None of the Nascent Soul cultivators expected Mei Feng to suddenly attack Mo Tiange. Mo Tiange had chosen a relatively secluded corner, with only Ling Yunhe beside her. In the blink of an eye, the Origin Demonic Qi had already struck towards her face.
With a whoosh, Mo Tiange unfurled the Heaven and Earth Fan, blocking it in front of her. At the same time, the Primordial Chaos Qi Art and the mist transformed from the white silk handkerchief swirled around her body.
Even so, Mo Tiange was sent flying backward the next moment. Fortunately, after several years of instruction from Fuyaozi, her strength had greatly increased. A hasty strike from a Nascent Soul cultivator wasn't enough to incapacitate her. Furthermore, almost every one of her magic treasures possessed properties that countered demonic energy. Though she was repelled, she didn't suffer any serious injuries.
Mei Feng, seething with rage, immediately gave chase. "You wretch! This lord will grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes today to vent the hatred in my heart!"
"Fellow Daoist Mei!" True Person Yuan Mu shouted but did not move to intervene. He had witnessed Mo Tiange's methods just now; this junior indeed had some skill, capable of holding out for at least a few breaths. Having been angered by Mo Tiange several times before, he had decided to let her suffer a bit before stepping in to save her—with his cultivation, he could still act before she perished.
Mo Tiange had no time to think. She tapped her toes, propelling herself into the air. Light flashed incessantly in her hands as she slapped several high-grade spirit talismans onto herself without hesitation. Finally, she raised the Lotus Umbrella, blocking the residual demonic energy outside.
Seeing her escape from his grasp, Mei Feng grew furious. He snorted coldly, cupped his hands together, and the Origin Demonic Qi gathered between his palms, growing denser and darker like thick ink.
Once the Origin Demonic Qi in his hands was fully gathered, Mei Feng revealed a ferocious smile. With a twist and push of his wrist, he sent the mass of Origin Demonic Qi flying out. It whistled through the air with a howling wind.
Seeing its formidable momentum, Mo Tiange's expression changed drastically. If this mass of Origin Demonic Qi struck her squarely, even if she didn't lose her life, she'd be halfway there! She couldn't help but feel furious. These Nascent Soul cultivators knew full well she held the key. If they weren't going to save her now, when would they?
Though resentful of these people, she didn't just wait for death. Pressing her wrist down, a golden light shot out from her arm and poured into the Lotus Umbrella. The umbrella immediately radiated with light as she swiftly descended.
"You think you can escape like this?" Mei Feng sneered, flicking his sleeve. The mass of Origin Demonic Qi immediately chased after her.
Mid-Nascent Soul. Even after several years of guidance from Fuyaozi, with her strength greatly increased and her cultivation reaching Core Formation perfection, this gap was still insurmountable.
Feeling the Origin Demonic Qi mass drawing closer, Mo Tiange gritted her teeth secretly. She could only grip the Lotus Umbrella tighter and block with the Heaven and Earth Fan in front of her. If these old fogies still didn't intervene, they could forget about opening the secret land—
"Amitabha!" A Buddhist chant rang out like a great bell. Mo Tiange felt a warmth envelop her body as a golden light descended upon her. Simultaneously, she heard the clear ring of a sharp weapon, and a figure flashed over like lightning, placing itself in front of her.
"Boom—!" A tremendous explosion sounded as the approaching Origin Demonic Qi mass collided with a red light. Instantly, the spiritual energy on the island churned, and the wind and clouds changed color.
When the light dissipated, Mo Tiange was stunned.
She stood there dumbly, allowing the fierce winds stirred by the violent energy fluctuations to tear at her surroundings. Her hand loosened, and the Lotus Umbrella fell.
"You..." It took her a long moment to find her voice. She reached out to grab the sleeve of the person before her, but the next instant, she hurriedly rubbed her eyes. "Am I seeing things?"
Qin Xi sighed and pulled her hand away. "You said you could take care of yourself. Once you left, it was over fifty years without a single word. The moment I see you, you're fighting for your life. Just how have you been taking care of yourself?"
His voice carried a faint trace of reproach but was filled with deep concern.
Confirming the person before her wasn't an illusion, Mo Tiange grabbed his hand. Her gaze shifted, wanting to say something, but after a long pause, she only managed this: "You... how did you become like this?"
She knew the Pure Yang Art could also preserve one's appearance. All these years, his looks had remained those of a twenty-three or twenty-four-year-old, unchanged. But the him before her, though not aged, was clearly several years older, with white hair appearing on his head. What had happened?
Her expression made Qin Xi smile. Gently patting her head, he said, "We'll talk later."
Mo Tiange snapped back to reality, remembering their current predicament. She took a deep breath, suppressing her agitated emotions. Though she was full of questions—not understanding how he suddenly appeared here, not knowing how he found her, unclear about what had happened to him—she was certain he was real. These matters could be asked in detail later.
"This Fellow Daoist..." Seeing Qin Xi, True Person Yuan Mu narrowed his eyes, then looked up at Lady Miaoying who followed closely behind him, his expression full of inquiry.
Lady Miaoying was a Daoist nun who appeared to be in her thirties, with dignified features. Dressed in plain Daoist robes and holding a horsetail whisk, she always wore a slight smile, appearing very kind and amiable.
"Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu, fellow Daoists, Miaoying is late. Please forgive me." She bowed slightly, performing a Daoist salute to the crowd.
