Mo Yuan's body gradually turned transparent.
"I did indeed harbor thoughts of possessing you," he admitted. "But since you possess the ability to revitalize the Mo Family, the future should be left to the younger generation."
His gaze was complicated, filled with sorrow, relief, expectation, and countless other emotions. In the end, all of them merged into a single sigh.
Mo Yu understood what he meant.
When a person stands at death's door, their final words are often sincere.
An indescribable feeling rose in his heart, and after a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"Unfortunately, Senior, I am not truly a member of the Mo Family. I was abandoned by my original family and happened to be left in Mo Village. In the end, the Mo Family's bloodline cannot be continued through me."
Mo Yuan was slightly stunned.
Then, as if he had understood something, the smile on his face became even brighter.
"I cannot be mistaken."
His voice was calm yet certain.
"I have guarded this place for countless years. I have never been wrong."
His gaze lingered deeply on Mo Yu.
"Be careful. Within five hundred years at most, a great catastrophe will descend upon the Tianyuan Continent."
His voice became increasingly faint and distant.
Eventually, his words faded together with his soul.
The only thing left behind was a Soul Pill emitting a gentle purple glow, quietly floating in midair.
Upon hearing those words, Mo Yu fell into a brief daze.
"Never deigning to deceive..."
Recalling what Mo Yuan had said earlier, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
So Mo Yuan truly believed that he possessed the Mo Family's bloodline.
And the great catastrophe was indeed destined to arrive within five hundred years.
In other words...
Mo Village had merely been a branch of the Mo Family's legacy.
Which meant he was actually connected to the Mo Family of the Upper Realm.
Another classic protagonist background.
Mo Yu silently complained inwardly.
The Soul Pill slowly drifted toward him.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he reached out and gently caught it.
The pill felt cool to the touch, yet a warm current flowed into his body through his palm.
Mo Yu bowed slightly toward the place where Mo Yuan had vanished.
"This Junior will not disappoint the Ancestor's expectations."
At that moment, the System's notification sounded.
[You impersonated a descendant of the Mo Family, gained the approval of the Mo Family's Ancestor, and successfully intercepted his opportunity.]
[After losing the Soul-Nurturing Pill, Mo Yu will find it difficult to quickly restore Yan Xi's Divine Soul. You may use this opportunity to take advantage of the situation.]
[Villain Counterattack Successful]
[Reward: Yin-Gathering Soul Jade Box (Immortal Artifact)]
[Yin-Gathering Soul Jade Box: Absorbs the power of lunar essence. Every month, it naturally generates a random Divine Soul-type medicinal pill and requires no spiritual energy to activate.]
[Luck plundering failed. Automatically replenishing.]
[Luck +200]
[Villain Points +200]
An Immortal Artifact?!
Mo Yu stared at the jade box inside the System Space in disbelief.
The jade box was crystal-clear throughout, engraved with intricate patterns. At its center was a Taiji diagram, the Yin-Yang fish appearing almost alive as they slowly revolved while emitting a faint silvery moonlight.
It required no spiritual energy whatsoever.
Simply placing it beneath moonlight would allow it to produce a Divine Soul medicinal pill every month, one comparable to the Soul Pill Mo Yuan had condensed from his entire lifetime of cultivation.
The effect was absurdly overpowered.
The rewards he had obtained from the System in a single day far exceeded everything he had gained through more than twenty years of painstaking cultivation.
Although the pills produced were random...
Who was he?
A Child of Destiny.
The strongest thing about being a Child of Destiny was always luck-based rewards.
It felt unbelievably satisfying.
"There's no problem with that pill. Hurry and consume it. Its value goes far beyond what your ancestor described."
Yan Xi's voice suddenly sounded from within the Soul Ring.
Mo Yu returned to his senses.
Without hesitation, he sent the Soul Pill into the Soul Ring.
"Sister Yanxi, this will benefit you more. You should refine it."
Inside the ring, the purple Soul Pill floated quietly before Yan Xi.
The soft glow illuminated her beautiful figure, making her seem even more ethereal and dreamlike.
Her ruby-red eyes stared at the pill.
Complex emotions surged within them.
