Chapter 1569: The Mo Family of Jiangpu (Part Two)

The two male cultivators both appeared very young, roughly in their early twenties, with barely concealed arrogance between their brows. Clearly, these three were the cream of the crop among the younger generation of the Mo family.

When Ji Mo stepped through the threshold, she was sizing them up, and the nine people in the hall were likewise sizing up Ji Mo. Especially those three younger cultivators, whose gazes towards Ji Mo held exploration, astonishment, and a hint of skepticism.

"This is the head of my Mo family, and these are the Great Elder, Second Elder, Fifth Elder, Sixth Elder, and Eighth Elder of my Mo family respectively. The Fourth and Seventh Elders are away on matters and are not at home at present." Just as silent communication passed between the two sides' gazes, Mo Chengjun stepped forward, pointing to the elders in the hall to introduce them to Ji Mo.

"Junior Ji Mo pays her respects to the Mo Clan Head and all the Elders." Ji Mo offered a slight bow to the elders present. Her expression remained unchanged, but inwardly she was secretly startled. For the Mo family to mobilize so many elders at once, and even have the clan head personally welcome a minor Core Formation cultivator like herself—what kind of game were they playing?

"Haha, this old man is Mo Chengyu. I have long heard of Fairy Ji's great name, yet had no chance to meet her. Today, having the fairy grace my humble dwelling truly brings great honor to the Mo family. Please, take your seat!" Mo Chengyu, the head of the Mo family, took the lead in standing up. He walked over to Ji Mo and, with a hearty laugh, invited her to a seat.

"The Mo Clan Head is too polite. Ji Mo is merely a member of the younger generation; I truly do not deserve such elaborate courtesy from the Clan Head and the seniors present. I know myself to be no renowned figure, yet I wonder how the Clan Head came to know of my name?" Ji Mo's gaze flickered slightly as she spoke. While her words might have bordered on a lack of etiquette, if she didn't ask and clarify things on the spot, she simply lacked the leisure to maintain polite pretenses and dance around these people while remaining completely in the dark.

"Fairy Ji, please do not think I am speaking in hypocritical flattery; every word I just said came from the bottom of my heart. Roughly seven years ago, the Fairy entered Wuchi Town, where you slew two minor demonic cavalry commanders and severely injured a demonic general, am I correct? It's just that Mo truly never imagined that someone capable of heavily injuring a demonic general would be so young." Mo Chengyu's expression turned serious, and his gaze carried a trace of strangeness as he looked at Ji Mo.

Ji Mo's biological age was merely a little over one hundred and forty years old. With Mo Chengyu's discernment, it was naturally impossible for him to miss this detail, which was precisely why he found it increasingly hard to believe. How could a female cultivator in the Core Formation realm, barely over a hundred and forty years old, slay two minor demonic cavalry commanders and severely injure a demonic general? If he had harbored even the slightest doubt toward this rumor beforehand, seeing the minor demon leader carried back by his clansmen today made it impossible not to believe.

*So that's how it is.* Hearing Mo Chengyu bring up the matter of Wuchi Town, Ji Mo immediately understood. Slaying the two minor demonic cavalry commanders had been Xiao Bai's achievement, but she could hardly state that in front of outsiders, so she could only remain silent. As her thoughts spun rapidly, Ji Mo smiled and joined the conversation, "So the Clan Head was referring to that matter; that time was merely a matter of good fortune."

As soon as these words left her lips, everyone from the Mo family present was astounded. This woman had actually slain two minor demonic cavalry commanders and severely injured a demonic general? How—how could this possibly be?

"Fairy Ji, if my eyes do not deceive me, your current cultivation level is on par with mine, am I right?" The female Core Formation cultivator, whose gaze had not left Ji Mo since she entered, could not help but chime in.

"Mo Yan, do not be impudent!" The moment these words escaped the woman's mouth, Mo Chengjun—ah, Mo Chengyu, the head of the Mo family, already uttered a low, stern reprimand.

