Afterward, at Ying Yue's request, Lai Yaoshi arranged for several rooms to be prepared for Mo Qi on Crane Cry Peak, serving as his long-term residence.
Once Mo Qi moved in, Lai Yaoshi would visit him every few days, persistently trying to persuade him to help the Divine Pill Sect improve its refining materials or to cooperate by purchasing pill ingredients from the Lingxiao Sect.
During his leisure time, Mo Qi processed some materials for Lai Yaoshi in the alchemy room, requesting that they be marked with the Mo family's pill insignia. As for cooperation, Mo Qi always used the excuse of needing to consider it to defer the matter.
Seeing Mo Qi gratuitously improving the quality of the Divine Pill Sect's pills, Lai Yaoshi was naturally overjoyed. He also stationed people eagerly guarding Mo Qi's door, hoping he would continue to stay.
The reason Mo Qi hadn't left immediately was his contemplation of the alchemy method that used the human body as a pill furnace. To achieve this, he first needed to cultivate an ice and snow divine ability, and the Jade Pool Peak of the Divine Pill Sect specialized in cultivating such abilities.
He had witnessed Xue Nu's divine abilities and techniques. Although her cultivation was not very high, her understanding of divine abilities and techniques was likely at the pinnacle. Therefore, he felt that learning from Xue Nu would suffice, and there was no need to seek out grand masters or peak lords.
When he conveyed this idea to Lai Yaoshi, Lai Yaoshi readily agreed. He immediately gave his consent and then revealed a knowing look, as if to say, "I understand your intentions." He added, "Master Xue Nu is called Han Bing. I will inform her first, and you can go up to Jade Pool Peak to find them anytime. You can even stay there if you wish."
After thanking him, Mo Qi went to discuss alchemy with Ying Yue. The so-called discussion was mostly Mo Qi speaking and Ying Yue listening. He was surprised that this old man, who was so impetuous in front of Lai Yaoshi, was so humble in front of him. Finally, Mo Qi cautioned him, "In alchemy, you must not force it, nor be too persistent."
Ying Yue's old face flushed slightly. "Don't worry. After that incident, I have truly seen the light. Now, not only in alchemy, but even in improving my cultivation, I no longer have great attachments. I will let things take their course and go with the flow."
Reassured, Mo Qi then departed, heading directly for Jade Pool Peak.
Jade Pool Peak truly seemed to be in the heavens. A single peak rose straight up, soaring into the clouds. Only at the summit was there a larger platform, covered in white snow. There were no buildings, nor were any figures visible, only a small mountain lying across the path ahead.
Mo Qi felt a bit perplexed, wondering if he had come to the wrong place.
As he hesitated, he suddenly noticed a faint light emanating from below the small mountain ahead, casting a magnificent golden glow upon the snow.
Mo Qi walked in the direction of the light, and the appearance of various mountain caves gradually came into view. By chance, Xue Nu was emerging from one of the caves. The moment their eyes met, Xue Nu immediately turned and retreated back into the cave.
She had naturally heard about the recent events at the Divine Pill Sect, including Mo Qi obtaining his inheritance, refining the Nascent Soul Pill, helping his Martial Grand-Uncle break through his cultivation, curing his Martial Grand-Uncle's madness, and becoming the new Martial Grand-Uncle.
"Xue Nu, please wait," Mo Qi called out, quickening his pace to catch up.
Xue Nu stopped and turned to face him. "Does Martial Grand-Uncle have any instructions?"
"Alas," Mo Qi waved his hand. "I am not that old. You don't need to call me that. I came specifically to find you."
"To find me?" Xue Nu instinctively took a step back. "What do you want with me? We're not familiar with each other!"
Her demeanor was exactly like Bai Cheng's! It seemed there was no hope this time either. Well, then he would focus on learning the divine abilities.
"Last time at Asura Mountain, I noticed your divine abilities were exceptionally powerful. Could you teach me?" Mo Qi asked very sincerely.
"I can't do that. My own skills are not refined enough. How about letting my master teach you?" Xue Nu said as she walked towards another cave, turning back to say, "Follow me."
Mo Qi had no choice but to follow her forward, all the way to the outermost cave, where she stopped.
Xue Nu called into the cave, "Master, someone requests an audience!"
"Who is it?" a cold voice replied from within.
"It's... the new... Martial Grand-Uncle!"
A voice came from inside, "Let him in. You come in too."
Xue Nu acknowledged and led Mo Qi inside.
He had expected the cave to be warmer, but to his surprise, the ground and walls of the cave were made of ice, and even the bed was an ice bed. Han Bing was sitting on the ice bed, appearing to be a middle-aged woman with her charm still intact, though her true age was unknown.
Mo Qi felt awkward, unsure of how to greet her.
