A gentle breeze rustled through the bamboo leaves. Water trickled and gurgled, flowing along the winding creek.
If not for the utter absence of human presence, this would have been the most beautiful paradise on earth.
Inside the Void Heaven Realm, Mo Tiange strolled slowly along the creek, hands tucked into her sleeves. Behind her, a small creature resembling a squirrel chased after fluttering butterflies as it followed her.
This little Blazing Fire Beast had been roaming free within the Void Heaven Realm for quite some time. After consuming some unknown spirit herbs, its cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching the Second Rank. Perhaps because the Void Heaven Realm resonated with Mo Tiange's will, or because the little beast was grateful, even though no contract existed between them, it was as close to her as any contracted spirit beast.
That day, after narrowly escaping with her life from the claws of the Fifth-Rank Two-Headed Eagle, she had entered the Void Heaven Realm and collapsed like the dead, remaining unconscious for several months. During that period, this little Blazing Fire Beast had continuously fed her unknown spirit herbs. Months later, she finally regained her breath and could meditate on her own to heal her injuries.
Having endured the high-level lightning techniques of the Two-Headed Eagle, her body was severely damaged. She had feared she would follow in the footsteps of that Yu Family cultivator and suffer a cultivation regression, but unexpectedly, the spirit herbs brought by this little beast stabilized her injuries. Moreover, her meridians and dantian had been tempered by the Five-Elements Body Refinement, making them resilient and sturdy, allowing her to pull through.
That Yu Family's Biheng Pill was truly a marvelous thing, effective for both internal and external injuries. After consuming it, within a few short months, all her wounds had completely healed.
Once recovered, Mo Tiange had no intention of leaving. From within the Void Heaven Realm, she could hear the commotion outside. Since the fighting remained fierce, it was better to avoid the conflict by staying within the realm. As for Luo Fengxue and the others, she had done her part; whether they lived or died was now a matter of fate.
Thus, she spent her days within the Void Heaven Realm cultivating, refining pills, tending the medicine fields, and studying ancient texts.
The previous master of the Void Heaven Realm was a figure from the Primordial Era. The cultivation techniques he collected were all related to the Primordial Chaos, perfectly suited for her.
After advancing in rank, the little Blazing Fire Beast's True Yang Flame evolved into the Sun True Flame, its quality nearly surpassing the Earth Fire of the Danding Sect, though it was unclear whether this was due to a mutation or a natural progression of its inherent abilities.
Taking advantage of this, Mo Tiange resumed studying alchemy, especially since she had acquired many ancient pill formulas from the Danding Sect.
It was also time to organize the medicine fields within the Void Heaven Realm.
Here grew countless spirit herbs from ancient times, accumulated over who-knows-how-many hundreds of thousands of years, densely covering the entire medicine fields. In some areas, due to excessive accumulation, the herbs competed for insufficient nutrients and were on the verge of withering. Mo Tiange consulted the Void Heaven Realm's memories, harvesting what needed harvesting, digging up what needed digging, and categorizing everything.
Perhaps because the original master's cultivation realm was too high, many of the spirit herbs here were still beyond her use. She could only store them in jade boxes, for which she built a small bamboo hut within the bamboo grove. As for the materials for basic pills, she directly gathered them for alchemy.
Once the medicine fields were sorted, the small bamboo hut was packed full, and the clearing in front of it was piled with many weeds. Fearing that some spirit herbs would lose their potency if separated from the soil for too long, Mo Tiange had no choice but to use all the thousand-year-old herbs for pill refining. This, in turn, caused her alchemy skills to advance by leaps and bounds. Mo Tiange smiled wryly at the thought: if others knew that these spirit herbs, priceless treasures in the outside world, were being used by her to practice alchemy, they would probably beat her to death. In truth, she would have preferred to trade them for spirit stones, but the outside world was too chaotic, and she dared not venture out.
Several more months passed. Outside, the fighting still raged like a blazing fire, while Mo Tiange had refined her first batch of pills using the herbs harvested from tending the fields. Qi-Circulation Pills, Dingyan Pills, and Longevity Pills—these had the most raw materials. She also refined a portion of Qingyun Pills. However, the Spirit-Gathering Pills she could currently use, perhaps due to the vast difference between her realm and the original master's, were in short supply; she only managed to refine a few bottles.
After finishing her pill refining, Mo Tiange looked at the assortment of bottles and jars on the ground with a bitter smile. These pills would represent an astronomical fortune if taken outside, but trapped here, she could use very few of them.
