Mutual Threats

Mo Tianxiao understood Xuan Bingji’s behavior.

“You’re afraid I’ll tell people what happened between us, so you’re threatening me with it, aren’t you?”

“I understand you completely. As the most noble and talented member of the Darkworld Python Clan, you have your own pride. Naturally, you wouldn’t allow anyone else to hold something over you.

“But don’t worry. I absolutely won’t tell anyone what happened. And now that you have something on me as well, it’s even less likely that I’ll expose our secret.”

Mo Tianxiao patiently guided Xuan Bingji along. “Whether it’s your secret or mine, exposing it would do neither of us any good.

“We can become good friends and keep each other’s secrets!”

“Who wants to become friends with you? You’re just a lowly human. I don’t care about you at all...”

Seeing that her threat had no effect on Mo Tianxiao, Xuan Bingji grew somewhat displeased.

Could it be that her attitude hadn’t been forceful enough, and she hadn’t made him feel sufficiently pressured or threatened?

That shouldn’t be possible. She had made herself perfectly clear.

“Whether you care or not, we both have something on each other now. You don’t want word getting out that the noble genius of the Darkworld Python Clan did that sort of thing with a weak human, do you?”

A sly smile appeared on Mo Tianxiao’s face. “If my secret is exposed, the worst that can happen is that I hand over all my resources. But if your secret is exposed, the consequences for you will be far more serious.”

“You! You’re shameless!”

Having been threatened in return, Xuan Bingji instantly flew into a rage. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she glared viciously at Mo Tianxiao as she reached out to slap him.

Smack!

However, Mo Tianxiao caught her fair hand and began gently stroking it. “Don’t get so worked up. It wouldn’t be good for your health.”

Xuan Bingji’s face turned icy, and the temperature in the entire room plummeted.

“Mo Tianxiao! You’re not qualified to threaten me, nor do you have the strength to negotiate with my Darkworld Python Clan.”

“Either agree to my demands, and I’ll guarantee you a life of safety and peace, or... I’ll kill you.”

“Guarantee me a life of safety and peace? By making me your servant?”

For a moment, Mo Tianxiao couldn’t figure out what this woman actually wanted.

One moment she wanted him to become her servant, and the next she was threatening to kill him.

“That’s right. You may possess quite a few tricks, but before a true powerhouse, all those tricks are meaningless. Only one’s own strength is the true foundation.

“You’re merely in the early stage of the Dao Master Realm. To grow strong enough to contend with the supreme powers of this universe, you’ll need resources beyond your imagination. As long as you follow me, I can guarantee that you’ll have the opportunity to reach the Sovereign Realm.”

The terms Xuan Bingji offered were extraordinarily tempting to any independent cultivator—or even to cultivators from major powers. This was a chance to become a Sovereign Realm expert, one of the true great powers of the starry universe.

A hint of anticipation shone in Xuan Bingji’s eyes as she looked at Mo Tianxiao, though she felt somewhat uneasy inside. She had already offered such incredible terms. Surely he would accept them now.

Any other cultivator would probably agree even if it meant becoming a slave, let alone a servant. But who was Mo Tianxiao? How could he willingly become someone’s servant for the sake of immediate benefits?

Mo Tianxiao leaned down, reached out with both hands, and swept Xuan Bingji into his arms in a princess carry.

“I knew there was something strange about this. Miss Xuan, you wouldn’t happen to have fallen for me, would you?”

“Who—who fell for you?! Put me down, now!”

Xuan Bingji’s face instantly turned bright red, and even her snow-white neck took on a rosy hue. Her expression was filled with both embarrassment and fury.

Images of Mo Tianxiao rescuing her earlier continued to surface in her mind, and her entire body trembled slightly.

At last, Mo Tianxiao was certain that there was indeed something wrong with this woman. She clearly possessed a cultivation level at the consummate Dao Master Realm. If she had offered even the slightest resistance, there was no way he could have picked her up so easily.

