Mo Qi waved his hand, "You don't need to thank me. I'm not killing you for two reasons: firstly, cultivation is not easy, and secondly, you still have some sense of righteousness and are not beyond redemption. Go, go wherever you should go, just don't disturb me."
Ma Wei still bowed deeply, unable to rise. "Senior, our group of undisciplined followers has always lacked a backbone. Your arrival must be a blessing from heaven. Please condescend to be our leader and guide us out of this small mountain, to become strong and powerful."
Mo Qi was initially uninterested, but upon careful consideration, he realized there would be many benefits to being their leader. For instance, gathering information would be much easier. He was the only one left from the Southern Continent's envoy, but the mission still needed to be completed. Without sufficient preparation and absolute certainty, he dared not proceed rashly. Before he was ready, he needed to understand the Divine Dragon Sect's attitude towards the three spies. Was there a deadline? And this information, he could have these people gather it for him.
Moreover, he would have to return to the Southern Continent sooner or later. The teleportation arrays available in his storage bag clearly wouldn't suffice. He also needed these people to run errands for him, searching for better quality formation flags.
"Alright, since you are so sincere, I will reluctantly agree," Mo Qi said. "But I prefer peace and quiet. Don't disturb me if you have nothing important."
Ma Wei was overjoyed and repeatedly agreed.
Mo Qi said, "You may withdraw first." He then scurried away and announced the "good news" to everyone. The minor followers were also quite happy. Before, Ma Wei's cultivation was already beyond their reach. However, on the entire Peng Qu Island, Ma Wei was merely a grain of sand. Now that someone even more powerful had arrived, they felt their backing was even more solid, and they could even "stir up trouble."
In the days that followed, Mo Qi continued to refine pills and cultivate. During this time, he refined the Divine Sense Diamond Fist Technique to the eighth level. Simultaneously, using the bead that fell from the body of the Gu Diao, he made a Bursting Pill. That bead seemed like a magical artifact. Mo Qi didn't have time to delve deeply into its power before using it, wondering if it was a waste of a treasure. However, heading to the Divine Dragon Sect was undoubtedly extremely perilous. If negotiations failed, conflict was likely. He also gained a general understanding of the Divine Dragon Sect. It was said that their Sect Master, Shi Jin Chun, had already reached the Mahayana stage, a Loose Immortal. Many of his disciples were at the Lesser Mahayana or Spirit Severing stages. If a conflict were to erupt, he would certainly be unable to match them in strength. But with this Bursting Pill, he might have a chance to retreat safely. Da Feng Novel Network
Ma Wei occasionally brought his subordinates to pay respects. Mo Qi would take the opportunity to assign them tasks, inquiring about the current situation of the Divine Dragon Sect's spies and searching for teleportation formation flags. The minor followers happily went to execute the missions.
Of course, as their leader, Mo Qi naturally provided them with numerous benefits. Each time he refined pills, he would have the followers take them out to sell in the market. Initially, no one paid attention. Later, a passerby fell ill and had no medicine. With a "what the heck" attitude, he bought some to try, and his illness was miraculously cured. From then on, word spread like wildfire. The Mo family's pills sold by this "bandit group" became famous. Many people came from afar, directly to Xiao Gu Mountain, to buy pills. Mo Qi then had Ma Wei find a cave to serve as a pill shop, selling pills on the spot. To his surprise, customers flocked in, arriving in an endless stream.
With the "bandit group" earning money, the brothers' lives naturally improved. They feasted and drank heartily every day, and sometimes even received a few pills. Their lives were quite comfortable.
Mo Qi also attempted to contact Fang Bu Yi via a transmission spirit stone, wanting to inform Fang Bu Yi that Wan Bei Feng was colluding with the Hong Meng South Sea, hoping to bring down Wan Bei Feng through Fang Bu Yi, or at least expose his true colors.
However, the transmission spirit stone indicated that Fang Bu Yi's mark had turned dim. He still tried transmitting once, but Fang Bu Yi never replied. It was likely too far, with too much interference from spiritual energy in between, so the other party could not receive the message.
