’

To his senses, the surrounding Energy wasn’t just pure—it was like being immersed in an ocean of it.

The Pig Emperor shook its head. "There’s no Energy. All I feel is a bone-chilling cold that makes me extremely uncomfortable."

Mo Qi frowned. ’That’s strange,’ he thought. ’It doesn’t make any sense.’

"Wait a minute, let me try something."

Mo Qi opened his mouth and immediately activated Gorging and Drinking.

A strange expression flickered across Yan’s face as she watched from the side. ’That silly kid can’t be talking about Nether Energy, can he?’ she wondered. ’Those who are not of my race shouldn’t be able to sense Nether Energy! But... there’s no other form of Energy here except for Nether Energy.’

In the next instant, Yan was utterly shocked.

In just the past few days, she’d lost count of how many times he had surprised her. She was almost becoming numb to it.

The Pig Emperor couldn’t sense the Nether Energy because of their different races, but Yan could!

Before her very eyes, the already incredibly dense Nether Energy was being drawn into Mo Qi’s body as if he were a whale devouring the sea.

"Gorging and Drinking, convert!"

Mo Qi grunted, pressing his palms together before slowly pulling them apart.

A purple, diamond-shaped crystal the size of an egg quickly materialized between them, its surface shimmering with a soul-captivating light.

"A Nether Crystal!"

The moment she saw the purple crystal, Yan gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. She could no longer maintain her composure.

She had been shocked when Mo Qi subdued the Five Elements Tree, but she hadn’t lost her composure like this. It was clear just how staggering the appearance of this purple crystal was to her.

However, that was only the beginning. As soon as the purple crystal formed, it dropped to the ground. Mo Qi didn’t stop, and soon, a second, identical purple crystal appeared.

A third... a fourth...

CLINK. CLINK.

The sound of crystals falling echoed continuously, and soon, a pile of these purple crystals had formed at Mo Qi’s feet.

"This..." Yan was speechless, unsure if it was from shock or excitement.

Much like Dragon Crystals were to the Dragon Race, Nether Crystals were every bit as important to the Nether Race.

How had the Nether Ancestor been able to lead the Nether Race to its former peak?

It was because he could create Nether Crystals, which enhanced the talent and strength of the Nether Race’s warriors.

But after the Nether Ancestor vanished, no one in the Nether Race was ever able to create Nether Crystals again.

After so many years, the Nether Race had fallen into decline once more. If not for Yan holding them up, they might have been driven to extinction long ago.

The appearance of Nether Crystals gave her hope for her people’s resurgence!

The Nether Race would no longer have to hide away underground, merely guarding their ancestral lands!

’Silly kid, you just keep giving me more and more surprises. How could I ever leave you now!’

Condensing Energy was an additional function of Gorging and Drinking, the First Transformation of the Eight Transformations of Creation.

With Mo Qi’s current level of Cultivation, he was unable to digest all the Energy he swallowed in time, so he could only condense the excess into crystals.

As the Nether Energy entered his body, the pure Energy was continuously absorbed and converted, causing Mo Qi’s own aura to rise rapidly.

Seemingly stimulated by the Nether Energy, the unique power from the Five Elements Tree dissolved within Mo Qi’s body and clashed with the influx of Nether Energy.

This clash produced no destructive force. Instead, the two energies complemented one another, merging completely into Mo Qi’s very flesh and blood.