The woman's tone was gentle, but her words were blunt. As soon as she finished speaking, her husband tugged her sleeve again, his expression somewhat helpless.
Mo Tiange could roughly guess what the male cultivator was thinking. This woman was indeed forthright. If she had encountered someone with a short temper, her words might have caused offense.
But Mo Tiange couldn't be bothered to get angry over such a trivial matter. Besides, the woman was merely a bit too direct in her speech, not intentionally rude. She replied, "This elder sister speaks sense. Allow me to consider it for a moment."
Hearing her answer, the woman beamed: "Of course, younger sister, think it over carefully."
The male cultivator, seeing she didn't take advantage of her higher cultivation to bully them, also breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were a couple, their cultivation was a notch lower than others. Even working together, facing a peak Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, their chances of winning were slim.
Daoist Fangzheng, however, looked up towards the horizon: "Fellow Daoist Ye, we should decide quickly. The longer we delay, the more people will come."
Mo Tiange felt a slight surprise. This Daoist Fangzheng's Divine Sense was also quite powerful. She had only just sensed someone approaching.
"In that case, let us set off promptly."
Hearing her words, all three were delighted.
Daoist Fangzheng glanced around and quickly set up a soundproofing barrier. "Fellow Daoist Ye, may I ask what kind of cultivation technique you practice?" Seeing Mo Tiange's expression turn wary, he immediately added, "The miasma and Gang Wind down below are extremely intense. It would be best if Fellow Daoist Ye had a technique to counteract them."
Mo Tiange thought for a moment before answering, "I don't have a specific technique, but I do possess a Magical Treasure that can attempt to block the Gang Wind."
Hearing this, the other three's faces lit up with joy. Daoist Fangzheng clapped his hands: "Excellent! As for the miasma, I have a type of detoxification pill with excellent effects. After swallowing it, one only needs to hold their breath and circulate their energy. Fellow Daoist Ye, can your Magical Treasure protect all four of us from the Gang Wind's assault?"
"That... we'll have to see."
After a brief discussion, the four of them, under the envious gazes of the many Qi Refining cultivators, retrieved their flying artifacts and descended towards the valley.
Mo Tiange took out an ordinary flying sword. Firstly, the White Silk Handkerchief would be responsible for blocking the Gang Wind during this trip. Secondly, she also harbored thoughts of concealing her wealth. The White Silk Handkerchief was already a Magical Treasure; displaying it was attention-grabbing enough. If others discovered it had so many functions, it would inevitably provoke envy.
After the brief conversation earlier, Mo Tiange had learned that the husband's name was Yao Zixiu, and the wife's name was Shang Ruwan. They came from a cultivation family, childhood sweethearts. Later, their family declined, and the two became Loose Cultivators. Their luck was truly exceptional. They unintentionally saved a severely injured Nascent Soul cultivator, who, grateful for their lifesaving grace, repaid them with several Foundation Establishment Pills. With those pills, the two actually managed to establish their Foundations together.
With their status as Foundation Establishment cultivators, finding a small sect to stay with wouldn't be difficult. However, they had grown accustomed to wandering the world and disliked constraints. Moreover, their aptitudes were unremarkable; even with a sect, forming a Golden Core would be a slim hope. It was better to remain Loose Cultivators and live freely.
Mo Tiange observed that Shang Ruwan, with her straightforward speech and open-hearted nature, possessed a mental state more carefree than many elite sect disciples. Her evaluation of the woman rose a notch. Her husband, Yao Zixiu, was comparatively quiet and more tactful, complementing her perfectly. The two were harmonious, appearing deeply affectionate.
As for Daoist Fangzheng, he was also a Loose Cultivator, quite old with rich experience. His temperament wasn't yet clear.
The three of them guessed she was a sect disciple. Mo Tiange didn't deny it, glossing over it vaguely, merely saying she was passing by, happened upon the disturbance, and came to investigate.
Flying down from the valley rim, they saw the valley filled with mist, its depths unfathomable. They descended for a while and soon reached the edge of the miasma.
Daoist Fangzheng distributed his detoxification pills to the three of them. Mo Tiange accepted but didn't swallow hers, instead secretly switching to her own pills. This Daoist Fangzheng didn't seem suspicious, but they had just met; it was better to be cautious.
Afterwards, Mo Tiange summoned the White Silk Handkerchief, recited an incantation, and the handkerchief instantly transformed into bricks, falling on four sides to enclose them like a house, enveloping all four.
This was the result of her five years in seclusion. Initially, the White Silk Handkerchief could only transform into one brick wall. As her cultivation increased, she could add more walls, enhancing its defense.
Protected by the brick walls formed from the White Silk Handkerchief, the four cautiously descended further.
The miasma wasn't severe. After flying down a while longer, the wind began to howl outside. The sound of the wind grew fiercer, sharp as tearing, fiercely striking the brick walls.
Mo Tiange frowned slightly. This Gang Wind was indeed violent. If not for the fact that this White Silk Handkerchief had been refined by a Deity Transformation cultivator and wasn't an ordinary Magical Treasure, it likely wouldn't withstand it.
