After obtaining Feifei, Mo Tiange followed Liusu's instructions and established a Subordinate Contract with it. Then, she handed the little spirit beast over to Yiliu and Yiqiu to take care of.
She didn't keep it by her side for two reasons: first, she currently had no time, and second, Yiliu and Yiqiu adored this kind of spirit beast, always wanting to pet and hold it. She simply decided to indulge their wishes.
Spirit beasts like Feifei were cute, harmless, and had the functions of clearing the mind, calming the spirit, and locating spiritual objects—they were most beloved by girls. However, Mo Tiange didn't retain much of a typical feminine disposition. Moreover, with her Spirit-Concealing Pendant and countless elixirs, she held a rather indifferent attitude toward Feifei. It was just that this was Elder Qingmiao's kind gesture; refusing it would have hurt the elder's face.
After resting for a few days, she began preparing to refine the Azure Cloud Pills.
Regarding the Azure Cloud Pills, Mo Tiange was already highly proficient, but for the people of the Bixuan Pavilion, this was their first time refining them, and they were extremely nervous. Xia Qing asked her more than once if she could really refine them.
Mo Tiange initially tried to reassure her, but in the end, she simply stopped answering.
She had long since lost count of how many times she had refined Azure Cloud Pills. Even using this ordinary alchemy furnace and the Dan Fire of Core Formation cultivators, she was confident of achieving a success rate of over sixty percent. If everything went according to her arrangements and no one made mistakes, it could reach seventy percent.
If she told Elder Qingmiao this, the elder would likely be overjoyed. Even in Kunwu, it was difficult to find an alchemist who could achieve a seventy percent success rate for Azure Cloud Pills; one would have to seek out alchemy-focused sects like the Danding Sect.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye. The preparations for refining the Azure Cloud Pills were complete. Xia Qing showed Mo Tiange the processed spiritual herbs. Although their age wasn't very high and their quality wasn't excellent, the quantity was quite sufficient. Factoring in the failure rate, it was estimated they could produce around thirty pills.
The Azure Cloud Pill was not like the Qi-Nourishing Pill or Qi-Gathering Pill consumed by Qi Refining cultivators. It contained vast amounts of spiritual energy. Each pill required about ten to fifteen days to refine and absorb its spiritual energy. With so many Azure Cloud Pills, it should be enough for the three Core Formation cultivators to cultivate for over half a year each. Core Formation cultivators rarely could rely solely on pill consumption for cultivation continuously. This quantity was already a considerable number.
Mo Tiange informed Wei Haolan of this conclusion. As a result, that very day, the three Core Formation elders requested to see her.
Mo Tiange had seen many Core Formation cultivators and didn't feel nervous. However, these three Core Formation cultivators were, after all, the top experts of the Bixuan Pavilion, so it was better for her to act with due prudence.
Led by Wei Haolan for quite some time, Mo Tiange finally arrived at a floating pagoda towering amidst the clouds.
Wei Haolan introduced, "This tall pagoda was established by our founding patriarch. It's called the Enlightenment Pagoda. This pagoda is very special; its spiritual energy is extremely dense, and the spiritual energy on each floor does not interfere with the others. Therefore, in our Bixuan Pavilion, once a cultivator achieves Core Formation, they move to this pagoda to cultivate."
Mo Tiange gazed at the lofty pagoda floating in the clouds, wreathed in immortal mist, and sighed, "So there are such wondrous sights in the world. If one never ventures out, how would one know the world is so vast?"
Even standing outside the pagoda, one could feel the spiritual energy from within washing over them, indicating how dense the spiritual energy inside must be. The founding patriarch of the Bixuan Pavilion was truly an outstanding figure of her generation.
Wei Haolan smiled, "Fellow Daoist Ye understands this principle deeply and is also a descendant of a renowned sect. I believe that in a few hundred years, you too will have hope of attaining the Great Dao."
Mo Tiange shook her head with a smile and didn't continue the topic.
