"You're finally here."
Ming Qi smiled, putting down the map and standing up.
They had arrived here a day ago. This secluded cave was Ming Qi's choice, and he had Da Bai wander the surrounding mountains. Upon discovering Wei Silong, he brought them here.
"We must have encountered some trouble along the way," Ming Qi asked, concerned, seeing the exhaustion written all over Wei Silong's resolute face.
Su Yuan and Xiao Qi, standing behind Wei Silong, also wore weary expressions. It was clear their journey had been quite arduous.
"Yes, we encountered a wolf-snake demon, and quite a few died."
Wei Silong's words were bitter. She had also seen from here that Ming Qi hadn't lost many men, while three-quarters of her own group had been wiped out.
"Well, now that we're here, you should rest for a while, and then we'll discuss our next steps."
Feeling the weight of the topic, Ming Qi simply changed the subject and stopped talking about it. Wei Silong and his companions were truly exhausted. Although they were all cultivators, they couldn't withstand the intense, day-and-night battles and travel. Having reached a safe location, they all went to rest.
The night passed uneventfully, and the next morning, Wei Silong briefly reorganized the team.
Ming Qi also spent the night getting to know the surroundings. After all, this place was very close to the Imperial Mountains, and as long as they traveled within them, they would surely discover something. This was certain.
However, Ming Qi didn't believe the dragon robbery rumors were real. He had always believed it was a conspiracy orchestrated by one person, but there were still many mysteries involved, which was the main reason for his decision to come to the Imperial Mountains.
"Our only remaining mission is to search the entire mountain range."
Ming Qi briefly explained his purpose to everyone, then used the cave as a temporary gathering point. Everyone dispersed and began searching the entire Imperial Mountains.
Due to the immense expanse of the Imperial Mountains, mercenaries typically searched in pairs, each in a direction. Innate cultivators like Ming Qi and his companions searched alone.
"Miss Xiao Qi, be careful on your own. I'll let Da Bai go with you."
As a member of the Angels of Vengeance, Xiao Qi naturally had to follow the rules. Having Da Bai accompany her was a special favor from Ming Qi.
Mo Changli, Wei Silong, and Su Yuan each chose a direction and began their search.
Finally, Ming Qi set up a simple formation around the cave before departing. Only then did he choose his direction and set off.
Ming Qi approached this trip to the Imperial Mountains as a complete adventure. He always felt that his employer and mission had ulterior motives, so any number of unexpected events were possible. And with so many people with him, he had to consider the others while searching.
The Imperial Mountains were not steep at all. As one approached the peaks, vast expanses of dense, primeval vegetation came into view. All that remained was a hazy, light gray fog, obscuring normal vision.
Ming Qi chose not to fly, but simply used his legs to weave through the dense jungle, occasionally startling hidden monsters and birds.
His internal energy flowed steadily, and his aura spread out over a ten-mile radius. He could occasionally detect the presence of his own troops within the aura.
After about half a day's march, Ming Qi's spiritual senses detected an unfamiliar presence. He could vaguely identify the other party as a human cultivator, and a lone one. Without hesitation, Ming Qi quickly pursued the aura.
Ming Qi knew his own men well enough to know that this suddenly appearing cultivator wasn't one of his mercenaries, so he was most likely a member of the Blood Sword.
Ming Qi naturally had no good feelings towards the Blood Sword's men. Having endured such humiliation in Killing Star City for so long, and now sneaking into the Imperial Mountains, Blood Sword must be plotting something. If he were captured, he'd surely be able to extract something from them.
While tracking them, Ming Qi was somewhat surprised to see the Beast Taming Cube that had been imprisoning the Di Kui Sky Fox suddenly stir, and then a voice rang out from within.
"How long do you plan to keep me in here?"
It was the Di Kui Sky Fox. Ming Qi was taken aback. This creature could actually make a sound from within the Beast Taming Cube; this was not a good sign.
Sure enough, what Di Kui Sky Fox said next startled Ming Qi considerably.
"To be honest, this little seal combination can't hold me. You possess the sacred relic of our Sky Fox clan. I promised you I wouldn't betray you."
"I'm busy right now."
Ming Qi wasn't sure what to do with this creature. Should he immediately activate the Ten Thousand Beasts Supreme Art to control the demon beast's spirit, or simply release her? He was a bit undecided.
"I'm doing this for your own good. There seems to be the presence of an Origin Formation around here. This is a sign that someone is attempting to defy the will of heaven and be reborn."
"Defy the will of heaven and be reborn?"
Ming Qi slowed down and said, "Defy the will of heaven and be reborn. The Origin Formation has been lost for nearly a million years. You're lying."
Although Ming Qi didn't understand exactly how to perform a defy the will of heaven using the Origin Formation, he had heard of it. It was a long-lost, heaven-defying technique. To say someone still knew it was simply impossible.
