The burly man on the right, employing the same trick, stared at Mo Qi with red-tinged eyes.
However, Mo Qi also gazed at the burly man on the right, his own eyes glowing with a circle of red light.
The burly man on the right became vacant-eyed.
"Move aside!"
The burly man on the right slowly shifted to the side, letting Mo Qi pass.
Huh? Did I stumble in my own gutter?
The burly man on the left was startled and roared, "Stop!"
Mo Qi halted his steps and slowly turned around. "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" the burly man on the left sneered. "Take one more step and you're dead."
Mo Qi took another step.
The burly man grunted, and the surrounding air seemed to compress suddenly. Many felt their souls being squeezed out of their bodies, and a large number of people collapsed.
Yet, Mo Qi remained standing resolutely, turning back and muttering incantations.
A crack suddenly appeared on the man's neck, and his head then fell to the ground.
However, his body remained upright, not falling.
His head lay on the ground, staring at his own body in terror. What was happening?
Did I split open?
As Mo Qi prepared to stride away, a woman in yellow and a handsome man passed by. Seeing everything, they walked over.
It was Linghu Xiaoxian!
Mo Qi recognized the newcomers and braced himself, immediately preparing to form hand seals.
But he suddenly realized that he was currently wearing Leng Xiao's face, and she wouldn't recognize him!
So, he casually intended to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Linghu Xiaoxian asked, looking at Mo Qi.
"To find a place to rest and sleep," Mo Qi replied neither subserviently nor arrogantly.
"Isn't it good to rest inside the main hall?" Linghu Xiaoxian said.
Mo Qi snorted coldly, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't you go rest inside? If you can rest inside, then I can rest inside."
"You..." Linghu Xiaoxian stomped her foot in anger.
The handsome man pointed at Mo Qi and said angrily, "You insolent wretch! Do you know who she is?"
Mo Qi shook his head. "I don't know, and I don't want to know."
Linghu Xiaoxian felt her pride and superiority severely struck. Her anger flared, and she glared at Mo Qi. Seeing Mo Qi's unyielding, indifferent demeanor, she knew he was impervious to persuasion.
She then turned an exasperated look to the handsome man, Hong Jianxin. "Quick, tell him!"
Hong Jianxin felt incredibly aggrieved. He already found Mo Qi displeasing, and now Linghu Xiaoxian was shouting at him. Yet, he had to maintain a pleasant facade for her. The brighter his smile, the more miserable he felt inside.
Thus, he could only vent all his anger onto Mo Qi, roaring at him, "You ant, you are not even worthy of knowing her name."
To his surprise, Linghu Xiaoxian became even more enraged and stomped her foot. "I told you to tell him."
Hong Jianxin looked utterly embarrassed. His smile hadn't fully faded, but anger was already plastered on his face. The combination looked quite comical.
"She is the daughter of our Sun Moon Sect Leader, the sect master of the Demon Slaying Sect, Linghu Xiaoxian!"
Finally, it was said. Linghu Xiaoxian wore a smug expression, standing proudly, occasionally glancing at Mo Qi.
Her haughty demeanor was like the sun looking at the surrounding stars that clustered around it.
However, Mo Qi lowered his head, dusting off his clothes. "I didn't really fight much just now, so why did I get my clothes dirty?"
At this moment, the headless burly man's body fumbled around with its hands, touched its own head, and then picked up its head to place it back on its neck.
But it kept falling off.
Finally, with no other recourse, he had to hold it with both hands to prevent it from falling.
Mo Qi shook his head and said, "I don't want to kill anyone. Today, I'll give you a small lesson. Do you know your mistake?"
The burly man, holding his head, knelt down. "I know my mistake, I know my mistake. I will never bully others with my power again."
Mo Qi glanced at Linghu Xiaoxian, then turned to the burly man. "You were just following orders, so you weren't bullying with power."
The burly man froze there. Then what was my mistake?
Mo Qi chuckled slightly. "Your mistake was not being polite enough to me!"
The burly man, Feng Litao, immediately understood. "Yes, yes, I understand. I will treat you with respect in the future."
Then, Mo Qi activated his念力 (nianli - psychic power/thought force), causing Feng Litao's head to reattach to his neck.
Feng Litao was immensely grateful. Linghu Xiaoxian, however, was so enraged by Mo Qi that her eyes widened, her chest heaved violently, and her fists were clenched so tightly they seemed to be dripping water.
Hong Jianxin immediately went up to her with a fawning smile. "Junior Sister, do you want me to teach him a lesson?"
Linghu Xiaoxian glared at him. "If I want to teach him a lesson, can't I do it myself?"
Her words almost made Hong Jianxin choke to death.
Linghu Xiaoxian scanned Mo Qi with her divine sense, a look of disdain appearing on her face. "He's just a cultivator in the Soul Splitting stage. What's there to be arrogant about?" Suddenly, she chuckled again. "He's practically a dead man. Why should I get angry with a dead man?"
Mo Qi wore the Thousand Visage Mask, which had the effect of concealing his aura, making his actual cultivation level unreadable.
After Linghu Xiaoxian spoke, she walked directly into the main hall.
