After traveling a distance from the Red Leaf Forest, the seven of them stopped to rest and recuperate. Thanks to their prior preparations, although the Red Leaf Ants were fierce, they hadn't caused any actual harm. As for Madam Feng, perhaps the technique she used in conjunction with the incense was some special method, for she looked pale, seemingly having exhausted too much spiritual qi.
Daoist Kumu asked, "Madam Feng, are your injuries serious?"
Madam Feng swallowed a pill and shook her head. "I've just depleted my spiritual qi. I'll be fine after some meditation."
"That's good." Daoist Kumu looked at the others. "Let's meditate in shifts. There's still great danger ahead; we need to maintain a state of full spiritual qi."
Half a day later, everyone had finally finished meditating and they continued on their way.
After passing this stretch of rocky slope, they entered a dimly lit forest.
Within Tianmo Mountain, the spiritual qi was chaotic. Apart from the initial section which was no different from Yuheng Mountain, the rest was mostly rocky terrain with almost no flowers, grass, or trees. It was only from this stretch onward that vegetation began to appear sporadically. However, the colors of these plants were somewhat strange, mostly a dull, dark green that made one feel uneasy just looking at them.
Qin Xi walked beside Mo Tiange and said, "The spiritual qi and demonic qi are intertwined here, so these plants aren't all ordinary spirit herbs."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange observed carefully. Indeed, these trees all carried an extremely subtle, gloomy aura—clearly demonic qi. No wonder the colors of these trees were like this.
After walking a distance through the forest, Daoist Kumu was the first to stop. "This place grows Withering-Glory Grass, which can be considered a treasure. If anyone wishes to gather some, go now. The demonic qi here is relatively dense; we can stay at most one hour, plus travel time. That leaves only half an hour for searching. We'll regroup here in half an hour."
Mo Tiange turned to look at Qin Xi. Qin Xi said, "In that case, my junior sister and I will go first."
Daoist Kumu nodded. "Fellow Daoists, please don't forget the meeting time."
Qin Xi raised a hand in acknowledgment, glanced at Mo Tiange, and left the group first.
Mo Tiange also bowed slightly to the others and turned to follow him.
The two walked silently for a while before Qin Xi suddenly stopped. "Be careful of Kumu and Tong Tianyun."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "Senior Brother, have you noticed something?"
Qin Xi shook his head. "So far, there's nothing suspicious. But I've thought it over carefully. Old Man Tong exchanged for a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb right before departure; he must have been preparing for this trip. But even if they obtain some exotic treasure in Tianmo Mountain, how many could compare to a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb?"
Mo Tiange thought for a moment and nodded involuntarily. That was right. Even obtaining a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb within Tianmo Mountain would be an earth-shattering event. With a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb, they could exchange with Nascent Soul cultivators for some advancement materials. Why would they need to enter Tianmo Mountain? What they seek must be even more precious than a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb!
"Senior Brother, are you saying... they might harbor ill intentions toward us?"
"Not necessarily." Qin Xi said. "If what they seek is extremely great, then there's no need to risk the big prize for a small gain by making a move against us. However, the reason we gathered together was for mutual support. If they abandon us in times of danger, we'd still be in great peril."
"..." Mo Tiange was silent for a moment before asking, "In that case, wouldn't it be better for us to part ways with them earlier?"
"...That might be the only way. It's a pity we can't contact Master." Qin Xi thought for a moment, then took something from his robe and handed it to her. "Take this."
"This is..." What he handed her was a jade pill bottle containing a brightly red pill with a strange scent she had never encountered before.
"This is the Eight Immortals Pill. After taking it, your meridians will appear extremely chaotic for a short period. Then, pretend to be severely injured and unable to travel... Leave the rest to me."
Mo Tiange understood what he intended to do. To this team, she was actually dispensable. If she were severely injured, the others certainly wouldn't want her to hold them back.
Without further thought, Mo Tiange silently swallowed the Eight Immortals Pill.
Meanwhile, at the center of the forest, two people were also conversing in low voices.
"How much time do we have left?" The one asking was Tong Tianyun.
Daoist Kumu calculated. "At the fastest, seven more days."
