Linghu Xiaoxian was furious, unleashing another round of kicks and punches, shouting as she struck, "I'm a maiden of marriageable age! You dare ruin my reputation, I'll kill you."
Seeing him so intent on his own destruction, Xue Nu felt like intervening.
However, she was also pondering a question. It was a fact that she had lost her memory. Since she couldn't remember anyone, anyone could potentially be an old friend. What if she was mistaken?
Before, she hadn't known she'd lost her memory. If he were a stranger, why would he act like this?
"Where are you from? What's your name?" Xue Nu asked.
"My name is Mo Qi. I'm from the Star World, the same place you both came from," Mo Qi replied.
"Then who are my family members, and who are her family members, what are their names?" Xue Nu continued to ask.
Mo Qi then grabbed Linghu Xiaoxian's hands, rendering her immobile. He turned to Xue Nu and said, "Your name is Chao Xi Xue. Your father is Chao Jing. You have an elder sister, Chao Xi Yu, who is already dead. You also have a brother, Chao Xi Yun, who is a Heavenly God in the Star World. We used to cultivate together at the Jade Pool Peak of the Divine Pill Sect, and we also studied at the Heavenly Steps Academy. As for you," he turned to look at Linghu Xiaoxian, "your father is Linghu Zhong, the sect leader of the Sun Moon Divine Cult. He is also dead. We used to serve in the Sun Moon Divine Cult together, and we even faced life and death together, fighting side by side."
Linghu Xiaoxian unexpectedly kicked him, "My father is not dead."
"You're right, my father is indeed dead, but you shouldn't know that," Mo Qi said.
Linghu Xiaoxian was instantly choked with anger.
Xue Nu said softly, "But Xiao Ling couldn't recall these things. He only said he picked us up by the roadside and wanted us to be his wives."
"That beast," Mo Qi cursed. "He's a beast. You don't need to pay him any mind. He's the one who erased your memories."
"We indeed didn't pay him any mind," Xue Nu frowned. "After all, we don't remember anything and dare not make a choice easily. What if there were real connections in the past?"
"You are truly intelligent and perceptive," Mo Qi praised her sincerely.
"But that doesn't mean you can take advantage of our situation," Xue Nu said, staring at Mo Qi.
"What do you mean by 'taking advantage of the situation'?" Mo Qi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. "I..."
Linghu Xiaoxian kicked him again, "Let go. If you know where we're from, then send us back."
Mo Qi released her and said, "Since you've lost your memories, it's all the same wherever you go. Every place is an unfamiliar environment, and everyone is a stranger."
"You are also a stranger," Xue Nu said, looking at him.
Mo Qi's heart trembled, and he was filled with a sense of loss.
"Alright, I'll give you a choice. One is to return to the Earth Star World, and the other is to accompany me to the Outer World beyond the Tree World. There, you will find more splendid and diverse scenery, and you can continuously improve your cultivation along the way. What do you choose?" Mo Qi asked.
Xue Nu and Linghu Xiaoxian were stunned!
It was only then that they realized how vast the world was, and yet there was no place for them to belong.
Although Xiao Ling constantly told them he was a good person, after some days of interaction, they discovered he was not a good person at all.
Therefore, they didn't want to return to the Heavenly Palace either.
Since they had nowhere to go, they decided to just wander.
"We'll go with you," the two said in unison.
Mo Qi smiled faintly.
Xue Nu added, "However, we are not of the same path. If we become dissatisfied at any point, we will leave."
"That's what I mean too," Linghu Xiaoxian said haughtily.
The three of them set off towards the Milky Way World.
Along the way, Xue Nu asked Mo Qi to talk about the past. Mo Qi said, "We initially belonged to different sects. I was a genius alchemist, and people from your other sects joined forces to hunt me. They were all ruthless and tried to kill me. Only you showed me mercy. I realized then that you were a kind girl, and that's when our story began."
Xue Nu couldn't help but blush.
Linghu Xiaoxian pouted, "It's just making up stories. Who can't do that?"
Mo Qi continued, "Later, you returned to your sect, and I also went to your sect for training. We even cultivated the same techniques."
Xue Nu listened intently, staring at him fixedly, lost in thought.
Mo Qi continued his narrative, starting from his entry into the Divine Pill Sect, then to her teaching him ice and snow techniques, the competition at the Divine Sword Sect, his trial in the Annan Realm, then the Heavenly Steps Academy, the elopement, becoming an official, their subsequent separations and reunions, their joint efforts against the魅 army, the sealing of the Star World, and their final parting.
He concluded sentimentally, "We faced life and death together, always side by side. We've long been like family."
"Shameless!" Linghu Xiaoxian cursed.
Mo Qi merely glanced at her and ignored her.
Xue Nu, however, fell into deep contemplation.
In this story, Mo Qi had done so much for her, and she couldn't help but feel touched by him.
Yet, she constantly reminded herself that this might truly just be a story.
After a moment, Linghu Xiaoxian couldn't help but ask, "Then tell me my story."
