Mo Tiange never went to Qin Xi's cave abode again. Since he had awakened, his injuries were mostly healed, and there was no need for her to interfere further.
As for what had happened that day, Dao Lord Jinghe had repeatedly tried to probe her, but she said nothing.
Not long after, Mo Tiange heard that he had gone into seclusion to attempt Nascent Soul Formation.
She was quite puzzled by this. Having just suffered severe injuries, shouldn't he rest properly for a few years? Why was he in such a hurry to advance?
She didn't voice this question aloud, only hearing Dao Lord Jinghe mention vaguely some details. It turned out that after receiving her full body's yin spiritual energy, he had gained insights into a new cultivation technique, which might aid his advancement, hence his urgency to enter seclusion.
Hearing these words, Mo Tiange couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment in her heart, then laughed at herself. Since she had already let go, why feel this way? Regardless, matters of love and affection ultimately were not as important as the Immortal Path. Just as he was rushing to form his Nascent Soul, she too should be thinking about forming her Core.
Thus, after several days of preparation, she also reported to her master and resolved to enter seclusion.
Setting up restrictions, closing her cave abode, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving the Mingxin Abode, she entered the Void Heaven Realm to quietly cultivate in seclusion.
Cultivation knows no time. Year after year passed.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter—time flew by like a flowing light. Unconsciously, over ten years had gone by.
During these dozen or so years, many things happened.
For instance, Han Qingyu achieved Core Formation. Uncle-Master Xuanyin, who presided over Ganlu Peak, finally had his first Core Formation disciple and began to carry the bearing of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
For instance, Bai Yanfei, as Ye Jingwen had guessed, ultimately did not marry Junior Sister Jiang, but instead married Senior Sister Wu, whom he had always looked down upon—the closed-door disciple of Uncle-Master Miaoyi.
Also, Senior Uncle Lingxu finally passed away. Junior Sister Jiang, first heartbroken in love and then struck by this blow, shut herself away on Liuyun Peak all day, no longer easily seeing anyone. This point, too, had been correctly guessed by Luo Fengxue.
Furthermore, after Senior Uncle Lingxu passed away, none of the several disciples of the Xuanqing Sect who were in seclusion attempting Nascent Soul Formation succeeded—including Qin Shoujing.
In the first year of Mo Tiange's seclusion, after Qin Xi recovered from his injuries, he formally entered seclusion for Nascent Soul Formation. Two years later, he ultimately failed. Another four years passed, and he once again entered seclusion to attempt Nascent Soul Formation, still failing to advance.
Sixteen years flashed by. Mo Tiange finally reached Foundation Establishment perfection and temporarily emerged from seclusion.
Seventy-eight years old and at Foundation Establishment perfection. Even with Qin Shoujing's precedent as a shining example, this was still an incredible age. The gloom that had settled over Qingquan Peak due to Qin Shoujing's consecutive Nascent Soul Formation failures also dissipated somewhat.
In truth, if Mo Tiange hadn't deliberately suppressed her cultivation speed and hadn't suffered severe injuries several times, she should have achieved Core Formation by now. However, the path of cultivation is inherently strewn with thorns. Suffering severe injuries, even experiencing cultivation regression, are all trials cultivators must undergo. There's really no need to dwell on it.
Mo Tiange sat in the small reception hall of the Mingxin Abode, listening to Luo Fengxue's idle chatter, and remained silent with her head lowered for a long while.
Luo Fengxue had already advanced to mid-stage Foundation Establishment. She had never been particularly diligent in cultivation, so her cultivation level was only considered passable among the elite disciples, but it wasn't bad either.
"Tian Ge, Tian Ge!"
"Huh?" Mo Tiange snapped back to attention.
Luo Fengxue complained, "What are you doing? Why are you so absent-minded? If you keep this up, I'm leaving."
"Don't!" Although she had been lost in thought, Mo Tiange had been seriously listening to her share news. "I... I was just daydreaming. If you leave, who will I talk to? On the entire Qingquan Peak, I can't find anyone to talk to."
