Taking advantage of the chaos after Venerable Songfeng had just left, Mo Tiange secretly emerged from the Void Heaven Realm. She pretended to have just arrived and ran towards the main hall.
At this moment, the Core Formation and Foundation Establishment cultivators who had not dared to approach earlier due to the pressure from the Nascent Soul cultivators' clash were also rushing over. No one noticed her appearing out of thin air.
"Master!" She hurriedly ran to Dao Lord Jinghe's side, only to find him looking perfectly fine, chatting and laughing with others as if nothing had happened.
Mo Tiange's heart, which had been in her throat, completely settled. It seemed the injuries he had sustained earlier were not serious.
Seeing her, Dao Lord Jinghe discreetly gave her a meaningful look and beckoned. "What's the matter, so urgent?"
Mo Tiange was momentarily taken aback, pondering the meaning of that look. "Master, I..."
"You need to see me?"
"Yes..."
Dao Lord Jinghe immediately bowed to the surrounding Nascent Soul cultivators with a smile. "Fellow Daoists, I have a minor matter to attend to. Please excuse me for a moment."
With that, he took Mingxia and Wanqiu and left the main hall with Mo Tiange.
"Master?"
Dao Lord Jinghe said nothing, flying back to Qingquan Peak with the three of them.
As soon as they reached Qingquan Peak and entered the Shangqing Palace, Dao Lord Jinghe stopped.
"Mas..." Mo Tiange had just begun to speak, uttering only a single syllable, when she felt Dao Lord Jinghe's body sway. Suddenly, he pitched forward and collapsed.
"Master!"
"Ancestral Master!"
The three of them were horrified.
Dao Lord Jinghe barely managed to steady himself and shook his head. "Don't panic. Help me to meditate."
"Yes." Mingxia and Wanqiu helped him back to the dragon throne. The three of them stood by, watching anxiously.
After an unknown length of time, the color finally returned to Dao Lord Jinghe's pale face. He opened his eyes and let out a long breath. "Haven't seen him for centuries. I never expected Old Man Songfeng's demonic arts to have become so formidable..."
Mo Tiange understood. Dao Lord Jinghe's injuries were not light earlier. He had only given her that look for the sake of saving face. She felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. This master of hers, still the same old character!
"Mingxia, Wanqiu, you may withdraw."
Mingxia and Wanqiu exchanged a glance and responded, "Yes."
"Tiange, come here."
Mo Tiange approached, puzzled. "Master?"
"Sit." Dao Lord Jinghe pointed to the spot beside him.
"This..."
"I said sit, so sit!"
"Alright..." She cautiously approached, cautiously watched Dao Lord Jinghe, and cautiously sat down. Her reaction wasn't unwarranted. The Dao Lord Jinghe before her now was far too amiable, far too much like a proper elder.
"Tiange..."
"Yes." Mo Tiange kept her guard up, unsure what scheme her master was up to now.
But this time, Dao Lord Jinghe sighed and looked at her with a perfectly normal gaze. "Do you feel... that your master hasn't taught you anything?"
"..." Mo Tiange thought for a moment and answered honestly. "Regarding the path of cultivation, Master has indeed never taught me much. Your disciple has indeed found it a bit strange. However, I have encountered several fortuitous opportunities. Compared to my age, my current cultivation level is already far beyond the norm. What Master has taught me is precisely what I needed most."
"It's good that you understand." Hearing her answer and seeing her sincere expression, Dao Lord Jinghe relaxed. He remained seated cross-legged, closing his eyes to meditate. "How much of today's events did you see?"
"Your disciple saw everything. Also, in the side hall, I encountered a female cultivator who seemed to be connected to Venerable Songfeng."
"Oh?"
Mo Tiange then recounted in detail the incident with the female cultivator who used claw techniques.
After listening, Dao Lord Jinghe opened his eyes, deep in thought. "From the sound of it, that woman's methods are indeed related to Old Man Songfeng. Among the Seven Great Sects, I am the one who knows Old Man Songfeng's affairs best. That old man... I don't know what he encountered in the past, but his constitution is neither human, demon, nor monster. It seems to have been altered by some exotic object. He is not a traditional Daoist cultivator, nor is he a demonic cultivator, yet he has absorbed the strengths of many schools, which is why he is so troublesome. Based on your description, that woman should be a martial cultivator, her moves carrying demonic energy. In my opinion, she is most likely a disciple or descendant of Old Man Songfeng. Although you didn't lose to her this time, if you encounter this woman in the future, you must be extremely careful."
"Yes, I understand."
Dao Lord Jinghe nodded and asked again, "Do you know what grudge exists between your master and Old Man Songfeng?"
Mo Tiange shook her head. "Your disciple only heard your conversation earlier. I roughly know it's related to Senior Brother Shoujing."
Dao Lord Jinghe gave a light laugh, his expression a mix of helplessness and pride. "Correct, it was indeed that brat who caused the trouble. This Old Man Songfeng once had a junior with exceptionally high talent who clashed with your Senior Brother Shoujing and ended up being killed. At that time, Old Man Songfeng had long since disappeared from the world, so I didn't take it seriously. I never expected him to still be alive and come seeking revenge. Sigh, that old man holds grudges fiercely. This will be troublesome in the future."
"Then... does Master also have enmity with this Venerable Songfeng?"
"Enmity isn't quite the word. Several hundred years ago, shortly after I advanced to the mid-stage of Nascent Soul, I once went to a secret realm with Old Man Songfeng, so there were some... entanglements." Dao Lord Jinghe didn't elaborate further, just shook his head again. "Although we didn't become enemies then, we still parted on bad terms."
