Mo Tiange had her own considerations for immediately using an Invisibility Talisman. First, she was no longer that pitiful little Qi Condensation cultivator struggling to get by. She now had a sect and elders; a mere Invisibility Talisman wasn't something she'd feel heartbroken over. Second, while playing the pig to eat the tiger was an extremely effective tactic, when one possessed sufficient strength, there was no need for such tricks.
There were five groups of people here in total. As for these three female disciples from Bixuan Pavilion, if they didn't drag everyone down, that would be good enough. In terms of combat power, Mo Tiange didn't hold them in high regard. The two male cultivators, Lu and Wang, had higher cultivation bases and were not weak in strength. If they joined forces, she would indeed find it more troublesome, but these two were not of one mind. Yao Zixiu and his wife coordinated well, but their cultivation levels were a bit lower. Daoist Fangzheng had a higher cultivation base and was strong in combat, but he didn't possess many treasures. Mo Tiange believed that if she went all out, dealing with him wouldn't be difficult.
Given this, it was better to display some of her own strength. Others aside, Daoist Fangzheng was an intelligent man. Not only would he feel some awe, but he would also genuinely regard her as a companion.
Within this Illusion Formation, without others to remind you, it was easy to fall for its tricks. Having an ally was better than being alone.
After giving Daoist Fangzheng the Invisibility Talisman, she exchanged a few casual words before finding another corner to sit cross-legged and meditate.
Because of the earlier illusion, the two cultivators, Lu and Wang, could no longer spare the effort to fawn over Yun Hanyan. Instead, they hid to one side, whispering to each other, seemingly discussing Mo Tiange's true identity.
Mo Tiange paid them no mind. Whatever these people thought of her, once they left this valley, they would go their separate ways. Who would know who was who?
The night passed with some frights but no real dangers. Several types of illusions appeared in between, but fortunately, the group reminded each other, and nothing major happened.
Daylight broke, birds chirped, and the first rays of morning sunlight finally shone into the valley. The valley was surrounded by steep cliffs, so the sun didn't reach inside until the hour of Si.
All six people present were Foundation Establishment cultivators and didn't require deliberate rest. However, Yun and Liu, after a night of frights, were not in good spirits.
Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng exchanged a look, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. These female cultivators truly were more trouble than they were worth! Yet, wanting to abandon them risked affecting themselves.
Even after the sky brightened, there was still no movement. Lu and Wang grew restless. After whispering to each other for a while, they walked over to Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng together—having been trapped in the formation for less than a day, small groups had already formed among them. Yun and Liu, Lu and Wang, these four were fellow disciples; even if there were conflicts, they stuck together. Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng were both alone and had somewhat similar temperaments, naturally drawing closer.
"Fellow Daoists," the one speaking was the Lu-named cultivator.
Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng opened their eyes and looked at them.
Lu and Wang also sat cross-legged before them and continued, "Fellow Daoists, continuing like this isn't a solution. High-level Illusion Formations generally consume the energy of those who enter. The longer we stay here, the more disadvantageous it becomes. It's even possible that one day our lifeblood could be completely exhausted."
Hearing this, Daoist Fangzheng was startled. "Consume lifeblood?"
Wang-named cultivator took over the conversation. "Indeed. My martial brother and I are disciples of the Ghost Valley Gate. Our Ghost Valley Gate inherits from the Tianliang Sect. Although the Tianliang Sect has long been destroyed, when it comes to the Dao of Formations, our Ghost Valley Gate is definitely the strongest."
It was only now that these two cultivators revealed their sect's heritage. Mo Tiange had indeed heard of the Ghost Valley Gate. While Wang-named cultivator's words were somewhat exaggerated, they weren't far from the truth. Tianji had no major sects that stood on formations, only several medium-sized sects skilled in this art. The Ghost Valley Gate was among the best of them. However—
The corner of Mo Tiange's mouth lifted in a half-smile. Lu and Wang's words were somewhat alarmist. Setting aside other things, she had also studied Illusion Formations. There was indeed the concept of consuming lifeblood, but that only happened if one fell for the illusion. Within an Illusion Formation, if one was deceived by an illusion, their own lifeblood would be absorbed by the formation. But if one held firm to their mind and spirit, there wouldn't be much impact.
Seeing her expression, Lu and Wang felt uneasy, unsure of her meaning. They exchanged a look, and the Lu-named cultivator continued with a smile, "This junior is Lu Xiangxin. This is my martial brother Wang Xiangzhi. May I ask how the two of you are addressed?"
