Yet, several hearts secretly harbored wicked intentions.
Mo Qi, Xue Nu, and Lu Xiaoyue later feasted like they were sharing a meal, each taking a piece and a bite until they could no longer consume any more.
Seeing that Xiao Bu Dian had rendered great service, Mo Qi let it go to gorge itself.
The remaining few then sat cross-legged, beginning to digest the spiritual energy and improve their cultivation.
A moment later, Xue Nu was attempting to break through to the Mahayana realm. She had tried many times without success, her brow furrowed in frustration as she circulated her spiritual energy, striking at the vital gateway of life.
The spiritual energy was sufficient, but the advancement of cultivation was not merely the accumulation of spiritual energy; it also included the growth of the soul sea, the capacity to withstand life force, and many other factors.
If left to her own devices, she would surely fall into a qi deviation.
Mo Qi watched with a heavy heart, feeling powerless. To help her, he would have to engage in dual cultivation, but that was impossible here!
Mo Qi sighed and said softly, "Xue, stop quickly. There's no rush. Take a few more steps forward, perhaps there will be a miracle."
Hearing the warning, Xue Nu suppressed her restless heart and forcibly withdrew her technique. Suddenly, her mind cleared, and she realized she had been too fixated. She felt a lingering fear.
At this moment, several disciples from the Lingdu Sect quietly surrounded them.
"Oh my, these two young ladies are quite lovely!"
"Indeed, such lovely girls, how can they be with such a pathetic fellow?"
"How about playing with this lord?"
Before Mo Qi could recover, Lu Xiaoyue and Xue Nu had already made their move.
Their sleeves fluttered, and celestial energy permeated the air!
A snowstorm and a rain shower descended from the sky!
The mingling of rain and snow, with ethereal figures dancing, was truly a rare spectacle in the mortal world, captivating and inspiring one to forget life and death.
The disciples of the Lingdu Sect were all mesmerized!
After being mesmerized, they died!
They died silently!
Without pain!
Without sorrow!
Without sadness!
On each of their faces, a smile of contentment remained!
It was as if dying in such a manner was a life fulfilled!
But to be factual, they did not know how they died.
It was, in any case, quite sudden.
Lu Xiaoyue and Xue Nu both retracted their techniques, their faces etched with icy coldness, still immersed in the aftermath for a long time.
Just then, a roar echoed from the hillside, and a colossal figure suddenly rose from the ground, rapidly expanding to the size of a small mountain. It raged furiously, causing the earth to tremble incessantly.
It was Xiao Bu Dian!
Disciples from other sects were attacking it.
Mo Qi understood instantly!
The two groups had conspired. One group would entangle the three of them, while the other would rush forward to try and snatch Xiao Bu Dian away.
They had never dreamed that Xiao Bu Dian could grow so large, and they had severely underestimated its strength.
As Xiao Bu Dian swung its claws, it left those individuals bloody and torn, some being ripped apart directly!
And Xiao Bu Dian's hide was thick and tough; their attacks could barely harm it.
Xiao Bai Dian would also periodically exhale a puff of black gas. Those who failed to dodge would be instantly corroded.
The remaining individuals, terrified, scattered in all directions, their bowels loosening, no longer daring to harbor any covetous thoughts.
Xiao Bu Dian then leaped back in a few swift movements. Mo Qi placed Xiao Bu Dian on his shoulder. It was restless, jumping from Xue Nu's shoulder to Lu Xiaoyue's, and occasionally flying in the air.
More disciples from the Lingdu Sect then gathered, all with covetous gazes and filled with killing intent.
"You killed people, and you think you can just leave openly like this?"
"I tell you, this is where you will be buried."
Mo Qi snorted, "It's a good thing we're leaving. Otherwise, more people would die here!"
"Such arrogance!"
Various divine abilities and mystic arts were already being prepared.
At this moment, someone from the front suddenly shouted, "Dragon Subduing Pearl!"
The crowd surged forward.
Those surrounding Mo Qi and the other two suddenly scattered and rushed towards the front.
Mo Qi, Lu Xiaoyue, and Xue Nu exchanged glances and also sped forward.
A moment later, the path leading to the heavens unexpectedly forked.
But the crowd surged towards the rightmost fork. Mo Qi, Lu Xiaoyue, and Xue Nu also unhesitatingly sped towards the rightmost fork.
From afar, a streak of white light weaved through the crowd. The crowd was dense, bustling back and forth, while the streak of white light dodged between people.
Occasionally, it was caught, but then others would pounce, injuring or killing the captor, and the white light would break free and flee into the distance.
Lu Xiaoyue was about to fly over when Mo Qi grabbed her shoulder, "Don't go yet. Even if you get it now, it won't stay warm."
Xue Nu nodded, "Yes, let's observe for a while and let them fight first."
Mo Qi shook his head, "We don't need to observe here. Let's go to the other forks and see if there's anything to gain."
He then led Lu Xiaoyue and Xue Nu into the adjacent passage.
There was no one on this path. Mo Qi, Xue Nu, and Lu Xiaoyue walked with ease. Ahead, the mist was dense and ethereal, giving a feeling of an immortal realm.
However, immortal realms did not possess such strong killing intent.
The killing intent, naturally, did not come from the surrounding environment but from the people waiting ahead.
Looking up, they saw a middle-aged scholar-like figure. Standing around him were Nangong Zhenbei, Nangong Yun, and Murong Mu.
All familiar faces, except for the middle-aged scholar.
Yuwen Yan said, "That is Nangong Zhendong, the Hall Master of Shenmu Hall in the Seventh Tier."
Mo Qi's heart tightened. Those in the Seventh Tier were at least at the Human Immortal cultivation level. He was likely no match for him.
