Mo Tiange thought for a moment and understood Luo Fengxue's meaning.
In the Ancient Era, spiritual energy and resources were far more abundant than they are today. Therefore, while cultivators of that time were at the same cultivation stages as modern cultivators, their methods were far more formidable. This was especially true for cultivators at the Core Formation stage and above. They could unleash the full power of their Magical Treasures, and the materials used for those treasures back then were vastly superior to what is available now. Consequently, Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators today are much weaker than their Ancient Era counterparts, which is why they find it impossible to advance even a single step within this formation. On the other hand, Foundation Establishment cultivators, even if they use Magical Treasures, can hardly exert their full power. The gap between them and Ancient Era Foundation Establishment cultivators is comparatively smaller.
"If that's the case, then just select the Foundation Establishment disciples with the highest cultivation to enter. Why recall all Foundation Establishment disciples?"
Luo Fengxue smiled. "This formation is incredibly powerful. Over the past dozen years, several uncles and aunts have studied it extensively, yet they still haven't fully grasped its principles, only figuring out a thing or two. Once you enter the formation, numerous branching paths appear. We only want the spiritual herbs growing inside, not the rewards for passing the trials. So, the more disciples who enter, the better."
Mo Tiange asked again, "From what you're saying, entering this formation isn't dangerous? Then why not let everyone in?"
Luo Fengxue shook her head. "The activation of this formation depends on the highest cultivation level present within it. If a Core Formation cultivator enters, its power increases dramatically. So, it's best for a group of cultivators of the same stage to enter. Actually, at first, we even considered letting Qi Condensation disciples enter. But perhaps Qi Condensation disciples weren't even considered properly initiated in the Ancient Era—they couldn't even enter the formation's entrance."
"I see..." Mo Tiange murmured. A perfectly preserved formation from the Ancient Era, containing spiritual medicines from that time... This was a tremendous opportunity for the Xuanqing Sect's development. No wonder those uncles and aunts were so uncharacteristically agitated, directly recalling all Foundation Establishment disciples.
Luo Fengxue added, "However, Tian Ge, you should still prepare more items. Although this formation doesn't harm people, those who fail to pass are teleported out. The amount of spiritual energy required to activate this formation is truly immense. Several uncles and aunts have estimated that such a large-scale activation can only be done once every fifty years. Moreover, the rewards this time are quite generous. Pills will be distributed based on the amount of spiritual herbs obtained. The more trials you pass, the more herbs you can gather, and the greater your rewards will be."
"I understand." Mo Tiange thanked her and returned to Qingquan Peak.
Given these circumstances, a disciple like her, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, was undoubtedly someone the sect placed high hopes on. She really did need to prepare more; she couldn't afford to lose face for her master.
Lost in thought, she walked towards the Shangqing Palace. Before she even reached it, she heard voices at the entrance.
"Who are you to dare block me?" A haughty, overbearing woman's voice.
Mo Tiange was surprised. Someone dared to make such a commotion at the Shangqing Palace? She looked up and saw a woman who appeared to be in her twenties, arrogantly berating the gatekeeper disciple. Judging by her cultivation, she was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
The gatekeeper disciple glared at the woman and said coldly, "And who might you be, Senior Sister? This is Patriarch Jinghe's cave dwelling. No one is allowed entry without a summons!"
Anyone assigned to guard a Patriarch's gate, even if not an elite disciple, was among the best of the ordinary disciples. It was no wonder he was annoyed by this woman's imperious attitude.
"Who am I?" The woman pointed at her own nose, fuming. "Just because I haven't been back for decades, you don't know who I am anymore!"
Yet the gatekeeper disciple still refused to retreat half a step, staring at her coldly. "Senior Sister, please leave. If you continue like this, I'll have no choice but to forcibly remove you."
"You—!" Hearing the words "forcibly remove," the woman flew into a rage.
But before she could unleash her temper, the gatekeeper disciple noticed Mo Tiange approaching and immediately changed his expression to a polite, respectful smile. "Senior Aunt Mo, you've returned."
Mo Tiange nodded. "Mm." She then stepped forward to enter.
The gatekeeper naturally wouldn't stop her. But just as Mo Tiange took a step, a shout came from behind. "Stop! You're not allowed in!"
Mo Tiange turned her head. It was that arrogant woman.
Before Mo Tiange could speak, the gatekeeper disciple already barked, "Senior Sister, you must not be disrespectful to Senior Aunt Mo!"
The woman's face flushed red with anger and indignation. Her gaze swept over Mo Tiange, filled with hostility. "Who is she? Why can she go in?"
The gatekeeper disciple replied coldly, "This is Senior Aunt Mo, the Patriarch's disciple. Of course she can enter."
"What?" The woman was shocked, and the hostility in her eyes towards Mo Tiange intensified.
Mo Tiange couldn't be bothered to say anything. She turned her head and entered the Shangqing Palace. No matter who this person was, such an arrogant and overbearing manner was truly detestable. She couldn't be bothered to deal with her.
Walking around the screen wall and stepping through the hall entrance, she saw Dao Lord Jinghe chatting and laughing with Weiyu and Qingxue.
"Master," she called out.
Dao Lord Jinghe turned his head, said "Oh," and then continued, "And another time, your Patriarch saw an old woman in Xisha. That was even funnier. Her face was full of wrinkles, yet she was always pinching an orchid finger pose, thinking herself peerlessly beautiful..." As he spoke, he even imitated her, raising an orchid finger and cooing, "How annoying!"
