Mo Tiange did not know if this was a dream.
But her fingers were warm. The air was fragrant.
"Aunt!"
She turned her head and saw Zhenji running towards her, still small and not yet grown up.
She felt something was off, but Zhenji had already thrown himself before her, hugging her arm with a giggle. This soft feeling was real.
"Aunt, where have you been? I've already reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement!" Little Ye Zhenji boasted like this.
She smiled. "I... went to cultivate." That seemed right? She still remembered the feeling of Spiritual Qi filling her body, with every breath.
Ye Zhenji pulled her, smiling as he said, "Aunt, you're always cultivating, cultivating. Don't you find it boring? Grandmaster says one should balance work and rest. Always cultivating isn't good either. Come play with me."
"This..." she said, "Grandmaster has Grandmaster's cultivation methods, but they aren't suitable for everyone. Your aunt is only interested in cultivation. Cultivation is what makes your aunt happiest."
"But..." Little Ye Zhenji lowered his head.
She smiled then, taking Little Fire out from the spirit beast pouch. "Here, Little Fire will play with you. Okay? Go find Hua Ling. Don't you all play together?"
"...Alright."
Ye Zhenji vanished in an instant, as if disappearing into thin air, yet she didn't find it the slightest bit strange.
She didn't return to cultivate either. Instead, under the bright spring sunlight, she aimlessly wandered, treading on the morning dew of Qingquan Peak.
She felt as if she had nothing to do, yet also as if she was waiting for something.
The wind blew past, carrying the fragrance of unknown flowers and grasses in the air. Someone lightly stepped through the green grass, their footsteps brisk, their bearing leisurely.
"You came, why didn't you call for me?" He smiled slightly as he said.
She also smiled, turning her head to look at this man with an upright posture and a calm, composed bearing.
His brows were deep, as if drawn with a single stroke of ink. The lines of his face were sharp as if carved by a knife, yet his features were clear and gentle, a gentleness that made one fall into them at a glance.
He smiled and said, "Core Formation?"
She nodded. "Core Formation."
Without saying anything more, the two naturally took each other's hand and slowly strolled through the grass.
They walked through the bright spring breeze, through the lushness of summer, through the dazzling autumn light, through the silence of winter...
Year after year.
Hundreds of years passed hand in hand, counting the fleeting years between their fingers. In the blink of an eye, they had already formed their Nascent Souls, transformed their spirits, and stood at the peak of the world.
He laughed. Said, "How about a lifetime like this?"
"A lifetime? After Spirit Transformation, you have at least ten thousand years of lifespan. Are you really willing for a lifetime to be like this?"
"...Willing. If we can ascend, we'll still be together. If we cannot, then let that lifetime be like this."
Mo Tiange opened her eyes, looking at the empty Void Heaven Realm. Only she was there.
The absorption of Spiritual Qi had already stopped. Everything around her was quiet.
After the Myriad Laws of Nature Formation, she was no longer entangled by the shadows of her childhood, but the secrets in her heart had been drawn out. Fortunately, she had ultimately broken free. The dream was beautiful, but reality wasn't so bad either.
Eternal as the heavens and earth was merely a myth. Seas running dry and rocks crumbling—even mortal women wouldn't believe that. Only the Heavenly Dao was constant, cycling endlessly, life begetting life.
She stood up, flicked her sleeves. A surge of turbulent Spiritual Qi swirled within her sleeves.
She was already a Core Formation cultivator.
With a slight smile, she cast aside those inner demons that had once ensnared her into the past and emerged from the Void Heaven Realm.
Just as she was about to make some arrangements to create phenomena similar to Core Formation to deceive others, she suddenly heard a startling thunderclap resound in the sky. The sounds of wind and thunder boomed, clouds gathered, winds rose, and spiritual light flashed.
Qin Xi suddenly stood up, spreading his divine sense, revealing an expression of both joy and helplessness. He murmured, "She... succeeded in Core Formation..."
Different from her Foundation Establishment back then, when Spiritual Qi gathered and auspicious clouds faintly appeared, creating a scene wreathed in immortal aura. Today, during her Core Formation, it was winds and clouds vast and boundless, thunder rumbling as if in celebration.
