Mo Qi intended to slip away quietly, but he suddenly noticed Tie Zhang sitting on the ground, healing himself. This was the best moment to strike. There was no other way; it was the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest. Being merciful to enemies was being cruel to oneself. He concealed himself and crept forward, covering Tie Zhang's mouth and stabbing him fiercely before quietly departing.
The others remained oblivious, believing Tie Zhang had died from his worsened injuries.
He then suddenly realized he could eliminate more opponents from the shadows. These people were numerous and their cultivation levels were high; simply fleeing was not a viable option. He had to quickly dispatch a few with lightning speed to weaken the enemy's combat strength before deciding whether to fight or retreat.
Currently, the largest and most concentrated group was from the Shen Dun Sect. He immediately threw a sleep-inducing pill towards their crowd.
With a booming explosion, mist rose. People instinctively held their breath, but still inhaled some to varying degrees.
The disciples of the Shen Dun Sect felt a sense of impending doom and immediately mobilized their spiritual energy to resist. Sikong, Yidian Shui, Yan Huo, Xia Musheng, Wang Shengyue, and Xin Youque, who had higher cultivation, struggled to keep their eyelids from drooping, desperately maintaining consciousness.
Meanwhile, two other disciples inhaled more of the mist. Their eyelids were so heavy they couldn't open them, and they swayed precariously, on the verge of falling asleep.
It seemed this kind of pill wasn't very effective against people, Mo Qi sighed inwardly. He would have to improve it upon his return.
However, the current opportunity could not be missed. Mo Qi formed a hand seal, and in a flash of lightning, shot a strand of arrow energy towards Sikong, Yidian Shui, Yan Huo, Xia Musheng, Wang Shengyue, and Xin Youque, respectively.
Sikong and Wang Shengyue dodged, barely managing to evade the attack.
Yidian Shui, Yan Huo, and Xia Musheng, with their slower movement techniques, sustained leg injuries while dodging. Only Xin Youque was hit in the chest by the arrow; he truly was "Xin Youque" (heart lacking) now.
Mo Qi was unwilling to stop at just eliminating one person. He then rapidly moved forward to kill the two swaying disciples.
"What kind of technique is this? Is it also Void Evasion?" Sikong asked with a look of shock.
However, Mo Qi's barrage of attacks had revealed the flow of his spiritual energy and his whereabouts. The flying swords of the Shen Jian Sect and the mist divine abilities of the Shen Wu Sect all struck towards Mo Qi's location.
Mo Qi hastily dodged, causing those divine abilities and techniques to be unleashed without reservation upon the two drowsy Shen Dun Sect disciples, instantly shredding them into pieces.
The Shen Dun Sect disciples were enraged and roared, threatening to attack the Shen Jian Sect and Shen Wu Sect. "What the hell do you mean? Are you here to kill us?"
The disciples of the Shen Jian Sect and Shen Wu Sect repeatedly apologized and explained, "We didn't do it on purpose. Mo Qi was invisible just now, he was in that direction."
"This treacherous scoundrel actually used this method to make us kill each other. Everyone, don't fall for it."
Mo Qi took advantage of the chaos and moved forward to kill Liu Yang of the Shen Jian Sect. The Shen Dun Sect disciples, whether out of revenge or genuine discovery of Mo Qi's trace, directed their divine abilities and techniques towards the Shen Jian Sect disciples.
This ignited a free-for-all. Several factions devolved into a chaotic brawl. Mo Qi seized the opportunity to pick off enemies, killing Xing Jun of the Shen Wu Sect, Jiang Wusheng of the Shen Dan Sect, and two other Shen Wu Sect disciples who were attempting to establish their foundation.
Huangfu Lin, discovering that so many of his allies were being toyed with by Mo Qi, roared in fury, "Stop!"
Simultaneously, he formed a hand seal with his right hand, and a faint sound of wind and thunder erupted.
Dark mist filled the sky, instantly obscuring the entire horizon. The clouds churned wildly, as if the sea were overturning, forming a powerful oppressive force that pressed down from above.
Everyone involuntarily stopped, looking at Huangfu Lin.
"If we continue to attack indiscriminately like this, Mo Qi will defeat us one by one, and we will all die here," Huangfu Lin declared in a voice like a booming bell.
Under his intimidating presence, everyone ceased their attacks. After a brief analysis of the situation, they gradually calmed down.
Seeing that he could no longer pick off stragglers, Mo Qi quietly withdrew.
The effects of the invisibility pill would only last for an hour. He decided to rush to the sealing platform within that hour to establish his foundation. Otherwise, once he reappeared, if he tried to cultivate there, he would surely become a living target!
With this thought, Mo Qi sped downwards. At this moment, sounds of fighting reached him from ahead. Mo Qi quickened his pace and saw flying swords and spiritual energy lights crisscrossing. Several people from smaller sects were ganging up on two individuals from the Ling Xiao Sect!
