Back in his Chambers, Mo Nian harrumphed coldly and made straight for his bathroom. His maids quickly hurried their footsteps and went to undress him, sensing he wasn't in the best of moods.
As the hands of the maidservants washed his back in the bathtub, Mo Nian was in deep thoughts with a brooding expression on his face. His train of thought had to do with Kong Xiang.
A few minutes ago, he had gone to seek out an audience with the new Saint. After communicating his thoughts, he was once again politely rejected for the sixth time now.
The Saints and Saintesses were in a subtle competition for authority and backing in the Sect, so when a new Saint arrived, they had been worried. Fortunately, he stated outright he was not interested in fighting for a position, even resisting the temptation of Cyclic Core Cultivation Arts reserved for competitors for that position.
The quick witted among the Saint and Saintesses had noticed though that despite his late arrival, he had quite a reputation in the Outer, Inner and Core Sects where rumours of his deeds in the subspace had spread. A famous Saint not interested in fighting for a post was a hot catch, and the other Saints and Saintesses had been attempting to lure him into their camps ever since.
While most of them gave up on seeing Kong Xiang's nonchalance, Mo Nian took it personally that he was rejected. He was a petty person by nature with a wild ambitious streak, and his eyes flashed coldly in the bathtub as he made some mental plans.
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I sensed negative intentions towards me on his last visit." A female disciple called as she ran. Kong Xiang stopped his walk and smiled warmly at the caller. This was Yu Yan, a disciple he had gotten quite close to since his stay here.
"Why do you look so pensive?" She asked. Kong Xiang shook his head and told her about Mo Nian. She was still perplexed and asked, "You simply rejected him once more. What are you so worried about?"
Kong Xiang said profoundly, "You don't understand human nature. I am especially sensitive to people's intentions towards me. He is a person who has encountered no setback in life, with everybody having to give him face due to his position. The fact that I refuse to join his merry little gang is something he is unable to accept. I sensed negative intentions towards me on his last visit."
Yu Yan fell into silence, her expression now as pensive as Kong Xiang. He scrunched his eyebrows and analyzed his position.
Kong Xiang hadn't used the seal laws since the subspace incident, but he was certain that as long as his qi lasted, he would be able to create a Seal environment around him where origin energy would be sealed. This meant that in his Domain, material energy was prohibited and Cyclic Core Cultivators would be unable to even use qi at all. In a fight, he was not scared of anyone in the Cyclic Core Realm, but Mo Nian had the support of a Half Step Soul Embryo Realm expert, and it was unknown whether or not he could make use of her to assassinate him stealthily. His Seal Domain was only effective against matter and material energy at the moment, not soul energy, and since Half Step Soul Embryo experts had already touched the realm of 'soul', she would be able to utilize a tiny bit of that power.
"Don't be too worried. Eventually, he will realize he has kicked an iron bucket, and that I possess a terrifying strength unrivalled in the Cyclic Core Realm.
"What do you think would happen when he sends those Cultivators and I easily get rid of them?"
"Uhm...he will send stronger ones."
"Exactly. Eventually, he will realize he has kicked an iron bucket, and that I possess a terrifying strength unrivalled in the Cyclic Core Realm. In panic, he will utilize the next best thing, the Half Step Soul Embryo Elder in his camp."
"Are you truly unrivalled in the Cyclic Core Realm?" Yu Yan blinked at him, thinking he was joking. "Aren't you just in the first level of the Cyclic Core Realm? Even if you can jump levels in combat, surely it is not to the extent of jumping an entire realm." She teased, and Kong Xiang face palmed mentally knowing he had misspoken. Luckily, she took those words as trivial humour. His Seal Domain was his biggest trump card.
His mind went to Li Luo, thinking about how much he missed her presence.