The injuries of Yun and Liu were not serious. Seeing that Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng showed no kindness towards them and did not hide their disgust, they dared not say anything more. After all, it was a fact that their cultivation was higher than theirs, and they had just witnessed the combat power of these two firsthand. Being female cultivators not skilled in combat, if a fight broke out, either one of them would likely be enough to kill them.
Now, the two obediently bandaged their wounds, not daring to utter a single word, and followed Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng as they left.
Although Mo Tiange had intended to teach them a lesson, she had not injured their vital points. After performing simple healing spells, Yun and Liu's wounds were not severe.
Having watched this farce, the four of them silently searched the remaining part of the valley. As expected, they found nothing and headed back towards the stone statue.
Reaching the valley floor and turning the corner, the stone statue came into view, but Mo Tiange froze.
The altar was empty, with no one around. Yan Ruoshu was not there.
Mo Tiange felt utterly drained at this point. While she did not deny that, due to their temperament, female cultivators' combat power was generally lower than that of male cultivators, since she began her cultivation journey, she had encountered many female cultivators who were mostly not inferior to men. Aside from those pampered maidservants around Daoist Jinghe whose vision had been spoiled, whether it was Wang Qianyi and Murong Yan from the Cloud Mist Sect, or Luo Fengxue and Han Qingyu from the Xuanqing Sect, their methods and temperaments were no less than those of male cultivators, and they never caused such hindrances.
These three female disciples from Bixuan Pavilion she had encountered recently truly vexed her. One was timid, two were fighting over a man—could it be that since there were only women in their sect and no male cultivators for comparison, they indulged themselves and lacked ambition?
With a grim expression, Mo Tiange said, "I previously agreed with Fellow Daoist Yan to meet here. I don't know where she's gone."
Hearing this, Daoist Fangzheng's expression also darkened. Being a rogue cultivator by origin, seeing these women as sect disciples yet so useless made him even more furious. How much effort and hardship did they, as rogue cultivators, have to endure to cultivate to Foundation Establishment? These sect disciples had teachers to guide them and sect resources to support them, yet they were so disappointing.
"Let's wait here. It wouldn't be good to get separated again," Daoist Fangzheng said. "Continuing to search like this is not a solution either. If we lose others again..."
Daoist Fangzheng stopped there, not finishing his sentence. Mo Tiange already understood his meaning—they were not these women's teachers or relatives, and they could barely look after themselves at the moment; they should just leave them to their own fate.
Though cruel, this was reality. If she had the capacity, Mo Tiange wouldn't mind lending a hand, but she herself couldn't make sense of this Illusion Formation before her. It would be good enough not to be killed by them.
As a rogue cultivator who had smoothly survived to mid-Foundation Establishment, Daoist Fangzheng never hesitated to be ruthless when necessary, fearing that Mo Tiange might be soft-hearted. Seeing her silent now, he knew she tacitly agreed, and his tense heart relaxed slightly. Having witnessed Mo Tiange's strength during the previous fight, he naturally hoped to ally with her if they wanted to get out alive.
At this moment, Yun and Liu completely failed to grasp the situation. Seeing their clueless expressions, Mo Tiange felt both pity and resentment in her heart. Hardening her heart, she pretended not to see. Although she had the Void Heaven Realm, they were currently trapped in someone else's Illusion Formation. Even if she entered the Void Heaven Realm, it would be futile if she couldn't leave. So, the most important thing now was to safely exit this Illusion Formation. The life and death of others were not her burden to bear.
The four of them waited on the altar by the stone statue for a while. Finally, Fellow Daoists Lu and Wang returned.
When Mo Tiange's divine sense detected them, she deliberately paid attention and found only the two of them, with no trace of Yao Zixiu and Shang Ruwan. She felt both fortunate and disappointed. Fortunate that these two had returned safely, disappointed because she had quite a favorable impression of Shang Ruwan. If Shang Ruwan went missing like this, she couldn't help but feel somewhat saddened.
Upon arriving, Lu and Wang scanned the area and asked, "What about the Yao couple and Miss Yan?"
Having fought with these two earlier, Daoist Fangzheng didn't want to deal with them now, so Mo Tiange answered, "We didn't find the Yao couple either. Fellow Daoist Yan was originally here, but she's gone now that we're back. I don't know where she went."
Lu and Wang exchanged glances, looking anxious. "Then what do we do? If something happens to them, could we be implicated?"
