Mo Qi indeed discovered the loophole. Mo Qi hadn't told him about the fox demon's return for revenge; how did he know?
Xue Nu also felt that they were hiding something from her, and she was sulking.
Thus, with their own thoughts, the rest of the wine felt rather bland.
Mo Qi had initially felt that Shen Wuhai was open and unburdened, a friend worth befriending. Now, he realized that what Shen Wuhai displayed was merely what he wanted him to see.
At some point, Shen Wuhai got up and bid farewell.
Mo Qi did not try to keep him, simply saying "travel safely" before they parted ways in a hurry.
Even Xue Nu felt the oppressive atmosphere. After Shen Wuhai left, Xue Nu quietly asked, "Who is that person? He seems so mysterious."
Mo Qi sighed, gazing at the vast sky, "I only hope he is not my enemy."
Afterward, Mo Qi and Xue Nu left the Annan Realm. General Duan and General Feng remained in the Annan Realm to use spirit stones to detoxify those affected by the restriction.
To prevent General Duan and General Feng from being killed for their stones, Mo Qi left spirit stones with the major sects, allowing them to use them and then pass them down to smaller sects and the populace. This would maximally alleviate the pressure and risks for Generals Duan and Feng.
Only when these spirit stones were widely circulated among the people would the threat of the Mei's restriction truly be removed.
However, the biggest problem currently was the limited quantity of meteorite spirit stones he could find, making the search for them the key issue.
Currently, all places with spirit stones in the Southern Continent had been searched, and the spirit stones had been distributed to save people. But there were still people in other continents needing treatment, so he had to go to those continents as well.
He first returned to the Lingxiao Sect and gathered all the disciples in the plaza, announcing that anyone willing to accompany him to the Qionglu Realm for trials and demon slaying should step forward.
In fact, he wanted to give everyone a chance to attain godhood. Once the Investiture of the Gods platform was built, he would set up the Investiture of the Gods list with rules for bestowing godhood upon those who died in battle. Regardless of whether one was in the Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, or Golden Immortal stage, they could be deified.
Of course, this could not be stated openly, as it would lead to chaos and accusations of cheating.
Therefore, he could only observe everyone's attitude and fate.
However, most people decided to stay. The invasion by the earthlings had made them more acutely aware of their own weakness. What could such insignificant beings achieve if they went? It would be good enough not to cause trouble.
In the end, only Jin Dan and Leng Xiao decided to step forward.
Jin Dan was determined to follow Mo Qi to the death, while Leng Xiao felt that the Lingxiao Sect was too small to accommodate his great stature.
He was already at the Mahayana stage cultivation, making him an invincible existence within the entire Lingxiao Sect and even the Nine Divine Realms. If not for his repeated setbacks before Mo Qi, he might have rebelled long ago.
Bai Li Bing hesitated for a long time in the crowd but ultimately lacked the courage to step forward.
She seemed to have run out of reasons to convince herself to step out.
Mo Qi, meanwhile, searched for Bai Cheng in the crowd. To his disappointment, he never saw her, let alone saw her step forward.
He found it strange. Bai Cheng was so ambitious; she had specifically sought him out last time, hoping for opportunities to gain experience. Why did she disappear when the opportunity arose today?
There was no way around it; he couldn't break his own rules for someone. Finally, seeing that no one else stepped forward, he left with Jin Dan and Leng Xiao.
On the way, he asked Leng Xiao and Jin Dan if they knew Bai Cheng.
Jin Dan said that Bai Cheng had withdrawn from the Lingxiao Sect years ago, passed the Tai Chi Array's test, and gone out to roam the martial world on her own.
Mo Qi's heart skipped a beat.
"Why would she withdraw from the Lingxiao Sect?"
"Who knows? Perhaps she felt there was no future in staying with the Lingxiao Sect, or perhaps she found a better path!"
Mo Qi felt a sense of loss.
If he had known, he should have agreed to her request back then.
However, who could be sure that her venturing out on her own wasn't a wise move?
He settled Xue Nu, Jin Dan, Mo Zhenzhen, and Leng Xiao at the Lingdu Sect, while he himself headed to the Beilu Continent. His purposes were to rescue Xue Ying and to help those affected by the restriction.
Simultaneously, he arranged for Cang Shan to take two meteorite spirit stones to the Hongmeng Southern Sea to rescue people. Generals Duan and Feng would proceed to the Xihe Continent to rescue people after completing their work in the Annan Realm. He also invited Long Ji to the Dongsheng Continent, and Long Ji agreed.
If he had to travel to all these places alone, he would collapse from exhaustion.
Advancing from the Nine Divine Realms to the Qionglu Realm was something many people dared not even dream of in their lifetime.
Jin Dan felt incredibly fortunate and cherished this opportunity. He cultivated diligently every day, taking the pills Mo Qi left him on time and in the correct dosage. Coupled with the abundant spiritual energy in the Qionglu Realm, his cultivation progressed rapidly.
When he left the Nine Divine Realms, he was at the peak of the Spirit Condensation stage. Upon arriving here, he quickly succeeded in Foundation Establishment and then rapidly advanced to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
When he had free time, he would wander around the sect, enjoying the scenery and meeting friends.
The Lingdu Sect was currently in disarray!
