"Because you were suddenly interrupted, the spherical spiritual energy within you has not been completely cleared," Mo Qi said calmly.
Zi Luo was struck as if by lightning, almost falling to the ground. She couldn't bear such a blow. "You, you're not joking with me, are you?"
"I joke with friends; I never joke with enemies," Mo Qi said indifferently.
"Then what should I do? I don't want to suffer that pain anymore. Just kill me," Zi Luo said, disheartened.
Mo Qi turned back. "It's alright, you won't have an episode for a while."
"Isn't that even more painful? Constantly thinking about when it will erupt, isn't that more painful than death?" Zi Luo casually struck out, and a large tree fell with a crash.
"Then... let's go around a few more times and see if we can find another Ni Ling Hua?" Mo Qi said helplessly.
"Su... sure," Zi Luo replied.
The two walked forward side by side again.
Zi Luo suddenly saw her blood-stained clothes and felt uncomfortable all over. "I need to find a place to change. You keep an eye out for people."
Mo Qi looked at himself and couldn't help but frown. "I need to change too."
"Let me change first, then you can change," Zi Luo said.
"Why?"
"Because... there's no reason. I just want to change first."
"Then, let's change together."
"You wish."
A moment later, the two found a cave.
With unspoken understanding, Zi Luo went inside, and Mo Qi guarded the entrance.
However, as soon as Zi Luo entered, she let out a scream.
Mo Qi rushed in immediately.
Zi Luo had already changed her clothes. She was as beautiful as a flower and as vibrant as fire.
Mo Qi thought she was deliberately trying to attract him and glanced at her sideways. "Childish!"
Zi Luo, however, pointed towards the depths of the cave. "It's very deep inside, and I don't know where it leads."
Mo Qi glanced in the direction she pointed. Indeed, the cave ahead was bottomless. The furthest part seemed to have a faint light, flickering like a beauty's eyes, beckoning people to venture forth.
At this moment, a gust of cold wind blew, chilling to the bone, making one shiver.
Zi Luo said, "Let's go out."
Mo Qi shook his head. "You wait for me outside. I'll go in and take a look. Perhaps where it leads is where the Ni Ling Hua is."
"Then... I'll go with you," Zi Luo said resolutely.
Mo Qi couldn't refuse her and had to let her follow.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered something. How did Yu Xiu Lian die?
Judging by her appearance, she must have been killed in one move with her telekinetic power.
Yu Xiu Lian's cultivation should also be at the Xuan Sheng stage. The fact that she could kill him in one move showed her cultivation level.
Yet, she followed him without revealing her strength, sometimes deliberately hiding her abilities, giving people the illusion that she was weak. But how could she be weak? She was very strong.
However, the cave was indeed deep and cold, and it grew colder as they walked.
After walking not far, Zi Luo said, "Let's go back. There won't be any Ni Ling Hua ahead."
Mo Qi suddenly felt that the scene before him was familiar.
"I told you to wait for me outside, but you insisted on coming along. Why don't you go back now?" Mo Qi said.
Zi Luo looked back; it was also dark.
While hesitating, Mo Qi suddenly reached out and forcibly pulled her forward.
She didn't resist and took a step forward obediently.
After walking a short distance, a river suddenly appeared before them. The river was wide, and its opposite bank was out of sight.
Mo Qi had seen many such rivers recently; they seemed to be rivers connecting to the star worlds.
They were also the veins of the entire tree world, originating from the river world, carrying the Milky Way's water over mountains and across ridges, directly reaching the star worlds, and forming the oceans of the star worlds.
However, there was not much water in this river at the moment.
Mo Qi could barely hear the sound of water. The riverbed was very low.
Mo Qi couldn't help but walk into the river. He walked a long way, and it was all dry.
Zi Luo asked curiously, "What are you doing? Why are you so leisurely? Have you forgotten the main task?"
Mo Qi shook his head, looked up ahead, and gazed into the distance. He saw a small stream flowing in the middle of the river.
"The original great river has become a small stream. This is not normal," Mo Qi said.
"This is very normal," Zi Luo replied.
"These are the veins of the tree world. If the entire network dries up, it means this tree is also close to death," Mo Qi said.
"You are from this world, so you have the final say," Zi Luo pouted and said indifferently.
"You still don't take it seriously," Mo Qi sighed. "You still don't know the seriousness of the matter."
"Perhaps it's very serious, but with you by my side at this moment..."
Mo Qi suddenly turned to look at her. He realized he was still holding her hand, so he let go and turned away. "Don't talk like that anymore. It's annoying."
Zi Luo walked to his side and looked at him with a playful expression. "You find it annoying, but you're smiling. What are you smiling about?"
"I'm not smiling."
"You are smiling."
"I'm smiling because you're too ugly."
"It doesn't matter. I'm more than good enough for you."
