"Master!" Mo Tiange cried out involuntarily. Her own spiritual energy was also spiraling out of control.
Dao Lord Jinghe's expression turned grave. He pressed a palm onto the crown of Mo Tiange's head and commanded, "Don't panic! Slowly regain control of your spiritual energy!"
A powerful pressure suppressed the spiritual energy within Mo Tiange's body that was on the verge of running wild. With a Nascent Soul cultivator overseeing the situation, Mo Tiange finally steadied her mind and wrested back control.
The spiritual energy within Qin Xi's body was now rampaging wildly, battering his internal organs and leaving them bruised and battered. Mo Tiange felt equally miserable as she channeled her energy into him. Her cultivation level was far inferior; the moment her spiritual energy entered his body, control was snatched away from her, making it impossible to guide Qin Xi's energy. Even with Dao Lord Jinghe backing her up, she could only barely manage to keep her own spiritual energy in check.
However, the mutual attraction between the Yin and Yang spiritual energies was something she could not resist. The two streams of energy intertwined, both absorbing her energy and drawing in his. Gradually, their meridians connected, forming a grand circulation cycle.
By this point, Mo Tiange no longer needed to guide anything. Their spiritual energies automatically mingled, slowly restoring a certain rhythm. His energy gradually withdrew from various parts of his body, converging into the meridians, connecting with hers, and slowly devouring all of her Yin-attribute spiritual energy.
When Mo Tiange regained consciousness, she was somewhat disoriented, unsure of where she was. Attempting to sit up, her vision swam.
"Aunt!"
Her vision gradually cleared. She forced a smile. "Zhenji?"
Ye Zhenji looked at her, hesitating as if wanting to say something but holding back. In the end, he simply said, "Aunt, Master said you've completely exhausted your spiritual energy. Don't rush to move about just yet. Cultivate slowly for a few days and recover your energy first."
"Is that so?" Rubbing her temples, she suddenly remembered. "How is your master's condition?"
"Master..." He shook his head. "It's rather complicated. For the details, you should ask Master, but he's fine. It's just that he won't wake up for a while."
"I see." She thought for a moment, then asked, "How long was I unconscious?"
"Two hours," Ye Zhenji replied. "Aunt, you should rest a bit more. Master said you're too exhausted. Rest well to recover your vitality sooner."
Mo Tiange nodded. To use an inappropriate analogy, her current state was akin to having been completely drained after dual cultivation. Her entire body was devoid of spiritual energy, requiring slow meditation and regulation to recover quickly. After a moment's thought, she suddenly remembered, "Your master is severely injured. As his disciple, you should be attending to him. Why are you here with me instead?"
Ye Zhenji hesitated. "But Aunt, you also..."
Mo Tiange said, "I'm fine now. You should go. After all, you are your master's only disciple. If you don't do certain things, no one else will. Don't think it doesn't matter, understand?"
"Mm." Ye Zhenji wasn't unaware of this. Seeing that Mo Tiange looked normal aside from being pale, he said, "Aunt, I'll go then. If you need anything, you must tell me."
"I know. Go on, don't worry."
After sending Ye Zhenji away, Mo Tiange closed her eyes and collapsed back onto the bed. After a while, once she had caught her breath, she got up, opened the restrictions of the Mingxin Residence, entered the Void Heaven Realm, and began to regulate her breathing.
Although there was only one major realm difference between late Foundation Establishment and perfected Core Formation, the disparity in spiritual energy was dozens of times. If not for Dao Lord Jinghe's presence, given the gap in their cultivation levels, her own realm might have even regressed. Fortunately, she had only exhausted her spiritual energy; her meridians and dantian were intact. As long as she cultivated slowly for a few days, her spiritual energy would naturally recover.
For the next few days, except when Ye Zhenji and Dao Lord Jinghe visited, Mo Tiange stayed holed up in the Void Heaven Realm, regulating her breathing.
The Void Heaven Realm was naturally rich in spiritual energy. Coupled with the many precious elixirs Dao Lord Jinghe provided, it took only three to five days for Mo Tiange to fully recover.
Exiting the Void Heaven Realm and arriving at the main hall of the Shangqing Palace, she found Dao Lord Jinghe sitting there, gazing at the sky, lost in thought.
"Master?"
Dao Lord Jinghe snapped out of his reverie and looked at her. "Oh, Tian Ge. Are you completely recovered?"
"Mm." Mo Tiange lingered for a moment before finally sitting down in front of Dao Lord Jinghe. "How is... Senior Brother Shoujing?"
"He's fine." After saying this, Dao Lord Jinghe's gaze seemed to carry a certain profound meaning as he studied her for a good while. "You don't seem the least bit surprised."
Mo Tiange didn't understand. "Surprised about what?"
Dao Lord Jinghe smiled slightly. "As I recall, in all the years since you entered my tutelage, you've never met your Senior Brother Shoujing, nor have I ever mentioned his name in front of you."
Mo Tiange was taken aback, realizing what he was getting at. She lowered her head and fell silent.
Dao Lord Jinghe let out a sigh and chuckled. "It seems I don't need to say anything. You already knew."
"..." Mo Tiange remained silent but calm.
She recognized Qin Xi but had never met Qin Shoujing. That day when she saw him, she hadn't questioned him being a Core Formation cultivator. Today, she naturally inquired about how Senior Brother Shoujing was doing. What did that imply?
Picking up a cup of wine and taking a sip, Dao Lord Jinghe looked at her again. "Can you tell your master when you found out?"
Mo Tiange lowered her head, fiddling with the jade pendant at her waist. This Concealing Spirit Pendant was originally hung around her neck but was taken by Ruan Mingzhu in the Myriad Laws of Nature Formation. Later, when she woke again, it was Ye Zhenji who returned it to her.