A group of people from all walks of life had gathered here. The only person they respected was not present in the sect, leading to frequent fights.
The interim sect leader was Xue Nu!
Lu Xiaoyue voluntarily ceded her position, feeling that her cultivation was insufficient to command respect. Thus, she voluntarily passed it to Xue Nu.
Xue Nu was initially unwilling to accept, but many people in the sect expressed their approval of her (Chao Xiyun and Chao Xixue had considerable influence in the Qionglu Realm and the Stairway). Moreover, she wanted to show Mo Qi her capable side, so she reluctantly accepted.
However, to this day, she herself had not discovered where her capable side lay.
But Murong Yanran, Lu Xiaoyue, Dugu Jun, and others were very willing to help her, so the chaotic situation was quickly resolved. Seven halls were established, with Murong Yanran, Lu Xiaoyue, General Duan, General Feng, Cang Shan, Dugu Jun, and Ming Yueye (later invited by Xue Nu to join) serving as temporary hall masters. When necessary, public martial arts competitions would be held for selection.
Each hall was assigned a certain number of disciples, and each managed its own affairs. The entire sect was flourishing as never before.
Since the downfall of the original four great families—Dugu, Nangong, Yuwen, and Murong—the Qionglu Realm had been in a state of decline.
Even though the four great families that emerged from the Tongtian Secret Realm replaced the original ones, they had long lost their former glory.
At this time, the re-emerging Lingdu Sect, having gathered elites from the Qionglu Realm, the Northern Territory, and the Nine Divine Realms, became more glorious than ever.
Many people came upon hearing the news, including Wang Lu, Tang Hao, Tang Lin, Tong Wuqi...
Lu Xiaoyue was in charge of the Wind and Rain Hall, dedicated to developing wind and rain techniques. Before Mo Qi left, he had given her all the secret manuals related to wind and rain. She had diligently studied them and reaped great rewards, significantly improving the overall wind and rain techniques of her hall.
Jin Dan had not systematically studied any particular techniques. Feeling that he was quite familiar with Lu Xiaoyue, he ultimately chose Lu Xiaoyue's Wind and Rain Hall.
Besides seeking guidance from the hall master on techniques, he also often confided in her.
He said he had taken a liking to a girl named Ming Yueye and asked Lu Xiaoyue if Ming Yueye was Mo Qi's woman. Hearing that Mo Qi had many women, he dared not make a move without clarifying.
Lu Xiaoyue's face inexplicably flushed. "Don't listen to their nonsense. That scoundrel is indeed a philanderer, but not to the extent you describe... However, you should probably not make a move on Ming Yueye, lest you humiliate yourself."
"Why?" Jin Dan asked, somewhat unwillingly.
Lu Xiaoyue stared at Jin Dan for a long time, making Jin Dan feel uncomfortable. He couldn't help but touch his face. "What's wrong with my face?"
Lu Xiaoyue said, "Too ordinary!"
Jin Dan almost spat blood. "It's your eyesight that's problematic. In the eyes of other girls, I'm actually quite handsome."
Lu Xiaoyue chuckled. "Alright, confidence is a good thing, but Miss Ming comes from a prestigious family and has high cultivation. What do you have? How can you match her?"
Jin Dan felt a pang of unease and retorted, "Your cultivation is also worlds apart from my boss's, yet you feel you're a good match, don't you?"
"You..." Lu Xiaoyue's eyes widened, almost about to curse.
Jin Dan slunk away dejectedly.
He had escaped physically, but his heart lingered.
Lu Xiaoyue's words, "What do you have? How can you match her?" still echoed in his mind.
Indeed, the more he thought about it, the more he felt the vast gap between himself and Ming Yueye.
As he pondered, he looked up and saw a girl approaching him.
Jin Dan's heart fluttered. Ming Yueye, what a coincidence!
This must be fate!
Jin Dan firmly believed in fate, and in an instant, his inferiority and unhappiness were dispelled. As Ming Yueye was about to pass him, he called out, "Miss!"
Ming Yueye stopped, startled, because she glanced at the person and found him unfamiliar.
A stranger suddenly calling her must be either asking for directions or wanting to make friends.
She had expected the former but encountered the latter.
"Is there something you need?" Ming Yueye said, a little reserved but still polite.
"Can we be cultivation partners?" Jin Dan asked directly. Sima Shan had once told him to be direct when seeking a partner. Everyone was cultivating and didn't have time to guess each other's thoughts. Being circuitous easily led to misunderstandings, and ultimately, they wouldn't end up together.
"Ah?" Ming Yueye was startled and almost fell.
"Can we be cultivation partners?" Jin Dan thought she hadn't heard clearly and repeated himself.
"Who are you? I don't even know you?" Ming Yueye took a few steps back, looking at Jin Dan with great vigilance.
"My name is Jin Dan. From now on, we'll know each other." Jin Dan couldn't figure out what he was thinking; he actually felt there was a chance and answered every question.
At this moment, Ming Yueye quietly scanned him with her divine sense and was stunned.
With someone of his cultivation, where did he get such confidence?
Why did he think he could be her cultivation partner?
Ming Yueye suppressed the anger in her heart and said, "Did you look in the mirror when you went out?"
After speaking, she walked around Jin Dan and strode away.