At Perfected One Xuanyin's Nascent Soul formation ceremony, this woman had still been at the late Foundation Establishment stage. After Venerable Songfeng appeared, she had inexplicably vanished, and it was unknown what method she had used. Mo Tiange never expected to see her again over fifty years later, and that she had also advanced to Core Formation.
This wasn't surprising. Back then, this woman had already been at late Foundation Establishment. If she truly was a disciple or descendant of Venerable Songfeng, advancing to early Core Formation in over fifty years was perfectly normal. Mo Tiange herself had only been at mid Foundation Establishment back then, and now she too had advanced to Core Formation.
She roughly explained the situation to Jing Xingzhi. Jing Xingzhi paused for a moment but said nothing. Although he appreciated beauty, his heart was ruthless—even more so compared to Qin Xi. At the very least, if Qin Xi agreed to bring someone along, he wouldn't waste words. Not like Jing Xingzhi, who had been showering her with attention along the way yet never truly regarded her as a companion.
However, this woman was after all a Core Formation cultivator. In their current situation, having one more person was always beneficial. Mo Tiange wondered what decision Jing Xingzhi would make.
Mo Tiange turned to look at the woman and noticed her martial skills were far more formidable than they had been over fifty years ago. That made sense. Martial cultivators, like sword cultivators, excelled in combat beyond ordinary cultivators. The higher their cultivation, the more terrifying this advantage became. Although this woman was only at early Core Formation, judging by the power of her movements, she was no weaker than an ordinary mid Core Formation cultivator—perhaps even stronger.
Mo Tiange's heart was also in turmoil. If they could ally with this woman, she would be a great asset. But if they turned against each other... In this mist, danger truly lurked everywhere.
After a while, Jing Xingzhi finally sent a voice transmission: "If we can form an alliance with her, then let's do it."
Mo Tiange merely nodded. Regardless, at this moment, she chose to trust Jing Xingzhi.
"Miss!" Jing Xingzhi called out loudly. "I am a cultivator of the Ancient Sword Sect. Might you be a distinguished disciple of Venerable Songfeng?"
As soon as these words left his mouth, the black-clad figure paused in her movements, turned her head, and swept a wary glance over the two of them.
Jing Xingzhi smiled and said to her, "Don't worry, miss. The two of us mean no harm. This mist is truly strange. Since we are all trapped here together, would you be willing to join forces?"
The woman stared at them for a long while but said nothing.
Jing Xingzhi spoke again: "Within Tianmo Mountain, danger is everywhere. Although you are skilled and bold, you are still alone. Having more helpers means more options for retreat."
As he said this, Jing Xingzhi's expression was utterly sincere. The woman looked at him, then at Mo Tiange who was fending off the Golden Thread Mice attacks behind him, and her guarded expression slowly softened. Without opening her lips, a low, hoarse voice rang out: "If we join forces, then what?"
Hearing this, Jing Xingzhi smiled. "Naturally, to protect ourselves and find a way out together."
"Find a way out?" The woman's lips curled slightly, carrying a hint of a smile that looked more like mockery. "Have you found a way out?"
"No," Jing Xingzhi admitted frankly. "But three people are always safer than one."
Mo Tiange had to admit that when Jing Xingzhi was serious, he did possess a certain charm. Under his gaze, the woman gradually became less icy. She said, "How can I trust you?"
Jing Xingzhi smiled. "What good would killing you do in this mist? Besides, since you were able to reach the Ruins of All Immortals, you must have extraordinary means of your own. Even if we turned hostile, you'd have a way to escape, right?"
After he finished speaking, the woman fell into contemplation. In a moment of distraction, a swarm of Golden Thread Mice before her suddenly surged violently. A flash of sword light—Jing Xingzhi's flying sword swept out like a silken ribbon. Where the sword light passed, flesh and blood flew, and that swarm of Golden Thread Mice died on the spot.
After this batch of Golden Thread Mice died, the others besieging them also erupted violently. The three of them dared not be negligent and immediately worked together, exterminating the rampaging demon beasts one by one.
Originally, with just Jing Xingzhi and Mo Tiange, their killing power was insufficient due to Mo Tiange's magical treasure not being well-suited. But this woman was a martial cultivator, and she killed demon beasts much faster than ordinary cultivators. With the three of them united, the Golden Thread Mice gradually dwindled. After more than half an hour, these Golden Thread Mice were finally all slain.
The three of them joining forces to exterminate the demon beasts was, in effect, already forming an alliance. After the killing, they were utterly exhausted. Mo Tiange could barely stand steadily, and Little Fire simply lay down panting with its tongue out.
The three of them sat on the ground in various postures, panting and regulating their breathing. After a while, they finally caught their breath.
Jing Xingzhi smiled at the woman and asked, "Might I ask the young lady's name?"
The woman's eyes flickered with hesitation before she replied, "Nie Wushang."
Jing Xingzhi was taken aback. "Wushang? The 'wu' for charming? The 'shang' for garments?"
"No," she replied indifferently, without a trace of emotion. "The 'wu' for 'without,' the 'shang' for 'harm.'"
"..." Jing Xingzhi, who had roamed through fields of beauties, had never heard such a name and was momentarily at a loss for words. Wushang—this really didn't sound like a woman's name. After a long pause, he could only praise, "A very unique name."
The woman who called herself Nie Wushang wore that mocking smile again and did not respond.
"I am Jing Xingzhi."