Qi-Circulation Pills regulated spiritual energy flow—she didn't need them now. Qingyun Pills were required for Core Formation cultivators' cultivation—she couldn't use them at present. She took one Dingyan Pill and one Longevity Pill each. The Dingyan Pill seemed to have no noticeable effect, likely because her cultivation technique itself preserved her youthful appearance.
As for the Longevity Pill, the moment she swallowed it, she felt her entire body ignite. For a moment, she couldn't control the spiritual energy within her. After some regulation, when the spiritual energy throughout her body finally calmed down, she experienced a strange, indescribable sensation—it seemed... as if her lifespan had no end.
Calculating by a Foundation Establishment cultivator's lifespan, which was roughly three to four hundred years, she was only twenty-five now, with at least three hundred years left. If the Longevity Pill added five hundred years, that would be eight hundred years! Mo Tiange felt great joy at this thought. With eight hundred years, no matter what, she should advance to Core Formation, right? With good fortune, reaching Nascent Soul wouldn't be a problem either.
After refining all these pills, Mo Tiange's alchemy skills were no longer comparable to her past self. Even for pills like the Longevity Pill, she had a fifty percent success rate. Compared to a grandmaster alchemist, the difference wasn't vast.
Unfortunately, the ancient texts here didn't contain many pill formulas, and even those that existed were beyond her current comprehension, so her alchemy progress could only stagnate here.
Another piece of good news was that her Spirit Refining Art had finally shown preliminary results. Not only had she refined a solid entity, but she could also transform it into flying daggers to injure enemies silently.
Thus, several more months passed. Time flew by.
By the time the outside world had largely calmed, with few battles occurring in the area, Mo Tiange had already spent two years within the Void Heaven Realm. In those two years, her alchemy skills had progressed at an incredible speed, and her Spirit Refining Art had shown initial success. Feeling restless, she decided to go out and see what the situation was like.
A desolate mountain peak, scattered rubble everywhere, withered flowers and grass, dark red ground.
This was the scene that greeted Mo Tiange the moment she emerged from the Void Heaven Realm.
She remembered that when she entered the Void Heaven Realm, this place had been lush with green grass and fragrant wildflowers. Who would have thought that two years later, it would become such a barren wasteland?
The shattered rocks bore the marks of exchanged spells; the dark red ground was stained with blood.
She sighed softly. Such a brutal battle—who knew if her old friends had survived?
With a flick of her sleeve, she summoned the White Silk Handkerchief, transforming into a streak of light as she sped westward.
As far as her eyes could see, the landscape below was identical to the mountain peak she had just left. Flowers, grass, and trees were almost entirely destroyed; mountain rocks were shattered, some areas nearly flattened. Bloodstains were everywhere, though fortunately, no corpses were in sight. It seemed the battle had ended some time ago, as not a single person remained.
Frowning, Mo Tiange continued flying westward. Even if the Demon Beast Rebellion had ended, it was unlikely she wouldn't see a single person. She needed to find a few individuals first to understand the current situation.
After flying for roughly two hours, Mo Tiange's divine sense finally detected the presence of cultivators. Her heart leapt with joy as she flew toward the source of the sensation. Sure enough, after not flying much farther, traces of cultivators appeared.
This was a ruin—a half-collapsed city wall, a grand but dilapidated palace, and houses that had fallen apart. With a single glance, Mo Tiange guessed this was likely the former stronghold of some great clan. However, strangely, there wasn't a single defensive formation in place. Within the intact buildings, people occasionally entered and exited. Judging by their attire, they didn't seem to belong to a single sect.
After a moment's thought, she descended.
Landing on the ground, Mo Tiange looked up. There wasn't even a gatekeeper here. A cultivator emerged from within, his expression numb, his clothes stained with blood.
"Fellow Daoist!" Mo Tiange called out.
The cultivator she addressed had a stiff face. He swept a glance over her, noticing she was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and a faint smile finally appeared on his face. "Esteemed Senior, is there something you need?"
Mo Tiange asked pleasantly, "May I ask, where is this place?"
The cultivator was taken aback, looking somewhat incredulous. "Esteemed Senior doesn't know what this place is?" He quickly glanced over her again, noticing she wore Xuanqing Sect attire, her clothes clean, her appearance tidy. "Could it be that Esteemed Senior has just left the mountain?"
Mo Tiange paused, then simply smiled without answering.
Thinking he had guessed correctly, the cultivator replied, "We are at Qianmen Ridge, before Heavenly Fire Mountain. Esteemed Senior may not know, but the fighting has lasted almost three years. Everywhere looks like this. We human cultivators have died in droves. In the end, we formed an alliance, led by the seven major sects, selecting strongholds in various locations to lead the survivors..."
