"..."

Huo Wuya's mouth twitched, "Actually, I'm also quite curious…"

The qilin usually barely pays attention to him, the Sect Master, why is it suddenly so close to an outsider?

Whoosh—

The wind howled, and several figures flew over, landing in the courtyard.

They were the elders of Martial Saint Mountain, and among them were Jiang Zhiyun, Tan Han, and several Peak Masters.

???

Seeing the scene before them, everyone stiffened, with expressions somewhat bewildered.

Elder Lingxiao is of the same generation as the sect's founding ancestor, regarded as the Guardian Sacred Beast, yet now looks like a subservient follower?

Chen Mo noticed Zi Wenzhong's disheveled and battered appearance being supported by Zi Lianji, curiously asked, "Purple Peak Master, what happened? Did you spar with someone again?"

Zi Wenzhong's eyelids twitched, and he said in a deep voice, "You still have the nerve to speak? Qiyun Peak was nearly shattered by your punch. If not for the great formation activating at the crucial moment, a disaster could have been caused, and yet you're here pretending?"

Chen Mo's expression froze, "What did you say? I shattered Qiyun Peak?"

"Everyone here saw it, are you trying to deny it?" Zi Wenzhong gritted his teeth, "It must be because of the last incident that made you bear a grudge, deliberately targeting me!"

Chen Mo realized something, and looked intently.

In the distance on Qiyun Mountain, a massive rift ran through the mountain waist as if the mountain was severed in half, several chains of golden light pierce into the mountain, fixing the upper and lower halves firmly, yet even so, it still looked somewhat skewed.

"Could it be that the punch I swung in the Illusory World also struck reality?"

"No wonder my Dantian feels empty, nearly drained of True Yuan…"

Huo Wuya noticed something, raised his hand to stop the agitated Zi Wenzhong, and asked, "Chen, after I passed you the Martial Arts insights, what exactly happened?"

Chen Mo snapped back to reality and truthfully said, "I was dragged into an Illusory World by a force, where I met an elder who demonstrated a punch capable of shattering mountains and splitting the earth, so I tried to deduce and comprehend it…"

"Elder?"

Huo Wuya's eyes flashed, "Do you know what the elder's name is?"

"He said his name is Pei Fengmian, and he was quite friendly, not only guiding me to comprehend the Great Dao but also imparting all his lifetime's Martial Arts insights to me…" Chen Mo paused halfway, suddenly noticing the few people before him with eyes wide open, mouths agape as if they had seen a ghost.

"Pei, Pei Fengmian?"

"Are you saying you saw the ancestor?!"

Huo Wuya's scalp tingled, his head buzzing.

As the founding ancestor of Martial Saint Mountain, some call him Martial Saint, others the Unfurling Cloud Ancestor, yet only a few know his real name, so Chen Mo likely isn't lying!

No wonder the Sacred Beast qilin is so close to him, must have felt the ancestor's aura!

"But that Jade Scroll, I have checked countless times, never found anything abnormal, why did it end up in Chen Mo's Sea of Consciousness?"

"Moreover, the ancestor has been ascended for hundreds of years, how could his soul possibly still remain?"

Huo Wuya was baffled.

Chen Mo was also a bit taken aback.

He guessed the elder had quite an origin, surely was a Martial Arts Venerable when alive, but only assumed he was a previous Sect Leader, didn't expect him to be the founder of Martial Saint Mountain?

At this moment, Tan Han frowned, and spoke, "Mr. Chen, are you certain you saw Elder Pei?"

Zi Wenzhong questioned, "You can mess around with food, but not with words. If the ancestor's consciousness hasn't dissipated, why hasn't it communicated with us over the years, but instead guides you, an…"

Before the word "outsider" could be spoken, the qilin perched on Chen Mo's shoulder suddenly raised its head, dissatisfied, looking towards Zi Wenzhong. Its crystal-like brow emitted a dazzling glow and directly blasted him away!

If not for Tan Han's timely tug, he might have ended up embedded in the wall again!

