"It's a boat..." Lei Dongqing blurted out a rather foolish statement.
Madam Feng rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think we need you to tell us that?"
Lei Dongqing probably realized how silly he sounded himself. He rubbed his bald head and surprisingly didn't retort.
Qin Xi stared at it for a while before suddenly saying, "This is... a Magical Treasure?!"
Mo Tiange was startled. Looking closely, she saw that this painted pleasure boat was made of unusual materials and brimming with Spiritual Qi—it was indeed a Magical Treasure! But such a large Magical Treasure, with materials that looked incredibly rare at first glance—how many spirit stones would it have cost?
"Truly worthy of an ancient cultivator's Magical Treasure..." Jing Xingzhi murmured under his breath.
This echoed everyone else's thoughts. Daoist Kumu said, "This Magical Treasure... how do we take it?"
Qin Xi shook his head. "We can't take it."
The gazes of several people fell upon him. Such a powerful-looking Magical Treasure was undoubtedly formidable. Anyone who saw it would inevitably feel greed, yet he actually said they couldn't take it?
Qin Xi's gaze was calm as he swept it over the group, his expression impassive. "Think about it yourselves. How much effort would it take to secure such a Magical Treasure? That amount of time would be more than enough for Nascent Soul cultivators to find this place."
"..." Several people showed thoughtful expressions.
Madam Feng said, "Qin Shoujing, are you telling all of us to give up?"
"We must give it up!" Qin Xi stated decisively. "Let's not even discuss whether we can obtain it. Even if we did, and even if we didn't attract the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators, what about the Core Formation cultivators nearby? Can you completely avoid them all? Don't forget our true purpose. Wasting too much time here simply isn't worth it."
Madam Feng looked at the boat again, unwilling to let go. "Our ultimate goal is simply to gain some benefits, whether spiritual materials or treasures. If we can obtain this Magical Treasure, why take further risks?"
Qin Xi shook his head again. "Do as you wish. I won't have any part of it. If you want it, I won't interfere."
"..." Hesitation appeared on the faces of Daoist Kumu and the others. They all knew this Magical Treasure was truly astonishing, and it likely contained other treasures inside. Yet Qin Xi's words also made sense. They had known Qin Xi for a long time and knew he meant what he said. If he said he didn't want it now, he truly didn't. But to pass up such a treasure right before their eyes was truly...
Seeing their expressions, Qin Xi said calmly, "In that case, my Junior Sister and I will take our leave first. We'll wait at Resting Cloud Ridge. You can join us after you've finished your business here."
Having said that, he didn't wait for a reply. He glanced at Mo Tiange, then transformed into a streak of light flying close to the ground.
Mo Tiange didn't hesitate and followed closely behind.
His departure left the others wavering. After a long moment, Lei Dongqing tentatively asked, "Fellow Daoist Kumu, what do you all think?"
After pondering for a while, Daoist Kumu finally made a decision. "We've come all this way with great difficulty. Let's give it a try. If we fail, we can retreat then."
Tong Tianyun nodded. "Right. This Magical Treasure is too astonishing. If we let it go for nothing, our trip would be wasted." His gaze followed the direction Qin Xi and Mo Tiange had left, and he added, "Besides, that Qin Shoujing has always been cautious and isn't lacking in Magical Treasures. We're different."
After flying swiftly for dozens of miles, Qin Xi finally slowed his speed.
Mo Tiange hesitated for a moment, then caught up to fly side by side with him.
"Senior Brother Shoujing, do you really not want that Magical Treasure?"
Qin Xi shook his head. "That thing is too big. Leaving aside the question of how to bring it back, it's ultimately just one Magical Treasure. Even if we obtained it, how would we divide it?"
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "It might be divisible... I sensed multiple strands of Spiritual Qi. It's very likely there are several Magical Treasures inside the boat."
"Even so, we don't need to take the risk," Qin Xi said. "There are restrictions around that Magical Treasure. They can't be broken quickly. Given enough time, conflict is absolutely inevitable. The place we need to go is very dangerous. It's better to preserve our strength."
Mo Tiange thought about it and felt what he said seemed reasonable, so she didn't press further. "Hmm..."
As they spoke, the two had already flown a hundred miles. The flat ground was gone, leaving only sloping paths.
Qin Xi stopped, putting away his Feiyun. After a moment's thought, he raised his left arm. A dazzling golden light flashed along his arm, and the Three Yang True Fire Sword materialized in his hand. Instead of gripping it, he waved his hand, and the sword body transformed into a red light that spread out before the two of them.
Although she had long guessed his identity, she had rarely seen him cast spells. The only time was during his fight with Jing Xingzhi, and that had stopped almost as soon as it began. The technique Qin Xi was using now wasn't particularly rare, but one could see his Spiritual Qi was extremely refined. Transforming form into Qi was more difficult than transforming Qi into form. She didn't know to what extent he had refined his Life-Bound Magical Treasure to be able to perform this so effortlessly, as if commanding his own arm.
Mo Tiange secretly memorized his casting technique. These were all things she needed to learn.
With the Spiritual Qi transformed from the Three Yang True Fire Sword shielding the area around them, their path forward became much safer. At the very least, they wouldn't be injured by stray minor restrictions like Madam Feng had been earlier.
Walking in silence, Mo Tiange suddenly felt something was off. She asked, "Senior Brother, why haven't we seen any Demon Beasts?"
Qin Xi paused. "Tianmo Mountain's terrain is peculiar. Not many Demon Beasts can survive here. You should pray we don't encounter any. If we do, it will likely be a bitter battle."
"...I see."
Passing a gentle slope, the gang wind suddenly intensified. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't be able to ascend here anymore. The two each strengthened their protective Spiritual Qi before continuing forward.
