And so, the nuisance of the unwanted admirer came to an end. Mo Tiange later heard that Dao Lord Zhenyang, in a fit of anger, had taken that Bai Junior Brother back and placed him under house arrest, after which he vanished from sight. Even when she was assigned to go to Zhaoyang Peak on business, she never saw that Bai Junior Brother again. Her days returned to peace.
Gradually, as she integrated into the sect and gained prestige among the Qi Refining disciples, Daojun Jinghe agreed that she no longer needed to go to the Mengxue Hall daily. She only had to give lectures periodically according to the arrangements of the Duty Hall.
As for the affairs of Shangqing Palace, they were once again handed back to the maidservants, but she remained ultimately responsible. If anything went wrong, they would come to her.
And so, almost imperceptibly, Mo Tiange found her status within the Xuanqing Sect steadily rising. The low-level disciples respectfully addressing her as Grandmaster went without saying, but even the Foundation Establishment disciples calling her 'Aunt-Master' did so with genuine sincerity.
Because of this, she swallowed back the words she had heard from Bai Yanfei some time ago.
Regardless of what their initial intentions towards her might have been, she could see how well Daojun Jinghe treated her now. If they truly only saw her as a... usable cultivation vessel, why go to such lengths? If they never brought it up again, she would pretend she had never heard it.
Year after year, time flew by.
Although she possessed the Xu Heaven Realm, Mo Tiange's cultivation did not advance too rapidly. Firstly, she deliberately slowed her cultivation pace to solidify her foundation, lest future instability in her mental state affect her Core Formation. Secondly, while the Xu Heaven Realm contained many spiritual herbs, most were high-grade. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she could use very few of them.
Three years passed. Mo Tiange was now thirty-two years old, yet she still maintained the appearance of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old. There were many reasons for this. First, her Su Nü Jue—now called the Hunyuan Primeval Maiden Technique—had a youth-preserving effect. Second, she had taken a Dingyan Pill; unless encountering special circumstances, she would not age for the rest of her life. Even without these two points, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a lifespan of three to four hundred years, she was still considered young.
It was Ye Zhenji who had grown up. A fifteen-year-old youth, his frame had stretched taller, his features gradually maturing, even his voice beginning to deepen. Mo Tiange had never been tall to begin with, and now he had caught up to her. It seemed it wouldn't be long before she had to look up at him.
However, Ye Zhenji's attitude towards her never changed. He remained trusting and admiring, viewing her as a respected elder—as for that nominal master of his, he scarcely remembered him.
Ye Zhenji's cultivation progressed swiftly. Mo Tiange spared no expense, using all the pills and treasures usable in the Qi Refining stage on him. He was now at the seventh level of Qi Refining, completely catching up to Hua Ling. Influenced by Mo Tiange, this child cultivated with considerable diligence. His temperament and comprehension were both excellent. Given time, he was sure to achieve something.
The Ye family maintained contact with him, sending items over periodically. They were unaware of Mo Tiange's existence, only knowing that Ye Zhenji had been accepted as a disciple by a Core Formation Perfected One. They were overjoyed and sent many tribute items. Nominally, these were gifts for Perfected One Shoujing, but in reality, they all ended up in Mo Tiange's hands. Seeing these tributes, priceless in the mortal world, Mo Tiange knew the Ye family was doing well in secular life, which put her mind at ease.
Although she held no affection for the Ye family, they were, after all, her clan, and it was also the request of her Second Uncle. If it was within her power, doing her part was only right.
When the third year passed, the Xuanqing Sect announced another momentous piece of joyous news: Perfected One Xuanyin had successfully advanced to Nascent Soul. He was now Dao Lord Xuanyin!
Upon learning this, Mo Tiange conveyed her congratulations to Dao Lord Xuanyin and promptly changed how she addressed him. From then on, she would call him Uncle-Master Xuanyin. Luo Fengxue and others were now also of the same generation as her—once one reached Nascent Soul, one became a grandmaster of a generation. Although the master-disciple title remained, it was considered establishing one's own separate branch.
The Xuanqing Sect had six peaks. Five of them were occupied by the five Nascent Soul cultivators. Now that a sixth Nascent Soul cultivator had appeared, the empty peak was assigned to Dao Lord Xuanyin. Henceforth, Dao Lord Xuanyin and his disciples all moved to Ganlu Peak.
Regarding Dao Lord Xuanyin's advancement, Daojun Jinghe specifically summoned Mo Tiange to educate her.
Dao Lord Xuanyin's aptitude was also exceptional; he was one of the single spiritual root disciples the Xuanqing Sect received only once every few hundred years. Yet he never competed for the title of genius, focusing only on cultivating step by step, solidifying his foundation layer by layer. Now over four hundred years old, he finally attempted to form his Nascent Soul, succeeding on the first try.