A moment later, she came out, covering her nose, looking pained.
Hong Jianxin followed closely behind her. "Junior Sister, you are of noble birth; I told you we shouldn't go in. It's dirty and smelly in there."
Linghu Xiaoxian's pretty face turned cold, and she looked at Feng Litao. "Who is in charge of the living arrangements for the participants of their competition?"
Feng Litao's face was bitter. "It's... it's the Hall Master of the First Hall, Mu Yingxing."
"Go and call him over," Linghu Xiaoxian said sternly.
Without anger or smiles, she exuded a natural authority.
"Yes, as the Sect Master commands!" Two burly men scurried off.
Linghu Xiaoxian stood outside the main hall, forming hand seals. Four small flags flew from her storage bag, turning into four streaks of red light and darting in four directions, instantly vanishing into the air. Faint ripples appeared in the air, then disappeared without a trace.
She was setting up a barrier in the vast plaza.
Then, she said to Hong Jianxin, "Call them all out!"
Hong Jianxin naturally knew who "they" were and hesitated. "What if they try to escape..."
Linghu Xiaoxian seemed unwilling to waste more words on him. "Go and call them, why so much nonsense?"
Hong Jianxin had no choice but to run to the entrance of the main hall and say angrily, "You can come out and rest."
Some people cautiously emerged.
The young boy walked at the forefront, still weeping. "I want to leave this place. I don't want to die."
Linghu Xiaoxian frowned, falling into silence.
After a moment, her delicate brows relaxed slightly, and she smiled. "If you can walk out of this barrier, you are free to leave."
Seeing her sly smile, people realized that the barrier was not so easily passed.
But the boy's desire to leave was so strong that he immediately rushed towards the main gate without hesitation.
Upon reaching the barrier, the light suddenly intensified. His body was repelled.
The boy despaired, crying heartbrokenly, repeatedly crashing against the barrier, only to be repelled each time.
Others watched, but only with indifference. Most did not wish to leave, like Mo Qi.
A few others wanted to leave, but they didn't even bother to try, knowing they couldn't get out anyway.
Linghu Xiaoxian smiled even more happily!
At this moment, Mo Qi walked over. As the boy was about to charge the barrier again, Mo Qi grabbed his arm. The boy's body was suddenly restrained, unable to move.
He momentarily forgot to cry, turning back to look at Mo Qi in fear, thinking Mo Qi was from the Sun Moon Sect and had come to punish him.
However, Mo Qi shook his head, revealing a sweet smile that warmed his heart.
It was a magical feeling! He felt he was saved!
Then, Mo Qi pulled the boy towards the barrier.
Everyone watched the two of them intently, still indifferent, still detached.
Why bother? Why court disappointment?
Knowing they couldn't get out, yet still trying, only brought more sorrow!
Linghu Xiaoxian's lips still curved in a smile, and she stared at them without blinking, as if watching two flies struggling in a confined space.
It was a magical feeling! She felt Mo Qi would be repelled!
Then, everyone would mock him, including herself.
She had already prepared the look she would give him!
After all, she had always looked at people this way, it was second nature.
However, in the next moment, something happened that surprised everyone and proved them wrong.
As the two walked towards the barrier, the barrier suddenly split open, and the crack grew larger and larger. By the time they reached it, it was wide enough for two people to pass through.
And so, the two walked out with their heads held high.
The boy immediately stopped crying and, turning, hugged Mo Qi and spun around. His laughter was so hearty, clear, and unrestrained, yet to Linghu Xiaoxian, it was particularly grating.
Linghu Xiaoxian could hardly believe her eyes. Her mind raced with various thoughts.
She thought that her barrier array was created by her lifelong cultivation, reinforced by treasure-grade array flags. Even with her Human Immortal cultivation, she couldn't pass through it with her bare hands.
To pass, one would need a magical treasure, array flags, or a cultivation level of Celestial Immortal or higher.
But what did that boy rely on?
She couldn't understand!
He had neither magical treasures nor array flags, nor did he possess a Celestial Immortal or higher cultivation.
Yet, he still got out.
Linghu Xiaoxian felt her precious pride challenged, and she was on the verge of tears.
At this moment, she took out another array flag and quickly ran towards the barrier. Upon reaching it, ripples stirred. She flicked the flag against the light screen, and a crack immediately appeared in the center. Then, she squeezed through the crack.
By then, the boy had let go of Mo Qi. Mo Qi smiled faintly. "Hurry and leave, otherwise, if they change their minds later, you won't be able to get away."
His words reminded the boy. The boy's body trembled slightly, and the smile on his face slowly froze. Reluctantly, he cupped his fists at Mo Qi. "I'm leaving, Big Brother. Your great kindness is beyond words!"
With that, he turned and walked towards the exit. The guards at the main entrance, having heard Linghu Xiaoxian's words, dared not stop him and could only watch him leave.
Linghu Xiaoxian had come out to chase Mo Qi. Seeing Mo Qi standing there without moving, she stopped and looked at him.
Mo Qi also turned to look at her, a knowing smile on his face. "Are you afraid I'll leave?"