Mo Qi and Xue Nu fled outwards. Xue Nu had not been prepared for the escape. At the moment the dan furnace exploded, she hastily activated her protective divine light. Although Mo Qi blocked most of the attacks behind her, she was still injured by the explosive force, her vitality depleted. Now, pulled by Mo Qi, half dragged and half running, she felt her blood surge and almost fainted.
Mo Qi hurriedly held her in his arms, not daring to stop for a moment, and continued to fly out of the cave at lightning speed. He knew the old dragon would not give up, and he also knew the old dragon was cursed and could not leave the cave. But he didn't dare to test the range of its power, so the farther they went, the better. Only when they were out of the barrier would he feel safe.
At this moment, the collapse behind them gradually stopped, and the collapsed cave gradually resumed its original appearance. Mo Qi immediately realized that some unusual power was intervening. Without time to think about what power was involved, he could only speed up and flee outwards.
At this moment, a dazzling white light filled the entire cave, rapidly engulfing the two of them.
The speed of the white light was so fast that it seemed to envelop them in the blink of an eye. Even if they had wings, they probably couldn't fly out. He took a teleportation dan, and his speed increased slightly. However, when he looked back, he saw the cave still collapsing behind him, and the white light was still shortening the distance between them, almost touching his back.
Mo Qi instantly fell into despair.
Just then, countless black energies permeated the surroundings, instantly lifting their bodies and flying outwards.
In that instant, their bodies were like beams of light, trailing long black tails as they sped forward.
In a flash, they rushed out of the barrier and floated on the sea.
Just behind them, the white light emitted by the dragon pearl engulfed everything, turning all plants and animals on the ground into dust.
As they crossed the barrier, the hoarse and desperate voice of the old dragon echoed in their ears: "If you leak the matter of the barrier to anyone, you will be cursed for a lifetime."
Mo Qi, holding Xue Nu in his arms, flickered upwards to the side and landed steadily on the cliff.
Mo Qi stood there blankly, looking into the void, and murmured, "It was those soul spirits who saved us. I wonder if they managed to get out!"
Xue Nu also sighed softly, "May good people be rewarded."
Suddenly, she noticed Mo Qi was still holding her. Shyly, she pushed his hands away and managed to stand steadily. She gave him a resentful look and said, "What's your plan? Can you tell me in advance?"
Mo Qi showed an apologetic expression and said, "Actually, I'm not sure if I can succeed. I'm just taking it one step at a time. It's a miracle that we managed to get out safely. After all, that old monster's cultivation is too high."
As he spoke, Mo Qi handed a healing dan to Xue Nu. Xue Nu took the pill and felt a sense of surviving a disaster. "I can't even imagine it. If we had to stay in there for a lifetime..."
Mo Qi followed her gaze to the barrier entrance, which had disappeared without a trace. He couldn't help but shiver. "Let's go, we should leave here quickly."
"But where should we go next?" Xue Nu asked.
Mo Qi knew her concerns. Logically, they should go to the Duoshe Cliff guard post to pick up Wu Siqi. Wu Siqi was probably still waiting on the mountain. But the problem was that Fang Buyi must have recovered by now. Given Mo Qi's attitude and methods towards him before, Fang Buyi would surely not let it go and would be waiting on the mountain for revenge.
Mo Qi also fell into hesitation.
"How about we go down the mountain together? I'll go find Wu Siqi on the mountain, and you wait for us down here. Then we'll leave together," Xue Nu suggested.
"Alright," Mo Qi said. "But I must state that I'm not afraid of him. I just think we should avoid unnecessary conflicts as much as possible. Isn't it best to seek harmony in all things?"
Xue Nu rolled her eyes. "If you had remembered to seek harmony earlier, you wouldn't have gotten into this situation with Fang Buyi."
Mo Qi was rendered speechless and after a pause, said sheepishly, "It was just an impulse, just an impulse."
With their minds made up, they were about to head down the mountain when figures flickered in the air. In the blink of an eye, several figures landed on the ground from the sky. Upon closer inspection, it was Fang Buyi, Liu Sha, and Wu Siqi.
Mo Qi immediately entered a state of alert, his eyes fixed on Fang Buyi.
Fang Buyi chuckled, "Brother Mo, there's no need to be so nervous. Everything that happened before was a misunderstanding. I won't hold it against you, and I hope you won't mind it either."
As he spoke, he came over and, as if they were old friends, clapped Mo Qi on the shoulder. "We didn't know each other before, but we've gotten to know each other through fighting. You'll find that I'm a very easy person to get along with." His deep voice, rugged face, and tall, sturdy physique made him seem like a bold and unrestrained man.
Mo Qi forced a smile, "I'm also very easy to get along with."
"We've been looking for you all around for days. Where did you go? Why did you disappear all of a sudden and then reappear?" Wu Siqi asked.
Just as Mo Qi was about to speak, he noticed Xue Nu's eyes flickering, as if hinting at something. He immediately remembered the old dragon's warning that had echoed in his ears. He coughed and said, "We were chasing Dai Guang, following this coastline. We don't know how far we chased, and in the end, Dai Guang escaped." He thought that if he told them Dai Guang was dead, they would surely ask how he died, which would make the story more complicated. It was better to just say they didn't catch him and let Dai Guang continue to live in their hearts.
"It's okay," Fang Buyi chuckled. "If he ran away, he ran away. Anyway, this hidden danger has been exposed, and I can finally sleep soundly. All of this is thanks to Brother Mo." As he spoke, he patted Mo Qi's shoulder again. He was much taller and sturdier than Mo Qi, and his large hand on Mo Qi's shoulder felt like an eagle grabbing a chick.
Mo Qi subtly dodged. "You're welcome. I just did what I should have done." At the same time, he glanced at Fang Buyi, preparing to pat his shoulder back, but found his shoulder was too high, making him look short. So he gave up.
