Although he couldn't yet trust the Dikui Fox's loyalty, Ming Qi had a clear plan: to trap the Dikui Fox within the Beast Taming Cube and wait until he had mastered the Beast Taming Technique. Then, using the Beast Taming Technique, he could completely control the cunning fox.
Fortunately, the Dikui Fox didn't resist, and Ming Qi successfully trapped it within the Beast Taming Cube after unleashing his mirroring power through the Ancient Spiritual Mirror.
While directing the mirror image to sprint in one direction, Ming Qi moved swiftly in the opposite direction.
The mirror image's deception meant that by the time Yan Dongliu and Yue Tianhe realized they had been deceived, it was too late.
About half an hour later, Ming Qi arrived at the entrance of the Valley of Despair. He summoned Dabai and Dahei and quickly retreated to the nearby forest.
He had no plans to leave the Valley of Despair yet. After all, he had an appointment, and the agreed time hadn't arrived yet, so he decided to wait.
It seemed likely that Yan Dongliu and Yue Tianhe, unable to find any trace of the Dikui Demon Fox, would not linger in the Valley of Despair and would inevitably leave. Furthermore, Ming Qi had no access to a road from the beginning to the end, so even if he were to walk in front of them in the future, he would likely not make any mistakes.
He remained in this manner for a day and a night, nearly a hundred miles from the valley. On the third day, Ming Qi cautiously reappeared at the entrance of the Valley of Despair.
The valley was unusually quiet from afar, seemingly returning to peace. After walking several miles further into the valley and finding nothing unusual, Ming Qi was finally certain that Yue Tianhe and Yan Dongliu had departed. The Valley of Despair was now as deserted as before.
Ming Qi found a spot at the valley entrance and sat down, focusing on his cultivation, while simultaneously spreading his spiritual awareness and observing the surroundings.
Soon, Ming Qi sensed several auras rapidly approaching him. Among them were several innate cultivators, some quite powerful.
Ming Qi stood up, gave Dabai and Dahei a few instructions, then stood on a small hilltop, waiting for them to arrive.
If his judgment was correct, the arrivals must be his former senior brothers and sisters from Tianqi Academy.
Sure enough, within a quarter of an hour, he saw about a dozen people scurrying towards the valley. Ming Qi looked closely and saw that the leader was none other than Meng Junyi, Tianqi Academy's senior brother.
They had indeed arrived. Seeing these old friends, Ming Qi's face broke into a smile. No matter how the Biyou Sect treated him now, the friendship they once had remained was enough.
Meng Junyi, Tang Qi, Ouna, Sang Yue'er, Qiu Ling, and several others quickly approached Ming Qi.
"Junior Brother Ming, it's really you!"
Meng Junyi, walking in the front, was overwhelmed with surprise when he saw the familiar face of the black-clad young man on the distant hilltop. He quickened his pace.
Everyone following behind him also beamed with joy and gathered around him.
Nearly a year had passed since Ming Qi left the Biyou Sect. The sect had undergone significant changes in that year, as evidenced by the rapid progress of Meng Junyi and the others.
Among the former Tianqi Academy disciples, Meng Junyi and Ouna had already reached the second level of the Xiantian realm, while Tang Qi and Qiu Ling had also reached the Xiantian realm. Sang Yue'er, slightly behind, was currently at the ninth level of the Acquired realm, but had clearly reached the pinnacle, just one step away from reaching that level.
Besides these individuals, there were several others who surprised Ming Qi.
Si Kou Yu, with whom Ming Qi had previously battled; Ge Chuncheng, who had been defeated by Ming Qi's spearmanship; and Xiao Lingyun, with whom Ming Qi had a history.
Scanning his gaze from these faces, Ming Qi was puzzled. Why were they here?
Si Kou Yu remained as innocent and charming as before, but Ming Qi couldn't understand how she had known about this and had followed him. Did she want another fight?
Si Kou Yu's current strength should be around the third level of the Xiantian realm, demonstrating remarkable progress.
The sleeve of Ge Chuncheng's arm, severed by Ming Qi, remained bare, but the aura emanating from him was remarkably rich and steady, clearly demonstrating the considerable effort he had put into this over the past year.
As for Xiao Lingyun, she simply looked at Ming Qi with a strange expression.
"You guys..."
Ming Qi was unsure what to say to this person who wasn't supposed to be there.
"We're fine, we just came to see," Si Kou Yu said first.
"I just wanted to see if you've reached the Xiantian realm."
Xiao Lingyun said this, a charming smile on her face.
Ge Chuncheng was even more direct, opening his mouth with, "I want to fight you again."
Ming Qi gave a wry smile. It seemed that catching up with a few friends wasn't such a simple matter. He must have left a deep impression on quite a few people during his time in the Biyou Sect.
"As for the innate realm, I already achieved it."
