Chapter 218: As Much as I Hate to Admit It

Chapter 218: Chapter 218: As Much as I Hate to Admit It

"We disciples pay our respects to Master and Mistress."

Once the Spirit Contract was signed, Liu Chen led his two junior martial sisters in a kowtow to their new master. At last, they could formally address them as Master and Mistress.

"You may rise."

Mo Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Beside him, Bai Qiulan looked on with fond exasperation. Ever since witnessing Liu Chen’s Talent, her husband had been looking forward to this day. At nearly two hundred years old, he was currently acting like a child who had just gotten his hands on some candy.

Mo Jinyu, who had witnessed the entire scene, shook her head in resignation. The group was so warm and cheerful that it made her feel like an outsider. What was even more exasperating was that she still had to personally handle the follow-up procedures for the apprenticeship ceremony.

After recalling the floating Spirit Contracts and the Jade Seal, Mo Jinyu retrieved three Jade Tokens for Official Disciples of the Mo Family from her Storage Ring. She integrated the corresponding Spirit Contract into each token, then created a resonance between the Jade Seal and the three tokens. Only then were the Identity Jade Tokens considered complete.

Once the Jade Seal was enshrined in the ancestral hall again, the Soul Lamps of the three new disciples would be activated via the Jade Seal, using the small amount of blood from the recent Blood Contract. This would serve as the Mo Family’s way of determining their Life and Death.

Liu Chen was a different matter. If he failed to return to the Mo Family, they wouldn’t do anything even if he died—it was all part of his training. But from this moment on, as for the two female disciples, forget about them dying; if someone so much as injured them, the Mo Family’s Guards would hunt the perpetrator to the ends of the earth.

However, from her understanding, the Guards probably wouldn’t even get the chance to act. The Old Patriarch would most likely show up on the culprit’s doorstep himself. The Mo Family generally believed that men required harsh training, whereas their women were to be treasured like pearls in the palm of one’s hand.

Building on that, a daughter-in-law was a rare treasure among these pearls, her status even slightly higher than a daughter’s. As for a son’s female disciple? That was basically the equivalent of a darling granddaughter, which was like a double bonus.

At this thought, a slow smile spread across Mo Jinyu’s face. ’Whether it’s people within the Mo Family or outside powers trying to curry favor, all eyes will certainly be on these two female disciples now.’

’The Old Patriarch’s attention will shift away from me, and I won’t have to keep traveling outside to avoid him. Ever since my older brother’s position was secured a century ago, the Old Patriarch has been trying to get me to find a Daoist companion.’

’In the past century, my ears have just about grown calluses from hearing it so much.’

"Let me introduce you. This is my younger sister. You all should address her as Junior Martial Aunt."

Just as Mo Jinyu was lost in her reverie, Mo Xuan pulled her directly in front of Liu Chen and the others. Having savored the genuine master-disciple bond for a moment, Mo Xuan finally remembered there was still official business to handle.

Most of the miscellaneous tasks were now complete. In a few days, they would be leaving Purple Cloud Valley to return to the Mo Family.

Before then, matters concerning Ji Suyao and Ye Linglong could be set aside—there would be plenty of time for that after returning to the Mo Family. Liu Chen’s affairs, however, needed to be handled as soon as possible, since he wouldn’t be returning directly to the Mo Family with them.

"Greetings, Junior Martial Aunt."

Liu Chen calmly glanced at the woman, who was also dressed in black. He couldn’t gauge her Cultivation level or even sense any danger from her. But based on that simple assessment alone, Liu Chen was certain she was a powerhouse who could crush him with a casual flick of her wrist.

If it weren’t for his connection to her brother and sister-in-law, a person like her wouldn’t have even given him a second glance. ’Then again,’ Liu Chen thought, ’I hope all the powerhouses I meet in the future are just as dismissive. It would make my cultivation journey much safer.’

"Take these. They’re your Identity Jade Tokens for the Mo Family."

Snapping out of her thoughts, Mo Jinyu handed over the three Identity Jade Tokens. Now that the trio were her elder brother’s apprentices, they were Official Disciples of the Mo Family. The Identity Jade Tokens were essential for getting around within the Mo Family, and they would prevent any Cultivators who didn’t have access to her brother from unintentionally offending his new disciples.

