Ye Zhenji left. Mo Tiange stared blankly at the tea spilled all over the floor, remaining silent for a long while.
For a moment, her mind was a chaotic mess. What exactly she was thinking about, she couldn't even say.
After a long time, she finally waved her sleeve, casting a minor spell to make the water stains slowly disappear.
Three years. She had actually been unconscious for three years. If not for her body being as Zhenji had described—tempered over a long period—she truly wouldn't have believed she had been in a coma for three years.
A three-year dream. She had comprehended the principle of not being overly joyful upon gaining nor overly sorrowful upon losing, yet she never expected the news awaiting her to be like this.
Originally, upon waking, her heart had been calm and joyful. Having seen through the flaws in her mental state, she was prepared to go into seclusion next to form her Core. Unexpectedly, Zhenji had told her such things.
She didn't know what she should be thinking, what she could be thinking. In the end, she simply thought of nothing, returned to her cultivation chamber, and entered the Void Heaven Realm. She continued her meditation.
Spiritual Qi flowed through her entire meridian system, converging into her Dantian. What Mo Tiange found miraculous was that deep within her Dantian, there remained a strange, warm strand of Spiritual Qi. To be precise, this strand of Qi was fervent and bright; it only felt warm because her Yin spiritual energy was originally icy cold.
She tried to manipulate this peculiar Qi, only to find it uncontrollably intertwining with her Yin spiritual energy, slowly merging into one mass. When she wanted to stop, she found she couldn't control it.
Finally, this Qi and her Yin spiritual energy completely merged, yet they formed a cycle, alternating and circulating endlessly...
Time is the constant, space is the balance; Heaven and Earth divide into Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.
Metal at its utmost Yin is sharp and piercing, called 'Urge'; Metal at its utmost Yang gathers thunder, called 'Draw'.
Wood at its utmost Yin generates essence, called 'Spirit'; Wood at its utmost Yang dispels evil, called 'Break'.
Water at its utmost Yin condenses into crystal, called 'Exotic'; Water at its utmost Yang ascends as clouds, called 'Illusion'.
Fire at its utmost Yin gathers souls, called 'Nether'; Fire at its utmost Yang is unextinguishable, called 'Nirvana'.
Earth at its utmost Yin is undying, called 'Profound'; Earth at its utmost Yang becomes ever firmer, called 'Unbreakable'.
TheOral Formula of the Taiyuan Record involuntarily surfaced in her mind. The Five Elements Spiritual Qi within her body and that peculiar Qi formed a sphere of Spiritual Qi. One bright, one dark, resembling a Taiji diagram, their Five Elements interconnected, brightness and darkness alternating, both opposing and blending with each other, each containing the other.
Metal Qi Urges and Draws, Wood Qi is Spirit and Breaks, Water Qi is Exotic and Illusory... Each type of Spiritual Qi possessed two forms.
At this point, Mo Tiange was startled and slowly opened her eyes.
She understood. Brightness and darkness were Yin and Yang. That small sphere of Spiritual Qi had acquired both Yin and Yang properties, reaching the true state of Primordial Chaos.
What brought about this change was that mass of Qi that made her feel warm. Clearly, this was Yang Spiritual Qi.
Since beginning her cultivation, due to her Pure Yin Constitution, when absorbing Spiritual Qi, Yang Spiritual Qi was automatically rejected, and only Yin spiritual energy could enter her body. Even if others infused Qi into her meridians, the Yang Spiritual Qi within that mixed Qi would be rapidly expelled. Therefore, for a long time, she simply didn't know what it felt like for Yang Spiritual Qi to reside within her body.
This Yang Spiritual Qi was clearly not ordinary Yang Spiritual Qi. It was condensed without dispersing, gathered into form, pure and refined without a trace of impurity. Although only a strand, it was extremely stable and firm, rooted within her body, merging and mixing with her Yin spiritual energy, inseparable. Where exactly did it come from?
