Bi Shu got completely coaxed by Jian Dan, who even gave her a few pills to boost her cultivation. Dizzy and overjoyed, she returned to her cave dwelling.
Just as she left, she happened to bump into Mo Yi.
"Bi Shu, who'd you come to see?"
"Mo Yue Zūnshàng summoned me. She asked about the blood insects."
She answered respectfully. It hadn't been that long since they last met, yet his aura had risen again. He was one of those bosses she couldn't afford to provoke. Even though she cursed inwardly, her reply came out quick and neat.
Mo Yi nodded without making things difficult. He waved her off to her cave dwelling and strode into the Heavenly Demon Palace's grand hall. Seeing no trace of Mo Su, he went straight into the side hall as if it were his own backyard.
There, he spotted Mo Su and Mo Yue, drinking tea and chatting. He strolled in with a grin.
"Palace Master Mo Su, Mo Yue Zūnshàng, greetings from Mo Yi!" He cupped his fists toward them and casually sat down below their seats.
Mo Su glanced at Mo Yi's cultivation, his lips curving into a smile. "Congratulations, you've made another breakthrough."
"Haha, all thanks to Senior Sister Mo Yue!" Feeling proud, Mo Yi couldn't resist showing off a bit before saying, "I didn't interrupt anything important, did I?"
He clearly didn't sound the least bit apologetic.
"Sit down and listen. It concerns you too."
Mo Su shot him a glare. Just because Mo Yi's cultivation was higher now, he was getting cocky.
Mo Yi quickly wiped the smirk off his face. If his senior brother fixed him with that look, there'd be no good end for him.
Jian Dan sipped his spiritual tea from the side, watching their back-and-forth with interest.
Xiao Yue lay sprawled across Jian Dan's lap. He only cracked an eye open when Mo Yi came in, recognizing him as the cultivator who often came to play with Mo Yue, then promptly closed it again to enjoy Mo Yue's petting.
"About recruiting disciples," Mo Su continued the earlier topic, "Senior Sister, you mean we'll take in some from the mortal world this time too?"
"Mm. The Dao Sect recruited a batch from the Cultivation Continent and also a few from the mortal world to supplement them. We'll do the same.
"As for the aristocratic families under the Heavenly Demon Palace, we should recruit some of their disciples as well. It'll smooth the transition when their power shifts."
Mo Su lowered his eyes in thought, then added, "That way we're attacking from both sides. As long as we keep the balance, it'll be good for the sect's growth."
Jian Dan nodded. She had no objections as long as the balance was handled well.
"Since I reorganized Mo Ying Peak, there shouldn't be major issues there. I've met the new peak master too. He's a steady one, so Mo Qi's transition went smoothly. With you overseeing Mo Yan Peak, there's no problem either. As for Tianmo Peak, it's the main peak, and your master poured the most effort into it, so nothing serious will happen there. What about the rest of the peaks you've checked recently?"
"Of the five—Mo Yun, Mo Shou, Mo Qi, Mo Yu, and Mo Song—Mo Yun, Mo Shou, and Mo Qi focus on cultivating demon plants, raising demon beasts, and refining demon tools. There's plenty of profit there, so I've been investigating them thoroughly. Mo Yu and Mo Song are focused on training new disciples and cultivating high-level combat power. They're relatively stable."
Mo Su listed the five peaks, then turned to Mo Yi.
"The rest, you fill in."
Mo Yi didn't expect to get tested the moment he arrived. Scratching his head helplessly, he gave a detailed breakdown of the main families, forces, rivalries, and contested resources of the five peaks.
Jian Dan listened intently, throwing in a few pointed questions whenever Mo Yi paused. He answered honestly, and by the time he finished, an hour had passed.
Thirsty, Mo Yi poured himself two cups of tea in a row before finally feeling better.
"Overall, things aren't as chaotic as we feared," Jian Dan commented fairly.
"Exactly. The Ma family was a bloody example. Add in how the Tang family got cleaned up by Mo Su, and no one wants to stick their head out as the next target. Everyone's cautious. Plus, with Mo Su being the new palace master, the peak lords haven't figured out his style yet, so they're all being careful." Mo Yi spoke bluntly.
Mo Su nodded in agreement. His style was completely different from Mo Lie's.
"That's good. Saves us some effort. Which brings us to the next problem, strengthening our combat power."
"What's Senior Sister's idea?"
"The Heavenly Demon Palace hasn't held a sect-wide Grand Competition in ages," Jian Dan said with a smile.
Mo Yi's eyes lit up instantly. Now that was a good idea. He leaned forward eagerly.
"Senior Sister, should we follow the old rules?"
"I don't know what the old rules were, but this time, every peak has to participate. No inner or outer sect divisions. Every cultivation stage should have someone fighting, from Qi Refining up to Void Refinement. The final rankings will decide each peak's resource allocation for the next hundred years."
She continued, "The top three peaks will get increases of thirty, twenty, and ten percent. The fourth, fifth, and sixth remain unchanged. The last three each get a fifteen percent cut."
Mo Su rubbed his fingers, weighing the plan.
"Rewards and punishments, not bad. But cutting all three bottom peaks by fifteen percent might be too harsh."
Mo Yi stroked his chin. "True, that sounds a little unbalanced."
"This is just the framework. You'll work out the details. Don't punish the bottom peaks so hard that they can't even maintain normal cultivation. If they fall too far behind, it'll drag the whole sect down," Jian Dan explained with a smile.
"Got it. Mo Yi, Mo Qi, and I will discuss it further," Mo Su agreed.
"The main point is to raise everyone's combat sense. Don't just bury yourselves in cultivation. Real battles are the best way to strengthen power."
"Haha, Senior Sister's as practical as ever. Even that little wolf cub in your arms is stronger than most fifth-tier beasts."
Mo Yi laughed heartily. He knew firsthand. The brat had torn his robe once.
Hearing himself mentioned, Xiao Yue twitched his ears and nudged Jian Dan's arms, tilting his head up for more petting.
Jian Dan chuckled, tapped his forehead, and kept stroking him. Xiao Yue had improved lately, his combat alertness sharper than before. At least he wasn't falling into spirit beast bags anymore. That was his black history, and he forbade anyone from bringing it up. He'd even threatened his four attendants in private.
Of course, the four of them went straight to tell Mo Yue Zūnshàng about it.
Mo Yue just smiled. "It's fine. He just feels embarrassed. He's worried it'll ruin his mighty image if the news spreads back to the beast clan. Indulge him, don't argue."
The four attendants agreed instantly.
Jian Dan, seeing that he'd achieved his purpose here, decided it was time to leave. Before going, he reminded them, "Mo Su, make sure to put Dao Sect's request for Bi Shu on the agenda soon. Don't let delays create friction. As for Purple Sky Sect, leave it last. I'll go with you then."
Both were surprised.
Mo Su said, "There's no need for you to personally go. So long as we send a Mahayana Zhēnzūn, it'll be the same."
"I'm not at ease. Mo Yi chased the trail for so long, only to lose it in Dao Sect. I already said I suspect Purple Sky Sect's territory, so I'd rather go myself."