Chapter Eight: Master Lingya

"Ah!"

Mo Fan tumbled and scrambled, reaching the mountainside in under two minutes.

"Pah! What’s the big deal? So it's 'Ascending to Heaven'—is that supposed to be impressive? Just you wait. One day I’ll traverse the Nine Provinces and scale this Heavenly Path, and then I’ll make you two brothers hang your heads in shame!" Mo Fan pressed his hand against a slab of bluestone to steady himself, shouting recklessly.

*BOOM!*

A bolt of divine retribution descended from the sky, striking the stone slab and leaving behind scorched, electrified marks. Mo Fan, caught in the blast, had his hair fried into a frizzy mess, and black smoke billowed from his body.

Stunned by the lightning strike, Mo Fan dared not boast again. After much effort, he managed to stand back up. A sense of indignation burned within him, driving him to climb frantically. When he reached the eightieth step, he hesitated, his foot hovering for a long time, unsure whether to take the next step.

"If I see those two big brothers again, what should I say? If they still insist on killing me, what should I do? But if I don’t try again, I’ll never understand what this 'Wild Thunder Domain' or 'Heavenly Path' they spoke of actually is. It might even be related to why I can’t open my own Wild Domain, and besides..."

Mo Fan kept one foot suspended in the air, unable to let it fall.

*Whoosh!*

A fierce gale blew from the foot of the mountain. A dozen or so exotic beasts, carrying a group of youths, swept past from high above and vanished into the mist in the blink of an eye.

Just as they dove into the fog, one youth glanced at Mo Fan, his eyes filled with bottomless contempt, and spat out two words:

"Idiot!"

He then vanished from Mo Fan's sight.

Watching these arrogant figures disappear, Mo Fan remained calm. However, he didn't realize that the foot he had kept suspended had been buffeted by the gale, causing him to lose his balance and fall.

"Ah!"

As his foot touched down, he felt as if he were being drawn in by a mysterious force, constantly shifting through space.

"Two big brothers, I know I shouldn't bother you again, but I really have no choice. If I don't take this step, I can't reach the summit. If I can't reach the summit, I can't cure this poisonous sore of mine. And if I can't cure this poisonous sore, then I..."

"Ah!"

Before he could finish his muttering, a powerful pulling force sucked him out and deposited him into a vast, spacious stone cavern.

The cave was enormous, filled with winding tunnels. It was chilly and mist-filled, with luminous stones placed everywhere, illuminating the vast space as brightly as the world outside.

*Clink, clink!*

From the depths of the cave came a crisp, rhythmic clanging sound that made one feel strangely at ease.

The sound was enchanting, clean, and melodic. Upon hearing it, Mo Fan was instantly entranced and instinctively sat down cross-legged.

In a daze, Mo Fan slipped into an illusion.

"Audacious! Who are you to dare trespass into the Illusory Formation I have laid?"

The moment Mo Fan entered, he was met with a thunderous reprimand. The terrifying roar felt like a streak of heavenly sword energy, nearly shattering him and causing him to vanish from this realm entirely.

He clutched his head with both hands, trying to shield himself from the penetrating voice. Waves of energy, like the surging waters of a great river, pounded his mind, making his head ring and throb. Even with his hands covering his ears, he could barely block the force that had already pierced his consciousness.

"Ah!"

Unable to bear the agony of his soul being punctured, Mo Fan screamed.

The pain of the soul felt as if his entire body were being torn apart. In the cave, fresh blood streamed from Mo Fan’s eyes as his body trembled uncontrollably.

"Who are you, and where is this place!"

Mo Fan swayed, fighting through the endless torment. His veins bulged, his face contorted in agony, and he ground out the words one by one.

"Heh, truly remarkable. That you could use sheer physical strength and willpower to pass through my Illusory Formation, reach this Illusory Cave, and enter my personal illusion—is this fate? Is heaven truly trying to destroy me? After all these years, to have a waste like you, suffering from an incurable disease and unable to open a Wild Domain, stumble into my Phantom Spirit Cave."

Inside the illusion, the voice did not answer Mo Fan's question. Instead, it projected a sliver of divine sense to inspect him before sighing with resignation.

