Not long after, the Nascent Soul Ceremony was held as scheduled.
This time, the ceremony was kept low-key. Only some friendly sects of the Xuanqing Sect received invitations to attend. However, the guests who came were all led by at least Core Formation Cultivators, so the standard was in no way lower than the previous one.
Mo Tiange was consequently so busy she barely touched the ground. Though the number of guests was not large, with the lowest being Core Formation Cultivators, it required Core Formation Cultivators like them to receive them. Moreover, she was now Qin Xi's Dao Companion and obviously could not stand aloof.
Compared to receiving guests, the actual Nascent Soul Ceremony was rather simple. As before, Qin Xi paid homage to the Three Pure Ancestors in the presence of all disciples and guests, accepted the title of Supreme Elder, and then kowtowed to express gratitude for his master's grace. What was different from last time was that after expressing gratitude to his master, Mo Tiange also stepped forward. Together with Qin Xi, they reported to Dao Lord Jinghe and, with Dao Lord Jinghe's permission, became Dao Companions.
Afterwards, the Nascent Soul Ceremony concluded, and a banquet was held for the guests.
This time, Mo Tiange finally didn't have to accompany guests anymore. She and Qin Xi followed Dao Lord Jinghe back to the Shangqing Palace.
Today's Dao Lord Jinghe wore a Qiankun Daoist robe, a Qiankun crown, and Eight Trigrams shoes—the full traditional attire of a Xuanqing Sect Nascent Soul Dao Lord. His bearing was extraordinary, and his face had been carefully groomed, his short beard meticulously neat.
Yet, as soon as they entered the Shangqing Palace, Dao Lord Jinghe swayed, seemingly unable to stand steadily.
"Master!" Mo Tiange and Qin Xi called out in unison, hurriedly stepping forward to support him.
With their support, Dao Lord Jinghe sat back down on the dragon throne in the main hall. His black hair quickly lost its color, turning pure white.
For this Nascent Soul Ceremony, Dao Lord Jinghe had also invested heavily, using a secret technique to temporarily restore his appearance to before his injury. After all, as the second strongest Nascent Soul expert in the Xuanqing Sect after Dao Lord Zhenyang, if guests saw his aged appearance, today's Nascent Soul Ceremony would fail to achieve its goal of declaring the Xuanqing Sect's strength.
After sitting down, Dao Lord Jinghe caught his breath, waved his hand, and gestured for them to release him.
Mo Tiange asked with concern, "Master, how are you?"
Dao Lord Jinghe swallowed a pill, shook his head, and smiled. "Fortunately, there are these pills you prepared. I'm fine." Then he closed his eyes to meditate.
Hearing this, the two felt slightly relieved. Looking carefully at Dao Lord Jinghe's complexion, although his hair had still turned white, his face was no longer as aged as when they had first returned. This was a good sign, indicating that Dao Lord Jinghe's cultivation was continuously recovering.
After a while, Dao Lord Jinghe opened his eyes. After regulating his breathing, his complexion looked much better. He looked up at these two disciples and smiled. "Thanks to the Flowerless Golden Fruits you brought back, my meridians have been largely repaired. As long as the pills keep up afterward, I estimate I will recover to my peak state within fifty years. If I'm lucky, and during this process I gain insight into the late Nascent Soul realm, then misfortune will have turned into blessing."
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi exchanged a glance, but didn't feel particularly overjoyed. Although what their master said was not impossible, how many cultivators remained stuck at the early Nascent Soul stage for hundreds or even thousands of years without advancing? The Nascent Soul stage was never about difficulty in cultivation, but difficulty in advancement. Breaking through a minor realm was no less challenging than the Nascent Soul Formation barrier itself.
Sighing inwardly, Qin Xi said, "Master, rest assured. Now that I have reached Nascent Soul, I have the ability to seek medicine for you."
"Mm." This time, Dao Lord Jinghe did not refuse. The facts spoke for themselves; Qin Xi was now a Nascent Soul Cultivator who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
"By the way, the medicinal potency of those three Flowerless Golden Fruits is too strong. I cannot consume them all at once. And Xi'er, you have just formed your Nascent Soul; your realm is not yet stable and you cannot take such spiritual medicine. So, I gave one to your Uncle-Master Zhenyang."
"Master, you decide such matters," Qin Xi said softly. When they collected the Flowerless Golden Fruits, they were worried it wouldn't be enough, so they picked all the fruits from the tree. These fruits cannot be preserved for long; if not consumed in time, their spiritual energy dissipates. Giving one to Dao Lord Zhenyang was an appropriate way to handle it. After all, for Dao Lord Jinghe's injury, Dao Lord Zhenyang had also contributed significantly.
Looking at the two disciples before him, a glint flashed in Dao Lord Jinghe's eyes. He asked, "In your cultivation, have you two encountered some difficulty?"
This question made both of them start. Mo Tiange said, "Master, how did you know..."
Dao Lord Jinghe smiled. "What hasn't your master seen? I've long thought your Dual Cultivation wouldn't be that easy."
Qin Xi's heart stirred. He asked, "Master, in which aspect do you think we might encounter problems?"
"What? Testing your master?" Dao Lord Jinghe glanced at him, a half-smile on his lips. "In my opinion, the problem might lie in the incompatibility of your cultivation techniques."
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi exchanged another glance. Though not entirely accurate, it wasn't far off.
Dao Lord Jinghe looked as if he had a plan well in mind. "What, is your master wrong?"
Qin Xi nodded helplessly. "That's right. Master, why do you think so?"