"Don't know," Mo Tiange replied flatly. "We've already searched the entire valley. If you two have any ideas, feel free to suggest them and we can try."
Back on the Five Elements Platforms, Fellow Daoists Lu and Wang had already shown their proficiency in formations. In truth, Mo Tiange, with her family heritage and the ancient books in the Void Heaven Realm, naturally possessed richer formation knowledge than them, but she deliberately held back, not intending to say much.
Hearing her words, Lu and Wang were taken aback for a moment, then went aside to discuss.
Mo Tiange listened briefly. Their formation attainments were decent, but this Illusion Formation was too realistic; their methods likely wouldn't work. She also quietly sat down to think on her own.
All formations required support from external objects and Spiritual Qi. The formation on the altar in the real valley had been easily broken by her because its Spiritual Qi had weakened over time. This Illusion Formation could manifest second-rank demon beasts, Foundation Establishment cultivators, and millennium-old spiritual herbs overflowing with Spiritual Qi. The Spiritual Qi expenditure must be enormous. That was strange—why could this formation exist for so long and still unleash such power? Trapping them here and manifesting those Spirit Qi-filled objects required a terrifying amount of Spiritual Qi, definitely not something a few hundred or thousand Spirit Stones could achieve. For such a sophisticated formation, the Spirit Stones used probably had to be high-level ones.
Spirit Stones also had grades. Ordinary Spirit Stones, unless specified otherwise, were low-grade. There were also mid-grade and high-grade Spirit Stones. Mid-grade and high-grade Spirit Stones were extremely rare in the cultivation world. Core Formation cultivators generally couldn't obtain them. Because Mo Tiange was a disciple of Daoist Jinghe, her disciple allocation included some mid- and high-grade Spirit Stones. But even if she had them, she usually only used low-grade Spirit Stones, reserving mid- and high-grade ones for setting up advanced formations.
The higher the level of a formation, the higher the concentration of Spiritual Qi required. When it came to Spiritual Qi concentration, reaching a certain level couldn't be achieved by simply adding more Spirit Stones; mid- or high-grade Spirit Stones had to be used. The Spiritual Qi required for this formation was so terrifying. Mo Tiange roughly estimated that it would probably require over a thousand, maybe even tens of thousands, of high-grade Spirit Stones.
Tens of thousands of high-grade Spirit Stones! Just thinking about it made Mo Tiange feel appalled. As Daoist Jinghe's Closing-Door Disciple, her disciple allocation was only slightly less than that of a Core Formation cultivator, several times more than ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples, even elite ones. Yet she only received a little over ten mid- and high-grade Spirit Stones per year. If she didn't advance, saving up tens of thousands of high-grade Spirit Stones would take over a thousand years! In the past few years when she managed all affairs of the Shangqing Palace, Daoist Jinghe's annual tribute only amounted to about a hundred high-grade Spirit Stones. Even so, saving tens of thousands would take decades to a century. If you factored in cultivation, formation setup, and other expenses, her cheap master's fortune probably amounted to just that.
What identity could the master of this place possibly have? Her master was a Nascent Soul cultivator from one of Tianji's top sects, wealthy even among Nascent Soul cultivators, but he probably wouldn't use tens of thousands of high-grade Spirit Stones to set up a formation. Could it be a cultivator above the Nascent Soul stage? This thought flashed through her mind, but Mo Tiange shook her head. She had met Zhong Muling and Yuan Bao. Judging from the Illusory Heaven Formation, this formation was much inferior and didn't seem like the work of a God Transformation cultivator. Moreover, were God Transformation cultivators so easy to find? According to Yuan Bao, the world was vast, and Tianji was just a corner. There were about a dozen places like Tianji, and combined, they only produced one God Transformation cultivator every few thousand years. How could she have such luck to casually enter a God Transformation cultivator's cave abode?
Shaking her head, she continued thinking about how to break the formation. Spiritual Qi... Right, such a large Illusion Formation definitely couldn't last very long. Even if they didn't break it, it would be impressive if it could hold up for a few months!
A look of joy appeared on her face, but a moment later, her smile faded. No, she had only thought that the Illusion Formation would consume a lot of Spiritual Qi, but she hadn't considered that the Illusion Formation might distort their sense of time—one day might feel like a year! If that were the case, maybe they would be trapped here for what felt like months, but it would actually be hundreds of years. Being unable to leave for hundreds of years, yet unable to cultivate as if it truly were hundreds of years, they would probably go mad in the end.
