This was Mo Tiange's first time meeting Elder Qingmiao.
She had been at the Bixuan Pavilion for several months now. But all along, it had been Foundation Establishment cultivators like Wei Haolan who received her; she had never met the three Core Formation elders.
Of course, they were Core Formation seniors. Generally speaking, Core Formation cultivators secluded themselves in bitter cultivation—who would have nothing better to do than receive a junior from another sect? They weren't that idle, nor would they do something so beneath their status.
But even though she had never met the three Core Formation elders, Mo Tiange had never truly worried that Elder Qingmiao would actually harm her.
Having managed affairs at the Shangqing Palace and handled social interactions on Dao Lord Jinghe's behalf, Mo Tiange understood the intricate thoughts of high-ranking sect cultivators all too well. In the eyes of high-level cultivators, especially those who supported the sect, no matter how beloved a junior was, they could never affect their view of interests. A child could be doted on, but serious matters could not be tainted by such emotions. Therefore, Hua Yilin's threat sounded utterly laughable to those in the know.
Yet at this moment, Elder Qingmiao used such a tone to say such words to her, which was thought-provoking.
Not simple? What was not simple? Apart from the alchemy skills she had displayed, Mo Tiange was just an ordinary visiting cultivator in the eyes of the Bixuan Pavilion's disciples. Elder Qingmiao's words were definitely not praising her alchemy.
Mo Tiange's expression remained unchanged, only her gaze lifting slightly. "Senior... you flatter me."
Elder Qingmiao gently swirled the teacup in her hand but never took a sip, speaking slowly. "I'm not praising you."
"If Senior doesn't say so, this junior will take it as praise." Mo Tiange still wore a faint smile, seemingly not minding her words at all.
Elder Qingmiao raised her eyes to look at her again, her gaze sharp.
Mo Tiange showed no sign of guilt, letting her look.
Time passed bit by bit. Elder Qingmiao even employed the pressure of a Core Formation cultivator, yet Mo Tiange still maintained that slight smile. Though the smile was somewhat stiff, and sweat even beaded on her forehead, she ultimately kept smiling.
After who knew how long, Elder Qingmiao finally withdrew her pressure and asked coldly, "Just who are you?"
Mo Tiange secretly let out a sigh of relief. Even though she cultivated the Spirit Refinement Art and her spiritual sense far surpassed cultivators of her level, a Core Formation cultivator was still a Core Formation cultivator. Resisting that pressure had nearly exhausted her strength.
She certainly knew why Elder Qingmiao was treating her this way. She had long developed the habit of keeping her spiritual sense attuned to her surroundings at all times, so she had known the moment Elder Qingmiao arrived. Yet even knowing, she had still said those words to Hua Yilin.
As a Core Formation cultivator, Elder Qingmiao would naturally feel somewhat embarrassed that her junior had been lectured by an outsider's junior. And precisely because of that embarrassment, she had to reprimand Hua Yilin even more, to show that as a Core Formation cultivator, she was clear-minded and forthright, and would never shield her junior and lower her own status.
But reprimand was one thing; after all, it was her own descendant. She also wanted to see why this junior who dared to lecture her descendant was so bold—knowing a Core Formation cultivator had arrived, yet still lecturing a Bixuan Pavilion disciple. Why was a mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator so audacious?
After only a moment's thought, Mo Tiange replied, "This junior is a disciple of Dao Lord Xuanyin of the Xuanqing Sect."
"Dao Lord Xuanyin..." Elder Qingmiao slowly recited this Daoist title, then her gaze toward Mo Tiange gradually changed, finally shedding all severity as she smiled slightly. "So your master is a Nascent Soul cultivator. No wonder you have such courage."
Even if she didn't know Dao Lord Xuanyin, one addressed as 'Dao Lord' was naturally a Nascent Soul cultivator. As one of the three highest-ranking Core Formation elders of the Bixuan Pavilion, Elder Qingmiao certainly had that much knowledge.
Mo Tiange still merely smiled, maintaining courtesy. "This junior is merely fortunate."
Even so, how could a Nascent Soul cultivator take on a disciple so easily? Having a Nascent Soul cultivator as a master brought benefits beyond words. After Core Formation, every step in cultivation became difficult. Two-thirds of Core Formation cultivators remained stuck at the early stage their entire lives. With guidance from a Nascent Soul cultivator, one not only avoided many detours within the Core Formation realm but could also receive instruction when attempting to form a Nascent Soul...
As Elder Qingmiao thought it over carefully, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Though she was a sect elder, a proper Core Formation cultivator, she currently couldn't even hope to take a Nascent Soul senior as her master.
But she was, after all, a sect elder. She quickly smoothed her emotions and smiled faintly. "In that case, Fellow Daoist Ye must have exceptional spiritual roots and extraordinary talent?"
Mo Tiange replied lightly, "This junior's aptitude is passable. It was only by catching my master's eye that I was accepted into his school."
"Is that so? Fellow Daoist Ye's alchemy skills alone are extraordinary!" Elder Qingmiao sounded unconvinced.
Mo Tiange keenly sensed something and looked directly at Elder Qingmiao's half-smiling face. "Does Senior have some instruction?"
Elder Qingmiao stood up and slowly paced by the pavilion railing, as if pondering something.
After a good while, she said, "Fellow Daoist Ye, do you know of a pill called the Azure Cloud Pill?"
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "That's a high-grade Core Formation pill, over ten times better than the Core Condensation Pill." When she first obtained the Void Heaven Realm, because the herbs growing there were well-suited for refining this pill, she had used the Azure Cloud Pill for practice.
"Correct." Elder Qingmiao nodded. "Fellow Daoist Ye indeed comes from a famous major sect. Your insight is extraordinary; few know of the Azure Cloud Pill."