Not long after, the minor followers did not fail their mission. They returned to report that the Divine Dragon Sect had released a message. They had also inquired that the Southern Continent had attempted to establish contact but it was interrupted due to other reasons. Therefore, they would extend the deadline by another three years for the Southern Continent. If the official channels of the Southern Continent did not respond within three years, they would publicly execute the three spies.
This filled Mo Qi with immense joy. At least there were three more years to prepare. And within these three years, although the Southern Continent did not know that Wan Bei Feng was a traitor, they would certainly know there was a trap. They would absolutely not send a second negotiation team to their deaths.
Mo Qi could use these three years to focus on improving his cultivation. He was now at the Nascent Soul stage. If he returned to the Nine Divine Realms, he could definitely dominate a region. However, in the Hong Meng South Sea, such cultivation was truly unimpressive. The path of cultivation never had shortcuts. The higher one's cultivation became, the slower the progress would be, until it became impossible to break through. Wu Fan, Zhang Tianshi, Zhong Gui, Liu Ya Zi, and a large group of others were all stuck at the Nascent Soul stage, their cultivation careers essentially at an end. He benefited from both pills and the spiritual energy of the Earth Arrow, which accelerated his progress compared to them. However, three years might not bring about any significant breakthroughs.
"Is there any method to quickly improve my cultivation?" Mo Qi asked Ma Wei one day during a casual chat. He wasn't expecting much when he asked this question.
Unexpectedly, Ma Wei, with his simple heart, replied, "Yes, yes, but very few people try it."
"Tell me quickly," Mo Qi asked urgently.
"On the southern end of Peng Qu Island, there is a Myriad Phenomena Valley. It is said that within it, one can see the myriad phenomena of all living beings and endure ten thousand lifetimes of tribulation. Legend has it that it was originally the abode of hell. During the last heavenly tribulation, the Heavenly Court and the Demon Realm fought, piercing through hell. Yama had no choice but to relocate hell, but hell was easy to move, while the wronged souls were not. The knife mountains, seas of fire, ice mountains, stone mills, blood pools, iron saws, and so on were also difficult to move. Whenever someone entered, wronged souls would inflict these tortures upon them one by one. Later, a cultivator accidentally entered it. After several years, his cultivation advanced greatly, as if he had undergone a complete transformation. Since then, countless cultivators have continuously entered it, treating it as a place for arduous training. However, they either never returned, or," Ma Wei suddenly lowered his voice, "even if they came out, they were no longer themselves. It's very possible they were possessed."
Mo Qi's heart skipped a beat. "Possessed?" In his opinion, he would rather be cut into a thousand pieces than be possessed. It was like being raped, even more terrifying than rape!
Ma Wei, feeling that no one would go, wore a nonchalant expression. "The wronged souls within have too deep a resentment. Once they see someone, they will take revenge in various ways, inflicting all sorts of tortures. When they have tormented you until you are battered and on the verge of collapse, they will seize the opportunity to take over your body."
"How many people go in each year?" Mo Qi asked, still somewhat unwilling to give up.
"This, there shouldn't be many," Ma Wei said. He had never paid attention to this question, so he wasn't very sure.
Mo Qi fell into contemplation. The deep-seated hatred for blood must be avenged, and the mission must be completed. Not for the Southern Continent, but for the friends who came with him and could not return together. Thinking carefully, what was there to fear about entering the Myriad Phenomena Valley? Compared to his friends who came with him, he had already profited!
Therefore, he would go!
When Mo Qi told Ma Wei his thoughts, Ma Wei was utterly shocked. "Boss, you are still young, don't think so despairingly!"
Mo Qi smiled and said, "Everyone has their own fate. If I die in there, you will still be the boss. If I come out alive, I can give you a stronger boss. So, no matter what, you profit."
