Chen Mo glanced at him and couldn't be bothered to respond.

Seeing the other party catalyzing the Immortal Material, Wanqi Kai wasn't in a hurry to make a move. As if chatting idly, he said:

"I heard your relationship with the Jiang and Qi Families is pretty bad?"

"Then you'd better be careful. They've always been vicious and ruthless, willing to use any means, and their ambition lies in the temple. Anyone who stands in their way will be ground into dust. Even with the Empress protecting you, it's useless."

"But our Wan Qi Family is different. We're obsessed with cultivation and have no interest in mundane matters; we're not the same kind of people as they are."

Chen Mo still said nothing, silently pouring in Essence.

Watching the jade branch grow more and more solid, Wanqi Kai could hardly suppress his excitement and continued, "Personally, I quite appreciate Mr. Chen. I can help you settle this matter; those two families will still give me that bit of face."

"As long as Mr. Chen knows what's good for him and hands this strange item over to me, I'll definitely compensate you. Even helping you break through to First Grade is no problem at all…"

Buzz!

The void trembled, and the surrounding mist surged like waves.

The jade branch, like emerald, turned from illusory to solid, bursting out blinding radiance, dyeing the sky above with a layer of green.

True Yuan flickered at Chen Mo's fingertips as he severed the branch. That section of jade branch fell steadily into his palm.

At the same time, a line of prompt text flashed before his eyes:

[Obtained High-grade Immortal Material: Evergreen Branch.]

Wanqi Kai's eyes burned, his breathing quickened. He reached out a hand and said, "Give it to me."

"What I hate most in this life are freeloaders." Chen Mo put the Immortal Material into the Heavenly Profound Ring and said blandly, "If you've got the ability, come take it yourself."

"Alright."

Wanqi Kai nodded, not surprised by Chen Mo's reaction.

The other party wasn't an idiot. How could he possibly hand over a fortuitous encounter just because of a few pretty words?

He'd just been testing him; in the end, he still had to rely on robbery.

"Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"This Secret Realm is completely sealed off. Even if all of you die here, no one will know I did it…"

At this point, he no longer concealed his aura. Majestic True Yuan surged out, violent Gang Qi shooting straight into the sky. "Even among Grandmasters, there's a gap. Today I'll let you see the true power of a Heavenly Human First Grade!"

Wanqi Kai swung his sleeves. Vast True Yuan condensed into a Heaven-opening Giant Axe, which cleaved down ferociously as if to chop this entire heaven and earth apart!

"Mr. Chen, be careful!"

Yu Hongyin cried out in alarm.

Chen Mo stood there without moving a muscle. Only when the axe edge was about to fall on him did he belatedly look up, his handsome face utterly indifferent. "So what if you're First Grade? It's not like I haven't fought one before. Just right, I'll use you to test this treasure's power."

"Hm?"

Wanqi Kai sensed something and looked back, his pupils suddenly contracting.

A massive shadow covered his body. A stone stele a hundred zhang tall almost filled his entire field of vision, descending with an unstoppable pressure that crushed down on him!

The base of the stele was still stained with dark red blood, carrying a trace of terrifying aura. Even with his Realm, his mind trembled violently, and a hint of dread flashed in his eyes!

Boom—

The stone stele crashed down.

The hard earth sank like water, then rebounded violently. Ripples layered upon layers surged endlessly outward, spreading in all directions. Countless trees were uprooted and toppled. Everyone present found it hard to even remain standing.

The few from the Wanqi Clan watched this scene and swallowed with difficulty.

"What the hell is that?!"

...

...

Dozens of miles away.

Two figures were flying through the air.

One was a young woman, and the other was shrouded entirely in black mist, his face impossible to see.

"Boom—"

Hearing that deafening crash, the two paused, seeing smoke and dust billow in the distance. It looked like someone was fighting.

A deep voice came from within the black mist: "That aura… it's Wanqi Kai."

"Should we go take a look?" the woman asked.

"No need. Let them bite each other like dogs." The person in the black mist felt uneasy, as if something extremely dangerous was over there. He shook his head and said, "Remember our purpose this trip: meet up with the others first, then go seek the Emperor's Body. The secret of immortality is hidden in there."

"Understood."

The woman nodded in response.

The black mist rolled as they continued flying toward the core area.

"Still, there aren't many who could force Wanqi Kai to this extent. Just who could it be…"

...

...

Boom, boom, boom—

Chen Mo pressed down with both hands in the air, driving his Primordial Qi.

