The sun had climbed to the zenith, its scorching rays baking the earth. It was a clear day after the rain, but even for autumn, it was too hot.
Several figures appeared in a clearing. They quickly surveyed the area, finding only charred craters and numerous corpses. Scattered debris lay everywhere, poisoned darts and other concealed weapons were strewn across the ground. In a corner was a charred tent, only its skeletal frame remaining, a stench of blood lingering in the air, making one wrinkle their nose.
"The two of them aren't here," someone whispered.
"Damn it, it seems the guy was right. Those two siblings from the capital are genuine geniuses!" A man in black, his face hidden by a mask, squatted down to observe the ground, as if it had been plowed. "See how the marks radiate outward from this point? Every scratch on the ground is natural, not artificially carved. This is the work of a Master of the Primal Essence! Two Masters of the Primal Essence clashed here a few hours ago."
"Hey... isn't that the head of the Dragon Tiger Sect?" a voice trembled, drawing everyone's attention. At his feet lay a burly man, his eyes wide open in death, blood still staining his chest.
"He's dead," someone gasped.
"It seems we're facing genuine prodigies this time." The masked man sighed, standing up. "From what the guy who gave us the intel said, these siblings are barely eighteen, but they managed to survive an ambush by dozens and even kill a Master of the Primal Essence... Terrifying. I can't imagine what kind of achievements they'll reach once they step onto the Path of Immortality."
"..." Everyone fell silent. They unconsciously tightened their grips on their weapons. On the Path of Immortality, they were unwilling to see a prodigy surpass them, so they had to crush this brilliance in its cradle.
Yesterday, a man in black had spread a message among those seeking the Path of Immortality. The gist was: A pair of monstrous siblings have arrived on the Path of Immortality. The brother is cunning and manipulative, while the sister possesses unparalleled martial skills. They reside in the capital and their surname is Mo.
Everyone who heard this news grew anxious. They knew the implications of the Mo family. Just the legendary Mo Tianjiao alone instilled a sense of awe and distance, let alone his children... How monstrous must they be!
Prodigies must be extinguished in the cradle.
Individuals of different backgrounds, driven by the same purpose, gathered together. They launched a strike, but failed.
"Let's call it a day. We've already failed once. While the Mo siblings are unaware of our identities, we should retreat from this quagmire. Perhaps we'll even be able to gain their favor on the Path of Immortality later. There's no good outcome in being enemies with a prodigy." The masked man sneered, glancing at everyone present as a warning.
"..." Everyone fell silent, pondering the situation before making their decisions. Some left without a word, while others continued to search for traces left behind by Mo Yi and Mo Luo Xue, intent on pursuing the chase.
The masked man watched those who remained, shaking his head with a cold smile before disappearing into the dense forest.
A flock of geese soared through the sky, their gazes sweeping over the thick, serene primeval forest. They had no idea that within its depths, blood and murder were unfolding ceaselessly.
It was a giant tree, large enough for four people to embrace. Underneath it, hidden from view, lay a space within the tree trunk. Weeds and shrubs flawlessly concealed it, but today, it welcomed its first three visitors.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Mo Yi cried out in pain. Behind him, a man in white, with a smug expression, vigorously kneaded Mo Yi's back. "Isn't this amazing? This is the Supreme Massage Technique passed down by my master! Any aches, cramps, anything can be resolved. For someone like you who overexerted themselves and strained their muscles, I can fix you in minutes!"
Mo Yi felt as if a knife were scraping across his back. The white-clad man's hands were like those scraping blades!
"Say, little brother..." The white-clad man asked with a conspiratorial air. "How far have you and your sister gone?"
Mo Yi was taken aback, bewildered as he replied, "How far in what way?"
"Intimacy, you know! Have you held hands? Kissed? Had... ahem." The white-clad man spoke too freely, stumbling over his own words. He could only cough to mask his embarrassment.
"Hey, brother..." Mo Yi's eyes twitched. "That's not how you play with your sister, okay?"
The white-clad man's eyes lit up. "Are there other ways to play? I'm all ears, your highness."
Mo Yi thought to himself, " Highness my foot! I've never even held a girl's hand in two lifetimes. Even when I gave a female classmate a stuffed bear, she already had a boyfriend!"
It must be said, the white-clad man's massage was indeed effective. Earlier, Mo Yi complained about a strained muscle, and without a word, the white-clad man had Mo Yi strip down and lie down. Mo Yi nearly shoved a thunderclap bomb into the man's backside!
"I don't even know your name yet. You helped me and my sister out of the blue. We're truly grateful." Mo Yi put on his outer clothes and asked the white-clad man.
"Just call me Yaoshi," the white-clad man smiled. "My father and sister are traveling to distant lands. I'm the only one left to pursue the Path of Immortality."
"Ambitious. So, Yaoshi, can you tell me why you... no, why you guys knew about my sister and me? Did someone pay you a fortune to kill us?" Mo Yi sat on a rock and asked casually.
Yaoshi shook his head. "No, someone spread the word that two monsters from the Mo family in the capital had appeared on the Path of Immortality."
"To crush prodigies in the cradle...?" Mo Yi turned his head and glanced at Mo Luo Xue lying on a straw mat, asking softly. Mo Luo Xue's wounds had been stitched closed, her face now flushed. After a long rest, the Master of the Primal Essence's vigorous qi and blood had allowed her to recover quickly. At this rate, an injury that would normally take months to heal would only take a day for her.
"Correct. But I have no interest in that, so I saved you." Yaoshi picked up a wooden box from the ground. Inside lay bloodstained silver needles and thread. This was what he had used to stitch up Mo Luo Xue's wounds.
"I'll remember this debt." Mo Yi said coldly. A fierce killing intent flashed in his eyes... He had told Mo Tianjiao that he was a panda, not a lion. This was true.
But Mo Tianjiao didn't know that pandas, when backed into a corner, could also reveal sharp claws that rivaled a lion's, exposing their bloodthirsty nature. Pandas are not inferior to lions, perhaps even exceeding them.