Chapter 185: Chapter 182: Dear Uncle
Zhang Shao had always been one to leave himself an escape route.
His caution had saved his life on many occasions.
Never put all your eggs in one basket; that was the most basic of principles.
In his eyes, Mo Qi was nothing more than a talented, incredibly lucky brat. Crushing him would be a piece of cake.
He wouldn’t even have to lift a finger.
"Jin Quan, Mo Qi, you two are just the beginning!"
Zhang Shao sneered, looking down at the tortured, half-dead Jin Quan.
"Avenging my son, Zhang Cheng, won’t be over so easily. Void Sect, you will pay the price for this too!"
With that, Zhang Shao turned and left the Celestial Prison.
...
Within the Imperial City Pass, this year’s Annual Selection might just have had the highest survival rate in history.
This was all thanks to Liu Hui and Jin Sanpang, the so-called "Fat and Thin Duo of Doom." Everywhere they went, be it prisoners or the geniuses participating in the selection, not a single person was spared—all were stripped bare.
Panic spread like wildfire, making the geniuses too afraid to wander, and the prisoners too disheartened to fight for their freedom.
Aside from the requisite slaughter, an eerie calm had fallen over the area Within the Pass.
To think that just two people could disrupt the order of an Annual Selection that had run smoothly for countless years... it had to be said, they were making history.
At that very moment, they and Mo Qi’s party were being led by Wu the Old Ghost, hurtling through the earth toward the Land of the Dragon Vein.
Qian Duoduo and the others couldn’t tear their eyes away from Mo Qi.
Although eating the meat of the Silver-backed Earth Dragon Demon Beast hadn’t allowed them to break through to a new realm, it had made their Cultivation far more stable. This was especially true for Zhu Fan and Zhao Zijun.
They had only just broken through to the Mid-stage Purity Realm after consuming Medicinal Pills, a process that should have taken them months, or even a year, to stabilize.
But now, a single meal of roasted meat had allowed them to skip that process entirely, leaving their foundations exceptionally solid.
What kind of miraculous ability was this?!
And the taste was so unbelievably good you’d remember it for the rest of your life!
It was hard to imagine how they would bear it if they could never taste Mo Qi’s cooking again.
It wasn’t as if they’d never eaten Demon Beast meat before, but its effects were usually limited to simply strengthening the body and tempering one’s physique, and even then, the results were minimal.
It was worlds apart from the roasted meat Mo Qi prepared. There was simply no comparison.
A single question burned in all of their minds: ’How does he do it?’
Mo Qi paid their stares no mind. His attention was focused entirely on Wu the Old Ghost.
They were all standing on a rock platform, which was being pulled along by a strange Energy radiating from Wu the Old Ghost.
Even though they were deep underground, the earth around them parted automatically, creating a massive tunnel.
It was just as Wu the Old Ghost had said: he was even faster underground than on the surface.
Describing their speed as breakneck would not be an exaggeration.
Mo Qi carefully sensed the Energy emanating from Wu the Old Ghost. He found it was very similar to Domain Power, yet vastly different.
It was purer, more complex, and more advanced—difficult to describe in words.
Sensing Mo Qi’s focus, Wu the Old Ghost explained as they traveled, "Little Brother Mo, this is the Power of Realm. Since I have an Earth Attribute Spirit Root, the first I comprehended was the Earth Realm. You only have a Qi Refining Cultivation right now, so you’re still a long way from a Mental Realm. You have to pass the Domain hurdle first."
Mo Qi smiled but didn’t say anything more. Instead, he sat down cross-legged and focused on sensing the Mental Realm Wu the Old Ghost had mentioned.
Wu the Old Ghost was utterly baffled. He had no idea what trick Mo Qi was trying to pull, but he silently channeled his Power of Realm even more intensely.
Liu Hui and Nangong Yan were nestled together, affectionately whispering sweet nothings to each other.