Thinking this far, she still had no solution. Mo Tiange sighed.
Noticing her expression, Daoist Fangzheng approached and asked, "Fellow Daoist Ye, what's wrong?"
Mo Tiange shook her head. "Nothing, just can't figure out how to break it." Turning to look, she saw Fellow Daoists Lu and Wang also shaking their heads and sighing, clearly having not thought of a solution either.
As for the two female disciples from Bixuan Pavilion, seeing their grave expressions, they finally realized the danger they were in. Long past any desire to quarrel, they huddled together fearfully.
The six of them were at a loss. They sat trapped on the altar by the stone statue for a full day. As night fell, they still hadn't come up with a plan, and there was no sign of the Yao couple or Yan Ruoshu.
Seeing it grow dark, Mo Tiange found a random spot on the altar to meditate. Not knowing if this place was safe, of course she didn't dare cultivate, merely regulating her breathing.
Everything around was silent when suddenly, a sob was heard.
Mo Tiange opened her eyes and turned to look at Yun and Liu.
The one crying was precisely that Yun Hanyan. She sat hugging her knees, tears in her eyes, looking like she wanted to cry but didn't dare.
"Miss Yun," Fellow Daoist Lu walked over to stand before Yun and Liu and asked softly, "what's wrong?"
Yun Hanyan raised her head, tears brimming in her eyes, looking pitiful and delicate, her voice trembling. "I... I..." She wanted to speak but didn't dare.
Fellow Daoist Wang also walked over. Seeing her like this, both male cultivators wore comforting expressions. Fellow Daoist Lu seized the initiative to console her, "Miss Yun, don't worry, I'm here! I... we will protect you."
Hearing his words, Yun Hanyan blinked, and a tear rolled down. "Really?"
The two male cultivators nodded vigorously.
Mo Tiange had thought that "Senior Sister Liu" would mock her, but surprisingly, she didn't. Glancing over, she found "Senior Sister Liu" sitting dazedly, her eyes unfocused, looking utterly despondent. Occasionally, she would smile sweetly, but her expression would ultimately turn infinitely sorrowful.
Mo Tiange recalled that during the day, this "Senior Sister Liu" and Yun Hanyan had been fighting over a man... It seemed she must be thinking about her "Big Brother Tang." But judging by her expression and recalling the daytime conversation, she was probably thinking of sad things.
Watching Yun Hanyan speak to Fellow Daoists Lu and Wang like a little white rabbit, and contrasting it with the loneliness on "Senior Sister Liu's" face, Mo Tiange couldn't help but feel some sympathy for her.
Regardless of who was right or wrong between them, at the moment, it was obvious whose feelings ran deeper. Yun Hanyan was probably used to winning men's favor this way, but this Liu female cultivator was only thinking of her Big Brother Tang now.
Actually, it wasn't strange that "Big Brother Tang" would prefer Yun Hanyan. Whether men or women, they often found the other sex strange. The women men liked were usually not approved by their own sex, and the men women liked were often considered pretty boys by other men. Whether Yun Hanyan pretended to be weak or played pitiful, men ate it up. However, that person probably wouldn't be like that, right? In his eyes, men and women seemed to be the same; besides cultivation, there was nothing else...
She didn't know how long she had been lost in thought when, in the darkness, Daoist Fangzheng suddenly shouted, "Who is it?!"
Mo Tiange was startled and immediately stood up, ready for battle. She spread her divine sense out, but the next moment, she froze.
From the darkness, a tall, imposing man slowly walked over. He wore a high crown and broad sash, exuding a heroic aura, his entire body radiating a terrifying pressure.
The others' expressions changed drastically at this moment. This pressure... a Core Formation senior!
Seeing this person clearly, Daoist Fangzheng instinctively looked at Mo Tiange's reaction, only to find her staring intently at the other, lost in thought. He had no time to ponder further and bowed respectfully, trying to keep his tone calm and reverent. "Senior, this junior is Fangzheng. May I ask how you arrived here?"
This person ignored him completely, walking straight towards Mo Tiange.
Fangzheng and the others were horrified. Although they outnumbered him, the other was a Core Formation cultivator! The gap between Core Formation and Foundation Establishment was too vast. They didn't know where this person came from. If he harbored malicious intent towards them, a single wave of his hand would probably...
Under their fearful, trembling gazes, this person finally stopped a few zhang away.
