Mo Li reached into his robes and produced a key-like object, shimmering with five colors. With a gentle toss, it sailed over the boundary of the magic array, landing directly before Feng Zikang.

"This is the second thing I found within the array, besides this mechanical beast..."

"The Ruyi Treasure Key!"

Feng Zikang bent to pick it up. The object seemed neither gold nor jade; its material was unknown, yet it burned his touch, feeling almost like a mass of hot charcoal. The Ruyi Treasure Key was long, possessing two teeth at its head, perfectly shaped like an actual key.

"This object, as ancient lore tells, is the key that opens the Spirit-Connecting Sacred Realm established by the Mohist sages of old..."

Feng Zikang was stunned by the sheer value of the item. The Spirit-Connecting Sacred Realm was a unique dimension created by Mohist practitioners before the last great cataclysm, rumored to be the repository of all Mohist treasures, housing not only powerful mechanical beasts and artifacts but also the ancient Mohist legacy itself.

He refrained from asking the foolish question of why Mo Li would hand over something so precious. Firstly, Mo Li cared little for material wealth, and secondly, the Spirit-Connecting Sacred Realm's location was unknown; the key alone was useless without it.

"Should Brother Zikang succeed in opening the Spirit-Connecting Sacred Realm in the future, I only ask that you bring the Mohist legacy back to the Mohists in Linzi; you may keep all other treasures for yourself!"

"That goes without saying..."

Mo Li seemed overwhelmingly confident in him, speaking as if Feng Zikang's success in reaching the Realm was an absolute certainty. Perhaps, as Mo Li used the mechanical beast's vast primal energy to commune with heaven and earth in his final moments, he had indeed received some profound indication. Feng Zikang agreed and tucked the Ruyi Treasure Key into his pouch.

As for the thirty-six connected traps of Mangcang Mountain, Feng Zikang decided he would sweep through them casually, not for Mo Li's sake, but for the sake of the Ruyi Treasure Key.

The second and third requests Mo Li entrusted to him concerned the affairs of the Southern Barbarians and his own fiancée.

Mo Li naturally knew Feng Zikang was not one to expend great effort needlessly. He merely hoped Feng Zikang would extend aid to the Southern Barbarians when necessary, thus fulfilling Mo Li's unfinished oath. Since this was a commitment without any real pressure, Feng Zikang readily agreed.

As for Mo Fenghuang...

"Fenghuang-er is simple-hearted and has seen little of the world. If she were to perish for the cause of the Mohist Way... so be it. What I fear is her being deceived. Should such a thing happen, I must ask Brother Zikang to look after her..."

Since he didn't have to worry about her martyrdom, Feng Zikang readily accepted this responsibility as well.

"With three matters entrusted, I have no further concerns!"

Mo Li took a deep breath, laughed heartily, and said, "Though I have known Brother Zikang for but a month, we have shared a deep bond, a true comrade beyond compare! It is a pity there is no wine here, or parting while drunk would have been a grand farewell!"

The Mohists were dedicated to self-discipline, so Mo Li rarely drank, but in this moment of heightened emotion, he felt the need for revelry.

"I have no wine, but the clear spring water from the mountain can serve to soothe the spirit. Brother Mo, shall we share a few cups?"

"Splendid!"

Mo Li nodded and clapped his hands, completely overjoyed, showing no concern for life or death.

Mo Fenghuang entered, her eyes red. She took three crude bamboo cups, filled them with spring water, and handed them to the two men. Feng Zikang and Mo Li raised their cups in a distant toast and drank it all down in one gulp.

"A crane cries out from the marsh's depths, its sound heard in the heavens. Fish are on the shoal, some hide in the deep."

"Oh, the delights of that garden, where the sandalwood tree grows, and beneath it the mulberry..."

Mo Li recited softly, showing no sign of distress. The profound terror between life and death seemed to have no effect on him; the clarity of his Dao heart was absolute.

Meanwhile, the corrosive absorption from the wicked mechanical beast had not ceased. Mo Li, whose upper body—from the chest up—was all that remained integrated with the beast, was slowly reduced to only a head and two arms clinging to his armpits, a gruesome sight.

Mo Fenghuang covered her eyes, unable to watch further.

Feng Zikang continued to toast him with the clear spring water, talking and laughing as if nothing was amiss.

Mo Li looked down and smiled, "It seems the time is almost upon us. A pity I cannot spend longer with you, Zikang... Fenghuang-er, you must live well, honor our Master well for me. Tell him that the immense grace of his nurturing and teaching—I, Mo Li, cannot repay in this lifetime. If there is a next life, I shall certainly move heaven and earth to repay him..."

"A-Li!"

Mo Fenghuang let out a tragic cry, and the tears she had held back for so long poured down again, this time like a broken dam, impossible to restrain.

The sorrow of parting in life had arrived at this moment!

Mo Li closed his eyes, his expression peaceful. Just then, the ceiling of the cavern seemed to rip open, and a beam of brilliant sunlight shot down, illuminating the top of Mo Li's head!

"The Ink Profound Realm! It is the summons of the Ink Profound Realm!"

Mo Fenghuang cried out, a mixture of joy and sorrow.

"The Ink Profound Realm?"

When Feng Zikang looked up, he saw that the white light pierced down from unseen clouds. The cavern seemed suddenly boundless above. Far off, within the clouds, lay a hazy world of lush green meadows, where countless people in hempen clothes hurried busily back and forth, yet their faces were etched with joyful smiles.

"This... this is the Ink Profound Realm that guides the valiant spirits of the Mohist school?"

The origins of the various philosophies were long lost to history. It was known only that before the deepest antiquity, powerful beings imparted their teachings to mortals, offering them a chance at release. These founders of creeds were extraordinary figures.

To protect their descendants, they carved out separate realms to house billions of heroic spirits. Any devout follower who contributed to the orthodox lineage could receive the summons of this Profound Realm.

The most famous, naturally, was the Blissful Pure Land of Buddhism, just as the Three Pure Ones’ Heaven of Daoism and the Vast Righteousness Realm of Confucianism were Profound Realms opened for their adherents.

Within the Profound Realm, there was no sorrow or death. Although one could not attain the absolute freedom of ascending to the Higher Heavens, cultivation was still possible, much like in the mortal world.

This outcome was far superior to annihilation or being thrown back into the cycle of reincarnation. If one achieved success in cultivation later on, there was even a chance for reunion. Mo Fenghuang wept tears of joy, and Mo Li himself was momentarily thrilled.

"Haha, congratulations, Brother Mo! Your selfless affection has clearly moved the spirits of the Ink Profound Realm to come and summon you!"

Feng Zikang bowed and offered his congratulations. Mo Li, unable to speak, merely nodded slightly to express his gratitude.

Just as joy filled the air, disaster struck anew!

A sinister dark light suddenly flashed across the mechanical beast that had merged with Mo Li, stabbing into the descending guiding light of the Ink Profound Realm like ten thousand needles!

Instantly, the light reaching toward the heavens dimmed, and a mass of murky black energy mixed into the beam, ceaselessly swirling and surging upward!

The mechanical beast, which had been dormant, suddenly convulsed, thrashing wildly in the air! Earth and stone scattered as black mist billowed up! Its five bony claws scraped viciously against the array's barrier, emitting a teeth-grinding screech!