"They did. According to the records, the Beast Zone was initially ruled by three Beast Kings: Shou Huang, Shou Zun, and the most powerful among them, Hu Canghai. These three were anomalies, with Hu Canghai reported to have reached the perfect stage of a Sage of Cultivation Intent. Out of millions of mutated beasts, they were the only three to step onto the path of cultivation," Ping An answered.
"Yet they never actively attacked the cultivators," Mo Lingtian cut in, stroking his chin in calculating thought.
"Yes. For thousands of years, the beasts never interfered with humans, largely deterred by the immense power behind the upper thirteen factions," Ping An continued.
"So, it is safe to say Huang Tianshou somehow compelled the three beast kings and their subordinates to initiate the conflict," Mo Lingtian deduced, piecing together the timeline of the ancient war.
"Yes. It was an unstoppable disaster for the cultivators of that period. No matter how strong and how many supervisors the upper thirteen factions sent, Huang Tianshou always found a way to eliminate them," Ping An added.
"But he was ultimately defeated. Those factions are really no joke," Mo Lingtian noted, a glint of caution flashing in his eyes. To subdue an entity that could grant sentience to millions of beasts simply by crashing into the earth required a level of strength that defied logic.
"Yes. The records say a big shot from one of the factions was finally sent to oversee the situation. Nobody saw who, what, or how it was done, but in a matter of moments, Huang Tianshou was helplessly subdued and taken hostage by that cultivator," Ping An explained.
"I think I have found my first point of action," Mo Lingtian said, a cold, mischievous smile forming on his lips.
"Dao You, absolutely not. Although Huang Tianshou has been subdued, the demon beasts of the Beast Zone still retain their ferocious natures. After so many centuries, the three demon kings will not be the only demon beasts that possess intelligence and immense cultivation," Ping An warned hastily.
"Senior, naturally I know even demon beasts are not exempt from the law of evolution. You do not need to worry about me," Mo Lingtian replied casually, patting the Dao Elder on the shoulder.
Leaving the elder to process his warning, Lingtian turned and walked toward the Chief Commander. She stood motionless a few paces away, her arms folded across her chest as she blankly stared at the towering form of the Cosmic Tree.
"This is what you should be worrying about," Mo Lingtian called back to the Dao Elder. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed over three sealed pouches and a folded parchment map.
Ping An caught them effortlessly with his spiritual energy, allowing the items to float gently in the air in front of his blindfolded face as he probed them.
"There is no one I can trust who is familiar with the terrain of the Wilderness other than you. I need you to take those three pouches to the marked locations on the map," Mo Lingtian instructed, turning his head slightly to address the elder.
Mo Lingtian lifted a heavy, dark-metal emblem token between his fingers, the surface catching the ambient light of the inner world. "I would have given you this so they would recognize who sent you, but I will probably need it more on my journey to the Beast Zone."
"Yes. But how..." Ping An started, confused about how the people would know who he was without a token.
"Do not worry about them being able to identify you. The fact that you know their exact locations is more than enough verification for them," Mo Lingtian interrupted. He stepped up to stand side-by-side with the Chief Commander, joining her to stare quietly at the ancient tree.
"I will get to it right away," Ping An said, bowing slightly to Lingtian's back.
"Senior," Mo Lingtian said, turning fully to face the Chief Commander.
"Are you ready?" she replied, withdrawing her gaze from the Cosmic Tree and locking eyes with him, their faces just a breath apart.
"Yes," he said, returning his gaze to the tree one last time.
"Let us set off then," the Chief Commander said. She casually waved her hand. In a single breath, the fabric of space warped, catapulting them past the miles of distance and the raging dimensional tear. With another casual wave, the environment blurred completely, transporting them to the quiet shores of Mo Lingtian's Sea of Consciousness.
The Dao Elder staggered slightly, trying to stabilize his footing. He had still not gotten used to this level of effortless spatial manipulation.
"Senior, we will be leaving now," Mo Lingtian said.
The Chief Commander gave a casual nod before turning and walking away toward the distant encampment where her two aides and the rest of the commanders resided.
"Return," Mo Lingtian commanded.
The word echoed, instantly jerking both his and the Dao Elder's consciousness back to the physical world.
The sound of the roaring inner sea vanished, replaced by the quiet, dusty rustle of the wind blowing through the Eclipsed Sun Sect courtyard. Mo Lingtian blinked his eyes open, sitting exactly where he had been before the mental projection began.