"Seven days... That's too tight!" Tong Tianyun sighed. "We went through so much trouble to secure this opportunity. If we miss it, the loss would be enormous."
Daoist Kumu, however, remained calm. "Don't worry. This time we're well-prepared. The others are no weaklings; we'll definitely reach the Immortal Gathering Ruins within seven days."
"Speaking of which..." A trace of ruthlessness flashed across Tong Tianyun's withered face. "Madam Feng is quite severely injured. Will she hold us back?"
Daoist Kumu snorted, his voice cold. "Don't worry about that. I've already planned for it. After we pass this forest, we'll encounter a chaotic restriction zone. With just a little tampering then, Madam Feng certainly won't make it through!"
"That's for the best." Tong Tianyun thought for a moment, then asked again, "What about Mo Qingwei? Although her divine sense is indeed outstanding and her methods aren't bad, her cultivation is still somewhat lacking..."
"Forget about her." Daoist Kumu said slowly. "Look at Qin Shoujing's attitude; he clearly values this junior sister of his greatly. If we try anything, I'm afraid we won't be able to hide it from him. It would be disastrous if he turned against us. Besides, Madam Feng is severely injured, but Mo Qingwei has been conserving her strength all along. She's still some help. In a critical moment, we can just not bother with her." He shot Tong Tianyun a sidelong glance. "Wasn't it you who originally persuaded me that this Perfected One Qingwei's strength was acceptable and she probably wouldn't hold us back?"
Tong Tianyun laughed, his dry face twisting grotesquely, and nodded in agreement. "That's true. Although Mo Qingwei's cultivation isn't high, her luck is extremely good. She hasn't been injured at all along the way, and from watching her fight, her combat skills aren't bad either." He shook his head again. "Ah, this Qin Shoujing, really. What kind of place is Tianmo Mountain? He actually brought his newly Core Formed junior sister in. Not only do we have to be mindful of Qin Shoujing, but also their master, Dao Lord Jinghe. It's so troublesome, having our hands tied!"
Daoist Kumu snorted. "Why don't you think about it? If Mo Qingwei hadn't come, where would we have gotten the Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb? Although Crystal Soul Jade is a good thing, it's nothing in the eyes of those Nascent Soul cultivators. Without the Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb, we wouldn't have had any bargaining power!"
"That... is also true." Tong Tianyun was persuaded by Daoist Kumu, but after thinking for a moment, he felt somewhat puzzled and asked, "Don't you think Mo Qingwei looks somewhat familiar?"
"Hmm?" Daoist Kumu didn't pay it much mind and said offhandedly, "Could it be she looks like an old flame of yours?"
Tong Tianyun snorted. "With this half-human, half-ghost appearance of mine, what old flame could I have? Do you really not think she looks familiar? Especially the way she fights."
Hearing him say this, Daoist Kumu also remembered. "It does seem a bit. But isn't she an elite disciple of the Xuanqing Gate? So young and just Core Formed, she must have been cultivating on Taikang Mountain all along. How could we have seen her?"
"It might not necessarily be seeing her in person..." Tong Tianyun spoke while thinking. "I feel... I've seen someone who looks somewhat like her."
"Looks like?" Daoist Kumu thought for a long time and shook his head. "No impression. Her surname is Mo. We don't seem to know any cultivator surnamed Mo."
Tong Tianyun thought for a while longer but couldn't recall anything. Just as he was about to say something more, his divine sense suddenly detected someone approaching. He immediately said, "Someone's coming back!"
Not long after, a person emerged from the dense forest. The two of them were startled at the sight.
Qin Xi's face was pale. He didn't even have the strength to greet the two. He set Mo Tiange down, first fed her a pill, then felt her pulse, his frown deepening.
"Fellow Daoist Shoujing, what happened?" Daoist Kumu was the first to ask.
Qin Xi didn't look up. "We encountered demonic beasts."
Although it was just one sentence, the other two exchanged a glance, seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
That Mo Tiange was injured was obvious. Her chest was covered in bloodstains, her face deathly pale, her aura weak. She looked severely injured.