Losing one's memory was a painful experience, so she desperately wanted to know about her past.
"If I tell you, you won't believe it, so why bother?" Mo Qi said, feigning indifference.
"Tell me, stories can be exciting too," Linghu Xiaoxian said with a smile.
"You are the daughter of the Sun Moon Cult leader. Initially, you had someone you admired, Pang Qing, but Pang Qing was a beast. I entered the Sun Moon Cult to save people, but fate is truly wondrous," Mo Qi said.
"Just tell the story directly," Linghu Xiaoxian said impatiently.
"Alright." Mo Qi began from their first battle, then his entry into the Sun Moon Cult for a competition, their venture into a secret realm to rescue someone, fighting side by side, overcoming numerous challenges, how they saw through Pang Qing's ugly nature, their eventual exit from the secret realm, their fight with the Gui family brothers, the battle at Golden Lion Island, her abduction by Chen Xuemu, and his rescue of her, vividly describing his helplessness, despair, and confusion at the time.
No matter how hard-hearted Linghu Xiaoxian was, her heart couldn't help but soften.
Mo Qi continued to describe how, under his leadership, they defeated Divine Turtle Island, then the Dao discussion conference, the exploration of the Immortal Ascension Secret Realm, their private engagement (which he embellished), Mo Qi's departure, their reunion at the Spiritual Capital Sect, their joint resistance against the魅 army, and finally the sealing of the Star World, after which they parted ways.
"We faced life and death together, cultivated together, and have long been like family."
"Why does it always end with the same sentence?" Linghu Xiaoxian frowned.
"Because that sentence is the most fitting," Mo Qi said shamelessly.
The Iron Tree World and the River World did not have very strong barriers, nor did they have fierce winds. Thus, Mo Qi easily brought the two novices outside the Iron Tree World.
Standing by the Milky Way, they gazed at the flowing river of stars, the starlight brilliant, illuminating the entire vast night sky.
Looking back at the Tree World, a colossal, ancient tree, its full form was invisible. Only the starlight cast upon it could be seen, the entire tree enveloped in a radiant glow, multicolored and exquisitely brilliant.
Around the tree, countless smaller trees stood like blades of grass, encircling the giant tree. To normal eyes, it appeared as a forest.
Xue Nu looked on, entranced, "So, this is the world we lived in."
At that moment, a commotion from the forest drew the attention of the three.
Mo Qi led the two, their steps involuntarily drawn towards the forest.
Gradually, a lively and bustling scene unfolded before them.
People moved to and fro within the forest, some sitting, some standing, some walking.
Some gathered in small groups, chatting and discussing. Others displayed arrays of magical artifacts and elixirs for sale, while some lectured on Buddhist scriptures and debated the Dao.
Among them, one group was the most conspicuous, numbering the most. In front of them, a bald monk sat cross-legged, his eyes half-open, speaking in a solemn tone, "When the great tribulation arrives, and the heavens and earth face catastrophe, by following my Buddha, eternal life can be attained."
Mo Qi peered closer and recognized Zhunti.
He had come all this way to spread Buddhism, truly dedicated!
But how could his Buddhist teachings grant eternal life to everyone?
"Master, why did you shave your head?"
"Humans have six roots: afflictions, greed, desire, emotions, money, and power. The universe's myriad things possess the four properties of solidity, liquidity, heat, and movement, which are intertwined with the roots of affliction. Ascetics must achieve emptiness of all things and purity of the six roots, cutting off the three thousand strands of affliction and discarding worldly distractions, only then can they devote themselves to Buddhist cultivation," Zhunti replied, still with his eyes closed.
"Then what does it mean to become a monk?"
"To sever worldly ties and mundane affairs, transcend life and death, break free from the three realms, and be unbound by the five elements."
"Then does becoming a monk mean leaving home?"
"My heart is my Buddha. One can be a monk even while at home," Zhunti said.
The people below began to murmur, creating a chaotic scene. Some shouted, "What nonsense is this? It's all a deception."
Others exclaimed with joy, "I've attained enlightenment! I've attained enlightenment!"
Mo Qi shook his head and called out to Zhunti, "Zhunti, have you emerged from the Frozen World?"
Zhunti's eyes snapped open. Upon seeing Mo Qi, his face showed embarrassment. "Don't mess around, I'm giving a sermon."
"Can sermons deal with demons and monsters?" Mo Qi chuckled.
"Yes and no."
"How so?"
"No, because they are beyond our power to defeat. Yes, because 'let him be strong, let him be fierce, let him be wild, I remain steadfast. All things have cause and effect. If he destroys me ten times, my original heart remains, while he sinks into endless reincarnation, never to be reborn,'" Zhunti said slowly.
"..."
"Sit there and don't move. Let's see if you can maintain your original heart," Mo Qi said, taking out the Myriad Laws Moon Wheel and spinning it in his hand, its white light blinding.
Zhunti's expression changed. "You are not a person of great evil. Why would you willingly fall into depravity?"