Mo Qi and Qi Ao exchanged a glance. "Let's go take a look," Mo Qi said.
Qi Ao nodded. "Alright, let's go see."
The five of them then soared into the air and headed in the direction of the sound.
They sped through the forest for a long time, but found no treasures. They didn't even see any divine light or unusual phenomena that would indicate the birth of a treasure. Mo Qi began to suspect someone was playing a prank.
Just then, two men and a woman approached them. A tall, well-built man with a clear complexion called out from a distance, "Aren't those Prince Qi and Princess Ling Feng? Don't be in such a hurry. Shall we travel together? If we work together, we can share whatever we find."
Qi Ao thought this was a good idea and said to Mo Qi, "Brother Mo, these three are princes and princesses from various islands in the River World, just like Ling Feng and I. The River World is a galaxy where many star worlds float. Each star world is like an island. No one has accurately counted how many islands there are. Many of these islands are uninhabitable and have never been visited. Only eighteen islands are inhabited, known as the Eighteen Stars of the Galaxy... Let me introduce them. The girl with long hair and green clothes is Yu Sang, the tall and handsome one is Di Xiaodi, and the胖子 is Mi Fan."
As the three arrived, Qi Ao said to Di Xiaodi, "This is Mo Qi, and these two beauties are his companions." He worried that the two princes might have ulterior motives towards the two stunning women, so he simply introduced them as Mo Qi's companions. He didn't even reveal their names, only that they were someone's companions, leaving the rest to their imagination.
Mo Qi felt a surge of goodwill towards Qi Ao. He found him to be not only thoughtful but also of good character, someone worth befriending. As expected, after hearing Qi Ao's introduction, the two princes no longer paid any attention to Linghu Xiaoxian and Xue Nü, but they immediately harbored hostility towards Mo Qi.
Di Xiaodi asked Qi Ao, "Which star worlds are they from?" Qi Ao was momentarily at a loss for words.
"No, we are just commoners," Mo Qi said calmly.
Di Xiaodi's sense of superiority surfaced. "Commoners! Brother Qi, are you so desperate for friends now that you'll associate with anyone?"
Qi Ao glared at him. "How can you speak like that? Brother Mo is no ordinary person."
"Indeed, I think he's worse than an ordinary person," Mi Fan chuckled.
Mo Qi listened to their condescending remarks with a calm and unruffled demeanor. Linghu Xiaoxian couldn't stand it any longer and snapped, "If you don't like us, then don't travel with us. Who wants to travel with you anyway?"
Di Xiaodi glanced at Linghu Xiaoxian and was immediately captivated by her beauty. However, he also saw through her cultivation level at a glance and burst into laughter. "Your cultivation is at the Great Luo Golden Immortal level. How dare you show your face here? May I ask, young lady, are you here to snatch treasures? Or are you here to be cannon fodder?"
Linghu Xiaoxian was furious and almost lunged at Di Xiaodi to fight, but Xue Nü held her back. Yu Sang, meanwhile, kept leaning towards Qi Ao, initiating conversations with him. Qi Ao responded intermittently, sometimes not at all, but he kept a close eye on Ling Feng's expression throughout. Ling Feng appeared unfazed. When Yu Sang leaned towards Qi Ao, she deliberately made space and moved further away, making Qi Ao extremely anxious. He followed her closely, afraid she might be angry. The subtle atmosphere between them was almost comical. Mo Qi struggled to suppress his laughter.
Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted ahead. Within the dazzling radiance, a blurry figure was slowly moving, as if rotating or blooming.
"The Divine Creation Tree! It's the Divine Creation Tree!" The surroundings erupted in a clamor, their excitement palpable.
A dense mass of figures surged from all directions towards the light, darkening the sky. They contrasted sharply with the ball of light in the center. Mo Qi and his companions also rushed towards the source of the light, not wanting to be left behind.
As they drew closer, Di Xiaodi and the others grew increasingly excited.
Di Xiaodi exclaimed, "My father is here!"
Qi Ao said, "My father is also here!"
...
Eventually, they discovered that the fathers of all the princes and princesses had arrived. Linghu Xiaoxian looked dejected. "Where is my father? Is he an emperor of some star world?"
Mo Qi shook his head. "Your father is dead."
"You're talking nonsense. If you say that again, I'll shut your mouth," Linghu Xiaoxian said angrily.
"Alas," Mo Qi sighed, shaking his head. "It's good to have amnesia; it allows for endless imagination and anticipation. I was wrong. I shouldn't have obstructed your right to dream."
Xue Nü chuckled softly. "Perhaps it's not a bad thing for people to live in dreams, but they always wake up. If one is too immersed, the awakening brings only endless disappointment."
At this point, everyone could clearly see the scene within the red light. It was a tree, or rather, a giant flower with two leaves and a bud in the center, about to bloom. The entire tree was enveloped in a red glow, and a powerful, profound aura quietly spread in all directions.
The Divine Creation Tree slowly ascended, and the crowd surged towards it in a frenzy. At the forefront were the island lords of the various islands in the galaxy, the peak masters of the Heavenly Dao Sect, and the top figures from the Tree World, including A Zhi and A Wu. Those behind were a dense throng, unable to push through, left to sigh in frustration. The people in front began to fight amongst themselves to gain an advantage. Light and energy flashed, thunder roared, and violent spiritual energy expanded in all directions, knocking the people behind askew.
Mo Qi and his group were behind. He assessed the situation and realized that their current position made it impossible to reach the front, and even if they did, they lacked the competitive edge. He could only sigh and say to Qi Ao, "Brother Qi, perhaps we should give up? With so many people, it's impossible for us to get a chance!"
Qi Ao, buffeted by the spiritual energy, stubbornly pushed forward. "Brother Mo, do as you please. I must continue forward. I need to help my father." The other princes and princesses also refused to give up, still trying to push forward despite being knocked about.
"Does this Divine Creation Tree have such immense power? Why is everyone rushing towards it as if bewitched?" Mo Qi asked, puzzled.
"Ordinary treasures are of little interest to many powerful beings, but this item is different. With the coming of the Great Tribulation, the Heavenly Book and Earthly Book will reshape the world. Only this Divine Creation Tree can rival them. That's why everyone is willing to risk their lives to obtain it," Qi Ao explained.
So that was it. Yet, Mo Qi remained uninterested. Treasures were important, but one had to be alive to use them. If one lost their life, the treasure would belong to someone else. Therefore, he decided to wait and see.