This matter was perfect for educating Mo Tiange. She had obtained the Hunyuan cultivation method, shed the label of 'waste spiritual root,' and her aptitude could now be called genius. Knowing she cultivated too quickly, Daojun Jinghe specifically reminded her that no matter how good one's aptitude was, only with a solid foundation could one achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Mo Tiange grasped his meaning; she herself had realized this problem. Foundation Establishment at twenty-three was already considered early, and she had directly advanced from early Foundation Establishment to mid-stage Foundation Establishment. If she took some spiritual herbs from the Xu Heaven Realm to sell, she could easily afford to continuously take Gathering Spirit Pills, reaching late-stage Foundation Establishment in ten or twenty years. But cultivation built on a pile of pills harbored enormous hidden dangers. If her mental state couldn't keep up with her cultivation, problems would arise during advancement.
Seeing she understood his intent, Daojun Jinghe was greatly pleased, yet he muttered under his breath, "If only that brat could understand too, that would be good…"
Dao Lord Xuanyin's advancement to Nascent Soul didn't just have a significant impact on the Xuanqing Sect; it even caused tremors in the power structure of the major sects in Tianji.
The recent Demon Beast Rebellion was now formally over. Because the Xuanqing Sect had issued a mountain-sealing order early on, although they lost many Foundation Establishment disciples and several Core Formation cultivators, the Qi Refining disciples remained unaffected. Numerous high-aptitude disciples were also well protected. It seemed that in fifty or sixty years, they would restore their former prosperity.
As for the other six great sects, the Danding Sect no longer had the strength to rank among the seven great sects. Recovering their strength would take at least several hundred years. Powerful sects like the Tiandao Sect, while also preserving their most important disciples, suffered greater losses than the Xuanqing Sect due to insufficient early estimation.
Another sect that didn't suffer much loss was the Zhengfa Sect—now renamed Zhengfa Sect—located in the extreme northern glacial region. They only had a branch vein in Kunwu; although they suffered losses, the impact wasn't significant. However, the extreme northern glaciers were inherently harsh. Although the Zhengfa Sect dominated the north alone, it was impossible for them to develop to the scale of the Tiandao Sect or Xuanqing Sect. Otherwise, they wouldn't have established a branch in Kunwu.
The reason the Xuanqing Sect had always ranked below the Tiandao Sect was because they had fewer Nascent Soul cultivators. The Tiandao Sect had seven Nascent Soul cultivators, while the Xuanqing Sect only had five. In terms of other disciples, the difference between the two sects wasn't large.
Now, with Dao Lord Xuanyin's successful advancement to the Nascent Soul stage, the number of Nascent Soul cultivators in the Xuanqing Sect had increased to six. Although Dao Lord Lingxu would likely pass away within a century, Perfected One Shoujing had already successfully advanced to the late Core Formation stage. Given his temperament, adding another Nascent Soul cultivator to the Xuanqing Sect within a hundred years probably wouldn't be a problem. There was also Perfected One Lingxi, another genius with a single spiritual root, currently at the mid Core Formation stage, who also had the potential to advance within a century.
By that time, the Xuanqing Sect's Nascent Soul cultivators would increase to seven, and almost all of them would be in their prime, with their lifespans not yet half over. Furthermore, Dao Lord Zhenyang had just reached a thousand years of age. With his late Nascent Soul stage cultivation, he had high hopes of living another seven or eight hundred years. Dao Lord Jinghe was over eight hundred years old, currently at the peak of the mid-stage cultivation. As long as he encountered a suitable opportunity, he could advance to the late stage. Those with foresight could almost envision how prosperous the Xuanqing Sect would become over the next few centuries.
In contrast, although the Tiandao Sect currently had seven Nascent Soul cultivators, three of them were nearing the end of their lifespans and would pass away within the next two or three hundred years. Among their Core Formation cultivators, they couldn't match the Xuanqing Sect's continuous emergence of talented individuals.
Therefore, with Dao Lord Xuanyin's advancement to Nascent Soul, the Xuanqing Sect sent out invitations to many friendly sects. The sects that received these invitations were all pondering internally what kind of grand gift they should present to strengthen their ties with the Xuanqing Sect.
Among them, the Grand Elders of the Tiandao Sect felt particularly complex. This signaled that their title as the number one sect in Tianji might very well change hands.
Regardless of what others thought, the Xuanqing Sect's grand celebration for Dao Lord Xuanyin's Nascent Soul ascension began with great fanfare.
Mo Tiange had a headache. A terrible headache.
For this Nascent Soul grand ceremony, the Xuanqing Sect had welcomed a multitude of guests. Ordinary guests could be received by Qi Refining disciples, but those guests with status and background required the efforts of elite disciples like them.
For this reason, Mo Tiange secretly cursed that "Senior Brother Shoujing" who claimed to be in closed-door cultivation. Why could he, with a single word, remain uninvolved, while she had to set aside her cultivation matters and run around busily?
But no matter what, this was Dao Lord Jinghe's intention, and she still had to obediently comply. Towards this master of hers, although she wasn't particularly respectful on the surface, she held a deep respect in her heart. The credit for her current status and for not straying from the correct path in her cultivation journey all belonged to this master.