Yet apart from her verbal protests, she didn’t move at all. She simply stayed in his arms and made no attempt to leave.

“Could this be the legendary tsundere?” Mo Tianxiao muttered to himself.

“What’s a tsundere? You bastard, I told you to put me down! Didn’t you hear me?” Xuan Bingji buried her face against his chest and loudly scolded him for his behavior.

“All right, all right. I’ll put you down.”

Carrying the cool, icy Xuan Bingji, Mo Tianxiao walked to the innermost part of the lounge. After closing the door, he set up layers upon layers of formations around the room before deciding to teach this arrogant member of another race a lesson.

He was a nine-foot-tall man of the human race, yet he had been threatened by a member of another race. If word of this got out, wouldn’t the human race laugh at him?

A day later, the other race refused to submit, and Mo Tianxiao continued his campaign.

Two days later, the other race admitted her mistakes, allowing Mo Tianxiao to recover a little of the human race’s dignity.

On the third day, Mo Tianxiao intended to end the battle peacefully and restore friendly relations with the other race. Unexpectedly, she had only pretended to admit her mistakes while waiting for an opportunity to launch a fierce counterattack!

...

“Brother Mo! Open up quickly! I have good news for you!”

Liya’s arrival brought an end to the seemingly endless war that concerned billions upon billions of living beings.

After withdrawing the formations, Mo Tianxiao opened the door.

“Fellow Daoist Lia, please come in.”

“Brother Mo, I’ve brought you a surprise. Huh... Why is Bingji here too?”

Upon entering the room, Liya noticed that there was another person inside. It was none other than Xuan Bingji, who now looked radiant and composed.

“Oh, Miss Xuan saw that my cultivation was too weak and kindly offered me some guidance,” Mo Tianxiao replied without changing his expression.

“Is that really what happened?” Liya studied their expressions, feeling that something was off.

Hadn’t Bingji looked down on Brother Mo before? Why had she suddenly come to give him guidance in cultivation?

Xuan Bingji’s expression immediately returned to its usual aloofness.

“Liya, I can’t stop you from becoming friends with him, so I can only make him a little stronger and give him the qualifications to become friends with both of us.”

“So that’s how it is. It’s wonderful that the two of you can get along,” Liya said, looking at them with satisfaction.

“After some time has passed, the three of us can exchange insights into cultivation together. Brother Mo, my strength isn’t bad either. If we discuss and exchange ideas together, it will definitely be more efficient than you cultivating in seclusion by yourself!”

“Of course, of course. It’s livelier when everyone exchanges ideas together.”

Mo Tianxiao responded courteously, while Xuan Bingji beside him glared fiercely at him.

One wasn’t enough—now he wanted both of them to exchange insights with him? Humans really were greedy. She absolutely wouldn’t let him have his way!

“Right, what was the good news you mentioned?”

At this, Liya first took a brick-sized piece of demonic essence star ore from her spatial ring and handed it to Mo Tianxiao.

“I told you I wouldn’t let you make the trip for nothing. This is refined demonic essence star ore. It can be used directly to forge weapons, and there’s enough here to forge a supreme treasure of the highest grade.”

“You don’t have to give me this. I didn’t really help with anything, so I’d feel guilty accepting it.”

“Oh, just take it. Don’t be so polite.”

Liya placed the demonic essence star ore in Mo Tianxiao’s hands and continued.

“And aren’t you interested in artifact refining, Brother Mo? A Venerable-grade artifact refiner from my clan happens to be forging an Earth-grade supreme treasure this time. I can take you along to observe from close by. It should be quite helpful for your future cultivation in the art of artifact refining.”

Mo Tianxiao had only mentioned it casually back then, yet Liya had remembered.

He was deeply moved. Liya sincerely regarded him as a good friend.

And he, on the other hand, had slept with her best friend...

He truly deserves to die!