Mo Tiange's spirits lifted when she discovered Spiritual Qi emanating from the incense burner on the altar.
This valley was clearly an ordinary one, with plants, flowers, and trees devoid of any spiritual energy. Yet, this incense burner actually contained Spiritual Qi—it was definitely unusual.
After a thorough inspection, she finally resorted to using a spell to move the entire incense burner aside, ultimately uncovering the source of the Spiritual Qi.
Hovering in mid-air, Mo Tiange looked down. The altar, the stone statue, the surrounding tall trees—this was unmistakably a formation! A formation that, after evolving, required no Spiritual Qi to operate!
A faint smile touched her lips. Formations existed in the mortal world as well; those formations didn't require Spiritual Qi but were derived from the formations of the cultivation world. Their function was merely to confuse the judgment of mortals. If a cultivator used their spiritual sense and immortal arts, they could naturally break them.
Clapping her hands together, she flicked a hand seal. The altar's incense burner instantly exploded, revealing what was inside. A surge of Spiritual Qi shot skyward, and the surrounding scenery immediately transformed. The sky instantly darkened.
Mo Tiange looked around, frowning.
A formation within a formation!
This formation, however, was a genuine one from the cultivation world. The stone statue and altar she had seen earlier had completely vanished, leaving only an empty wilderness.
No, this was an illusion!
Gripping the Flying Sky Shuttle in her hand, she had already summoned the White Silk Handkerchief. Mo Tiange instantly took flight, a hand seal ready.
After several incredibly complex hand seals, multiple streams of Spiritual Qi shot out simultaneously.
From within the darkness came a howling sound, like the wailing and roaring of vengeful spirits. Then, several streams of Spiritual Qi counterattacked.
Mo Tiange's hand trembled slightly as she summoned the White Silk Handkerchief. It transformed into four brick walls, solidly blocking the counterattack. The next moment, she retracted the handkerchief and unleashed the Flying Sky Shuttle. It transformed into several golden beams of light, striking out in rapid succession.
After a series of soft "puff" sounds, everything fell silent, and daylight returned.
Mo Tiange let out a sigh of relief. This formation had probably existed for thousands of years; its Spiritual Qi had long since weakened, and its power greatly diminished, which was why she could break it so easily. However, judging by the technique used to set up this formation, its original power could likely have trapped even a Nascent Soul cultivator for a while—could the person who laid this formation have been a Nascent Soul cultivator?
Harboring this suspicion, Mo Tiange cautiously observed her surroundings.
With the formation broken, the scenery had returned to its original appearance. Beneath where the incense burner had been, a cave entrance had appeared, from which Spiritual Qi surged forth violently.
Mo Tiange was astonished. This valley clearly had no Spirit Vein, so why was such pure Spiritual Qi gushing from this cave entrance? This Spiritual Qi fluctuation... it closely resembled what she had sensed earlier!
Upon realizing this, Mo Tiange carefully approached. She first tested it with a spell, then caught a live animal and placed it inside. Detecting no abnormalities, she slowly stepped in.
The cave entrance was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. Following the stone steps down, level by level, she finally reached a spacious hall. Mo Tiange flicked a finger, and a small flame appeared at her fingertip. Although cultivators could see in the dark, it was strenuous; with an open flame, she could see clearly.
Looking around, this hall was carved into the stone walls, appearing more like a Cave Abode. Could it be an Ancient Cultivator's Cave Abode? Feeling a flicker of excitement, Mo Tiange then reconsidered. No, that stone statue earlier clearly depicted someone from thousands of years ago, likely unrelated to Ancient Cultivators.
Passing through the hall, she proceeded slowly along the stone passageway. The hall was pitch dark, yet the Spiritual Qi was incredibly dense. Mo Tiange had already concluded in her heart: this was a small Spirit Vein, artificially confined by a formation—it seemed highly likely this was indeed a cultivator's Cave Abode, and this cultivator's cultivation level must have been at the Nascent Soul stage or above.
Having reached this conclusion, Mo Tiange finally felt a surge of interest. Since the formation was still intact, this Cave Abode probably wasn't abandoned. If so, this Nascent Soul cultivator had likely passed away within this Cave Abode. What did a Nascent Soul cultivator's final resting place represent? It must contain that cultivator's accumulated treasures!
Releasing the Flying Sky Shuttle to circle around her for protection, Mo Tiange became even more cautious after reaching this conclusion.
The long stone passageway stretched into boundless darkness. After walking for a while, Mo Tiange suddenly felt a creeping sense of dread. Even though she was what mortals considered an immortal, facing such a scene still evoked a touch of terror within her. Recalling her past adventures, they had merely involved conflicts and killings; she had never faced the unknown darkness alone like this.
In the darkness, she could only hear her own long, shallow breaths—sounds usually inaudible were exceptionally clear in the endless silence. Within her field of vision, there was only the small flame at her fingertip; everything else was hazy, which only made it more frightening.
Realizing her emotional state was off, Mo Tiange closed her eyes, pressed a finger seal, and a bright light flashed between her brows. In an instant, she was within the Void Heaven Realm.
Seeing the familiar bamboo hut and small stream, her emotions finally calmed somewhat.
Sitting down in the bamboo hut, Mo Tiange couldn't help but shake her head. Her mental fortitude truly wasn't sufficient yet. If this continued, she would definitely encounter problems during the inner demon tribulation of Core Formation. It was fortunate she had come out to gain experience; otherwise, relying solely on her master's guidance—even if her master was a Nascent Soul cultivator—the problem wouldn't even have been detected.
Sitting cross-legged, she began to regulate her breathing. After completing one major circulation cycle and confirming her mind was calm, she prepared to go out and continue exploring.