Mo Tiange didn't know if Daoist Fangzheng had already greeted them. As soon as she entered the hall with the five-colored Five Elements Platforms, the mechanism activated. She had only heard Shang Ruwan mention these two's surnames.
"This humble Daoist's title is Fangzheng," Daoist Fangzheng nodded to the two.
Mo Tiange then followed, "Ye Xiaotian."
Lu and Wang were only briefly surprised and didn't dwell on why her name sounded different from the previous night.
After the four re-greeted each other, Lu Xiangxin continued, "Fellow Daoists, in short, the longer we stay in this Illusion Formation, the more damage we suffer. It's better to leave sooner."
Mo Tiange smiled. "We've always wanted to leave, but we just can't find a way. Fellow Daoists saying this, do you have a method?"
"This..." Lu Xiangxin hesitated.
Wang Xiangzhi then took over, "Lady Ye, to be honest, this formation is truly ingenious. My martial brother and I can't make heads or tails of it either. But we can't just do nothing, right?"
Daoist Fangzheng glanced at Mo Tiange's expression and asked, "Then, according to your opinion, what should we do?"
Hearing Daoist Fangzheng's relaxed tone, Lu Xiangxin perked up. "Based on our research into formations, even the most ingenious formation cannot be completely flawless. Although this valley isn't large, it's quite complex. If we search more thoroughly, we're sure to find something."
"That's true..." Mo Tiange shot a glance at Yun and Liu. "There are six of us. Should we split up to search?"
Lu and Wang noticed her glance. They were intelligent people; how could they not understand her implication? They immediately hesitated. "This..."
Mo Tiange gave a thin, insincere smile. "Fellow Daoists, one cannot just eat without working!"
Lu Xiangxin was fine, but Wang Xiangzhi's face flushed red upon hearing her words. Mo Tiange's glance towards Yun and Liu meant whether these two would be their responsibility. Lu and Wang hesitated; after all, while flattery was one thing, their own lives were still more important. Mo Tiange then mocked them for wanting to take advantage without taking responsibility. Wang Xiangzhi had a thinner skin. Seeing that Mo Tiange was also a beautiful woman who mocked him to his face, he inevitably felt embarrassed.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. Only Yun and Liu, who were far away, remained oblivious.
"Ahem!" Daoist Fangzheng coughed twice and spoke, "Fellow Daoists, let this old man speak frankly. Not taking their lives is already being polite. This old man doesn't want to do work for others!"
Daoist Fangzheng was a loose cultivator. The world of loose cultivators was far crueler than that of sect disciples. Generally, if adventuring together, those who didn't demonstrate sufficient strength wouldn't be accepted. Currently, he hadn't made trouble for these two Bixuan Pavilion female cultivators, which indeed could be considered polite. After all, this situation was different from a planned adventure; the nine of them were unintentionally bound together.
Daoist Fangzheng had already spoken to this extent. Lu and Wang had nothing more to say. They looked at each other, and Lu Xiangxin stated his position, "Alright. The four of us will continue the search. The others... we can't concern ourselves with them. Of course, since we each occupy a Five Elements Platform, it's best to still consider our lives."
This statement gained the agreement of the other three.
The three roughly discussed, then had Lu Xiangxin inform Yun and Liu.
Mo Tiange had no interest in what they said. From afar, she only saw Yun Hanyan lower her head and wipe away tears as soon as Lu Xiangxin spoke. Lu Xiangxin comforted her at length before returning with a bitter smile.
Others' affairs, Mo Tiange couldn't be bothered with. Daoist Fangzheng naturally also paid no heed to such youthful entanglements. The four walked in silence, descending from the altar and slowly beginning their search.
Not far from the altar, Wang Xiangzhi suddenly cried out.
Although the four were together, they were searching separately. The other three now looked up at him.
Wang Xiangzhi's expression was grave as he waved them over.
The three flew closer to him.
As soon as they reached where Wang Xiangzhi was, Mo Tiange's face darkened.
It was Yan Ruoshu. Yan Ruoshu now lay on a Five Elements Platform, her face deathly pale, without a trace of breath.
Mo Tiange crouched down to check, channeling Spiritual Qi into Yan Ruoshu's body, but it was futile. She stood up and shook her head. "No hope."
Though trapped in this Illusion Formation and unable to leave, they hadn't faced any danger until now. With someone dead, the expressions of the four turned grave.
This formation, though an illusion, could indeed kill.
Among the four, only Mo Tiange was a woman, so the task of examining the corpse naturally fell to her.
