Some people in the crowd were still clueless. A middle-aged man with a small mustache on his upper lip jumped out, pointing at Mo Qi's nose. "We don't have any magical artifacts, so why do you have them all? It should be shared among whoever sees them." He looked so indignant, as if he was itching to snatch them.
At this moment, the emotions of others were also stirred. They saw that Mo Qi, despite his ferocious appearance, was actually extremely weak. They all surrounded Mo Qi. Mo Qi's eyes showed disdain, and Pei Ruxue's expression was solemn, preparing to meet the enemy.
Just then, a sword light, accompanied by a humming sound, arrived abruptly. Without any warning, it pierced through the body of the middle-aged man with the mustache, and then through the bodies of two other people beside him.
Then, with a swish, it returned. The white-clothed youth hovered in mid-air, his angry eyes sweeping across everyone surrounding Mo Qi. "Why? Because he defeated the Gu Diao by himself, he deserves to possess all these magical artifacts. When the Gu Diao emerged from the ground, you ran faster than rats. Now that the Gu Diao is dead and there's profit to be made, you all come back to share the spoils. I have never seen such shameless people in this world."
These words, full of righteousness and sternness, stunned the crowd. People shook their heads and sighed, leaving in disappointment.
By then, the sky had brightened. Dust was flying from the mountain's turn, and the sound of hoofbeats was incessant. A large group of people on horseback was approaching grandly. The person in the lead was Zhen Gui, with Zhen Zhen to his rear.
As the group passed by, they happened to brush shoulders with those who were leaving. Every one of them had their eyes wide open, scanning the hands of those departing, looking for the Dragon Seeking Sword. They knew that all these people were cultivators, and even if they saw someone holding the Dragon Seeking Sword, they would probably only politely negotiate, not necessarily take it back.
The group stopped in front of Mo Qi and the others. Everyone dismounted. Zhen Zhen walked up to Mo Qi, a beautiful smile on her face. "Brother Mo, it's so good to see you. When I sent you a message, I had no hope. I couldn't handle it myself when I returned, so when I knew you were coming, I also rushed back immediately. Thank you so much."
Her gratitude and excitement were evident.
Mo Qi's lips moved, and he felt a dizzying sensation, as if the world was spinning, and then he lost consciousness.
If he had taken a healing pill earlier, he would have been almost recovered by now. However, because he had been forced to interrupt the process to grab the magical artifacts, his injuries had not only failed to heal but had worsened.
Pei Ruxue and Zhen Zhen hurriedly supported Mo Qi, preventing him from falling to the ground.
The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously thought in their hearts: So beautiful!
"What should we do?" Zhen Zhen asked, flustered.
"Take him back to the palace and have the imperial physicians treat him," Zhen Gui said.
"Okay, let's do that," Zhen Zhen replied.
Pei Ruxue let out a soft scoff, unheard by anyone. She thought, if the imperial physicians treated him, he would be beyond saving.
But aloud, she said, "Let's use flying techniques to take him there. This will save some time."
Zhen Zhen nodded in agreement. Thus, the two, one on each side, supported Mo Qi and flew towards the direction of the palace. The white-clothed youth, having developed a strong interest in Mo Qi, also followed them.
Zhen Gui and the others, unable to use flying techniques, could only sigh, remount their horses, and gallop towards the palace.
As Zhen Zhen walked, she suddenly felt her hand getting wet. She pulled it back and saw a bloody mess. She turned to look at Mo Qi's back and almost fainted, tears streaming down her face. "Brother Mo!"
Turning her face, she saw Pei Ruxue's solemn expression and couldn't help but ask, "Can Brother Mo still be saved?" Pei Ruxue had witnessed Mo Qi's astonishing self-healing abilities. She knew very well that Mo Qi had merely fainted and would recover quickly once he woke up, took a pill, and circulated some energy for healing. However, seeing Zhen Zhen calling him "Brother Mo" left her feeling quite displeased. She deliberately wanted to provoke her a little. "The possibility of saving him is probably slim. But my word is not final. You should go back and ask your imperial physicians."
Upon hearing this, Zhen Zhen's heart sank by half, and tears began to flow uncontrollably. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have asked you to come."