Before she could recite the incantation, she suddenly stopped.
From outside the Void Heaven Realm came a faint, indistinct voice: "Brother Xiu, let's rest for a bit."
This was Shang Ruwan's voice. Mo Tiange formed a finger seal, tapped her fingertip, and the following sounds immediately became clear.
"Brother Xiu!" Shang Ruwan's breathing was heavy, as if she were extremely exhausted. Given her early Foundation Establishment cultivation, there was no reason she should feel so tired. Was she injured?
After a moment, Yao Zixiu's voice was heard: "Wan-mei, are you alright?"
Shang Ruwan panted for a while before her breathing gradually evened out. She said, "Brother Xiu, why are you in such a hurry?"
Mo Tiange detected a note of complaint in her voice.
Yao Zixiu replied, "We survived a great calamity and discovered a cultivator's Cave Abode here. It's highly likely there are treasures inside. Of course I'm anxious. If that Daoist Fangzheng and that female cultivator surnamed Ye find them first, won't there be nothing left for us?"
"So what if there's nothing left!" Shang Ruwan sounded somewhat annoyed. "Didn't you say being with me was enough? As long as we can be together, what does it matter if we lose some treasures!"
After a pause, Yao Zixiu said, "Wan-mei! I'm doing this for us to be together! We escaped with great difficulty. What if we get caught again? Over these years, I've finally understood: without cultivation level, without strength, you have no right to speak! Back then, if my cultivation hadn't been too low, your father wouldn't have betrothed you to someone else. If we weren't so weak, we wouldn't have had to hide and flee all these years, running to the mortal world! Wan-mei, don't you understand? In the cultivation world, strength is the foundation of everything. Otherwise, it's difficult for us to even be together!"
"What's so difficult about that!" Shang Ruwan's voice carried anger. "If we just find some remote place to live in seclusion, my father and the others could search to their deaths and never find us!" Her tone then softened. "Brother Xiu, what's wrong with you? You weren't like this before. Why..."
"Don't ask me why!" Yao Zixiu suddenly shouted.
Mo Tiange was also startled by him. After some thought, she felt uneasy. She touched the center of her brow, and the pearl floated out from between her eyebrows. Casting a spell towards it, the Void Heaven Realm tore open a crack, allowing her to see the Yao couple in the stone passageway.
Shang Ruwan also seemed shocked by Yao Zixiu, looking at him with a stunned expression. Yao Zixiu, however, softened his expression and spoke gently again: "Wan-mei, I want to give you happiness, not drag you around hiding and fleeing. I want to take you back openly and proudly one day, to let your father and the others know that your choice in me was right!"
Hearing his words, a look of emotion appeared on Shang Ruwan's face. "You don't need to do that. I've said it before, I don't care about your cultivation level. As long as I can be with you, that's enough..."
"No, Wan-mei," Yao Zixiu insisted. "I... I can't be that kind of useless man. If I were, everything your father said back then would be right. I'm only a Three Spiritual Roots, barely managing to reach Foundation Establishment. If you hadn't secretly given me your Foundation Establishment Pill, I don't even know if I could have built my foundation... I want to prove to your father that even though my aptitude isn't great, I can still..."
By this point, Mo Tiange had a rough understanding of what was going on with this Yao Zixiu couple.
These two were not rogue cultivators from a declined family at all, but rather cultivators who had fled their clan. The childhood sweetheart story was probably true—growing up together, developing feelings over time. However, Yao Zixiu's aptitude was mediocre, failing to meet the standards of Shang Ruwan's father, who forbade their association. In the end, Shang Ruwan secretly eloped with Yao Zixiu...
Perhaps there were discrepancies in the details, but it was mostly like this.
However, listening to Yao Zixiu's words now, Mo Tiange had a bad premonition. Shang Ruwan, caught in the situation, probably hadn't noticed Yao Zixiu's flickering, obscure intentions.
He claimed it was for her happiness, but his gaze flickered in places Shang Ruwan couldn't see. This man had likely grown dissatisfied with a life consisting only of love.
A cold sneer touched Mo Tiange's lips as she continued listening.
Shang Ruwan was finally persuaded. Leaning against Yao Zixiu's chest, she said softly, "Brother Xiu, don't worry. Along the way, we haven't found any traces left by others. It seems only we discovered this place—ah, I quite liked that little sister from the Ye family. I wonder if she's alive."
"Don't worry. That young lady's cultivation is higher than both of ours. Even if the two of us joined forces, we probably couldn't defeat her. She also has a spiritual treasure. She should be fine."
"That's true..."
Yao Zixiu added, "This Fellow Daoist Ye, I truly wonder what her background is. How old do you think she is?"
Shang Ruwan thought for a moment and replied, "Although this little sister acts and handles matters steadily, you can tell at a glance she's still a young girl. I can't give a specific age, but she's probably under eighty."
"Under eighty..." Yao Zixiu's eyes flickered as he murmured, "At such an age, already at the peak of mid Foundation Establishment... With luck, she could probably form her Core in a little over a hundred years, right? She must be an elite disciple of a major sect."
"Most likely," Shang Ruwan agreed. "Looking at the spiritual treasure she carries, it far surpasses those of her peers. She definitely couldn't be a rogue cultivator, and a minor sect probably couldn't cultivate someone like her either."
Yao Zixiu nodded subtly, his gaze thoughtful. "In that case, this is also a gain..."
"What?" Shang Ruwan didn't catch it clearly.
Yao Zixiu quickly smiled. "Nothing. Wan-mei, are you feeling better? Shall we continue?"