All was calm.
An unknown amount of time passed before Mo Tiange finally let out a breath.
Though it was the life and death of others, witnessing it unfold before her eyes like this still felt brutal. And such a brutal life and death occurred solely because they possessed a depth of affection that cultivators should not have.
Realizing her emotions were fluctuating, she immediately embraced the origin and guarded the one. The Supreme Way of Forgetting Emotions was not about being emotionless; forgetting emotions meant being tranquil and unmoved by sentiment, as if one had forgotten them. Words exist to convey meaning; once the meaning is grasped, the words can be forgotten...
Having affection was not a sin; deep affection was not a sin. The sin lay in the fact that Yao Zixiu's feelings were mixed with too many other things—ambition, grief, resentment, hatred. It was precisely these things that prevented him from seeing through the illusion, unable to enjoy the joy of love, yet tormented by it constantly.
The sin was not the affection itself, but merely the person.
At that moment, she heard Daoist Fangzheng call out, "Fellow Daoist Ye, look!"
Mo Tiange looked towards Yao Zixiu and Shang Ruwan and couldn't help but widen her eyes.
She saw a hazy white light appear on the bodies of those two individuals. The light grew brighter and brighter, more and more dazzling, then suddenly exploded. The resulting surge of Spiritual Qi immediately caused their own auras to churn. They circulated their energy to resist, but could not withstand the light that instantly engulfed them.
An unknown amount of time passed before Mo Tiange felt the Spiritual Qi gradually settle. She opened her eyes and saw the scene before her, only to be stunned.
What lay before them was clearly the Five Elements Platform they had been on earlier! Did that mean the Illusion Formation was broken?
Joy rose in her heart, but when she turned her head to look, she was stunned again.
On the other four stone platforms, the other several individuals were indeed lying or sitting, but aside from Daoist Fangzheng, not a single one was awake!
Daoist Fangzheng also noticed this and looked at her. "Fellow Daoist Ye..."
Both were filled with shock and suspicion. What was going on?
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet shook. The five Five Elements Platforms slowly began to move towards the center.
A moment later, with a rumbling sound, the five platforms merged into one. A flash of light passed, transforming them into a single large stone platform. Gold, azure, blue, red, and yellow—each color occupied a ring, just like the Five Elements Platform within the Illusion Formation, only this stone platform was exaggeratedly large.
"What is happening?" Daoist Fangzheng looked at her.
Mo Tiange did not answer, instead lowering her head to examine the others lying on the ground. Aside from her and Daoist Fangzheng, all seven other people were on the stone platform, including Yan Ruoshu, whose corpse she had stored in her Qiankun Bag within the Illusion Formation.
These individuals showed no signs of external injuries, only deathly pale faces and no breath.
Mo Tiange reached out to feel the pulses of Yan Ruoshu and the others—they had already stopped. Spiritual Qi could not be infused.
She sighed. "Dead."
Daoist Fangzheng checked Lu Xiangxin and Wang Xiangzhi and also shook his head. "Beyond saving."
The two exchanged a glance, both equally perplexed.
Since Yan Ruoshu's corpse appeared here, it meant the entire Illusion Formation was utterly false. What they saw and heard within the formation was all fake. In reality, they had probably been on the stone platform the whole time, never moving.
Yet these people had still died. Lu Xiangxin and Wang Xiangzhi were killed by the Core Formation-stage Yao Zixiu. Yan Ruoshu died within the Illusion Formation, bewitched by the illusion and exhausting her blood essence. The two Yun women—who knew what they had experienced? But both were weak-willed and at odds with each other; it wasn't impossible for them to have fallen victim together in the end. Yao Zixiu was trapped by his own inner demons, bewitched by the illusion. Shang Ruwan was essentially killed by Yao Zixiu.
Thinking of this, Mo Tiange felt a chill of horror. This formation was truly terrifying! Everything was false, yet the deaths and injuries were real!
"Fellow Daoist Ye!" Daoist Fangzheng suddenly called out. He had been examining Yao Zixiu's corpse but now pointed at Shang Ruwan. "What is it?"
"She... seems to be alive," Daoist Fangzheng said, looking at Shang Ruwan.
Mo Tiange was taken aback. She stepped forward and felt Shang Ruwan's chest—there was indeed still some warmth. She quickly retrieved several Biyan Pills, fed them to Shang Ruwan, and infused Spiritual Qi into her body.
An unknown amount of time passed before Shang Ruwan finally groaned and woke up.
"Sister Shang!" Mo Tiange called softly.
Shang Ruwan slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Mo Tiange, she stared blankly for a moment. "Ye... Sister Ye, I..."
"Don't speak yet. Your injuries are severe. First regulate your breathing and heal."
Shang Ruwan did not follow her instructions. Instead, she seemed to think for a moment, as if recalling the experiences within the Illusion Formation. Her face suddenly turned pale. She turned her head, saw Yao Zixiu lying with closed eyes beside her, and immediately threw herself over him. "Brother Xiu! Brother Xiu!"
Yao Zixiu did not respond. Daoist Fangzheng had already checked earlier. Yao Zixiu was truly dead, his blood essence completely depleted, just like Yan Ruoshu's death in the Illusion Formation. Presumably, because he was too obsessed with his own illusion, his blood essence had been sucked dry.
But why Shang Ruwan was alive, Mo Tiange could not understand. Lu Xiangxin and Wang Xiangzhi were also beaten to death by Yao Zixiu, and they were truly dead. There was no reason Shang Ruwan should be alive.
"Brother Xiu..." Confirming Yao Zixiu's death, Shang Ruwan sat dazed, motionless for a long while.