Tong Tianyun also reached out, pressed on Mo Tiange's pulse point, and probed her meridians. Upon doing so, he frowned. The inside of her meridians was far too chaotic! He gave Daoist Kumu a meaningful look, and both fell into thought.
Madam Feng was severely injured, but at least she could still move freely. This one was clearly half-dead, much more serious than Madam Feng!
Qin Xi acted as if he saw nothing, his expression somewhat anxious. Supporting Mo Tiange, he asked softly, "Junior Sister, how are you?"
Mo Tiange opened her eyes with difficulty, then immediately closed them again, just shaking her head slightly.
"Don't worry." Qin Xi said, his voice unusually gentle. "Meditate for a while first. Once we're out of the forest, we'll find a place to properly treat your injuries."
Hearing his words, Daoist Kumu and Tong Tianyun exchanged another glance, their expressions somewhat strange. This Qin Shoujing actually still wanted to delay?
"Ahem!" Daoist Kumu cleared his throat. "Fellow Daoist Shoujing, how did your junior sister get so severely injured?"
Qin Xi didn't look up. "Talking about it now is useless. Fellow Daoists, let's hurry and leave the forest. You needn't worry; I will take care of my junior sister myself!"
"..." The two said nothing more, communicating with their eyes, both somewhat displeased. They both understood the implication in Qin Xi's words. By saying this, he was telling them he absolutely would not abandon this junior sister.
After a while, Lei Dongqing, Madam Feng, and Jing Xingzhi returned one after another. Seeing Mo Tiange's condition, they were all startled.
"What happened?"
Qin Xi's expression was cold. He looked up. "Since everyone's back, let's go."
"Fellow Daoist Shoujing!" Daoist Kumu finally spoke up. "Your junior sister is so severely injured, and you still want to take her further?"
Qin Xi's gaze swept over him, his voice turning a shade darker. "What does Fellow Daoist Kumu mean by that? That I should abandon my junior sister here?"
"Of course not." Daoist Kumu quickly denied. "It's just... judging by your junior sister's injuries, she certainly won't recover anytime soon. If you insist on continuing, I'm afraid her injuries will only worsen, right?"
Qin Xi's expression softened slightly. "Then... what suggestion does Fellow Daoist have?"
Seeing he wasn't angry, Daoist Kumu continued, "I have an idea. I wonder what Fellow Daoist Shoujing thinks. We've only been in Tianmo Mountain for about two days, most of which was delayed by other matters. If you escort your junior sister out of Tianmo Mountain now, it would take at most a day. In that case, why not send her back and then return?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Xi sneered coldly. "Fellow Daoist's suggestion is excellent. In the end, you still think my junior sister is holding you back, don't you?"
"Fellow Daoist Kumu didn't say that." Tong Tianyun took over, his dry, hoarse voice somewhat grating. "Think about it yourself, Fellow Daoist. Perfected One Qingwei's injuries are so severe. What will happen if you continue?"
"You needn't worry about that. I will protect her!"
"Fellow Daoist Shoujing!" Seeing him so stubborn, Daoist Kumu also grew annoyed. "We entered Tianmo Mountain to seek treasure! What are we supposed to do if you drag your junior sister along like this?"
Qin Xi said nothing more, just looked coldly at the people before him. Daoist Kumu and Tong Tianyun were adamant. Madam Feng and Lei Dongqing averted their gazes. Jing Xingzhi sighed as if somewhat regretful and also stopped looking at him.
The attitude of these people was clear. No need to say more.
"I understand." Qin Xi finally spoke. Just as Daoist Kumu and Tong Tianyun breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had accepted the suggestion, they heard him say, "You're still worried about being implicated. In that case, let's part ways. Our life or death will have nothing to do with you all from now on."
"You..." Everyone was stunned. Daoist Kumu blurted out, "Fellow Daoist Shoujing, don't be impulsive. Going alone with your junior sister is suicide, isn't it?"
"I survived eighty years ago. How much more today?" Qin Xi's voice was calm, yet carried a hint of pride. "Fellow Daoists, farewell."
With that, ignoring them, he picked up Mo Tiange and strode directly out of the forest.