Nangong Zhendong glanced at Mo Qi and said to the others, "I thought it was some formidable character. Just this? You can't even deal with this kind of trash?"
Nangong Yun's face flushed slightly, his eyes filled with malice as he stared at Mo Qi, his scarred face appearing ferocious.
Nangong Zhendong glanced at Murong Mu, "You go first. If you can't handle him, I'll step in."
Murong Mu's heart was instantly filled with a thousand grievances. "You're using me as a pawn."
But he said, "Alright, no problem."
Nangong Zhendong then said to Nangong Yun and Nangong Zhenbei, "You two go deal with those two girls. Just subdue them, don't let them interfere with the fight here."
This... the plan was perfectly laid out. Mo Qi felt that he truly might not get out today.
Fortunately, through Nangong Zhendong's deployment, he learned that Xue Nu and Lu Xiaoyue were not in mortal danger, so he was relieved and could fight with all his might.
Nangong Zhendong chuckled, "Do you know why you must die?"
Mo Qi said, "I caused your Nangong family to lose territory."
"That's not the main reason," Nangong Zhendong shook his head.
"I caused the death of your two elder brothers," Mo Qi said.
Nangong Zhendong still shook his head, "Because you are too ostentatious. Not just me, many people want you dead. You think learning the Sun Chasing Star Grasping Art was a fortunate encounter, but I think it's a burden, and you can't carry it."
Mo Qi spread his hands, "I'm already carrying it, and I can't get rid of it. What can be done?"
"There is a way. If I kill you, it will be removed," Nangong Zhendong said.
"If you can't kill me, it still can't be removed," Mo Qi replied.
"He's quite glib," Yuwen Yan couldn't help but say.
"I might need to borrow your power," Mo Qi said through his inner consciousness. "I should have no problem dealing with Murong Mu, but against him, I can only hope for the Sun Chasing Star Grasping Art. However, I estimate that in this confined space, the Sun Chasing Star Grasping Art cannot be used, which is why he chose to intercept me here. Are you confident you can defeat him?"
"I am confident, but if you release me, aren't you afraid I'll seize your body?" Yuwen Yan chuckled.
Mo Qi said, "I'm not afraid. We're all going to die anyway. I'd rather die at your hands."
Lu Xiaoyue said softly to Mo Qi, "Let's escape."
Mo Qi shook his head, "We can't escape, and there's no need to. I have a way to deal with him."
Xue Nu found it hard to believe, "He's a Human Immortal. How can you win against him?"
Mo Qi said, "Don't worry about me for now. Find an opportunity to escape."
At this moment, Murong Mu had stepped forward and launched an attack at Mo Qi.
Murong Mu formed a hand seal, "Heavenly King Mace!" An iron mace artifact emitted a brilliant radiance and struck towards Mo Qi.
Simultaneously, Nangong Zhenbei attacked Lu Xiaoyue, and Nangong Yun attacked Xue Nu.
Xue Nu and Lu Xiaoyue exchanged a look and, with tacit understanding, sped back the way they came. Their thought was to find Ming Yueye and Tong Wuqi, perhaps they could gain their support.
Nangong Zhenbei and Nangong Yun immediately pursued them.
Without Xue Nu and Lu Xiaoyue as a distraction, Mo Qi felt he could fight with all his might.
He assessed the situation. Murong Mu was at most at the late Mahayana stage. He was fully capable of defeating him. But to increase his chances of winning, he swallowed a stimulant pill, and his internal spiritual energy surged like a raging river, rising and falling.
At this moment, a Qiankun Ring appeared in his hand!
The Qiankun Ring suddenly expanded, emitting a dazzling light. As it expanded, it made a resounding clang, like a ferocious beast grinding its teeth wildly.
A terrifying might swept out in all directions.
The wind and clouds reversed, and the heavens and earth changed color!
The Qiankun Ring rubbed against the air, making a heavy whooshing sound, like a carriage dragging its wheels, leaving deep imprints as it charged forward.
Murong Mu's expression changed, but he still believed he could block this move with his strength.
The next moment, as the two collided, the white light emitted by the Heavenly King Mace was instantly dispersed. Then, the Heavenly King Mace flew back, and a crisp "crack" sound was heard, as if it had cracked.
Murong Mu was sent flying backward, falling to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and unable to get up for a long time.
The Qiankun Ring flew back into Mo Qi's hand, still spinning.
Nangong Zhendong was dumbfounded. With just one blow, Murong Mu was defeated.
Before him, Murong Mu was so vulnerable?
But he was only at the early Mahayana stage!
What was happening? Had the world distorted?
Seizing the initiative, Nangong Zhendong pointed his finger, "Heavenly Curtain Sword!" A black mist, like a heavenly curtain descending, struck towards Mo Qi.
Mo Qi again raised the Qiankun Ring, its dazzling brilliance flashing, and struck fiercely towards the black curtain.
The black curtain flickered and violently repelled the Qiankun Ring. Mo Qi reached out to catch it, but the counter-shocking force erupted, pushing his entire body along with the Qiankun Ring. He slammed into the stone wall, causing the entire cave to tremble.
Mo Qi slid down the mountain wall.
Nangong Zhendong's face was filled with smugness, "Nothing more than this. Is he still not dead?"
However, the next moment, Mo Qi suddenly flipped over and got up, his eyes glowing with a crimson light.
His entire body exuded a power capable of splitting mountains and breaking rocks.
Nangong Zhendong felt that his aura had changed. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he sensed a hint of feminine energy emanating from him!
If his appearance hadn't changed, Nangong Zhendong would have thought the person before him was a woman.