Seeing her face pale slightly, Shang Ruwan looked worried and asked softly, "Younger Sister Ye, can you hold on?"
Mo Tiange, her face pale, said, "My Spiritual Qi is somewhat insufficient. You two, husband and wife, lend me a hand."
Shang Ruwan and Yao Zixiu exchanged a glance. The two formed hand seals together. Yao Zixiu transmitted his Spiritual Qi to Shang Ruwan, who then passed it to Mo Tiange.
Daoist Fangzheng remained fully alert, guarding against unexpected events.
The Gang Wind grew increasingly fierce. Gradually, all three found their Spiritual Qi insufficient and began taking pills.
Since Daoist Fangzheng had provided the miasma-avoiding pills and Mo Tiange used her Magical Treasure to block the Gang Wind, the Yao couple had contributed nothing. Neither dared complain about the cost, silently swallowing Spirit-Replenishing Pills, channeling all their Spiritual Qi to Mo Tiange.
Time passed. Eventually, the Yao couple's Spirit-Replenishing Pills ran out. Yao Zixiu touched his Qiankun Bag and whispered to Shang Ruwan, "Wan-mei, do you have any more Spirit-Replenishing Pills?"
Shang Ruwan's face grew paler as she shook her head: "This was the last bottle." They were merely ordinary Loose Cultivators, their assets not abundant.
Mo Tiange swallowed another Spirit-Replenishing Pill and said, "Fellow Daoist Fangzheng, can you take over for them?"
Now that all four were in the same boat, how could Daoist Fangzheng refuse? He nodded: "Brother Yao, you two rest for a while. I still have some Spirit-Replenishing Pills; I can hold on for a while."
Having exhausted their pills, the Yao couple had no choice but to agree. Yao Zixiu said, "Then we won't stand on ceremony."
Daoist Fangzheng clasped his palms and circulated his energy, transmitting his Spiritual Qi into Mo Tiange's back. Yao Zixiu and Shang Ruwan, now free, seized the moment to close their eyes and rest.
At that moment, a furious howling erupted outside. Suddenly, several streams of Gang Wind struck, heavily pounding the outer brick walls. Mo Tiange momentarily lost control of the brick enclosure, and the four instantly felt the world spin.
Shang Ruwan cried out: "Xiu-ge!"
Yao Zixiu hurriedly lunged over. The two tightly grasped hands, steadying themselves together.
Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng, with higher cultivation, reacted faster. The moment she realized the Magical Treasure was out of control, Mo Tiange immediately bit her tongue tip, spraying a mouthful of vital essence blood to forcibly reclaim control. Daoist Fangzheng also instantly resumed circulating his energy, channeling Spiritual Qi into Mo Tiange.
After that violent surge passed, the four stabilized again. Mo Tiange said, "The situation is bad. If the Gang Wind gets any stronger, my Magical Treasure won't hold either."
Hearing this, the other three frowned. Having experienced it firsthand, they naturally knew how powerful this Gang Wind was. Currently, the Yao couple had exhausted their Spirit-Replenishing Pills and were low on Spiritual Qi. Continuing further, even self-preservation would become a problem. Although Daoist Fangzheng still had some strength left, if Mo Tiange couldn't hold on and they lost the White Silk Handkerchief's protection, he wouldn't survive the Gang Wind either.
As they hesitated, another violent surge hit. This time, Mo Tiange was prepared, using her Divine Sense to firmly control the White Silk Handkerchief. But this surge was even stronger. Despite Mo Tiange's powerful Divine Sense, she felt her strength insufficient. She made a decisive call: "No good, we have to go back!"
Daoist Fangzheng hesitated: "This... we're almost at the bottom, aren't we?"
Mo Tiange raised her voice: "I can't withstand another one! Fellow Daoist Fangzheng, can you guarantee you'll hold out?"
This silenced Daoist Fangzheng. His cultivation was even lower than Mo Tiange's. If she couldn't hold on, he certainly couldn't.
Another wave of Gang Wind struck. Shang Ruwan's face turned deathly pale as she "wah"ed and vomited a mouthful of blood.
Yao Zixiu was horrified: "Wan-mei!"
Mo Tiange said no more, immediately manipulating the flying sword to change direction. Continuing like this, they could easily lose their lives here. She wasn't a Loose Cultivator! She had a sect, a master, outstanding aptitude, and no lack of pills. Even without this possibly existing Exotic Treasure, she had hope of reaching the Great Dao. Losing her life over something that might not even exist would be a true loss outweighing the gain!
Seeing her change direction, Daoist Fangzheng cried out: "Fellow Daoist Ye!" Seeming quite reluctant.
Mo Tiange said coldly, "If we don't turn back now, we'll all die here! No matter how good the treasure, you need to be alive to enjoy it!"
Daoist Fangzheng's face flushed red, but he ultimately said nothing more. Unlike the others, his lifespan was nearly exhausted, so he had to seize every opportunity. But offending this young girl now, without the shelter of her Magical Treasure, he would die instantly! He gazed at the now-visible valley floor, his face filled with unwillingness.
