Chapter 5: Pilgrimage of Power
**Morning, Tang Family Courtyard**
Mo Xuechen awoke on his straw mat as dawn's pale light filtered through the lattice windows of the slave quarters. His body still hummed with the after‑effects of his last breakthrough, but his mind raced. *I need to push past early Qi Refining. Bone Refining and Meridian Cleansing won't unlock those God Assassin forms.*
He sat up in a meditative position and closed his eyes, drawing on the shattered memories of the previous Mo Xuechen. Flickers of pill‑driven breakthroughs surfaced: jade elixirs, spirit‑nourishing pills, medicinal soups that accelerated Qi condensation. Pills. Helooked around his empty room and found nothing similar to what he saw in his memories.
Sighing he rose to his feet, he stepped into the courtyard. Servants and other slaves bustled past. A group of Tang family maids chattered about the rising cost of cultivation medicines. He approached one discreetly. "Where might one purchase Qi pills for cultivation?"
The maid glanced around, then whispered, "The Li Merchant's pavilion in the eastern market. But they cost—" she hesitated, "—two thousand gold coins per pill."
Mo Xuechen's brow furrowed. He probably wouldn't be able to afford one pill if he saved up all his life. He needed another way to make money so he began asking around for available jobs.
AT NOON
Word had spread that a caravan would depart for Doom City via the perilous Walk of Death road and that escorts were needed. The Tang estate posted a notice: six hundred slots, payment of 500 low‑grade soul cores each. A risky offer for a Qi Refining slave, but the reward was too great.
In the crowded slave courtyard, Mo Xuechen examined the list of recruits farm boys, petty thieves, a handful of Qi Cultivators (Meridian Cleansing) hoping for coin. He placed a hand on his chin deep in thoughts *The offer is very generous but the journey is dangerous. They probably think we wouldn't survive the journey* he sighed then signed up *It might be dangerous but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't live for long if I remain weak either*
He returned to his room and placed the ancient sword he'd retrieved from Rising Dragon Mountain beside him, and slept, dreams swirling with storm clouds and slaying phantom foes.
NEXT DAWN, CARAVAN ASSEMBLY
At dawn, six hundred escorts gathered before the lordly carriage of Young Master Tang Wei. Among them were low cultivators up to Meridian Cleansing stage, and a handful of Foundation Establishment disciples. Elder Liu, an early Golden Core cultivator, stood watchful.
Mo Xuechen blended into the line. The air thrummed with tension as the Walk of Death mountain pass yawned ahead—jagged peaks pierced the sky, mist coiling around stone spires.
They'd traveled half a day when the first ambush struck: Meridian refining Fiend Hounds with razor claws and blood‑lust. The lower‑level escorts panicked; several fell. Mo Xuechen his in the shadows and watched, the old man waved his hand and they were all severed into pieces.
Elder Liu's sword Qi roared again, killing beasts in wide arcs. Yet the narrow cliff path offered no room; a single misstep meant a thousand‑foot drop. Mo Xuechen only killed the hounds that attacked him and he kept watching at high alert. Soon several escorts laid wounded and they pressed on leaving them behind
At midday, a rockslide occured. It was triggered by an immerse Qi energy that spilled from downwards and it engulfed the rear guard. In the chaos, Mo Xuechen was knocked over a cliff's edge. He fell and his stone‑forged body slammed into a sloping ledge, leaving him battered and he began bleeding from his seven orifices.
Mo Xuechen's lids opened onto dripping silence and a gentle, otherworldly light. His body ached as if his bones had been shattered, but he was alive breathing, awake, and painfully whole. He pulled himself up from the frozen stone ground of a hidden grotto, the sphere of pale light still hovering over an old pedestal. Moonlight flooded in through a gap in the ceiling to illuminate the gentle whirl of dust motes that danced in the air.
