Fantasy: I'm in a discarded alchemy room, but I can turn trash into treasure!

As Qin Mo's feet touched solid ground again, before he could even regain his footing, the dull sound of a bell descended from above.

Boom!

The sound of bells echoed along the mountainside.

Qin Mo raised his eyes and saw a bluestone plaza in front of him.

Hundreds of Canglong Sect disciples lined up on both sides, with white cloths wrapped around their waists and heads bowed.

The square was surrounded by white silk ribbons.

A three-zhang-tall black wooden coffin stood in the center, with a memorial tablet in front of it.

Cang Qingtian, the former patriarch of the Canglong Sect.

Smoke rose from the incense burner, and Qin Mo and Cang Wuyue happened to be standing on the teleportation platform in front of the coffin.

All eyes turned to them.

Cang Wuyue grabbed Qin Mo's sleeve, her voice very low.

"Young master, this is the sacrificial plaza in front of the Azure Dragon Palace."

"I can tell."

"Today is the day Cang Qingtian enters the ancestral land, and most of the sect elders are here."

Qin Mo glanced at the high platform in front of him.

At the head of the table sat a middle-aged man, dressed in a plain-colored robe and wearing a sect leader's crown.

That face bore a resemblance to Cang Wuyue, but its brow bone was wider.

Cang Wuji.

Standing beside him was a young man in brocade robes, with the young sect leader's token hanging from his waist.

Azure Star.

There were six Nascent Soul elders on both sides, and more than ten Golden Core stewards below them.

The landing point of this escape talisman was chosen with great precision.

Qin Mo tilted his head slightly.

"Why would the Fang family's life-saving charm bring us here?"

Cang Wuyue brushed her loose hair forward, covering most of her face.

"The Fang family and the Azure Dragon Sect have done business together for many years, and the sect has kept the Fang family's teleportation coordinates. That teleportation talisman will most likely find the nearest landing point on its own."

"That saves us from having to travel."

"They all recognize me."

"Lower your head."

Qin Mo stood in front of her, pulled a folding fan from his waist, and opened it with a snap.

Cang Wuyue gritted her teeth and took half a step back.

Before the high platform, an elder stared at Qin Mo for a few moments, his facial muscles twitching.

"Fang Aoyun?"

The nearby disciples all looked up.

The elder took two more steps forward.

"That face, and the heir's token from the Fang family... he really is from the Fang family of Biluo City!"

The whispers in the square drowned out the bell.

"How did the Fang family's young master emerge from the sacrificial altar formation?"

"Today is the ancestor's funeral, and he didn't even wear mourning clothes."

"The Fang family didn't send any offerings, but instead had the young master step onto the altar. What does this mean?"

Qin Mo waved his folding fan, letting them talk as they pleased.

Cang Wuji remained seated on the high platform.

He gripped his robe with his hands on his knees, his gaze passing over Qin Mo and landing on Cang Wuyue, who was hiding behind him.

After a moment, he spoke: "Nephew Fang, today is the day of our clan's ancestor's burial. You have barged into the altar and disturbed the spirit of the fallen hero. You must give our clan an explanation."

Qin Mo looked up at him.

"statement?"

"The Fang family's escape talisman sent this young master here. If Sect Master Cang has any objections, send someone to Biluo City to ask my father."

The elders' faces darkened.

"presumptuous!"

"A mere early-stage Golden Core cultivator dares to put on airs in front of the sect leader?"

Even if the head of the Fang family came in person, he wouldn't dare to speak like that!

Cang Juexing walked down from the high platform, his shoes stepping across the long path paved with white cloth.

"Fang Aoyun, you've come at the perfect time."

"The Azure Dragon Sect and the Fang family still have some business deals to settle. Since you've come to our doorstep, please stay here and wait for the Fang family head to come and collect you in person."

Qin Mo tapped his palm with his folding fan.

"Is Young Master Cang trying to detain me?"

Cang Juexing stopped in his tracks.

"You stepped over my Azure Dragon Sect's altar and disrupted our ancestor's funeral. Allowing you to stay is already giving the Fang family enough face."

"What if I don't stay?"

"Then break their legs and lock them in the dungeon."

The Azure Dragon Sect disciples on both sides immediately surrounded them.

More than ten longswords were drawn and sealed off the area around the teleportation array platform.

Cang Wuyue's breathing became erratic.

She had only recently repaired her dantian, and her golden core was not yet stable.

There were also six Nascent Soul elders around them. Once their identities were exposed, it would be difficult for the two of them to escape unscathed.

She pressed herself against Qin Mo's back.