Suddenly, Qin Xi's eyes flashed as he warily surveyed their surroundings.
After spending this time together, Mo Tiange had come to trust his instinct for danger completely. Seeing his expression, she immediately released her White Silk Handkerchief, letting it float around her, while several Magical Treasures were readied in her hand.
"You called it," Qin Xi said, pursing his lips. "There are Demon Beasts around."
Mo Tiange wasn't too surprised. Focusing her spiritual sense, she indeed detected faint Spiritual Qi fluctuations approaching. Demon Beasts that could live in such intense gang wind were clearly extraordinary. Mo Tiange didn't dare be careless and remained alert, watching their surroundings.
The Spiritual Qi fluctuations grew stronger. Qin Xi raised his arm. Red light gathered, reforming into the Three Yang True Fire Sword that floated around him. Then, sword energy swept out.
"Ooo..." A beast's roar came through the wind. Sensing the Spiritual Qi fluctuations closing in, Mo Tiange turned and was startled.
This Demon Beast stood on four legs, its body bluish-gray. Its eyes were like a wolf's, yet it had the build of a leopard. Its teeth gleamed white, and the claws on its paws were sharp. What was especially surprising was the pair of extremely small wings on its back—so small she felt they couldn't possibly allow it to fly.
"This is a Wind-Born Beast," Qin Xi said, standing in front of her. The Three Yang True Fire Sword had already flown back. Not far away lay the corpse of a Wind-Born Beast.
Mo Tiange turned to guard his rear. A single Wind-Born Beast wasn't frightening, but they were now surrounded by a pack of them! These Wind-Born Beasts ranged from high Sixth-Rank to low Third- or Fourth-Rank, numbering over a dozen, encircling them completely.
In the midst of battle, there likely wouldn't be time for defense. Thinking this, Mo Tiange waved her White Silk Handkerchief, transforming it into a misty fog that tightly protected her entire body.
"Use metal or fire attribute Magical Treasures!" Qin Xi called out. The Three Yang True Fire Sword attacked again, scattering a swath of red light as it struck at the Wind-Born Beasts ahead.
Mo Tiange raised her hand, and a flying sword Magical Treasure appeared in her grasp. She didn't have many Magical Treasures. Only this flying sword was a metal-attribute offensive treasure. Though she wasn't proficient with it, it was the most suitable for the current situation.
At the same time, she opened her spirit beast pouch, and Xiaohuo jumped out.
Having advanced to Fifth-Rank and possessing True Solar Fire, Xiaohuo was now a qualified battle spirit beast. Sharing a mental connection with Mo Tiange, it needed no command before pouncing on a nearby Wind-Born Beast.
These Wind-Born Beasts indeed used wind-based spells. Opening their mouths, they blew out gusts of extremely fierce wind. This wind was even fiercer than the gang wind and astonishingly fast. Mo Tiange had just seen a Wind-Born Beast open its mouth when the wind was already before her eyes. Relying on the protection of her White Silk Handkerchief, she didn't dodge. Instead, she released her flying sword to slash at it, coordinating with Xiaohuo to attack the same Demon Beast.
The next moment, her vision blurred... The Wind-Born Beast's wind spell actually had such power!
Qin Xi glanced at her but said nothing. Telling her to dodge wasn't practical. The Wind-Born Beast's advantage was speed. If she dodged, she'd lose any chance to counterattack, ending up constantly on the defensive. It was better to withstand the blows and fight back.
After several exchanges, Mo Tiange gradually adapted to the rhythm of the Wind-Born Beasts' spells and learned how to dissipate force against their wind attacks. Combined with Xiaohuo's formidable True Solar Fire, she quickly dispatched the Wind-Born Beasts below Fifth-Rank one by one.
The Wind-Born Beasts in front of Qin Xi had long been mostly dead or injured. He drew the attention of the two Sixth-Rank Wind-Born Beasts, immediately lightening Mo Tiange's pressure. What she now faced were merely two Fifth-Rank Wind-Born Beasts.
Swallowing a pill, she sent her flying sword shooting out, stabbing at one of the Wind-Born Beasts. Seeing this, Xiaohuo also bit at it. The other Wind-Born Beast seized the opportunity to pounce.
Mo Tiange didn't move her body. She brought her palms together, gathering Spiritual Qi between them, then pushed out with one palm. This mass of Spiritual Qi had already materialized. After advancing to Core Formation, the power of Spiritual Qi alone was astonishing. But this mass of Qi only barely blocked this Wind-Born Beast's attack.
Mo Tiange frowned. Back in her Foundation Establishment days, she had faced Fifth-Rank Demon Beasts. After forming her Core, ordinary Fifth-Rank Demon Beasts were no match for her. Yet killing these Wind-Born Beasts was so difficult. Indeed, within Tianmo Mountain, even ordinary Demon Beasts weren't ordinary.
Fortunately, she had Xiaohuo. Xiaohuo was also Fifth-Rank, and its fire spells were highly destructive. Even so, it took considerable effort to finally slay these two Fifth-Rank Wind-Born Beasts.
Watching the last Wind-Born Beast fall amidst Xiaohuo's True Solar Fire, Mo Tiange let out a breath, sheathed her sword, and wiped the sweat from her brow.
This was just a warm-up battle, yet it had required so much effort. The saying that Tianmo Mountain was perilous everywhere was no exaggeration.
Qin Xi had long since slain the two Sixth-Rank Wind-Born Beasts. Seeing she had recovered, he said, "Let's continue."
He seemed completely devoid of sentiment, but Mo Tiange felt nothing about it. This battle made her realize that here, she must become strong herself. Otherwise, she would become a burden—something she was most unwilling to be. So, she said nothing, put Xiaohuo back into the spirit beast pouch, and followed him.