This wasn't the first time Qin Xi had experienced a restriction collapsing, so he remained calm. With a sweep of his Three Yang True Fire Sword, he deployed his sword formation, grabbed Mo Tiange's hand, and flew forward. Feiyun reached its maximum escape speed, heading straight for the exit of Tianmo Mountain.
All along the way, countless cultivators were flying toward the exit in unison.
This was a moment of life and death. Everyone brought out their ultimate skills, not daring to hold anything back.
Even so, there were still cultivators who couldn't escape in time, getting caught in the collapsing restrictions and instantly turning to black ash.
Mo Tiange personally witnessed Ku Mu Daoren and Tong Tianyun, who had initially come with them, also being swept into the restrictions and perishing instantly.
Not long after entering Tianmo Mountain, they had parted ways with these two. Later, from Jing Xingzhi, they learned that these two indeed had ill intentions—they had refused to save Feng Niangzi, watched Lei Dongqing perish, and then relied on that Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb to latch onto a Nascent Soul cultivator and enter the Ruins of All Immortals.
Now, seeing them appear here, it seemed that even after attaching themselves to those Nascent Soul cultivators, they hadn't gained any real benefits! Indeed, even she and Qin Xi, who had Nascent Soul masters, hadn't considered entering with Dao Lord Jinghe. Did they truly believe those Nascent Soul cultivators would protect them for the sake of a single Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb? Or perhaps they knew but, with their lifespans nearing their end, couldn't afford to care.
The restrictions collapsed faster and faster, the rumbling sounds unceasing as countless cultivators fled toward the exit. Qin Xi, who had been calm at first, grew anxious later on.
Such a massive commotion was even more terrifying than eighty years ago. His master's prediction was correct—this time was more dangerous than the last!
But no matter how fast people ran, they couldn't outpace the collapsing restrictions. Soon, cultivators not far behind them were also swept in, their screams filling the air.
"This won't work!" Mo Tiange cried out. "We can't escape like this..."
How could Qin Xi not know? But at a time like this, where could they find a safe place? The last time the Tianmo Mountain restrictions collapsed, he and Ye Hai were lucky enough to hide in a cave on Wanren Peak. Otherwise, they definitely wouldn't have escaped either!
At this moment, he could no longer afford to hold back. He deployed his sword formation, which erupted with brilliant light, blocking the increasing number of free-floating restrictions in the air. His hands moved incessantly, pulling several treasures from his Qiankun Bag—some he slapped onto himself, others he shoved into Mo Tiange's hands. "At the very least, these can block some of it," he said urgently.
Thunder rumbled overhead. Mo Tiange's expression shifted as Qin Xi said, "There's no time. We can only gamble!" As he spoke, he formed a hand seal, circulating all the spiritual energy in his body, preparing to unleash a secret technique.
Mo Tiange's heart clenched. Though she didn't know what secret technique Qin Xi was using, she recognized the hand seal—he was about to use his essence blood! Once such a spell was cast, the best outcome would be needing rest for a period; the worst would be a regression in cultivation! He had already reached Core Formation perfection. If his cultivation regressed, who knew how long it would take him to form his Nascent Soul.
"Senior Brother, don't—"
Qin Xi ignored her. Several drops of essence blood were forced from his body. He swept his hand over them, and the sword instantly glowed with red light. Just as he was about to activate the Three Yang True Fire Sword, his spiritual energy suddenly became unstable, causing the red light on the sword to dim slightly. His expression changed. Having used essence blood earlier to search for Tian Ge's whereabouts had already depleted some of his strength. Now, he couldn't even unleash the secret technique.
Realizing this, Qin Xi grew truly frantic! He had remained calm earlier because of this secret technique, thinking that at worst, he could risk injury to get Tian Ge out. He never imagined that due to his previous essence blood expenditure, he couldn't perform the technique!
