Mo Qi was utterly bewildered, "What Mo Lord? I'm not Mo Lord anymore."
Just then, a pleasant voice cut through the air, "You are Mo Lord."
Mo Qi felt annoyed. If they want me to do something, I do it, but if they don't, they kick me aside. Did he have any dignity left?
He immediately turned around, "I said I'm not..."
But when he turned, he was stunned, "Li... Little girl..."
Long Ji walked over with a beaming smile, "Kid, I'm here on the Heavenly Emperor's command to deliver an edict. Due to your recent merits in slaying demons and eradicating evil, you are hereby reinstated as the Deputy Lord of the Seventh Tier."
Lu Xiaoyue, initially disgusted by Mo Qi's lecherous demeanor, had almost intervened, but upon hearing Long Ji's words, she realized she was from the upper realms. A cold sweat broke out on her brow. Fortunately, she hadn't acted!
Mo Qi looked at Long Ji's captivating smile, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Does your Heavenly Realm also use honey traps?"
Long Ji chuckled, "You're worth the Heavenly Court's effort now. But I'm genuinely inviting you. The fate of the world rests on every individual. In this time of turmoil and crisis across the Three Realms, we hope capable individuals like you will step forward and shoulder the banner of demon subjugation and the salvation of all beings."
Mo Qi smiled slightly, "And what if I want to be the Heavenly Emperor?"
Everyone gasped, their gazes fixed on Long Ji with bated breath.
Long Ji immediately dropped her smile, her brow furrowed. With a soft sigh, she turned to leave.
Mo Qi panicked and hurried after her, "Little girl, I was just joking, don't take it seriously!"
Long Ji didn't look back or slow her pace.
Mo Qi continued to follow her, all the way out of the tier and down to the foot of the mountain. Seeing Long Ji stop, Mo Qi also halted.
Long Ji suddenly turned to face him, speaking sternly, "Some things should not be said lightly."
"Okay, okay," Mo Qi replied earnestly, "Besides, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just speaking casually."
Long Ji sighed, "I tell you not to speak carelessly, not because I am the Heavenly Emperor's daughter, nor because I want to protect my identity as a Heavenly Princess. I'm worried that your loose tongue might bring about your demise. From the bottom of my heart, I support you becoming the Heavenly Emperor. Your talent and ability are more than enough for the role..."
Mo Qi raised a hand, "Stop, let's end this topic. Can we talk about something else?"
"Talk about something else... Then are you willing to be the Deputy Lord of the Seventh Tier?" Long Ji asked, pouting slightly, a hint of eagerness in her eyes.
Mo Qi sighed, "If it were anyone else, I would have refused outright. But since it's you... I can only say that your honey trap is incredibly potent."
Long Ji chuckled again, "Does that mean you agree?"
Mo Qi smiled, "I'd like to know, what's the outcome for me after falling for the honey trap?"
Long Ji's face flushed, "What outcome could there be? It would surely be success and fame!"
Mo Qi stared at her intently, "Don't play dumb. I mean, the outcome for me and the beauty?"
Long Ji turned her face away, "That depends on your performance... You're always so unserious. Don't think I don't know you're a flirt, leaving a trail of hearts everywhere, always smooth-talking and glib. You've probably deceived countless young girls."
Mo Qi shook his head decisively, "You don't know me. How about this, I'll be the Deputy Lord of the Seventh Tier, and you can be my assistant. Stay by my side every day, and then you'll easily understand what kind of person I am."
Long Ji sighed and looked back at him, "I still have my mission, but it's not here. The heavenly tribulation is imminent, and everyone is in danger. Perhaps we will meet again, or perhaps this parting is forever."
Seeing her worried expression, Mo Qi realized that as a Heavenly Princess, she wasn't as carefree and pampered as the rumors suggested. Everyone always presented their best side to others, only to bear all their hardships and bitterness alone when they turned away.
"Alright, let's encourage each other. Under the heavenly tribulation, no one can remain unscathed. You have your troubles, and I have my mission. Let's each be well and think of each other. I only hope we will meet again."
At this moment, Lu Xiaoyue walked over, "Can you stop being so melancholic? We still have important matters to attend to."
"Which one are you referring to?" Mo Qi asked.
"Cultivating together!" Lu Xiaoyue said mischievously.
Long Ji's eyes widened, her surprise growing more evident.
Mo Qi quickly clarified, "It's about time, not that it's urgent."
Long Ji let out a sigh of relief, "Then let's go back together and announce this matter." She then pointed at Lu Xiaoyue, "We also approve of her appointment, but the specific position will be up to you to arrange."
"No, I want her to be my sect leader," Mo Qi stated firmly. "The tier only needs me."
Lu Xiaoyue opened her mouth but said nothing.
Long Ji had nothing to say either, so she returned to the tier with Mo Qi and announced Mo Qi's reinstatement as the Deputy Lord of the Seventh Tier. After several years, Lord Mo had returned.