Yao Zixiu was also unwilling. Shang Ruwan whispered beside him: "Xiu-ge, being together and well is what matters most."
Yao Zixiu remained silent for a long moment before finally softly uttering an "Mm."
They flew upward in silence. Finally, the Gang Wind was no longer so violent, and the four relaxed slightly.
Suddenly, with a thunderous crash, the Yao couple looked up, their faces paling in horror: "Fellow Daoists!"
Following their gaze, Mo Tiange looked up, her eyes widening.
A section of the cliff wall had cracked under the Gang Wind and was plummeting straight towards them!
"Brother Yao, block it quickly!" Daoist Fangzheng shouted.
The Yao couple reacted, hurriedly joining hands to form seals, erecting a protective shield above everyone's heads.
The brick walls formed by the White Silk Handkerchief only had four sides, unable to block the falling rubble from above. They could only rely on this shield.
Seeing this, Mo Tiange's heart sank. With no time to consider anything else, she reached into her Qiankun Bag, grabbed a handful of pills, and stuffed them into her mouth. Then she felt a massive tremor through her body as the rocks rained down upon them!
The first wave, the Yao couple barely held. The second wave, the shield shook, its light dimming. The third wave, the shield finally shattered.
Mo Tiange instantly lost control of the brick walls. She immediately clasped her palms together. The four brick walls transformed back into the White Silk Handkerchief. Forming a finger seal, she was about to return to the Void Heaven Realm, but she didn't even have that much time. In an instant, she was swept into the turbulent Gang Wind...
She didn't know how much time had passed before Mo Tiange slowly opened her eyes.
Pain... her entire body ached...
She closed her eyes, circulating her Spiritual Qi, flowing it through her meridians one by one. Only then did the physical pain ease somewhat.
A long time later, she finally mustered the strength to slowly sit up.
Looking around, the scene before her eyes surprised her.
Lush green grass, brilliant sunshine, a gentle breeze, and the murmur of flowing water. The sight before her was almost like a paradise.
She recalled what had happened before she lost consciousness.
Sensing the Spiritual Qi disturbance, searching, joining forces with the Yao couple and Daoist Fangzheng to descend into the valley, the violent Gang Wind surges... Finally, she tried to enter the Void Heaven Realm but was too late, swept into the Gang Wind, and lost consciousness.
She felt her body. No injuries. Her dantian and meridians were extremely resilient and undamaged. The reason she had no external injuries was because she wore a Qiankun Cloud Silk Armor. This artifact was something Qin Xi had stolen from the Guiyuan Hall of the Yunwu Sect and given to her along with the Earth-Escaping Ruler when she left the Misty Mountains. The Earth-Escaping Ruler had once saved her life, and now this Qiankun Cloud Silk Armor had also saved her life...
Brushing aside the chaotic thoughts, Mo Tiange stood up.
This was indeed a valley, but it was completely different from the original one shrouded in mist, filled with miasma and raging Gang Wind. What place was this? How had she gotten here?
She summoned the White Silk Handkerchief, stepped onto it, and flew into the air. Looking down from above, this was a T-shaped valley floor surrounded by steep cliffs. Aside from flying upward, she couldn't immediately find an exit. Mo Tiange carefully flew along the rock wall.
She wondered how the Yao couple and Daoist Fangzheng were faring. The Yao couple had each other, and Daoist Fangzheng had extensive experience; presumably, they also had means of self-protection. This place was filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, lush trees and grass, with harmless small beasts occasionally scurrying past. It seemed there shouldn't be any danger?
Her gaze swept over the area below, suddenly spotting something dark and indistinct. Mo Tiange frowned slightly and descended.
This thing... looked like a pile of stones. The lower she went, the clearer it became. It seemed to be... a Stone Statue!
Mo Tiange's spirits lifted as she swooped down. The existence of a Stone Statue indicated traces of human activity. Since there were human traces, she could find out what this place was and what exactly was going on.
Landing on the ground, Mo Tiange looked up.
The Stone Statue was dozens of zhang tall. Judging by its features and posture, it seemed to be a woman, with a high chignon and phoenix hairpins. Her clothing was somewhat strange: a short upper garment tightly bound her upper body, exposing her entire shoulders, while the lower half was a long skirt. Even as a statue, it gave a feeling of ethereal and lively.
This attire... seemed to be clothing from thousands of years ago! Thousands of years ago, women didn't wrap themselves tightly as they do now. They considered exposed shoulders beautiful but loved wearing long skirts, creating an ethereal, immortal air, like the feitian in paintings.
Mo Tiange examined it more closely. The Stone Statue was covered in moss, seemingly neglected for a long time. She felt somewhat disappointed. It seemed the valley's inhabitants had likely moved away.
Below the Stone Statue was a stone platform, seemingly an altar. The incense burner was also overgrown with weeds.
Mo Tiange suddenly frowned. Placing her hand on the altar's incense burner, she gently brushed it aside. A faint trace of Spiritual Qi emerged.