Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Lost Forest

"Junior Brother Bai, please have a seat," Mo Qianxun politely invited the Head of the Bai Family to sit down. Then, he slowly said, "I have news about the matter you asked me to handle last time!"

"Really?" The Head of the Bai Family instantly became overjoyed. "Did that kid finally give in? Haha, I knew it! You’re the one who can make it happen, Senior Brother!"

The Head of the Bai Family had previously asked the Clan Leader to persuade Fang Lie to allow his family members to worship the Ancient Heroic Souls and, in turn, gain access to The Great Unity Spell.

Ever since the situation regarding The Great Unity Spell became known, the Head of the Bai Family’s life had become extremely difficult. He had turned into the biggest joke of the entire Mo Sect. He had carelessly discarded a treasure worth more than gold, something strategic enough to rival the Ninth-Rank Treasure, right in front of everyone, and even gave it to his grandson’s enemy!

Such a strange occurrence, let alone the Mo Sect, was nearly unheard of in the entire cultivation world, becoming a colossal joke.

Not only did the disciples of the Mo Sect spread the word, but it was said that this joke had even reached other regions, with the Higher-ups of other sects also joining in on the mockery.

Especially those Thunder Tribulation Immortals who had a grudge against the Head of the Bai Family, each one enthusiastically sent Flying Swords sending messages. On the surface, they were expressing condolences, but in reality, they were reveling in his misfortune.

One old rival, who had battled with him since they were young without a clear victor, was especially delighted. Ever since this incident emerged, that guy had been ecstatic, sending Flying Swords messages daily.

At first, he would inquire, not getting tired of asking several times a day.

The Head of the Bai Family found it utterly annoying and had no choice but to reply and confirm.

But then this guy started to comfort him, saying things like "It’s understandable to be confused at times" and "It’s normal for someone older to act foolishly," all the while pestering him three times a day. If someone didn’t know better, they would think they were old friends.

As the situation further escalated, that guy became even more relentless, casually writing letters to the Head of the Bai Family, mentioning whom he met that day who expressed deep sympathy regarding the matter; then the next day he would talk about someone else and what they said, and so on and so forth.

In a matter of just a few months, he engaged in deep discussions on this matter with over a dozen Thunder Tribulation Immortals, and everyone sympathized with the Head of the Bai Family.

However, the Head of the Bai Family was not foolish; he naturally knew that the other party was deliberately spreading the news to turn him into the laughingstock of the world.

It made the Head of the Bai Family so furious that he nearly rushed out to confront the other party!

Unfortunately, that guy was a Thunder Tribulation Immortal from West Kunlun and did not fear him at all. He had no way to deal with him and could only swallow his anger!

And that wasn’t the end of it; as The Great Unity Spell began to gain immense popularity within the Mo Sect, more and more sect disciples obtained The Great Unity Spell and successfully subdued Great Demons as mounts, significantly boosting their combat strength.

Their outstanding performances prompted even more people to join in the sacrifice to the Ancient Heroic Souls.

However, this did not include members of the Bai Family, as they had offended Fang Lie and were thus unqualified to offer sacrifices to the Ancient Heroic Souls.

If it were someone else who treated the Bai Family, a powerhouse of the Mo Sect, in such a manner, they would have undoubtedly resorted to force to ensure their body and soul perish.

But sadly, their opponent was Fang Lie, a fearless weirdo. His backing was the Benevolence Token, and the shrine for the Ancient Heroic Souls was guarded by Law Enforcement Heavenly Soldiers. Who would dare to cause trouble?

To put it bluntly, even Mo Qianxun did not have the guts to confront him, let alone the Bai Family.

So they could only watch as others reaped the benefits while they earned nothing.

In their envy, they naturally sought their Family Head, asking him to step in and promptly resolve the matter.

This was no small issue; it was a matter concerning the very survival of the Bai Family.

You see, within the Mo Sect, there was also a competitive mechanism in place, implemented from top to bottom.

How were the Five Great Token Lords chosen? Besides the Mo family being the direct descendants of the Mo Ancestor who directly controlled the Wisdom Token, the selection of other Token Lords depended on cultivation. Those with stronger abilities would ascend to higher positions.

Moreover, the various Wind Tribulation Immortals and Fire Tribulation Immortals were also ranked and categorized based on their abilities. If one lacked sufficient strength, not only would their share of sect resources be considerably less, but they would also have no qualification for significant positions.

Once one reached the level of Wind Tribulation Immortal or higher, family power had certain limitations; after all, everyone came from family clans, and no one could overshadow the other. In such cases, it naturally became a matter of strength speaking for itself.

In the past, the Bai Family was unafraid, boasting a family tradition of thousands of years with rich heritage, and their young members were exceptionally talented, able to achieve great things.

But now, the emergence of The Great Unity Spell shifted this balance. You must understand, the Four Great Outer Paths, including insects, beasts, flags, and soldiers, also considered the cultivator’s combat power. Great Demons controlled by The Great Unity Spell also counted within the "demon beasts" category, contributing to the cultivator’s overall strength.

Therefore, while others possess powerful demon beasts, the Bai family lacks them, which causes a decline in their overall strength. This will significantly set them back in future competitions.