"So that's how it is..." No wonder the cultivators here wore such varied attire.
Mo Tiange raised a hand again, smiling. "Then, may I see the person in charge here?"
The man repeatedly clasped his hands. "I dare not accept such courtesy from Esteemed Senior. The person in charge of our Qianmen Ridge happens to be an esteemed senior from the Xuanqing Sect as well. Since Esteemed Senior is a Xuanqing Sect disciple, you may go meet him directly—that main hall over there."
"Is that so?" Mo Tiange was somewhat surprised. She had thought that since this was the Danding Sect's Heavenly Fire Mountain, the person in charge should be a Danding Sect disciple.
"I wouldn't dare deceive Esteemed Senior."
Mo Tiange nodded, smiling at the man. "Thank you very much."
The man repeatedly claimed he didn't dare.
Bidding farewell to this person, Mo Tiange slowly walked into the ruins.
Outside the main hall, there were finally gatekeepers—two disciples from unknown sects. Seeing her, one of them stepped forward respectfully. "Esteemed Senior of the Xuanqing Sect, may I ask if you have a token?"
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "What token?"
The two gatekeeper disciples exchanged strange glances. The same person continued, "It's the token of our Kunwu Alliance. Since Esteemed Senior is a Xuanqing Sect disciple, your elders should have given you a token when you left the mountain."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange smiled. "So that's what it is. However, I don't have such a token."
The moment these words left her mouth, the two gatekeeper disciples immediately grew tense.
Mo Tiange continued with a smile, "I am a Xuanqing Sect disciple who left the mountain two years ago. Because I was severely injured in battle, I've been recuperating in a secret location. Only now that I've recovered have I emerged, hence I don't have the alliance token you mentioned. However, I have my Xuanqing Sect token. You may present it to your person in charge for verification." As she spoke, she handed over her Xuanqing Sect identity token.
Seeing her calm demeanor, the gatekeeper disciple cautiously accepted the token. "In that case, please don't take offense, Esteemed Senior. Please wait here a moment."
Seeing Mo Tiange nod amiably, the gatekeeper disciple felt slightly relieved and went inside to report.
Not long after, Mo Tiange saw the gatekeeper disciple hurrying out, clasping his hands toward her. "Esteemed Senior, the person in charge invites you."
Mo Tiange nodded with a smile and stepped into the main hall.
Although the outside of the hall was half-collapsed, the interior remained relatively intact. However, the scene inside was beyond Mo Tiange's expectations.
She had thought that since this was the headquarters of the person in charge, it should be quiet and orderly. Unexpectedly, it was bustling with activity, with many people coming and going. Moreover, injured individuals lay everywhere—it seemed to be a place of healing.
"Xiao Bai!" A somewhat familiar voice. Mo Tiange spotted a young man wearing Xuanqing Sect disciple attire amidst the crowd. He was at the Foundation Establishment Perfection stage, his demeanor aloof, yet every movement carried an elegant grace. At the moment, he was squatting on the ground, examining an injured cultivator.
"Coming!" A Foundation Establishment early-stage youth answered.
The young man tilted his chin slightly. "This person is yours."
"Alright."
After handing over the injured person, the young man stood up, unhurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands clean, picked up the identity token from the table, and turned his gaze toward Mo Tiange.
Mo Tiange had already recognized him—this was Senior Brother Kuang Zhu, whom she had met once at Luoyan Cliff.
Kuang Zhu picked up her identity token, his scrutinizing gaze sweeping over her. However, his scrutiny didn't carry any unpleasantness, as his eyes were merely cool, not disdainful.
"Mo Tiange?"
Mo Tiange raised her hand. "Yes. Greetings, Senior Brother Kuang Zhu."
Kuang Zhu tossed her identity token back to her. "Weren't you supposed to have arrived at the Danding Sect two years ago?"
Mo Tiange had prepared for this question. "During the battle at the Yu Family two years ago, I was severely wounded by a Fifth-Rank demonic beast. After using a secret technique to escape, I lost consciousness and remained comatose for several months. Months later, I finally woke from the coma. Because my injuries were severe, I didn't dare show myself. I found a hidden location and secluded myself to heal."
"Oh..." It was unclear whether Kuang Zhu accepted her explanation. He turned, walked around several tables, rummaged through the highest desk, finally found a blank token, carved a few marks onto it, and tossed it to her. "This is your alliance identity token. Present this in the future."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Kuang Zhu." Mo Tiange accepted the new identity token and stored it away. Seeing Kuang Zhu walk past her to attend to another injured person, she quickly called out, "Senior Brother!"
