When its eyes and mouth were closed, it stood there like a stone.
Moreover, its body could change shape at will, just like the clay in a child's hands, which could be twisted into any form.
At this moment, its body was twisting and moving away.
Mo Qi felt uneasy all over. He immediately took out his outer clothes from his storage bag and put them on, feeling refreshed.
However, he was still filled with lingering fear and a thousand thoughts, carefully pondering what had just happened.
Could that be the legendary demon?
Just then, inadvertently, he saw another mass of black mist in the distance, with specks of red light within, drifting and weaving through the forest. Mo Qi dared not even breathe, standing there stunned.
The demon seemed not to have noticed Mo Qi. It stopped in an open space, its body continuously stretching and elongating, quickly transforming into the shape of a large tree.
It had branches, leaves, and bark with small, pitted holes.
Its mouth was at the root position, and when closed, it was indistinguishable from a tall, upright tree.
It seemed it was preparing to hunt there.
Suddenly, curiosity replaced fear. He wanted to see how the demon hunted.
So, he kept his eyes fixed on the demon, slowly lowering his body, preparing to creep onto the ground.
There were fallen leaves on the ground, and as his body touched them, they rustled softly.
The large tree suddenly opened two eyes, blood-red like small lanterns, and the small lanterns rotated, focusing in his direction.
At the same time, countless branches instantly extended infinitely towards Mo Qi. Mo Qi immediately summoned the Xuanyuan Sword. The sword glowed with golden light, slashing back and forth, severing the branches inch by inch. Light and energy flashed in the air, and debris flew everywhere.
The demon let out strange cries, whether of sorrow or wailing.
At this moment, there was a sudden disturbance from beneath the ground. With a rustling sound, tree roots burst forth from the earth and, before Mo Qi could react, wrapped around his body, forcefully pulling him underground.
Mo Qi felt darkness surge upon him, the surrounding layers of soil being pushed aside by his body.
His body was pulled uncontrollably, sinking into an endless abyss.
Continuing to sink would surely lead to hell!
Mo Qi steadied his mind and quietly unleashed his mental power. An invisible sword of energy slashed down from above, severing the tree roots.
Mo Qi did not dare to hesitate. His body suddenly trembled, and the tree roots binding him shattered inch by inch, turning into splinters and dissipating.
Mo Qi flickered, transforming into a point of light, weaving through the newly formed tunnel and instantly emerging from the ground.
He steadied himself, preparing to face the demon with all his might.
However, he saw the demon suddenly let out a piercing scream.
The ground where it stood suddenly caved in, while the surrounding earth rose abruptly, continuously elevating.
This disturbance also affected the spot where Mo Qi stood, and the ground of the entire space began to shake violently.
Mo Qi retreated continuously, feeling the ground's elevation constantly extending towards him.
Looking up, the large tree that had been there moments ago kept sinking. It twisted, trying to pull itself up and escape control, but it was ultimately futile.
The surrounding earth rose and converged in the middle, gradually engulfing the large tree.
The demon's countless branches stubbornly protruded from the top, transforming into countless hand-like shapes, grasping everywhere, gouging the earth into pits and sending sand and stones flying.
However, earth from further away rolled back layer by layer, piling up and encasing the large tree, including its outstretched hands or tendrils.
In a moment, the entire tree was swallowed.
Even its branches and leaves were consumed.
Its howls and struggles were also silenced.
Mo Qi, however, activated his Golden Light Shrinking Ground Technique, retreating rapidly, as the rising earth continued to extend, seemingly unwilling to stop until it had swallowed Mo Qi as well.
The earth continued to extend and rise. Mo Qi fled forward while simultaneously leaping upwards, but even so, he couldn't match the sweeping speed of the earth!
What in the world was this?
Mo Qi was extremely anxious. Why had he been inexplicably entangled?
Seeing that he could not escape its grasp, Mo Qi was about to resign himself to fate.
Just then, a streak of light descended from the sky, tearing through the firmament like a comet, trailing a long tail and carrying brilliant flames as it plunged downwards.
At first, its full form was unclear. As it descended and neared the ground, Mo Qi gradually discerned its complete appearance: it was a pestle-shaped magic artifact. The spherical top was inlaid with several rings, from which thick black mist emerged and surged outwards, instantly pouring down like dark clouds from the sky.
Mo Qi ran, glancing back curiously at the artifact. It looked like the Asura Pestle that Shi Siyao possessed, which was later taken back by Rahula. So, it should be in Yao Shuang's hands now!
Mo Qi's thoughts raced, and many possibilities flashed through his mind.
He hoped it was Yao Shuang who had come, but that was impossible!
Was it Shi Siyao?
That also seemed unlikely, as she shouldn't have the Asura Pestle anymore!
Just then, the artifact crashed down with a roar, like a meteor strike. The ground caved in devastatingly. In an instant, sand, stones, and dust were flung up, shooting into the clouds, forming a massive mushroom cloud that slowly expanded outwards.
A heart-wrenching howl echoed from beneath the ground, chilling the bone.
The rising earth stopped its advance and elevation, then slowly sank.
A shadowy figure emerged from underground, drifting away in a panic.
Mo Qi stopped, looking up into the void.
A petite, graceful figure descended, landing steadily on the ground. She was dressed in black, with a delicate face, but her lips were a striking dark color, creating a stark contrast. It was Shi Siyao!
She smiled at Mo Qi.
With a clang, the Asura Pestle suddenly shrank and returned to Shi Siyao's storage bag.
Mo Qi's mind was in turmoil. His eyes stung, and he felt on the verge of tears.
He had clearly had the opportunity to become a general. Without hesitation, he had abandoned everything and followed her, his sole purpose being to find her.
Firstly, he wanted to ascertain if she was the one who drained people's vital essence; secondly, he wanted to help her. If anyone in this world could help her, it had to be him.
Not for any other reason, but because amidst the questioning gazes and critical eyes of others, only she had favored him so.
At this moment, his mind was filled with a thousand thoughts and mixed emotions. Besides being touched that his efforts had not been in vain, he felt an indescribable, profound emotion.
However, before all these emotions could erupt, in a flash of thought, another question surged to the forefront.
How did the Asura Pestle end up in her hands? He thought of a terrifying possibility.
Mo Qi's heart sank, and his face turned pale: "This, how did this thing end up in your hands?"
Seeing his expression, Shi Siyao knew what he was thinking. She couldn't help but smile faintly: "There was a woman who looked very much like me. I killed her and took back the artifact."
With a hum, his mind exploded.
Mo Qi felt his entire world collapse. Infinite sorrow washed over him. Mo Qi could barely stand, swaying as if about to fall.
He took a deep breath, managed to steady himself, and the sorrow in his heart surged out like a blast of air: "How could you do it!"
That blast of air instantly filled the entire space, and the air itself seemed to expand!