The little blood creature struggled to turn over, crawling into Long Qi's palm. Long Qi's hand was immediately stained with bright red blood, a stark contrast.
"My time is drawing near…" the little blood creature moaned again.
Long Qi frowned. "Your time is still far off. I'll find your master, and he'll save you. So, stop crying out; it's quite frightening."
The little blood creature indeed stopped crying.
Long Qi took out a small box she carried with her, placed it inside, and then sped away.
Mo Qi was cultivating in the back mountains when a disciple came to report that someone was looking for him at the mountain gate, describing her as a beauty.
Without a word, Mo Qi immediately ceased his cultivation and went to the front gate.
Long Qi stood beneath a tree, smiling at him. "Junior Brother!"
Mo Qi smiled back. "Senior Sister, what brings you here today?"
Long Qi leaned against the tree branch. "Can you do me a favor?"
Mo Qi's smile vanished. Unconsciously, his eyes filled with tears as he slowly walked over. "How can I help you?"
Long Qi's eyes also welled up with tears. "My leg is injured; I need you to support me."
Mo Qi walked over and helped her. She then threw herself into his arms, sobbing.
Mo Qi gently patted her shoulder. "Princess Ao Xing, have you remembered something?"
Long Qi froze for a moment, then cried even louder, her fists raining down on his shoulder. "You scoundrel, you knew all along and didn't tell me."
Mo Qi gave a wry smile. "Actually, I didn't know. I guessed."
Back in the Hongmeng South Sea, she had mentioned that she had someone in her heart but wasn't sure if he existed. Combined with her background, Mo Qi had made a bold assumption.
Today, her excitement upon meeting him made him believe his assumption was correct.
"My time is drawing near…" an evil voice sounded at an inopportune moment.
Mo Qi blinked. "What voice?"
Long Qi immediately pulled away from him, took out the small box, and handed it to Mo Qi. "This is your companion. I found it by the roadside."
Mo Qi took the small box with trembling hands and carefully opened it. Inside, the little blood creature was in poor condition, much smaller in size, its eyes half-closed, lips purplish, and clearly weak, still groaning softly, "My time is drawing near…"
Mo Qi quickly fed it a pill. The little blood creature's injuries quickly healed, and its condition gradually improved. In just a few breaths, it stood up and began to circle inside the small box, exclaiming, "Heavenly Tribulation approaches, rise again!"
Long Qi let out a chuckle. "This fellow's attitude changes so quickly."
Seizing the opportunity, Mo Qi said, "It's mainly because my pills are good!"
"Yes, yes, yes," Long Qi retorted, giving him a sideways glance. "You are an unparalleled genius in alchemy."
Mo Qi put the box away. Long Qi glanced at him. "That's my box."
"Isn't yours mine?" Mo Qi chuckled.
Long Qi's delicate eyebrows furrowed. "You say that so readily. How many girls have you said that to?"
Mo Qi coughed dryly and immediately changed the subject. "Senior Sister, speaking of pills, I've refined a lot recently. Spirit Beast Pills, Beast Soul Pills, Beauty Pills, Stress Pills – do you need any?"
Long Qi's interest was suddenly piqued. "Those Stress Pills you mentioned, are they the ones that make the Golden Flood Dragon Scissors and that little pet grow larger instantly?"
Mo Qi smiled slightly. "Growing larger is just superficial. In essence, their power increases thousands of times over."
"Thousands of times?" Long Qi's eyes widened, showing a hint of temptation.
Mo Qi casually handed her some pills, which Long Qi took.
Mo Qi continued, "However, for our human physiques, it's not advisable to use too many at once. I've used about ten at most, and my cultivation surged dozens or hundreds of times. But your Dragon race, like the demon race, has excellent physiques. Perhaps you could try eating a hundred."
Long Qi froze for a moment, then burst into tears. "You say I'm a demon? Do you dislike me? Do you think humans and demons are incompatible?"
Mo Qi's heart trembled. He suddenly thought of Yu Sheng.
He then smacked his own lips and said, "How could I dare? In the Eight Heavenly Dragons, your Dragon race is a race on par with the celestial gods!"
Long Qi continued to cry relentlessly.
Mo Qi stepped forward and kissed her.
Long Qi was stunned. The wind stopped, and the air seemed to freeze.
Long Qi gently pushed Mo Qi away, her cheeks flushed. "You're taking advantage of me again!"
There was still a faint fragrance on her lips. Mo Qi swallowed and chuckled, "How do you say 'again'? Last time, you took advantage of me."
"You took advantage of me," Long Qi pouted.
"Alright, alright," Mo Qi waved his hand dismissively. "I took advantage of you, and I want to take advantage of you for a lifetime."
Long Qi cast him a sidelong glance. "Shameless!"
After a moment of silence, Mo Qi said to Long Qi, "Senior Sister, would you like to come in and sit for a while? I have a lot more to tell you."
Long Qi stood there, hesitant.
Mo Qi then pulled her inside. Long Qi struggled symbolically for a moment but couldn't break free.
The disciple at the entrance merely glanced deeply at Mo Qi before letting the two enter.
In Mo Qi's cave dwelling, they poured out their hearts to each other about their experiences since parting. They then compared the information they had about their past lives, sighing in unison before embracing each other deeply.
