Her divine sense lashed out once more, striking the Water Carp Beast's primordial spirit squarely. Simultaneously, the golden radiance of the Flying Sky Shuttle descended fiercely!
The Water Carp Beast let out a loud "hulu" cry, frantically thrashing its tail, its furious blows continuously hammering the defensive barrier.
The seven people supporting the Strengthened Defense Formation were instantly wounded, especially Xiang Zhiyang, whose face abruptly changed as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The defensive barrier above their heads also wavered, on the verge of shattering.
Ren Yufeng, however, exclaimed joyfully, "It's about to die! Hold on a little longer."
Mo Tiange shot him an annoyed glare. He was the only late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator present; at such a dangerous moment, he didn't even know to lend a hand! Even if his spells and magic tools couldn't harm the Water Carp Beast, he could at least transfer spiritual energy to her or the other seven.
But now wasn't the time to turn hostile. She said nothing, retrieving a treasure talisman given by Jinghe Daojun from her Qiankun Bag. With a flick of her wrist, it flew out through a gap in the defensive barrier.
This treasure talisman sealed the power of a sharp weapon. It drifted lightly out of the barrier, silently transforming into a sword beam that pierced lightly yet sharply into the Water Carp Beast's body.
Seizing this opportunity, the Flying Sky Shuttle burst out from within its body. The Water Carp Beast wildly thrashed its long tail but finally couldn't hold on any longer. With a whimper, it went limp.
Blood flowed from the Water Carp Beast's body, dyeing the surrounding waters red.
The scene fell utterly silent. Everyone was still recovering from the battle.
Mo Tiange was the first to act. With a wave of her hand, the golden radiance of the Flying Sky Shuttle emitted a sharp *zheng* sound as it flew back into her grasp. Only then did the others snap out of their daze.
"Senior Brother Xiang!" Ai Xian and Xiahou Yuan cried out in unison. Their positions were closest to Xiang Zhiyang, and they rushed forward first to support him.
The blue defensive barrier above their heads shattered, and Xiang Zhiyang collapsed at the same moment.
Ren Yufeng hurriedly went to check on Xiang Zhiyang's condition, followed by a flurry of activity. Although none of their ten had perished, the two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators had lost half their lives and were almost combat ineffective.
Taking advantage of this rest period, Mo Tiange quietly asked Jiang Shanghang, "Senior Brother Jiang, what exactly is in that secret place that made you willing to seek outsiders rather than report this matter to your sect?"
Her tone this time wasn't distant, which pleased Jiang Shanghang. He leaned closer and replied, "Junior Brother Ye, I once told you that within this Dragon Hidden Land, there is a mysterious aura, correct?"
"But didn't you say, Senior Brother Jiang, that even Nascent Soul seniors don't understand what it is?"
"Exactly. That was originally the case..." Jiang Shanghang hesitated before continuing, "This Hidden Dragon Land, every time we enter, the scenery is completely different. But only one place remains the same: the central Divine Dragon Stele. The text on the Divine Dragon Stele can no longer be understood by anyone today. That mysterious aura emanates precisely from the Divine Dragon Stele. For thousands of years, disciples in our sect have passed down by word of mouth that this mysterious aura is the Breath of the Divine Dragon..."
"The Breath of the Divine Dragon..." Mo Tiange repeated. Although she couldn't confirm it was the Breath of the Divine Dragon, hearing these Zhengfa Sect disciples crown it with that name indicated this mysterious aura must be extraordinary.
"Whether it truly is or not, none of us know," Jiang Shanghang sighed. "For so many years, the Nascent Soul Patriarchs of the Zhengfa Sect have never been able to comprehend this Divine Dragon Stele. They only know the power within the stele is extraordinary and must not be offended. It's also because our Zhengfa Sect's heritage isn't long enough. Perhaps after tens of thousands more years, with the combined efforts of several generations of disciples, we might be able to comprehend it."
The Zhengfa Sect had been established for several thousand years, which actually wasn't very long. A Nascent Soul cultivator's lifespan was one to two thousand years; several millennia was merely a few generations. Among the seven great sects of Tianji, only the Zhengfa Sect had been established for a few thousand years; the other sects all had heritages spanning over ten thousand years.
"What does this have to do with the secret place you discovered?"