Yan Ruoshu had no external injuries, her clothes were intact, and there were no signs of a struggle. It was as if she had suddenly died here. Mo Tiange examined her carefully and finally noticed that Yan Ruoshu's posture was somewhat strange. Her hand was stretched to one side, as if trying to grasp something—
"How is it?" Wang Xiangzhi asked urgently.
Mo Tiange didn't answer. Instead, she channeled Spiritual Qi once more, this time directing it towards Yan Ruoshu's Heavenly Spirit Cap.
After death, meridians stiffen, making it impossible to channel Spiritual Qi into them. However, the Heavenly Spirit Cap was a shortcut to the dantian, and Spiritual Qi could still be input there.
After a few breaths, Mo Tiange released her hand, stood up, her expression grave.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, what exactly happened?" Daoist Fangzheng also asked with concern.
Mo Tiange sighed. "Her entire lifeblood is exhausted. It seems she was deceived by an illusion and ultimately failed to break free." Yan Ruoshu's posture clearly indicated she was trying to grasp something, but there was nothing before her. That thing must have been her illusion. Upon her death, the illusion naturally vanished.
"..." The other three fell silent once more.
Lu Xiangxin and Wang Xiangzhi exchanged a look, both seeing a trace of horror in each other's eyes. Earlier, they had said one could die from exhausted lifeblood, but that was actually to scare these two. Who would have thought such a thing would really happen now? How could they not be alarmed?
Mo Tiange pondered for a moment. "Fellow Daoists, it seems Fellow Daoist Yan passed away last night, yet we didn't feel anything at all..."
Daoist Fangzheng was taken aback, then continued, "Fellow Daoist means, it seems our lives won't be affected by others?"
"Not entirely." Mo Tiange took out an empty Qiankun Bag and, with a wave of her hand, stored Yan Ruoshu's corpse. "After all, they were three people on one stone platform. Perhaps as long as one is alive, it's enough."
Seeing her take Yan Ruoshu's corpse, the other three felt a twinge of envy. Of course, they didn't have any peculiar preferences; they only coveted the items on Yan Ruoshu's person. However, they didn't dare offend Mo Tiange over this. She didn't directly take the Qiankun Bag but stored the corpse, most likely intending to hand it over to the other two female cultivators. In that case, it was acceptable.
"However, this already proves that if we are deceived by illusions, it's indeed possible to die from exhausted lifeblood..."
The three fell silent again.
"Alright, let's not linger here. Continue searching."
Daoist Fangzheng nodded. "We... should still be careful. Let's pair up."
Though they hadn't separated, they had been searching individually. Now, they didn't dare to separate anymore. They formed two groups of two, slowly searching their way forward, the atmosphere oppressive.
Whether by fortune or misfortune, they had just searched their way to that intersection when they suddenly heard a sharp cry.
The four looked at each other, confirming it wasn't an illusion, before flying towards the source of the sound.
Not far into their flight, Mo Tiange, with her sharp eyes, spotted Shang Ruwan's figure on a Five Elements Platform.
Her heart first leapt with joy, then immediately sank with alarm.
That was indeed Shang Ruwan, but not far away, there was another person!
"Ah!" Wang Xiangzhi cried out in surprise, saying in astonishment, "That's... that's Fellow Daoist Yao, but why, why would..."
Mo Tiange also furrowed her brows. Judging by the figure, that was indeed Yao Zixiu. But strangely, his cultivation was at the Core Formation Stage! How was this possible?
She didn't rule out that there might be some opportunity within this Illusion Formation, but there was absolutely no way for a cultivator to leap directly from early Foundation Establishment to Core Formation in one go! One must know that the dantian and meridians of a Foundation Establishment cultivator could only accommodate so much Spiritual Qi. The Spiritual Qi at the Core Formation Stage suddenly increased by thousands of times, requiring the dantian and meridians to be remolded. Even with sufficient Spiritual Qi to allow a cultivator to jump from early Foundation Establishment to Core Formation, it would still take one to three years to transform the body!
Could it be an illusion? But looking at Shang Ruwan's expression, it didn't seem so...
The other three hesitated, uncertain whether to approach. After all, the pressure of a Core Formation cultivator was real; they dared not provoke a conflict with a Core Formation cultivator. At this moment, Mo Tiange had already flown towards Shang Ruwan.
"Fellow Daoist Ye!" Daoist Fangzheng called out, but failed to stop her. He helplessly remained where he was, continuing to hesitate. Turning his head, he saw Lu Xiangxin and Wang Xiangzhi wearing expressions of eager restlessness.
