Chapter Seventeen: The Rout

Page 1/3

Mofan and Wang Ping battled fiercely in the void, each move refined to perfection, allowing no chance for counterattack. Wang Ping was a petty and narrow-minded man; anyone who offended him would suffer shameless revenge. Today, Mofan had disrupted his grand scheme and thus had become his sworn enemy. It was a matter of life or death—either Mofan would perish, or Wang Ping himself would fall. Their grudge had reached a point of no return.

“Heh, you insignificant ant! Since I, Wang Ping, debuted, I have never been defeated nor faced a worthy opponent. Today, I finally open my eyes,” Wang Ping muttered as he clashed with Mofan. His aura surged, transforming him utterly from before.

“What’s this?” Among the spectators, some sensed Wang Ping’s sudden shift in aura and were left speechless. “A secret technique!” “Wang Ping has actually unleashed the Wang family’s supreme secret art!” “How shameless—using secret techniques when you’re already at a higher realm. Truly a prodigy of the Wang family from Dongyang County. No wonder everyone laughed after the battle at the Ghost Peak!”

Ning Kun, deeply dissatisfied, glared fiercely into the void, defending Mofan’s cause. “Hmph! You country bumpkins with no understanding; no wonder your Ning family has fallen from grace. Secret techniques are just another form of strength—ignorant fools!” a Wang family youth sneered, dismissing Ning Kun as a buffoon.

“I—” Ning Kun’s anger flared, preparing to strike, but Ning Huangyan stopped him with a glance. “A pack of bullies relying on their status,” Ning Kun cursed quietly before turning away, no longer paying them any mind.

“Bonds, restraints!” High above, Wang Ping’s secret technique took form—chains forged of spiritual energy clattered and writhed like wild serpents, striking toward Mofan. These spiritual iron chains were unstoppable, fiercely binding him. The clanking sounded like a soul-reaping hymn from hell, instantly clouding Mofan’s consciousness.

Cold, icy breath enveloped the void, as if the Ice God himself had descended to freeze the space, sealing Mofan forever upon Ghost Peak. The chill was suffocating; Mofan felt there was nowhere left to escape. Death permeated his heart. He had been overconfident and had underestimated Wang Ping’s ruthlessness. Never had he expected such treachery at this critical moment.

The spiritual iron chains shimmered with mysterious symbols, interlacing to imprison Mofan in the void. Though careful, he could not have imagined Wang Ping’s baseness would exceed all expectations. Regret and unwillingness churned within him, but it was all too late—Wang Ping had ensnared him.

“Ah!” Mofan roared, unleashing his frustration. The chains clattered relentlessly, binding his limbs and body, numbing him instantly.

Page 2/3

He still had many matters to attend to, but it was too late now.

“Boy, prepare to die!” Wang Ping sneered triumphantly, intensifying the chains’ grip. Vengeful to the core, he never showed mercy to opponents who threatened him, especially not to someone like Mofan.

Killing Mofan promised countless benefits. Not only would he gain pills refined by the Ghost Hand Divine Physician to aid his breakthrough into the Initial Enlightenment realm and become a true cultivator, but it would also resolve significant troubles for his family.

Mofan carried the Fire Spirit Herb; the Ning family would undoubtedly spare no effort to recruit him and save their ancestor. Should that happen, the Wang family’s hopes of dominating Dongyang County would be shattered. Thus, neither for himself nor his clan could Wang Ping afford to let Mofan live.

Crack! The chains pierced Mofan’s flesh, slicing through muscle.

Sizzle, sizzle! The corruptive blood fought back, burning the chains, trying to corrode them.

Smoke rose around Mofan like a blazing firestorm.

“Heh heh!” Wang Ping chuckled scornfully. “You think you can escape with that? Dream on!” With a heavy palm, he struck Mofan, sending him crashing to the ground. Then he roared, “You think I’m as foolish as the others, unaware of your tricks? The blood you spilled in the air didn’t affect me; how could the blood flowing from you now melt my spiritual chains?”

“You’re doomed today for offending me, Wang Ping!” He transformed his spiritual energy into a sword, roaring with the wind’s fury, aiming to sever Mofan’s head.

Impatient, empowered by the Initial Enlightenment realm’s formidable energy, he was capable of anything. Mofan’s death would grant him everlasting glory.

“Is that so?” Mofan’s face turned pale; the palm strike had hurt him badly, but he was oddly grateful—it had snapped him out of the soul’s imprisonment, allowing him to regain control.