"Tian Ge!" His thoughts raced a hundred times, but in the end, Qin Xi gritted his teeth, grabbed Mo Tiange's hand, and said, "If we can't escape, let's die together!" Without waiting for her reply, he transformed into a streak of light again, flying toward the exit. Their lives now hung by a thread.
But Mo Tiange suddenly tugged his hand and stopped.
"Tian Ge!" Qin Xi cried anxiously. "What's wrong?"
Mo Tiange's expression was grave as she looked up. Dark clouds churned in the sky, covering the entire expanse. Clearly, the initial instability of the restrictions had triggered a large-scale collapse in the sky. If this continued, it would reach them in just a moment. Although Qin Xi's Feiyun was extremely fast, whether they could truly escape was hard to say.
Qin Xi grew frantic. "If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"
Mo Tiange didn't speak. Instead, she wrapped an arm around his waist, gathered spiritual energy at her fingertips, and tapped her glabella. A large, smooth, round pearl faintly appeared at her brow, emitting a hazy white light.
Qin Xi's eyes widened. This was—
The wind and thunder in the sky grew more violent. The restrictions collapsed faster than they had anticipated. People were continuously being swept in, some without even time to scream before disappearing without a trace.
Mo Tiange silently recited an incantation, directing the spell toward the pearl. The white light suddenly exploded, engulfing both of them.
When the white light faded, Qin Xi was stunned.
A bamboo hut, a bamboo forest, a gentle breeze, a flowing stream, and the scent of medicine lingering in the air.
A scene both somewhat familiar and completely different.
Entering the Void Heaven Realm, Mo Tiange let out a sigh of relief. Feifei wagged its tail and threw itself into her arms, chirping excitedly.
She smiled, picking up Feifei to cuddle for a moment before patting its head. She then released Xiaohuo from the spirit beast pouch, letting the two play together. Looking around carefully, she realized she hadn't tidied up in a while—weeds had grown in the medicine field again. She took out two stone puppets from her Qiankun Bag and set them to work clearing the medicine field. These puppets possessed immense strength, perfect for handling such chores.
After finishing this, she looked up to see Qin Xi finally regaining his senses.
His eyes held shock and understanding. Meeting her gaze, he sighed, "I finally understand. So this is your greatest secret."
Mo Tiange smiled, pulling him into the bamboo hut and tossing him a meditation cushion. "You don't need to ask about the rest, right?"
"Mm." Qin Xi gradually pieced it together. Her alchemy technique, those pills of hers, the Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herbs, the cultivation of her spirit beasts—all the puzzling things about her originated from here: the Void Heaven Realm!
After a moment of thought, he asked, "Where did you get this Void Heaven Realm? It wasn't a gift from your great-grandfather, was it?"
Mo Tiange shook her head. "No." Zhong Muling had said there were only two known Void Heaven Realms, both owned by Deity Transformation cultivators. Where would one come from to give her? Even if there were, back then she was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator—they wouldn't have given it to her.
"Then how did you obtain it?"
Mo Tiange thought for a moment. "Consider it fate. When I got this thing, I had no idea what it was. It was only after entering my great-grandfather's Void Heaven Realm later that I realized what it was."
"That time..." Qin Xi nodded in understanding. "No wonder your cultivation progressed so rapidly from then on. It wasn't just because you obtained the Primordial Chaos cultivation method, but also because you acquired such a heaven-defying treasure."
Seeing his tone full of wonder but his eyes devoid of any greed, Mo Tiange smiled faintly. Letting him know such a great secret was a gamble. Fortunately, so far, he hadn't betrayed her trust.
"You... don't ask why I didn't tell you?"
Hearing this question, Qin Xi smiled, reaching out to stroke her face. "Is there a need to ask? Even I wouldn't tell such a great secret to others. 'The common man is innocent; it's the jade that makes him guilty.' This is especially true in the world of cultivation. It's best that you know how to protect yourself."
Mo Tiange looked up at him and asked again, "So, if I had never told you, you wouldn't blame me?"
