These methods could all accelerate the process of Golden Core formation, but the first method was something righteous cultivators disdained, considering it too heinous and harmful to heaven and earth. Moreover, they lacked the divine ability to capture souls, rendering them powerless to commit such acts. It was only through a fortunate coincidence that Mo Qi possessed this divine ability.
However, he had been restraining himself. Previously, when discussing his plan to kill demonic beasts and refine pills with their souls with Wu Fan, he had spoken proudly. To his surprise, Wu Fan had berated him severely, calling him bloodthirsty and wicked. Mo Qi had argued, "Those are beast souls, not human souls."
Unexpectedly, Wu Fan had become uncharacteristically furious: "Beast souls are not acceptable either. Fortunately, they were beast souls; if they were human souls, you wouldn't be standing here. I would have torn you to shreds immediately."
Although Mo Qi disagreed, he dared not be arrogant any longer. He became much more low-key, adhering to the principle of "I don't offend unless offended." He had lived a quiet life until that giant crocodile had pushed him too far, nearly devouring his soul. It was then, in a state of "utter helplessness," that he fought back.
Seeing Mo Qi's breakthrough in cultivation, Xue Nu and Wu Si Qi showed no contempt or aversion, but rather cast envious glances and offered congratulations.
"I never imagined Martial Uncle Ancestor possessed such a divine ability. It's truly formidable," Wu Si Qi praised sincerely.
Mo Qi immediately made a shushing gesture: "Low profile, low profile."
Xue Nu glanced around the environment and frowned, "Let's get out of here first."
It seemed as if "heaven" was about to collapse. The space grew increasingly constricted, the air increasingly foul, and the surroundings increasingly humid.
Without the enhancement of spiritual power, the giant crocodile's flesh and hide were no longer as tough. Mo Qi shone the Bone-Corroding Mirror onto it, instantly creating a hole in the top. The three of them leaped out through the opening.
After landing on the ground, the three finally witnessed the immense size of the giant crocodile. Before them stood a mountain peak. Its long mouth stretched out, resembling a slope cascading from a mountaintop. Its two large eyes were like two colossal round stones protruding from the mountainside. Its body and tail behind were completely obscured, rendering its full form invisible.
Xue Nu covered her nose and urged them to leave quickly. Wu Si Qi, however, said that such a large demonic beast must contain valuable items within its body, and he wanted to cut open its belly to search.
Mo Qi heartily agreed, and the two of them leaped onto the "mountain" to begin their "treasure hunt." Xue Nu found it too gruesome and retreated to the side.
This was a monumental undertaking. The two had to summon the spirit of Yu Gong moving mountains and the skill of Butcher Ding dissecting oxen to complete its dismemberment.
During the dissection, both of them found a crystalline object between the beast's bones and flesh. It was pointed at both ends and rounded in the middle, with faint spiritual energy flowing within. They had no idea if it was originally part of the beast or a magical artifact that had been embedded within it. They treated it as a treasure and each put it into their storage bags.
After searching further, they found nothing else. They had almost minced the giant crocodile's flesh into a paste, yet still discovered nothing. Only then did they give up.
It was as if the giant crocodile had been a beast that kept the forest in check. After Mo Qi and the other two eliminated it, the balance of the Bitter Sea Forest was broken. All sorts of strangely shaped wild beasts emerged. Most of them regarded the three with hostility and lunged at them without hesitation.
Mo Qi had become addicted to absorbing souls. Regardless of what beast approached, he would directly extend his arrow and pull out its soul, alive. As he refined them, he felt his spiritual power rapidly increase, and the phantom image of the eagle's claws grew increasingly sharp.
Simultaneously, due to the absorption of soul bodies, the Earth Arrow also became stronger. When it shot out, it transformed into countless sharp arrows, all with barbs, striking the attacking beast horde. Countless soul bodies were dragged out. From afar, one could see streams of black energy lingering endlessly, and a chilling aura permeated the air. Xue Nu, following Mo Qi, frowned deeply and hesitated to speak several times. Wu Si Qi, on the other hand, widened his eyes in astonishment.
This terrifying atmosphere immediately attracted the attention of many cultivators nearby. Several groups had already set off towards Mo Qi's location.