"Thank you, Junior Martial Aunt."

Liu Chen expressed his thanks and accepted the Jade Token, which seemed to resonate faintly with him. The other two tokens went to his junior martial sisters.

The Mo Family’s Identity Jade Tokens were made from a type of Ink Jade. The front was engraved with the single character "Mo," while the back bore the names of the three disciples.

Noticing this, Liu Chen was somewhat surprised. ’These Identity Jade Tokens must have been prepared in advance,’ he realized. ’That speaks volumes.’

"Aren’t you going to give them a little something?"

Mo Xuan glanced at his sister. Although he had decided he wouldn’t take any more disciples, this was still his first time, and he was determined to get his new apprentices some perks.

"I already prepared something. These are Red Sun Fruits, a specialty of the Red Sun Royal Family. Only five are produced each year. For a Cultivator below the Foundation Establishment Realm, consuming one can save several years of arduous cultivation."

Mo Jinyu took out three brocade boxes. She had come in a hurry and would have liked more time to prepare something more suitable, but the Old Patriarch had no intention of waiting. If she had delayed a few more days, he likely would have come himself.

So, she could only procure something from a nearby source. Fortunately, the Red Sun Royal Family had been accommodating; otherwise, she really would have struggled to find a suitable gift.

"Go on, take them."

Mo Xuan nodded, motioning for the three to accept the gifts. This was only the beginning. Once they returned to the Mo Family, they would receive so many gifts their hands would grow tired of taking them. He just wondered how many of them would still be useful to Liu Chen by the time he eventually returned.

As he put the brocade box away, Liu Chen narrowed his eyes. He had heard of the Red Sun Royal Family.

According to Senior Brother Yang, the Red Sun Royal Family was the most powerful faction among the nearby Seven Kingdoms. They were the rulers of the Red Sun Dynasty, the only one of the Seven Kingdoms publicly known to be presided over by a Bright Aperture Realm Cultivator.

’A treasure like this, which can speed up a junior’s cultivation, is something they probably don’t have enough of even for their own people. For my Junior Martial Aunt to obtain them so directly... it proves the Mo Family’s power is far more formidable than I imagined.’

The Three Immortal Sects within the Great Xia Dynasty combined were likely no match for the Red Sun Royal Family. Among the Seven Kingdoms, including the Great Xia Dynasty, three styled themselves as imperial dynasties, while the remaining four were merely royal dynasties. That distinction alone spoke volumes.

The four royal dynasties combined could, at best, contend with a single imperial dynasty. The only reason the current balance of power was maintained was that the three imperial dynasties were not only neighbors but also shared an irreconcilable hatred for one another.

Once, the Black Feather Dynasty had tried to incite a war among the Cultivators of the four royal dynasties, but it was stopped dead in its tracks by the Red Sun Dynasty before it could even begin. The ambitious Black Feather King was severely wounded in just three moves by one of the Red Sun Dynasty’s honored experts, and his Cultivation was forever halted at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Of course, Liu Chen wasn’t certain about the exact details. This was all just information Senior Brother Yang had gathered, and there was no telling how much of it was actually true.

"Well, well... looks like the so-called ’geniuses’ are back."

Lost in thought, Liu Chen heard his master’s voice and instinctively turned around. He saw seven familiar figures—the defeated opponents from before, their steps now reasonably steady.

"As much as I hate to admit it, they really are the seven strongest disciples the Mo Family has produced in the last thirty years," Mo Jinyu said. "But now, Nephew Liu, you are the Mo Family’s number one genius."

Mo Jinyu’s gaze landed on Liu Chen. She had only just broken through to the Bright Aperture Realm before leaving, so she could clearly perceive Liu Chen’s Cultivation. And it was precisely because she knew his level that she was so astonished.

Seven cultivators at Meridian Passage Peak, each hand-picked through rigorous selection within the Mo Family, had all been defeated in an instant by this new nephew of hers. It was more than enough to prove her elder brother’s keen eye for Talent.