Given her master's personality, getting along peacefully with someone as eccentric-tempered as Venerable Songfeng would be a miracle! That Venerable Songfeng already had a poor impression of her master, and now his beloved disciple had been killed by Qin Shoujing, so his hatred naturally deepened. Thinking of this, Mo Tiange also felt a headache coming on. How long the lifespan of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator truly was, outsiders didn't know. Her master was already around eight hundred years old. That Venerable Songfeng seemed to be just over a thousand. If her master didn't advance further, he would certainly pass away before Venerable Songfeng. Wouldn't direct disciples like her face retaliation then? Of course, if she never left the Xuanqing Sect, she would naturally be safe...
"Tiange, in the future, when you go out alone, it's best not to reveal your identity as my disciple. Unless one day Old Man Songfeng passes away, or you form your Nascent Soul. Understand?"
Mo Tiange was stunned. Dao Lord Jinghe was always arrogant and overbearing, yet he was instructing her to act this way, clearly to help her avoid this calamity. A touch of gratitude stirred in her heart, making even calling him 'Master' feel more willing. "...Yes, Master."
Seeing her like this, Dao Lord Jinghe actually laughed. "Child, you probably only call me 'Master' most willingly today, right?"
Mo Tiange lowered her head with a smile. This master might be unreliable, but he was actually as clear as a mirror inside. Although she usually called him 'Master' without much reverence, she had always felt fortunate to have such a master.
After laughing, Dao Lord Jinghe said, "Since I formed my Nascent Soul, I have taken five disciples in total: Xuanyin, Qingyuan, Mingzhen, Suxin, and Changkong. Your original Second Senior Brother, Qingyuan, unfortunately passed away early. So later, I took on another disciple and bestowed upon him the Daoist name Qingyuan. I originally planned not to take any more disciples. Who would have thought that later, when I returned to the mortal Qin family, I discovered your Senior Brother Shoujing. He is my blood descendant, and his Spirit Root wasn't bad, so naturally I wanted to look after him a bit. Thus, I brought him back to Taikang Mountain and took him as a disciple. Although this brat's Spirit Root is ordinary, his temperament is excellent, and he is extremely intelligent. After taking him, I felt having him as my closing-door disciple was enough. Who would have thought he would make me take you as a disciple..."
So it was true. She had been taken as a disciple because of that person... Mo Tiange had long guessed this. She didn't feel disappointed, but she couldn't feel happy about it either.
Dao Lord Jinghe continued, "When I took you as a nominal disciple, I didn't take it seriously either. At the time, I thought with your Spirit Root, reaching Foundation Establishment would be the best you could hope for. Forming a Core was probably hopeless. That way, I wouldn't have to teach you much, and you wouldn't be my formal disciple. Who knew you were truly destined to become my disciple. Girl, don't feel wronged either. Since I formally accepted you as my disciple, I have sincerely treated you as such."
Mo Tiange smiled. She wasn't some inexperienced young girl who hadn't faced hardships. How could she feel wronged over such a thing? "Master, rest assured. I understand in my heart."
Dao Lord Jinghe nodded with a smile. "This is what I find pleasing about you. You are down-to-earth, strong-willed, and never belittle yourself. Not like that girl of Qingyuan's, spoiled rotten by me when she was little. Sigh! Back then, I found the daughter your Senior Brother Qingyuan left behind and also brought back your Senior Brother Shoujing. I kept both of them by my side. Who knew I would fail to raise either of them properly..."
"Master..." Dao Lord Jinghe's rare melancholy made Mo Tiange feel uncomfortable and also puzzled. "Isn't Senior Brother Shoujing quite good? I imagine in a few decades or a century, he will certainly step onto the Great Dao of Nascent Soul..."
"You don't know the reason." Dao Lord Jinghe shook his head. "This brat, since childhood, has had a firm Dao Heart and cultivated diligently. I was originally very proud of teaching such a disciple. But only now do I realize what I failed to teach him. He is too clever and too stubborn. I used to think it was a good thing; he didn't need others to interfere. Only now have I discovered that if his stubbornness is applied to other matters, it becomes a fatal flaw."
Mo Tiange was stunned but said nothing.
She only heard Dao Lord Jinghe speak slowly. "Right now, he is my greatest worry. Not to mention Old Man Songfeng seeking revenge on him, he himself is also plagued by inner demons. He insists on entering death seclusion until he forms his Nascent Soul. But I'm afraid... he won't be able to pass the trial of the Nascent Soul Heart Demon."
After saying this, Dao Lord Jinghe closed his eyes, sighed, and looked weary.
Mo Tiange remained silent for a long time before asking softly, "Master, why are you telling me all this...?"
Dao Lord Jinghe opened his eyes. His usually frivolous face now wore a kind expression. "You will know in the future."
"..."
"After I accepted you, I realized you are too much like that brat back then. No wonder he..." Dao Lord Jinghe paused, then continued. "I have already led him astray. Naturally, I cannot let you tread the same path. That brat back then was also single-mindedly focused on cultivation, never bothering with worldly affairs, and I didn't interfere. Now, after much thought, I believe it's better for you to participate more in sect matters. See more, hear more, so you won't become too obsessed later. For children like you, I don't need to worry about your cultivation at all. But the way you conduct yourselves needs proper guidance, so you can avoid many detours."
Mo Tiange had long guessed the reason why Dao Lord Jinghe taught her this way, but hearing him say it personally still moved her.
"Alright, your master's injuries are nothing serious. Back when I brought you here, I said you were to reflect in seclusion for ten years. There are still five years left. These past few years have given you plenty of experience. Now you are quite familiar with sect affairs. Starting today, begin your closed-door cultivation. Five years from now, when you emerge from seclusion, you may go down the mountain to travel and gain experience. Go now."
"...Yes, Master."