Dao Lord Jinghe’s cave abode was called Shangqing Palace.
When Mo Tiange saw it, she was surprised. She had thought it would be called something like Ten Thousand Flowers Palace or Hundred Fragrances Palace, but she hadn’t expected such a normal name.
Within this palace, apart from Dao Lord Jinghe, there were only her and sixteen maidservants. These maidservants were all female Foundation Establishment cultivators from the sect. Their spiritual roots were mediocre, insufficient to be accepted as disciples by Core Formation cultivators, so they voluntarily became maidservants to the Nascent Soul Patriarch, hoping to receive some guidance.
Dao Lord Jinghe was not a stingy person. By serving him, they could indeed often receive his instruction and even obtain his rewards. These maidservants might have come initially just for the sake of cultivation progress, but after long-term service to a man—a man with high cultivation, handsome looks, and graceful demeanor—they unconsciously developed some delusions, and thus squabbles and jealousies became frequent.
During those few days in the Nurturing Pool, Mo Tiange had grown accustomed to the bickering among Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, and originally didn’t think much of it. Who would have guessed that after arriving at Shangqing Palace, she would realize that the squabbling among those few was truly nothing.
These sixteen maidservants were named Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum; Qin, Qi, Shu, Hua; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; Rain, Snow, Wind, Frost. The names were all given by Dao Lord Jinghe, utterly cliché.
Given the level of these names, the fact that this cave abode was actually called Shangqing Palace genuinely astonished Mo Tiange.
Her Mingxin Abode was relatively close to the residences of the four maids Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua. These four were respectively named Xiuqin, Qingqi, Xianshu, and Daihua. These names were finally somewhat more elegant than Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, but the way the four interacted was even fiercer than the squabbling of Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum.
Moreover, because her cultivation level was almost the same as theirs, these maidservants did not sincerely serve her. Although they addressed her as Aunt-Master Mo and did not openly defy her, their speech and demeanor gradually lost respect.
To stop this, Mo Tiange set up a Five Elements Formation around her small cave abode. When she needed something, she only had them send a messenger talisman outside the cave, minimizing opportunities for contact.
Having kept these maidservants outside her cave abode, and with Dao Lord Jinghe letting her fend for herself, Mo Tiange finally managed to enter the Xu Heaven Realm and continue her own cultivation.
With the Hunyuan Primeval Maiden Technique, her cultivation progress was extremely fast. Cultivating for three hours each day could achieve the same effect as before. But Mo Tiange was not in a hurry to cultivate. She would cultivate for three hours each day, and once she achieved her previous daily progress, she would stop. Because she knew her cultivation had been forcefully raised to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment. Her mental state and realm were not yet stable. If she rushed for quick results, her mental state might prove insufficient when the time came, likely leading to failure in forming her Core, forcing her to retrace this part of the path. It was better to go slower now and firmly lay a solid foundation.
Because she was forcefully suppressing her cultivation speed, her Spirit Refining Art also slowed its pace. Any combat technique must be based on a cultivation method, and the Spirit Refining Art was no exception. She was only at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment now. Although her Primordial Spirit meridians differed from ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, she still could not ignore cultivation realms. If her cultivation was insufficient to support it, the Spirit Refining Art would eventually cause backlash.
Therefore, Mo Tiange devoted the remaining five or six hours of her day to other skills.
Formations, alchemy, artifact forging, talisman-making, medical arts, and mechanist arts.
The so-called Mechanist Arts were a rather special type among several skills. Legend said that in the distant ancient times, a Mohist school once appeared in the mortal world. Its founder, Mozi, was skilled in craftsmanship and could use materials like wood and refined iron to create mechanisms of astonishing power, capable of fighting one against a hundred, even conquering cities and seizing territories.
This was naturally a minor skill not worth mentioning in the cultivation world, but the cultivation world also had its own Mechanist Arts, using various spiritual materials and crystals to create puppets that could possess power akin to human cultivators.
Unfortunately, after flipping through all the books on Mechanist Arts, Mo Tiange found that these puppets all required a thing called spirit crystals to activate. Such things could no longer be found nowadays, no wonder the Mechanist Arts had been lost.
Cultivating, tending the fields, practicing skills—the days passed one by one. Nestled in this small cave abode, Mo Tiange became more and more engrossed in her studies, not even seeing other people.
She didn’t know how long this lonely yet not lonesome life lasted before her nominal master finally remembered her.
Mo Tiange sat on the chair, still with her eyes observing her nose and her nose observing her heart, not even lifting her gaze as she allowed Dao Lord Jinghe to scrutinize her.
