Qin Xi turned his head, and upon seeing them, his brows slowly furrowed. "They are..."
"People from the Yunwu Sect," Mo Tiange finished his sentence, looking at the green robes they wore and letting out a soft sigh.
This was attire they were both familiar with. Fortunately, the sect emblem on it was still a few clouds, indicating that what Liu Yidao had mentioned last time had succeeded. The Yunwu Sect had retaken their mountain gate and no longer had to suffer the oppression of the Zixia Sect.
What made Mo Tiange stop, however, wasn't just seeing Yunwu Sect disciples. It was that two women among them looked extremely familiar.
"It's them!" Qin Xi also recognized them.
"Mm." After watching for a moment, Mo Tiange turned to him. "Senior Brother Shoujing, I..."
"Go if you want to. They're just a few Foundation Establishment cultivators," Qin Xi said, his tone indifferent.
Mo Tiange hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Thank you."
The six Yunwu Sect members were clearly at a disadvantage, especially since their opponents were all male cultivators who, while fighting, made lewd and mocking remarks towards the two women among them.
Hearing these taunts, one of the women wore an expression of shame and anger, while the other was utterly cold and indifferent.
Mo Tiange couldn't help but recall that nearly seventy years ago, in Misty Valley, they too had been harassed by Zixia Sect disciples. Both had been furious then. Now, one bore an expression of dejection and self-reproach, while the other simply ignored everything.
She sighed softly and released her spiritual pressure.
The pressure of a Core Formation cultivator descended upon them. All eleven people present were greatly startled, ceasing their battle immediately. Turning their heads, they saw Mo Tiange standing not far away, with Qin Xi behind her.
The five non-Yunwu Sect disciples first noticed their attire and were shocked, quickly bowing in salute. "So it's Core Formation Seniors from the Xuanqing Sect. We juniors pay our respects."
Hearing this, the Yunwu Sect members were also startled and bowed as well. "We juniors greet the two Seniors."
Mo Tiange nodded slightly, first looking at the five cultivators. "Which sect are you disciples of?"
Shame colored their faces. The leader respectfully replied, "Answering Senior, we were originally disciples of the Jingxin Sect."
The Jingxin Sect? She hadn't heard of this sect.
The leader was clever. Seeing her puzzled expression, he immediately added, "The Jingxin Sect was just a minor sect. Now... it was destroyed decades ago... Since the sect's destruction, we've become loose cultivators..."
"I see." Such sect destruction wasn't uncommon. There were countless small sects in Tianji. If they lacked talent or provoked powerful enemies, they could be wiped out overnight. Those who escaped, having nowhere to go, often became loose cultivators.
Seeing her amiable attitude, this man grew bolder. "Has Senior taken a liking to this Crimson Scarlet Grass? If Senior desires it, this junior naturally offers it with both hands."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange couldn't help but curl the corner of her mouth. This man was quite eloquent. Although their group of five was stronger than the six Yunwu Sect members, the Yunwu Sect wasn't without a chance of victory. If she wanted the grass, none of them would have any hope. This man's words cleverly claimed credit for offering the grass, ignoring the Yunwu Sect members—after all, they wouldn't dare object either.
The six Yunwu Sect members naturally understood his implication, glaring at him angrily.
The man immediately raised his eyebrows. "Don't tell me you still want to compete with a Core Formation Senior for this spirit herb?"
Hearing this, the Yunwu Sect group grew even more furious and anxious. They found this man truly despicable, trying to frame them as wanting to compete with a Core Formation cultivator with just a few words, while also fearing Mo Tiange might actually misunderstand.
Among the six, only the female cultivator at the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment remained calm. She respectfully bowed and raised her hands. "Since the two Seniors want this spirit herb, we juniors naturally have no reason to compete. Senior, please do not listen to this person's attempts to sow discord."
Mo Tiange looked at this female cultivator—composed in demeanor, dignified in bearing—truly possessing the presence to stand on her own.
She couldn't help but sigh again. "Senior Sister Wang, it's been a long time."
These words left the female cultivator stunned. Everyone present, including the five non-Yunwu Sect cultivators, was dumbfounded.
Senior Sister Wang—they had all heard Yunwu Sect cultivators address this woman as such.
Who exactly was this Core Formation Senior? To address this female cultivator like that?!
The two Yunwu Sect women stared intently at Mo Tiange. Suddenly, one exclaimed in shock, "You... you're Junior Brother Ye?!"
Mo Tiange smiled and nodded at her. "Senior Sister Shen."
These two were indeed Wang Qianyi and Shen Bing from back then. Shen Bing's cultivation was at the early Foundation Establishment stage, her beauty undiminished from years past. As for Wang Qianyi, now at the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment—once rather plain beside Shen Bing's radiance—she was now cold as frost, yet radiant as peach blossoms.
Mo Tiange couldn't help but think of their experiences over the years. Back then, Shen Bing had been forced to become a concubine, while Wang Qianyi had married her enemy's son. Over a decade later, when Liu Yidao mentioned them to her, Shen Bing was already free, but Wang Qianyi was still married to that man. She wondered if she had escaped that bitter fate by now? Seeing them like this, they didn't seem to be doing poorly.
Prompted by Shen Bing's reminder, Wang Qianyi also remembered, surprise surfacing on her composed face. "You... you're really Junior Brother Ye?"