Due to the changed circumstances, many previously planned arrangements had to be altered.
Now, the Lingdu Sect was overcrowded, while the tier was nearly deserted. It was a perfect opportunity to transfer some members from the Lingdu Sect, albeit the best ones. Fifth, Chao Xiyun, and others would return to their positions in the tier, while Lu Xiaoyue would become the sect leader of the Lingdu Sect.
Outside the First Tier, he set up a formation, costing four meteorite spirit stones, to prevent the invasion of the魅 (mei).
With this, he felt that everything had been arranged in the best possible way.
However, the overall strength of these individuals was still too weak, unable to withstand the test of a major battle.
To improve their overall strength, they had to go to the Demon Realm and invite Xin'er and the others.
And, rescue Xue Ying.
He surmised that Xue Ying was likely not faring poorly at Revenge Mountain. After all, she was the daughter of a Demon Emperor in her past life, and her appearance hadn't changed in this life. He wouldn't cruelly harm her.
Moreover, he was the target. As long as he was alive, the Demon Emperor wouldn't dare to destroy the hostage.
But before going to the Demon Realm, he had to visit the Nine Divine Realms.
There was no helping it; with a heart for the world and outstanding abilities, one had to be constantly on the move.
In the Nine Divine Realms, at the Lingxiao Sect, Prince Li, the son of the Fruit King, had arrived as a guest, exhibiting the demeanor of a petty tyrant.
Currently, all sects in the Nine Divine Realms were under the control of these "earthlings."
Although the sect leaders and disciples remained the same, all sects had to obey the "earthlings'" commands, and their income had to be submitted as tribute.
The high-quality elixirs refined by the sects also had to be handed over.
All sects suffered immensely but were powerless to resist, so they could only endure in silence.
The annual tribute was one thing, but some of the "earthlings'" wastrels would frequently visit the sects to lord over them and make unreasonable demands, causing the sects to endure pain with gritted teeth.
Today, Prince Li had arrived again. He directly reclined in the sect leader's chair, his eyes half-open, half-closed. First, he ordered Han Yang and the peak masters to kneel before him.
For the safety of all their disciples, Han Yang and the peak masters had no choice but to endure the humiliation and kneel before Prince Li.
"Sects like yours shouldn't exist. They're too trashy. What kind of disciples can people of your cultivation level teach? Trash disciples!"
Everyone clenched their fists, daring not to respond!
The Four Great Sects endured in silence and dared not resist, let alone a small sect like Lingxiao.
Alas, it was their own weakness that was to blame!
Prince Li then demanded that Han Yang bring out the elixirs refined by the Lingxiao Sect and present them before him. Prince Li picked them up one by one, then discarded them one by one, shaking his head in disdain, "Trash, all trash!"
After discarding the elixirs, he ordered all the female disciples to line up neatly in the main hall. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over each face. These female disciples were extremely resistant but had no choice but to comply. With all the peak masters and sect leaders kneeling before him, what could they do?
Prince Li declared, "I'll pick a few beautiful ones to serve me tonight."
Upon hearing this, the female disciples were filled with shame and anger. One disciple, Shen Nanzhu, unable to bear it any longer, cried out, "I'll fight you!" She leaped up and lunged at Prince Li. Prince Li flicked his finger in mid-air, and a beam of light sword shot out, piercing Shen Nanzhu's head directly, ending her life.
The other disciples dared not move rashly and could only resign themselves to fate, thinking that if they were chosen, they would commit suicide; if not, they would endure for a while longer!
Bai Li Bing had this very thought!
Everyone's gaze converged on Bai Li Bing's face. They believed she was highly likely to be chosen because, over the years, this girl had grown increasingly beautiful, standing out like a shining beacon among the crowd.
Who knew that the "earthlings'" aesthetic sense was different from normal people? What humans found beautiful, they found ugly!
They considered someone like Bai Li Bing to be incredibly hideous!
When Prince Li's gaze swept over her, he even gagged slightly.
Finally, Prince Li chose a female disciple with squinted eyes!
However, that disciple immediately committed suicide!
Prince Li frowned. What did this mean?
Did the beautiful women look down on him?
Then he would see how much backbone they had!
He then chose a woman with thick eyebrows and large eyes. This disciple also committed suicide immediately.
Prince Li's frown deepened, and his anger grew.
This was a blatant insult to him!
No, if he continued to choose like this, he would lose all face.
It didn't matter if they served him or not, the key was not to lose face. His own face was secondary; the "earthlings'" face was paramount.
So, Prince Li waved his hand in anger, "All of you, commit suicide! I don't want to choose anymore!"
This was sheer madness!
The peak masters and elders were enraged but still dared not speak.
The female disciples looked at each other. Some were ready to die, while others hesitated!
"Hurry up! If you don't act, I'll do it myself. My actions will be painful," Prince Li said impatiently, seeing that they were taking too long to act.