Zi Wenzhong's chest was charred black, emitting wisps of smoke, looking very unpleasant.

Yet facing the qilin's cold eyes, he bowed his head, not daring to say more.

"The Sacred Beast's attitude already speaks volumes, I believe Chen is telling the truth." Huo Wuya looked at Chen Mo and said, "Do not take offense, after all, this matter is indeed beyond reason, their confusion is quite understandable."

Chen Mo didn't mind.

After all, Zi Wenzhong had inexplicably received a punch from him as well…

"What else did the ancestor tell you?" Huo Wuya inquired.

Chen Mo recalled, "He said he is merely a remnant obsession, temporarily able to persist due to being tainted with the Power of Laws… Also, he mentioned a message for a friend, but did not specify who…"

"Friend?"

Huo Wuya pondered briefly, then realized, "Most strong people from the ancestor's era have fallen, the only remaining ones are the Sacred Beast qilin, and their relationship is indeed worthy of the term friends."

"Hm?"

The qilin blinked its clear eyes, looking at Chen Mo with anticipation.

Chen Mo transmitted the message from Pei Fengmian to the qilin accurately.

After hearing it, the qilin froze, seemingly like a statue, eyes filled with tears, then raised its head and howled.

"Woo—"

The sky dimmed a bit, draping a misty rain overhead.

As the Guardian Sacred Beast, any movement by the qilin can cause phenomena in this world.

Feeling its anguish, Chen Mo sighed silently, and gently patted its back.

Sometimes, an alien beast's emotions are more pure than humans', enduring through centuries and life and death unchanged, these two could be considered having an undying bond.

After a long time, the qilin's mood gradually calmed.

The sky also cleared accordingly.

Huo Wuya tentatively asked, "Apart from that, did the ancestor leave us any message?"

Chen Mo shook his head, "No, the whole process was quite brief, after explaining a few things, Master Pei completely vanished."

"Alright."

"Wait a moment…"

Noticing his wording, Huo Wuya's heart stirred, "You call him Master Pei?"

"Yes," Chen Mo nodded, "Master Pei imparted all his Martial Arts insights to me, already granting me the grace of teaching, calling him master is only natural, and Master Pei graciously accepted."

∑(O_O;)?!

Huo Wuya swallowed hard.

He was planning on taking Chen Mo as a disciple, but the latter directly jumped ranks to become his martial uncle?

Others looked at each other with strange expressions, especially Zi Wenzhong, wishing he could bury his head in his chest.

If what Chen Mo said is true, then his previous actions were akin to disrespecting his master, if this spreads, he'd never be able to face others for the rest of his life!

Zi Lianji's face paled, his mind in turmoil.

Chen Mo inadvertently became his master ancestor, what should he call Fairy Qingxuan?

Ancestor Master?

Not only did he fail as a Dao companion, he instead became a grandson, who could withstand that…

Having seen everyone's demeanor, Chen Mo understood, and spoke, "After all, that was merely a trace of ancestor's consciousness, his true self already ascended, and I haven't officially performed the apprenticeship gift, at best it's informal mentorship, henceforth just call me a fellow Daoist."

With these words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It would be embarrassing for a group of elders to kneel and bow to a child.

Huo Wuya cleared his throat, "Chen… Cough, Mr. Chen, about the ancestor's matter, please do not disclose it, otherwise, it might cause quite a stir."

A thousand-year-reemerged Martial Saint would surely create a storm in the Jianghu if the news spread!

The court and noble families might take action, possibly bringing disaster to Martial Saint Mountain!

Chen Mo nodded, "Don't worry, I'm aware."

"That's good…"

"Roar—"

Before Huo Wuya finished speaking, the qilin raised its head and roared, leaping up, treading on auspicious clouds, hovering in the air.

It took a deep breath, its form rapidly expanding, reassuming its imposing stance, then opened its mouth, and radiant beams shot forth, dyeing the whole sky in brilliant hues.

Clang—

Accompanied by the sound of gold and iron clashing, within the five-colored radiance gradually emerged a long sword.

Huo Wuya gazed in shock.

"This is…"