Mo Tiange didn't know what she was thinking, but she knew Shang Ruwan's injuries were too severe. If she didn't heal soon, she would die shortly.
"Sister Shang!" she called softly again. Shang Ruwan still didn't respond.
Seeing her in such a state, Mo Tiange sighed. She gently raised her hand and sent out a thread of Spiritual Qi. Shang Ruwan immediately fainted.
Daoist Fangzheng was startled.
Mo Tiange merely helped Shang Ruwan lie down to one side, then looked up and said, "Fellow Daoist Fangzheng, now it's just the two of us. What do you think we should do next?"
Daoist Fangzheng hesitated slightly, sweeping his gaze over the corpses. "Since these fellow Daoists have perished, let's first deal with their remains."
Mo Tiange understood what 'deal with' meant. Among cultivators, if a companion perished, the survivors would divide that person's belongings. She wasn't opposed to this, but neither was she particularly enthusiastic, as she lacked neither pills nor Spirit Stones.
So she only nodded absentmindedly.
If he were with others, Daoist Fangzheng might not have even spoken up, simply taking the Qiankun Bags of the several individuals as a matter of course. But seeing how Mo Tiange conducted herself, clearly carrying the habits of an elite sect disciple—not as profit-obsessed as ordinary loose cultivators—and wary of her strength, Daoist Fangzheng restrained himself somewhat.
In truth, this was Daoist Fangzheng being overly cautious. Mo Tiange also came from a loose cultivator background; she wasn't some young lady born into a great sect. Naturally, she was also accustomed to such practices and wouldn't have any objections.
Daoist Fangzheng collected the Qiankun Bags of the six individuals one by one. Just as he was about to burn the corpses with a fire spell, he heard Mo Tiange call out and stopped.
Mo Tiange said, "Leave Yao Zixiu's things to me. Don't burn his corpse yet."
Daoist Fangzheng nodded, placing Yao Zixiu's corpse to one side and handing over Yao Zixiu's Qiankun Bag. "Fellow Daoist Ye, how shall we divide these things?"
"Half each," Mo Tiange replied indifferently, placing Yao Zixiu's Qiankun Bag in Shang Ruwan's arms.
Hearing her answer, Daoist Fangzheng breathed a sigh of relief. If Mo Tiange had said she didn't want anything, he would have been worried, because that would mean she was either too naive or her temperament was incompatible. And since they were still on this Five Elements Platform, their journey not yet at its end, either possibility could cause problems in their future cooperation.
After the two divided the items and burned the corpses, Daoist Fangzheng hesitated and asked, "Fellow Daoist Ye, should we bring Madam Yao along?"
Mo Tiange paused. If she were alone, she might bring her; she wasn't someone who indiscriminately showed kindness, but she had taken a liking to Shang Ruwan. Currently, however, there were two of them, and she could tell Daoist Fangzheng didn't want to bring Shang Ruwan along. A severely injured cultivator who couldn't fight would only be a burden.
After thinking for a while, she shook her head. "Let's first think about how to get out."
The Illusion Formation was broken, so naturally, mental intent was useless here. But who knew what would happen if they left this stone platform?
"Eh! Fellow Daoist Ye, look quickly!" Daoist Fangzheng pointed towards the depths of the hall and called out.
Mo Tiange followed the direction he pointed and felt a surge of joy.
This place looked like a great hall, but the floor was empty, with only this large floating stone platform. Below was endless void; who knew what it was. The only door in this hall was the one they had entered through. Before the Illusion Formation activated, it seemed mental intent could manipulate the stone platform. But now that the five platforms had merged into one and the Illusion Formation was broken, mental intent no longer worked.
Yet now, in the depths of the hall, where the stone wall had been, a door had appeared! It looked very much like breaking the Illusion Formation had also opened the entrance to the deeper parts of the cave dwelling.
After the initial joy, Mo Tiange quickly calmed down.
"Fellow Daoist Fangzheng, just this Illusion Formation alone was already so sophisticated. If we are to continue onward, we must be even more careful."
An excited expression appeared on Daoist Fangzheng's face, and he nodded repeatedly. For him, nothing was more important than Opportunity. At this stage of the Illusion Formation, although they hadn't gained any benefits, the formation's power confirmed that if they could find anything, it would definitely be extraordinary! Having come this far, there was no reason to turn back.
Though Mo Tiange wasn't as desperate for treasures as Daoist Fangzheng, she also had no reason to retreat. One must know that even someone like Qin Shoujing, who had a Nascent Soul ancestor, had walked his own path in cultivation. It was impossible to rely on elders for everything. Without personal experience, one would never grow under the wings of a senior.
"But how do we get over there?" Below the stone platform was endless void, but who knew what it was. What if this was a killing formation, and triggering something...
Daoist Fangzheng also frowned. Of the original nine who came here, six were dead, one severely injured, leaving only the two of them intact. His lifespan was limited, and he urgently needed Opportunity, but he also cherished his own life even more.
After thinking for a while, Daoist Fangzheng sighed. He opened the spirit beast bag at his waist and released a spirit beast—a first-rank flying bird.
Daoist Fangzheng patted the bird's head, then let go, instructing it to fly to the depths of the hall.
The bird let out a cry, flapped its wings, and flew in the direction he pointed.
The two watched with bated breath as the bird smoothly reached the other end of the hall and slipped through the door.
After a while, the bird slipped back through the door and flew back.
Daoist Fangzheng was delighted. "It's safe, Fellow Daoist Ye! Let's go!" So saying, he took the lead and flew up.
Mo Tiange glanced at Shang Ruwan, still lying unconscious on the ground, and sighed. She took out a medicine bottle, placed it in Shang Ruwan's arms, then summoned her White Silk Kerchief and followed closely behind.