"It's simple," Dao Lord Jinghe said. "Ultimately, it's because Tian Ge's situation is too complex. She possesses both a Pure Yin constitution and a Hunyuan Spiritual Root. The Hunyuan Spiritual Root cannot function without a specific technique. And if you two do not choose techniques that match your constitutions for Dual Cultivation, relying solely on your physical constitutions, the effect will be much poorer."
Not mentioning the Void Heaven Realm, this was indeed the problem they currently faced. Qin Xi couldn't help but ask, "Then, Master, do you have any solution?"
"No." Dao Lord Jinghe shook his head bluntly. "Your master has seen more than you, but I'm not omnipotent. Do you think I know everything?" After a pause, he softened his tone. "However, I can give you a suggestion."
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi's eyes lit up, fixed on him.
Dao Lord Jinghe smiled slightly and said, "Xi'er, you should first go into seclusion to stabilize your realm."
Qin Xi was stunned, finding it unbelievable. "Master, what kind of suggestion is that?" This was completely unhelpful to their situation!
But Dao Lord Jinghe smiled. "Although you are now a Nascent Soul Cultivator, you have not yet fully comprehended the true meaning of this realm. Therefore, there are many things you cannot grasp for the moment. The solution to this problem is simple, and the method is also crude: go into seclusion to stabilize your realm and fully understand the state of the Nascent Soul stage." At this point, he admonished earnestly, "Boy, Nascent Soul is not a simple realm advancement. The world says that reaching the Nascent Soul realm grants one the ability to move mountains and overturn seas, like a terrestrial immortal. This is not an exaggeration. When you fully attain the perspective of Nascent Soul, you will understand the fearsomeness of this realm. At this stage, you can completely master the profundities of your techniques, employ some secret arts with ease, and even—create your own techniques!"
Qin Xi fell silent, but a flash of light instantly passed through his eyes. He had originally heard bits and pieces of these things. After reaching Nascent Soul, he found it wasn't that exaggerated and thought it was an exaggeration by the world. But his master wouldn't lie to him.
Creating one's own techniques—only by understanding the true secrets of spiritual energy could one create techniques. If he truly reached such a realm, then the Dual Cultivation technique between him and Tian Ge could be completely modified based on their actual circumstances. In other words, they could create a technique unique to the two of them!
Dao Lord Jinghe showed a satisfied smile. "You are a clever child. 'The master leads you in, but cultivation depends on the individual.' This common saying also applies in the world of immortal cultivation. Regarding Nascent Soul, your master can only tell you this much. What comes next depends on your own comprehension."
Qin Xi carefully pondered these words in his heart and finally nodded. "I understand, Master."
Dao Lord Jinghe nodded with a smile. "Alright, your master will now return to continue seclusion. With these pills, I won't emerge from seclusion for ten years. You may go."
"Yes, Master." The two respectfully took their leave.
Having received those words, Qin Xi was stirred with emotion. He took Mo Tiange's hand and returned to his cave abode, still unable to contain his feelings.
"Tian Ge."
"Hmm?" Mo Tiange looked at him. Qin Xi's expression at this moment clearly indicated he had made a decision, which also related to the path she would take next.
"After a while, once these mundane matters are settled, I will go into seclusion." Qin Xi let out a breath, looked down at her, and said softly, "I will go into seclusion right here."
His emphasis meant he did not plan to enter the Void Heaven Realm.
Mo Tiange didn't say anything. In fact, she was already prepared. There were still many problems to solve between them. With Qin Xi's personality, he wouldn't covet the slight convenience of the Void Heaven Realm and give up exploring the true meaning of Nascent Soul. He had stayed in the Void Heaven Realm for ten years; the Three Primal Cycle technique had been cultivated to a certain level, while the cultivation speed of other techniques and secret arts was far inferior to the Three Primal Cycle. Therefore, in this situation, staying in the cave abode for seclusion was much better than entering the Void Heaven Realm.
It's just that this meant the two would have to separate again.
She didn't find it unbearable. Among cultivators, who could stay together forever? Each going into seclusion, short for a few years, long for several decades—they were both individuals with firm Dao hearts. Constant entanglement would go against their true nature.
"I understand."
Seeing her calm acceptance, yet with reluctance in her eyes, Qin Xi couldn't help but embrace her, sharing a moment of intimacy.
Half a day later, when everything settled, Qin Xi thought for a moment and asked somewhat hesitantly, "There's one thing. Do you still remember?"
"Hmm?" Mo Tiange took the moment to put on her outer robe.
"The two-hundred-year agreement with the Ziwei Hermit," Qin Xi said. "Fifty-nine years have already passed. There are one hundred and forty-one years left. Finding the remains of a cultivator who died five thousand years ago is not simple. We should start early."
"Oh." Mo Tiange remembered this matter. She hadn't done it because her own strength was insufficient. Now that she was a Core Formation Cultivator with her own life-bound magic treasure, she could give it a try.
However, this matter was still unclear for the moment. After thinking, she said, "How about we first entrust the Duty Hall to gather information? Once we have a lead, we can slowly search."
"Mm." Qin Xi also thought this was more prudent. "If there is news, you must remember to wait for me to emerge from seclusion, then go together." He remembered that the Ziwei Hermit's Dao Companion was also a Nascent Soul Cultivator. The place where a Nascent Soul Cultivator perished was absolutely not simple; he was afraid she would be in danger alone.
Mo Tiange hesitated for a moment but still agreed. "I understand."