What followed was even more terrifying. The aura emanating from Shi Siyao instantly spread, devouring the heavens and earth. Shi Siyao's petite frame seemed to contain an immeasurable might, looking down upon the world. Simultaneously, an endless bloodthirsty aura permeated the air, as if the River Styx had breached its banks, unleashing boundless desolation and carnage.
The old man's eyes involuntarily revealed a look of fear. For a moment, he forgot to say "take me home" and unconsciously released Mo Qi.
The next moment, the pestle began to spin, like the gears of reincarnation meshing.
Mo Qi was greatly alarmed. Judging by her posture, she intended to annihilate both him and the old man.
"If not now, when?" Shi Siyao's voice suddenly echoed in his ear.
Mo Qi finally confirmed that she intended to save him, but why? He decided it was best not to get involved with such an evil woman. He glanced at the old man again, noticing a faint, indescribable look of extreme terror in his eyes, as if he could already smell death.
He felt a surge of pity for the poor old man.
A divine light enveloped the old man, shielding him completely. He had clearly activated his protective barrier. At the same time, he raised his hands, and the sound of wind and thunder arose, a faint yellow light circulating in his palms.
Mo Qi's gaze was resolute. He first consumed an emergency pill, then activated his own divine protective barrier. His eyes held a look of defiance in the face of death.
Wu Siqi stood frozen, lost in thought.
Xue Nu and Lu Xiaoyue watched Mo Qi, both showing expressions of confusion. Their confusion stemmed from two points: what was Shi Siyao's purpose in pursuing them? Wasn't she there to save someone? Yet, the current situation suggested both Mo Qi and the old man were within her attack range. Secondly, the old man had already released Mo Qi; why didn't he flee?
They couldn't hear Shi Siyao's telepathic message to Mo Qi, so they were unaware of her initial intention to spare him.
However, at this moment, Shi Siyao frowned, then a sinister smile played on her lips. "You wish to challenge me? Excellent!"
The pestle spun rapidly, and the countless small orbs on its ring instantly materialized into numerous blood-red halos, erupting forth and forming a continuous expanse in the air, like a blood curtain spreading across the sky, engulfing Mo Qi and the old man.
Mo Qi immediately summoned the Bone-Corroding Mirror, which emitted a dazzling radiance. The artifact, imbued with sentience, seemed to sense the opponent's power and bloodlust. Although its divine ability was unleashed, it was clear at a glance that the mirror's brilliance was faltering against the blood curtain. Its light dimmed before even making contact, and upon contact, it was instantly swallowed.
However, the Bone-Corroding Mirror was also an artifact designed to absorb enemy abilities. In their fierce struggle, as it was being shattered, it managed to inflict a minor wound on the blood curtain. The blood curtain gradually shifted from its original crimson to a lighter shade. But then, it completely consumed the Bone-Corroding Mirror without a trace.
Mo Qi was greatly alarmed. He consumed another emergency pill, curious about the effects of taking two simultaneously. He could feel his spiritual energy surge instantly, coursing wildly through his internal organs and blood vessels, his bones creaking audibly.
Meanwhile, the old man's palms unleashed streams of yellow mist, forming curved lines in the air, resembling serpentine creatures twisting and turning, their scarlet tongues flicking. They lunged towards the enemy, all the spiritual snakes coiling and connecting at an angle, leaving no gaps. Once they burrowed into the blood curtain, they began to gnaw ferociously, emitting crunching sounds. However, this was met with continuous booming explosions. The spiritual snakes seemed to corrode, their shapes blurring and eventually dissipating into fragments.
Yet, half of the blood curtain remained, still spreading across the sky, its bloodthirsty aura relentlessly pressing towards Mo Qi and the old man.
Mo Qi formed a hand seal, and a ripple appeared before him. Within the ripple, arrows were tightly linked, followed by countless more, connected end-to-end. Mo Qi pointed his finger, as if unleashing the explosive power within his veins and bones. The arrows rang out, majestically slicing through the air with the power to penetrate all, and the two forces finally collided.
It was like a river bursting its dam, the roar deafening and continuous. Red and white lights tore at each other, crashing against one another. The white arrows ripped openings in the blood curtain, only to be dissolved, followed by more arrows that continued to tear at the openings. Blood-red light splattered, interspersed with flashes of white light, like distant stars in the night sky, a single bright point connecting to illuminate the entire firmament.
Killing intent flared in Shi Siyao's eyes as she prepared to spin the pestle again.
At this moment, Xue Nu appeared behind her and softly chided, "Stop."
Lu Xiaoyue, who had already reached Shi Siyao's side, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions, struggled for a moment before pressing a flying sword to Shi Siyao's neck. Xue Nu then ascended and placed an ice sword against Shi Siyao's throat.
Shi Siyao raised her hands, a smile on her face. "Alright, I'll stop."
The pestle vanished into thin air, presumably hidden away by her.
By then, the white arrows had been depleted, and only a final residual trace of the blood curtain remained, heading towards Mo Qi and the old man. Since Shi Siyao did not follow up with further attacks, the two of them swiftly dodged to the side. Although they were brushed by the residual force, their protective barriers absorbed the impact.