"Believe it or not, if you open this seal combination, I'll break free in half an hour."
…
Ming Qi stopped talking. Half an hour, then we'll talk about it in half an hour. Right now, the most important thing was to find that mercenary.
Quickening his pace, Ming Qi moved lightly through the dense forest and ancient trees. Soon, he could vaguely see a figure running swiftly in the dense forest ahead. What intrigued Ming Qi was that this swift figure seemed to be chasing something, about the size of a fist, emitting a milky white glow.
Approaching quietly, Ming Qi didn't immediately reveal himself, but instead locked onto the figure while observing the mysterious white object.
"Damn it! My rise to fame is entirely thanks to you! Don't run!"
The person he was chasing was a middle-aged mercenary. He was fast, but he hadn't yet reached the Xiantian realm. He cursed endlessly as he pursued, clearly having been running for some time.
"It's indeed someone from Blood Sword."
The man's robe fluttered, and at a glance, Ming Qi spotted the Blood Sword emblem on his chest.
After several minutes of observation, Ming Qi finally made out the rapidly flying object. It resembled a fruit, small at the ends and large in the middle, like a mango. Its entire body was milky white, covered in a milky halo.
"What kind of fruit is this? It can actually fly?"
Ming Qi couldn't recognize it at first.
"Oh no! Someone's coming!"
Just as Ming Qi searched his memory, trying to find information about this object, a powerful aura entered the area. This person was clearly much more powerful than the Blood Sword mercenary, likely reaching the Innate level.
No time to wait!
Sensing someone, Ming Qi knew he couldn't wait any longer. However, he had already made plans: to capture the flying fruit before catching the Blood Sword mercenary.
Swish!
Ming Qi's steps swiftly darted forward, and then, suddenly, his Yuan Qi surged through his body, sending him leaping.
His hands, like claws, caught the flying fruit.
While the fruit could fly, it lacked human intelligence. A large hand suddenly appeared in front of it, stopping abruptly, allowing Ming Qi to easily snatch it.
Squeak!
The mysterious fruit, once grasped, immediately emitted a sound like an insect's screeching, evidently imbued with spirituality.
"Who is this!"
Ming Qi's sudden appearance startled the mercenary, who stopped dead in his tracks. Seeing that someone had already captured the object he had been chasing for so long, he flew into a rage.
"You dare to steal my Alsophila sacred fruit? You're courting death!"
Swish!
The man roared, and a faint halo enveloped his entire body, evidently a spiritual energy shield.
Having not yet reached the Xiantian realm, Ming Qi completely ignored him. With a light step, he swept past like a whirlwind, and in the blink of an eye, he was behind the mercenary, extending his massive hand and slapping him on the back.
Bang!
The man had almost no chance of resistance, and was instantly sent tumbling to the ground by Ming Qi's smack.
"You, you are!"
Feeling the other party's unimaginable strength, the mercenary immediately guessed something, tumbling to his feet, staring at Ming Qi with horror.
"Answer my questions honestly, and I'll give you a chance to live."
Ming Qi spoke, pointing his finger. A stone whizzed up from the side, flying directly in the mercenary's face.
"Xiantian Controlling Realm!"
The mercenary now had a clear vision: the man before him possessed the terrifying power of the Xiantian Fourth Level Controlling Realm!
"Okay, okay, ask!"
Faced with an Xiantian cultivator, the mercenary completely lost the courage to resist.
"What are you, Blood Sword, doing in the Imperial Mountains?"
Ming Qi, clutching the Alsophila Sacred Fruit in his other hand, regarded the mercenary with amusement.
"It was the Captain's idea. I didn't know!"
"You didn't know?"
A scowl crossed Ming Qi's face. With a gentle flick of his right hand, the stone touched the mercenary's forehead.
With a single push from Ming Qi, this seemingly ordinary stone would instantly pierce his skull.
"Lei Ming, do you want to die? How dare you take the Alsophila Sacred Fruit without permission..."
Just then, a voice echoed from the nearby jungle, and a figure leaped out.
"Lei Ming, what's going on? Who are you?"
The person who appeared immediately took in the situation and instantly fixed their gaze on Ming Qi.
With the Alsophila Sacred Fruit in Ming Qi's hand, everything was clear without needing further explanation.
"Brother Qin, help!"
Seeing this person appear, Lei Ming, who had been lying on the ground, afraid to move, suddenly cried out.
Puff!
Without hesitation, Ming Qi's right hand moved, and the stone pierced Lei Ming's head, leaving a bloody hole in his forehead.
The body collapsed to the ground with a thud. Ming Qi tossed the Alsophila sacred fruit he was holding into his ring, then looked at the person and said, "Since this guy won't speak, then you can do it."