Qin Xi shook his head. "Why would I blame you? Even if you never told me in your lifetime, I'd have nothing to blame you for. In fact, I think you taking me in here today was quite risky. Are you so sure that seeing this Void Heaven Realm wouldn't give me any wicked thoughts?"
Mo Tiange hesitated before answering, "Just now, there was no time to think of anything else. I only thought that we couldn't die there... Besides, I've already bound this Void Heaven Realm to myself. Here, you can't harm me."
"If someone were truly scheming, they wouldn't harm you here," Qin Xi said. "If I learned your secret and showed no unusual behavior here, but after going out, I imprisoned you and forced you to talk, what would you do then?"
His tone was somewhat stern, even accusatory.
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "Is it not good that I trust you?"
Qin Xi sighed. "I know you trust me, but 'you may know a person's face, not their heart'... Trust sometimes comes at a cost, and the cost for this is too great. One misstep, and you could be utterly destroyed!"
Seeing Mo Tiange bow her head under his reprimand, Qin Xi smiled again. "Of course, I can be the exception. But you absolutely must not do this again, understand?"
"Mm." Mo Tiange revealed a smile. "Of course there won't be a next time. If it weren't you, I wouldn't have brought you in!"
She had pondered this question many times. If not for today's life-threatening danger, which left her no time to think, she wouldn't have brought Qin Xi in. In fact, after bringing him in, her heart had been uneasy. But Qin Xi's reaction just now made her feel her trust was well-placed.
Thinking of today's peril, she asked worriedly, "Master is still in the Ruins of All Immortals. Could he be in danger?"
This question made Qin Xi fall silent for a moment. How could he not worry? But with the great restrictions of Tianmo Mountain collapsing, they absolutely could not go out now.
"Master won't fall so easily," he said. "Let's focus on ourselves first. In a few days, when the restrictions stabilize, we'll go search for Master's whereabouts."
"Mm." Mo Tiange had no better solution either. They could only do this.
Feeling the atmosphere between them grow somewhat heavy, she smiled and said, "Since we're here, let me show you the medicine field. My alchemy technique isn't as good as yours. Perhaps you can give me some advice on how to handle these spirit herbs." With that, she led him to the medicine field, telling him some things about the Void Heaven Realm.
Qin Xi looked at the densely packed herbs in the medicine field, stunned for a good while before sighing, "These herbs are enough for a major sect to use for several hundred years. If not over-harvested, they could support a sect dominating the Tianji Region indefinitely."
"That may be so, but I dare not take them out for use. A single Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herb can make Nascent Soul cultivators fight over it. With so many... who knows what chaos it would cause."
"Mm, you're right," Qin Xi agreed. "Even if they rot here, we can't casually take them out. Otherwise, not only would you face great disaster, but the Tianji Region would also fall into chaos."
He looked down at the surrounding medicine fields. There were many spirit herbs he had only heard of in legends but never seen. These herbs, after being tended, ranged in age from high to low—from tens of thousands of years to thousands to just a few hundred years, some even just sprouting tender shoots.
"You said this Void Heaven Realm has existed for hundreds of thousands of years. Why are the oldest of these spirit herbs only a few tens of thousands of years old?"
Mo Tiange knew the answer from the memories within the Void Heaven Realm. "Spirit herbs also have lifespans, generally ranging from ten thousand to several tens of thousands of years. So, it's best to pick them and refine them into pills when they reach ten thousand years. At that point, their medicinal properties have reached their peak. If they continue growing, they'll only die."
"So that's how it is." This was the first time Qin Xi had heard of this. In today's cultivation world, Ten Thousand Year Spirit Herbs rarely appeared, so few people knew about this.
Standing in the medicine field, Mo Tiange looked at the many spirit herbs that had already reached ten thousand years, then at the two busy stone puppets, and smiled. "Since we can't go out, come help me organize the medicine field!"