Dao Lord Jinghe looked at her for a while and finally spoke: “You girl, you’re quite clever, actually not cultivating desperately but slowing your cultivation pace. Hmm, much smarter than that brat!”
That brat? Mo Tiange thought for a moment. Who was he talking about?
After saying this, Dao Lord Jinghe lay back down: “Deliberately suppressing your cultivation speed every day, aren’t you bored?”
“……” She wasn’t bored at all! But Mo Tiange didn’t dare say that directly, so she just nodded, looking at her nominal master very cautiously.
Dao Lord Jinghe didn’t mind. Without even looking at her, he continued peeling grapes with his spiritual power: “How about Master gives you something to do?”
Was this an assignment? Mo Tiange looked at him even more cautiously.
Dao Lord Jinghe glanced at her, chuckled twice, and said amiably: “Disciple, Master is also thinking for your own good. Look at you, you still have over nine years. Being cooped up like this all the time doesn’t seem good, right?”
“Master,” Mo Tiange said carefully, “your disciple feels fine. I quite like these days.”
Dao Lord Jinghe immediately raised his eyebrows: “What’s fine about it? Don’t be shy, Master has already thought it out for you! I guess you don’t cultivate more than five hours a day, right? There are twelve hours in a day, half left. You don’t need to sleep, so what do you do with the idle time? So Master thought of a solution for you, found something for you to do!”
“……”
Seeing Mo Tiange didn’t object, Dao Lord Jinghe immediately smiled happily: “Ah, that’s being obedient. Would Master harm you? Let me tell you, besides cultivation, some things are also very important. Master wouldn’t harm you…”
Mo Tiange sighed: “Master, if you have something, please say it directly.”
Dao Lord Jinghe immediately took out a jade slip: “Every day, just follow what’s recorded here, do things at fixed times, and that’s it.”
Mo Tiange skeptically immersed her spiritual sense into it and instantly felt like spitting blood.
Yin hour (3-5 am): collect dew. Mao hour (5-7 am): tend spiritual herbs. Chen hour (7-9 am): care for spirit beasts. Si hour (9-11 am): go out to lecture on the Dao. Noon hour: return. Five of her remaining seven hours were scheduled. And most of these were tasks his maidservants did!
What did this master want to do? Make her run around in circles every day?
“Master…” Her face darkened slightly. “Isn’t this a bit too much?”
“Too much?” Dao Lord Jinghe said. “Back in the day, when Xuanyin, Qingyuan, and those boys first entered the sect, they had even more to do! You’re not doing much at all!”
“I…” Alright, disciples had the duty to serve their master. But the problem was, masters also had the duty to teach their disciples. This master never taught her anything, so what right did he have to demand she fulfill her duties as a disciple?
Seeing she didn’t speak, Dao Lord Jinghe blew on his beard and glared: “Is this how a disciple should be? Asking you to do a little work and you’re unwilling? Back in the day, Xuanyin and the others…”
“Alright, alright,” Mo Tiange gave up. “Whatever Master says goes. Your disciple will do as instructed.”
“That’s more like it…”
Gritting her teeth, she agreed to the pile of tasks assigned by Dao Lord Jinghe. In fact, she had no choice not to agree. Did she dare disobey the words of a Nascent Soul cultivator?
But what was even more frustrating was that when she was already very displeased, the maidservants whose duties she took over still gave her attitude.
“Here!” The maidservant previously responsible for dew-collecting threw over the jade bottle for dew and the jade spatula for guiding dew, her expression cold and disdainful. “The Patriarch likes dew collected before Yin hour three marks. If it’s even a little late, he won’t want it. Also, it must be from fragrant, clean spiritual herbs. If there’s any odd smell, the Patriarch will definitely fly into a rage. You handle it yourself.”
Mo Tiange took them, too lazy to thank her, and turned to leave.
But she heard two maidservants talking loudly behind her.
“Mingxia, since your duties have been taken by someone else, what will you do?”
The maidservant who had just handed over to Mo Tiange replied in a mocking tone: “Since the Patriarch has spoken, what can I do? Having nothing to do means having nothing to do. I’ll just have more time to cultivate! It’s strange, though. She’s a disciple, we’re maidservants. Why is she coming to take over our work?”
“Hmph, think about it. What kind of person is our Patriarch? He’s at least a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Core Formation cultivators kneel begging him, and he doesn’t necessarily accept them as disciples, let alone a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator! So what if she has the title of disciple? Isn’t she just the same as us…”
“That’s true. I heard the Patriarch accepted her because of a conflict with another sect. It was just a temporary measure. Some people shouldn’t really think they’ve ascended to heaven in one step!”