"Young master, why don't we take a step back? I have the ancestral token; we can use the sect's protective formation to escape."

"If we leave now, what will happen to your mother?"

Cang Wuyue's lips moved, but she didn't say anything more.

Cang Juexing has already arrived below the stage.

Who is that person behind you?

"My guard."

"Raise your head."

Cang Wuyue's shoulders and back tensed up.

Qin Mo placed the folding fan in front of her.

"My people, what right do you have to investigate them?"

Cang Juexing's face darkened.

"Fang Aoyun, this is the Azure Dragon Sect!"

"I'm not blind."

"Then let her look up!"

Cang Juexing reached out to pull at Cang Wuyue's cloak.

Qin Mo closed the folding fan in his hand and tapped it directly on the back of his hand.

Snapped!

Cang Juexing winced in pain and pulled his hand back, leaving a red mark on the back of his hand.

The surrounding disciples all drew their swords.

"Protect the young sect leader!"

"Take down Fang Aoyun!"

Several Golden Core deacons rushed out from the crowd, their spiritual power already pressing down on the altar.

Qin Mo stood still, his clothes billowing in the air currents.

He looked around, but his face showed no sign of backing down.

Cang Wuji raised his hand.

Stop.

The Golden Core steward who had rushed close stopped in his tracks.

Cang Juexing turned his head and said, "Father, he hit me in public and protected someone of unknown origin. He clearly doesn't take the Canglong Sect seriously!"

"Return it."

"Father!"

"I said, come back."

Cang Wuji slowed down his speech.

Cang Juexing clenched his molars, flicked his sleeves, and stepped aside.

Cang Wuji then looked at Qin Mo.

"Nephew Fang, the Fang family has made a lot of spirit stones over the years by taking advantage of the Canglong Sect's trade routes. Your father will have to address us as a senior when he meets us."

"Today you disrupted the funeral and injured our sect's young master. If the Fang family doesn't give you an explanation, you might not be able to leave this mountain gate."

An elder took over the conversation.

"I heard that the Fang family recently seized three batches of spiritual materials from the sect and also blocked two trade routes."

"Fang Aoyun, has your Fang family grown too big for its britches?"

Another elder smirked.

"The Fang family couldn't sit still after the Azure Dragon Sect lost several of its patriarchs. Unfortunately, you've chosen the wrong time."

"The sect leader has recalled the elites from each hall, and all six Nascent Soul elders are present. Let alone Fang Aoyun, even if the entire Fang family came at you, they would be left with half their lives."

Laughter erupted from all around.

"Young Master Fang delivered himself to our door, saving us the trouble of going to Biluo City to capture him."

"Cripple him first, then have the Fang family pay him a ransom with spirit stones."

"Does the Fang family really consider themselves a powerful clan in the Eastern Continent?"

Cang Wuyue looked up at Qin Mo.

The people of the Azure Dragon Sect have not yet received news of the Fang family patriarch's breakthrough.

She finally understood why Qin Mo dared to stay on the sacrificial altar.

Qin Mo closed his folding fan, his gaze sweeping over Cang Wuji before settling on the memorial tablet in front of the coffin.

"Cang Qingtian is dead."

"Cang Jiuyou's nascent soul was also destroyed by Gu Yingxue's arrow."

"Of the ten patriarchs of the Azure Dragon Sect, how many are still capable of fighting?"

The laughter stopped.

Cang Juexing's face twitched twice.

"Fang Aoyun, how dare you utter such insults before the spirit tablet of our ancestor?"

Qin Mo ignored him.

"You're still using the old Azure Dragon Sect to pressure the Fang family; your information is far too slow."

Cang Wuji frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Qin Mo took out the Fang family heir's token and held it in his palm.

"Before we arrived, our ancestor had just emerged from seclusion."

"He has already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage."

Several elders stood up at the same time, their chairs dragging on the stone platform with a jarring sound.

The smiles on the disciples' faces froze.

Cang Juexing opened his mouth.

"That's impossible. The Fang family patriarch has been stuck in the late Nascent Soul stage for nearly a hundred years. How could he possibly break through?"

"Whether you believe it or not is none of my business."

Qin Mo unfolded his folding fan and took a step towards Cang Wuji.

"There's one more thing you've got wrong."

Cang Wuji stared at the Crown Prince's token, his hand already pressing on the armrest of his chair.

"What is it?"

Qin Mo raised his chin, his voice echoing throughout the entire sacrificial plaza.

"I'm here on behalf of the Fang family to settle old scores with the Azure Dragon Sect!"