This meant, at least, a glimmer of hope for those among them who were afflicted with the restriction.
Mo Qi took the spirit stone from Xiao Bu Dian, gave it a few pills, patted its head, and then let it continue its search. Xiao Bu Dian hopped away.
Murong Yanran was also overjoyed, her smile blooming like a flower, "Can this really remove my restriction?"
"We'll know if we try," Mo Qi said impatiently, pulling her along.
Murong Yanran, blushing, followed and sat down.
Mo Qi had her turn her back to him and placed the spirit stone against her back.
Those who were searching for things felt curious, not knowing what these two were up to. They all stopped their actions and quietly watched them.
The old man seemed to understand what Mo Qi intended to do and revealed a look of disdain.
Shen Xingwang, standing beside him, saw his gaze and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Elder Wei, do you know what they are doing?"
Elder Wei snorted, "That girl is in the same predicament as us, and that white-haired man is trying to remove it with that spirit stone."
His answer was heard not only by Shen Xingwang but also by others, who couldn't help but let out a burst of harsh laughter. "They truly don't know the immensity of heaven and earth! Even with the combined efforts of our entire clan, we are powerless, and he thinks he can solve this problem? Who does he think he is?"
"As men, it's natural to want to appear omnipotent in front of a beauty."
"But perhaps for the sake of beauty, he genuinely wants to solve the problem and is trying his best to find a solution."
"So what? If one's ability is insufficient, no amount of effort will be in vain."
"Hahaha... a newborn calf fears no tiger!"
At this moment, Mo Qi channeled his spiritual power into the spirit stone. A faint suction quietly extended, like a hook, gently latching onto the black thread within her body.
The black thread was almost snapping.
But as spiritual power continued to be injected, the black thread gradually hardened, no longer as fragile as before. It didn't break after a few tugs.
However, it remained stubborn, as if coiled within her body, refusing to budge no matter how hard it was pulled.
Mo Qi decisively abandoned the spirit stone and placed his hand directly on her back.
This time, spiritual power surged in unceasingly. Mo Qi even used ribbon-like spiritual energy to wrap around the black thread layer by layer, then slowly pulled it outwards.
This time, the black thread finally loosened, but it was still struggling, fiercely resisting, wriggling its body to crawl back.
Murong Yanran could clearly feel something moving inside her, a slight ticklish sensation.
Was it finally being removed? Her heart was filled with excitement, and she dared not even take a deep breath.
Mo Qi also held his breath, urging his spiritual power, pulling the black thread out bit by bit.
When the black thread crawled a little further in, he pulled it out a little further. The process was arduous and painful.
His mind had to be highly concentrated, lest he accidentally break it.
In just a short while, the sweat flowing from Mo Qi had soaked through his clothes.
Sweat trickled down his temples and into his eyes, but he dared not wipe it, letting it blur his vision.
Seeing this, the surrounding people became even more contemptuous. "He's still putting on such a serious act, is it really that tiring?"
"Hilarious, he probably hasn't even touched the restriction yet and is already sweating profusely."
"Hey, can you do it? If not, let me try. I wouldn't be sweating like that." one of them shouted at Mo Qi.
Another person also shouted, "Stop pretending. Face reality. It's not shameful to admit defeat."
"A man looking serious is handsome, but a man who stubbornly persists looks pathetic."
"Hahaha..."
Mo Qi's mind was highly concentrated at this moment, and he had no time to pay attention to them.
He had only intended to try at first, but now that he had started, he couldn't stop.
He completely ignored the surrounding dangers and dared not even think about them.
If those four people had attacked him at this moment, he would have died on the spot.
And Murong Yanran would surely have been beyond saving.
The three people who had retreated saw that Mo Qi didn't respond to their taunts and assumed he was truly in a trance. They then genuinely considered attacking him stealthily. They exchanged glances and slowly moved towards the two of them.
The old man suddenly shouted, "Don't go over, there's a trap."
The three immediately stopped tensely.
It was highly possible that it was indeed a trap!
Were these two brazenly imparting power here without fear of being attacked?
They had just killed two people!
That's right, it's a trap, it must be a trap!
Fortunately, Elder Wei had sharp eyes, otherwise, they would have surely died on the spot!
Thinking of this, all three cast a grateful look at Elder Wei.
Mo Qi couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his brow with his free hand.
He then realized that it didn't actually have much impact; it was just his own extreme tension, making him afraid to be easily distracted.
And with his mind slightly relaxed, he felt much more at ease and continued to channel his spiritual power to pull the black thread.
It was still a case of pulling a bit and retreating a bit; the black thread was constantly resisting.
However, the resistance was futile. Mo Qi finally pulled the black thread out and put it into a small bottle.
Watching the small earthworm wriggle in the bottle, Murong Yanran gagged slightly.