As they spoke, they arrived at the palace. With Zhen Zhen accompanying them, the group passed through without any obstruction. Zhen Zhen directly took Mo Qi to the princess's residence and urgently summoned the imperial physicians.
After examining Mo Qi's injuries, the imperial physicians shook their heads. "It's difficult. Even if his life is saved, he will surely be paralyzed and bedridden for the rest of his life." After prescribing a medicine, he left in a hurry.
Hearing the imperial physician's words, Zhen Zhen was heartbroken and cried as if her life depended on it.
Pei Ruxue and the white-clothed youth each found a rooftop to meditate, quietly waiting for Mo Qi to wake up.
In the South Sea, a giant turtle floated silently on the sea. Several mountain peaks stood on the turtle's back. Between the mountains, a group of people was fighting. It was the battle between the disciples of the Four Great Sects led by Elder Leng and the disciples of the Divine Turtle Sect led by Xiao Bai.
It turned out that after the divine turtle submerged, a barrier opened on its back, preventing any water from entering the mountain gate. Everyone was safe and sound. The disciples of the Four Great Sects believed that the disciples of the Divine Turtle Sect had awakened the divine turtle, causing it to swim in the sea and putting everyone in danger. They demanded that the Divine Turtle Sect find a way to return the divine turtle. However, Xiao Bai of the Divine Turtle Sect stated that he had not awakened the divine turtle, nor did he know that it would awaken or where it would swim, and he had no way to make it swim back.
Thus, the two sides began to fight, battling for days and nights, with casualties on both sides. Finally, Elder Leng, seeing that this continued fighting was not a solution, ordered his side to cease. After his side stopped, the other side also stopped.
Elder Leng proposed that each side occupy three mountain peaks and cease to disturb each other, maintaining a clear boundary. Xiao Bai agreed, and thus the two sides ceased hostilities.
However, the problem remained, like a mist lingering in everyone's mind: where would this divine turtle swim?
The leaders of the Four Great Sects, except for the Elder of the Divine Escape Sect, were all peak lords. Therefore, each sect followed Elder Leng's lead. Elder Leng summoned several peak lords to discuss countermeasures. Qiu Chuyue of the Divine Mist Sect said, "We can ride the clouds and fly back across the sea."
Ling Xu of the Divine Sword Sect shook his head. "That's not advisable. Firstly, it's difficult to distinguish east from west at sea, and secondly, there are many islands in the South Sea, with countless cultivation sects. Once we fly over them, they will treat us as invading enemies and attempt to intercept us."
Qiu Chuyue asked, "Then what should we do? We can't just let it take us wherever it wants to go, and we don't even know where that is? Moreover, this giant turtle could dive at any moment, and we don't even know if the barrier will work next time it dives."
Situ Feng of the Divine Pill Sect said, "I think it would be better if we, with our sufficient manpower, formed a sect. Why not elect a new sect leader?" He glanced at Elder Leng, who remained composed. Situ Feng continued, "Let's establish a new sect, then find an island in the South Sea and settle there. From then on, we can wait for an opportunity to return to the Southern Continent."
Ling Xu immediately nodded in agreement. "I agree, and I believe Elder Leng is suitable to be the new sect leader."
Qiu Chuyue, seeing them exchange knowing glances, immediately understood. Elder Leng had already colluded with the other two sects and had persuaded them. He hadn't approached her privately, believing it unnecessary, as she would inevitably compromise under pressure.
Qiu Chuyue immediately smiled. "I agree. I also believe Elder Leng is capable of being the new sect leader and is the most suitable candidate."
Elder Leng feigned surprise. "How could I, an old man, be worthy? Why would you think of me?" He then politely declined several times, but ultimately, unable to refuse, he reluctantly accepted.
After further discussion, they decided to absorb the Divine Turtle Sect as well. Xiao Bai would serve as the deputy sect leader. If he agreed, so be it; if not, they would attack and subdue him by force.
That evening, Xiao Bai received the notification. After careful consideration, Xiao Bai agreed to their proposal. Thus, a new cultivation sect was born in the South Sea – the Divine Movement Sect. However, this sect was established on the back of a turtle, and this giant turtle was constantly moving, with no one knowing where it would swim.