Arriving at the base of the pagoda, there was a Teleportation Array laid out on the ground. Wei Haolan invited Mo Tiange to stand on it together, then activated the array.
White light flashed, and the two stood inside the pagoda. The interior was spacious but empty, with only a few meditation cushions placed about.
Seeing their arrival, a middle-aged male cultivator with three long strands of beard walked over. "Greetings, Sect Leader."
Perhaps because this male cultivator was a close disciple of the Core Formation elders, his attitude toward Wei Haolan was clearly not as apprehensive as that of other male cultivators. He was polite but composed.
Wei Haolan's attitude was also quite courteous. "Senior Brother Shangguan, I've brought Fellow Daoist Ye to meet the three elders. Are the elders available?"
The male cultivator's gaze fell upon Mo Tiange, quickly appraising her. He seemed somewhat surprised by her youth, but his eyes politely withdrew as he nodded to her. "So this is Fellow Daoist Ye."
Mo Tiange was also quite surprised inwardly, because this male cultivator was actually a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he seemed to have already reached the Perfection realm. She raised her hands in a cupped fist salute in return.
The male cultivator's gaze returned to Wei Haolan. "The elders are all on the third floor, waiting for both of you."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Shangguan." After expressing her thanks, Wei Haolan took Mo Tiange's arm and walked to the other side, stepping onto another Teleportation Array.
The array activated. After the white light faded, they ascended another floor. This floor was empty.
"Fellow Daoist Ye must be curious. Among our Foundation Establishment cultivators, the one with the highest cultivation is actually Senior Brother Shangguan?"
Mo Tiange turned her head, puzzled. This was their Bixuan Pavilion's internal matter. She hadn't asked, so why was Wei Haolan bringing it up?
Wei Haolan still wore that unperturbed expression, but a hint of jealousy leaked from the corner of her eye, her gaze straight ahead. "It's just that Senior Brother Shangguan is a rare spiritual root cultivator we haven't received in several hundred years!"
As she spoke, Wei Haolan turned to her with a smile. "Isn't it interesting, Fellow Daoist Ye? In our Bixuan Pavilion, a female cultivator sect, the one with the highest aptitude is actually a male disciple."
Mo Tiange shook her head. "Spiritual roots are inherently difficult to control. Whether male or female, how can human effort decide that?" Take the Xuanqing Sect, for example. In the entire sect, in terms of aptitude, the highest was probably her, right? Yet over several generations, not only were all the single spiritual root genius disciples the Xuanqing Sect accepted male, but among the current six Nascent Soul cultivators, only one was female.
"That's true," Wei Haolan revealed a bitter smile. "Sigh, although we all know we can't blame Senior Brother Shangguan, we always feel embarrassed. Actually, aren't the three elders the same? But there's no choice. Senior Brother Shangguan is currently the disciple in our sect most likely to achieve Core Formation, and he even has a chance to advance to Nascent Soul. Our Bixuan Pavilion hasn't produced a Nascent Soul cultivator in over a thousand years. We can't miss this opportunity, even if it's a male cultivator."
By the end, a resolute expression appeared on Wei Haolan's face.
Mo Tiange couldn't help but admire her inwardly. This Wei Haolan, despite feeling jealous, restrained herself for the sake of the sect. Such a person was indeed suited to be a sect leader.
"Sect Leader Wei's heart is open and aboveboard. I admire that."
Wei Haolan shook her head. "Actually, I feel very uncomfortable inside. If I don't say it out loud, I feel stifled. I know Fellow Daoist Ye isn't a gossip, so I can speak these words to you, whereas I can't easily say them to my fellow sect sisters. A male cultivator is actually the most promising disciple our Bixuan Pavilion is cultivating with the full strength of the sect. Even I can only enter this Enlightenment Pagoda when summoned by the three elders, yet he broke this rule, cultivating here as soon as he reached Foundation Establishment."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange felt somewhat strange. "Sect Leader Wei, since this Fellow Daoist Shangguan has outstanding natural talent and has been cultivated with full effort all along, why does he still have a middle-aged appearance?"