"Let's go, Brother Mo. Come up the mountain with me, and we'll have a few drinks," Fang Buyi said, putting his arm around Mo Qi's shoulder and pushing him forward.
The situation was such that Mo Qi couldn't refuse, nor did he feel it was appropriate to refuse. After all, he had beaten Fang Buyi up a few days ago, and now Fang Buyi was extending an olive branch without holding a grudge. So, he half-heartedly followed Fang Buyi up the mountain.
The others followed closely. Mo Qi suddenly noticed that Liu Sha and Wu Siqi's hands were naturally clasped together. He was dumbfounded. In just a few days, these two had gotten together. When he had given Wu Siqi the truth dan, his intention was for him to investigate Liu Sha for any problems. After investigating and finding no issues, Wu Siqi had made his move directly. Wu Siqi looked honest and simple, but when he got passionate, he was quite terrifying.
With the heavy burden lifted from his heart, Fang Buyi was in a great mood. He brought out the centuries-old aged wine he had brought from the Qionglu Realm, which he had been reluctant to drink, and set up a table of delicious food to entertain Mo Qi and his companions. Mo Qi and Xue Nu also felt a sense of lingering fear and had many emotions. Liu Sha and Wu Siqi had just found each other, so no one refused the request for a few drinks.
At first, everyone was a bit reserved. After a few rounds of drinks, they began to relax. Fang Buyi took a large gulp of wine, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and said in a booming voice, "Brother Mo, you suit my taste. You're just like me when I was young, so I respect you as a man."
Mo Qi also got into the mood, with a carefree smile on his face. "You're complimenting yourself!"
They both burst into laughter and then started chatting.
A moment later, somehow, the conversation turned to elixirs. Fang Buyi praised him profusely, "Brother Mo, I really didn't expect your elixirs to be so miraculous. If I had known such elixirs existed in this world, I would have sought you out long ago and wouldn't have wasted time here in vain. Later, when I inquired, I was truly impressed, brother. Your reputation in the Nine Divine Realms is thunderous, known to everyone. Brother, I was blind to your greatness. I'll punish myself with a bowl." He then stood up and drank a bowl in one gulp.
The wine was a bit strong, and Mo Qi felt a little dizzy. "Brother, you flatter me. But I dare say, when it comes to elixirs, whatever you need, just say it." He patted his chest. "I can refine it for you."
Xue Nu frowned as she watched from the side.
Fang Buyi was not polite. "I know you're capable of refining any elixir, but I'm not greedy. I don't want any other elixirs. I just want to ask for a few truth dans." He suddenly slapped himself lightly. "Look at my mouth, how can I say 'ask'? Brother, refining elixirs is not easy, and it's certainly not free. How about this, brother, name your price, and I'll buy a few from you."
Mo Qi patted Fang Buyi's shoulder. "Old Fang, you're being too formal. Why talk about buying? What's the difference between us?" Xue Nu thought, I remember you just met, and you're already this familiar?
As he spoke, Mo Qi rummaged through his storage bag for a long time, frowning, and took out a truth dan, handing it to Fang Buyi. "I'm sorry, I only have one left." Suddenly, he raised his voice. "But don't worry, as long as you need it, I'll specifically refine a batch for you next time and deliver it."
Fang Buyi accepted the elixir as if it were a treasure, carefully tucking it into his sleeve. After confirming it was safely stored, he picked up his wine bowl again and drank it down in one gulp. "Brother Mo, I'm satisfied with your promise. Brother, I toast you."
Mo Qi suddenly sighed again. "However, we didn't complete any of our missions this time. There's some regret about this trip."
Fang Buyi smiled. "I knew you weren't here specifically to help us investigate the spies. Can you tell me the content of your mission?"
Mo Qi thought for a moment and decided that the first two missions could be disclosed. So he said, "One was to find Hong Cheng, and the other mission was to apprehend an unidentified cultivator in the South Sea of Hongmeng."
Fang Buyi showed a mysterious smile. "Perhaps I can lend you a hand." Everyone stared at Fang Buyi, expecting him to continue.
Fang Buyi paused, then ordered two drawings to be brought and spread them on the table.
They were portraits of two people. Fang Buyi said, "These are portraits we drew based on the descriptions of people who have seen them. These two people are among those unidentified individuals. Now I'll give them to you. Based on these portraits, you can capture two of them."
Mo Qi said he was embarrassed as he accepted the portraits.
And that wasn't all. Fang Buyi took out a light green jade pendant and handed it to Mo Qi. "I was once an envoy from the Qionglu Realm to the Zhonghe Sect, and I had a good relationship with the Sect Leader Lian Xin. When I left, she gave me this token, saying that I could recommend a talented person to the Zhonghe Sect with this token at any time. So, take this jade pendant, and you don't need to complete any tasks."
Mo Qi put on a smiling face, but inwardly, he couldn't help but feel regret, as he most wanted to go to the Taihe Sect, not the Zhonghe Sect.
"This gift is too valuable, I really..." Mo Qi wanted to refuse, but seeing the other person's sincerity and how highly he regarded him, he didn't want to reject his good intentions.
Suddenly, his eyes darted, and he pushed the jade pendant back. "Brother, look, there are three of us here, and you only have one jade pendant. It's not appropriate for any of us three to accept it. We must advance and retreat together."
Wu Siqi immediately grabbed Liu Sha's hand and said to Mo Qi, "You don't need to consider me for this. I'm going to the Divine Turtle Sect with her. I don't want to go to the Northern Territory for now."
Fang Buyi also suddenly felt awkward. He had indeed been inconsiderate, only thinking of expressing his admiration for Mo Qi and completely disregarding the feelings of others.