"Junior Sister Miaoying, why such formality between us?" True Person Yuan Mu greeted her with a smile. "The time hasn't arrived yet. You're not late."
The others also greeted and saluted her one after another. Even the usually ill-tempered Venerable Xuxiang smiled at her. It was clear Lady Miaoying was very well-liked.
After the pleasantries were over, True Person Yuan Mu asked, "Junior Sister Miaoying, is this Fellow Daoist a friend of yours?"
Seeing his guarded look, Lady Miaoying smiled. "Indeed. I met Fellow Daoist Qin not long ago, and we had a delightful conversation. As Fellow Daoist Qin was coming to the Guixu Sea to find someone, I invited him to travel together." As she spoke, she gave a meaningful look and sent a voice transmission. "Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu, although Fellow Daoist Qin is only at the Mid-Nascent Soul stage, his strength should not be underestimated. I'm afraid he's not weaker than us late-stage cultivators."
Hearing this, True Person Yuan Mu's gaze towards Qin Xi gained a new dimension. He also transmitted his voice to ask, "Junior Sister, do you know this person's origins? Is this the person he was looking for?"
True Person Yuan Mu's reaction puzzled Lady Miaoying. She replied, "It seems so. This Fellow Daoist Qin is said to be from the outer seas..."
"A Tianji cultivator?"
Lady Miaoying paused before nodding. "Probably so."
Meanwhile, Qin Xi was confronting Mei Feng.
Mei Feng stood guardedly, glaring coldly at Qin Xi.
Just moments ago, the instant his Origin Demonic Qi mass was about to strike Mo Tiange, Venerable Wuming had acted, using the Golden Bell Shield to protect Mo Tiange. And this newly arrived Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator had suddenly appeared, blocking his Origin Demonic Qi mass for her.
This left Mei Feng both shocked and wary.
He was shocked that two Nascent Soul cultivators would stand up for this wretched girl. Was there some relationship here? He was wary because, over these fifty years, he had hidden and cultivated diligently, finally advancing the Origin Demon Grand Method to the mid-stage. He believed his Origin Demonic Qi was something no cultivator of the same rank could withstand. Yet this new cultivator, clearly also at Mid-Nascent Soul like himself, had merely used a magic treasure to scatter his Origin Demonic Qi mass. And he had never seen this cultivator before.
"Just who are you, sir?" Mei Feng said gravely. "A word of advice: this woman and I have an irreconcilable enmity. It would be best if you did not interfere."
Qin Xi curled his lips into a faint, disdainful smile. "And what if I insist on interfering?"
Mei Feng's face darkened. He said gloomily, "Then this lord can only exchange pointers with you."
"Heh." Qin Xi flicked his sleeve. The Three Yang True Fire Sword circled endlessly above his head as he sneered, "Why exchange pointers? Wouldn't a fight to the death be better?"
"You—!" Mei Feng's expression changed abruptly. If he couldn't tell from this scene that this cultivator had a very close relationship with that wretch, he'd be blind. Yet this person's attitude both displeased and puzzled him. An unknown cultivator actually dared to threaten him? With the mysterious space about to open, this person was so reckless, willing to fight to the death over a woman.
"Fellow Daoist Mei!" True Person Yuan Mu spoke up now. He looked at Mei Feng and said mildly, "This old man advises you to stop."
"Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu..." Hearing this, Mei Feng was taken aback, then said, "She's just a Core Formation junior, not even a disciple of the Jiuyan Sect. Why are you protecting her, Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu?"
True Person Yuan Mu's demeanor was calm, yet it carried an unintentional aloofness. He was one of the top cultivators in Yunzhong, the head Grand Elder of the Jiuyan Sect, a figure whose mere stomp could make the Yunzhong cultivation world tremble. Someone like Mei Feng, who was previously just an ordinary Early-Nascent Soul demonic cultivator, even if he had now advanced to Mid-Nascent Soul and possessed considerable strength, wasn't worth his attention.
"Does Fellow Daoist Mei not investigate before acting? This young friend Mo is the one recognized as master by the Fusheng Sword. If Fellow Daoist Mei kills her, not only will our trip here today be in vain, but the mysterious space of the Guixu Sea will never be able to manifest."
Hearing this, Mei Feng was greatly shocked. "What?!"
"What Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu says is correct," Venerable Wuming spoke with a smile. "Therefore, Fellow Daoist Mei, we absolutely will not stand by and watch you kill this young fellow Daoist."
With two Late-Nascent Soul cultivators saying this, Mei Feng had no choice but to believe. His expression shifted uncertainly—one moment glaring viciously at Mo Tiange, the next showing hesitation. Finally, he gritted his teeth and snorted coldly. "Since that's the case, this lord will let you live a while longer!"
Hearing Mei Feng say this, True Person Yuan Mu and Venerable Wuming were satisfied. Compared to the Guixu Sea's mysterious space, what was one insignificant Core Formation cultivator? No grudge could compare to the opportunity to reach Deity Transformation.
Unfortunately, their satisfaction didn't last long before they heard Qin Xi speak coldly. "And you think you can just withdraw unscathed like that?"
Mei Feng was taken aback, anger surfacing on his face. "This lord is letting it go. What more do you want? Over a mere Core Formation female cultivator, you'd really fight this lord to the death?"
"Hmph!" Qin Xi stared at him, his voice icy. "Unfortunately, the Core Formation female cultivator you speak of is precisely this one's Daoist companion. You sought to take my Daoist companion's life, and you still ask me what I want?"