Mo Tiange nodded with a bitter smile. They hadn't seen each other for over sixty years. She never expected their reunion would be under such circumstances.
Seeing this scene, the five-man team's expressions changed dramatically. They never imagined this Core Formation Senior actually knew the other party. Now filled with anxiety and trembling with fear, they wondered if this Senior might annihilate them in a fit of anger.
After hesitating for a long while, the leader finally spoke up. "So these fellow Daoists are old acquaintances of the Senior. We juniors were truly blind. We beg Senior not to take offense."
By the end, his tone was pleading.
Mo Tiange swept a glance over them indifferently. "Enough. I won't make things difficult for you. You may leave."
Hearing this, the five were overjoyed, repeatedly bowing. "Thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!" Not daring to linger any longer, they mounted their flying artifacts and swiftly fled into the distance.
Mo Tiange paid them no further mind, turning to Wang Qianyi and Shen Bing with a smile. "Indeed. You two Senior Sisters have good memories."
Receiving her confirmation, Wang Qianyi and Shen Bing exchanged a look, feeling rather strange. Looking at her again—wearing Xuanqing Sect robes, exuding the pressure of a Core Formation cultivator, every movement confident and composed—she was utterly unlike the cautious, ever-smiling Junior Brother Ye from back then. What felt even more bizarre was that the Junior Brother Ye of the past, though a handsome youth, showed no trace of femininity. Yet the Mo Tiange before them was elegant and graceful, clearly a woman's appearance.
After a long moment, Wang Qianyi sighed, her expression complex. "So we were the blind ones back then. Junior Brother Ye, how have you been all these years? Where... where did you go afterward?"
Mentioning the past, Mo Tiange also felt wistful. When she met Liu Yidao at the Xuanqing Sect, though they had caught up on events since parting, she had asked him not to reveal her whereabouts. While Liu Yidao hadn't been entirely honorable regarding Xu Jingzhi's matter, it seemed he had kept her secret after all.
"About what happened back then... you two Senior Sisters can ask Senior Brother Liu when you return."
"Senior Brother Liu knows?" Wang Qianyi was surprised.
Mo Tiange nodded, not elaborating further on the matter. Instead, she asked, "Senior Sisters, why have you entered Tianmo Mountain?"
Wang Qianyi sighed. "Junior Brother Ye may not know. Although we've retaken the Yunwu Sect now, our losses were severe. We don't have many Core Formation cultivators left. For people like us, if we proceed step by step, I'm afraid we'll never form our Cores. So we came to take a gamble..."
"I see." Mo Tiange thought for a moment. "This place is already very dangerous for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Take this spirit herb and head back. Opportunities aren't as important as life."
Shen Bing was pleasantly surprised upon hearing this. "Junior Brother Ye, you mean... you're giving this herb to us?"
Mo Tiange nodded. A mere thousand-year spirit herb meant nothing to her now. Thinking further, she took out several jade bottles and talismans from her robe. "Now isn't the time for reminiscing. If fate allows, we can catch up properly after we leave. Take these pills and leave. The dangers here truly aren't something you can handle."
Silently accepting the items she offered, Wang Qianyi bowed solemnly. "Thank you."
Mo Tiange smiled slightly, saying no more, and turned to walk toward Qin Xi.
"Junior Brother Ye!" Wang Qianyi called after her. "You... how can we find you in the future?"
Mo Tiange waved her hand. "Just ask Senior Brother Liu. Until we meet again."
With that, she once again concealed her aura and departed swiftly with Qin Xi.
Watching their retreating figures, Shen Bing's brows furrowed tighter. Suddenly, she asked, "Junior Sister Wang, look... isn't that Senior Brother Qin?"
"Senior Brother Qin?" Wang Qianyi didn't immediately grasp her meaning. Recalling the appearance of the man just now, she too was startled. "That Senior Brother Qin?!"
"Most likely." Shen Bing watched their departing figures walking side by side, her expression complicated. "So Junior Brother Ye... was actually a woman all along, and became a Xuanqing Sect disciple together with Senior Brother Qin. Who knows what they've been through..."
The two fell silent, each lost in thought. Mo Tiange's appearance reminded them of many past events—some joyful, some sorrowful.
The other four cultivators had been watching the proceedings dumbfounded. Finally, one couldn't help but ask, "Senior Sisters, why did you address that Senior as... Junior Brother Ye?"
Wang Qianyi gave a bitter smile. "Over sixty years ago, she was originally a disciple of our Yunwu Sect. I suppose she was disguised as a man back then."
"What?" The four were shocked. "Over sixty years ago... Senior Sister hadn't even built her Foundation yet, right?"
"That's right." Wang Qianyi gazed in the direction they had left. "Back then... Junior Brother Ye's cultivation was even lower than ours, just a Qi Refining disciple. We thought something had happened to her. Never expected..."
The impermanence of the world—these four words came to her mind. Back then, Junior Brother Ye, Senior Brother Qin, and Senior Brother Jiang had all disappeared together. Junior Brother Ye had been labeled a traitor by the Sect Master. Neither she nor Shen Bing believed it, but with no way to find Mo Tiange, they were helpless. Gradually, they forgot about the matter. Who could have imagined that over sixty years later, they would meet Junior Brother Ye again, only to discover she was actually a woman, and... had even formed her Core.
Then they heard Shen Bing murmur dazedly, "That Senior Brother Qin... seems to have formed his Core too. They... have such heaven-defying talent?"