On the round jade pendant, exquisite cloud patterns were carved. On one side, in the center, was engraved a small character 'Qin'. The year she turned ten, she obtained this pendant and had never been without it since. In her leisure time, she would hold the pendant and wonder what its former owner was really like, and whether he had any ill intentions. Later, after arriving at the Xuanqing Sect, it wasn't that she hadn't hoped to meet that Perfected One Shoujing, but the opportunity never arose. Until the beast tide, when she entered Zhong Muling's Void Heaven Realm...
"It was the year of the beast tide. I followed Senior Sister Suxin into battle..."
Dao Lord Jinghe was startled. "That early?"
Mo Tiange lowered her head with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I never thought about it at first... Until that year, when I followed Senior Sister Suxin into battle, went to Luoyan Cliff, and accidentally entered Great-Great-Grandfather's Void Heaven Realm. I heard Great-Great-Grandfather mention that Senior Brother Shoujing had been missing for several days prior, having accidentally entered Great-Great-Grandfather's Illusory Heaven Array. Later, Great-Great-Grandfather said a young man surnamed Qin... came looking for me. I thought it was Senior Brother Shoujing, but who I met was 'Senior Brother Qin'."
"And that made you suspicious?"
Mo Tiange shook her head. "At that time, I just found it very strange. Later, after leaving the Void Heaven Realm, Senior Brother Qin was clearly injured, yet I heard that Senior Brother Shoujing was severely wounded and had returned to Taikang Mountain. After that, I indeed never heard news of Senior Brother Qin again."
"..." Dao Lord Jinghe remained silent for a long moment before saying, "No wonder you've never asked about that 'Senior Brother Qin' all these years."
"In the Void Heaven Realm, Great-Great-Grandfather and another Deity Transformation senior discussed in my presence that Senior Brother Shoujing possessed a Yang Spirit Pearl. At the time, I didn't know what a Yang Spirit Pearl was. Afterwards, when Senior Brother Qin came looking for me, Great-Great-Grandfather also said that Senior Brother Qin had a dual spiritual root of Metal and Fire, both Yang attributes, and also possessed a Yang Spirit Pearl... I began to harbor suspicions."
Many things about Qin Shoujing were not secrets within the Xuanqing Sect. For instance, his dual spiritual root of Metal and Fire—even an ordinary menial disciple knew this. Moreover, even if she didn't know what a Yang Spirit Pearl was, from Great-Great-Grandfather's tone, she understood it was a rare spiritual treasure of the world. How could two people possibly have one at the same time?
At this point, Mo Tiange smiled again. "Some things, if you don't suspect them, might seem perfectly normal. But once you harbor suspicion, you find flaws everywhere. After this thought took root in my mind, upon careful recollection, how could the so-called Senior Brother Qin resemble a low-level cultivator? Back at the Cloud Mist Sect, he disliked speaking with us low-level disciples because the gap in cultivation was too great; there was nothing to talk about. Later, when my secret was exposed and I escaped Cloud Mist Mountain with Second Uncle, besieged by a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators, Senior Brother Qin arrived and saved us. I originally thought he had some secret technique he couldn't tell me about. But thinking back, if he was actually a Core Formation cultivator, everything would make perfect sense."
Dao Lord Jinghe smiled faintly. "Your master also thought we couldn't keep it from you for long. But all these years, I never heard you mention it, so I thought we had really succeeded."
"... Most importantly, if Senior Brother Qin truly existed, why was he completely unknown throughout the entire Xuanqing Sect? When I hadn't considered this matter, I would find reasons for 'Senior Brother Qin' myself. But once I held this suspicion, I realized that substituting Senior Brother Shoujing's identity for Senior Brother Qin fit perfectly."
Dao Lord Jinghe let out a long sigh. "Then why didn't you say anything all these years?"
Mo Tiange kept her head lowered, staring at her own toes. After a moment of silence, she said softly, "... Master, to be honest, back then, I felt very upset. I didn't understand why this was... I was young then. Senior Brother Qin had looked after me along the way, and I was originally extremely grateful to him. But suddenly discovering this, I couldn't help but suspect what his intentions were."
Dao Lord Jinghe listened quietly. At this point, he frowned and shook his head. "You've always been steady, but after all, you were young, and your temperament is somewhat suspicious. Suddenly discovering this, it's inevitable you'd feel apprehensive, thinking the worst of everything. What about later?"
"Later... I paid close attention for a long time. Indeed, if I didn't ask, it seemed like there was no trace of Senior Brother Qin in the entire Xuanqing Sect. At that time, I even suspected his name was fake too?"
Dao Lord Jinghe chuckled. "His name is real, though. It's just that before Xi'er formed his Core, when traveling outside, he didn't use his real identity. After forming his Core, according to our sect's rules, he stopped using his birth name and adopted his Daoist title instead. Not to mention outsiders, even among our own sect's disciples, few know his real name."
Mo Tiange also smiled. She didn't know if she should feel somewhat comforted that at least his name was real.
Dao Lord Jinghe asked again, "It's been decades already. You never brought it up. Is it because you still mind, or have you already forgiven him?"
Mo Tiange paused, then slowly said, "... In terms of status, he is your blood descendant, Master, and also your direct disciple. I was able to be accepted as your disciple because of him. In terms of cultivation, he is a Core Formation cultivator, with the hope of reaching Nascent Soul in sight, while I have yet to form my Core. What right do I have to talk about forgiving or not forgiving?"
Hearing this, Dao Lord Jinghe frowned. "You belittle yourself like this. Do you still hold resentment in your heart?"