Then, as if escaping from a great calamity, all of Murong Yanran's feelings of gratitude, excitement, and emotion surged forth. Her emotions erupted, and she threw herself into Mo Qi's arms, sobbing softly.
Mo Qi gently patted her shoulder, "It's alright now, it's alright."
The four people standing nearby were all stunned when they saw the earthworm in the bottle!
These four looked at Mo Qi as if he were a monster: This, could it really be done like this?
These four were completely convinced. They thought of many, many things at this moment.
Whether their faces were slapped or not was irrelevant. More importantly, they seemed to see rays of dawn lighting up the pitch-black night.
This dawn was again shrouded in thick mist.
Because, just now, their side had accidentally offended him!
He could have been the savior of themselves and their entire clan, but now he was an enemy!
So, while they were jubilant, they were also tense and silent. The atmosphere in the scene was very awkward.
Finally, Elder Wei mustered the courage and slowly walked forward, bowing deeply to Mo Qi. "May I ask for your esteemed name, sir? This old man was blind and ignorant. I hope you can forgive any disrespect."
Mo Qi helped Murong Yanran to her feet, turned to look at Elder Wei, and said, "I asked you what you were doing earlier, and you ignored me. Later, when I was cultivating, you were still mocking me. Now you're actively approaching."
Elder Wei's old face flushed slightly. "As I said, we were blind. We have indeed offended you greatly, greatly."
He then pointed to the corpses on the ground. "And these two brought their fate upon themselves. You killed them, acting on behalf of heaven."
His drastic change in attitude, if not for a request, would mean he was mentally unwell.
Mo Qi believed it was the former.
"Just say what you need to say. Less politeness, more sincerity," Mo Qi said.
"To be frank, our clan has suffered greatly from this restriction. We have also been trying various methods to break it. We heard that there is a type of spirit stone that can directly dissolve it. We have been searching for it but have never found such a spirit stone. Today, seeing your method has truly opened my eyes. I previously thought we were guided by the gods to find the spirit stone. I now realize that what we were looking for was you, sir!" Elder Wei said, bowing deeply, appearing exceptionally humble.
The three people beside him stood respectfully as Elder Wei was so deferential. Shen Xingwang even managed an awkward smile.
Murong Yanran, seeing Mo Qi display his prowess with such overwhelming might, felt her own sense of pride surge, and she couldn't help but puff out her chest.
Mo Qi looked at Elder Wei. "If you are sincere and treat me with honesty, I may not refuse to save your clansmen."
"What does sir wish to know? I will tell you everything I know."
"Then first tell me, what clan are you, and where do you live?"
"Originally, the origins of our clan could never be revealed to outsiders. But since sir asks, we will tell you the truth. However, walls have ears, and this is not a place to talk. If sir trusts this old man, I will take sir to our clan, and then I will tell you everything." Elder Wei said humbly.
His evasive words immediately piqued Mo Qi's interest. He said, "Very well, you lead the way."
Murong Yanran was a little worried and tugged lightly at Mo Qi. Mo Qi gently patted her hand, signaling her to relax, assuring her he had it under control.
Because these people still needed him. Not just them, but even all their clansmen needed him.
At this moment, Xiao Bu Dian also returned, bringing another spirit stone.
Mo Qi put away the spirit stone and simultaneously placed Xiao Bu Dian on his shoulder. "You lead the way."
Elder Wei showed a troubled expression. "Our place is isolated from the world and not convenient for outsiders to know. Therefore, we need you two to blindfold yourselves, and you are also not allowed to open your heavenly eyes."
Murong Yanran felt something was amiss and tugged at Mo Qi again.
Mo Qi laughed heartily, "Since we are here, we will accept it. Do you have any blindfolds to give us?"
Elder Wei immediately took two strips of cloth from his person and handed them over.
Mo Qi took them and handed one to Murong Yanran.
Murong Yanran reluctantly accepted it.
Mo Qi tied the cloth around his eyes. His vision went completely dark. This was no ordinary cloth, but a magical artifact specifically for cultivators to blind themselves. Therefore, once worn, even with extreme effort, one could see nothing.
Afterward, Mo Qi heard Elder Wei politely say, "Please cooperate, young lady, and wear the blindfold. We guarantee not to harm you in the slightest."
It seemed Murong Yanran was a bit unwilling. Hearing Elder Wei say this, she put on the blindfold very awkwardly.
Then, Mo Qi, holding Murong Yanran with one hand and Elder Wei with the other, was led by them through the air. He felt the wind whistling past his ears, and the surroundings were silent. In a short while, he heard Elder Wei say, "We've arrived," and they stopped.
Mo Qi and Murong Yanran both removed their blindfolds. The scene before them was refreshing, like a paradise.
A clear blue sky, with not a cloud in sight.