Hearing Jing Xingzhi's self-introduction, Nie Wushang merely nodded, then turned to Mo Tiange and said, "Fellow Daoist Mo, it's been a long time. Do you still remember me?"
Mo Tiange inclined her head, neither warm nor distant, replying with equal coolness, "Of course I remember. It's just a pity I only learned your name today."
A cultivator's memory was always excellent, so it was no surprise they remembered each other. However, Mo Tiange had her doubts. Back then, this woman had been no different from an ordinary cultivator, but today she consistently used ventriloquism, her voice quite strange, and had never opened her mouth to speak from start to finish. Had something happened in these fifty-odd years?
But since they had no prior friendship—one could even say they were enemies—Mo Tiange merely kept this thought to herself and found it inappropriate to ask.
After exchanging a few simple words, the three of them took turns recovering their spiritual qi.
After a while, Jing Xingzhi finished his meditation and asked Nie Wushang, "Miss Nie, how long have you been here? Do you have any clues about getting out?"
Nie Wushang replied, "About a day. Divine sense is useless here, direction is completely lost. I haven't been able to find a way out."
This situation was similar to theirs. Jing Xingzhi glanced at Mo Tiange and said, "It's the same for us. However, along our way, we had formation marks left by Fellow Daoist Qingwei. I wonder if you've noticed any?"
"That Eight Trigrams Array Map was drawn by you?" Nie Wushang frowned.
Mo Tiange answered, "That's right. So you've encountered them along your way?"
Nie Wushang nodded. "Encountered them a few times... Unfortunately, I'm not very proficient with array maps and didn't know exactly how they pointed."
"A few times? We've been following the directions of the Eight Trigrams Array Map all along. If you encountered them several times, it means you've circled around quite a bit."
"... I see." Nie Wushang was momentarily stunned, murmured a phrase, then asked, "So, you two still have a way out?"
Mo Tiange's expression remained indifferent. "That's not certain. No one knows how vast this mist truly is, nor whether this direction is correct. In this mist, even divine sense can be mistaken, and array maps aren't completely reliable either."
These were not empty words. Array maps could only indicate direction, not guide the correct path. Moreover, since this mist could affect divine sense, might it also affect other judgments? They simply didn't know.
The three fell silent for a moment. Jing Xingzhi said, "Have you both recovered your spiritual qi?"
"Done." With a small internal cycle within her body, Mo Tiange now recovered spiritual qi very quickly.
Nie Wushang also nodded.
Jing Xingzhi then said, "Then what are your thoughts on our next course of action?"
Mo Tiange did not answer immediately, turning instead to look at Nie Wushang. Nie Wushang lowered her head and also did not reply.
After a period of silence, Jing Xingzhi spoke again: "Ladies, this concerns our lives. If you have anything to say, it's best to speak plainly now." His face was without a smile now, looking at them seriously.
"... I have nothing to say." Mo Tiange was the first to speak, her tone indifferent. "To be frank, my strength is inferior to both of yours. I only know a little about formations. Using the array map to indicate direction is the only method I could think of."
Neither Jing Xingzhi nor Nie Wushang replied. After a moment of quiet, Nie Wushang's low, hoarse voice sounded: "With this fifth-rank spirit beast, your strength is already considerable. That statement is far too modest."
Mo Tiange smiled faintly. "Just stating facts. Spirit beasts are far inferior to cultivators."
"But your magical treasure is also extraordinary." Nie Wushang raised an eyebrow with a smile. Her smiles never seemed simple. The previous ones had always carried mockery; this one held a different meaning.
Mo Tiange pretended not to notice anything, slightly curling the corner of her mouth. "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Nie."
Nie Wushang continued, "Fellow Daoist Mo, I heard your master and your senior brother have both come to Tianmo Mountain? Why are you alone?"
Mo Tiange glanced at her and replied flatly, "They have other objectives."
"Is that so?" Nie Wushang smiled again. This time, her smile finally held a charming quality, yet it seemed somewhat gloomy. "Fellow Daoist Mo... you can't contact them, can you?"
The moment these words fell, Mo Tiange didn't move, but Jing Xingzhi's sword hissed from its sheath, its light pressing close to Nie Wushang.
Nie Wushang, however, remained motionless. She lifted her head and smiled slightly at Jing Xingzhi. "Fellow Daoist Jing, what is this? You have no connection to the Xuanqing Sect, do you?"
Jing Xingzhi's gaze was icy as he said coldly, "I have even less connection to Venerable Songfeng!"
"Heh!" Nie Wushang still ignored the flying sword hovering motionlessly before her. "I heard Fellow Daoist Mo now has a Dao name. When I first met you decades ago, I truly didn't expect this day to come so quickly. You truly live up to being Dao Lord Jinghe's esteemed disciple."
Mo Tiange remained seated without moving, still replying with the same phrase: "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Nie."
"To be honest," Nie Wushang looked at Mo Tiange, her expression gradually cooling, "I harbor no jealousy toward your talent, Fellow Daoist Mo. But I am deeply jealous of your experiences."
"..."
"A disciple of a renowned sect, a Nascent Soul master who cherishes his disciple as his own life... Your fate is truly excellent..." By the end, Nie Wushang's gaze was no longer fixed on Mo Tiange, and she smiled somewhat vacantly.
Jing Xingzhi's expression shifted. The sword light flickered and was withdrawn. "Fellow Daoist Nie, what exactly do you mean by saying all this?"