Mortals: Take Mo Juren at the start

"Don't worry, I won't act rashly. Before I set off, I plan to visit Senior Qinghua to see if I can persuade him. If not, I'll look for another way."

"Then you may be disappointed."

"Disappointed? What do you mean?"

"When Zeng Lu visited half a month ago, I happened to hear something from him that came from the Nine Saints Palace: after reaching the perfection of the mid-stage of the Integration Realm, Senior Qinghua chose to go into seclusion, intending to break through to the late-stage of the Integration Realm in one fell swoop."

You understand the difficulty involved; it's impossible to achieve in a short time. It would take at least several years, and possibly decades. We can't afford to wait that long!

"I've gone into seclusion!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Juren was momentarily stunned. He remembered that when he was invited to visit the Nine Saints Palace last time, Senior Qinghua had mentioned his situation during his leisure time.

Because of the special cultivation method he uses, the bottlenecks he faces when breaking through are much more difficult than those faced by cultivators of the same level. Therefore, he does not plan to rush to break through to the late stage of the Integration Realm, but rather to make full preparations.

According to the other party's original plan, it would take at least several hundred years for all the necessary elixirs and secret techniques to be fully prepared and cultivated before the chances of success could be maximized.

But only a few decades have passed! How come you suddenly changed your mind?

It's important to know that someone of their stature always makes decisions with the utmost care and consideration, and would never easily change their plans unless absolutely necessary.

Could something have really happened?
As Mo Juren thought this, he couldn't help but sigh. He had originally planned to invite the other party, but now it seemed that it wouldn't work.

Since Senior Qinghua was not an option, he had to find another one. He immediately thought of Senior Tianli, who was at the late stage of the Integration Realm, a level that even the former could not match. With the latter accompanying him, the safety factor would be much higher.

As for whether the other party would agree, he wasn't worried at all. Given their relationship and the connection with Xiao Li, they certainly wouldn't refuse.

However, to invite Senior Tianli, he would have to make a trip to the Xiao family's secret realm. As an outsider, he couldn't do it alone, so he could only ask Xiao Yunhuang for help.

Of course, the other party may not be there anymore. So many years have passed since they secluded themselves in Xiao Yunqing's cave, and they may have left long ago.

But it doesn't matter, finding her sister will be the same.

Thinking of this, he immediately took out the communication token, activated it, and sent the message. In just a moment, the other side responded.

Mo Juren immediately smiled, put away the token, and then called his clone to walk out of the secret room together.

As they entered the hall, they saw the Ye sisters playing with Gu Ximeng, along with the Crimson Python Xiaobai and the Earth Vein Spirit Xiaoqing, making it quite a lively scene.

It's amazing that more than fifty years have passed, yet Gu Ximeng still looks like a little girl, showing no signs of growing up, which is truly hard to understand.

However, the other party's cultivation level has improved rapidly, which can be described as 'leaps and bounds'. In just fifty years, he has improved from the Qi Refining stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, and is only one step away from the Core Formation stage.

This speed is simply unbelievable.

Upon noticing his appearance, Xiaobai and Xiaoqing were the first to react, instantly transforming into two streaks of light and flying swiftly to his side, where they sat cross-legged on either side of his shoulders.

Gu Ximeng was no exception; she flashed over and greeted them, her delicate face full of surprise.

In contrast, the two Ye sisters were much more unfamiliar with him. Upon seeing him, they merely stood still and bowed respectfully, not daring to take a step forward.

Upon seeing the two women, Mo Juren first nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then released his divine sense to scan the cave, and couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

"Miss Ye has left?"

"I just went to Tianyuan City to take care of some things, and I'll be back soon," the clone quickly explained.

"What about Ximen Feng? Fifty years have passed, has he made any moves?" Mo Juren thought for a moment and asked again. Upon hearing this, a strange expression appeared on the clone's face.
"There really was. About thirty years ago, they actually came to Tianyuan City in a big way and became a member of the Golden Guard. Other than that, there was nothing else."

"Became a Golden Guard? So the other party really did break through and become a Void Refining Realm expert?" Mo Juren narrowed his eyes. Although he was not sure if it was true or not, he had a feeling that the other party seemed to be targeting him.

If that's really the case, then that's interesting. It also proves once again that the other party is not just ordinary vengeful and will definitely seek revenge!

However, he wasn't worried about anything. Even though the other party had become a Golden Guard, which was nominally a level above the Azure Guard, he wasn't his superior, so he naturally had nothing to be afraid of.

"Ye Xuechan must know about this, right? Then why did he go to Tianyuan City alone? Isn't he worried about walking into a trap?" Suddenly remembering something, Mo Juren quickly asked.

