Mo Huaiyu watched the crowds; there were significantly more people here than at the Qi Refinement Tower.
Xia Qingluan told Mo Huaiyu to stay close, glancing back every now and then to ensure the young boy was still right behind her.
The two of them, one tall and one short, arrived at the area where the Jubao Pavilion rewards were distributed.
However, because Mo Huaiyu’s battle record was so staggering, the rewards were to be personally presented by the Jubao Pavilion Master.
This required Mo Huaiyu to go to the Jubao Pavilion’s Back Mountain.
He tilted his head back, gazing at the mountain peak that pierced the clouds.
According to what he had been told, the Pavilion Master was waiting for him at the summit.
Before he could think further, Xia Qingluan patted his shoulder and said gently, “Junior Brother, if you feel unsteady later, you can take my hand.
There is a restriction at the summit of Jubao Pavilion, making it difficult to enter.”
She held a Pass Token in her hand, which would allow them to pass through the restriction.
“Alright, Senior Sister Xia.”
Mo Huaiyu nodded. Xia Qingluan then brought out a Flying Dharma Treasure and flew toward the summit.
Sure enough, not long after they took flight, a heavy weight pressed down on his shoulders.
*Gugh—*
Mo Huaiyu gritted his teeth, his bones seemingly creaking under the strain.
Noticing the little fellow struggling to hold on, Xia Qingluan immediately took the young boy’s small hand in hers.
Instantly, the pressure on Mo Huaiyu vanished.
He stared at the fair, slender hand holding his; it was soft and felt like a piece of warm, delicate jade.
“Thank you, Senior Sister Xia.”
Hearing this, Xia Qingluan returned a bright smile and quickened their pace.
*Pop—*
Like the sound of a bubble bursting, the two passed through the summit’s restriction.
There, Mo Huaiyu saw three elders.
“Greetings, Elders.”
After bowing, Mo Huaiyu noticed the three men’s gazes fixed on him.
The elder in the center, in particular, had eyes like torches — sharp and penetrating — as if trying to see through all his secrets.
However, he wasn’t afraid at all.
He was protected by a Concealment Array personally laid by Sister Yuyun.
Even the Apothecary Sister had only been able to glimpse a few of the secrets within his body.
Mo Yuyun had done this to hide his Yin-Yang Dao Body.
If discovered, it would undoubtedly attract the attention of numerous forces and could even draw in those with ill intentions.
Most importantly, it was meant to protect him from demonesses who might try to use him for Dual Cultivation.
After all, Dual Cultivating with someone who possessed a Yin-Yang Dao Body was equivalent to consuming a peerless tonic, offering immense benefits.
The middle-aged, gray-robed elder couldn’t help but praise, “A very impressive young man. Spiritual Qi, physical body, and soul are in perfect balance. Your foundation is solid and your latent potential is vast, far exceeding my expectations. I am truly surprised.”
Xia Qingluan quietly sent a voice transmission to Mo Huaiyu: ‘Junior Brother, the one in the middle is the Pavilion Master of Jubao Pavilion.’
Another elder withdrew his gaze and also offered praise.
“Indeed. With such a foundation, you could even hold your own against the Divine Palace Realm. Still, it is hard for this old man to believe that you defeated someone in the Faxiang Realm.”
Mo Huaiyu felt the three men scrutinizing him.
At first, their gazes were reserved, but they gradually grew as hot as fire, as if they wanted to slice him open for research.
‘It feels like they want to eat me.’
The Jubao Pavilion Master sensed Mo Huaiyu’s nervousness and laughed.
“Don’t be nervous, little fellow. The three of us know you defeated a Faxiang Realm opponent. It’s just that, even with our experience, such a feat is unheard of. Tell me, was it truly your own strength?”
The news of the Yaotian Empress setting a marriage contract with the Yuling Sect was only known to the Sect Master, core elders, and Peak Masters.
As for Mo Huaiyu’s true identity, that circle was even smaller.
Thus, the three men before him had no idea who he really was.
“To report to the Pavilion Master, it is true that I defeated him, but to be precise, it wasn’t entirely due to my own strength. I also utilized a magic treasure.”
Hearing this, the three of them began to understand.
With the help of a treasure, it made sense.
However, for a magic treasure to allow someone in the Dao Platform Realm to defeat someone in the Faxiang Realm, its grade had to be exceptionally high.
“Could you bring it out for this old man to see?”
Another elder asked.
This…
Mo Huaiyu looked troubled.
This was a treasure Sister Yuyun had given him.
Moreover, she was the Empress. Although he was the only one who could use it, if these elders became greedy…
“Elders, my junior brother has already refined this treasure into his Natal Magic Treasure. After its last use, it is temporarily unavailable. If you wish to see it, I’m afraid you will have to wait for some time,” Xia Qingluan interjected, providing an excuse for Mo Huaiyu.
Although the Yuling Sect was a major sect of the Orthodox Path, the hearts of the people within could be even filthier than those in the Demon Cult.
It wasn’t uncommon for some elders to use the excuse of “it’s for your own good” or “your cultivation is too low to use this” to openly seize high-grade treasures from disciples, offering only a pittance of Spirit Stones as compensation.
“I see. Since it is your Natal Magic Treasure, one can only say you have quite the luck. However, in that case, if you want to claim your reward, you will need to prove your true strength.”
The Pavilion Master continued, “Of course, you can choose not to prove it, but the reward will be cut in half. Little fellow, make your choice.”
Mo Huaiyu was naturally unwilling to see his hard-earned rewards cut in half.
He still felt the sting of what happened at the treasury last time.
So, he asked how he could prove his strength.
When he heard the task was to defeat a Tree Demon at the late stage of the Divine Palace Realm, he felt it was manageable and agreed.
After being given the Tree Demon’s location, Xia Qingluan led Mo Huaiyu away.
Their speed was much faster than when they had arrived.
Once they were out, Xia Qingluan flicked the young boy’s forehead with her slender finger.
Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she said crossly, “Junior Brother, didn’t you see me signaling for you to leave quickly?”
“Ow!”
Mo Huaiyu rubbed his forehead.
“Senior Sister Xia, I didn’t see it.”
In truth, he had seen it, but the thought of losing half his rewards made him reluctant.
“Sigh…”
Xia Qingluan sighed softly.
“It was my oversight. I should have told you on the way here that the Jubao Pavilion Master is an extremely greedy man.”
She had assumed the rewards would be collected from a manager as usual; she hadn’t expected a meeting with the Pavilion Master himself.
This also indicated that Mo Huaiyu’s reward was significant enough to make the Pavilion Master feel the sting of parting with it.
“Greedy?!”
Mo Huaiyu was shocked.
“Senior Sister Xia, you mean this Pavilion Master embezzles spiritual treasures?”
“How else would you describe him?”
Xia Qingluan said helplessly.
“This Pavilion Master was chosen by the Sect Master. Putting a money-grubber in charge of the Jubao Pavilion helps save the sect’s resources. Although he embezzles a lot, the previous Pavilion Master was ‘harvested’ by the Sect Master after being allowed to grow fat. A great deal of good stuff was recovered. It seems the Sect Master developed a taste for it, so he appointed another fellow like that to manage the pavilion.”
“Compared to the previous one, this Pavilion Master is more restrained, but he still pockets plenty of treasures. From what I can see, he’s almost fat enough for the Sect Master to kill.”
‘Good heavens!’
When Mo Huaiyu heard about the Sect Master’s operations, he couldn’t help but remark, ‘That Sect Master is truly a remarkable man!’
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