"Eh?" Luo Fengxue was surprised. "How could there be no one? Doesn't the Patriarch have many maidservants? Besides, I remember you have a nephew. He must talk to you, right?"
Mo Tiange sighed. "I'm really incompatible with those maidservants. Before, they loved setting traps for me. After I beat them up, they submitted, but now they're afraid of me. Zhenji went out on a training journey. That kid is quite motivated, knowing his own experience is insufficient. As for Master, I could originally talk to him too, but he's clearly been in a bad mood lately, so I don't go bother him."
"The Patriarch is in a bad mood?" Luo Fengxue thought for a moment and asked, "Is it because of Uncle-Master Shoujing's Nascent Soul Formation failure?"
"Probably," Mo Tiange replied softly, her head still lowered. "I think Master's disappointment is certain. Although he always says verbally that Senior Brother Shoujing formed his Core too early and should have been more steady, now seeing him fail Nascent Soul Formation again and again, it would be strange if he weren't anxious."
"I'd be anxious too if it were me," Luo Fengxue said with a frown. "Sigh, it's enough to make one die of anger! Before Uncle-Master Shoujing attempted Nascent Soul Formation, many people in the sect said he would definitely succeed. Now, everyone says that forming a Nascent Soul is not the same as forming a Core, and whether Uncle-Master Shoujing is a true genius will only be known after he forms his Nascent Soul."
Although Luo Fengxue had moved to Ganlu Peak following Dao Lord Xuanyin, Qingquan Peak was, after all, the place she had belonged to since childhood. Hearing others talk about Qingquan Peak always made her unhappy.
Mo Tiange, however, remained calm. She smiled and said, "Let them say what they want. I think Master, though certainly uncomfortable in his heart, won't pay these people any mind."
"That's true," Luo Fengxue muttered, then added, "Actually, I find it strange too. Uncle-Master Shoujing actually failed Nascent Soul Formation, and even failed twice consecutively. If it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have believed it."
Mo Tiange was momentarily stunned, then asked with a smile, "Why? Isn't failing Nascent Soul Formation a very normal thing? I remember among our sect's Dao Lords, only the Chief Supreme Elder succeeded on his first attempt. Everyone else attempted several times before forming their Nascent Soul, right?" This included Dao Lord Miaoyi, who also had a reputation as a genius—he succeeded on his third attempt.
"That's true to say, but this is Uncle-Master Shoujing we're talking about!" Luo Fengxue emphasized. "Because it's Uncle-Master Shoujing, everyone feels he should have succeeded on the first try."
"...There's no logic to that," Mo Tiange shook her head, thinking to herself that Qin Shoujing had ultimately been deified, hence giving rise to those rumors. Considering his dual Spirit Root aptitude, surpassing single Spirit Root geniuses, forming his Core at seventy-eight, reaching Core perfection at one hundred seventy-five—what a genius! Precisely because of such genius, everyone's expectations for him were too high, feeling that if he didn't form his Nascent Soul on the first try, it wouldn't match his reputation as a genius that exceeded ordinary predictions.
But in reality, he was just an ordinary cultivator. Although he cultivated diligently and possessed rare treasures, he would still encounter bottlenecks in advancement like other cultivators. His cultivation level wasn't obtained out of thin air.
"Don't say that. Actually, I heard some things from the Patriarch... The reason Uncle-Master Shoujing failed Nascent Soul Formation is still due to a flaw in his state of mind. The Patriarch is very troubled about this!"
A flaw in his state of mind... Mo Tiange's heart skipped a beat, remembering that day sixteen years ago... But the next moment, she shook her head and laughed at herself. What great charm did she possess? It had nothing to do with her.
"That's nothing..." she said slowly. "Many people aren't aware of the existence of flaws in their state of mind until they encounter them. Besides, Senior Brother Shoujing isn't even two hundred years old yet. What's the hurry? Forming a Nascent Soul before two hundred—there's never been such a record in Tianji's history."