Jiang Shanghang said, "Precisely because this Divine Dragon Stele has never been comprehended, and the Nascent Soul Patriarchs are all busy cultivating, over time, we disciples simply don't go to look at the stele's location. Last time, the four of us entered this Dragon Hidden Land together and coincidentally went to the Divine Dragon Stele. We suddenly discovered something abnormal there."
He paused, pleased to see curiosity on Mo Tiange's face, then continued, "The Divine Dragon Stele itself wasn't the issue. The issue was that beside the Divine Dragon Stele, an entrance to an Underground Palace had appeared."
"An Underground Palace?" Mo Tiange asked. "An underwater Underground Palace?"
"Correct," Jiang Shanghang went on. "When we entered, it was just after the fifteenth day of the eighth month, so we were likely the first disciples to see this Underground Palace. After we entered the Underground Palace, inside there was an aura identical to that of the Divine Dragon Stele, and it was much more concentrated!"
"What?" Since it was called the Breath of the Divine Dragon, it must be vast, ancient, and majestic. But if the Divine Dragon Stele already left Nascent Soul cultivators helpless, how could this unknown Underground Palace also possess such a mysterious aura, and an even stronger one? To such a degree, how could they, mere Foundation Establishment cultivators, dare to offend it?
Mo Tiange's expression changed several times before she finally said, "Senior Brother Jiang, regardless of whether this is the Breath of the Divine Dragon, you said this aura's power is extraordinary and must not be offended. What could we possibly gain by entering the Underground Palace?"
Jiang Shanghang smiled bitterly. "That question... I truly cannot answer, because only Senior Brother Ren managed to slip inside for a look at the time."
"...Then why did you urge me so strongly before?" Mo Tiange frowned, suppressing her displeasure. Jiang Shanghang had previously sworn guarantees that it wasn't too dangerous inside and that treasures could be obtained. So it turned out even he wasn't sure.
Jiang Shanghang sighed. "It was Senior Brother Ren who gave those guarantees. At the time, as soon as we entered the Underground Palace, we were blocked by the guardian Water Carp Beast. Senior Brother Ren used a treasure talisman to temporarily trap the Water Carp Beast, allowing the three of us to deal with it while he went inside for a look."
"What exactly did Senior Brother Ren say?"
Jiang Shanghang paused, somewhat hesitant. "Senior Brother Ren said the layout inside was complex. He only had time for a few glances. It seemed there was an alchemy room..."
Even as he said this, Jiang Shanghang himself didn't seem very certain. An alchemy room? Since it was an underwater Underground Palace, how could there possibly be an alchemy room?
"Junior Brother Ye," Jiang Shanghang looked at her frankly, "I told you the truth long ago. In the Zhengfa Sect, I'm just an ordinary cultivator. Senior Brother Ren's cultivation is higher than mine, and he's the personal disciple of a Core Formation uncle-master. His status is much higher than mine. Last time I could accompany him into this Dragon Hidden Land was only because I was familiar with Junior Brother Tang Fang. Whatever he says, I naturally have to obey. However, he also has no reason to deceive us, right?"
That made sense... If there were no benefits, Ren Yufeng wouldn't have gone through the trouble of finding people to take this risk together.
Mo Tiange thought for a moment, then asked another question. "Senior Brother Jiang, since you could discover the Underground Palace, others could too. Someone else might coincidentally go to the Divine Dragon Stele. After you left, can you guarantee no one else saw it?"
Mentioning this issue, Jiang Shanghang smiled. "Don't worry about that. When we left last time, Senior Brother Ren and Senior Brother Xiang used a special method to conceal it. Disciples of the same rank definitely wouldn't see it. It's precisely because the scenery in the Dragon Hidden Land changes every year that we don't have much time, which is why we're in such a hurry to come here."
Just as they were speaking, Ren Yufeng seemed to have finished treating Lu Rongsheng and Xiang Zhiyang's injuries and walked over. "Junior Sister Ye, Junior Brother Jiang, what are you two discussing?"
Ren Yufeng's expression was very amiable at the moment, as if the successful slaying of the Water Carp Beast had put him in a good mood.
After half a day of contact, Mo Tiange felt this person not only had a poor temper and thought highly of himself, but also lacked leadership ability. He merely relied on having the highest status and cultivation among them. His actions were truly unpleasant. But since he was smiling and approaching, there was no reason to slap his face. So she also smiled politely. "About matters concerning this Dragon Hidden Land, there are still some things I'm unclear about, so I was asking Senior Brother Jiang."
