Mo Tiange and Qin Xi took turns meditating, leaving one person on guard duty. This made it clear they didn't trust Jing Xingzhi. Finding it dull, Jing Xingzhi said he would go look around the area.
Once his figure disappeared, Qin Xi, who had been meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. "That kid isn't being honest either."
Although Qin Xi's attitude had always been obvious—he simply didn't like Jing Xingzhi—the way he spoke about him suggested they were extremely familiar. For instance, this phrase; he would never use the term "kid" for someone he wasn't close to.
Mo Tiange then asked, "What's your relationship with him? I always feel that even though you two don't talk much, you understand each other very well."
Qin Xi smiled. "Of course I understand him. I've known him for over a hundred years, longer than I've known Kumu and the others."
"Oh? Why is that?"
Qin Xi didn't answer immediately. Instead, he smiled and asked her, "Guess?"
Mo Tiange thought for a moment. "You mentioned before that he's a disciple under Sword Venerable Chongguang of the Ancient Sword Sect. It's a pity his master passed away early, and he hasn't had much success in the Ancient Sword Sect. I imagine when his master was alive, he was also a favored son of heaven?"
Qin Xi nodded. "Correct."
Mo Tiange continued, "Judging by his age, he seems to be about the same as you, probably not far from a hundred years old. Since you two are similar in age and were both favored disciples under Nascent Soul cultivators of major sects, it's not an exaggeration to say you're the same type of people. Did you meet because of that?"
Qin Xi just smiled and pulled her to sit beside him.
"Did I guess right or not?"
"Half right." Qin Xi paused, then slowly explained to her, "Actually, when we first met, we didn't know each other's identities."
"Did you meet while traveling outside?"
"Mhm. Back then, I had just reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and so had he."
"That early?" Mo Tiange was somewhat surprised. Mid-stage Foundation Establishment—wouldn't that mean he was only in his thirties or forties?
Qin Xi smiled. He opened his left hand, and a dazzling golden light appeared—the Three Yang True Fire Sword materialized in his grasp. Gazing at the sword, he sighed with emotion. "In the blink of an eye, over a hundred and fifty years have passed. Back then, it was with him that I obtained the method for refining this sword and its matching cultivation technique. Even the Yang Spirit Bead was encountered during that same trip."
"What?"
Seeing Mo Tiange's incredulous expression, Qin Xi put away the sword and began to explain in detail. "At that time, I hadn't been at mid-stage Foundation Establishment for long. Once, while I was outside, I happened to enter a place called Lang Mountain with some others... This place was strange. The surrounding areas all had excellent top-grade spiritual veins, but Lang Mountain itself had not a trace of spiritual energy."
"No spiritual energy?" A thought flashed in Mo Tiange's mind. "Was it because of the Yang Spirit Bead?"
Qin Xi smiled and nodded. "Exactly. At the time, there was a legend that an ancient immortal's cave abode was located there from long ago, so many people came searching for treasure. I didn't really believe such rumors, but I also felt the place was indeed somewhat peculiar, so I went along with the others. Who would have thought it was such a coincidence? As soon as we arrived, a true immortal's cave abode actually appeared within Lang Mountain. Instantly, Lang Mountain almost became a hell. Low-level cultivators swarmed in, and high-level cultivators frequently appeared as well..."
He drifted off for a moment before continuing. "Too many people died back then. In the end, naturally, those high-level cultivators gained the advantage and occupied the cave abode. My cultivation was still low at the time, so of course I wouldn't go compete with them. I just secretly sent a message to Master, informing him of the situation here. Then... I happened to meet Jing Xingzhi. He, like me, had coincidentally escaped disaster... We were in the same situation, both stranded, so we naturally joined forces."
"What happened later? Since you obtained the Three Yang True Fire Sword refinement method and the Yang Spirit Bead, Jing Xingzhi must have gotten some benefits too, right?"
"Mhm." Qin Xi said lightly. "The sword in his hand is an ancient cultivator's sword, extremely powerful. We were also just lucky. Within Lang Mountain, there was actually a hidden ancient cultivator sect. That so-called immortal's cave abode was nothing; the real accumulated treasures were what we encountered. This ancient cultivator sect seemed to have been wiped out in the end, leaving behind many accumulated treasures. I suspect the reason they were wiped out might have been precisely because of the existence of the Yang Spirit Bead. Once the spiritual veins of the entire mountain were sucked dry, naturally this sect couldn't continue to exist."
Mo Tiange sighed with feeling. "So it seems you two were actually the biggest winners of that trip."
Qin Xi laughed. "That title doesn't belong to us. We barely managed to preserve our lives. Later, Master finally arrived, and Sword Venerable Chongguang happened to come as well. That's when we found out each other's identities. In the end, the treasures within Lang Mountain were divided among several major sects. The benefits Jing Xingzhi and I obtained weren't much in comparison."
That made sense. An entire ancient cultivator sect—who knew how many treasures it held? Probably no less than the collections of the Seven Great Sects. Even if many were no longer usable, it was still immense wealth.
"However, even so, I genuinely don't have much fondness for this person. He is indeed much more trustworthy than Kumu and the others, but after Sword Venerable Chongguang perished, he suffered many unfair treatments. He places extreme importance on benefits, and this kind of personality is not to my liking."
Mo Tiange nodded. "And his personality is frivolous. He's not really our kind of person."
Hearing her say this, Qin Xi smiled and tightened his grip on her hand.
Jing Xingzhi had been openly flirting with her along the way. Although Qin Xi didn't take it seriously, it always made him somewhat uncomfortable. Now, with her words, he felt all the knots in his heart vanish.
