Falling at high speed from a high altitude, a thousand miles wasn't a long distance. That powerful being would soon arrive.
Ming Qi suppressed his distracting thoughts and concentrated on his best form. The aura that had appeared at this moment was most likely that of a native deity of the Mingyue World. If so, a great battle was inevitable.
Ming Qi wasn't worried about fighting a deity at the moment, but having these people with him was somewhat of a hindrance. He had originally advocated peace, but if the other party insisted on using force, he would resolutely not shy away.
Since he had brought these people out of Tianhuang, he had to ensure their safety.
Soon, Ming Qi could clearly sense that the powerful force was less than five hundred miles from the circular valley. By then, many of the powerful within the valley had sensed the immense pressure and emerged from their retreats.
"What's going on?"
The first to rush to Ming Qi's side was the Barbarian Ancient God Lord, followed by the Celestial Sword God. These were the only two remaining Martial Gods in the circular valley, and besides Ming Qi, they were the greatest guardians.
"It could be a local deity. Don't worry. With me here, they can't do anything."
Ming Qi, firmly in first place in terms of strength, naturally had the right to speak so. Even if the enemy was outnumbered and unbeatable, he could simply open the Divine Map space to temporarily avoid the attack. There was no need to fight them to the death.
Within a few words, a tremendous pressure descended from the sky. The three of them saw a brilliant fiery red cloud rapidly descending from the sky, and in the blink of an eye, it collided with the protective barrier Ming Qi had set up.
With a loud bang, the red cloud smashed through the barrier, then abruptly paused before landing, gathering itself together and transforming into a stunning woman clad in a fiery red feathered garment.
The red-dressed woman looked slightly surprised when she saw the three people ahead. Then, glancing at the surrounding barriers Ming Qi had set up, she said shyly, "Sorry, I broke through."
"Huh?"
Ming Qi was stunned. The situation before him seemed unexpected.
"It doesn't look like they're local gods,"
The Ancient God Lord said nearby.
"Well, that should be the case. Since they're not local gods, I don't think they'll give them any trouble." Ming Qi nodded.
Since they weren't native gods of the Mingyue World, they naturally weren't targeting outsiders like them, and naturally wouldn't do anything to them. In other words, given their strength, they wouldn't take anyone other than Ming Qi, the Ancient God Lord, and the Earth Sword God seriously.
Ming Qi stepped forward and said to the woman in red, "It's no big deal if we break in. I'll make the arrangements. You're a guest from afar, so rest here for a while."
Ming Qi was valuing peace at this point. Since the other party wasn't a local deity and didn't appear to be a powerful figure from the Mingyue World, getting acquainted wouldn't be a bad idea.
The woman in red smiled, but didn't move. She simply asked, "You carry the aura of a demonic god. I've come to find you."
These words startled all three, especially Ming Qi. Although he had inherited the way of the Tiger Wood Lord from that drop of divine blood, he had never considered himself a demonic god. Of course, that was impossible. The other party's claim that he carried the aura of a demonic god must be because he had inherited the way of the Tiger Wood Lord.
Of course, he thought more deeply. Demonic gods have always been known as the enemies of the gods, targets of their strife. The woman in red got straight to the point upon her appearance. It seemed she had a close connection to the gods here after all.
Having vaguely guessed the other party's identity, Ming Qi couldn't help but feel cautious. He turned to the Ancient God Lord and the Earth Sword Martial God and said, "You two should go back first. I'll handle this."
The Ancient God Lord and the Earth Sword Martial God were both experienced men, and they knew something about the divine evil. They were all surprised. Although he was eager to see how they would handle this matter, Ming Qi clearly didn't want them to interfere, so he didn't linger and flew away.
As the Ancient God Lord and the Earth Sword Martial God left, the red-clothed woman didn't stop them, but simply watched Ming Qi with interest.
"Let's talk outside first."
Since the other party had determined that he possessed the aura of a divine evil, a fight was inevitable, and he didn't want it to affect those inside.
The red-clothed woman nodded and flew out of the protective barrier, flying dozens of miles before stopping. She hovered in the air, watching Ming Qi mobilize his divine power to repair the damaged barrier.
A moment later, the repairs were complete, and Ming Qi flew over.
"The aura of the divine evil you speak of seems to be explained by the fact that I once inadvertently inherited a drop of divine blood from Senior Hu Mu, inheriting a trace of the true meaning of the Dao. However, one thing needs to be clarified: I am not a divine evil."
Ming Qi had no intention of lying. The fact that the other party had accurately determined his location meant that their power far surpassed his. Lying would only attract more powerful enemies.
After Ming Qi finished speaking, the woman in red paused in thought, not directly speaking.
After a moment, she said, "Back then, Hu Mu was expelled by the Four Controls, and all traces of him were wiped out from the Realm of Order. I'm curious where you obtained this drop of divine blood."
Ming Qi hadn't expected her to be so curious about this question. After a brief pause, he said, "It comes from a fantasy. To this day, I still don't understand how a fantasy can store real things."
"Fantasy?"
The woman in red was immediately surprised. It was common for a fantasy to store real images, but it was unheard of for a fantasy to store real objects.
"Yes."
Ming Qi could see that the woman in red was also baffled by this, and that was exactly what he wanted. His reason for saying this was simple: to lay bare the truth: he had merely accidentally inherited the Dao from the Tiger Wood Divine Lord.
As he spoke, Ming Qi observed the woman in red's movements, noting that she spent most of her time lost in thought.
But just when Ming Qi thought the matter was over, the woman in red suddenly gained momentum, her voice becoming more commanding. "Words alone are not enough. I must personally examine this."
As she spoke, the woman's feathered robes fluttered, like a blooming red flower. She extended her right hand into the air, and a massive hand suddenly emerged from between her fingers, reaching towards Ming Qi.
"Wait!"
Ming Qi's nerves tensed. Originally, the red-clothed woman's strength wasn't much greater than his, but at this moment, her aura suddenly surged, catching him off guard. He was wary, fearing she might strike him with swift force.
Calling out, Ming Qi retreated swiftly.
"You needn't be on guard. As the Supreme Being of Western Control, I call this a test, and it's just that!"
Although the woman was responding to Ming Qi's shout, the shadowy hand remained unabated, clutching at his head in an instant.
Ming Qi's scalp tingled, and he was filled with inexplicable astonishment. The woman was the Supreme Being of Western Control. No wonder she was so powerful. This force was completely beyond his reach. With that in mind, he simply didn't retreat or resist, allowing her to grab him.