Daoist Fangzheng knew things were going badly. He hurriedly said, "Fellow Daoists, do you truly believe there's a method that can make someone leap directly from early Foundation Establishment to Core Formation?"
Lu Xiangxin and Wang Xiangzhi exchanged a look, then replied with a perfunctory smile, "Where would that be? We're just... curious! Aren't you curious?"
"This..." Daoist Fangzheng's gaze wavered. How could he not be curious? As a loose cultivator, how much effort had he expended to reach mid Foundation Establishment? Currently, his lifespan was limited, and he urgently needed to find an opportunity to advance to late stage and stride towards Core Formation. But...
"Fellow Daoists, it's best to remain calm! I am curious, but what kind of shortcut exists in this world? Yesterday, we were nearly deceived by that White Jade Snow Lotus. Do you two remember?"
At his words, the two were taken aback and calmed down slightly.
Daoist Fangzheng continued, "We might as well watch. If something seems wrong, we can leave then."
Over there, Mo Tiange flew to Shang Ruwan's side and called softly, "Sister Shang, are you alright?"
Shang Ruwan was utterly distraught and hadn't even noticed someone approaching. Seeing Mo Tiange now, she immediately grabbed her hand, her face panicked. "Little Sister Ye, I..."
"Sister, don't panic." Seeing Shang Ruwan couldn't even speak coherently, Mo Tiange quickly soothed her. "First, tell me what's going on. Is that... your husband?"
Shang Ruwan nodded hastily. After taking a deep breath, she could finally speak smoothly. "Yes, that's Brother Xiu."
"What exactly did you encounter? We searched for you all day yesterday but couldn't find you. Why did Fellow Daoist Yao suddenly advance to Core Formation?"
Shang Ruwan sat on the stone platform, sweat beading on her forehead and cheeks. Hearing this, she was startled. "Yesterday? Little Sister Ye, when did we arrive here?"
Mo Tiange slightly furrowed her brows. "Just yesterday."
"Yesterday..." Shang Ruwan murmured, a look of horror gradually surfacing on her face. "No, Brother Xiu and I... we've lived here for three years!"
Hearing this, Mo Tiange was also shocked. Three years! The six of them had indeed only spent one night, so why did Shang Ruwan feel three years had passed?
"Sister Shang, calm down. Speak slowly. What happened to you?"
Under her soothing, Shang Ruwan finally calmed down somewhat and slowly said, "After the Five Elements Platform activated, Brother Xiu and I arrived here. We found this place brimming with Spiritual Qi, extremely suitable for cultivation, beautiful as a fairyland, with no disturbances. Though we couldn't leave, it was no different from a paradise. I suggested we settle down here..."
"At first, I felt very happy. No disturbances, no need to wander about, no need to hide from others... But Brother Xiu grew more and more irritable. He said his cultivation had entered a bottleneck. Even though this place was brimming with Spiritual Qi, it offered no aid to his cultivation. He said he wanted to go into seclusion, he wanted to become stronger... We had a quarrel. In a fit of anger, I ran out. When I returned, I saw..." As she spoke, Shang Ruwan grabbed Mo Tiange's sleeve, tears streaming down. "Little Sister Ye, Brother Xiu must have fallen into demonic ways. No, something's really wrong... Look at his condition..."
Mo Tiange looked up at Yao Zixiu not far away. Yao Zixiu seemed to be cultivating some secret technique. He hovered mid-air, his entire body enveloped in a mass of black substance, within which faint sounds of wind and thunder could be heard...
One day, three years. Mo Tiange roughly guessed what had happened. The meaning behind those five words, 'This Life, Ten Thousand Ancient Days,' she finally grasped some of it. This life is ten thousand ancient days; ten thousand ancient days are but a single day. This was the most terrifying aspect of this Illusion Formation!
Shang Ruwan had always fantasized about a peaceful life. This place resembled a fairyland, triggering this thought in her. So, at first, they were within Shang Ruwan's fantasy. Living together, with no disturbances, was why they couldn't be found. However, though it was three years, the actual time wasn't like that, which was why his cultivation made no progress. Shang Ruwan didn't mind, but Yao Zixiu was unwilling, hence triggering the change.
But what about Yao Zixiu? This point Mo Tiange couldn't figure out. She herself had encountered great opportunities, whether it was her Deified Ancestor-Founder or the Void Heaven Realm. But she didn't believe there existed any opportunity in this world that could allow someone to surge from early Foundation Establishment to Core Formation overnight!
"Sister Shang." After a long while, Mo Tiange slowly said, "I think your husband has not fallen into demonic ways."