Mo Tiange furrowed her brows, pondering carefully. Zhenji said that while she was unconscious, two people had tempered her body. Could it be...
Thinking this, she rose, flicked her sleeve, exited the Void Heaven Realm, and headed straight for the main hall of Shangqing Palace.
"Master!"
Dao Lord Jinghe was sitting on his dragon throne. He wasn't meditating, nor studying any techniques, nor joking with his maidservants. Instead, he was alone, frowning as he drank.
Mo Tiange had intended to ask something, but seeing him like this, she couldn't bring herself to ask immediately. She slowly approached and called out, "Master?"
Dao Lord Jinghe finished a cup of wine, glanced at her, his gaze carrying a hint of intoxication. "Hmm? Why aren't you properly regulating your breath? Has your body adapted to the current situation?"
"Yes, it's just that there are some matters I wanted to ask you, Master..." Mo Tiange paused, first asking, "Master, what's wrong with you?"
Dao Lord Jinghe frowned and shook his head. "First, tell me about your condition. I saw earlier that the Spiritual Qi within your body showed no abnormalities. How do you feel yourself? Are there any problems?"
"There are no problems," Mo Tiange said. "It's just... I discovered an extra mass of Spiritual Qi in my Dantian. This mass of Qi is very strange."
"Oh?" Dao Lord Jinghe raised an eyebrow. "How is it strange?"
Mo Tiange slowly pondered as she spoke. "Master, you know that although I have a Hunyuan spirit root, I possess a Pure Yin Constitution. My body has Yin but no Yang, so I can only cultivate the minor Hunyuan of Yin spiritual energy and cannot achieve the Primordial Chaos of balanced Yin-Yang and a circulating Five Elements cycle. But now I've discovered an extra mass of Qi within my body. This Qi mixes perfectly with my Yin spiritual energy, forming an alternating, reciprocating pattern... I observed it for a while longer and found that after mixing with that mass of Qi, it acquired the two forms of the Five Elements. So, I infer that it should be Yang Spiritual Qi."
Hearing this, a flicker passed through Dao Lord Jinghe's eyes. "After mixing with that mass of Qi, are there any abnormalities?"
"No," Mo Tiange said. "I pondered it for a long time and realized this is the true Primordial Chaos. If I want to cultivate the Hunyuan technique to its peak, this is the state it should be."
"..."
Seeing the slight smile appearing on Dao Lord Jinghe's face, Mo Tiange was puzzled. "Master, where exactly did this Yang Spiritual Qi in my body come from? Zhenji said that while I was unconscious, you and... and Senior Brother Shoujing tempered my body. Could it be that you..."
Dao Lord Jinghe poured a cup of wine and smiled slightly but didn't answer.
Mo Tiange waited a while, then couldn't help but ask again, "Master?"
Dao Lord Jinghe drank that cup of wine before saying, "Tian Ge, Master needs to tell you something. Prepare yourself mentally."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange frowned. "Master..." What important matter required such seriousness?
"Don't worry, it's not a bad thing." Seeing Mo Tiange's expression, Dao Lord Jinghe smiled, very kindly and amiably. He personally pulled her to sit opposite him and even poured her a cup of wine.
"Master..."
Dao Lord Jinghe began to speak. "The Yang Spiritual Qi in your body indeed comes from us. You know my aptitude—I have a single Fire spirit root, which is considered excellent. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on my side. Whether forming my Core or forming my Nascent Soul, I can't be considered a genius."
Mo Tiange stared at him without speaking. This wasn't the main point; she knew that.
Yet Dao Lord Jinghe seemed unaware of her anxious mood and continued slowly, "You should probably understand somewhat. For a constitution with mixed Yin and Yang, the Spiritual Qi is also mixed Yin and Yang. In that case, once Qi is infused into your body, it quickly disperses. Only pure Yang Spiritual Qi can be so refined and remain within your body for so long. Therefore, the Yang Spiritual Qi in your body should come from a person with a Pure Yang Constitution, or... someone approximating a Pure Yang Constitution."
