Mo Qi had never expected the Chaos Scripture to communicate with him this way.

He had a feeling the Chaos Scripture was somehow different today.

But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what had changed.

"I need power," Mo Qi said bluntly, not wasting any time. "Or rather, a way to increase my power quickly!"

The Chaos Scripture opened to a new page, and golden words materialized: "Diligently practice the Creation Golden Body Technique. With the Nine Transformations into Spirit and the Eight Transformations of Creation, the faster you devour and comprehend the myriad techniques, and the more of them you absorb, the stronger you will become."

Mo Qi shook his head again and again. "That’s not what I mean. I need a short-term burst of power—a trump card, you could call it. At the very least, something that will allow me to protect myself in the Hall of Envoys, and even in the Immortal Realm."

The Power of the Dragon Vein was formidable, but it was limited to the borders of the Mountain and Sea Empire.

Once he left the Mountain and Sea Empire, the Heart of the Dragon Vein would be unable to connect to the power Within the Pass, and Mo Qi would lose his ability to challenge Demi-Immortals and Immortals.

If that happened, no matter how much talent he displayed upon arriving at the Feng Family’s residence, he would ultimately be reduced to a mere tool in their hands—a pawn.

Because without power, he would have no say.

To earn the Feng Family’s respect—not just their attention—Mo Qi had to make his stance clear from the very beginning:

’My relationship with the Feng Family will be one of cooperation, not subordination. You have no right to order me around, nor can you interfere with or restrict my actions.’

He had to do this not only for himself but also for Liu Hui, San Pang, and Niu Kexin.

If he went to the Feng Family, those three would certainly follow him.

Mo Qi had no intention of letting them suffer the same fate as Yu Liang, so he couldn’t possibly allow the Feng Family to do with them as they pleased.

Mo Qi would only be at ease if they stayed close by his side.

But for the Feng Family to recognize and accept this, with Mo Qi’s current power, was nothing more than a pipe dream.

That was why he had turned to the Chaos Scripture.

The Chaos Scripture remained silent for a long moment before turning to another page.

"Since this is a transaction, what chips do you bring to the table?"

Mo Qi was taken aback for a moment before replying, "Most of my power is thanks to you. You know exactly what I’m capable of. Just tell me what you want."

The Chaos Scripture fell silent again, this time for much longer.

Just as Mo Qi began to think the Chaos Scripture was rejecting him, the words on the page changed.

"I want a promise from you! In the days to come, no matter what happens, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in, no matter what hardships or choices you face, you must not abandon me!"

Mo Qi was completely dumbfounded when he read those lines.

’What the hell!’

’Don’t abandon you?’

’What’s that supposed to mean?’

’Is it trying to be sentimental? Acting cute? Or is it just messing with me?’

’Who in their right mind would ever abandon the Chaos Scripture?’

As if sensing Mo Qi’s confusion, the page turned again. "I’m talking about me! Not the Chaos Scripture!"

Now Mo Qi was even more confused. ’Aren’t you the Chaos Scripture?’

The Chaos Scripture offered no further explanation. Instead, it gave Mo Qi what he wanted: "Learn the Mountain and Sea Empire’s method for borrowing fortune. Then you can use the Heart of the Dragon Vein as a medium, powered by fortune, to borrow the Power of the Dragon Vein from countless miles away. However, the strain on your physical body will be immense. A single misstep could cause your body to collapse. Use it with extreme caution!"

Mo Qi was ecstatic. ’With a method like this, doesn’t that mean I can borrow the Power of the Dragon Vein whenever and wherever I want, possessing Immortal Level Combat Power?!’

This way, when he arrived at the Feng Family’s domain, he would be qualified to negotiate terms, perhaps even stand with them as an equal.

Just then, the Chaos Scripture’s glow faded. It closed its pages and once again became plain and unremarkable.

"Wait, our deal isn’t finished!" Mo Qi cried out when he saw this.

He had only been trying his luck, never expecting the Chaos Scripture to actually possess its own consciousness.

’Then it must know about my origins, too.’

’And the grudge between my mother and the Immortal Domain Ancestors!’

This time, however, no matter how much Mo Qi called out, the Chaos Scripture gave him no response.

...

「Mountain and Sea Empire, the Imperial Palace.」

Covered in a crust of dried blood, Mo Qi suddenly opened his eyes.

CRACK!

The bloody crust shattered and fell away, and the phantom of the Five Elements Tree vanished.

As everyone watched with surprised delight, Mo Qi stood up, his expression unreadable.

He first gave Niu Kexin and Liu Ruyan a reassuring glance, then turned to Li Shimu.

"His Holiness, I would like to ask the Li Family for something. Of course, I don’t intend to take it for free."

Li Shimu was momentarily stunned, then smiled magnanimously. "Blessed One, you are too kind. Please, just ask. Anything in the Mountain and Sea Empire is yours for the taking."

Mo Qi didn’t stand on ceremony. He nodded and said via voice transmission, "I want the method for borrowing fortune."

Although Li Shimu seemed a bit surprised, he agreed without the slightest hesitation.

He took out a Jade Slip and handed it to Mo Qi.

"This contains the details of the Secret Technique for borrowing fortune. It was left behind by our founding Saint Ancestor. Since you want it, Blessed One, please take it."

Mo Qi accepted the Jade Slip. "Thank you. I, Mo Qi, am in your debt for this. I will be sure to repay this favor in the future."

Mo Qi then scanned his surroundings, his gaze finally settling on Liu Hong.

"Elder Liu, there is something I hope you will tell me truthfully."

Though his attitude remained respectful, the unquestionable resolve in his voice was unmistakable.

The entire area fell silent.

All eyes were fixed on Liu Hong and Mo Qi.

The members of the Void Sect were visibly encouraged, all of them looking toward Mo Qi with gratitude in their hearts.

They knew Mo Qi was about to demand justice for the Void Sect.

Liu Ruyan’s face was a mask of anxiety and conflict, her eyes darting back and forth between Mo Qi and Liu Hong.

One was the man she loved, the other her own grandfather.

She was caught in the middle, torn.

"Don’t worry," Niu Kexin said, squeezing Liu Ruyan’s hand comfortingly. "Trust Little Brother Mo. He’ll handle this."

Niu Kexin’s words calmed Liu Ruyan slightly, but a deep sense of unease still lingered in her heart.

"Whatever it is, just ask," Liu Hong said, shooting Mo Qi an irritated glance.

’Go on, you brat, be as arrogant as you want. I won’t stoop to your level for now. But when you want to marry my Ruyan in the future, heheh, don’t even think about taking a single hair from her head unless you kowtow a hundred times!’

Mo Qi, oblivious to Liu Hong’s inner scheming, mulled it over for a moment before asking, "The Flying Magical Artifact that destroyed the Void Sect... which faction in the Hall of Envoys does it belong to?"

Liu Hong sighed. ’Just as I thought, it’s about this.’

’Oh, Zhize, Zhize... of all the people to provoke, you just had to mess with this menace, Mo the kid!’

Liu Hong was still unaware that Xiao Zhize was already dead.

"That’s a Flying Magical Artifact from the Xiao Family! And I’m not afraid to tell you, Mo the kid, that it belongs to my very own grandson, Xiao Zhize!"

"Mo the kid, could you perhaps..." Liu Hong began tentatively, wanting to plead for mercy.

He wasn’t pleading for Xiao Zhize, but for the entire Xiao Family.

Liu Hong knew that if Mo Qi decided he wanted to destroy the Xiao Family, it would only be a matter of time.