Plop!
In just a few seconds, Ming Qi's body, like a thousand-pound boulder, plummeted into the deep pool below.
"Amazing!"
Moments later, he emerged from the water and uttered a few words. Just as he was about to swim ashore, he felt a sense of someone approaching. Curious, he wanted to see who had come here at this hour.
It was already late at night, and the area had been deserted before, making it even less likely anyone would be here to enjoy the scenery.
With this in mind, Ming Qi quickly hid behind a boulder, eager to see who was coming at this hour.
Soon, he could vaguely see two people approaching, one in front of the other.
Then, Ming Qi heard a woman's voice, full of alluring emotion, say, "This time, regarding the Seven Treasures Lotus Tree, let Feihe Sect and Yanyu fight it out to the death. Only then will we take action."
Seven Treasures Lotus Tree?
Hearing the name, Ming Qi was startled. This Seven Treasures Lotus Tree was no ordinary tree. Ming Qi knew something about it. It was a rare and precious spiritual treasure, capable of continuously absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for self-cultivation. Even if a cultivator cultivated near this Seven Treasures Lotus Tree, the effects would be greatly enhanced. It was truly a treasure that cultivators coveted.
It was obvious that two people approached. The woman who had spoken earlier had a voice full of allure, making it rather unpleasant to the ear. The voice of the one who spoke now, though also a woman's, was filled with allure, drawing a certain fascination.
"Ninth Sister is right. Both Feihe Sect and Yanyu Villa have elders secretly monitoring this matter, and we have no powerful backing. So, while this Seven Treasures Lotus Tree is very tempting, we must proceed with caution."
The woman's voice, like that of a celestial snake, carried a numbing power. Even ordinary words, uttered from her lips, suddenly possessed a captivating power.
Even Ming Qi couldn't help but be surprised.
"Sister Alan is right. If the Seven Treasures Lotus Tree truly appears this time, the elders of those two families will definitely not allow things to develop uncontrollably. Even they would likely be moved by the magical power of the Seven Treasures Lotus Lamp," the woman addressed as Ninth Sister said with some irritation.
"We'll just have to act according to the circumstances. Don't worry about anything else," said the woman named Alan.
"Okay, I'll follow Sister Alan's lead."
Ninth Sister was perfectly obedient to Alan's advice, immediately agreeing without objection.
"Sister, we've received reliable information. The Feihe people will arrive at Xianlong Peak in about two or three days, roughly coinciding with the blooming of the Seven Treasures Lotus Tree."
At this point, the two had found a rock to sit on, one in front of the other, facing the direction where Mingqi was hiding.
Mingqi now had a good look at the two people's faces.
The girl called Ninth Sister looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, while Alan was no more than twenty years old. Both were in the prime of their youth.
After listening to the two chattering for a while, Mingqi became increasingly restless.
"Sister Alan, the scenery here is so beautiful."
Before they knew it, they were excitedly chatting about the Silver Moon Waterfall.
"Don't dwell on this ghost waterfall. Come let me take a good look at you."
As she spoke, Ming Qi saw through the mist that Alan raised a hand and slowly placed it on Ninth Sister's slender, plump breast. They both looked ecstatic, completely forgetting the matter of the Seven Treasures Lotus Tree.
Oh my goodness! Ming Qi blinked, finally understanding. So, these two girls were really in this together. He wanted to leave, but curiosity was also a factor. In the darkness, Ming Qi watched every move of the two women not far away.
After a while, he saw their clothes loosening as they embraced each other.
Well, at this point, Ming Qi really didn't intend to hide any longer. After a moment's thought, he immediately summoned his Yuan Energy and unleashed his Vermillion Bird Divine Wings. Instantly, a brilliant flame shot up into the sky in the deep night. Ming Qi had already soared high into the sky, activating his Vermillion Bird Divine Wings.
"Two beauties, I'm sorry to interrupt your pleasure..."
Ming Qi's voice faded, and before he'd finished, he was gone.
"Ah, who is that?"
The two women were startled, their romantic feelings instantly gone. They frantically straightened their clothes and looked up, but Ming Qi was nowhere to be seen. The area was completely deserted.
"Oh, damn! How could anyone be here at this hour?"
Jiu Mei pouted, annoyed.
Alan said nothing, but scanned the surroundings warily. After a moment's silence, seeing nothing unusual, he said to Jiu Mei, "Let's go! It's time to head to Xianlong Peak."
After leaving Silver Moon Waterfall, Ming Qi sped up and flew for over an hour, returning to Earth after passing a small town.
Daylight had already broken, and Ming Qi asked a few people in the town about the exact location of Xianlong Peak before continuing on his journey.
Since I'd heard there was a rare and precious Seven Treasures Lotus Tree atop Xianlong Peak, about to bloom, I had to go see it no matter what. Who knows, perhaps I'll finally be able to obtain the Seven Treasures Lotus Tree myself?
According to Ming Qi's inquiries, Xianlong Peak's location is perfectly situated across from the Silver Moon Waterfall, separated by Feihe City. The Silver Moon Waterfall is to the west of Feihe City, while Xianlong Peak is slightly south of the east, making it relatively close to Misty Rain Villa.
Furthermore, Xianlong Peak is a renowned scenic spot in Jinxiuchuan. However, Zhuang Xiaosheng hadn't mentioned it in Feihe City before, suggesting he had other ulterior motives.
Ming Qi naturally ignored Zhuang Xiaosheng's subtle motives. Now that he knew everything, he decided to go and see what was going on.
Before reaching Xianlong Peak, Ming Qi had been wondering what it was, whether it was a ruined structure or something else entirely. But as he neared the summit, he suddenly realized that the so-called Xianlong Peak was, after all, just a strangely shaped stone mountain.
However, this mountain did have its own unique characteristics: its winding, rugged shape, from a bird's eye view, resembled a soaring dragon, and its very summit was the point where the dragon's head reached toward the sky.
The mountain was barren, its slopes extremely steep, with bare stone walls on all sides, though occasional rock protrusions were terrifyingly ferocious.
Ming Qi arrived at the foot of Xianlong Peak near dusk the following afternoon. A number of people had already gathered around the peak, their attire largely uniform.
Looking at this scene, Ming Qi knew without a doubt that the largest force currently surrounding Xianlong Peak was the nearby Misty Rain Villa.
However, the area wasn't solely populated by people from Misty Rain Villa. Looking around, Ming Qi could discern a number of independent cultivators. These cultivators gathered in groups of three or five, or alone, and rarely engaged in conversation, unlike the disciples of Misty Rain Villa, who chatted and laughed.
Since there were independent cultivators present, Ming Qi felt completely uninhibited and joined in.
The arrival of a stranger independent cultivator naturally wouldn't attract the attention of the Misty Rain Villa residents. After all, even if they were to fight over a treasure, they, the Misty Rain Villa, considered it a piece of cake. These unrelated independent cultivators simply couldn't compete with them.