Kuang Zhu didn't even pause, continuing to examine the new injured person as he glanced at her coolly. "What is it?"
"..." Looking at the scene before her, Mo Tiange found herself at a loss for words. It took her a moment to find her voice. "Is there anything I need to do?"
"No need." This time, Kuang Zhu didn't even look at her. "Just mind your own business."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange was somewhat incredulous. "Isn't Senior Brother the person in charge here? Why aren't tasks being assigned?"
Kuang Zhu snorted softly. "Tasks? Just go kill your demons. If there's something, I'll notify you!"
"...Oh." Mo Tiange felt puzzled, but no matter how puzzled she was, she knew this Senior Brother Kuang Zhu didn't seem to want to be disturbed. She asked one final question. "Senior Brother, if I have questions, who should I ask?"
After casting a healing spell, Kuang Zhu looked up at her, then turned and called out, "Xiao Guzi!"
"Yes!" A Qi Refining youth answered.
Kuang Zhu pointed at her and said to the youth, "This Martial Aunt has questions. Since you have nothing better to do, talk to her."
"Oh." The youth glanced at Mo Tiange, his eyes darting around. He grinned. "Martial Aunt, this isn't a good place to talk. Please follow me."
Looking at Kuang Zhu, who had already buried himself in examining another injured person, Mo Tiange felt helpless. But at least someone was willing to answer her questions. She smiled at the youth. "Thank you."
The youth led her to a corner of the main hall, produced two chairs with missing legs from who-knows-where, cast a simple spell, and smilingly invited her to sit. Only then did he say, "I dare not accept Martial Aunt's thanks. Martial Aunt, feel free to ask me anything. I'm not boasting, but there's nothing happening around here that I don't know about."
"Is that so?" The youth's attitude was neither subservient nor arrogant, yet he was smiling amiably. Mo Tiange felt quite favorably toward him and smiled. "Alright then. If you can answer the things I want to know, I'll give you something good. How about that?"
The youth's eyes lit up. "What good thing?"
Mo Tiange opened her hand. "This is something I obtained by chance. If you need it, use it yourself. If you don't, you can exchange it for a few hundred spirit stones."
The youth curiously picked up the pure white pill from her palm. "This... I don't recognize it."
Mo Tiange smiled inwardly. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what it's called either, but it seems to be a pill for treating cultivation deviation. You can ask your elders about it. If you're lucky, it might be worth a fortune. If not, don't blame me." This was the Qi-Circulation Pill she had refined, relatively inexpensive among the pills she had produced.
The youth chuckled and snatched the pill. "Alright then. Martial Aunt, feel free to ask."
"Looks like you're really confident." He had taken the pill before even answering.
The youth played with the pill without speaking.
"I'd like to inquire about a few people. First, Perfected One Xuanyin of Qingquan Peak. Second, a few female disciples under his tutelage. Lastly, a disciple under Martial Uncle Qingyuan."
The youth's eyes shifted. "Perfected Ancestor Xuanyin was ordered to return to the mountain half a month ago. He should be at Mount Taikang now. The female disciples under the Perfected Ancestor Martial Aunt mentioned must be Martial Aunt Han, Martial Aunt Wei, and Martial Aunt Luo, right?"
"Correct." Mo Tiange nodded with a smile. This kid really knew his stuff.
"If Martial Aunt is asking whether these three Martial Aunts are well, my answer is: not well. If Martial Aunt is asking whether they're alive, the answer is: alive."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. This kid was truly clever, but what did he mean by 'not well'?
The youth seemed to sense her confusion and answered honestly this time. "I overheard Martial Aunt's words earlier. I presume Martial Aunt was with these three Martial Aunts two years ago?" Seeing Mo Tiange nod, the youth continued, "In that battle back then, Perfected Ancestor Xuanyin arrived in time, so the three Martial Aunts didn't perish. However, Martial Aunt Wei and Martial Aunt Luo were severely injured and were immediately sent back to Mount Taikang. We handled that matter ourselves. As for Martial Aunt Han, she was fine initially, but I heard she was injured a few months ago as well."
"Oh, I see." Mo Tiange breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they were alive.
"Martial Aunt mentioned another disciple under Perfected Ancestor Qingyuan. What's his name?"
"He's called Ye Jingwen."
"Martial Uncle Ye?" The youth grinned. "What a coincidence. Martial Uncle Ye is currently stationed here with us. Martial Aunt will likely see him soon."