"I will not spare you. Once I unleash the Nine Nether Ancestor, all of you will die."
Tian Xiong staggered out of the courtyard, wiping the dirt from his face. He glanced back, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Although Ji Mo had spared his life, he clearly harbored no gratitude and instead plotted revenge.
Such individuals were ungrateful wretches, cold-blooded and heartless.
Tian Xiong had arrived in a fury and left in utter humiliation, astonishing everyone.
Various factions scrambled to investigate, seeking to uncover the truth.
Tian Xiong proceeded cautiously, his heart pounding, fearing he might be intercepted along the way.
Fortunately, his residual influence deterred any immediate attacks, allowing him to escape back to the Heavenly Wolf Gang.
Tian Xiong summoned Ma Peng, deciding to have him escort him to seek out the Nine Nether Ancestor.
He was severely injured and required immediate treatment. With the Brahma Sect and Xuan Shui Pavilion alerted, the Heavenly Wolf Gang was no longer safe.
At this moment, only the Nine Nether Ancestor could quickly heal his wounds and provide him with protection.
"Is that Ji Mo truly that formidable, to have injured Father so gravely?"
Ma Peng, with a look of concern, stepped forward to examine Tian Xiong's injuries.
"Unfathomable! We cannot linger here. You must accompany me to see the Ancestor immediately."
Tian Xiong was still shaken and reluctant to discuss further, eager only to seek the Nine Nether Ancestor's protection and escape this ordeal.
As Ma Peng helped the heavily wounded Tian Xiong up, a chilling smile spread across his lips.
"Father, do not worry. Your son will escort you to see the Ancestor, and bring your corpse!"
Ma Peng no longer concealed his true intentions, revealing his wicked face as he plunged a dagger into Tian Xiong's heart.
"Peng'er, why..."
Tian Xiong clutched Ma Peng's arm tightly, his face ashen with disbelief. He could not fathom that the person he trusted most would bring about his death.
It was then that he understood the hidden meaning behind Ji Mo's words.
"Let him go. There's no need to bicker with a dead man."
"Be wary of those close to you. Eat your humble pie!"
So, Ji Mo had known all along and had kindly warned me, yet I had failed to heed his words.
That Ji Mo possessed unfathomable abilities. How foolish of me to have plotted against such a master. It is pathetic, laughable!
Tian Xiong was filled with regret, but it was too late.
"Father, do not blame me. The Nine Nether Ancestor said that if I eliminate you, everything will be mine."
Ma Peng finally achieved his goal and laughed maniacally.
"Heh, you actually believed that old ghost's lies. Deals with devils never end well. Heed my words, stay away from the Nine Nether Ancestor if you wish to live."
Tian Xiong expended his last vestiges of strength, leaving Ma Peng with a final piece of advice before he unwillingly breathed his last.
As people approach death, their words are often wise. He genuinely cared for Ma Peng's well-being, but Ma Peng, of course, would not listen.
The news of Tian Xiong's tragic death and Ma Peng's ascension sent shockwaves through the underworld.
Upon hearing the news, Lin Zhan and Qiao Su Rong immediately mobilized their forces, launching a full-scale assault on the Heavenly Wolf Gang.
However, the Heavenly Wolf Gang's headquarters were already deserted. No matter how hard they searched, they could not find where Ma Peng had taken the gang's tens of thousands of members.
Subsequently, the mysterious disappearances of cultivators ceased.
It was only then that people realized the Heavenly Wolf Gang had been behind everything. Sadly, it was too late for revenge.
Inside Ji Mo's courtyard.
Xuan Ao, Fan Jingxing, and Hui Neng, who were engaged in farm work, gathered together, their faces solemn as they chatted.
"Did you hear? Tian Xiong is dead. Mr. Ji's words truly came true."
Hui Neng whispered, a trace of fear lingering on his face.
He remembered Ji Mo calling Tian Xiong a dead man back then and hadn't understood. Now, he shuddered to think that Ji Mo had predicted Tian Xiong's fate in advance.
Such a method was unheard of, utterly terrifying!
Fan Jingxing swallowed, tentatively speculating, "Could it be the legendary 'word becomes deed'?"
"'Word becomes deed' is an immortal's technique. Could Mr. Ji have descended from the upper realms?"
Xuan Ao flapped his claws, pointing towards the sky.
The three fell silent. The more they discussed, the more they felt Ji Mo's vastness was like the sea, unfathomable.
Hui Neng clasped his hands together, chanted a Buddhist phrase, and said, "The humble retreat to the mountains, the great retreat to the bustling city, the divine retreat to the mortal world. I suspect Mr. Ji cultivates the Dao of the mortal world, ultimately achieving the unparalleled Dao fruit of a mortal immortal!"
"That makes sense. How laughable that Hong Qiantu claimed Mr. Ji was here for the White Emperor's tomb. With Mr. Ji's status, why would he covet mere White Emperor treasures? Mr. Ji is actually playing a grand game."
Fan Jingxing's face was filled with reverence. After a bout of imaginative deduction, his admiration for Ji Mo flowed like a mighty river, ceaseless.
"Heh heh, let's quietly make our fortunes and pretend we know nothing. Treat the master as an ordinary person and just do our jobs."
Tian Peng, who had squeezed in among them at some point, offered his opinion.
"Well said!"
The four exchanged knowing smiles, their own little plans clicking into place.
"Four idiots!"
The Nine- 변 Heavenly Silkworm, watching the four simpletons from afar, wore a look of disdain and sighed, "You are all still too young."
Inside the house, Ji Mo rubbed his nose and looked out the window. Seeing the people and animals gathered together, chuckling foolishly, he felt a warmth spread through him.
Having lived alone for eight years, his heart had also been solitary.
Now that the courtyard was gradually becoming more lively, he was extremely pleased. He realized he was slowly beginning to integrate into this world.
...
In the valley, Hong Qiantu and the others gathered again, sighing dejectedly.
Last time, their allies were all present and accounted for. Now, three were missing.
"Those three old brothers are living a miserable life, a life no human should endure."
"Xuan Ao, who loved to eat raw meat and devour it greedently, now gnaws on grass roots every day. He must be skin and bones, so thin only his shell remains."
"That young brother Fan Jingxing, who used to have fair and tender skin, is now tanned like charcoal from the sun and wind."
"Master Hui Neng has it even worse. As the leader of a sect, he now spends his days plowing fields and growing vegetables. How will he face his thousands of disciples with any dignity?"
The group exchanged the news they had gathered, their expressions growing increasingly grim.
They were all allies, bound by the same fate. Seeing their allies in such a plight, they all felt empathy and profound sadness.
Hong Qiantu felt immense self-reproach, saying, "It's all my fault. I should have stopped the three old brothers back then. Knowing how ferocious Ji Mo is, how could I have just watched them jump into the fire pit?"
Someone asked, "What strategies do we have now to deal with that Ji Mo?"
Whether they could save Xuan Ao and the other two was another matter, but they couldn't simply abandon them.
Various factions had invested a significant amount of manpower and resources for the White Emperor's tomb. Were they to hand it over so easily?
"In my opinion, we need not hesitate too much. Let us combine all our strength and deliver a thunderous blow to Ji Mo."
At this moment, a voice filled with boundless killing intent echoed from afar.