"... My master only advanced a few years ago, so this junior is still somewhat familiar with matters of the Core Formation stage."
Elder Qingmiao smiled at her as she walked slowly. "Even so, it's clear Fellow Daoist Ye is highly regarded by your master."
From 'Fellow Daoist Ye' to 'Little Friend Ye'—the address had become much more intimate. Mo Tiange could tell Elder Qingmiao intended to close the distance. Judging by her words, it likely had something to do with pills.
Since she was still somewhat confident in the path of alchemy, she didn't avoid the topic. "Yes, this junior owes her current standing to my master's careful guidance."
Seeing her expression so composed, Elder Qingmiao secretly reassessed her identity.
"Little Friend Ye possesses such advanced alchemy skills and knows of the Azure Cloud Pill. Can you refine it?"
"Hmm... I've refined it a few times under my master's guidance. I can do it, but if I were to refine it personally, the success rate probably wouldn't be very high." She wasn't telling the whole truth. In fact, she hadn't refined many Core Condensation Pills, but she had refined a great many Azure Cloud Pills. For her, the success rate for Azure Cloud Pills was much higher than for Core Condensation Pills. But for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could Azure Cloud Pills be so easy to refine? This way of putting it matched reality.
Elder Qingmiao indeed didn't suspect, nodding as if it were natural. "If you've only refined it a few times, the success rate naturally can't be high. What success rate do you estimate you could achieve?"
Mo Tiange paused, then answered somewhat uncertainly, "Around forty to fifty percent."
Elder Qingmiao revealed a smile. "Forty to fifty percent is already quite good. It seems Little Friend Ye's alchemy skills are indeed extraordinary."
Thirty to forty percent was the standard for ordinary alchemists. Forty to fifty percent, though seemingly only an uncertain ten percent increase, already approached the level of an alchemy master in terms of realm. After all, the Azure Cloud Pill was a high-grade pill, several times harder to refine than the Core Condensation Pill. Those who could reach master-level proficiency in refining Azure Cloud Pills were rare, even in Kunwu.
"Little Friend Ye," Elder Qingmiao hesitated slightly, but after a moment, seemed to make up her mind. "During this time, you've been teaching that girl Xia Qing alchemy. We old folks have been watching, and we have a good idea of your alchemy skills. Coincidentally, during this period, the three of us have gathered enough spiritual herbs for one batch of Azure Cloud Pills and need to refine a batch. But Xia Qing has never refined Azure Cloud Pills and lacks confidence. If we send someone to Kunwu to request pill refinement, it would take too long, and it's not easy to find someone trustworthy. So..." She stopped walking and looked at Mo Tiange. "Could Little Friend Ye refine this batch of Azure Cloud Pills for us?"
Mo Tiange didn't reply immediately. Refining Azure Cloud Pills was no small matter—not to mention the success rate, it also took considerable time...
"Of course, we trust Little Friend Ye's alchemy skills, and we trust your character even more. If the refinement fails, we absolutely won't make things difficult for you. If it succeeds, we'll prepare an additional generous gift to thank Little Friend Ye for your assistance."
Mo Tiange glanced at Elder Qingmiao and continued pondering.
After a long while, a smile appeared on her face. "... Since Senior has put it that way, I have no reason to refuse."
Elder Qingmiao's face lit up with joy. She warmly took Mo Tiange's hand and patted it. "Good! Although Little Friend Ye is a disciple of a Nascent Soul senior and accustomed to treasures, we old folks can still manage to give one or two unique little items. Liusu!"
At Elder Qingmiao's call, a maidservant from the line stepped forward. Her cultivation was already at the tenth level of Qi Refining, just a step away from Foundation Establishment. After all, she was a Core Formation elder's maidservant; her cultivation was stronger than even Yiliu and Yiqiu's.
"Present."
"A while ago, we caught a Feifei. Bring it to Little Friend Ye later."
The maidservant named Liusu showed a flicker of surprise in her eyes but said nothing, only responding, "Yes, Ancestral Master."
Mo Tiange also showed surprise on her face. After a moment's thought, she asked, "Is Senior referring to the divine beast Feifei mentioned in ancient texts?"
"Correct." Elder Qingmiao also showed a moment of astonishment, then smiled. "Little Friend Ye truly has broad knowledge. These so-called divine beasts are rarely known nowadays. However, the one I speak of is not a true Feifei, merely resembling one and seemingly possessing some divine beast bloodline. So here in the East Sea, we all call this spirit beast Feifei. Though Feifei's cultivation is never high, they possess miraculous effects ordinary spirit beasts lack."
"Oh? What miraculous effects?"
Elder Qingmiao smiled slightly. "Ancient texts say Feifei can dispel worries. The Feifei we speak of, when kept by one's side, indeed has the effect of calming the mind. Additionally, Feifei are extremely sensitive to spiritual energy, making them best for finding things."
"So that's how it is..."
Elder Qingmiao continued, "Though the Feifei we speak of isn't some ancient spirit beast, it's not easily obtained even in the East Sea. Consider this item a meeting gift for Little Friend Ye. Once the Azure Cloud Pills are successfully refined, we'll prepare another generous gift. Even if unsuccessful, we'll still provide compensation for your efforts."
"... Since Senior says so, I'll accept without further refusal."
Elder Qingmiao nodded with a smile. "Little Friend Ye is straightforward. If you weren't already a disciple of a famous sect, this old woman would have developed a fondness for your talent. A pity, a pity... Oh no, fortunate, fortunate is more appropriate."
Mo Tiange looked up, and the two smiled at each other. Whether they each had their own thoughts or not, for now, things appeared harmonious. Only, it seemed her return to Kunwu would have to be postponed.