Mo Tiange instantly felt goosebumps all over. This master of hers, didn't he feel any shame doing such things?
Of course, Weiyu and Qingxue didn't think so. The two of them giggled "giggle giggle" and urged, "Patriarch, what else?"
Mo Tiange's face darkened. "Master!"
Only then did he properly look at her. Dao Lord Jinghe said discontentedly, "Your master is having a good time talking! If you have something to say, say it later!"
Mo Tiange shot a glare at Weiyu and Qingxue, signaling for them to withdraw.
Although the two attendants were reluctant, the authority Senior Aunt Mo had accumulated over the years still remained. So they curtsied and prepared to leave.
"Wait!" Mo Tiange stopped them. "There's a commotion outside. Go take a look. If it's nothing, send them away."
There was a formation barrier at the entrance, so the two of them had no idea what was happening outside. Hearing Mo Tiange's words, they quickly responded, "Yes."
After the two maidservants left, Dao Lord Jinghe felt even more bored. He snorted, "What is it? If you have something to say, say it quickly!"
"Master, who is that person outside?" Weiyu and Qingxue were just attendants; they wouldn't dare to casually extend their spiritual sense. But this was the Shangqing Palace on Qingquan Peak. If Dao Lord Jinghe claimed to know nothing about what was happening outside his own cave dwelling, she wouldn't believe it for a second.
"Oh, that girl," Dao Lord Jinghe said, picking up a few peanuts and tossing them around. "Don't mind her. She hasn't made any progress in decades. Let her get a taste of being turned away first."
Although his expression was one of indifference, Mo Tiange saw a trace of sadness in his eyes. Combined with the woman's behavior and what the two of them had said, she had a rough guess about what was going on.
If that was the case, then this matter wasn't something she should interfere with. So she stopped pursuing it and changed the subject. "Master, I heard from Fengxue. This recall is because a formation was discovered in the main peak's valley, and they're going to have all us Foundation Establishment disciples enter to gather spiritual herbs, right?"
"Oh, Fengxue already told you?" Hearing her mention this, Dao Lord Jinghe finally looked at her properly. He pointed to the chair in front of him, indicating for her to sit. "So, what are your thoughts?"
"That depends on what you think, Master." Mo Tiange picked up a book from the small table and flipped through it. "Do you want me to make a grand display of my prowess, or keep a low profile? Just say it!"
Seeing her like this, Dao Lord Jinghe grew a bit interested. "You seem quite confident!"
"As your disciple, how could I not be confident?"
This statement pleased Dao Lord Jinghe immensely. "It seems you've improved quite a bit over these twenty-some years. Tell me, what all did you encounter?"
"Master, didn't you say that feeling my meridians was enough, and there was no need to ask anything?"
Blocked by her words, Dao Lord Jinghe glared again. "Stubborn girl, if you don't want to talk, then don't! Hmph! Not a single message in over twenty years! Good thing I took a drop of your essence blood before you left, otherwise I'd have thought you died out there!"
Mo Tiange said helplessly, "I really did almost die out there. It's not that I didn't want to send a message back. I was trapped for twenty years and couldn't move. What could I do?"
"Trapped for twenty years?" Dao Lord Jinghe raised an eyebrow, quite intrigued. "What happened? What trapped you for twenty years?"
So Mo Tiange gave a general account of what had happened over the past twenty-two years. Finally, mentioning the Biyun Sect's invitation for her to be a Guest Elder, she asked, "Master, what I did shouldn't violate sect rules, right? It's just a guest position; I don't have to manage affairs."
Dao Lord Jinghe listened with great interest and waved his hand upon hearing this. "It's just a guest position in a minor sect, what does it matter? You said that Demonic Cultivator could actually cultivate Death Qi?"
"Yes. And he could also use Death Qi to attack. I remember when I first encountered him, he was only at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. But after being entangled by Death Qi, his cultivation soared to the Core Formation stage, and even surged again during combat. Master, does such an evil technique exist in this world? If so, wouldn't Demonic Cultivators have much higher cultivation than us righteous path cultivators?"
Dao Lord Jinghe frowned in thought while shaking his head. "No, that person isn't an ordinary Demonic Cultivator either. In the past, your master also visited demonic territory. Although most demonic techniques are bizarre and many harm human lives, I've never heard of anyone cultivating Death Qi. The person you mentioned is an anomaly. The problem likely lies with the technique itself—you said you got the stone tablet recording the technique? Take it out and let your master have a look."
Mo Tiange paused. "I didn't dare take it directly. Master, please wait a moment. I'll think of a way." In truth, the stone tablet was thrown into the Void Heaven Realm, and she couldn't take it out immediately.
Fortunately, Dao Lord Jinghe didn't suspect anything. "Alright."
"Also, Master, can I prepare for Core Formation now?"
Dao Lord Jinghe said, "If you feel the time is right, then it is. Wait until this matter is over, then go into seclusion. At that time, your master will take this opportunity to get you a batch of pills. With your current cultivation realm, I estimate it'll take another ten or twenty years for you to reach the perfection of Foundation Establishment. Then you can proceed steadily with Core Formation. Heh! My Qingquan Peak is about to produce another genius disciple!" As he said this, he stroked his beard with immense satisfaction.
Just as Mo Tiange was about to speak, she saw Weiyu enter looking rather disheveled, exclaiming, "Patriarch, that woman is so unreasonable!"