The resources allocated to their sect will be greatly reduced, and important positions will also be denied to them. As a result, the entire family’s power will weaken until they become a second-rate family or even a third or fourth-rate one.

Thus, it is not just the Bai family members who are anxious; even the Head of the Bai Family is burning with urgency. Otherwise, he would not have put aside his pride to ask Mo Qianxun to intervene and resolve this matter.

Since the Bai family has always been a staunch ally of the Mo family, and the Head of the Bai Family is a childhood friend of Mo Qianxun, their relationship is extraordinary. Therefore, after he spoke, Mo Qianxun could not refuse.

Fortunately, when Fang Lie returned with a request, it brought a glimmer of hope. However, the seventh-rank formation flags are not to be taken lightly, and Mo Qianxun is unsure if the Head of the Bai Family will be willing to part with them.

Mo Qianxun then pretended to be hesitant and said, "Fang Lie has agreed, but the problem is he has an additional condition. You must agree today, and only then can he allow you to honor the Ancient Heroic Soul. If you miss this opportunity, he may never change his mind again!"

"What condition?" the Head of the Bai Family asked anxiously.

"Your family’s seventh-rank formation flags, the Seven Star Soul Lock Formation!" Mo Qianxun replied calmly, "He wants that set of formation flags, and you must give them to him for free!"

"What?" Upon hearing this, the Head of the Bai Family was immediately furious, "This kid is being unreasonable! A complete set of seventh-rank formation flags is worth an eighth-rank treasure! How dare he demand them? That Great Unity Spell was given to him by me. Why can others freely worship and obtain it while I must give up the seventh-rank formation flags?"

Seeing the Head of the Bai Family in a rage, Mo Qianxun smiled and said, "Do you really have the nerve to bring this up? When we discussed it, we agreed that you would give him one useless item as a gesture. But instead, you gave away such a treasure, which caused all of us to contribute ten drops of Original Essence Blood just to learn the Great Unity Spell. To be blunt, if it weren’t for the fact that you’ve stuck with me for so many years, I would want to slap you for your foolishness!"

The Head of the Bai Family felt his face burn in embarrassment, wishing he could find a hole to hide in.

"Don’t be too reluctant!" Mo Qianxun said, "It’s just a set of formation flags. Give them to him! You can’t catch a wolf without letting go of the child! Do you truly want the Bai family to never learn the Great Unity Spell?"

"He dares!" the Head of the Bai Family said resentfully.

"He dares more than you think!" Mo Qianxun scoffed, "Tell me, what is it that he is afraid of?"

"Uh…" The Head of the Bai Family was taken aback. With the Benevolence Token backing him and his undying nature, Fang Lie indeed becomes a lawless figure who would dare to do anything!

Helplessly, the Head of the Bai Family couldn’t help but complain, "Senior brother, aren’t you supposed to be on my side? Why do you seem like you’re helping him? Do you really want to take him as your son-in-law?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Mo Qianxun shouted in anger, "This time I am sacrificing my face to help you, using the honor of the sect to pressure him into changing his mind. Otherwise, do you think he truly lacks the seventh-rank formation flags? Think about the tempers of the Fang family and their family rules, and you’ll realize how hard it was to get him to change his mind!"

"Banging my head against a wall and not turning back?" the Head of the Bai Family said with a frown, "This family of fools really is troublesome!"

"You’re the same!" Mo Qianxun shot back, "I sacrificed my reputation for you, and yet you come to blame me? And you even dragged Lanyun into this. Are you trying to drive me mad?"

"Don’t be angry, senior brother, I know I was wrong!" The Head of the Bai Family quickly apologized, "I was confused and wrongly accused you. Mainly, due to the rumors outside and the puppet he has, which looks just like you, it caused me to misunderstand!"

"Idiot!" Mo Qianxun snapped, "If that was something I gave him, would it only have the mere cultivation of a Thunder Tribulation Immortal? I could easily place a divine skill in his consciousness sea and wipe out ordinary Thunder Tribulation Immortals without breaking a sweat! Are you really pretending to be clueless here?"

"I was being foolish, I was foolish!" The Head of the Bai Family quickly pleaded, "I was wrong; senior brother must forgive me! I will give him the formation flags, but I can’t just swallow this anger. We need to show him who’s boss!"

"Show him who’s boss? You’re not thinking of taking action against him, are you?" Mo Qianxun warned, changing his tone. "Let me make it clear: if you’re looking for trouble, don’t drag me into it. The terror of the Benevolence Token is beyond your imagination; he could kill you as easily as crushing an ant!"

"Senior brother, where are you going with this?" the Head of the Bai Family said with a sly grin. "I can’t be unaware of the power of the Benevolence Token! There are too many lessons from the past; even I’m not foolish enough to blatantly confront Fang Lie."

"So what do you mean?" Mo Qianxun asked.

"Hehe," the Head of the Bai Family smirked, "In a few months, the famous small secret realm, the Lost Forest, will open again. In the past few openings, all our Mo Sect disciples suffered losses, while Demonic Path cultivators gained a lot, leaving us with no face. This time, there aren’t many willing to take the risk in the sect. How about we let Fang Lie give it a try? After all, he’s not afraid of death, right?"