"Welcome, fellow Daoists, to Mount Taikang. I am Mo Tiange, disciple of Dao Lord Jinghe, ordered to come and welcome you."
This time, the cultivators coming up the mountain were from medium-sized sects, their cultivation levels neither high nor low. Core Formation cultivators were already being received by senior brothers and sisters of the same cultivation level, so she was responsible for receiving the disciples these guests brought. After all, with her status, even if she were to receive only one person, it wouldn't be considered impolite.
Sure enough, upon hearing her identity, these seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators showed looks of astonishment, then returned her salute one after another, their gazes filled with envy.
One among them was particularly quick-witted and immediately said, "I am Wei Shide, a disciple of the Biling Mountain. Greetings, Uncle-Master Mo!"
Mo Tiange quickly smiled and said, "Senior Brother, there's no need for such excessive courtesy. Our cultivation levels are similar; addressing each other as senior brother and junior sister is fine."
"How can that be?" This person fawned with a smile. "Uncle-Master is a disciple of Dao Lord Jinghe. That would be disrespectful to Dao Lord Jinghe."
"Senior Brother is too polite," Mo Tiange replied with a smile, not showing the slightest hint of arrogance. "Our Xuanqing Sect disciples address me as Uncle-Master to avoid confusing seniority. Senior Brother is not a disciple of our Xuanqing Sect, so there's no need for that. Since my cultivation is equivalent to all of yours, we can consider ourselves peers."
"Well..." Just as this person was about to say something, a cold snort came from the crowd, followed by a sarcastic voice saying, "Senior Brother Wei, why are you so eager to curry favor? Take a look at your own status first. You'll make people laugh their teeth out if word gets out!"
Hearing this mockery, Wei Shide's face immediately changed. He turned his head and glared angrily at a young man among them. "Dong Dafeng! I won't stoop to your level, someone as ill-mannered as you!"
The young man sneered, "Is it that you won't stoop to my level, or are you afraid of being laughed at by this junior sister from the Xuanqing Sect?"
"You—"
Seeing that these two were about to come to blows, Mo Tiange quickly spoke up. "Both senior brothers!"
Since she was, after all, the host, the two of them stopped upon hearing her speak and turned towards her.
Mo Tiange smiled and said, "Both senior brothers have come to my Xuanqing Sect to offer congratulations. Please give face to my Uncle-Master Xuanyin and let this matter end here, alright?"
Since she had invoked Dao Lord Xuanyin, the two had no choice but to stop their bickering. Each bowed to her. "Junior Sister speaks wisely." Wei Shide, probably seeing how smoothly the young man addressed her as junior sister, also changed his form of address, not wanting to let the young man gain an advantage over him.
Mo Tiange breathed a sigh of relief and said, "All of you have just arrived at Mount Taikang and must be tired. Shall I arrange for you to rest now?"
Naturally, these people had no objections. Qi Refining disciples then led the way, with her following behind, settling these cultivators into the guest quarters.
Just as she had arranged everything and was about to leave, a cultivator followed her out of the small courtyard.
Mo Tiange walked for a while, then suddenly stopped and shouted, "Who is there?!"
Her Flying Sky Shuttle and White Silk Kerchief were already in her hands. She had prepared for a fight the moment she sensed something amiss. But when she turned around, she froze.
The cultivator following her was also at the early Foundation Establishment stage, dressed in dark green robes. He was very tall, a full head taller than her.
"Ye... Junior Brother?" the man asked hesitantly. "Are you Junior Brother Ye?"
In just an instant, Mo Tiange regained her composure and smiled. "Senior Brother Liu, it's been a long time."
This person was none other than Liu Yidao, one of the few remaining acquaintances she had from the Yunwu Sect.
Hearing her response, Liu Yidao revealed a smile, but it stopped halfway, the corners of his eyes slightly moist. "Junior Brother Ye, you're alive. You're really alive. That's wonderful!"
His intense emotion was beyond Mo Tiange's expectations. Since leaving the Yunwu Sect, she hadn't thought much about the past. Back then, she had essentially fled for her life, not daring to bid farewell to these people. Moreover, those she cared about at the time either had families and clans like Murong Yan, or had foreseeable futures like Liu Yidao, so she didn't need to worry about them. Seeing Liu Yidao now as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, representing his sect to offer congratulations, he must be doing well. She felt happy in her heart, yet also calm because this was within her expectations.
After a good while, Liu Yidao regained his calm. "Junior Brother Ye, please don't mind my behavior. Running into an old acquaintance today, I lost my composure."
"Senior Brother Liu was happy for me. Why would I mind?" Seeing Liu Yidao's expression, Mo Tiange felt joy but also found it strange. "Senior Brother Liu, how did you recognize me?"
Liu Yidao smiled. "I was assigned to stay right there." He pointed to a guest residence not far away. "Just now, when I saw you come in, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. How could two people look so alike, yet their attire be completely different? The resemblance was too strong. I couldn't help but follow to verify. Thankfully, I came to ask. It really is you."