Afterward, Mo Qi gave Long Qi a magical artifact, the Exquisite Pagoda, and a bottle of Jade Dew from the Heavenly Pool. Long Qi then bid Mo Qi farewell.
Mo Qi was a bit bewildered. "We just met! Can't you stay a little longer?"
Long Qi stammered, "If… if you don't want to be separated from me, you must come with me to the Dragon Palace instead of staying here."
This was asking him to propose!
Mo Qi was willing, of course, but he felt that he couldn't leave Dong Sheng Continent for the time being. He said, "Then you go back first. The Sect Master just said he wants to set up the Myriad Immortals Formation, and our entire sect will advance and retreat together. After this matter is settled, I will come to the Dragon Palace to find you."
Long Qi pouted. "Junior Brother, this place is not suitable for staying long. Don't get too deeply involved."
Mo Qi chuckled. "Why didn't you remind me earlier? I'm already hopelessly entangled."
Long Qi looked at him. "I know you're stubborn. Once you promise someone, you'll definitely fulfill it. That's why I was rescued by you."
Mo Qi chuckled. "Why don't you say it's our destiny?" He suddenly slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot. You reminded me; I still have two people to save."
Long Qi asked, "Are you referring to Shen Lianyun and Kan Qinglei?"
Mo Qi nodded vaguely. "I don't know their names, but I think it's them. Anyway, there's still some time before the formation is set up. I'll go save them now. Are you interested in coming with me?"
"Sure!" Long Qi agreed without hesitation. "But do you know where they are now?"
"When I left the Hongmeng South Sea, Sect Master Linghu told me they were in the Yin Youhun Pass."
"Alright, let's go now."
The two left the Biyou Palace and headed straight for Youhun Pass.
They chatted and laughed all the way, their conversation flowing freely.
Long Qi hadn't been this happy in a long time.
Since recovering her true heart, she had been enduring countless internal condemnations every day. If possible, she wished she could return to Xiao Cong'er's era, but alas, it was impossible.
Only in Mo Qi's presence did she feel like Xiao Cong'er, and only then could she experience the joy of being Xiao Cong'er.
And only Mo Qi saw her as Xiao Cong'er.
Mo Qi was also exceptionally happy. If a thousand years of crossing paths on the same boat was precious, what about ten thousand years? Tens of thousands of years?
Tens of thousands of years of searching had led to their meeting in this life.
Therefore, deep down, everyone felt not only moved but also a profound attachment and an enduring affection that had been tempered through countless trials.
From now on, no matter if rivers flowed backward or the sky fell, they would always be together!
At this moment, a figure floated across the sky and blocked their path. The voice was as ethereal as the figure. "Fellow Daoist, please wait!"
The two looked up and saw a solemn-looking Daoist arriving on a lotus pedestal.
Mo Qi recognized him effortlessly. It was the Daoist Receiver.
Mo Qi's heart sank. His sudden appearance to block their path could mean nothing good!
Indeed, the Receiver looked at Long Qi. "This poor monk has a connection with you!"
Long Qi, completely unaware of the hidden danger, said with a smile, "Really? You look quite friendly."
Mo Qi immediately retorted, "Who has a connection with you? You should go back where you came from. Don't seek trouble here."
Long Qi felt Mo Qi's attitude was problematic and nudged him.
Mo Qi, however, pushed her behind him and glared at the Receiver. "Old Daoist, don't block our way!"
The Receiver clasped his hands together in a gesture of compassion. "Please do not call me 'Old Daoist.' We in the Western Teachings are called Buddhas."
Mo Qi was shocked. "So Buddhism was spread by you!"
The Receiver smiled. "Yes. Our Buddhist teachings pursue transcendence from life and death, freedom from all attachments, and the sharing of the Pure Land. Therefore, whoever has a connection with us has a connection with the Pure Land, which is a great fortune."
"Transcendence from life and death? Can't that be achieved by continuously improving one's cultivation?" Mo Qi asked in astonishment.
The Receiver shook his head. "Not so, not so. The transcendence I speak of is spiritual transcendence. No matter how high one's cultivation, they still fear the butcher's knife. With one strike of the knife, life ends, and one falls into endless reincarnation. Only the boundless Dharma can ferry all sentient beings out of the sea of suffering."
"Where is the Buddha?"
"I am the Buddha, and I am also not the Buddha."
Mo Qi pondered for a moment. "Your Dao is too profound and unfathomable. We may not have reached that level of enlightenment yet. If you insist on saying someone has a connection with you, it can't help but feel like coercion."
The Receiver found this incomprehensible and frowned. "Fellow Daoist, I don't know why you harbor such great hostility towards me. This is only our second meeting, and we had no interaction the first time, did we?"
Mo Qi waved his hand impatiently. "Just say it directly, what do you want?"
The Receiver sighed helplessly. "Alas, it's nothing much, really. It's just that I suddenly had an epiphany and felt a master-disciple connection with her. I wish to take her back to the West to jointly study the supreme Dharma and share the Pure Land."
Long Qi, who had initially resented Mo Qi for overreacting, finally realized that this old Daoist was not to be trifled with.
However, she calmly said, "I don't wish to be your disciple. You should go back."
Mo Qi snorted. "What disciple? He wants to take you as his mount, the hypocritical sage!"