Shen Bao was about to speak when Mo Qi dismissed him: "Go, fellow Daoist, it's getting late."
Shen Bao reluctantly rose and left, looking back repeatedly.
Mo Qi smiled at Duo Bao, "Then, is it alright for me to descend the mountain to assist Zhou and attack Yin?"
Duo Bao replied without hesitation, "Of course, that is in accordance with the will of heaven. However, if you go alone, they might suspect your identity. I will write you a calling card."
Mo Qi thanked him profusely.
Shen Bao, seething with anger, flew away on his cloud, cursing as he went, "These beasts, still so arrogant, thinking they're so great. If I didn't still have some use for them, I wouldn't give them a second glance."
Just then, a bright spot suddenly zipped past him. With a crack, Shen Bao felt a sharp sting on his face.
Then, a figure appeared before him, glaring angrily, "Who are you calling a beast?"
"You!" Shen Bao retorted, clutching his swollen cheek.
Immediately realizing he had fallen into a trap, he became enraged, "You little beast, you're asking for death!"
As he spoke, Shen Bao summoned the Thunder God Whip and struck at Mo Qi.
The Thunder God Whip crackled with blinding lightning, its radiance dazzling as it whistled through the air with a series of popping sounds.
Mo Qi took out the Dong Huang Bell and placed his hand on its top, "Pangu divine power, Star Devour!"
A white light flashed from within the Dong Huang Bell, and a vortex extended outwards like a tentacle, twisting and dragging the Thunder God Whip into the bell.
The Dong Huang Bell retreated with immense force, and Mo Qi had to follow its momentum backward. He used the Buzhou Mind Power Art to slowly stabilize it.
Shen Bao stared in disbelief, "It, it was captured?"
The moment they clashed, the difference in their strength was evident. Shen Bao was forced to re-evaluate Mo Qi, realizing he had severely underestimated his opponent's power.
"Fellow Daoist, I was just joking, don't take it seriously. Can you return my treasure?" Shen Bao said with a forced smile.
Mo Qi snorted coldly, "You were joking, but I wasn't."
Shen Bao forced another smile, "With your strength, it's a shame you're not dealing with that villain Jiang Xia. If we join forces, we'd be unmatched in wisdom and courage, invincible in the world."
Mo Qi spat out a single, cold word from between his teeth: "Scram!"
Shen Bao was on the verge of tears, "Then at least return my Thunder God Whip!"
Mo Qi stared intently at him, his pupils contracting, "Do you want your life, or your treasure?"
Shen Bao was intimidated. He never expected a disciple from the Shangqing Sect, someone considered insignificant, to bully him to this extent. It was utterly unbelievable.
Mo Qi aimed the Dong Huang Bell at Shen Bao. Terrified, Shen Bao's face turned green as he transformed into a streak of emerald light and fled ignominiously.
Mo Qi put away the treasure, clapped his hands, and cursed, "Scum!" Then he too took to the clouds and departed.
He still had the mission to steal the Investiture of the Gods. Perhaps stealing was easier than snatching. To steal the Investiture of the Gods, he first needed to get close to Jiang Xia.
Thus, he headed directly for Xi Qi.
During his time at the Shangqing Sect, he had often overheard his fellow disciples discussing the state of the world. From their conversations, he knew that Jiang Xia was serving as the Prime Minister in Xi Qi, actively preparing for the campaign against Yin.
Many outstanding disciples from the Yuqing Sect had gathered around him, including Li Sanlang, whom Mo Qi had once defeated.
He wondered what Li Sanlang's reaction would be if he saw him now.
The thought alone filled him with anticipation.
At this moment, the Yin Dynasty, led by Prince Yin Jiao, was attacking Xi Qi City, which had rebelled against them.