“At least on the surface, the other party wouldn’t dare to do that. Besides, Ye Xuechan is one of our people. What he does or doesn’t do is beyond the control of Jin Wei.”

“That’s true.” Mo Juren nodded immediately. This was also the main reason why he didn’t let the other party join the Tianyuan Guard in the first place. At that time, it was just to be on the safe side, but he didn’t expect it to actually work now.

"What about Squad 17? That guy didn't do anything, did he?"

"Not for now. Of course, it could be intentional, waiting for us to lower our guard. After all, there are members of the Ximen family in the Elders' Council, so they are not as wary of us as we might think."

"Then we'll just have to wait and see!"

Mo Juren gave a cold laugh, but he couldn't be bothered to pay any more attention to it.

As the two were talking, he suddenly sensed something, and with a thought, he opened the array passage outside. Not long after, Xiao Yunhuang's familiar figure walked in happily.

"So many years have passed, and you have finally emerged from seclusion! Your cultivation has also made further progress. Congratulations!" As she approached, Xiao Yunhuang greeted her with a smile.

"I've only made some progress, I can't compare to you!" Mo Juren chuckled. He could naturally tell that the other party had successfully broken through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, theoretically making him equal to him.

It has to be said that the ancient bloodline of the Xiao family is indeed extraordinary. There are no bottlenecks before the Nascent Soul stage, and the speed is still not slow after the Nascent Soul stage.

"I have enough self-awareness to know what I've made compared to a monster like you," Xiao Yunhuang said with a haughty snort. Then she greeted Gu Ximeng and the two Ye sisters who were not far away.

"You two know each other?" Mo Juren seemed somewhat surprised, and upon hearing this, Xiao Yunhuang immediately explained.

"I visited once during your seclusion, so I naturally got to know Sister Ye and the two little maids."

"I see!" Mo Juren suddenly realized, then looked at his clone. The other party had not mentioned this matter, or perhaps they hadn't had time to.

This clone of mine is quite special; it was originally created by refining the "Primordial Divine Transfer Method" provided by Tianlan Tongzi.

This method originates from the Golden Jade Book, a true celestial technique. Its lofty purpose surpasses that of other secret methods. Therefore, once successfully refined, although it is called an avatar and will not betray you, it possesses completely independent thought and personality. As the original self, one cannot actively probe the other's thoughts, and naturally will not know unless the avatar mentions it.

Clearly noticing his gaze, the clone simply shook his head slightly without offering any explanation.

Mo Juren didn't bother to ask further questions, but immediately invited Xiao Yunhuang to sit down, and then got straight to the point:

"I plan to visit Senior Tianli at the Xiao Family Secret Realm. I may need to trouble you with this matter."

"Visiting Senior Tianli? Is there something you need?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunhuang immediately realized what was going on.

"I can't hide it from you, there is indeed a small matter that I need Senior Tianli's help with." Mo Juren nodded slightly, but didn't explain further, lest the other party worry. Unexpectedly, the other party's next answer completely stunned him.

"Senior Tianli has gone to the Canggu Secret Realm to rebuild the Prison Tower. He will not be able to come out for a while. This matter is not only the Xiao family, but also the seven ancient clans."

"This……"

Mo Juren was speechless. Senior Qinghua was in seclusion, and Senior Tianli was also absent. Was this all planned? Or was it that his luck had hit a low point again, and nothing he did went smoothly?
He fell silent immediately, and began to think rapidly.

Of course, he knew more than just these two experts at the Integration Realm. For example, he knew Lingyue Zhenren of the Lingyue Sect. With Xiaoya's connections, it shouldn't be a problem to persuade him to come out of seclusion.

However, Lingyue Zhenren encountered a mishap during her previous tribulation. Although she managed to survive it, her foundation suffered irreversible damage, leaving her with little time left and a significant decrease in strength.

Inviting the other party to come out of retirement is ultimately somewhat inappropriate.

Gan Ruying could also do it, and with Gu Ximeng around, she wouldn't refuse either. But unfortunately, she's trapped inside the Canggu Secret Realm and can only leave at specific times, so she can't be relied on right now.

There are other experts at the Integration Realm, but we don't have a deep relationship with them, so they are naturally of little use.

For a moment, he suddenly felt somewhat helpless.

"Brother Mo, have you encountered some difficulties? Why don't you tell me? Perhaps I can help." At this moment, Xiao Yunhuang suddenly asked again.

"You?" Mo Juren thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Actually, as you know, I roughly know the whereabouts of that 'Mysterious Forbidden Hermit,' and I must go there in person. However, I cannot ascertain his attitude, so I need the assistance of a Nascent Soul Realm expert..."

