Zheng Niu's two attendants stared in shock at their young master, sprawled on the ground with blood pooling beneath him. He had lost consciousness before he even hit the floor.
"You!" said one of the attendants, the boldest of the two. "You dare strike a duke's son? Are you ready to face the consequences?"
Fang Mo sneered. We're not even in the Yun Han Empire. What's so impressive about a mere mortal duke? Initially, he had planned to let them off after a single punch, but since this one was asking for a beating, he didn't mind delivering it.
Fang Mo lunged at the mouthy attendant and punched him in the abdomen, knocking the air out of his lungs. The man's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees.
Fang Mo turned his gaze to the last of Zheng Niu's group. The man trembled, face pale with fear.
"What are you standing around for? Take them and fuck off."
"Y-Yes!" the attendant stammered, grabbing Zheng Niu and the other injured man before dragging them away in a hurried, clumsy retreat. Once they were gone, the small crowd that had gathered to watch quickly lost interest and dispersed.
Just as Fang Mo was about to lie back down, a soft voice stopped him.
"Thank you," said Xiao Meihui, her cheeks flushed as she looked at him.
Fang Mo shook his head. "Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't do it for you. I was helping my idiot teammate, who clearly doesn't know better than to jump into fights he has no chance of winning."
A chuckle escaped Xiao Meihui's lips. She hadn't expected such bluntness. "Even so, thank you. My name is Xiao Meihui. I owe you a favor."
Fang Mo waved a hand dismissively. Xiao Meihui wasn't even a cultivator, and her status was likely no better than his. What kind of favor could she offer him?
"Suit yourself. I'm going back to sleep."
"Aren't you going to help him?" she asked, pointing at Zeng Chonglin, who was still unconscious.
Instead of replying, Fang Mo lay back on his futon and closed his eyes. For an hour, he slept.
"All attendants, to the deck! Prepare for battle!" A booming voice rang in Fang Mo's ears—it was Liang Li, one of the two elders responsible for receiving them. The sound instantly jolted him awake.
Battle? What battle? Then he remembered Shao Huiqing's words before they parted. Is this what she warned me about?
Fang Mo jumped to his feet and looked around. A quarter of the people in the room had already left. Xiao Meihui, Zeng Chonglin, and Guo Qingsheng stood nearby, waiting for him. Unlike him, they didn't seem surprised, but their expressions were grave.
"What's this battle about?" Fang Mo asked.
The three exchanged glances, then looked at Fang Mo as if he'd asked something odd.
"Brother Mo," Xiao Meihui said, "they've lowered the ship's barrier to allow lightning bluebirds inside. It's part of the test for attendants. Unlike the participants, who are only tested once we reach the Dao Seeking Sect, attendants are tested along the journey, through real life-and-death battles."
Fang Mo's expression lit up—not from fear or concern, but from excitement. What caught his attention wasn't the trial itself, but the type of demon beasts they would face. Lightning bluebirds!
A grin stretched across his face, catching Xiao Meihui off guard.
"Good, good!" he said, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. He quickly injected a dose of Opening Meridian Solution into his body and dashed out of the room.
The trio hadn't expected Fang Mo's excitement after hearing about the test, but followed him without hesitation.
On the ship's deck, the battle had already begun. Charred and mangled bodies littered the floor as men and women fought desperately for their lives, and for a chance to prove their worth. Strangely, Fang Mo didn't see a single lightning bluebird corpse. That alone spoke volumes about the strength of their opponents.
A grin spread across Fang Mo's face as he locked eyes with his prey: a nearly two-meter-tall lightning bluebird that had just torn a swordswoman's chest apart with its steel-like claws.
"Little bird, come to your father!" he roared, flinging his satchel to the side, ready for battle.
With clenched fists, Fang Mo kicked off the wooden floor, lunging forward like a starving wolf that had found its dinner. Spiritual energy surged into his lungs, circulating alongside the Opening Meridian Solution within his body, working to unclog his fourth meridian.
The lightning bluebird screeched in fury as it spotted Fang Mo charging. Lightning danced across its feathers, crackling with dangerous energy. But Fang Mo didn't bother drawing his sword. What he wanted from this beast couldn't be taken with steel—it had to be felt with his body.