Yin Jiao had been a disciple of Guang Chengzi of the Yuqing Sect since childhood. The Yuqing Sect believed that the Yin Dynasty's fate was sealed and had dispatched Jiang Xia to support the Zhou Dynasty's rebellion against Yin. Guang Chengzi naturally supported his fellow disciple Jiang Xia's work and thus sent his disciple Yin Jiao to assist Jiang Xia in Xi Qi.
However, on his way down the mountain, Yin Jiao encountered Shen Bao. Shen Bao, through his emotional appeals and logical arguments, persuaded Yin Jiao to lead the Yin Dynasty's forces against Xi Qi City on behalf of his father.
Yin Jiao himself had mediocre cultivation, but the Fan Tian Yin, a powerful artifact bestowed upon him by his master when he descended the mountain, was formidable. It had injured several of Jiang Xia's generals, leaving Jiang Xia helpless and forced to seek assistance from the Yuqing Sect members and various Golden Immortals. However, these Golden Immortals required some time to prepare their artifacts.
At this point, someone claiming to be a disciple of the Shangqing Sect requested an audience, stating they had a way to subdue Yin Jiao.
Disciples of the Shangqing Sect had always sided with the Yin Dynasty. The appearance of someone assisting Zhou against Yin today was indeed peculiar.
Upon further reflection, this might be a good thing.
This could serve as a breakthrough point for reconciling the conflicts between the two sects.
Previously, in the conflict between Yin and Zhou, disciples from both sects were generally on opposing sides, and it was the Shangqing Sect that suffered most of the casualties, leading to escalating and almost irreconcilable tensions between the two sects.
Could the appearance of this person today be a turning point?
Jiang Xia was overjoyed and immediately sent for him to be invited in.
When the person entered, Jiang Xia was surprised. Wasn't this... that person?
Where had he seen him before?
At this moment, Li Sanlang jumped forward, "Villain, return my Qiankun Circle!"
Jiang Xia awoke as if from a dream. So it was him!
Mo Qi looked at Li Sanlang with a pleasant expression, "What, have you lost your Qiankun Circle?"
Li Sanlang roared in anger, "Villain, you clearly took my Qiankun Circle, yet you feign ignorance."
Mo Qi put on an innocent expression, "No, you're mistaken! When would I have had the chance to take your Qiankun Circle? After you left the Southern Continent, I remained there. I only recently arrived in the Eastern Continent. When could I have had the opportunity?"
"Don't play dumb with me. The last time you used that shoddy divine ability, I tossed my Qiankun Circle up, and it disappeared afterward. If you didn't take it, who did?"
Mo Qi gave a wry smile, "Perhaps it fell and someone else picked it up? Or maybe my divine ability dissolved it?"
"Stop playing coy," Li Sanlang was about to lunge forward but was restrained by Yang Erlang.
Jiang Xia asked with confusion, "When did you become a disciple of the Shangqing Sect?"
Mo Qi remained silent and directly presented Duo Bao Daoist's calling card. After reading it, Jiang Xia no longer doubted him and asked, "What is your plan to defeat the enemy?"
Mo Qi stated directly, "Kill him!"
Everyone: "..."
Li Sanlang sneered, "Don't embarrass yourself. If you can't do it, just admit it. Stop pretending to be an expert."
Mo Qi ignored him and said to Jiang Xia, "I request to engage in battle and capture Yin Jiao."
Li Sanlang, Yang Erlang, Huang Tianhua, and the others burst into laughter, rolling with mirth, "What else can people from the Shangqing Sect do besides brag?"
Li Sanlang and Yang Erlang were both Xuan Immortal cultivators, and Huang Tianhua was a Heavenly Immortal.
They had all gone up to try and had been forced to flee by the Fan Tian Yin. They were utterly incapable of dealing with Yin Jiao.
At this moment, Guang Chengzi, Yin Jiao's master, was also present. He couldn't help but chuckle at the remark, then composed himself with a stern expression, "You shouldn't go to your death. There's no rush. We are awaiting Randeng Daoist, Chi Jingzi, and Cihang Daoist. Once they borrow the Five-Colored Banner, we will be able to deal with him."
