The innkeeper was overjoyed; this was the most generous patron he had encountered all day. In his excitement, he continuously refilled Mo Qi and Pei Ruxue’s tea. Before they could finish one cup, another was immediately placed before them, showcasing his utmost hospitality.
Prosperity is fleeting; solitude is the norm. Two to three hours later, the people from the mountain began to disperse. The previously brightly lit scene gradually dwindled to scattered specks of light.
The tea stall saw people coming and going, a constant stream of new faces. Only Mo Qi and Pei Ruxue remained seated throughout. By now, Mo Qi could no longer bear it. He glanced at Pei Ruxue and asked, "Perhaps we should leave?"
Pei Ruxue nodded. "Let's go. We'll leave."
Just then, a clear whistle pierced the silent night sky. The colorful magical artifact lights floating in the sky instantly dimmed and vanished into the darkness.
A clamor erupted, and people began to panic, looking around in confusion.
"What happened? What's going on?"
"The magical artifacts are gone."
"Did the Gu Diao eat them? Has the Gu Diao appeared? Where is it?"
"I don't know. It's terrifying. I feel like it's right beside us."
"Run! Quickly, let's escape!"
Someone shouted, and then everyone began to scatter, creating utter chaos.
At the tea stall, the innkeeper, sensing the anomaly, immediately sprang into action. He swiftly packed up the tables, stools, bowls, teapots, and other items into his storage bag. In the blink of an eye, the tea stall, once fully equipped with tea sets and furniture, transformed into an empty space. Those who had been seated tumbled to the ground.
Mo Qi and Pei Ruxue stood up in time, avoiding a fall.
The innkeeper said, "My apologies, everyone. Survival is paramount. I must take my leave." With that, he ignored the curses and shouts of others, spread his figure, and departed.
Everyone remarked that before setting up his stall, he must have rehearsed this countless times in his mind to be so proficient.
At this moment, people from the mountain were fleeing, scrambling and tumbling out, utterly disheveled.
Those at the mountain entrance saw nothing terrifying and were not as panicked. They craned their necks, peering intently behind the fleeing crowd, but saw nothing.
Suddenly, the earth began to tremble and shake. Many lost their footing and fell to the ground, only to fall again after managing to get up. Many simply flew into the air, looking down with tension and anticipation at the scene below.
A long beam of light tore open a rift in the ground, shooting upwards. The ground continued to crack, and the light spread, illuminating the entire night sky.
A few people were standing directly over the rift and, caught completely off guard, fell into it. The remaining people all ascended into the air.
Mo Qi and others watched the changes in the rift with bated breath, observing it continuously widen.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the rift, its dragon horns and gaping maw instantly recognizable.
"It's the Gu Diao! It's the Gu Diao!" some people shouted loudly.
The Gu Diao quickly revealed its full form. It was as large as half a mountain, sprawled across the land. Its fierce, clawing appearance seemed poised to devour everything. As the Gu Diao emerged fully from the rift, colorful magical artifacts and divine abilities rained down upon it. The Gu Diao let out a mournful cry and lunged forward like a roc spreading its wings, soaring towards the people in the air. Simultaneously, it opened its massive mouth and unleashed a red ripple that expanded violently both vertically and horizontally. With a "hum," it was as if a malevolent power sealed beneath the earth for millennia had erupted. The red ripple struck the crowd heavily. Dark shadows flew from their bodies, instantly shattering in the air and vanishing. Their bodies (corpses) then drifted gracefully towards the ground. The Gu Diao met them head-on, swallowing them whole with a single gulp, chewing and then swallowing them.
Mo Qi, Pei Ruxue, and a few other individuals with slightly higher cultivation had dodged aside before the ripple hit. However, the ripple's range was vast, and almost everyone was affected by its residual force to some degree. Mo Qi activated his Soul Calming Technique, which rendered the attack completely ineffective against him. The others activated their spiritual energy, resisting for a long while before managing to stabilize their souls and prevent them from escaping their bodies.
In its pursuit of devouring humans, this Gu Diao directly attacked the soul, shattering it completely. The spirit was annihilated, but the form remained. It did not stop there, but also swallowed the mere husk, demonstrating its extreme wickedness.
