After meeting Wang Qianyi and Shen Bing, Mo Tiange felt somewhat heavy-hearted.
The two of them had given her her first glimpse of the tragic fate that could befall a female cultivator—one had lost her father yet still had to marry her enemy, while the other had no freedom, becoming a mere plaything.
They were cultivators, but they were also women. Without sufficient power, they couldn't even protect their own bodies. This world was just that cruel.
Fortunately, they seemed to be doing well now. Even without sufficient pills, they were still struggling on the path of cultivation, but at least they had their freedom.
After thinking for a while, she suddenly heard Qin Xi ask, "You sympathize with them?"
Mo Tiange was taken aback for a moment before replying, "Naturally. They... they had it very rough..."
"Where was it rough?"
"For a woman, not being able to protect even... yourself is naturally rough."
Qin Xi fell silent then, lost in thought.
The two of them concealed their auras, avoiding other cultivators. The journey was fraught with peril but ultimately safe, and they arrived at the foot of a towering peak.
Mo Tiange looked up. "So high... Even flying, it would be difficult to reach the top, wouldn't it?"
Tianmo Mountain was truly the highest mountain in Tianji. This peak pierced straight into the clouds; its summit was completely invisible.
Qin Xi said, "There are places to land up there. Flying up isn't a problem, it's just..." He gazed at the lightning formed by the intertwining of Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi in the air. "There are numerous restrictions up there. One careless move, and you could be reduced to ashes."
Mo Tiange was startled. Reduced to ashes—that meant there would be no chance of rescue.
"Don't overthink it," Qin Xi said calmly. "Reaching the peak might take two days. There are also many restrictions up there that need to be broken, which is quite troublesome. Let's ascend as quickly as possible."
"...Alright."
The two each employed their own methods to protect themselves.
Mo Tiange activated the Hunyuan One Qi Art and took out the White Silk Handkerchief, transforming it into a mist-like barrier. Qin Xi similarly activated a body-protecting true art and had his Three Yang True Fire Sword transform into a protective sword array that encircled them both.
Mo Tiange hesitated for a moment before saying, "Senior Brother Qin, you... come a bit closer. My Spiritual Qi isn't sufficient; this protective Magical Treasure can't cover that far."
Qin Xi was momentarily stunned, whether because of her form of address or because of what she said. In the end, he simply gave a soft acknowledgment.
This towering peak was called Wanren Peak. While it might not truly be ten thousand ren high, it wasn't far off. Here, the Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi were turbulent and unstable, intertwining with each other. Not daring to fly too fast, the two could only advance bit by bit. To maintain the same distance, Mo Tiange didn't use her own flying Magical Treasure but instead boarded Qin Xi's Flying Cloud.
Half a day later, the two rested for a while on the cliff face before continuing onward. By now, they were close to the area where the Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi intertwined overhead. Surrounding them was a layer of protective Spiritual Qi, then defensive talismans, then the layer of Spiritual Qi formed by Mo Tiange's White Silk Handkerchief, and on the very outside was Qin Xi's sword array.
Even with these four layers of defense, they still didn't dare let their guard down. As they passed through the Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi, Mo Tiange heard the sword array outside buzzing on its own. Fortunately, the Three Yang True Fire Sword was no ordinary Magical Treasure; it blocked both the Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi. However, with each block, the sword array would emit a red light, and Qin Xi would have to pause to resist it.
Inch by inch, the two of them crept upward, the higher they went, the more difficult it became.
Later on, it was no longer just Qin Xi's burden alone. While his sword array could block most of the attacks, it couldn't completely neutralize them, so Mo Tiange controlled the White Silk Handkerchief to assist.
Qin Xi had already said that here, there could be not the slightest negligence. If the Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi broke through their defensive layers, there would be no chance of rescue; they would be reduced to ashes in an instant.
"Here." After their Spiritual Qi was nearly depleted once more, Qin Xi pointed to a tiny crevice in the cliff face. Inside was an extremely small cave. To withstand the restrictions, the fierce winds, and the lightning formed by the intertwining Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi, they needed to maintain sufficient Spiritual Qi. Now that their Spiritual Qi was almost exhausted, they had to find a place to meditate and recover.
The two squeezed with difficulty into this low, cramped cave and breathed a sigh of relief.
The crevice leading into this cave was very narrow, only allowing passage by turning sideways. Shielded by the cliff wall, there were no fierce winds or major restrictions, only faint traces of Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi.
It was just... truly too small, only large enough for the two of them to sit side by side. Pressed tightly together, they could barely move.
Mo Tiange felt very uncomfortable. She wasn't used to being so close to others.
Just as she was about to shift slightly to the side, she heard Qin Xi say, "Don't move. Meditate quickly and recover your Spiritual Qi."
"..." Mo Tiange knew he was right, so she had to endure it. Sitting cross-legged, she slowly regulated her breathing and entered a meditative state.
After a while, her Spiritual Qi finally recovered, and she opened her eyes.
A large mass of Demonic Qi drifted past outside, just in time blocking the entrance to the crevice.
Qin Xi had already finished his meditation and was waiting for her. He was momentarily stunned and said, "Wait a moment. There's too much Demonic Qi."