Mo Qi was furious. Why were the Ling Xiao Sect members always being bullied wherever they went? He quietly crept closer, positioning himself behind the group. Infused with spiritual energy, he struck out with both fists simultaneously, sending two of them flying. They were pierced through the chest and fell to the ground, their lives extinguished.
The remaining cultivators who were attacking, unaware of what had happened, looked around with terrified eyes before shouting, "Ghosts!" and taking to their heels.
The two Ling Xiao Sect disciples were also bewildered. As they looked around, Mo Qi softly said, "It's me, Mo Qi." The two were overjoyed, looking towards the empty air. "Vice Sect Master!"
Mo Qi first asked for their names, learning they were Guan Jian and Yan Xu. He then inquired, "Did you manage to get an artifact spirit?"
Yan Xu replied, "The two of us got one, which is why those people were trying to snatch ours."
"Still need one more? Alright, let's go get another one together," Mo Qi said.
He was actually in a great hurry and hadn't intended to get involved. But, who could resist being the Vice Sect Master? And who could resist his helpful nature?
The two were delighted, thinking that with the Vice Sect Master's invisibility technique, it would be a piece of cake.
The three walked forward together. This area was indeed a hotbed for artifact spirits, with them frequently fleeing in panic. Mo Qi, using his invisibility, captured two. He gave one to Guan Jian and placed the other in his storage bag, intending to give it to other disciples in need, preferably Bai Cheng.
This action attracted disciples from other sects to surround Guan Jian and Yan Xu again, even including a few rogue cultivators.
Mo Qi employed his usual tactic, killing one person while invisible, which scared the others away.
However, at this moment, the invisibility pill's effects began to wane. Mo Qi reappeared.
Not long after, he saw a group of cultivators chasing an artifact spirit, while Huo Jianxiong and Huo Jianchun of the Ling Xiao Sect were being pursued, seemingly by disciples of the Shen Dan Sect. Mo Qi immediately joined the fray to aid the Huo brothers. At this moment, one of the Shen Dan Sect disciples roared, "Soul Departure Pill!"
He hurled a handful of pills, and a cloud of smoke enveloped the area. Mo Qi felt a tremor in his mind, as if his soul had been displaced, but it instantly returned to its place. Simultaneously, the cultivator seized the initiative and unleashed a flying sword attack. Just as it was about to reach Mo Qi, his spiritual energy surged within him, and his Mo Blade suddenly appeared, deflecting the flying sword.
Concurrently, Mo Qi contemptuously remarked, "Is this the extent of the Shen Dan Sect's pills? They don't live up to their reputation."
He then threw a pill from his hand. It landed at the feet of the group. "Soul Departure Pill!" Amidst the swirling mist, the group appeared dazed and foolish, chuckling incessantly with saliva dripping from their mouths. When they finally regained their senses, their palms throbbed with pain. One of their fingers had been severed. The group was shocked and fled in all directions.
One of them had gone mad, his eyes filled with terror. "It's Mo Qi! No wonder the sect is willing to pay any price to eliminate you. With you around, my Shen Dan Sect will never prosper!" He then burst into maniacous laughter, singing and dancing as he headed towards the mountain exit. Mo Qi's god-like presence had caused him to lose his bearings, driving him insane.
Hearing someone mention Mo Qi, the pursuers of the artifact spirit stopped their chase and ran towards them. Simultaneously, from the mountainside not far behind, shouts could be heard, and figures approached. It was Huangfu Lin and his group, charging forward in anger.
"Headache!" Mo Qi quickly said to Yan Xu and the others, "Let's split up." He then immediately fled.
While fleeing, he kept looking back. He suddenly saw Sikong's figure waver, then disappear.
The enemy was hidden, while he was exposed. He would surely be killed this way. He couldn't afford to worry about having only two invisibility pills left. He tilted his head back and swallowed another.
Sikong's Void Evasion technique was faster than others. In an instant, he sensed the sound of spiritual energy flowing. However, as he successfully turned invisible, the opponent's spiritual energy movement also vanished.
Mo Qi took out a reappearance pill from his storage bag and quietly crushed it in the air. Mist slowly diffused outwards. Gradually, an almost transparent figure began to appear in the air, only a faint outline visible. If one didn't look closely, they wouldn't even notice him. He stood there, scanning the surroundings, searching for Mo Qi.
Suddenly, a hole appeared in the center of the outline. With a scream, Sikong's body was fully exposed. Simultaneously, blood gushed from the hole. Sikong crashed to the ground, convulsed a few times, and then lay still.
The people who caught up behind were extremely shocked. Sikong's Void Evasion had been broken just like that? He was dead just like that? Sikong was not only well-known within the Shen Dun Sect but also somewhat famous among the Four Great Sects. He was definitely a top talent among the younger generation of the Four Great Sects. Even Huangfu Lin was wary of him because his Void Evasion was truly unsolvable for him. Seeing him dead now, why did they feel a strange sense of happiness? It shouldn't be like this; they were allies.