Many were utterly terrified. Their earlier ambition and confidence in vanquishing demons and bringing justice to the people were now completely forgotten. Fear had conquered all. Before the Gu Diao could strike again, most had already fled at top speed.
Only Mo Qi, Pei Ruxue, and another young man in white remained in the air. Mo Qi glanced at the young man, then turned his attention back to Pei Ruxue. "You should escape too. I'll hold it off for a while. If I can defeat it, I will. If not, I'll escape."
Pei Ruxue snorted. "If you're going to run, run first. Don't underestimate me."
At that moment, the Gu Diao lunged forward. Suddenly, it inhaled sharply, and a vortex swept towards them, like a tornado, violently lifting the three of them and drawing them into its maw.
Mo Qi hastily waved his hand, and a claw-like shadow shot out, instantly gripping a distant rock. With his other hand, he embraced Pei Ruxue's waist and pulled forcefully, narrowly escaping the vortex's grasp. They landed on the mountaintop.
Only then did Mo Qi look around. He saw the young man in white shooting towards the Gu Diao's mouth like a bolt of lightning, his speed even faster than the Gu Diao's suction.
The young man in white fell into the beast's mouth without incident. Mo Qi closed his eyes briefly. "It's over. Bad luck."
But when he opened his eyes, he saw the young cultivator in white transform into a white light, like a sword beam, shooting out from the Gu Diao's nape.
A smile appeared on Mo Qi's face. "It seems he has some skills after all."
However, this level of attack seemed to cause the Gu Diao no significant damage.
The Gu Diao let out an enraged roar that shook the heavens and earth. It then turned its head and lunged towards the young man.
"Can you let go of me now?" a slightly cold voice sounded, jolting Mo Qi from his daze. He looked down to see Pei Ruxue still in his arms, a blush coloring her cheeks.
Mo Qi immediately released her. Pei Ruxue stood steadily on the ground.
"Um, thank you for that just now," Pei Ruxue said, looking at Mo Qi.
Mo Qi waved his hand. "No need to be polite, Aunt Pei."
Pei Ruxue's eyes widened again, and she clenched her fists.
Mo Qi stuck out his tongue and immediately pointed towards the Gu Diao. "Look quickly! Look at that young cultivator. He seems quite formidable."
At that moment, the young man transformed into a sword light, repeatedly piercing in and out of the Gu Diao's body. The Gu Diao roared in anger, occasionally spitting out a ripple. The young man's movements were swift, and he dodged the ripples each time. However, the ripples' range was too vast, and his form would momentarily falter with each impact, as if struck by something. Gradually, his speed visibly decreased, and he seemed to struggle more as he passed through the Gu Diao's body. While his passage through the Gu Diao did inflict damage, it was not fatal. The Gu Diao's recovery ability was extremely strong, and it gradually gained the upper hand in the confrontation.
Mo Qi turned to Pei Ruxue and said, "That young man is about to collapse. Wait for me here. I'm going to help that young cultivator."
Pei Ruxue retorted defiantly, "Why should I wait here? I'm going too."
Mo Qi glared at her, his eyes holding an unyielding resolve. "Do you have a way to deal with the beast's immense suction?"
Pei Ruxue was momentarily speechless, merely looking at Mo Qi stubbornly.
Under the moonlight, her fair skin reflected the light, like blooming lilies, possessing a cool beauty. Mo Qi watched the beast ravage in the distance, suddenly feeling a sense of desolation.
There were too many beautiful things in the human world worth cherishing, like the captivating woman before him. However, for every beauty in the world, there was also darkness. If no one stood up to sweep away that darkness, much of the world's beauty would fade.
He couldn't help but take a step forward, moving closer to Pei Ruxue. Pei Ruxue nervously looked up at him, her gaze meeting his fiery eyes before she lowered her head again. Mo Qi reached out a hand towards her smooth, fair skin. Pei Ruxue held her breath, her heart pounding wildly. However, Mo Qi's hand stopped in mid-air, eventually retracting. He then turned and resolutely left, lunging towards the Gu Diao.