The old man steadied himself, a look of bewilderment on his face. "How did I get here? Who are you people?"
Mo Qi smiled. "We are travelers. You were asking for directions. You mentioned you were going to the Nine Divine Realms; that way is correct." Mo Qi pointed in the direction he had come from.
The old man, completely convinced, thanked them profusely and floated away.
Mo Qi watched him depart, his heart unsettled. He should have been happy to see the "plague god" gone, but for some reason, his heart felt heavier.
Shi Siyao looked at Lu Xiaoyue with amusement. "I can understand why the white-haired girl is helping him, but what's your reason for helping him?"
Lu Xiaoyue retracted her flying sword, her pretty face flushing slightly. "We are all here on a mission. There's no need for us to kill each other."
"Yes, no need to kill each other," Shi Siyao gently pushed away the ice sword that Xue Nu had held against her delicate neck, then looked at Mo Qi with a devilish smile. "We are allies. Why are you helping outsiders?"
Mo Qi had no desire to be her ally, nor did he want to provoke her. He smiled slightly. "Miss Shi is such a delicate young lady; I couldn't bear to see you commit murder."
The old man, at least at the Nascent Soul stage, had been unable to resist Shi Siyao's artifact attack. He himself, after consuming two emergency pills and working with the old man, had only barely managed to block her strike. Just how powerful was her destructive force?
Shi Siyao was unexpectedly delighted. For the first time, her face bloomed with a pure, innocent, and childlike smile. "You are paying attention to me. You know my name?"
Mo Qi muttered to himself, *You were staring at me with that creepy smile earlier; of course, I'd pay attention.*
However, he was instantly captivated by the radiant smile Shi Siyao was now displaying, like a hundred flowers blooming in a spring breeze. He stared, mesmerized.
"You possess a peerless beauty, young lady. Who wouldn't want to pay attention to you?" Mo Qi said, regaining his composure.
Since she was easily pleased, he decided to indulge her.
"Hehe, not at all. Actually, I've been paying attention to you too. How about we try dating?" Shi Siyao suddenly darted in front of Mo Qi.
This was too abrupt, and Mo Qi was caught off guard, startled enough to nearly fall from the clouds.
Dating? Was she joking? Although Mo Qi found her appearance attractive, her aura of wickedness was truly daunting.
Xue Nu looked at Mo Qi with sudden tension, while Lu Xiaoyue also watched him, her expression complex, her thoughts unreadable.
Wu Siqi gradually approached the four. Hearing Shi Siyao's "shocking declaration," he adopted a look of detached amusement, neither smiling nor crying.
Mo Qi was in a dilemma. If he refused, he feared provoking her; if he accepted, he dreaded a difficult future.
But then he considered that she had said "try dating," not "actually date." Moreover, at this moment, it was not advisable to fall out with her. He could try to appease her for now.
"We can try dating first," Mo Qi nodded, then immediately said with a serious expression, "But during this period, we must absolutely maintain proper conduct and treat each other with respect."
Disappointment flickered in Xue Nu's eyes.
Shi Siyao burst into laughter. "You're overthinking it. Who wants to date you? I was just teasing. You're average-looking, and your cultivation is lower than mine. Why would I want to date you?"
"That's true. I knew my luck with romance wouldn't be that fast," Mo Qi said, a hint of disappointment in his voice, followed by a forced smile.
Xue Nu let out a sigh of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted.
Lu Xiaoyue looked on with disdain. *What a lecher. He's really embarrassed himself this time.*
Seeing the beautiful women flocking around Mo Qi, Wu Siqi's envy grew. Seizing what seemed like an opportunity, he stepped forward and politely addressed Lu Xiaoyue. "My name is Wu Siqi. May I know your esteemed name?"
Lu Xiaoyue glanced at him sideways and said faintly, "Lu Xiaoyue," then turned away, looking in another direction. Her aloof gaze and discourteous gesture were unmistakable.
Wu Siqi felt the air around him freeze. Had he just been shut out? Yet, he tried to comfort himself, thinking that at least she had told him her name, which was some solace.
With this thought, his spirits lifted.
At this moment, the sky flickered with light and shadow as another group arrived. They seemed to be investigating the earlier incident of beast souls flying everywhere. Mo Qi and his companions had already moved from their original location. After a fruitless search, they had tracked them here.
The new arrivals consisted of three people: an elder, a young female cultivator, and a young male cultivator.
The elder scanned everyone with sharp eyes. "Excuse me, did you happen to see anyone absorbing beast souls here earlier?"
As Shi Siyao was about to speak, Mo Qi quickly interjected, "No, we didn't. We are also searching. Such people are detestable, utterly wicked and insane. If I catch them, I will teach them a severe lesson."
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Shi Siyao.
Shi Siyao tilted her head, adopting an arrogant posture. *Try and teach me a lesson.*
The elder then asked, "Who are you people, and what are you doing here?"
Wu Siqi was about to answer when Mo Qi again cut in, "Why don't you tell us who you are and what you're doing here first?"