Darkness enveloped her vision, and her Primordial Spirit lay dormant within the sea of consciousness in her dantian. Mo Tiange heard vague voices in her haze.
"A-Ling, does this little girl truly possess your Hunyuan Spiritual Root?" This was a man's voice, low and clear, pleasant to the ear, sounding not very old.
"You've seen for yourself, why ask me?" This voice was sharper and clearer, likely belonging to a younger man, and currently sounded impatient.
Hearing this, the first man said, "I was just asking..."
The man called "A-Ling" snorted, and then Mo Tiange felt a powerful force rush into her meridians.
She couldn't help but let out a soft groan—not from pain, but from a tingling numbness. This force was extremely powerful; the moment it entered her meridians, she felt control over them was no longer hers. Yet, this force was warm and comforting.
"Hunyuan Spiritual Root, Pure Yin constitution... sigh, hard to say if she's lucky or unlucky," A-Ling muttered quietly.
"What do you mean by lucky or unlucky?" the first man asked curiously.
A-Ling replied, "The cultivation method for the Hunyuan Spiritual Root. You should know it relies on the words 'Balance and Constancy,' treating the entire body as a universe, the Five Elements generating each other, Yin and Yang in harmony, thus endlessly cycling. However, those with a Pure Yin constitution possess only Yin within, lacking Yang. Solitary Yin cannot grow, isolated Yang cannot be born!"
"So, this little girl's Hunyuan Spiritual Root is of no benefit at all?"
"Not exactly. Even Pure Yin is divided into the Five Elements. She can first cultivate a balance of the Five Elements generated from Pure Yin before considering other aspects."
"Oh? You plan to pass on the Hunyuan cultivation method to her?"
"Since she is my blood descendant, I should look after her somewhat. Besides, she possesses my Hunyuan Spiritual Root; how could I ignore her?"
"Hmph, I'm afraid it's still because of your peerlessly charming Lady Yaoqing, isn't it?"
Hearing this sour remark, A-Ling flared up in anger: "She at least left behind my bloodline. Can you give me a child? If you can bear me a child, I'll toss this girl out immediately!"
"Hey," the man begged off, "I was just saying, don't get angry..."
"Hmph!"
After another moment of quiet, A-Ling spoke again: "Her Art of the Plain Maiden has quite a solid foundation; abandoning it would be a pity. If she switches to my Taiyuan Record now, it seems difficult to achieve ideal cultivation results... sigh, if she could dual cultivate with a man of Pure Yang constitution, it could artificially create a Yin-Yang balance..."
The moment he finished speaking, the man immediately cried out: "Don't look at me! Back then, I didn't even fancy your Lady Yaoqing, let alone this milk-scented little girl! Besides, this girl is probably dozens of generations removed from you... that's just ignoring ethics!"
A-Ling flew into a rage again: "Get lost! You think there are no Pure Yang constitutions in the world besides you? What filthy things are in your head!"
Following this was a thunderous crash like splitting mountains and shattering rocks. Mo Tiange wanted to wake up, but her Primordial Spirit seemed utterly exhausted, not reacting at all. Her remaining consciousness grew hazy, and she finally fell into a deep sleep once more.
When she truly regained consciousness, Mo Tiange abruptly sat up.
Before her eyes was a small wooden hut: a wooden bed, a wooden cabinet, bamboo chairs, bamboo cups. Yet, made from some unknown spiritual wood, it was brimming with spiritual energy, almost visible to the naked eye! Moreover, the surrounding spiritual energy was several times denser than in her cave dwelling on Mount Taikang—just where was this place?
She looked down at herself; she was intact, and even the burns on her back from battling the demon beast no longer hurt. Not only had the spiritual energy within her recovered, it seemed to have grown stronger.
She suddenly remembered the two voices she had heard in her haze.
"A-Ling," "Hunyuan Spiritual Root," "Yaoqing," "descendant"! Stringing these words together, the answer was almost obvious.
The other ancestor mentioned by the Mo family ancestor, Mo Yaoqing!