Mo Tiange also let out a breath and glanced at him, saying, "This is an illusion."
"An illusion?!" Fangzheng and the others were stunned but still watched cautiously, afraid this illusion, like the ones they had encountered, possessed the attacking power of a real person.
"Tian Ge." The illusion suddenly spoke.
Fangzheng and the others jumped again. Fellow Daoists Lu and Wang had never seen a human illusion before, while Yun, Liu, and Fangzheng had seen the illusion of "Big Brother Tang," but that illusion couldn't speak.
The illusion took steps closer to Mo Tiange and said softly, "Tian Ge, why didn't you bid me farewell when you left?"
Mo Tiange closed her eyes. When she opened them, the illusion was still there. She could only smile bitterly. "Why should I bid you farewell?"
The illusion paused before saying, "Hmm, you shouldn't have come to say goodbye. I didn't want to see you."
Even though she knew it was fake, Mo Tiange still felt her heart tighten painfully. After a long while, she slowly exhaled and whispered, "Yes, although I don't know the reason, you've already shown through your actions that you don't want to see me. I... I don't want to see you again either. Go away. Don't appear before me again." Saying this, she closed her eyes and turned her head away.
Hearing her words, the illusion stood still for a moment, then suddenly walked forward until he was right in front of her.
Mo Tiange heard his suddenly softened voice. "Actually, I want to see you. I just... just..."
His hand was about to encircle her when Mo Tiange took a step back. By saying those things, she had hoped the illusion would disappear on its own, but... but she hadn't controlled her thoughts. She took a deep breath, raised her head, and looked straight at the illusion that was almost indistinguishable from a real person, enunciating each word clearly. "You're fake. I don't want a fake."
The illusion smiled—a smile rarely seen on the real person. "I am real. You wish I were real."
"I..." Mo Tiange realized her emotions were in turmoil. She knew the illusion wouldn't disappear like this, but she could hardly control herself.
"Fellow Daoist Ye!" At that moment, Fangzheng shouted and tossed over a talisman. "This is a Calming Heart Talisman."
Mo Tiange caught it and, without hesitation, slapped it onto herself. Although her mood couldn't calm down instantly, it was no longer chaotic. She slowly smoothed her breathing and looked seriously at the illusion before her.
"I admit I harbor admiration for you, but the path I seek is the Great Dao of immortality. If you love, I rejoice; if you loathe, I do not grieve—"
The man in the light blue daoist robes finally faded away amidst her words.
When the illusion completely vanished, Fangzheng and the others finally let out a sigh of relief. A Core Formation cultivator! The illusions here possessed the power of real people. If they had really fought this illusion, they wouldn't need to think of a way out; they'd die right here.
"Fellow Daoist Ye." Now, Daoist Fangzheng looked at Mo Tiange with a different expression. He had just heard the illusion call her by another name and knew that the name Ye Xiaotian was most likely fake, but it didn't matter. They were merely chance acquaintances; perhaps after parting, they would never meet again. What did it matter what name she used?
The key point was that the illusion just now was a Core Formation cultivator. This woman had an unusual relationship with a Core Formation cultivator, indicating her status was even more extraordinary than he had imagined. He absolutely must not offend her.
Additionally, Fangzheng noticed something else. Having wandered the cultivation world for hundreds of years and seen countless cultivators, he recognized at a glance that the illusion wore the daoist robes of Tianji's second-ranked sect, the Xuanqing Sect. It seemed this woman was also likely connected to the Xuanqing Sect.
In an instant, relying on his rich experience, Daoist Fangzheng had analyzed all this and made his calculations. Whether due to her hidden identity or the abilities she had currently displayed, he absolutely must not offend this woman.
Mo Tiange wiped the sweat from her forehead and gave Daoist Fangzheng a slight smile. "Thank you for the Calming Heart Talisman just now, Fellow Daoist Fangzheng. Calming Heart Talismans are quite expensive and not cheap. I can't let you suffer a loss for nothing. How about I exchange this talisman with you in return?"
Daoist Fangzheng took it and, upon looking, was overjoyed. This was actually a Foundation Establishment-level Invisibility Talisman! A Calming Heart Talisman worth over a hundred Spirit Stones—he had initially felt a pang of regret, but now he realized he had made a huge profit! Foundation Establishment-level Invisibility Talismans were priceless on the market. Even if you could buy one, it would cost at least several hundred Spirit Stones.