“Hey, don’t say that! A disciple is still a disciple after all, while we are just maidservants. If we offend her, maybe the Patriarch won’t want to instruct us anymore. By the way, the Patriarch said he would lecture us on the Dao today, right?”
“Right, right. We shouldn’t be late…”
Mo Tiange gritted her teeth, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear.
What was idle gossip? It wouldn’t make her lose a piece of flesh! He actually lectured the maidservants on the Dao but hadn’t given her a single word of instruction, let alone any initiation gifts!
After collecting dew before Yin hour three marks, Mo Tiange rushed back to Shangqing Palace and took over the spiritual herb care work.
This time, the duties were handed over by Weiyu and Qingxue from Rain, Snow, Wind, Frost.
These two were more straightforward. They just tossed her a jade slip classifying spiritual herbs and then turned away, ignoring her.
Mo Tiange spent nearly half an hour to understand the handling methods of various spiritual herbs. Those two maidservants were still sneering beside her.
“Qingxue, your hairpin is nice. It’s a magic tool?”
“The Patriarch rewarded me with this a few days ago. Master said my skin is fair, and this Green Snow Containing Fragrance hairpin looks most beautiful on me. If I encounter combat, I can also use it for protection!”
“I also got a reward. Look at this colorful ribbon. The Patriarch said girls should be pretty to be pleasing to the eye. Wearing dull sect robes with not even a hairpin on the head is too rustic!”
“Exactly! Last time we went to Tianhuo Mountain, didn’t the Patriarch reward Senior Sister Zhan from Lingyin Peak with clothes? We maidservants, serving in front of the Patriarch every day, should dress even more beautifully.”
“But it’s really strange. The Patriarch has accepted female disciples before. Aunt-Master Suxin is also exceptionally beautiful. Why did he accept someone completely unremarkable now?”
“Ah, that depends on whether she can dress up. She looks like that, what can the Patriarch do?”
“True.” The two maidservants covered their mouths and giggled.
Mo Tiange numbly finished pruning, catching insects, and watering, then closed the medicinal garden’s restrictions and left.
Chen hour arrived, the sky bright. She circled toward the back mountain behind the cave abode.
Wearing dull sect robes? Not even a hairpin on the head? Looking like that? Mo Tiange snorted through her nose!
The sect robes for Foundation Establishment cultivators were blue clothes with white sleeves. Where was that dull? Elite disciples like Han Qingyu, Luo Fengxue, and Ye Jingwen all wore them, even Senior Brother Xuanyin and the others wore them! And hairpins? She currently wore a Daoist bun, what did she need a hairpin for? Senior Sister Suxin was also plain and simple. And saying she looked like that? She wouldn’t claim to be heavenly beautiful, but at the very least she was much better-looking than them!
Fuming with rage, she walked to the Spirit Beast Courtyard in the back mountain. This time, waiting for her were the four maids Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua.
As a Nascent Soul cultivator, Dao Lord Jinghe had many spirit beasts. This full courtyard contained beasts ranging from second-rank to sixth-rank. It was said that higher-rank spirit beasts were cared for by himself. But above fifth-rank, equivalent to Core Formation, they were all only at Foundation Establishment, so the four of them cared for them together to avoid accidents.
“Aunt-Master Mo, the restriction token for the Spirit Beast Courtyard must have been given to you by the Patriarch long ago. We only have some specific usage methods for your reference.” Xiuqin said, handing her a jade slip.
Mo Tiange calmed her emotions slightly. At least this group wasn’t trying to provoke her.
She didn’t see Xianshu roll her eyes and glance at Daihua.
The four maidservants understood tacitly but only watched Mo Tiange, saying nothing more.
Mo Tiange took the jade slip and quickly finished reading it. Spirit beasts, after all, weren’t spiritual herbs that could just be planted. The entire Spirit Beast Courtyard only had a dozen or so types of spirit beasts.
After reading the jade slip, she went to prepare various feeds, then used the token given by Dao Lord Jinghe to open the restrictions at the Spirit Beast Courtyard entrance.
Two second-rank spirit beasts, three third-rank spirit beasts, one fourth-rank spirit beast, two fifth-rank spirit beasts, one sixth-rank spirit beast…
Placing feed in order, she reached the area of the fifth-rank spirit beasts.
This was a fifth-rank Heaven-Treading Ox, with massive ox horns. It was said its strength could tread the heavens and split the earth. As recorded on the jade slip, she opened the outermost restriction and placed the feed.
Just as she turned to leave, the inner restriction suddenly flickered. In an instant, the Heaven-Treading Ox let out a skyward “moo,” rubbed its hind hooves on the ground, and charged into the restriction.
The restriction flickered once and then disappeared.