"Great-grandfather, it is not that this granddaughter is questioning Fairy Ji, but granddaughter simply cannot understand how a Core Formation cultivator could possibly slay minor demonic cavalry commanders. Forgive granddaughter's ignorance, but I have never heard of such a figure in our Lihao cultivation world." The female cultivator addressed as Mo Yan glanced at Mo Chengyu and spoke stubbornly.

Mo Chengyu's face darkened, and just as he was about to speak, Ji Mo already smiled and chimed in, "What Miss Mo Yan says is not entirely unreasonable. With my cultivation, relying solely on my own strength, it indeed would have been impossible to slay two minor demonic cavalry commanders. However, Miss Mo is also a person of the cultivation world; surely you understand the principle that a cultivator always has methods that cannot be spoken of to outsiders?"

Mo Yan felt her breath catch in her throat. She stared at Ji Mo, momentarily rendered completely speechless. Ji Mo gave her a faint look and continued, "Although I lack the ability to slay minor demonic cavalry commanders purely through my own brute strength, you, Miss Mo, are still far from qualified to question my abilities. If Miss Mo refuses to accept this, why not try making a move?"

Having been invited through their doors with such high honors, only to be openly questioned by a junior in the Core Formation realm, if she didn't display some genuine skill, she feared she would truly be looked down upon.

"Very well! Please, Fairy Ji, grace the sparring arena outside!" Mo Yan was the most outstanding female cultivator of her generation in the Mo family; when had she ever been so thoroughly disdained by a peer? Disregarding the expressions of her elders, she directly challenged Ji Mo.

"Why go to all that trouble? I shall sit right here. Miss Mo can attack with all her might. As long as you can force me to move even an inch, or damage so much as a single object around us, I shall consider myself defeated!" Ji Mo wanted to establish her prestige, so naturally, she would no longer hold back.

"You—fine! Fine! Fine! Since Fairy Ji is so arrogant, let me, Mo Yan, test the Fairy's lofty skills!" Enraged, Mo Yan flickered her figure and delivered a punch. She was also a dual cultivator of spirit and body, with her physical refinement having reached the solid realm. Mo Chengyu and Mo Chengjun slightly moved the corners of their mouths, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, they remained silent and let Mo Yan make her move.

Ji Mo sat there without budging an inch. When Mo Yan's fist struck within three feet of her, it could no longer advance even half an inch. Mo Yan's expression shifted slightly, and she immediately changed her tactics. With a surge of spiritual power, a water sword materialized out of thin air and slashed fiercely toward Ji Mo. With a gentle flick of Ji Mo's sleeve, the water sword instantly dissolved into nothingness, while Mo Yan turned pale and involuntarily took three steps back.

"I'll kill you!" Overcome with shame and anger, Mo Yan momentarily forgot that Ji Mo was an esteemed guest of the household. With a sharp cry, a fiery red thin saber appeared in her hands, and she lunged forward.

"Mo Yan, stand down!" Mo Chengyu's expression darkened. With a gentle tap of his finger, Mo Yan was instantly frozen in place, unable to move a muscle.

"Mo Zheng, Mo Chun, take her away," Mo Chengyu frowned as he instructed the two other Nascent Soul cultivators. The two male Nascent Soul cultivators, wearing expressions of shock as they looked at Ji Mo, walked over to Mo Yan and escorted her away. Right before stepping out the door, they still couldn't help but turn back for another glance at Ji Mo.

"Fairy Ji, Yan'er is unruly, and her offense toward the Fairy is entirely my fault for failing to teach her properly. Please forgive her, Fairy." After Mo Yan and the others had left, Mo Chengyu walked over to Ji Mo and cupped his fists in apology.

"The Clan Head exaggerates. Sparring with Miss Mo was something I proposed in the first place, so where is the offense? Clan Head, you went to such great lengths to invite me here with such a grand display—may I ask what this is all about? Please enlighten me," Ji Mo said indifferently.

"Actually, it's nothing major. It's just that upon learning Fairy Ji has crossed paths with the demons twice, I wished to invite the Fairy over to discuss matters concerning the demons. However, there is no rush; the banquet has already been prepared. Shall we discuss it over dinner?" Mo Chengyu replied after a brief pause.