“It’s not over yet. You’re celebrating too soon!” Mofan’s tone was calm and cold.

Though restrained, he remained composed.

Silently, he awakened his greatest trump card in his mind.

He summoned mysterious black scriptures from his sea of consciousness, weaving their power into Wang Ping’s spiritual chains, preparing for one final counterattack.

“Oh? You’re celebrating too soon? What, you think you can overturn the heavens?” Wang Ping sneered arrogantly, confident in his secret technique.

There was no way Mofan could escape its grasp.

“Whether I overturn the heavens or not, that’s for me to decide!” Mofan smiled faintly. With a thought, a mysterious and unfathomable force surged, flowing through the chains into Wang Ping’s dantian, ravenously devouring his spiritual energy!

“You!” Wang Ping’s eyes widened in terror as if he had seen a demon. He bellowed, “Devil!”

Page 3/3

He struggled violently to sever his connection with the spiritual chains and flashed away from Mofan.

Pft!

The backlash of spiritual energy forced him to spit blood; fear showed clearly in his eyes. Staring at Mofan, shaking his head in panic, he shouted, “No, no, no!”

Like a man haunted by a hellish demon, Wang Ping frantically produced a talisman, opened a rift in the void, and vanished instantly, forgetting all his earlier arrogance.

“He’s fled!” “The young prodigy of the Wang family from Dongyang County, Wang Ping, has been defeated and driven away!” “What on earth is going on? Several experts have been beaten. Who exactly is this guy? Could he be a disciple from a great clan or an immortal wandering from a grand sect?”

At the same time, news of Mofan’s exploits spread across the Tianyan Continent. A remarkable talent had emerged in the southern lands, undefeated against masters at the Wanxiang realm and able to hold his ground against those at the Initial Enlightenment realm, without having even opened the Wild Domain. The story quickly became a sensation.

The remaining Wang family disciples, ashamed and fearful after their master’s escape, had no courage to linger. Mofan instilled in them nothing but trembling fear.

The Shangguan family was equally terrified. Mounting their exotic beasts, they fled desperately down from Ghost Peak.

In that moment, among the three great families of Dongyang County, only the Ning family remained standing.

Ning Wuyu, who bore goodwill toward Mofan, naturally did not hide his feelings. They exchanged a brief, friendly conversation.

“Brother Mo, I, Ning Wuyu, sincerely invite you to visit the Ning family in Dongyang County!” Ning Wuyu extended his invitation with genuine warmth.

“No, I still have some matters to handle,” Mofan declined outright.

“Oh? Brother Mo, where are you rushing off to? If there’s anywhere I can help, just say the word,” Ning Wuyu offered.

“It’s nothing. I appreciate your kindness, Ning brother. Some things no one can help with; they must be done alone,” Mofan declined again. The place he was headed was unknown even to himself—only a faint clue from Ling Yazi. Whether he would find it remained uncertain.

Besides, what he must do was a matter of a lifetime. The fewer who knew, the safer it was for him.

“Very well!” Ning Wuyu seemed a little disappointed but still responded cheerfully, “Then, Brother Mo, we shall part here. I must return to my family soon. The major powers of Ganzhou Prefecture will soon begin recruiting. With your current reputation, you’re likely being watched. Be careful!”

“Indeed, those people are ruthless. Young Master Mo, why not let me, Ning Kun, stay by your side to protect you?” Ning Kun handed Mofan some medicinal herbs, eyes gleaming with hope, blinking eagerly for a response.

“Ning Kun, you—” Before Mofan or Ning Wuyu could reply, Ning Hongluan, already furious, grabbed Ning Kun by the ear and tossed him aside.

“Heh, thanks everyone for your kindness. I will certainly visit Dongyang County and attend the Ganzhou Prefecture recruitment. After all, I have friends like you there, right?” Mofan accepted the herbs carefully.

“Good!” Ning Wuyu was overjoyed, saluted Mofan, then led several family disciples and mounted beasts, disappearing before him.

A cold wind swept by, sending a chill through Mofan. The once lively Ghost Peak suddenly grew desolate and eerie, the howling wind evoking fear.

Casting a glance at the few ruffians from the Divine Tomb Village and Wang family disciples he had slain, Mofan breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking up into the distance, he murmured to himself, “The thousand-branch node of Western Ridge Panlong—do not enter the maze of Nitu! I shall venture in. Hopefully, I will gain something.”

Page 3/3