To deal with a Human Immortal cultivator, they needed three Taiyi Golden Immortals and one Grand Unity Golden Immortal, and they had to borrow a powerful artifact, all because he possessed the Fan Tian Yin.
The power of the Fan Tian Yin could be imagined.
Mo Qi suddenly felt that perhaps he had been too hasty.
But the bitter fruit he had sown, he would have to swallow with tears.
If there was truly no other way, he would have to brace himself and go.
Jiang Xia was about to advise Mo Qi when a soldier reported, "The enemy has sent Luo Xuan, who has unleashed the Myriad Miles Cloud Mist and the Myriad Crow Pot into the city, launching a fierce fire attack on Xi Qi City. The situation is critical. If measures are not taken immediately, Xi Qi City will soon become a purgatory."
Everyone was shocked and rushed out of the Prime Minister's mansion. Looking up, they saw thick smoke billowing, the sky obscured, flames soaring, and light spreading for miles through the smoke.
The entire city was engulfed in smoke and flames. Cries and wails echoed everywhere, earth-shattering and heart-wrenching.
Jiang Xia, Yang Erlang, Li Sanlang, and others immediately rushed to various locations, using their divine abilities to extinguish the fires.
However, with the myriad crows spewing fire within the city, their efforts were like a drop in the ocean, insufficient to quell the inferno. The flames grew fiercer, and everyone became flustered.
At this moment, a beautiful figure appeared in the sky. She stood gracefully, swaying like a willow in the breeze, like a sprite in the mist.
With a flick of her finger, a net-like artifact expanded rapidly, descending through the air and extending outwards, instantly covering the entire city. From the gaps in the net, water droplets fell, like springs gushing forth, pouring downwards. From every gap, tens of thousands of springs simultaneously showered water.
In moments, the fires throughout the city were extinguished.
The woman flicked her finger again, and the net immediately retracted, capturing all the fire crows.
Xi Qi City was instantly cleared, and the sky returned to its usual clarity.
Cheers erupted from within the city, and the people prostrated themselves, crying, "Thank you, immortal, for saving our lives!"
Guang Chengzi, Yang Erlang, and the others looked up, bewildered, "Who is this deity, possessing such a powerful artifact?"
Mo Qi, however, recognized her immediately as Long Ji, Zhu Yue Xi.
Mo Qi felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity and immediately soared into the air, heading towards Long Ji's direction.
Coincidentally, at this very moment, Luo Xuan, enraged, unleashed the Zhaotian Seal towards Long Ji.
Mo Qi immediately intervened, "Pangu divine power, Heaven Shaker."
A white light materialized out of thin air and instantly exploded. The entire space trembled. Luo Xuan's body seemed to be subjected to a violent shock, and with a thunderous roar, he exploded in place, scattering into a rain of blood.
The Zhaotian Seal, however, continued to strike Long Ji with great speed.
Mo Qi felt frustrated. His decisive action had failed to save her, which was incredibly disheartening!
Just then, Long Ji produced the Four Seas Bottle. The bottle was only fist-sized, but before the Zhaotian Seal, its opening widened like the sea, and the seal was directly swallowed into it, disappearing without a trace.
Long Ji retrieved the Four Seas Bottle and looked at Mo Qi with a smile, "Young man, we meet again so soon."
"Little girl, did you specifically come to relieve the siege of Xi Qi?" Mo Qi approached, asking with a confused expression.
"I made a mistake and was banished to the mortal realm. I now reside in the Azure Luan Palace on Phoenix Mountain," Long Ji said with a smile, though her inner sorrow was evident.
"What happened? What mistake did you make?" Mo Qi's heart skipped a beat, a premonition telling him that this matter was related to him.
The last time in the New Wilderness, her intervention to save him was clearly a personal act. If Shui Wancheng were to seize upon this matter and make a big fuss, she could be in great trouble.