Gratitude.
Warmth.
Hesitation.
A mixture of countless feelings.
In the end, they transformed into a trace of annoyance.
"Xiao Yu, don't be ridiculous."
Yan Xi's voice rose slightly, carrying both reproach and concern.
"This Soul Pill contains your ancestor's entire life's worth of Soul Power. It belongs to you. How can you simply give it away?"
Mo Yu was momentarily stunned.
Then a warm feeling rose in his heart.
"Sister Yanxi, do you remember how many times you've saved me?"
"How would I know? Who keeps track of something like that? Stop wasting time and eat it."
Yan Xi waved dismissively.
But Mo Yu shook his head.
"Since the day you protected me from being discovered by evil cultivators in Mo Village, you've saved me forty-eight times."
"Eight of those times, you exhausted yourself so badly that you fell into a deep sleep."
Yan Xi froze.
She never expected him to remember such details.
Her lips parted slightly.
"I only did it for myself."
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized that even she didn't believe them.
Mo Yu smiled.
It was a warm and sincere smile.
"I know."
"Still, in the future, I'll definitely help you rebuild your body."
"I'll use the finest materials in existence and create the most beautiful body possible for you."
Then he continued seriously.
"But this Soul Pill is different."
"I have great luck. There will definitely be better opportunities waiting for me in the future."
"Your Divine Soul is damaged. This pill is far more useful to you."
"Besides, the faster you recover, the more you'll be able to help me later, right?"
"You..."
Yan Xi suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
Her heart felt warm, touched, and helpless all at once.
There was even a faint sweetness she couldn't quite describe.
She gazed at Mo Yu.
His expression was completely sincere.
There was no trace of deception or ulterior motives.
Only genuine concern.
Her heart felt as though a gentle hand had lightly brushed against it, creating countless ripples.
From the day they met until now, Mo Yu had never disappointed her.
Time and time again, he had survived certain death.
Time and time again, he had defied fate itself.
He was no longer the helpless child she once protected.
He was like an unpolished gem.
And after enough refinement, he would inevitably shine brilliantly.
An unfamiliar emotion quietly sprouted within Yan Xi's heart.
It surpassed the relationship of master and disciple.
It carried a faint tremor that even she herself had yet to notice.
Taking a deep breath, she forcibly suppressed those chaotic feelings.
"Fine."
Yan Xi let out a soft sigh.
"Since you insist, I'll accept your goodwill."
She raised her slender hand and picked up the Soul Pill.
Parting her cherry-red lips slightly, she swallowed it.
Boom!
A brilliant light erupted throughout the Soul Ring.
Powerful soul fluctuations spread outward.
Crimson flames rose around Yan Xi.
Her red dress fluttered.
Her silver-white hair danced in the air.
Like a phoenix reborn from flames, she appeared breathtakingly beautiful and sacred.
As the Soul Pill's energy merged into her Divine Soul, her previously weakened soul rapidly solidified at a visible speed.
Her aura climbed higher and higher.
Eventually, her soul became almost tangible.
No longer translucent and illusory as before.
Opening her eyes, Yan Xi spoke softly.
"My strength has recovered to the Soul Transformation Realm."
"If I temporarily take control of your body, I can even contend against a Void Return cultivator."
A satisfied smile appeared on Mo Yu's face.
As expected.
Sister Yanxi was still easy to persuade.
With this, there was no longer any need to return to the Holy Land to seek reinforcements.
The Qin Family could be dealt with immediately.
His gaze shifted toward Chu Yuli.
"We should leave."
"Mm."
Chu Yuli nodded obediently.
Then a trace of confusion appeared in her eyes.
"Master..."
"Why did your Ancestor do that?"
Mo Yu froze.
For a moment, even he didn't know how to answer.
Who knew?
Was it because Mo Yuan figured everything out?
No.
Was it because he was afraid of death?
That didn't make sense either.
The man had literally sacrificed himself.
But could he admit that he didn't know?
Absolutely not.
Image was important.
If he failed to establish a powerful and unfathomable master's image, what if his disciple developed rebellious thoughts and tried to overthrow her master in the future?