Ma Wei actually burst into tears. The other followers rushed over, and after understanding the situation, they also began to cry. The sound of crying shook the mountains and fields, filling the heavens and earth with sorrow. Mo Qi felt inexplicably confused. "What's going on? Are you sending me off?"
Ma Wei was still unable to control himself, "Boss, have a good journey!"
"Go to hell!" Mo Qi kicked him directly, then left with a sorrowful expression. Influenced by their emotions, he suddenly felt that he was doomed.
The Myriad Phenomena Valley was entered through a cave facing the sea. Upon entering, there was nothing special. When Mo Qi entered, seven or eight other cultivators also walked in. They glanced at each other, all feeling that the other was courting death, and without much communication, they walked forward on their own.
The cave extended downwards diagonally. The further down they went, the colder and darker it became. Everyone took out their luminous spirit stones, illuminating the path ahead. Walking along the dark and damp cave, a cultivator who looked like he was in his middle age glanced disdainfully at the "crooked melons and cracked dates" around him and said with a hint of sympathy, "After entering the Myriad Phenomena Valley, it's either heaven or hell, but one should at least have a basic measure of their own strength. If one lacks self-awareness, it's equivalent to courting death."
Mo Qi ignored his words, but a female cultivator in white was extremely annoyed. She retorted sharply, "We just lack self-awareness, but some people not only lack self-awareness, they are also quite conceited and look down on everyone else."
A male cultivator beside her, after glancing at her, his eyes lit up, showing a hint of fawning. "Yes, some people clearly lack the capital but like to put on airs, not knowing where their sense of superiority comes from."
The middle-aged cultivator was so angry he puffed out his beard and glared. "You, you, fine, let's see how long you can be arrogant. Don't come crying to me for help later." With that, he quickened his pace and rushed forward.
The male cultivator snorted, "Speaking of arrogance, he's more arrogant than anyone, and he still has the nerve to talk about others." In his words, he kept glancing at the female cultivator, acting in a fawning manner.
However, the female cultivator never looked at him directly, nor at anyone else. She just walked forward on her own.
Mo Qi's curiosity was piqued, and he used his divine sense to probe. The female cultivator immediately noticed and turned back, glaring fiercely at Mo Qi. "What do you want? A junior who has just entered the Nascent Soul stage, and you dare to pry at me?"
Mo Qi was stunned for a moment, his heart filled with astonishment. Her brief words actually revealed a lot of information. Firstly, her cultivation was definitely above his. Secondly, she had definitely been observing him stealthily. Lastly, she called him a junior, which meant this "old lady" was quite old. But looking at her icy skin, snow-white complexion, and graceful posture, she was clearly a young girl. The appearance of people in the cultivation world was truly deceptive.
The strangest thing was that when she mentioned the words "Nascent Soul stage," everyone around was expressionless, as if their hearts were unmoved. It seemed that Nascent Soul cultivation was nothing in their eyes. Mo Qi was on the verge of collapse. His cultivation, if placed in the Nine Divine Realms, would be enough to dominate a region, but here it was worthless.
As the saying goes, if you don't have the diamond drill, you don't dare to take on the porcelain work. Anyone who entered this Myriad Phenomena Valley was definitely not an ordinary person. But now, it seemed he had been a bit impulsive. At this moment, he couldn't help but have second thoughts. However, his feet did not stop moving forward.
The group walked about ten miles inside. The terrain became increasingly spacious, and the yin wind and malevolent aura grew stronger.
In the yin wind and malevolent aura, there were occasional traces of blood, sometimes a chill would drift by, and sometimes a wave of heat would waft over. This made everyone feel cold one moment and hot the next.
That kind of cold and heat could not be resisted by circulating spiritual energy.
Everyone tried to circulate their energy to resist, but they still felt extremely uncomfortable.
When the cold struck, it was like being in an ice cave, their entire bodies instantly stiffening, and their internal organs shivering. When the heat wave hit, it was as if they had fallen into lava, their entire bodies being scorched as if about to smoke, their skin cracking inch by inch.