"Sigh! Forget it. Perhaps this is truly destiny." Long moments later, the voice spoke again, withdrawing the powerful soul attack.

As the pressure vanished, Mo Fan collapsed to his knees, gasping for air, his body completely drained of strength.

"Still, not bad. Your soul's endurance is quite strong. Otherwise, you wouldn't have passed my formation to get here, let alone broken into my consciousness." Inside the illusion, the voice spoke again, sounding smug: "I am Ling Yazi. Welcome to my soul's sea of consciousness."

As the words fell, a massive surge of power poured into Mo Fan’s body, instantly restoring his soul to its original state.

With his soul healed, Mo Fan stood up and scanned his surroundings, his brow furrowed.

"Heh, you don't look very happy, boy?" Ling Yazi’s voice echoed, drifting through the phantom landscape.

"Happy?" Mo Fan said coldly, his face darkening. "If you were nearly killed by someone, would you be happy?"

Mo Fan’s meaning was clear, yet Ling Yazi acted as if nothing had happened. He chuckled and said, "It’s the rules. Everyone who reaches this place must be tested. If they pass, I grant them a great fortune. I only did this because I saw you suffering from that 'Blight-Poison' and..."

Ling Yazi trailed off, glossing over the subject and diverting the conversation. "That is why I, an old man, had to test you properly to see if you were worthy of the great opportunity I have to offer."

"Opportunity?" Mo Fan said with an air of indifference, his tone still grim. "It looks to me like a trap to swindle people, kill them, and steal their souls!"

"Boy! You can say anything else about me, but you must not spout nonsense about swindling, killing, or soul-stealing. If you do, I’ll get angry!" Ling Yazi roared, sounding genuinely incensed.

"Hmph!" Mo Fan scoffed, plopping down on the ground. "If not, then why did you nearly kill me just now? Weren't you trying to seize my body? I bet you only stopped once you saw this Blight-Poison on me. Now you’re spouting nonsense to fool me. Do you really think I’m a three-year-old? 'Great opportunity'—aren't you afraid of biting your tongue with such big talk?"

"You brat! I, Ling Yazi, am a sage of my generation. Since I began my path, I have never committed such filthy acts. If I had, you wouldn't be seeing me here today; you’d be seeing those vile, despicable villains instead," Ling Yazi said, sounding genuinely offended.

"Hmph! Who would believe that?" Mo Fan retorted coldly.

"Oh, hahahaha! Interesting, very interesting. This is the first time I've met such a fool as you, completely unmoved by the title of 'Sage'." Ling Yazi burst into laughter, not only unbothered by Mo Fan’s words but seemingly quite amused.

After laughing for several minutes, Ling Yazi calmed down and said, "Boy, I know you suffer from the Blight-Poison, and I know you possess the Wild Thunder Domain from the prehistoric Immortal Era." Ling Yazi revealed the secrets of Mo Fan's body, shocking him so much he jumped to his feet.

"But it’s a pity. In this era, such a domain is obsolete. For the Wild Thunder Domain to appear in an age devoid of immortal energy means it is a crippled vessel. You cannot condense spiritual energy in your dantian, you cannot open your own domain, and you cannot cultivate." Ling Yazi sighed again. "And the worst part is, you are terminally ill. Your life is truly wretched."

"You know what's wrong with my body?" Mo Fan was both nervous and excited.

Since he began cultivating, even the 'Old Grandpa' who claimed to know half of the Southern Territory didn't know what was going on. The Gold-Armored brothers had only given vague hints, leaving Mo Fan in despair. But now, Ling Yazi had stated it so clearly—he must know something.

Mo Fan’s expression was filled with fervor, hoping to learn the secrets of his own body from Ling Yazi. To him, that would be the greatest of fortunes.

"Of course I do!" Ling Yazi said confidently, before changing his tone. "But what I know is my business. What does it have to do with you?"

Ling Yazi’s words hit Mo Fan like a bucket of cold water.

He had finally found a lead on his cultivation; he could not give up now, or he might never find such an opportunity again.

Mo Fan pondered carefully, wondering how he could persuade Ling Yazi to open up and tell him everything about himself.