He hadn't gone far before he suddenly stopped in mid-air. He turned back, a mischievous grin on his face, and patted his storage bag, summoning the Five-Colored Pagoda into the air. Pei Ruxue's expression changed drastically. "What are you doing?"
Mo Qi maintained his smirk. "I know you'll follow me after I leave. You know you're no match for it, so why throw yourself against a stone?"
Pei Ruxue cursed him. "You scoundrel! You'd rather I die." Amidst her curses, her body twisted rapidly, and she quickly entered the Five-Colored Pagoda. Mo Qi then retracted the pagoda and returned it to his storage bag.
Simultaneously, he turned his body and lunged towards the Gu Diao once more.
At this moment, the young cultivator had just emerged from the Gu Diao's body, appearing particularly weak. The Gu Diao spat out a ripple, and the young cultivator dodged swiftly, but the edge of the ripple grazed him. His body fell like a kite with a broken string. Simultaneously, a phantom image moved out of his body. Just as it was about to deviate from his form, he sharply tapped his brow. A golden light flashed from his brow, instantly covering his entire body. The phantom image slowly realigned itself, eventually merging with the golden light.
Mo Qi swallowed five emergency pills in quick succession, his spiritual energy surging wildly within him. He formed a hand seal, and a ripple appeared before him. Within the ripple, a vortex swirled, and countless arrowheads materialized in the vortex. These arrows stood side by side, and together they formed a colossal arrow that resonated with a dragon's roar. Mo Qi pointed his hand, and the giant arrow shot out like lightning towards the Gu Diao, gathering momentum and wind as it flew. Its path was dazzlingly bright, with sparks flying from its edges, igniting fierce flames.
The Gu Diao, about to lunge at the young man again, sensed movement from its flank and hastily turned. Judging by its trajectory, it was an attack of extraordinary power. It immediately flashed away, its body appearing miles away. The Gu Diao, despite its massive size, was surprisingly agile.
Mo Qi formed another hand seal and pointed again, guiding the giant arrow towards the Gu Diao. The Gu Diao turned, realizing it couldn't dodge. There was no fear in its eyes. It landed on the ground, crouching low and emitting a gurgling sound, like bubbles rising from underwater.
In just a breath, the Gu Diao opened its mouth and spat out a ripple that expanded outwards. This ripple was distinctly different from the previous ones. Previously, the center was hollow and the edges solid; now, both the center and the edges had become substantial. A red ripple, connecting heaven and earth, like a vertical expanse of red earth, slammed towards Mo Qi with immense force.
It was clear that previously, in its attempt to devour humans, it had only intended to shatter their souls, conserving some divine power for the attack. Now, it was using its full strength, intending to block Mo Qi's attack and utterly annihilate him, body and soul.
The next moment, the giant arrow struck the ripple with a world-shattering roar. The ripple, starting from the center, shattered outwards. However, the fragments did not dissipate but continued to sweep towards Mo Qi like a sandstorm. Mo Qi, unable to evade, could only activate his protective divine light shield and the nascent indestructible Vajra Garment he had recently refined.
His body was ultimately caught by the surging waves and thrown heavily onto the ground. His internal qi and blood churned, and his body was covered in minor injuries, appearing pitted.
The giant arrow, having passed through the ripple, had its brilliance greatly diminished. It struck the Gu Diao as expected, sending it tumbling to the ground with a pained cry.
Mo Qi stood up and saw that the Gu Diao had only sustained minor injuries. He gained a deeper understanding of its tough hide, but fortunately, he had many more methods at his disposal.
The next moment, he placed his hand on the ground, and an endless cold descended, enveloping the earth, transforming the surrounding area into a world of ice and snow. Mo Qi's divine sense continued to probe deeper. Suddenly, a muffled roar echoed through the heavens and earth. A crack appeared in the ground, rapidly expanding. From it, a massive white figure suddenly shot out. It was covered in white feathers, its body shaped like a bear, with a snout protruding forward, much smaller than the Gu Diao's gaping maw. However, its claws were gleaming, like steel knives embedded in its paws, emitting a chilling glow that sent shivers down one's spine.
What Mo Qi was employing was the summoning art from the Ice and Snow divine abilities.