At this moment, Han Bing spoke proactively, "What guidance does Martial Uncle have?" Lai Yaoshi had already informed her of Mo Qi's intentions beforehand, yet she still feigned ignorance.
Having been rejected by Xue Nu once, Mo Qi felt a bit hesitant. "I wish to learn your ice and snow divine abilities."
After a moment of hesitation, Han Bing said, "Men's physiques are not suitable for cultivating such abilities. If you insist on cultivating them, you must live on this cold mountain peak like us for three to five years to gain some sensitivity. Even then, the effects will not be as good as women's cultivation."
Mo Qi looked at his surroundings and felt that living here wouldn't be bad. Returning to the Lingxiao Sect was cultivation, and cultivating here was also cultivation. Another advantage here was the tranquility, and the fact that all the cultivators around were women...
"I can live here," Mo Qi stated decisively.
Han Bing sighed. She was initially unwilling to keep him, as there had never been a male resident on Jade Pool Peak. However, the Sect Leader, Lai Yaoshi, had sternly insisted that he must be kept, even saying that they would keep him even if Jade Pool Peak was abandoned. Han Bing was furious at the time but had no choice but to endure it.
She wanted to clearly explain the difficulties and problems to him, hoping he would retreat. To her surprise, this fellow was as determined as if he had swallowed a lead pellet, so there was nothing she could do. However, she herself absolutely did not want to teach a male disciple. Moreover, according to Lai Yaoshi, the other party had specifically requested Xue Nu to teach him, which was a convenient opportunity for her to pass the responsibility.
"Then, Xue'er, you will be responsible for teaching him," Han Bing said, glancing at Xue Nu.
Xue Nu was somewhat unwilling, but seeing her master's decisive gaze, she knew she couldn't refuse.
"Yes, Master," Xue Nu replied stiffly.
Han Bing suddenly looked at Mo Qi again and said expressionlessly, "There is also a shortcut method, a dual cultivation technique. That is, you must find a female cultivator who knows ice and snow divine abilities..." She glanced at Xue Nu again, "However, you must see if the other party is willing."
Xue Nu's face immediately turned red. "Master, what are you saying? I am not willing!" She then stomped out angrily.
Han Bing frowned innocently, looking at Mo Qi. "I didn't say you had to dual cultivate with her."
Mo Qi also found this method somewhat absurd and immediately waved his hand, smiling. "Forget it. I won't take shortcuts. I'll proceed step by step."
In the following days, Han Bing arranged for someone to clean up a tidy cave near Xue Nu's residence, allowing Mo Qi to move in at his leisure.
Mo Qi, however, was not idle. He still had to visit the next sect to continue his negotiation journey.
While things were busy here, he embarked on his journey again.
Concurrently, he used a spirit communication stone to inform Wu Fan of his intention to cultivate ice and snow divine abilities at the Divine Pill Sect for three years. He stated that this was to resolve conflicts and enhance the relationship between the two sects, and he was willing to sacrifice himself by engaging with them.
Wu Fan pretended to be hard of hearing and agreed.
The Divine Mist Sect had received advance notice that Mo Qi would be coming for negotiations. Therefore, the Sect Leader, Zhong Gui, convened the elders and peak lords of each peak to discuss countermeasures.
Most of them still advocated for ambushing and killing him. However, Elder Tian, the most experienced among them, shook his head and said, "This is not appropriate. Things are different now. If we had killed him ten days ago, it would have been fine. But now, that Mo Qi has the Divine Pill Sect as his backing. The Lingxiao Sect is not to be feared, but we likely cannot afford to offend the Divine Pill Sect. Furthermore, I heard that Wu Fan sought out Grandmaster Zhang, and they reached some agreement."
Zhong Gui also nodded. "Indeed, although the Lingxiao Sect and the Divine Sword Sect are outwardly hostile, their relationship is deeply intertwined. If we truly engage in conflict with the Lingxiao Sect, the Divine Sword Sect might very well stab us in the back."
"Then what should we do?" Elder Lin spread his hands. "Are we just going to watch him come and send him back unharmed?"
"Alas," Elder Tian sighed. "I'm afraid that's all we can do. The Divine Pill Sect has secret refining methods, which serve as their bargaining chips. What do we have? We have 'Mist Not Mist,' yet we are completely outmaneuvered by them..."
His statement drew a chorus of sighs.
After much deliberation, Zhong Gui said, "I think we can strive for two things: First, to stop the refinement of the Mist-Dispelling Pill. If he continues to refine it and this pill becomes widely circulated in the market, our foundation will be rendered useless. Second, to have him hand over the formula and refining method for the Mist-Dispelling Pill. If he gives us the formula and refining method, we can then develop a counteracting pill based on it, and our 'Mist Not Mist' can once again dominate."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Elder Lin suddenly added, "On what grounds can we make him agree to our demands?"