Seeing Mo Tiange's face change slightly, Dao Lord Jinghe smiled. "Of course, it's not me. If I had a Pure Yang Constitution and a single spirit root, would I have wasted all these years?"
Mo Tiange remained silent for a long while, her expression shifting uncertainly. Only after a long time did she speak. "Master, don't tease me. Finish saying everything at once."
Dao Lord Jinghe laughed. "You don't need to be like this. In the years since you entered my tutelage, how I've treated you, you should be clear in your heart."
For that brief moment just now, Mo Tiange had indeed grown suspicious. Hearing Dao Lord Jinghe's words, she suppressed her suspicions and said as calmly as possible, "I know. Please continue, Master."
Who the pure Yang Spiritual Qi came from, she already knew. Could such a coincidence exist in the world? She had already met a Tang Shen—how could there possibly be another person with a Pure Yang Constitution?
Dao Lord Jinghe swirled the wine cup in his hand and stated bluntly, "Actually, your Senior Brother is not of Pure Yang Constitution."
Mo Tiange was stunned and exclaimed involuntarily, "How is that possible?" If not of Pure Yang Constitution, how could he have pure Yang Spiritual Qi? Her mind raced, and she asked again, "Could it be... there's some technique?"
"You've guessed half right." Dao Lord Jinghe nodded, then asked instead, "Do you know that there exists a type of spiritual object in this world called the Yang Spirit Bead?"
"Yang Spirit Bead?" Mo Tiange frowned in thought, slowly saying, "...I seem to have seen records of it in some ancient texts, but they were vague. I don't know the specifics."
"To be precise, not only does the Yang Spirit Bead exist in this world, but the Yin Spirit Bead also exists. When Heaven and Earth first separated, the Yin and Yang energies intermingled, producing countless Spirit Veins. However, there was a type of strange creature born within the Spirit Veins that specifically devoured the Yang Spiritual Qi or Yin spiritual energy within the veins. Over time, after that creature devoured all the Yang and Yin Spiritual Qi of an entire Spirit Vein, the Yang Spirit Bead or Yin Spirit Bead was produced."
"These two Spirit Beads, Yin and Yang, have rarely appeared since ancient times, so there are few records in ancient texts. Coincidentally, your Senior Brother Shoujing happened to obtain a Yang Spirit Bead just over a hundred years ago."
"..." Mo Tiange's expression shifted; she already understood what had happened.
Dao Lord Jinghe continued, "Upon obtaining this bead, I originally only thought that the Yang Spiritual Qi within his body would become extremely vigorous. Since he cultivated fire-attribute techniques, this would be mutually beneficial. The subsequent changes, however, were because of you."
"Because... of me?"
"Correct." Dao Lord Jinghe smiled. "As for exactly how, let him tell you himself. Some words aren't suitable for Master to say."
Mo Tiange's lips moved. In the end, she couldn't help but say, "Master, back then... when I entered your tutelage, was there... was there..."
"No." Before she could finish her sentence, Dao Lord Jinghe already understood her meaning. After firmly denying it, he smiled. "Taking you as my disciple, although not my own initiative, was not done with ulterior motives. You are now Master's last disciple. No matter what, I would never force you into anything. How the path ahead unfolds still depends on yourselves."
At this point, Dao Lord Jinghe smiled again, reaching out to gently pat her shoulder. "Don't overthink. You should form your Core. If you focus your mind elsewhere, it's bound to create flaws in your mental state, which would be unfortunate."
"...Mm." Mo Tiange nodded, trying hard to calm her emotions.
Although she was suspicious by nature, she trusted her own judgment more. It had been nearly forty years since she entered her master's tutelage. How her master had treated her, she had seen with her own eyes and felt personally. If her master had ill intentions, why would he have treated her like this all these years?
It was just that suddenly hearing this news, she couldn't help but feel shocked and shaken. What exactly was this situation? And these three years... what did they count for?