Jin Sanpang, meanwhile, cupped his chubby cheeks in his hands and stared at Mo Qi, a mixture of worry and confusion flashing in his eyes.
Qian Duoduo was now filled with reverence for Mo Qi and wanted to learn more about his past.
Liu Hui and Jin Sanpang were clearly a lost cause, so he set his sights on the External Incarnation.
He didn’t know this was Mo Qi’s External Incarnation. He just assumed that, like Liu Hui, this man was one of Mo Qi’s subordinates.
"I am Qian Duoduo. May I ask your name, brother?"
The External Incarnation opened its eyes to see Qian Duoduo’s sincere yet sycophantic smile.
Although his main body was busy comprehending the Mental Realm, multitasking was nothing for Mo Qi.
He and his External Incarnation shared the same mind.
Mo Qi looked at Qian Duoduo strangely. ’He’s asking for my name?’
A thought popped into his head. The External Incarnation said, "My surname is Grand, given name Paul."
"Grand? A fine surname!" Qian Duoduo was never stingy with his praise; it just flowed out.
"Paul? A fine name! Paul Grand... Hmm? Wait a minute, Grand Paul?! As in, ’Grandpa’?!"
Qian Duoduo shot him a sidelong glance, his face full of suspicion.
"Is your name really Paul Grand?"
Mo Qi had his External Incarnation affect a cold tone. "What would I gain from lying to you?"
’Qian Duoduo wanted to scoff. ’No benefit, maybe, but you’re definitely taking advantage of me!’
"Brother, be honest with me," Qian Duoduo asked with a mischievous grin. "How many times did you get beaten up as a kid because of that name?"
"’Beaten up? Never happened. I’ve only ever been the one doing the beating,’ Mo Qi replied, feigning ignorance with a perfectly straight face."
Qian Duoduo rolled his eyes upon hearing this.
’Brother, with an attitude that arrogant, you’ll get beaten to death the second you set foot in the Imperial Academy!’
"Is there anything else?" Mo Qi asked.
"N-nothing," Qian Duoduo stammered, shaking his head. "I just wanted to be friends. You can call me Duoduo."
Mo Qi was roaring with laughter on the inside, but his External Incarnation maintained its deadpan expression.
He patted Qian Duoduo’s shoulder. "I’ll accept you as a friend. You can call me Paul, or Grand. If that’s too much trouble, ’Pa’ is also fine."
Qian Duoduo was speechless.
’Grand? Pa? This guy is really pushing it!’
Heh!
If he thought he could actually win a fight against the External Incarnation, Qian Duoduo would have slapped the man to the ground and beaten him senseless.
Just then, a huge commotion erupted from Mo Qi’s real body.
The Sword Skill Domain descended, instantly enveloping everyone.
"Domain?!"
Wu the Old Ghost was aghast. ’A Domain?! Someone in the Qi Refining Realm actually has a Domain?!’
’Am I dreaming?’
’How is that possible?!’
But the truth was right in front of him. Not only did Mo Qi possess a Domain, but it was an incredibly powerful one.
Qian Duoduo, with the weakest Cultivation—not even at the Purity Realm—was instantly flattened against the ground by the Sword Skill Domain, unable to move a muscle.
Although Nangong Yan, Zhao Zijun, and Zhu Fan were already in the Mid-stage Purity Realm, they too felt immense pressure.
The three of them had to resist with all their might just to remain standing.
Besides the External Incarnation, the only ones who could move freely within Mo Qi’s Domain were Wu the Old Ghost, Jin Sanpang, and Liu Hui.
Suddenly, Wu the Old Ghost’s expression changed.
’Hmm? Is his Domain about to evolve into a Mental Realm?’
The Sword Skill Domain trembled violently, its power instantly multiplying several times over.
Fortunately, Wu the Old Ghost acted in time, deflecting the Domain’s pressure from the others. Otherwise, Qian Duoduo would have been instantly crushed into a fine paste.