Everyone fell into thought.
Qi Yan, the peak lord of Ginkgo Peak, who had been silent in the corner, suddenly spoke, "We can use a honey trap. Mo Qi is very lecherous. If we find a female disciple who is both talented and beautiful, we can surely control him completely."
"Lecherous?" Zhong Gui's interest was suddenly piqued, and he looked at Qi Yan. "How do you know this?"
Qi Yan said with an inscrutable air, "When over twenty Foundation Establishment disciples from the four major sects went to Asura Mountain to hunt down Mo Qi, who survived in the end?"
Zhong Gui mused, "I heard it was a disciple from the Divine Pill Sect."
"It was a female disciple named Xue Nu," Qi Yan said animatedly. "Xue Nu was not the most powerful among those who pursued Mo Qi, and Mo Qi had opportunities to kill her, yet she was the one who survived. Moreover, according to other disciples present at the time, Mo Qi was ruthless and struck directly at the vital points of everyone, killing them with a single blow. However, he showed mercy to Xue Nu, deliberately holding back his attack, not just because she was beautiful."
Elder Tian's eyes also lit up. He stepped forward in agreement, "Our mole in the Divine Pill Sect has also reported back that during Mo Qi's stay at the Divine Pill Sect these past few days, he has been frequently visiting Jade Pool Peak. Jade Pool Peak is inhabited by female cultivators, and that Xue Nu also resides on Jade Pool Peak."
"If he is lecherous, then it will be easy," Zhong Gui smiled sinisterly.
The Divine Mist Sect issued an order, urgently summoning female disciples from all peaks to gather in the plaza, requesting them to wear their most beautiful attire. They claimed it was to select female disciples for the Black Water Abyss trial.
Why wear such beautiful clothes for a trial? The female disciples were puzzled, but the sect's orders could not be disobeyed. They all took off their Daoist robes, put on casual wear, and headed to the plaza.
Once all the female disciples had assembled, the solemn atmosphere of the past completely changed. The scene was like a hundred flowers blooming, vying for beauty, accompanied by wafting fragrances and exotic scents.
It was truly an unprecedented spectacle, a feast for the eyes of all the male disciples.
The male disciples were all extremely excited. "Is the sect giving out benefits?"
"Is one male disciple being assigned one female cultivator?"
Later, when they heard it was to select candidates for a trial, they were all disappointed. "Why aren't male disciples allowed to participate in the trial?"
"If we don't participate, who will protect them?"
"If we don't participate, where will the opportunities for dual cultivation come from?"
Zhong Gui and the elders stood at the front, having the female disciples walk past them row by row. After each row passed, some were eliminated, with reasons given such as poor walking posture or unsuitability for the trial.
Nearly seventy percent were eliminated in the first round. Then, the remaining individuals were asked to change into thinner clothing and return, rejoining the queue for the second round.
As these female disciples walked, the elders continuously scanned each person with their eyes, whispering and commenting amongst themselves.
Some female disciples felt something was amiss and said, "Why do I feel like this is a beauty pageant?"
Zhong Gui immediately reprimanded them sternly, "Do not make noise, and do not speak nonsense. What beauty pageant? We are a cultivation sect, a renowned great sect. What beauty are we selecting? If I hear such rumors and instigation again, you will be directly expelled from the sect."
Thus, no one dared to question further, and the female cultivators reluctantly continued their walk.
As they walked, other male cultivators observing from afar seemed to have found a pattern and shouted from a distance, "That one, the one in the red dress, can stay."
"What do you know? Get lost!" Elder Tian turned and berated them, scaring them away.
After the second round of walking, only ten people remained.
Then came the interview segment. Each person entered a room individually, where Zhong Gui asked, "What is your ideal?"
Some disciples spoke of eliminating demons and protecting the people, upholding justice in the human world, speaking eloquently and unendingly, like a flood breaking its banks, beyond control.
But their voices, like a resonant bell, rough and loud, or like a duck's quack, hoarse and shrill, led to immediate rejection.
Some disciples were completely unprepared, stammering only a few words. However, their voices were clear and melodious, like the chirping of orioles, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, leading to immediate advancement.
Entering the second room, Elder Lin asked, "Do you have a Dao companion?" One person replied that they did, and Elder Lin stated that those with Dao companions were unsuitable for this trial. That person was then escorted out.
The interview segment eliminated a total of four people, leaving six to enter the final competition. This was a true test of skill, with the six individuals engaging in combat to determine their rankings. In the end, Zhen Zhen, ranked sixth, was selected and qualified for the trial.
All the female disciples were bewildered. What kind of flawed rules were these?
Many people said Zhen Zhen had used backdoor connections. Zhen Zhen was also bewildered. When did she have time to use backdoor connections? She had come out with all of them.