Initially, everyone didn't pay much attention. No matter how long it swam, there would eventually be a shore. Once it reached the shore, they would disembark, and after that, they wouldn't care where it went.
One day, Sect Leader Leng stood on the peak and saw an island in the distance. His heart filled with joy, thinking they could finally reach the shore. He immediately issued orders for everyone to prepare to land, and the disciples rejoiced.
However, moments later, their joy turned to dismay. As they approached, they discovered that the island was extremely small, less than a tenth the size of the turtle's back. If there were only a few people, it would be fine, but with so many people, it was not suitable for survival.
Yet, no one could control the divine turtle's direction. The divine turtle continued to swim towards the small island. "It won't stop by the island, will it?" everyone wondered. That would be good. If so, they could set up camp here.
The divine turtle indeed stopped by the small island, clinging tightly to it, as if becoming one with it, forming a larger island.
Just as everyone thought they could settle down here, a rumbling sound came from the ground. The divine turtle mountain trembled and began to move slowly again.
At this moment, many people on the turtle's back cheered. To their surprise, the small island had also become one with the divine turtle mountain and began to move slowly, making the divine turtle seem much larger.
The people on the mountain had never witnessed such a scene and couldn't help but exclaim with genuine admiration and cheers.
However, Sect Leader Leng was not excited. He had a vague premonition that something was about to happen.
Indeed, moments later, at the foot of the mountain, dark figures began to crawl out of the water from all directions. Upon closer inspection, everyone's skin crawled.
Someone exclaimed, "So many turtles!"
"Such big turtles!"
The turtles had heads as large as millstones, and each turtle was like a small mountain. The dense mass of turtles formed a small mountain range, encircling inwards.
Sect Leader Leng ordered them to stand ready for battle. However, at this moment, the turtles stopped moving. They simply tilted their heads towards the sky, as if worshipping something.
Everyone followed suit, looking up at the sky, wondering if a celestial maiden would descend. However, after a long, long time, their necks grew sore, but no celestial maiden appeared, nor did anything else. The turtles remained in that posture, as if frozen in place.
Since they were not moving, there was no need to engage them. Sect Leader Leng issued further orders for guards to be posted, taking turns on duty, maintaining vigilance. If the turtles moved forward again, they were to be driven away by force.
At this moment, Ling Xu approached, his face filled with anxiety. "Sect Leader, I don't think these turtles are ordinary. They seem to be setting up some formation or performing some secret art. I believe we cannot wait passively; we must strike first and kill them all."
Sect Leader Leng nodded. "I'm also thinking, the mountain beneath our feet is transformed from a divine turtle. Were these turtles summoned by it? I increasingly feel that an invisible force is threatening us."
Ling Xu nodded in deep agreement.
While they were speaking, Xiao Bai and several other peak lords also arrived, all expressing their inner unease.
Xiao Bai said, "Those turtles are looking up at the sky, as if performing some spell. In a moment, my brothers felt as if something had been drained from them. Their bodies became withered, their spirits weak, and some couldn't even stand up."
"Yes, let alone them, I even feel my primordial spirit being violently torn apart by something. At first, I didn't notice, but now that I think about it, we may have fallen under a spell without realizing it," Sect Leader Leng said.
"Yes, I feel the same way. It's truly too bizarre," Ling Xu said.
At this moment, another island appeared in front.
Sect Leader Leng pondered for a moment and said, "Let's first observe what happens when the divine turtle reaches this island before making any decisions."
So, everyone looked into the distance. They saw that the divine turtle did not stop. Initially, it was not moving towards the island, but as it got closer, it changed direction and headed directly for the island.
Moments later, the divine turtle stopped by the island again. After a while, the rumbling sound began, and the divine turtle mountain pushed the island, moving again. The entire divine turtle mountain grew larger and larger.
However, this time, no one was excited or thrilled. Everyone felt that this matter was too strange and not just a marvel.
As the divine turtle mountain moved again, the turtles also moved again. More turtles crawled out of the sea onto the shore.