Smiling, he threw a punch aimed straight at the bird's chest, the hairs on his arms standing on end. But just before his fist made contact with the beast's feathers, a bolt of lightning struck his body.
Fang Mo convulsed, but the smile remained. Compared to the white snake's lightning, this is even a little stronger.
Using his consciousness as a conduit, he redirected part of the lightning into his fourth meridian, where it fused with the spiritual energy and the Opening Meridian Solution. He could feel the blockage crumbling as the lightning ravaged the meridian, shattering, reshaping, and expanding it.
A second later, Fang Mo, still standing on his feet, licked his lips. Though the lightning attack he'd just taken was stronger than anything he had endured in the Storm Forest, his body had also grown far tougher.
"Thanks for the meal," he muttered, then drove his fist into the bird's chest once more.
"Chirp?!"
The lightning bluebird shrieked in pain as its chest caved inward from the blow. Fang Mo's physical strength wasn't inferior, even when compared to demon beasts of the same level. His punch cracked one of its ribs, but instead of weakening the beast, the injury only enraged it further.
The demon beast stared at Fang Mo with bloodshot eyes, lightning crackling in the air around it. Another bolt surged from its body, shooting toward Fang Mo at absurd speed. He had no way to dodge, but even if he could, he wouldn't.
This second strike was even stronger than the first. His skin blackened, and the scent of scorched flesh filled the air. But at the same time, the lightning merged with the spiritual energy and the remaining Opening Meridian Solution in his body, evaporating the last blockage in his fourth meridian.
The searing pain of his burning flesh did nothing to dampen Fang Mo's joy. Spiritual energy now flowed freely through his newly opened meridian, flooding his dantian and limbs with revitalizing power.
Forcing his legs to move, he leaped forward. His left foot slammed into the lightning bluebird's chest, sending it staggering backward.
Realizing its lightning attacks were ineffective, the bluebird switched tactics. Its steel-like claws, crackling with lightning, slashed toward Fang Mo. While he welcomed lightning into his body, the same couldn't be said for claws that could tear him apart.
Fang Mo sidestepped the blow and countered with a punch, landing another heavy strike that broke another rib. The bird ignored its injuries and lunged, pecking at Fang Mo's shoulder. To his surprise, the lightning coursing directly through the beast's beak was even easier to control than the bolts it had launched through the air.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Fang Mo seized the bird's beak with both hands, locking it in place. He guided the spiritual energy, lightning, and the remaining Opening Meridian Solution toward his fifth meridian.
The meridian had just begun to open, but before the process could complete, the last of the solution in his body was depleted. Knowing he couldn't continue the breakthrough with only spiritual energy and lightning, Fang Mo made a quick decision—he shattered the lightning bluebird's beak and prepared to end the fight.
His next punch landed on the beast's weakened chest, ripping through bone and flesh, tearing apart its heart. The lightning bluebird collapsed, dead at last.
Fang Mo rushed back to his satchel and injected another dose of Opening Meridian Solution into his bloodstream. As the familiar surge of energy spread through his body, his eyes locked onto his next prey.
Xiao Meihui, Zeng Chonglin, and Guo Qingsheng, who had witnessed Fang Mo kill the lightning bluebird from start to finish, stared at him as if he were a monster.
***
From a high vantage point atop the deck, Liang Li observed the battle below alongside Tao Hai and a few disciples from their sects.
"This year's batch isn't bad," Liang Li remarked. "I even heard that one of the attendants was invited to become a disciple by a core elder of the Seven Swords Sect."
"Oh?" Tao Hai said, his interest piqued. "What did he do to earn attention from a Quasi-Heaven Sect?"
"A strong physique, natural talent for sword cultivation, and high-grade immortal spiritual roots," Liang Li replied. "If someone from the Dao Seeking Sect had been present, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to snatch him up themselves. I believe his name was Qian Qi."
Tao Hai nodded. "That's good… very good. I heard a corrupted demon beast was spotted outside the Five Empires Region. I'm afraid we'll need to cherish every talent and cultivate them quickly."
A shadow crossed Liang Li's face, his jaw tightening.