Mo Tiange held her head, wondering if it was all just a dream. Mo Yaoqing had said she lived thousands of years ago and eventually died of old age. Mo Yaoqing herself was a Nascent Soul cultivator; these two were also Nascent Soul cultivators, so it was impossible for them to have lived thousands of years longer than Mo Yaoqing!
Or—were they ghosts? Or beings unknown to the world?
Patting her head, she got out of bed, pushed open the door, and slowly walked out of the small hut.
In the distance, green mountains stood like dark brows; nearby, medicinal fields bloomed fragrantly. A few wooden huts, a crescent-shaped pond, two men—a picturesque scene.
Still in a daze, the two men sitting under a tree playing chess turned their heads toward her.
"Little girl, awake? Come sit!"
Mo Tiange looked over. The one speaking to her was a man in Daoist robes, with handsome features, currently holding a chess piece with a smiling expression. Sitting opposite him was also a young man, though he looked younger, his face retaining the sharp clarity of youth, handsome and transcendent.
At a glance, she felt these two men were deep as the sea, their power restrained yet palpable, making it impossible to discern their cultivation level. However, with such an aura, they were undoubtedly senior experts. Not daring to be presumptuous, she approached respectfully and performed a Daoist salute: "This junior Mo Tiange pays respects to you two Seniors."
"Mo Tiange?" The man who had spoken first turned to look at the young man opposite him. "She truly bears the surname Mo. It seems she is undoubtedly a descendant of that Lady Yaoqing!"
Hearing their conversation, Mo Tiange knew the dialogue she had heard in her haze was not a dream. She then looked at the other young man—could this person be that "A-Ling," the other ancestor Mo Yaoqing had spoken of?
The young man gazed at her thoughtfully for a while before finally speaking: "Little descendant, tell us of your background and origins."
Hearing his voice, Mo Tiange confirmed it was identical to "A-Ling." For a moment, countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but after only a brief consideration, she said: "Among my ancestors, there is indeed one named Yaoqing. Dare I ask, Senior, are you... my other ancestor?"
The two men exchanged a glance. The young man said slowly, "The moment you entered the Illusion Heaven Formation, I knew you were undoubtedly my descendant. If you have an ancestor named Mo Yaoqing, then there is no mistake."
Hearing this confirmation, Mo Tiange felt her emotions surge. She immediately brushed her sleeves and knelt down: "Mo Tiange pays respects to Great-Great-Grandfather Ancestor. This junior was unaware and failed to pay proper respects earlier. Please forgive me, Great-Great-Grandfather. May I ask your esteemed name?"
The young man revealed a slight smile, lightly flicking his sleeve, and a powerful force lifted her up: "My name is Zhong Muling, Daoist title Chi Ling. I am your ancestor. Accepting this kneel from you is not undeserved. However, I have never looked after you, so you need not be so formal."
After Zhong Muling finished speaking, the man opposite him laughed: "This little girl is quite polite."
Mo Tiange then turned to this man and asked, "May I ask how this Senior should be addressed?"
The man replied: "My name is Yuanbao. Just call me by my full name; please don't call me Senior Yuan."
"So it's Senior Yuanbao. Since Senior is someone close to my Great-Great-Grandfather, you are also a senior to this junior." She performed a deep bow.
Her conduct greatly pleased Yuanbao, who smiled and said, "Alright, you are A-Ling's descendant; you'll naturally receive benefits. No need to be so polite, sit down."
Mo Tiange looked at Zhong Muling. Seeing Zhong Muling nod slightly, she then sat on another stone stool.
An astonishing thought now filled her mind, and it was likely true—Mo Yaoqing, with her Nascent Soul cultivation, had passed away thousands of years ago. These two were from the same era but had lived until now, meaning their cultivation was likely above Nascent Soul. That would be... the Spirit Transformation stage!
Yuanbao looked at her and said with a smile to Zhong Muling, "This little girl is quite clever. It seems she already knows our cultivation level."