Hearing the sound, Mo Tiange had only half-turned when she suddenly saw the ox horns charging at her. She immediately summoned the White Silk Handkerchief. A brick wall descended, firmly blocking the charging power of the ox horns.
Then, with a grab, she swung the handkerchief back to its original form, lifted herself up, and fled outward, glaring fiercely at Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua standing by the courtyard edge!
These four hadn’t mocked her precisely because they had already planned to teach her a lesson like this!
But there was no time to think more now. The Heaven-Treading Ox chased behind her, charging left and right, its horns always aimed at her.
The White Silk Handkerchief’s speed was pushed to the limit. Mo Tiange had already used it to evade attacks from fifth-rank demonic beasts before. Now manipulating this item was even more proficient, so she wasn’t panicked at the moment.
The Heaven-Treading Ox’s power lay in its strength, but its speed wasn’t great. Driving the White Silk Handkerchief with all her might, evading wasn’t easy, but catching it and putting it back would also be difficult. Of course, she could also lead the ox to the front to seek Dao Lord Jinghe’s rescue, but wouldn’t that make her seem incompetent?
Mo Tiange retreated rapidly, a lamp appearing in her hand.
The lamp flew high, releasing bright light. Mo Tiange pointed her spiritual energy, and the light shone on the Heaven-Treading Ox.
The Heaven-Treading Ox’s movement slowed slightly. At that moment, Mo Tiange had already thrown out several formation disks and spirit stones. Maze Formation!
Her never-before-used Soul-Bewildering Lamp, paired with the Maze Formation, instantly confused the Heaven-Treading Ox. Its spiritual energy was certainly powerful; the Soul-Bewildering Lamp and Maze Formation could only block it temporarily, but this temporary moment was enough for Mo Tiange.
Spirit beasts also had spiritual sense. In the Maze Formation, spirit beasts would instinctively use their spiritual sense to perceive their surroundings, giving Mo Tiange an opportunity!
The Spirit Refining Art manipulated her spiritual sense, lashing out fiercely.
The Heaven-Treading Ox “mooed” and jumped up violently.
The White Silk Handkerchief struck again, but this time not for defense. The brick wall smashed down hard on the Heaven-Treading Ox.
Seeing the Heaven-Treading Ox fall to the ground, Mo Tiange let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t have any offensive magic tools strong enough. Only the White Silk Handkerchief, a magic treasure, could possibly harm the Heaven-Treading Ox. Coupled with the Spirit Refining Art’s unexpected attack, this temporarily incapacitated the Heaven-Treading Ox.
After locking the Heaven-Treading Ox back in the Spirit Beast Courtyard and opening all restrictions, Mo Tiange walked out of the courtyard, coldly staring at Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua who had remained standing to the side.
She saw clearly. When the Heaven-Treading Ox charged out, smiles had appeared on these four faces. They had clearly planned to scheme against her! If she didn’t have the Spirit Refining Art and several treasures, and if there weren’t several restrictions here limiting the Heaven-Treading Ox’s power, she might have already lost half her life just now!
Now these four looked at her, the mockery gone from their faces, replaced by fear.
From the Heaven-Treading Ox breaking through the restriction to Mo Tiange knocking it out, it had only been a few breaths. A Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator had actually subdued a fifth-rank spirit beast. Although the restrictions here had limited the Heaven-Treading Ox’s power, it was still enough to shock them!
They were just dissatisfied, so they wanted to borrow the power of the fifth-rank spirit beast to teach this Aunt-Master, who was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator but received special attention from the Patriarch, a lesson. Restrictions existed here, and the four of them were prepared to act at any moment. They thought they wouldn’t take her life, but half her life was very possible. They weren’t afraid of the Patriarch’s anger because the Patriarch disliked people without ability themselves. As long as they kept her alive, the Patriarch wouldn’t blame them. But they never expected that in just a few breaths, a fifth-rank spirit beast would be subdued!
Mo Tiange sneered, holding the White Silk Handkerchief in one hand and gripping the Flying Shuttle tightly in the other: “It seems you’re very dissatisfied. Then let’s fight! Come at me together. I’ll let you know why I’m a disciple, and you are maidservants!”
The four of Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua originally looked fearful, but hearing her words, they exchanged glances and grew angry again. That’s right, they were dissatisfied. They were only slightly inferior in aptitude, but their cultivation wasn’t weak. Among them, there was also a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Why should they address a cultivator of the same rank as Aunt-Master? Why did she receive such attention from the Patriarch, letting her familiarize herself with everything in Shangqing Palace?
“Junior Sisters, since Aunt-Master said so, let’s play along with her!”