Master and Disciple's Anxiety

Where were the Saint Alchemist and Lin Yang after the flames subsided and devastation lay everywhere? 

Mo Fan frowned, "Did they run away? What a pity." 

Then, he felt a strong sense of exhaustion sweeping over his body, with waves of pain emanating from his limbs. Mo Qingkuang's body was on the verge of collapse. 

Mo Fan sighed, "Still too weak." 

Pushing through his last shreds of energy, he carefully surveyed the surroundings within a radius of a hundred miles and found no immediate threats. He then withdrew from the possession state and fell into a deep sleep. 

Mo Qingkuang, barely able to control his body, couldn't utter a word before intense pain overwhelmed his senses, plunging him into unconsciousness, collapsing on the ground. 

Nearby, Mo Shan, who had been placed in the cave by Mo Fan, finally came to his senses. With the battle over and the opponent driven away, they were temporarily safe. Rushing to Mo Qingkuang's side, he lifted his unconscious body and swiftly returned to the cave. 

Afterwards, he stomped the ground fiercely, causing the cave entrance to collapse with a rumble, sealing it shut completely. Only then did Mo Shan have the opportunity to examine his son, whom he hadn't seen in two months but now seemed like a different person altogether. 

Still handsome, with fair skin, the battle just now seemed to have left no marks on him, not even a torn corner on his clothes. It revealed a strength not inferior to that of a Martial Venerable, astonishing Mo Shan. Yet, he understood that this power didn't belong to Mo Qingkuang himself. Now that the power had disappeared, Mo Qingkuang's true strength was revealed. 

A Martial Master of the Second Rank —indeed, this was the true strength that belonged to Mo Qingkuang. However, Mo Shan wasn't disappointed; as long as his son lived, there would come a day when Mo Qingkuang would reach that level and perhaps even surpass it. 

He carefully examined Mo Qingkuang's body and found no internal injuries, just exhaustion from overexertion and days of long-distance running. Mo Shan heaved a long sigh of relief. 

*** 

In the mountain ranges hundreds of miles away, the Saint Alchemist fled desperately, leaving a trail of destruction behind as anything in his path was incinerated by black flames. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose, and he bore wounds on his abdomen and back, indicating serious injuries. 

However, he dared not stop or look back, running as fast as he could forward, fearing that Mo Fan might suddenly appear behind him and deliver a fatal blow. 

Only after running hundreds of miles and finding that Mo Fan didn't pursue him did the Alchemist Saint weakly sit on the ground, trembling as he reached into his robes for a vial, swallowing a red pill to stop the bleeding from his mouth and nose. 

With a sense of lingering fear, he glanced back in the direction he had come from, sighing deeply. "Lin Yang, we're in big trouble." 

Lin Yang, hidden within his body, couldn't feel the pain, but he had witnessed the battle between the two Martial Venerables. 

The power of his teacher's Fire God's Fury, enhanced by the hellfire, far surpassed anything he could wield, and Mo Fan's combat ability filled him with both fear and admiration. Setting aside their enmity, Mo Fan's ability to defeat a stronger opponent with a lower-ranked martial technique truly shocked Lin Yang. 

"Teacher, who is that person?" Lin Yang asked with some fear. 

He certainly didn't believe that it was Mo Qingkuang's strength. Otherwise, what would be the point of competing with Mo Qingkuang? They might as well surrender outright! Maybe they could even keep their bodies intact. 

The Alchemist Saint shook his head in confusion, "I don't know. I've never heard of such a figure before. Their combat instincts seem innate, and their execution of the Flower-Picking Finger was masterful." 

"Could it be King Nianhua?" Lin Yang wondered aloud. 

The Flower-Picking Finger was the signature move of King Nianhua. If someone was said to execute it with such mastery, many would immediately think of the King Nianhua, and Lin Yang was no exception. 

After a moment of contemplation, the Alchemist Saint shook his head, "Doesn't seem like it. They don't have the aura of King Nianhua. Their demeanor exudes a sense of arrogance and dominance, which King Nianhua doesn't possess." 

"Speaking of which, I feel ashamed. I've spent my life studying pharmacology and neglected martial arts. My execution of the Fire God's Fury wasn't proficient enough, which allowed the opponent to gain the upper hand." 

The Alchemist Saint keenly felt that it was the power of the explosion within the Flower-Picking Finger that ruptured within the Fire God's Fury's illusion, disrupting the energy equilibrium nodes and thereby destroying the entire martial technique's assault. 

This was the key point that enabled Mo Fan to break through a Heavenly-ranked martial technique with an earthly-ranked one. 

Of course, this wasn't something an ordinary person could achieve. Martial techniques are executed swiftly, and Heavenly-ranked martial techniques, in particular, are of high rank, with nearly perfect energy utilization frameworks. 

If it weren't for the Alchemist Saint's lack of proficiency, Mo Fan wouldn't have been able to break through the Fire God's Fury, regardless of his innate talent for finding weaknesses. 

"Teacher, what should we do?" Lin Yang felt somewhat lost. 

The Alchemist Saint was his greatest reliance and his last resort for self-preservation. Exposing him to Mo Shan, thinking it would be foolproof, unexpectedly resulted in confronting Mo Qingkuang, who seemed to possess abilities similar to him. 

Moreover, the combat power of the person behind him even surpassed that of the Saint Alchemist. It was a complete failure, and both he and his teacher were seriously injured. 

Lin Yang couldn't help but feel extremely disheartened. Mo Qingkuang seemed to possess a more profound opportunity than him. Now, Lin Yang felt that his once bright future had suddenly become dim. 

Facing an unrelenting archenemy, who possessed deeper opportunities and a guardian stronger than him, Lin Yang's future seemed bleak. 

After a moment of contemplation, the Alchemist Saint said softly, "Don't be too disheartened. My strength lies not in combat but in Alchemist. Being an alchemist is one of the most prestigious professions on the continent, and you have great talent! You will surely become a more powerful alchemist than I am." 

He continued, "Your talent in combat is no weaker than that person's; it's just a matter of soul. Once your cultivation catches up, you'll be able to crush them effortlessly!" 

Indeed, Mo Fan was just a soul, and his growth had almost reached its limit. On the other hand, Lin Yang had unlimited room for growth. Although his teacher couldn't defeat Mo Fan, Lin Yang could take revenge once he grew stronger. 

For now, he only needed to bide his time, quietly improve his strength, and rely on the support of the Yuan Sword Sect. He believed that Mo Qingkuang and the others wouldn't be able to do anything to him. 

Thinking of this, Lin Yang regained some confidence, "Teacher, I will work hard to cultivate, and I won't let you down! In the future, I'll help you resurrect and restore your saintly cultivation. Who in the world would dare to oppose us?" 

"And those who killed you back then, I will definitely make them pay with their blood!" 

The Alchemist Saint nodded with relief. He knew that this disciple was mentally resilient and wouldn't be easily defeated. With his extraordinary talent, he had the potential to sweep the world. Lin Yang was his true hope for a comeback!

***

some stones would be appreciated~