The stone stele gathered the force of ten thousand jun, pressing down inch by inch.

It looked like he had the upper hand, yet his brows were tightly knitted, and there wasn't the slightest ease on his face.

Only to see beneath the stele, Wanqi Kai's robes burst apart, revealing a lean body. His feet stomped into the ground as strands of earthy-yellow radiance flowed into him. With both hands bracing upward, he stood there like a boulder, utterly unmovable!

"Kid, this Magical Treasure of yours is indeed something, but with your Realm you can't draw out its true power. In your hands it's just pearls gathering dust. I'll reluctantly accept it for you."

Crack—

Accompanied by the strange creaking of bones and tendons, Wanqi Kai straightened his frame and actually shouldered that hundred-zhang-tall colossus by sheer force!

A cold gleam flashed in Chen Mo's eyes. "He's merged himself and the ground beneath his feet into one, dispersing all the pressure… Looks like brute force alone won't do anything to him…"

With a twist of his wrist, the Dragon Marrow Sword appeared out of thin air.

The dragon-shaped Dao Seal emerged from his body; the surrounding void twisted, and a aura of nothingness spread out.

The opponent was a solid First Grade, two major Realms above him. Ordinary methods would hardly work, so Chen Mo didn't hold back in the slightest, directly using his biggest trump card at present!

"This move is only my second time using it; I haven't yet fully mastered it…"

"Take another look now?"

He raised his hand and swung the sword.

It descended in a light, almost casual slash.

Wanqi Kai's heart instantly rang with alarm, an intense sense of crisis making every hair on his body stand on end!

"Not good!"

On the other side.

The battle had already entered a white-hot stage.

Those three Martial Artists had Mastered some kind of combined attack technique; their True Yuan fused together, their strength multiplying. Even facing Zhu Shuang, this Grandmaster, they actually weren't falling into a disadvantage for the moment.

In the distance a few streaks of light were rushing over; judging from the sight, they should be reinforcements from the Wan Qi Family.

"Hong Yin, you go find reinforcements first, I'll hold them off," An Mengni said in a solemn tone, her expression grave.

"No, you go, I'll stay!" Yu Hongyin shook her head.

"I'm at Fourth-Level Peak; in terms of strength I'm stronger than you," An Mengni said. "Besides, they still have a First Grade Grandmaster on their side. Mr. Chen won't be able to hold out for long. Only when Shi Wenzhong arrives can the situation be reversed!"

"This…"

Yu Hongyin knew her words made sense, yet she still hesitated somewhat.

Although the two of them usually didn't get along, she was still her cousin. How could she just leave her here alone?

"Now isn't the time to be indecisive. If we drag this out, all of us will be leaving our lives here!" An Mengni said urgently. "Don't worry, Father gave me a Magical Treasure for protection before he left. Holding on for a quarter of an hour is absolutely no problem!"

"Fine, hold on, wait for me to come back!" Yu Hongyin no longer hesitated, turned, and tore through the air.

At the same time, four Martial Artists descended one after another.

After receiving the message and rushing over, they were already aware of the current situation.

Staring at An Mengni's graceful figure, the leader's lips curled into a cruel grin. "Move! Take down this woman first, then assist the clan elder in seizing the treasure!"

"Yes!"

The people behind him responded in unison.

An Mengni watched Yu Hongyin's departing figure, then turned back again. Her expression became indifferent, not a trace of anxiety to be seen.

"Alright, she's gone. Drop the act and hurry up and kill them all."

"Yes."

Zhu Shuang, who was still entangled with those few Martial Artists, answered, his aura suddenly shifting as if he'd become a different person.

He extended a finger and pointed through the air; all the Wanqi

Clan Members froze where they stood, like statues, utterly motionless.

Bang, bang, bang—

With a series of muffled thuds, their brows were pierced by some invisible force, blood and brain matter spraying everywhere in an instant!

Their bodies toppled to the ground, and until their consciousness completely faded, the faces of the crowd still held a bewildered look—they had no idea what had happened.

An Mengni looked toward the two still fighting in the distance, her gaze deep as she said softly, "This power seems different from other Laws. Is it something Chen Mo comprehended on his own? Looks like he's about to build his Dao Foundation. Such talent is truly terrifying…"

Zhu Shuang came to her side and asked, "My Lord, what do we do now?"

"Remember what I told you before? To deal with this kind of tough bone, you have to cater to his tastes." An Mengni's rosy lips curled as she said with a light laugh, "The honey trap plan is ready to launch!"

Zhu Shuang: "…"