"Oh, is that so? Actually, Junior Sister Ye, you could just ask me. Junior Brother Jiang isn't very clear about things either." Ren Yufeng waved his hand, looking quite pleased with himself.
After hearing this, Jiang Shanghang gave her a somewhat helpless look and said, "Junior Sister Ye, you chat with Senior Brother Ren. I'll go check on the condition of the two senior brothers."
Knowing Jiang Shanghang didn't want to, and didn't dare, offend Ren Yufeng, Mo Tiange didn't try to keep him. Anyway, she wasn't afraid of this Ren Yufeng. From what she'd seen earlier, Ren Yufeng's underwater evasion techniques were first-rate, but his methods... they truly didn't live up to the title of elite late-stage Foundation Establishment disciple of a major sect. Even if Ren Yufeng was holding something back, Mo Tiange was confident she wasn't inferior to him. If they fought, she was over eighty percent sure she could win.
Once Jiang Shanghang left, Ren Yufeng said to Mo Tiange, "Junior Sister Ye's magic tools are extraordinary, and you possess several treasures. You must be an elite disciple, right? Junior Brother Jiang once said he was just an unknown disciple of a minor sect on Mount Kunwu in the past. How did you come to know him, Junior Sister Ye?"
He was actually probing into their relationship. Mo Tiange smiled without changing her expression. "When I met Senior Brother Jiang, I wasn't yet a disciple of the Xuanqing Sect."
"Oh?" Ren Yufeng expressed surprise. "Junior Brother Jiang came to our Zhengfa Sect over a decade ago. At that time, you weren't yet a disciple of the Xuanqing Sect, Junior Sister Ye?"
"Correct. After parting with Senior Brother Jiang, he came to the Zhengfa Sect, and I happened to go to the Xuanqing Sect."
Receiving Mo Tiange's confirmation, Ren Yufeng grew even more astonished. "I heard from Junior Brother Jiang that he only reached Foundation Establishment after coming to the Zhengfa Sect. So I suppose you hadn't reached Foundation Establishment back then either, Junior Sister Ye? In just over a decade, you went from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, and then to mid-stage Foundation Establishment. That cultivation speed is truly incredible. You really are a genius, Junior Sister Ye!"
Mo Tiange said calmly, "It was merely good fortune and my master's favor. I dare not claim to be a genius. Only if I one day form my Core would I dare accept such a title."
Though self-deprecating, her words also revealed confidence in forming her Core. Ren Yufeng's gaze toward her instantly mixed envy and jealousy before he finally forced a smile and said, "As soon as I saw you, Junior Sister Ye, I felt you must be naturally gifted and intelligent. I never imagined you would exceed my expectations. Just now, killing that Water Carp Beast relied heavily on your magic tools and treasure talisman, Junior Sister Ye. With such treasures on your person, your master must be extraordinary. May I ask which Perfected One it is?"
Being asked about her master, and with the Xuanqing Sect and Zhengfa Sect being friendly sects, this originally wasn't something she couldn't disclose. Mo Tiange immediately replied, "My master's surname is Ma, his Dao title is Xuanyin." She told a lie, firstly because Jinghe Daojun had reminded her it was best to conceal her name and origins when traveling outside; secondly, Jinghe Daojun's reputation was too prominent, and the Zhengfa Sect was a friendly sect. If she revealed that, her identity would be impossible to hide. Claiming it was Dao Lord Xuanyin—she had indeed been taught by this uncle-master, and Dao Lord Xuanyin had just advanced to Nascent Soul and was always low-key. This half-truth would be easier to maintain than a pure lie.
"Ma Xuanyin?" Ren Yufeng repeated it once, his gaze toward her immediately changing. "Could it be Dao Lord Xuanyin?"
"Exactly," Mo Tiange smiled slightly, putting on an expression of being happy for her master. "My master formed his Nascent Soul just a few years ago. I never expected Senior Brother Ren would have heard of his esteemed name."
"Dao Lord Xuanyin's Nascent Soul formation ceremony a few years ago shook all of Tianji. Who hasn't heard of it?" Ren Yufeng's tone grew several degrees more respectful. "To think Junior Sister Ye is the esteemed disciple of Dao Lord Xuanyin. I truly have been disrespectful."