"Xuanjin Sanren, so that's how it is." Xiao Yunhuang suddenly realized that the other party had mentioned him many years ago and had asked her to help investigate his information, but unfortunately, it yielded no results.

As time went by, she gradually forgot about the matter and stopped paying attention to it. However, she never expected that after so many years, the other party had not given up and had actually found him.

After thinking for a moment, he continued,

"It's actually not a difficult matter. It's just a Nascent Soul Realm expert. I can introduce someone I can absolutely trust..."

"Oh?" Mo Juren's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.
Are you referring to your grandfather?

The Xiao family is powerful, with more than a dozen experts at the Integration Realm. The ancestor of this lineage is one of them. As previously mentioned, he was a peak mid-stage Integration Realm expert.

Although she can't compare to Senior Tianli, she's not far off.

“The ancestor is naturally no problem, but he won’t come out of seclusion easily. Unless there’s a very good reason, I’m not confident I can persuade him.” Xiao Yunhuang’s eyes flickered, especially when she said ‘good reason,’ a strange light flashed in her eyes, which disappeared in an instant before she continued,
"I'm referring to the Phoenix Feather Sword Master. You should be familiar with that name, right?"

"Phoenix Feather Sword Master? Phoenix Feather Fairy? That one from the Elders' Council?" Mo Juren was taken aback. He was naturally familiar with this name, and had long heard of it.

Phoenix Feather Sword Master is a member of the Elders' Council of Tianyuan City, and a very special one at that.

First, she is the only woman in the Elders' Council. Second, she is a sword cultivator. Although her cultivation level is only at the mid-stage of the Integration Realm, her powerful swordsmanship is enough to rival a late-stage Integration Realm expert.

This is a remarkable woman with a legendary background. She is famous not only in Tianyuan City, but also in the human and demon realms, and even among all the races of the entire Fengyuan Continent. Everyone knows her.

Of course, his personality is also as cold as ice, and he dislikes socializing, which is comparable to that of the Xuanjin Sanren. Very few people can deal with him.

"You know this person too?"

"Of course," Xiao Yunhuang smiled confidently.
"Brother Mo, you may not know this, but Senior Feng Yu had a past connection with my ancestor. I won't go into the details, but in short, he has always maintained contact with our lineage. There is absolutely no problem in persuading him to come out of seclusion, and you don't need to worry about his character. You can trust him completely."

"So that's how it is!" Mo Juren suddenly realized, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. The Xiao family truly lived up to its reputation as a super power that had existed for countless years, with its network of relationships extending to almost every part of the human race.

As a direct descendant of the Xiao family, Xiao Yunhuang's background and connections are truly enviable!
He couldn't help but feel extremely curious: what kind of connection did this Phoenix Feather Sword Master have with the Fang family ancestor?

Fortunately, he also knew that such matters shouldn't be investigated too deeply, so he quickly changed the subject.

"It would be best if we could persuade Phoenix Feather Sword Master, but there's something I forgot to mention. That Xuanjin Sanren is very likely in the 'Forbidden Land of No Life' in the far north, a terrifying place that can threaten even a Fusion Realm expert. He might not be willing to go there!"

"The Forbidden Land of No Life!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunhuang was also unsettled. This region, known as the cursed land of the gods, was a place where those who entered were almost certain to die. It was a terrifying place that everyone in the cultivation world feared.

Unless absolutely necessary, almost no one would want to go in, and even getting close could result in being affected.

For a moment, she couldn't help but feel a little doubtful, unsure whether the Phoenix Feather Sword Master would really agree.

"There's no need to worry about this. Whether you agree or not doesn't matter. We can always find another way." Seeing the other person's hesitation, Mo Juren chuckled and comforted him.

"Alright then, but I'll give it a try anyway. If it really doesn't work, then we'll see." Xiao Yunhuang nodded, immediately stood up, and prepared to set off right away.

"I'll go with you; it'll show more sincerity," Mo Juren suggested, only to be met with a direct refusal.

“Senior Fengyu doesn’t like seeing outsiders, so I’ll go visit her first. Anyway, it’s not far, just in the ‘Spirit Sword Valley’ more than 100,000 miles to the east. If I get her permission, I can then inform Brother Mo to go and pay him a visit.”

“Well… that’s fine…” Mo Juren didn’t insist. He personally escorted the other party out of the cave, then returned and waited patiently.

"It's like finding a way out of a dead end! I never thought it would be solved like this!" The clone chuckled, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

Mo Juren could easily see the hidden meaning in the other person's words, but he was too lazy to argue with it and simply shook his head.

"Let's wait and see. It's too early to talk about a solution; we need to wait for their agreement. However, before setting off, we need to make ample preparations so that we can use them in a critical moment." (End of Chapter)