Retreating as he stood up, sword still strapped across his back, the orb pulsed and a soft, resonating voice came from everywhere. "Mortal, you bear the imprint of the God Assassin Technique. How dare you trespass in the inherintance ground of the Slayer God?" Mo Xuechen's heart pounded, but he responded repeatedly, "My name is Mo Xuechen and I was just leaving" Mo Xuechen said has he tried to walk out but an immerse aura landed on him rendering him unable to move
"Since fate has brought you here, why don't you here boy why don't you try your luck with my Inheritance" the Slayer god said with immerse dominance "No, I don't want to. I'm good with the Inheritance of a single god, sometimes too much good luck without the power to protect it is dangerous" Mo Xuechen said has he tried using his Qi Cultivation to resist the god's aura
"So you are rejecting my Inheritance because you are to weak" the slayer god said confused and amused "Yes, exactly" Mo Xuechen said has he tried walking out and a layer of aura was added to one pressing him down. "You can relax, you should get a fraction of my cultivation if you successfully gain my inheritance" the god said and Mo Xuechen suddenly felt himself been drawn backwards towards the alter
The orb's light shook, and the darkness in the cave drew a step nearer. "Strength is not given without a price," uttered the god and Mo Xuechen could sense the amusement of the god. "To seize my inheritance, you will have to cultivate a power strong enough to annihilate those two cultivation levels above yours above your own." He frowned at the thought a Foundation Establishment enemy far beyond his initial Qi Refining level. Still, he agreed. As the orb descended low, the cave shook. Mo Xuechen closed his eyes and replayed every memory burned into his mind: all the wars on earth, all the battles of the cultivation world, all the times death had nearly claimed him in this life and his previous life.
He pictured the blade strike in his mind a soundless, formless blade cutting through Qi and bone alike. When he opened his eyes again, his sword flew out of it's sheath into his hand as it glowed silver-purple and he made a casual strike and the whole alter was divided into two "Is that good enough" Mo Xuechen asked and the god was silent due to shock "Did you just create that technique or you got it while inheriting the Assassin God legacy?" the god asked shocked "No, I just made it here" Mo Xuechen said nonchalantly and the god took in a deep breath talking
"It good enough, good gracious, you just did the impossible kid" the slayer god said and with his poker face Mo Xuechen replied "Is it enough to inherit your powers?" and he didn't ere any word from the god
Then the orb exploded in a burst of starlight, and Mo Xuechen was caught up in a maelstrom of divine energy. Icy slashes ran through his body, burning through flesh and Qi until only his unbreakable body remained. He gasped, every jagged breath a fight, as the deluge of power flowed into his dantian. At his navel, he could sense the soft, insistent pulse of two new Golden Cores, each encircled with 16 rings each, spinning into existence.
When the tempest of energy at last burst, Mo Xuechen dropped to one knee, the cavern resonating with the spent rumble of thunder. His robes were singed, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly divine lightning gathered in the sky surprising the Slayer God, "What kind of creature are you exactly? Attracting the heavenly tribulation before breaking into the immortal ascension realm is impossible" the slayer god said with his voice filed with surprise "Stop blabbing and help me with the tribulation" Mo Xuechen said and the Slayer god laughed out loud
"Don't worry kid, if the Slayer god wants to keep someone alive even the heavens doesn't dare kill the person" the god said and Mo Xuechen rolled his eyes at the god's pride. "That big talk especially when coming from a dead man" Mo Xuechen said and the god coughed. Lightning gathered into a single divine blade in the sky and the slayer god almost spat out blood
'This is a saint level tribulation" He said in surprise and Mo Xuechen looked worried "Does that mean you can't handle it" Mo Xuechen asked and a powerful snort filled the whole cave has The slayer god soul showed itself. Strong aura of slaughter was coming from the soul, the god aura of slaughter was enough to make a normal man kill himself.
Then Mo Xuechen blade flew into the soul's hand and a divine aura that pierced into the sky appeared and the instance the lightning sword fell the soul instantly flew up and a bright explosion took place as both forces clashed