"..."
At this moment, a low sigh echoed in the air.
Both of them became alert simultaneously and looked around.
The surroundings were empty; there was nothing.
"Did you hear anything?" Zi Luo thought it was her imagination.
"Your heartbeat."
"...I wasn't talking about that... Besides your heartbeat, did you hear anything else?"
"Your breathing."
"..."
Mo Qi looked around, surveyed the area, and decided to follow the river. He then took Zi Luo's hand again and walked forward, mostly out of habit.
Zi Luo did not refuse and was passively led forward.
"I wonder what kind of world the star world connected by this river is," Mo Qi murmured to himself.
"Who cares what kind of world it is? You're not going there anyway."
"Many people live in every star world," Mo Qi said calmly.
"I suddenly wonder, among so many star worlds, is there one where another 'us' exists?" Zi Luo had a sudden thought.
"Perhaps there is, perhaps there isn't."
"You make so much sense!"
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the area ahead suddenly opened up. A vast valley appeared before them, with mountains and a sky.
However, the sky was hazy and very low, like someone's rooftop.
With unspoken understanding, the two walked into the valley and reached the other end. It was shrouded in mist, like a mirror, or like a mountain gate, seemingly an entrance to another world.
Mo Qi raised his leg, intending to walk in.
It wouldn't be bad to see another world. If he could find the Ni Ling Hua along the way, it would be even better.
"Stop!" a weak yet very clear voice rang out.
Mo Qi abruptly stopped, and Zi Luo also halted.
Following the sound, they saw a person sitting at the edge of the river valley.
An old man with white hair, emaciated and decrepit.
If he hadn't spoken, Mo Qi and Zi Luo would have thought he was a piece of dead wood.
"Old sir, what advice do you have?" Mo Qi asked the old man politely.
The old man didn't speak. He took a sword and plunged it into his own chest.
Mo Qi and Zi Luo's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
Mo Qi couldn't help but ask, "Old sir, what are you doing? Is something upsetting you?"
The old man drew his sword and stood up shakily. "Upsetting things? There are too many to count. For example, living too long is meaningless, no one to play with, and, for example, I can't die no matter how hard I try..."
Mo Qi and Zi Luo were stunned!
They were guessing the old man's identity.
Who could speak with such arrogance, unable to die no matter what?
Having traveled so many places, Mo Qi felt that perhaps people who couldn't die existed, but not in this world.
No one could say for sure which world's people didn't need to die.
The old man moved with difficulty, staggering with each step.
Mo Qi wanted to go over and support him, but the old man flashed and appeared before Mo Qi, startling him.
Only then did Mo Qi notice that his eye sockets were sunken, and the wrinkles on his face were as deep as if carved by knives.
His skin was the most frightening, like tree bark, giving the impression that a layer would fall off with just a touch.
Mo Qi had seen many long-lived people, like Hong Jun and Saint Emperor, but they showed no signs of age.
The old man before him, however, bore too many traces of time.
It seemed as if every wrinkle on his face bore witness to the years he had lived.
How many years had he lived? It felt immeasurable by time.
"Help me," the old man said, looking at Mo Qi.
"How do you need me to help you?" Mo Qi vaguely felt that he couldn't help him, but he still responded politely.
"Kill me," the old man said simply.
Mo Qi took a step back. "This is not a joke."
The old man took a step forward, craning his neck, as if the skin on his face was about to fall onto Mo Qi's.
Mo Qi leaned back. "What are you doing? I'm a man."
The old man retracted his head slightly. "I'm not joking with you. I want to die, but I can't. So I hope you can help me, or," he turned to look at Zi Luo, scaring her into hiding behind Mo Qi, "or, you can help me too."
Mo Qi straightened his back. "I can help you. Tell me, how do you wish to die?"
The old man said without hesitation, "Any way is fine. I just don't know how to die, so I'm asking for your help. You help me think."
Mo Qi was also troubled. "If you can't even kill yourself, then I can't help you either!"
"You have to try," the old man's eyes flashed with a fierce glint, making Mo Qi's heart tremble.
"But I have important business," Mo Qi turned and pulled Zi Luo. "I'm looking for a flower called Ni Ling Hua to cure my wife."
Zi Luo stared at him. You said that quite smoothly!
Mo Qi dared not look into her eyes, glancing around, and finally looked at the old man.
The old man made a gesture in the air, and a flower flew over, landing in his hand. "Is this the flower you're talking about?"
Mo Qi looked and was almost petrified. In his hand was the Ni Ling Hua.
Zi Luo saw everything in his eyes and was also stunned!
Their surprise at this moment was unparalleled, and their speculation about the old man's identity never ceased.
The old man handed the Ni Ling Hua to Mo Qi. "Here is the Ni Ling Hua for you. Then, you kill me."