The woman he had his eye on—how could she be like those shallow people who only cared about appearances? No matter how peach-blossom-like Jing Xingzhi's face was or how honeyed his tongue, she didn't like him.
Just as the two were silently enjoying a moment of peace, Mo Tiange suddenly remembered. "Has your spiritual energy recovered already?"
Qin Xi nodded. "I have the Yang Spirit Bead with me, so my spiritual energy recovers much faster. I've been fine for a while now."
Mo Tiange paused, then suddenly understood. So, he had intentionally let Jing Xingzhi leave just now, wanting to avoid him so they could talk?
Thinking of this, Mo Tiange felt her face grow warm. She coughed lightly. "Then we..."
"Let's wait a bit longer." Qin Xi said. "When I said that kid isn't being honest, I wasn't just saying it casually."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "You noticed something?"
Qin Xi snorted. "With his personality, if there weren't definite benefits, he would never have followed us to the Ruins of All Immortals. I'm sure his original goal was this place!"
Mo Tiange knew nothing about Jing Xingzhi's personality, so she couldn't really comment. But Qin Xi was never someone who spoke carelessly. Since he said it, he must have his reasons. "If that's the case, then could he implicate us?"
Qin Xi shook his head. "Let's just watch for now. Although he and I aren't friends, we do have over a hundred years of acquaintance. This person, while profit-driven, won't stab people in the back. At most, he'll tell us to fend for ourselves."
Mo Tiange nodded. "You trust him, and I trust you."
Hearing this, Qin Xi smiled and said softly, "After we return, we'll report to Master... alright?"
Of course, Mo Tiange understood the implication. But she hesitated. "This... let's talk about it later."
Qin Xi was stunned. "Why?" Hadn't she agreed?
Mo Tiange averted her gaze, avoiding him. "When we return, you'll probably go into seclusion for Nascent Soul Formation, right?"
This was almost certain. He had said before that his three failed attempts at Nascent Soul Formation were all because he was preoccupied with thoughts of her. He had tried every method but couldn't eradicate it. Now that their feelings were settled, given his nature, he would naturally attempt Nascent Soul Formation as soon as they returned.
"Of course." Qin Xi indeed said. "After we retrieve your father's remains, we can go back. Now, with everything ready, there are no more worries holding me back from forming my Nascent Soul."
"..."
Seeing her remain silent, Qin Xi's expression gradually darkened. "Tiange, what exactly are you thinking? Why do I feel like I still don't understand you? You don't want to rely on me too much—I can understand that by putting myself in your shoes. But now we're already... Do you still not want to engage in Dual Cultivation with me?"
Mo Tiange was dazed for a moment before replying, "I just feel now isn't the right time. You need to form your Nascent Soul, so naturally you can't be distracted. And I... also need some time to adjust to Core Formation matters. Let's take it slow."
"..." Qin Xi didn't speak, but his gaze already revealed displeasure. After a while, he said, "I originally didn't plan to bring up Dual Cultivation before forming my Nascent Soul either, but... now I don't want to wait."
"Why?" Mo Tiange couldn't help but ask. "Isn't how we are now good enough?"
She asked too quickly, as if she were entirely unwilling, so Qin Xi's expression didn't improve. He steadied his emotions before asking, "Then... after we return, would you be willing to move to my cave abode?"
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "You'll be in seclusion for Nascent Soul Formation, and during that time I might also go into seclusion. This... isn't necessary, is it?"
Qin Xi then laughed, with a hint of self-mockery. "See... you're always so restrained, giving me the illusion that your feelings aren't that deep. Sometimes I even find it strange—how can there be a woman like you? So calm it feels heartless."
This was clearly not a compliment; his tone even carried reproach. People are always this strange. He wanted a woman who wouldn't affect his cultivation, who was quiet and rational. But when she was too quiet and rational, it made him feel dissatisfied, always feeling he wasn't that important in her heart.
Mo Tiange didn't refute him. She was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I... have thought about this before. We are cultivators, always different from mortals. Even if we lived together, so what? The long lives of cultivators are mostly spent in seclusion. How much time would we truly be together? Perhaps not even as much as mortal couples. Since that's the case, why rush?"
"Right, what you say is correct. However, there is one method to solve this."
Mo Tiange was puzzled. "What method?"
"We cultivate the same technique." Qin Xi said. "Given our constitutions, Dual Cultivation is already superior to others. If we could cultivate the same technique, our progress would surely be astonishing."
Mo Tiange was shocked. "You mean, abandon our current techniques and cultivate a Dual Cultivation Technique?"
"Mhm."
Receiving confirmation, Mo Tiange fell silent once more.
Dual Cultivation Techniques—those are techniques cultivated together by Dual Cultivation partners. In Tianji, the most famous Dual Cultivation sect is the Biyun Sect among the Seven Great Sects. Most Biyun Sect disciples cultivate Dual Cultivation Techniques, all requiring male-female Dual Cultivation to achieve miraculous effects.
But they were different. She and Qin Xi each had their own special techniques—her Hunyuan Plain Maiden Technique, his Three Revolutions Cycle Technique and Pure Yang Art—all of which had already reached a certain level and were highly compatible with their respective constitutions. Given their situation, usually cultivating separately, occasionally... occasionally being together was enough for the yin-yang cycle. Abandoning them would be a pity.
"This... we don't have a suitable technique, and besides, if we did that, wouldn't my Hunyuan spiritual root lose its meaning?"
"It's not the same." Qin Xi stated firmly. "You just need to say whether you agree or not. If you agree, I will resolve these matters."