Mo Qi was engrossed in absorbing the beast souls when he suddenly noticed numerous black energies swirling to his left, accompanied by a chilling wind. He turned his head and saw three people from the Divine Sword Sect approaching.
At this moment, Shi Siyao pushed her hands forward. A red thread erupted from each palm, splitting into countless red threads in mid-air, striking the attacking monsters. Once embedded within the monsters, they dragged out their souls, which Shi Siyao absorbed entirely.
Mo Qi suddenly felt that this technique was familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen it.
Lu Xiaoyue and Gu Ping, walking beside Shi Siyao, repeatedly shook their heads. Gu Ping, as the elder, reprimanded Shi Siyao several times, but she only responded with a smile. Gu Ping was also busy dealing with the attacking wild beasts and had no time to concern himself with other matters.
At this moment, Shi Siyao, while absorbing beast souls, turned her head to look at Mo Qi, a devilishly charming smile on her face: "I didn't expect you to be proficient in this art as well. We are kindred spirits."
Mo Qi's heart trembled. He always felt an aura of wickedness emanating from Shi Siyao. How could he associate with her? He immediately retracted the Earth Arrow and stopped absorbing souls.
At the same time, he and Xue Nu conjured an ice wall and unleashed ice swords, advancing slowly to drive away the wild beasts.
Xue Nu felt immensely relieved to see him "return from the wrong path," a faint smile appearing on her face.
Just then, a stern shout echoed from the sky: "What fiend is this, committing such wicked deeds so rampantly!" Amidst flashing lights and shadows, an old man with white beard and white hair appeared out of thin air, his eagle-like eyes fixed on Shi Siyao.
Mo Qi secretly rejoiced, thinking how fortunate it was that he had wisely withdrawn in time, otherwise he would have also been targeted by this old man. At this moment, he also feigned righteous indignation, staring at Shi Siyao.
By now, due to Shi Siyao's bloodthirsty demeanor and the pervasive chilling aura, the monsters had been thoroughly frightened away. They didn't dare to charge forward; at the mere sight of her, they fled as if avoiding a plague.
Everyone also stopped their pursuit of the monsters and looked up at the old man in mid-air. Judging by the aura he exuded, he must have been at the Nascent Soul stage.
Shi Siyao, however, looked up at the old man suspended in mid-air, her eyes filled with anger, and said, "Look at the good job you've done, scaring away all my prey."
The old man was exasperated: "It wasn't me who scared them away." After a moment's thought, he realized something was amiss, "So what if I scared them away?" He pondered again, feeling he shouldn't take the blame, "It wasn't me who scared them away."
He thought again, feeling he had been led astray, and his beard crooked with anger: "Don't interrupt me. What was I saying about you just now?"
Everyone was amused by the old man. It seemed he forgot what he had just said. So, why he had come was naturally forgotten as well.
He must have been several hundred years old; a little forgetfulness was understandable.
Shi Siyao, perhaps not taking the old man seriously at all, merely smiled contemptuously: "You just said I was committing wicked deeds."
The old man stroked his beard and frowned, recalling a little, but unable to remember the entire matter. So, he asked with a thoroughly pained expression, "It seems there was such a thing. Then, how were you committing wicked deeds?"
Everyone was dumbfounded. If a criminal were interrogated like this, would they truthfully confess their crimes?
Unexpectedly, Shi Siyao, not afraid of trouble, said as if nothing had happened, "I absorbed many beast souls just now, very many." Mo Qi, seeing her arrogant demeanor, wished he could go up and kiss her.
The old man seemed to have a sudden realization, slapping his forehead: "Right, right, that's why I rushed over." He then looked at Shi Siyao with immense benevolence: "So, do you know your mistake?"
Shi Siyao nodded slightly: "I know my mistake."
Everyone couldn't help but feel disappointed. It seemed she had backed down.
Who knew Shi Siyao would then say, in an incredibly provocative manner, "But I won't change."
The old man was so angry his beard bristled. He was about to erupt.
Suddenly, Shi Siyao pointed at Mo Qi beside her: "He also absorbed beast souls, very many."
Mo Qi panicked: "I knew my mistake long ago, and I've already corrected it."
The old man looked at Mo Qi with sharp eyes: "Is what she said true?"