Xia Musheng looked at Sikong's corpse with grief. He was a god-like existence among the younger generation of the Shen Dun Sect, always considered Liu Yazi's successor. Yet, he had died here.
"No wonder the Sect Master said Mo Qi must die! He must die!" Xia Musheng gritted his teeth and said.
At this moment, everyone looked around vigilantly, unconsciously forming a circular formation with their backs to each other.
They feared being defeated one by one, so they believed staying together would keep them safe.
"Soul Departure Pill!" Seeing the crowd so concentrated, Mo Qi precisely threw a Soul Departure Pill into the center of the circular formation.
The people instinctively dodged in all directions, and the formation dispersed.
After a burst of mist, those with higher cultivation continuously resisted with their spiritual energy. Those who couldn't resist felt a sense of their souls being detached, their eyes vacant, and their minds muddled. Mo Qi seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and twisted the necks of Sun Xun and Han Linli. He pierced the chests of Zhou Lando and Qin Shiming, and severed Yidian Shui's head. He also killed several other disciples who had not yet established their foundation.
Huangfu Lin was furious and roared, "Disperse! Everyone, disperse!"
As soon as they dispersed, Yan Huo let out a scream and fell into a pool of blood, with five claw marks on his chest.
The moment Mo Qi used the Stimulus Pill against the mound, he had actually comprehended a new divine ability, Shattering Heart Palm.
He suppressed the arrow's spiritual energy onto his palm, his entire finger turning crimson, possessing the power to pierce through everything, including spiritual energy.
"Ice Seal Thousand Miles!" Xue Nu uttered a soft cry and slapped the ground with her palm. Instantly, the wind and clouds changed, the air grew frigid, and cold energy erupted. The entire world seemed to enter deep winter in an instant. Thick layers of ice and snow formed beneath Xue Nu's palm, spreading forward. With cracking sounds, everything in its path was covered in silver-white. Furthermore, white mist billowed, bringing endless chill, as if the soul itself were permeated by the cold.
Mo Qi retreated rapidly, but the cold energy still assailed him. Although he wasn't frozen due to the circulation of spiritual energy within his body, his form was enveloped in a thin layer of mist, revealing his presence.
"Universe Ring!" Ai Long formed a hand seal and unleashed a magical artifact, a circular object flashing with golden light, striking towards Mo Qi.
Although the artifact was called the Universe Ring, it was not a true Universe Ring but a counterfeit treasure, given a resounding name to enhance its imposing aura.
However, the artifact was potent. It pursued Mo Qi relentlessly. As Mo Qi dodged left, it pursued left; as he dodged right, it pursued right, determined to collide with him.
Mo Qi, in a moment of inspiration, immediately swallowed a Stimulus Pill. His spiritual energy surged, and he concentrated it on his palm. His fist suddenly enlarged and turned crimson, as if it were a red-hot iron fist, with visible spiritual energy radiating outwards.
With a "clang," he punched the Universe Ring, sending it flying back and striking Ai Long's body, instantly bisecting him.
He continued his attack, slicing Bi Yu into two as well. The attack wasn't over; it continued to spin forward.
"Flying Sword!" Sima Xunying pointed his finger, and a flying sword erupted forth. The sword body instantly expanded horizontally and vertically. The next moment, with a sound like thunder, it struck the Universe Ring, knocking it to the ground. The flying sword returned to its sheath, and Sima Xunying was pushed back two steps by the recoil.
However, Mo Qi was also not unscathed. His palm instantly returned to its original state, flesh and blood mangled, his five fingers almost broken. He grimaced in pain, nearly losing consciousness.
At this moment, the other individuals' divine abilities and techniques also converged. Mo Qi was overwhelmed and injured by several flying sword energies. Seizing the moment when Xue Nu's power waned, he swiftly fled.
The people from the Four Great Sects were unwilling to let him go. They were all bloodthirsty now, wishing to flay Mo Qi alive, dismember him, and scatter his remains. Seeing Mo Qi flee, they chased after him like madmen.
As Mo Qi ran, he consumed a handful of healing pills. Because his injuries were so severe, the healing pills seemed to be of little effect.
He had only one invisibility pill left. He dared not use it rashly, so he had to rely on the terrain of mountains and trees to conceal himself. After fleeing for some distance, he miraculously managed to shake off his pursuers.
When the disciples of the Four Great Sects calmed down, they also began to feel fear. When they had first encountered each other, they had roughly tallied their numbers. The disciples with cultivation above the Foundation Establishment stage who had entered specifically to assassinate Mo Qi numbered over twenty combined from the Four Great Sects, but now fewer than ten remained. Initially, they were full of confidence and certainty of success, as Mo Qi was merely an ordinary cultivator without Foundation Establishment. Each of the pursuers was almost a gifted cultivator, and all of them were at the Foundation Establishment stage. Any one of them could have easily eliminated Mo Qi, and they even thought the sect's actions were an overreaction. But now, they felt they had no advantage left, except for their numbers.