Ming Qi's gaze swept past Xiao Lingyun and then to Ge Chuncheng, saying, "There's no need to fight. Your current strength is still no match for me."
Xiao Lingyun pouted at Ming Qi's words, but didn't say anything.
Ge Chuncheng, without a word, immediately drew his weapon.
Seeing this, Meng Junyi, standing by, quickly tried to smooth things over. With a wry smile, he said, "Just consider it a favor from you guys. I won't say anything if you secretly follow us out. But now we're about to start a fight again. This is absolutely unacceptable."
After all, Ge Chuncheng was hell-bent on avenging his broken arm and naturally unwilling to give up. Now that he had finally found his chance, it was clear that Meng Junyi wouldn't be able to stop him with just a few words.
Seeing Ge Chuncheng still refusing to give up, Ming Qi helplessly spread his hands and said, "To tell you the truth, I'm not far from the Celestial Realm. If you really want to fight, I'll join you, but swords have no eyes..."
Upon hearing that Ming Qi was nearing the Celestial Realm, Ge Chuncheng's expression suddenly changed, and he was momentarily unable to calm down. He considered Ming Qi's diligent training, yet he was only at the third level of the Xiantian Realm. He had been defeated that day even though he was at a higher level than Ming Qi. Now, with his own strength level still inferior, how could he possibly stand a chance of winning?
The people nearby, upon hearing that Ming Qi was nearing the Celestial Realm, were also surprised.
While those outside the Biyou Sect didn't know what the Biyou Sect had done, those within the sect knew it all too well.
The Wonderful Sword Martial Saint's treasure vault had been seized. Although the Lihuo Sect had participated in the battle, the Biyou Sect was ultimately the victor, having gained a vast amount of resources. With virtually unlimited resources, the Biyou Sect's overall strength has quietly risen several notches over the past year. While it remains closed to visitors, it's conceivable that once the sect announces the completion of its recuperation, it will make a stunning debut.
And now, with Mo Qingchen's return, the Biyou Sect has gained even greater opportunities. It's conceivable how much change will take place in the near future, something even its elite disciples can't predict.
"Junior Brother Ming, you finally thought of coming back to see us..."
It was Ouna who spoke. Seeing the youth, once her junior brother, now a strikingly handsome and imposing figure, Ouna felt an indescribable feeling. Although she had also reached the Xiantian realm thanks to the aid of numerous elixirs, she was still far behind Ming Qi.
"Senior Sister Ouna, you're still so beautiful!"
Ming Qi chuckled, then surveyed the others before finally settling on Sang Yue'er.
Several veteran disciples of Tianqi Academy had already reached the Xiantian realm, but only Sang Yue'er was still lingering at the ninth level of the Acquired Realm. This made her, who was never very talkative, even more silent. She simply stood quietly behind them, occasionally smiling.
"Senior Sister Yue'er, they've all advanced to the Xiantian realm. How could they leave you behind?"
Ming Qi said with a smile, flicking his right index finger, and an emerald green pill leaped out.
Sang Yue'er was feeling a little embarrassed when she saw the emerald green pill flying towards her and quickly reached out to catch it.
"This Emerald Spirit Pill can open up the meridians throughout the body, unlocking potential and breaking through shackles. I think it can help Senior Sister Yue'er break through. This is my meeting gift," Ming Qi explained with a smile.
"Junior Brother Ming, you're so partial. You gave it to Sister Yue'er. I want one too."
Qiu Ling, who was standing beside him, immediately smiled and extended her hand to Ming Qi.
"Uh."
Ming Qi didn't hesitate and immediately flung out several more pills, which landed in the hands of Meng Junyi and the others.
"Consider this a welcome gift from me, Junior Brother. We haven't seen each other for a long time, and I don't have anything special to show you. I don't know the name of this pill, but it's quite useful. It can restore 80% of your energy in a very short time and repair internal injuries. I think it could be useful if needed."
Ming Qi's understatement stunned everyone around him. Restoring nearly 80% of your energy in such a short time is like having a second life!
It goes without saying that everyone knew the preciousness of this pill!
"It seems Junior Brother Ming has truly unearthed a treasure!"
Tang Qi laughed heartily and unceremoniously put the pill away.
"Hey, where's mine?"
At this moment, Xiao Lingyun approached.
"Uh..."
Ming Qi thought for a moment, then gave a strange smile. He pulled a small mirror from his ring and handed it over.
"Here, this is for you. You can keep it as a souvenir. You can look at it by yourself when you're free. Haha!"
Xiao Lingyun took the mirror with some suspicion and was about to activate her Yuan Li when Ming Qi, standing beside her, quickly stopped her and said, "Don't. If you open it here, you'll definitely bite your tongue and commit suicide."
...
Everyone was speechless.
Xiao Lingyun seemed to have thought of something, but ultimately she didn't open it and put the mirror away.