Chapter 598

Chapter 598: Sect Leader Goes Mad

Hearing Old Bird’s words, Mo Qianxun’s aged face flushed crimson as his entire body trembled with rage. A terrifying power erupted around him, forcing everyone nearby to stagger backward.

As the undisputed Mo Sect Leader and supreme authority of the sect, Mo Qianxun couldn’t believe someone had dared to mobilize the Law Enforcement Heavenly Soldiers without his knowledge—surrounding his residence and demanding he surrender his own grandson. This blatant disrespect struck at the core of his dignity, an act no ruler could tolerate.

The mastermind behind this was none other than Fang Lie, Old Bird’s candidate Token Lord. Fang Lie, his own granddaughter’s husband, should have been his ally. Mo Qianxun had even lent him the Wisdom Token to aid his vengeance. Yet now, the young man had turned against him, making Mo Qianxun feel utterly deceived.

Having lived over a millennium and renowned for his wisdom, Mo Qianxun had never suffered such humiliation or loss. His wrath reached a boiling point, teetering on madness.

As his fury surged, his Semi-Immortal power manifested. Dark clouds churned overhead, lightning crackling as the air thickened with killing intent. The crushing Spiritual Pressure forced even Thunder Tribulation Immortals to their knees. All Law Enforcement Heavenly Soldiers except Old Bird collapsed to the ground, pinned flat.

Without lifting a finger, mere traces of his unleashed power warped the heavens—a testament to the might of a Semi-Immortal, the mortal world’s pinnacle existence.

Yet Old Bird sneered undaunted. "What? You dare resist?"

"Humph!" Mo Qianxun roared. "I alone wield authority over Mo Sect! Fang Lie’s unauthorized actions are delusional! He remains a candidate Token Lord, unqualified to act recklessly here!"

Old Bird’s expression hardened. After a pause, it transmitted solemnly, "Fang Lie knows nothing. This was my decision."

"What?" Mo Qianxun’s face paled. "How dare you? You’re merely an item spirit! You’ve no right to act independently!"

Item spirits, regardless of power, were forbidden from autonomous action—a foundational Mo Sect rule ensuring leadership remained human. Such spirits were tightly restricted, never permitted unilateral decisions.

But Old Bird retorted, "I differ from others. Beyond guarding the sect’s foundations, I hold authority to supervise the Sect Leader."

Mo Qianxun froze. Upon becoming Sect Leader, he’d learned of this: the Benevolence Token monitored leaders, intervening only if they endangered the sect—through demonic possession or cultivation, for instance. This fail-safe, established by Mo Ancestor, had been invoked just once in millennia, deposing a Semi-Immortal Sect Leader to install another Mo family member—a truth buried in leader-only records.

"Though lax at times," Mo Qianxun argued through clenched teeth, "I’ve committed no atrocities warranting your intervention!"

"I have cause." Old Bird shot a beam of light into Mo Qianxun’s forehead.

The Sect Leader absorbed the information instantly. His rage dissolved into anguish. Whirling around, he bellowed, "Where is Mo Lanfeng?"

"Grandfather, here!" A handsome youth soared forward.

Appearing twenty but over a century old, he wore azure-patterned precious robes, a jade flute at his waist and folding fan in hand. His scholarly grace and striking features radiated refinement.

At the Golden Pool stage, his cultivation boasted a Qi Sea spanning eight thousand li—a solid foundation ensuring probable advancement to Thunder Tribulation. Combined with his Mo family lineage, he’d inevitably join the sect’s Higher-ups.

Esteemed for his potential, his position ranked just below elites like Mo Wanfang and Mo Lanyun.

Seeing Mo Lanfeng’s respectful smile, Mo Qianxun felt a pang of heartache. When Mo Lanfeng was younger, before the prodigy Mo Lanyun was born, he had been among the more promising of his peers. Mo Qianxun personally mentored him for ten full years.

Later, discovering Mo Lanfeng’s limited comprehension—that he’d likely never advance beyond the Thunder Tribulation stage to become a Semi-Immortal—Mo Qianxun reluctantly gave up. Still, those ten years forged a bond akin to father and son.

Now, however, heartache gave way to furious betrayal.

Without a word, Mo Qianxun struck.

A thunderous slap sent Mo Lanfeng spinning like a top through the air, hurling him hundreds of zhang away. He crashed into the dirt, disoriented. Spitting out a broken tooth, he lifted his swollen face, tears streaming. "Grandfather… why?"

"You know why, traitor!" Mo Qianxun roared. A beam of Spiritual Light shot from his finger, piercing Mo Lanfeng’s dantian and shattering the Golden Pool cultivated over a hundred years—rendering him powerless.

"From this moment," Mo Qianxun declared, sleeves flaring, "you’re expelled from the Mo family and Mo Sect!" Turning to Old Bird, he barked, "Take him. Conduct a Soul Search, seize his spirit, execute maximum punishment!"

With that, Mo Qianxun vanished in a rage.

The onlookers gaped. Mo Lanfeng, a top talent rivaling Fire Tribulation Immortals, Mo Qianxun’s own grandson—crippled? Subjected to Soul Search?

A Soul Search tore through memories, leaving the victim mindless. Spirit Seizing destroyed the true spirit, barring Reincarnation—the Sect’s cruelest penalty. What crime warranted this?

Nearby, approaching Thunder Tribulation Immortals froze. Their own heirs had been seized by Law Enforcement Heavenly Soldiers. They’d come demanding answers—only to witness Mo Lanfeng’s downfall. Exchanging terrified glances, they fled.

Old Bird hauled Mo Lanfeng and others to the Ancestral Hall, bypassing interrogation for immediate Soul Search.

Evidence from Zhu Xian—unaware of Fang Lie’s ambush—was genuine. Old Bird’s calculations confirmed longstanding grudges. With Mo Lanfeng already ruined, delay served no purpose.

Within minutes, the once-dashing Mo Lanfeng drooled vacantly. Old Bird, however, seethed.

Memories revealed Mo Lanfeng, after hiring Zhu Xian for murder, became their pawn. Blackmailed into spying, he’d leaked seven top-secret blueprints—including the Yuan Yang Fire Ship, a Seventh-rank large treasure weapon.

Such warships matched Eighth-rank Treasures in combat strength but could be mass-produced. For millennia, they’d been the Mo Sect’s backbone, numbering dozens.

The blueprints exposed every weakness. In enemy hands, they’d not only empower foes but doom the Mo Sect’s entire fleet—a catastrophic blow.