Mo Qi looked at him with a cheeky grin: "I only absorbed a tiny bit."
"You're seeking death." The old man was furious. He raised his right hand, a faint yellow light flashing in his palm.
As the old man's voice emerged, Mo Qi felt a powerful pressure descend, his entire body feeling as if it were in a raging storm, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Mo Qi immediately waved his hand: "Don't joke around, Senior. What are you doing?"
"What am I doing? I am..." The old man paused, his actions stopping. He then sternly said, "Don't interrupt me. I know what I'm doing. I am..." The old man raised his hand again. He indeed vaguely remembered that he intended to kill Mo Qi.
Mo Qi cupped his fists in a salute: "May I ask Senior's esteemed name?"
The old man retracted his divine ability and instinctively straightened his back, saying proudly, "It's easy to say, easy to say. This Venerable One is called..." Suddenly, his brow furrowed again, "What was my name again?"
No way! He forgot his own name. This was too strange! Mo Qi suddenly realized that this old man was probably not just forgetful.
"You are called Wang Duanwu." Mo Qi suddenly remembered Wang Duanwu and said it casually.
Mo Qi had originally intended to distract him, but he never expected the old man to actually believe it. He immediately flashed before Mo Qi, saying with slight excitement, "You know me? Then you must know where I live. Quick, take me home, take me home..."
Without further ado, he grabbed Mo Qi's hand and soared into the air. While flying, he kept muttering "take me home," clearly afraid that he might forget what he was supposed to do in the next moment.
"Senior, Senior," Mo Qi called out anxiously, trying to interrupt his thoughts.
The old man impatiently roared, "Don't interrupt me. Take me home, take me home..." While muttering, he continued to accelerate his flight. At this moment, his face was a mixture of eagerness and anxiety. It was clear that he had been troubled by this matter.
Losing one's memory was sometimes equivalent to losing one's soul. He likely felt that perhaps by finding his home, he might regain his soul.
Seeing Mo Qi being involuntarily swept away by the old man, Xue Nu and Wu Si Qi quickly gave chase.
Lu Xiaoyue and Shi Siyao, with their own thoughts, also followed suit. Gu Ping, as an elder, always maintained his dignity. However, since leaving the sect, he found that his actions were often dictated by these two young girls. He felt he had lost face. He was their Martial Uncle, after all. What was going on with them? They acted on their own whims, showed no respect for rules, and completely disregarded him. This was rebellion!
The more Gu Ping thought about it, the angrier he became, but there was nothing he could do. Should he invoke sect rules to punish them? After careful consideration, it seemed they hadn't violated any sect rules. After much deliberation, he decided not to pursue them. The sect token was still in his possession. Let those two girls fend for themselves. If they encountered difficulties or setbacks, they shouldn't come to him for help. Let those demonic and heretical paths teach them a lesson! Da Feng Novel Network
Mo Qi struggled a few times, but the old man's hand clamped onto his like a vise, making it impossible to break free. In a moment of inspiration, he raised his voice and shouted, "Senior, you're going the wrong way, the wrong way, the wrong way..."
Although the old man was anxious, he immediately realized that dragging the other person along haphazardly wouldn't lead him home. He stopped abruptly in mid-air: "Alright, you lead the way. Take me home, take me home..."
Mo Qi was on the verge of despair. It seemed the other party had found a life-saving straw and would never let go.
All of this trouble was caused by that girl Shi Siyao. At this moment, seeing Shi Siyao, Lu Xiaoyue, Xue Nu, and Wu Si Qi flying towards him, with Shi Siyao in the lead, he had a flash of inspiration and pulled the old man towards Shi Siyao's direction.
Seeing the others approaching, Shi Siyao performed a hand seal. With a "buzz," a dull yet resounding sound that seemed to shake heaven and earth, as if the world was just beginning, a pestle-shaped magical artifact appeared out of thin air. It had a sphere at the top, surrounded by countless iron rings, and countless small spheres on the rings.
Almost everyone present realized that this pestle was not just a magical artifact, but likely a treasure.
Lu Xiaoyue was most shocked. When did this girl acquire a treasure? Lu Xiaoyue, Xue Nu, and Wu Si Qi all stopped in their tracks, staring at her in fear.