None of them knew that the conditions for Mo Tiange's Core Formation—the Primordial Chaos Spiritual Root of the ancient times, the Primordial Chaos cultivation method of the ancient times, plus the cultivation environment of the ancient times—all combined would produce such intense heavenly phenomena. For a time, the entire seven peaks of Mount Taikang were enveloped by wind and clouds. Countless streams of Spiritual Qi surged towards Shangqing Palace on Qingquan Peak. Qi Refinement disciples with weaker cultivation couldn't withstand it, their minds greatly shaken, finding it difficult to breathe.
"Is this Core Formation, or Nascent Soul Formation?" someone shouted.
High-level cultivators from the other six peaks walked out of their cave abodes one after another, gazing thoughtfully in the direction of Qingquan Peak.
Among these people, Dao Lord Zhenyang looked at the wind, clouds, and spiritual light above Qingquan Peak and sighed. "Core Formation. Someone has achieved Core Formation."
Bai Yanfei, standing beside him, was startled and asked, "Master, why would Core Formation produce such intense heavenly phenomena?"
Dao Lord Zhenyang stroked his beard and smiled. "Your Uncle-Master Jinghe has good fortune. A disciple he casually accepted actually possesses such heavenly talent. Given time, Qingquan Peak will likely produce at least two more Nascent Soul cultivators."
Bai Yanfei raised his head, looking towards Qingquan Peak, his gaze uncertain whether it was loss or envy.
Qingquan Peak again. Could it be that Senior Sister Mo?
Thinking of this, his heart grew even more unsettled. He had originally thought that with his single spiritual root aptitude, he was the most outstanding disciple of this generation. Yet it turned out there was always someone standing ahead of him.
He remembered that year, on that deserted hilltop of Qingquan Peak, that woman who pointed at him, this heaven's favored son, and spoke cold, sharp words. He, in his twenties, was still too young then, feeling only anger and humiliation. But as time passed, her words were merely verified one by one.
Back when he achieved Foundation Establishment, she was already at Foundation Establishment mid-stage. When he reached Foundation Establishment late-stage, she had already achieved Core Formation. He, Bai Yanfei, even with supreme natural talent, ultimately was not a true genius.
His master said Qingquan Peak would produce two more Nascent Soul cultivators. One should be that Qin Shoujing. Nascent Soul Formation was never something achieved overnight. He wouldn't be like those short-sighted disciples who thought Qin Shoujing was ruined. At merely two hundred years old, he still had a long lifespan to attempt Nascent Soul Formation. And the other... was probably this Senior Sister Mo. He had learned later that this Senior Sister Mo's talent was even more outstanding than his. Those words he had said back then... were all a joke...
Mo Tiange walked out of the small hut, Spiritual Qi swirling around her body, shimmering with a rainbow of seven-colored light. Small magpies formed from Spiritual Qi danced around her.
She smiled, extending a fingertip for a light tap. The spiritual magpie scattered at the touch, transforming back into spiritual light.
Raising her head, the entire Mingxin Abode was filled with this kind of Spiritual Qi shimmering with supremely beautiful radiance. Through the broken stone wall that let in the sky's light, one could see the same sky-filling (sky-filling) spiritual light dancing high in the air.
Half a day later, the sounds of wind, thunder, and moving clouds finally slowly quieted. The auspicious clouds dispersed, and the spiritual light also settled down.
The disciples of Qingquan Peak, and indeed the entire Xuanqing Sect, all learned one thing.
Daojun Jinghe's closing-door disciple, that Uncle-Master Mo, had formed a Golden Core, henceforth stepping into the ranks of Core Formation cultivators.
Before Mo Tiange had even stepped out of Mingxin Abode, she had already received countless congratulatory message talismans. There were from her familiar friends, like Ye Jingwen, Luo Fengxue, Han Qingyu, Kuang Zhu, Zhan Bai, and others. There were also from those Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters at the Core Formation stage with whom she had never interacted before.
During her Foundation Establishment period, although she was Daojun Jinghe's disciple, when encountering fellow sect Core Formation cultivators, she only needed to call them Senior Brother or Senior Sister. But there was still the difference in realm. Those people would only show her slight courtesy, but would not associate with her. Only today, now that she had officially become a Core Formation cultivator, did these Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters at the Core Formation stage show the enthusiasm of treating her as a peer, sending congratulatory messages.
Mo Tiange read them one by one, sent out similarly thankful message talismans, and only then walked out of Mingxin Abode and entered the main hall.
Daojun Jinghe was rarely seated upright on the dragon throne, looking at her with a smile.