"That's true to say, but this time Uncle-Master Shoujing seems very anxious. It's been eight years since his last Nascent Soul Formation failure. In these eight years, he tried every means to seek many treasures. I heard he's about to enter seclusion again now."
"So soon?" Mo Tiange was stunned. Although failing an attempt at Nascent Soul Formation was perfectly normal, entering seclusion so frequently was rather unusual. As far as she knew, cultivators in Tianji, whenever they failed Nascent Soul Formation, would wait over ten years before attempting again, because if the time was too short, the flaw in their state of mind wouldn't disappear but could worsen. Judging by the intervals of Qin Xi's three attempts—this time eight years, the last time even shorter at four years—it was indeed too brief.
"You also think Uncle-Master Shoujing is too anxious, right?" Luo Fengxue shook her head and sighed. "I asked my master. My master doesn't understand either. The Patriarch doesn't say anything, just lets him do as he pleases. I find it strange. Isn't the Patriarch afraid Uncle-Master Shoujing will have problems during Nascent Soul Formation?"
Nascent Soul Formation wasn't like Core Formation. The danger level of Core Formation was relatively low. As long as someone guarded you during the process and you weren't disturbed, generally there was little danger. Even if you failed, you could just start over. But Nascent Soul Formation was different. If you failed, you could very likely get lost in inner demons, or during Core Shattering, fail to successfully form the Nascent Soul, causing your cultivation to dissipate. In other words, for Nascent Soul Formation failure, it was best if it happened before Core Shattering. If it happened after Core Shattering, and you couldn't guide the spiritual energy contained within the shattered Golden Core back to your dantian, your entire cultivation could be ruined. Not only would you lose any chance of future Nascent Soul Formation, you might even fall below the level of a Core Formation cultivator.
Thinking of this, Mo Tiange also furrowed her brows. "Yes, this is indeed too strange..."
Gaining her agreement, Luo Fengxue continued, "Actually, the Patriarch isn't unworried. Why doesn't he intervene..."
"Probably because even if he tried to intervene, it wouldn't work," Mo Tiange said. "Master always says he's too strong-willed, impossible to dissuade..." As she spoke, she also grew puzzled. He wasn't an impulsive person. He planned everything before acting. Why, in this matter where everyone knew it was unfeasible, did he insist on doing it? Could there be some unavoidable reason?
What Luo Fengxue said afterward, she again began to listen to absent-mindedly. Finally, Luo Fengxue, finding it uninteresting, prepared to take her leave. Mo Tiange apologized to her but didn't try to keep her. Her mind was indeed too troubled right now; it wasn't the time for idle chatter.
Having just reached Foundation Establishment perfection, Mo Tiange planned to relax for a few years before entering seclusion for Core Formation.
Three years later, Qin Xi's third attempt at Nascent Soul Formation still ended in failure. Fortunately, he didn't get lost in inner demons, nor did he shatter his Core and lose his power.
However, this blow caused him to fall into silence. By the time Mo Tiange entered seclusion for Core Formation, there was no further news of him. It seemed he never left his cave abode again after that.
Everyone said that Qin Shoujing was, after all, only a dual Spirit Root. No matter how fast his cultivation advanced before attempting Nascent Soul Formation, he wasn't a true genius. They completely forgot what they had said before: that Qin Shoujing, with his dual Spirit Root aptitude, forming his Core at seventy-eight was enough to be called a genius.
Simultaneously, Li Lingxi, the single Spirit Root cultivator of the Xuanqing Sect's current generation, reached Core perfection and began seclusion for Nascent Soul Formation.
Thus, Li Lingxi, who had always been overshadowed by Qin Shoujing's brilliance, began to be acknowledged with the genius title he deserved.
The title of the new generation's genius of the Xuanqing Sect finally changed hands.
As for these things, Mo Tiange had no chance to hear about them. After Qin Xi's Nascent Soul Formation failure, she once again closed her cave abode, set up restrictions—even Dao Lord Jinghe was barred from entering—entered the Void Heaven Realm, and began her attempt at Core Formation.