"The pouches and the map I gave you back there were spiritual imprints. You can pass them on to the people there when you reach the marked locations. It is much more secretive and secure than carrying it as a physical object," Mo Lingtian explained, standing up from his wooden seat.
"That makes sense. I will set off at once tomorrow," the Dao Elder replied, also rising from his rocking chair.
"No, you will arouse that old monster's suspicion. Although he does not have any reason to interfere with this, I do not want more variables involved in this plan. The intricacies I have set around it are far more complex than just delivering messages," Mo Lingtian corrected, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Oh... alright," Ping An replied, rather confused. It was only then Mo Lingtian realized he had deliberately kept the elder in the dark regarding the grand scheme he had woven with the Patriarch and Gu Tianying.
"Just leave a few days after I leave," Mo Lingtian instructed cleanly.
"Understood," Ping An affirmed.
"Alright. I will be leaving now," Mo Lingtian said, turning and walking toward the courtyard door.
"One more thing. Take this," Mo Lingtian suddenly said, tossing a small, dark pill over his shoulder.
"This... is..." Ping An stuttered, suspending the pill in mid-air with his spiritual energy.
"Do not worry, I am not trying to blackmail you. That pill will conceal the vigor of your spiritual breath to its barest minimum. The sudden increase in your energy could still arouse suspicion. Just half of the pill will do the trick," Mo Lingtian said, continuing his steady walk toward the exit.
"Oh... alright then," Ping An replied. He immediately split the pill in two with a sliver of Qi and ingested the left half without a second thought.
Mo Lingtian halted his steps rapidly, turning around to face the elder.
"Oh... I thought you would at least wait until I was gone to verify the contents of the pill. Are you not afraid it is laced with a kind of poison only I have the antidote to?" Mo Lingtian asked, his eyes narrowing in genuine surprise.
"If it is so, I have no complaint. After all, you were the one who gave me the opportunity to start again," Ping An replied calmly, his blindfolded face betraying zero hesitation.
Mo Lingtian stared at the old man for some time. The absolute trust felt foreign, almost suffocating in a world built on deception. He finally let out a heavy sigh.
"In this world, no one deserves your absolute loyalty. Never be that careless again," Mo Lingtian warned softly, turning around and continuing his walk to the door.
"But do not worry. Although I am manipulative, that level of scheme is far beneath me. That pill you took was what kept my clan from being wiped out for thousands of years before the inevitable happened. I will not use it for such cheap tricks," Mo Lingtian continued, his voice dropping slightly as he referenced his buried past.
"Thank you," Ping An replied, clearly sensing the sudden shift of emotion and the heavy melancholy hidden within Mo Lingtian's words.
"Do not thank me yet, we still have a long journey ahead of us," Mo Lingtian replied, raising his voice loud, carrying a strange, cynical rhythm like a drunk reciting a poem to an empty street.
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"Are you ready to go now?" Lu Yang, the Patriarch of the Eclipsed Sun Sect, asked. He watched the young demonic cultivator walk closer and closer to his elevated table, crossing the vast, silent expanse of the main hall.
"Yes, Lao Tzu," Mo Lingtian said, halting his steps just a few inches from the Patriarch's table and bowing down slightly.
"To contact the intelligence network?" Lu Yang asked again, confirming the first phase of their mutual operation.
"It is among the purposes for this trip," Mo Lingtian replied, raising his head to meet the old monster's gaze.
"Alright, you can go," the Patriarch dismissed him, slowly closing his eyes as if going to sleep.
"Yes, Lao Tzu," Mo Lingtian replied, bowing down once again before turning his back and beginning his walk down the long hallway.
The grand hall was dead silent. Every single step Mo Lingtian took toward the gigantic exit doors at the other end echoed loudly against the stone, familiarly heavy and awkward in the tense atmosphere.
Just as he was about to step completely out of the main hall, the Patriarch's voice suddenly echoed from the far end of the room.
"Could you at least spare my disciples?" the Patriarch asked. His voice and tone carried a strange, heavy mix of plea and cold certainty, knowing exactly what kind of blood was about to be spilled to rebuild his sect.
Mo Lingtian stopped. He stood perfectly still in the massive doorway for a second. He let out a slow sigh before speaking into the open air.
"One moment of night and darkness for a lifetime of light and possibilities."
With that, he completely stepped out of the hall, leaving the Patriarch alone in the shadows.