"Come, let's go inside and continue our game of chess," Hongjun said.
The man with the black beard nodded and followed him into the house.
Meanwhile, in the small mountain, Mo Qi was still living a carefree, unworldly life with Murong Yanran, Long Ji, and Zi Luo.
It seemed as if no one realized that danger was creeping closer to them step by step.
In fact, everyone knew that such days wouldn't last long and that danger would eventually return.
However, they were powerless to change it, so they could only accept reality.
If life were full of hardship, one could only find joy amidst the suffering.
These three years, neither long nor short, were indeed a very happy period for everyone.
Everyone had their wishes fulfilled!
If they were to die now, they would have no regrets.
Of course, the happiest among them was Mo Qi.
In the Dark World, he had been accompanied by four beautiful wives.
Back then, his four wives were all stunningly beautiful and possessed unique charms.
Sun Qian was understanding and reasonable, Long Qi was delicate and gentle, Shui Han was outwardly cold but inwardly warm, while Xue Ying and Lian Xin were like ice and fire. Each of them had given their true hearts and accompanied him sincerely. Those days were truly heavenly.
Upon arriving here, he was accompanied by three more beautiful wives, each of them breathtakingly beautiful and possessing distinct characteristics.
Murong Yanran's absolute obedience, Zi Luo's feigned reserve, and Long Ji's aloof pride all evoked deep affection.
These days were also heavenly!
However, for the four of them, there was no concept of time in this space.
They didn't know that three years had passed. They only knew that time was short, passing in the blink of an eye; yet, it also seemed incredibly long, as if they had been together for an eternity.
For Mo Qi, life was like this, what more could he ask for!
Yet, he remained unsatisfied. He always remembered one thing: someone was manipulating him, and he refused to be controlled!
Thus, he pretended to accept his current life and be content with the status quo.
In reality, he diligently practiced every day, constantly contemplating how to escape.
Besides cultivation, he also continuously improved his deduction skills and formation abilities.
Through the combined application of deduction and formations, he gradually saw through his predicament and calculated his approximate location.
He also gradually realized that this space, which appeared calm and serene like a paradise, was in fact a deadly weapon, and he and his three wives were being slowly drained of their lives by it.
Therefore, he could not passively wait for death.
He couldn't reveal the truth to them, so he could only work hard in secret, contribute quietly, and slowly devise his plan of resistance.
First, he placed some spirit stones in the four cardinal directions of the mountain.
Then, at the summit, he planted a tree, which he nurtured daily with the Heavenly Book. The tree grew at an astonishing rate, becoming a towering giant within three years, piercing the sky.
One day, Mo Qi went to check on the tree. In the northwest direction, a flower bloomed, as vibrant as fire and exuding a rich fragrance.
Mo Qi was overjoyed. He immediately ran back to the house and told his three wives, "We're leaving this place. Hurry, come with me."
At that moment, Long Ji and Zi Luo were still sleeping, while Murong Yanran was preparing breakfast. Hearing his call, they hesitated.
To be honest, they had become somewhat numb, unsure of what "leaving" meant or why they should leave.
Mo Qi first entered Long Ji's room and said with immense joy, "My princess, we're going back to see your father."
Long Ji immediately woke up, her face beaming, "Can we really leave this place?"
"Of course, we can. I just worry that after leaving, you won't forget me. You have to be responsible for me," Mo Qi said playfully.
"You rascal, you're getting more and more mischievous. You're a classic case of getting the best of both worlds and still complaining. I really shouldn't have let you have your way back then."
Mo Qi leaned in and kissed her, "I was wrong, I won't be mischievous anymore."
"Get out, I need to get ready," Long Ji commanded.
"Understood." Mo Qi immediately left Long Ji's room and went to Zi Luo's.
Mo Qi, still beaming, said, "My princess, do you remember the Light World and the Dark World?"
Zi Luo also woke up and asked, "Can we really go back?"
"Yes, we really can. Nothing in this world can stump your husband."
"Hmph, I think your bragging skills are better than your alchemy skills."
"Hurry, we still need to go beat up a couple of people. Do you need me to help you get dressed?"
"Get out, I can dress myself."
"Alright!"
Mo Qi then went to the kitchen and embraced Murong Yanran from behind, "Yanran, we're leaving this place."
Murong Yanran's eyes welled up with tears, "Can we not leave?"
"Why not?"
"Because the life I'm living here is the life I've always wanted."
"I'm afraid that's not possible. This is a tomb on the verge of collapse, and we must leave. Only after leaving here can we continue to live such a life," Mo Qi turned her to face him, gently wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Then, wherever you go, I will go," Murong Yanran immediately stopped crying and smiled.
"Good girl, your husband loves you the most," Mo Qi kissed her on the lips.
"Ahem," Long Ji and Zi Luo appeared at the doorway, "Don't be so mushy there. Didn't you say we were leaving?"
Murong Yanran blushed deeply and lowered her head, "Husband, go dote on them."
Long Ji and Zi Luo walked towards the main door, "Keep him, we don't need him."
The four of them arrived at the mountain summit and, following Mo Qi's instructions, surrounded the tree.
Mo Qi activated the formation.
The entire tree began to glow. From the flower, a continuous stream of red mist flowed out, spreading outwards and gradually merging into the surrounding white mist.
The white mist, eroded and neutralized, gradually dispersed...
At this moment, the old man with the black beard was playing chess with Hongjun in the house. Hongjun was radiant and in high spirits.
The man with the black beard asked, "Aren't you worried that something unexpected might happen?"
"What is there to worry about?" Hongjun glared at him. "Would you worry about an ant killing an elephant?"
The man with the black beard gave a wry smile, "No worries, no worries."
Unexpectedly, at the next moment, they heard a commotion from the pond outside, as if someone was doing something.
"Let's go and see."
Hongjun was extremely tense. He stood up and darted out of the house.
The old man with the black beard also followed.
By the pond in the backyard stood four people, one man and three women, a truly captivating sight.
Hongjun immediately recognized them as Mo Qi, Murong Yanran, Zi Luo, and Long Ji.
Seeing Mo Qi tampering with the pond, he immediately shouted, "What are you doing? Don't mess around, or you'll bring about the destruction of your world."
Mo Qi smiled gently and waved his hand. One of the bubble-like spheres shattered, releasing countless dark shadows that drifted towards the Earthly Star World.
"I'm just letting those you've imprisoned return to their original worlds," Mo Qi said, looking back at Hongjun.
At this moment, Long Ji and Murong Yanran were still staring at the pond in a daze.
Everything they witnessed shattered their understanding of reality.
They were still doubting the truth of what they were seeing.
"This, this is incredible. It turns out we've been looking at the world through a well all along," Murong Yanran said.
Mo Qi chuckled, "Perhaps, we are still looking at the world through a well."
"Yes," Long Ji couldn't help but sigh, "You think you're looking down on everything from the edge of the well, but perhaps they are looking down on you."