Wei Haolan was taken aback, then laughed. "Fellow Daoist Ye hails from Kunwu and isn't familiar with our Linhai situation. If there were enough elixirs, Senior Brother Shangguan could have achieved Core Formation long ago. It's just that we've always lacked elixirs and couldn't refine the Dustless Pill, which delayed him for many years."
"Oh, I see." Mo Tiange understood. Wasn't the Bixuan Pavilion's enthusiasm toward her also due to her alchemy skills? With scarce resources and backward alchemy techniques, even genius cultivators found it difficult to rise.
The two had lingered on this floor for a while. Wei Haolan sighed, relieving some of her emotions, before regaining her smile. "Fellow Daoist Ye, let's go up. The next floor is the third."
Mo Tiange nodded and followed Wei Haolan onto the Teleportation Array. A flash of white light, and they arrived on the third floor.
"They're here." Mo Tiange heard a kindly voice. She followed the sound with her gaze.
On this floor of the pagoda sat three Core Formation female cultivators. The one on the far left was Elder Qingmiao; the one on the right looked only in her early thirties, well-maintained and still very beautiful. Mo Tiange found traces resembling Tang Shen on her face and guessed this should be that Elder Qingxi; the female cultivator in the middle had the most imposing aura. She appeared to be the highest-cultivation cultivator of the Bixuan Pavilion at present, Elder Qingyi. She looked about the same age as Elder Qingmiao but had a much kinder countenance.
Wei Haolan led Mo Tiange over and paid her respects to the three elders respectfully. "Haolan pays her respects to the three elders."
The Elder Qingyi in the middle smiled. "No need for such formality." Her voice was the same as before.
"Thank you, Elder." Wei Haolan stood up and introduced to Mo Tiange, "These are our sect's three Core Formation elders. Fellow Daoist Ye should have met Elder Qingmiao. This is Elder Qingyi, and this is Elder Qingxi."
Mo Tiange's earlier guess was correct. The one in the middle was Elder Qingyi, and the one on the right was Elder Qingxi.
"This junior pays her respects to the three elders." Mo Tiange cupped her fists and performed a Daoist salute.
The three elders, seeing her comport herself with neither arrogance nor humility, all showed interest on their faces. Elder Qingyi smiled. "Little Friend Ye, no need for such courtesy." Then she turned to the other two and said, "Indeed, she comes from a renowned major sect. Such bearing—we can't find many like her in our sect."
Elder Qingmiao nodded. "Senior Sister is right. It seems we should send more disciples out for experience in the future. Only by seeing more can they grow."
"Mmm, speaking of experience, it's been almost two years since Yan girl and the others went out, and there hasn't been any news..."
Hearing this sentence, Mo Tiange's heart gave a sudden jolt, but her expression remained unchanged.
"Oh, right, Little Friend Ye is here." Elder Qingyi, seeing Mo Tiange standing, smiled. "Little Friend Ye, please forgive me. When one gets old, one becomes a bit muddle-headed."
Mo Tiange smiled slightly, her eyes lowering a little. "Not at all, Senior looks not the least bit old..."
"Hehe, for us cultivators, can appearances be taken seriously?" Elder Qingyi chuckled lightly. "Old is old; no amount of maintenance is of any use... However, Little Friend Ye is very young. It seems you haven't passed fifty yet, have you?"
Mo Tiange replied, "Senior has good eyes. This junior is currently thirty-nine."
"Little Friend Ye is indeed young and accomplished. At such an age, not only do you possess outstanding alchemy skills, but you also have late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation..."
Mo Tiange was suddenly startled and raised her head.
Elder Qingyi continued slowly, still wearing a kindly smile. "What's even more rare is that Little Friend Ye's aura-concealing technique is so outstanding that even Core Formation cultivators cannot see through it."