"Mm." The Demonic Qi in Tianmo Mountain was extremely violent. If it sensed the aura of a cultivator, it would surge forward to devour them. Most of this Demonic Qi was left over from ancient and archaic times. How could ordinary cultivators possibly resist it? Small amounts of Demonic Qi could still be eliminated. But a large mass like this? Apart from avoiding it, there was no other method.
This mass of Demonic Qi blocked the light leaking through the crevice and also muffled the sounds from outside. Darkness and silence enveloped them together. Unfortunately, a cultivator's eyesight was not like a mortal's; even without a single ray of light, they could roughly distinguish objects before them. But without light, everything before them was hazy, and this haziness made Mo Tiange restless.
A light, shallow breathing sound reached her ears. After listening for a while, she seemed to hear a heartbeat as well—steady at first, then gradually becoming rapid. She pressed a hand to her chest and realized it was her own.
Strange. She tilted her head slightly, thinking to herself, she had just finished meditating; her heart shouldn't be beating this fast!
This oppressive atmosphere seemed to affect Qin Xi as well. He shifted slightly, his arm brushing against her sleeve.
That faint, almost imperceptible contact made Mo Tiange even more afraid to move. It seemed... too close. Even their breathing seemed to intertwine.
This awkward silence didn't last long. Suddenly, she heard Qin Xi speak: "That year... your father and I also flew up from here."
Mo Tiange was stunned and turned her head.
In the darkness, Qin Xi's eyes shone brightly as he said softly, "At that time, a major restriction collapsed. Most of the people who remained in Tianmo Mountain were killed or injured. Your father and I happened to be right here and avoided the disaster."
"Here..." Mo Tiange murmured, repeating the word. She reached out and touched the cliff wall beside her. Father... had he also sat here, touching these stones?
"We hid for a full seven days before the restrictions finally stabilized. But... when we tried to leave along our original path, we found we couldn't get out."
Mo Tiange suddenly remembered: the restrictions in Tianmo Mountain only existed for about a month. If the restrictions reappeared, then there would be no way out. And staying here, not knowing when the restrictions would disappear again, with all the unpredictable changes... ordinary people wouldn't live to see Tianmo Mountain open again.
"Then... how did you get out?"
"The secret lies up above," Qin Xi said. "There's a place they call the Ruins of All Immortals. Legend says it's where the All Immortals fell and were buried in ancient times. The path to the Ruins of All Immortals is fraught with countless dangers. Throughout the ages, who knows how many people have died on that road. However, they all didn't know that there is actually a shortcut: ascending this Wanren Peak leads to the back of the Ruins of All Immortals."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "There's a path inside the Ruins of All Immortals that leads outside?"
Qin Xi shook his head. "That's not entirely accurate either. The terrain there is very complex. No one really knows exactly which area the Ruins of All Immortals refers to. After we were trapped in Tianmo Mountain, we searched many places and finally discovered that there's a spot up there where the restrictions can be broken."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange thought for a moment, growing even more confused. "If one can get out, couldn't one also get back in? Wouldn't that mean not having to wait for the external restrictions to disappear?"
Qin Xi smiled. "You're thinking too simply. At that time, we encountered many dangers. By the time we found that place, we were both injured, your father especially so—he was almost beyond saving. As our pills gradually ran out, his injuries showed no improvement..." He paused before continuing, "My injuries were lighter, so I was ultimately fine. But even though we discovered that the restrictions in that place were relatively weak and could be broken to get out, we didn't have sufficient cultivation. By my estimation, one would need at least Nascent Soul Stage cultivation. Moreover, the restrictions of Tianmo Mountain are extremely unique. Unless they are weakened from within, even if broken, the restrictions would repair themselves. I had thought of that too, but after getting out, I found that the restrictions inside seemed weaker, while those outside were much stronger."
"Then... what did you do later?"
"The cultivation art I practice is called the Three Cycles Rotation Art. The 'Three Cycles' refer to the three qi of Great Yang, Great Yin, and Neutral Harmony. The meaning of 'Rotation,' however, refers to a secret technique," Qin Xi said slowly. "If I can absorb sufficient Spiritual Qi, I can temporarily break through my realm, reaching the cultivation level of the Nascent Soul Stage. But this Nascent Soul Stage is only an illusion; it can only be maintained for a very short time, and the consequences are severe—it would cause me to instantly regress to the Qi Refining Stage."
"..." So that was it. Mo Tiange suddenly understood. No wonder her father could help him leave Tianmo Mountain. No wonder his power diminished greatly, turning him into a Qi Refining disciple. Back in the Yunwu Sect, he had probably truly fallen to the Qi Refining Stage.
Qin Xi continued, "When your father learned of this, he thought for two days and told me that since his injuries wouldn't heal anyway, he was willing to use all his power to help me escape. But I had to promise him to take care of his descendants. I agreed and made a Heart Demon Oath." In the darkness, his gaze swept over her as he said softly, "At that time, I didn't care at all; it was just a trivial matter. But... I never expected it would be you..."
His words stopped there, but they were enough to set one's imagination running. It would be her... what? What exactly did he mean by that?
The darkness and silence almost made her blurt out the question, but the next moment, that mass of Demonic Qi gradually dispersed, and light streamed in once more.
He turned his head, his voice regaining its cool detachment. "Alright, let's continue."