Although this disciple was not one he had personally taught from the start—he had always taken a laissez-faire attitude, letting her develop freely—he had nonetheless guided her step by step towards the correct path.
Mo Tiange, with sincere sincerity, knelt and kowtowed. "Your disciple thanks Master for sixty years of teaching and guidance."
Daojun Jinghe accepted her kneeling, then lightly waved his sleeve, lifting her up. "The path of immortal cultivation is rugged and full of hardships. Everything must be experienced by yourself. Your master can only guide you this much. From now on, you must still rely on your own efforts."
"Yes. Your disciple will remember it in my heart."
The disciples of the Xuanqing Sect all learned that the youngest disciple of Daojun Jinghe of Qingquan Peak, at the mere age of eighty-four, had succeeded in Core Formation, stepping into the ranks of Core Formation cultivators.
After a gap of over a hundred years, following Perfected One Shoujing and Perfected One Lingxi, the Xuanqing Sect had once again produced a genius cultivator who achieved Core Formation within a hundred years.
For a time, even the news of Perfected One Lingxi entering seclusion for Nascent Soul Formation was no longer attractive.
Because Perfected One Lingxi had ultimately failed in his Nascent Soul Formation and had just emerged from seclusion.
Thus, in merely three years, the title considered to belong to the most outstanding genius disciple of the Xuanqing Sect's new generation had changed hands once again.
Upon learning this, Mo Tiange didn't know whether to laugh or cry, uncertain if she should shed a tear of sympathy for this unlucky Perfected One Lingxi. During the hundred-plus years when he should have been at his most glorious, there was always his contemporary Qin Shoujing pressing down on him from above. When Qin Shoujing was finally pulled down from the altar, and he finally, with difficulty (finally, with difficulty) obtained the name of genius, she had appeared out of nowhere.
As for this so-called name of genius, Mo Tiange merely smiled and dismissed it.
In Tianji, the Xuanqing Sect was famous for specializing in producing genius cultivators: Dao Lord Zhenyang a thousand years ago, Dao Lord Miaoyi several hundred years later, Perfected One Shoujing and Perfected One Lingxi over a hundred years ago, and now the youngest, Mo Tiange and Bai Yanfei.
Currently, both Qin Shoujing and Li Lingxi had encountered setbacks in Nascent Soul Formation. Bai Yanfei was eighty-two and still only at Foundation Establishment late-stage. He would likely achieve Core Formation past a hundred years of age. Only Mo Tiange, succeeding in Core Formation at eighty-four, was merely slightly inferior to Qin Shoujing and much faster than Li Lingxi.
But so what? Although Tianji had very few high-level cultivators, in terms of Nascent Souls, there were still over a hundred. If one could not form a Nascent Soul, one ultimately could not be called a true genius. This was true for Qin Shoujing, Li Lingxi, Mo Tiange, and Bai Yanfei alike.
This was the world of immortal cultivation. Even something as simple as a mere title was this realistic.
"Tian Ge, whenever a disciple achieves Core Formation, they must be bestowed a Daoist title. Since you have succeeded in Core Formation, we will select a day to hold a Core Formation ceremony to celebrate you."
"Master..." Mo Tiange, however, hesitated slightly. "I... don't wish to be so conspicuous."
Daojun Jinghe smiled. "It has nothing to do with being conspicuous. Any disciple achieving Core Formation must go through this. At that time, more than one Nascent Soul Dao Lord will bear witness for you. Those with a master will have their master bestow the Daoist title. Those without a master will have the Chief Supreme Elder bestow the Daoist title. You need not decline. Every disciple must go through this step."
"...Yes." Since he said so, Mo Tiange could only agree.
"Additionally, you have achieved Core Formation. By custom, your master should bestow upon you a new cave abode. It so happens that after your Uncle-Master Xuanyin achieved Nascent Soul Formation, his cave abode has not been taken over by anyone. From now on, that cave abode is bestowed upon you."
Mo Tiange was greatly delighted. "Thank you, Master."
She knew of Dao Lord Xuanyin's former cave abode. The main cave was extremely large, with many smaller surrounding caves for disciples to reside in. Although its Spiritual Qi was slightly inferior to Shangqing Palace, its scale was rare even among Core Formation cultivators' cave abodes.
Daojun Jinghe smiled. "Alright, you've just achieved Core Formation. Go stabilize your realm first. There are still many things, which will naturally be conveyed to you when the time comes."
"Yes, Master."