Zhong Muling raised the corner of his mouth, nodding with apparent satisfaction: "After all, she is my descendant; how could she be too foolish? Girl, I have been away from the mortal world for many years. Occasionally returning, I did learn that you now have a Mo Family Village. However, you are too young; I didn't see you last time. I didn't expect a descendant with a Spirit Root to appear in these few decades and embark on the path of immortal cultivation. You are in your twenties now? Judging by your attire, it seems you've joined the Xuanqing Sect?"
This ancestor had been watching over the Mo family all along? A thought flashed through Mo Tiange's mind. She cautiously replied: "Reporting to Great-Great-Grandfather, I am now twenty-four years old and indeed a disciple of the Xuanqing Sect."
"Hmm. This Art of the Plain Maiden was passed down by Mo Yaoqing? Tell me how you embarked on the immortal path."
Listening to Zhong Muling speak, Mo Tiange felt something was odd. Based on his conversation with Yuanbao and the words Mo Yaoqing had left in her mind years ago, the two of them should have had a marital relationship. Why did he mention Mo Yaoqing so lightly and distantly, as if there were no marital feelings?
She didn't voice this question, only replying first: "Yes, when I was young, I accidentally entered the Mo family ancestral hall, triggered a restriction, and received the Art of the Plain Maiden inheritance..."
Starting from age seven, how she began cultivating, being deceived, coming to Kunwu, wandering with her second uncle, entering the Yunwu Sect, her second uncle's passing, going to the Xuanqing Sect, Foundation Establishment, the demon beast upheaval... she recounted everything in detail.
By the time she finished telling all this, both Zhong Muling and Yuanbao wore deep expressions.
"A descendant of mine, Zhong Muling, shall not be bullied by others!" After a long while, Zhong Muling said this, then turned to Mo Tiange. "Take out that jade pendant that conceals your constitution."
Mo Tiange complied, reaching for the jade pendant at her neck, taking it off, and handing it over.
"Oh? This is an excellent Spirit-Concealing Jade Pendant," Daoist Yuanbao said in surprise.
Zhong Muling nodded: "For a Core Formation cultivator to refine such a treasure is truly remarkable—it reminds me of that young man trapped in the Illusion Heaven Formation a while back."
"...Indeed, that person was also dressed in Xuanqing Sect attire. It seems he was likely this Qin Shoujing. A hundred and forty years old, already at the mid-stage of Core Formation. Back then, although I also formed my Core within a hundred years, my natural talent was far superior to his."
Zhong Muling, however, said: "He was different from you from the start. That young man has a Yang Spirit Pearl within him, and in this Illusion Heaven Formation, he was completely unaffected, showing the firmness of his will. If his cultivation wasn't fast, there would be no justice—Yang Spirit Pearl!"
Suddenly shifting his tone, Zhong Muling looked at Yuanbao. Both wore thoughtful expressions.
Mo Tiange still couldn't fully grasp the meaning behind their words, but hearing them talk as if they had seen Uncle-Master Shoujing, she cautiously asked: "Great-Great-Grandfather, Senior Yuanbao, have you seen Uncle-Master Shoujing? Is he alright?"
Zhong Muling turned to her and nodded: "That young man should be the Uncle-Master Shoujing you mentioned. About half a month ago, he accidentally entered the Illusion Heaven Formation. He was injured, but he recovered and left a few days ago." At this point, he sounded somewhat indignant. "To actually treat the Illusion Heaven Formation as a place for recovery, hmph!"
Yuanbao laughed: "That's also because he was bold, certain we meant no harm."
So Uncle-Master Shoujing was indeed safe. Mo Tiange hesitated for a moment, then asked again: "Then... was there a young man with him, looking somewhat like him, in his twenties, at the early stage of Foundation Establishment?"
"There wasn't," Zhong Muling shook his head without even thinking. "Alright, go first and write out your Art of the Plain Maiden for me to see. This Spirit-Concealing Jade Pendant will stay with me for now. I'll see if it can be reforged."