A month passed in the blink of an eye.
During this month, Mo Tiange focused wholeheartedly on cultivation and studying formations, occasionally venturing out to check on the situation. As for the An and Huang families, they each believed the other was responsible for the deaths, and the deeper they investigated, the more they uncovered the illicit affair between the two juniors. They hurled accusations at each other, each claiming the other had instructed their junior to seduce their own, and with no resolution in sight, they resorted to private feuds. The result was a cycle of conflict that left both sides severely wounded, their families declining further. Over a dozen years later, the remaining cultivators of both families would eventually perish, erasing their names from Yunwu Mountain—but that, of course, is a story for later.
For now, as long as the investigation didn't lead to her, Mo Tiange couldn't care less about their affairs. Those two families were like dogs biting each other, simply unwilling to let go of any opportunity to attack the other. She had more important matters at hand: the Yunwu Mountain Immortal Platform Meet had finally begun.
At this moment, the number of cultivators on Yunwu Mountain had multiplied several times over. Firstly, there were naturally more people coming to participate in the Immortal Platform Meet, and secondly, most participants were accompanied by others—be it friends or elders.
Early that morning, Mo Tiange rose. At the same time, Ye Jiang also paused his recovery from injuries, packed up his belongings, and prepared to go with her.
This was a tradition of the Immortal Platform Meet. Since duels on the platform disregarded life and death, those going to compete would always have kin or friends accompanying them. If one truly perished, their belongings would be retrieved by their companions; if they had none, then the items would fall to the sect.
Uncle and niece followed the mountain path, flying to the peak where the Yunwu Sect was situated. They first went to register with the gatekeepers, obtaining tokens before they could enter with Second Uncle.
Seeing Ye Jiang's Foundation Establishment cultivation, the young disciple guarding the gate gave him an extra glance. Foundation Establishment cultivators naturally found it much easier to join a sect, and bringing along nephews, nieces, or disciples was also quite simple. Therefore, it was rare to see a Foundation Establishment cultivator accompanying someone to the Immortal Platform Meet. However, upon noting Ye Jiang's age, which clearly indicated he didn't have much lifespan left, the disciple averted his gaze. Foundation Establishment cultivators nearing their end without hope of advancement were, firstly, not desired by sects, and secondly, such cultivators themselves were unwilling to enter a sect and be bound by its rules just before their demise. This wasn't particularly strange.
Today, the Yunwu Sect's mountain gate resembled a bustling, incense-filled Daoist temple in the mortal world. The mountain path was crowded with people; Mo Tiange estimated there were probably several thousand. Among these thousand or so, even if only half were going to ascend the platform, that still meant over a thousand contenders. Yet the sect would only recruit a few dozen, highlighting the fierce competition.
Upon entering the Yunwu Mountain gate, they encountered a vast square, expansive enough to accommodate ten thousand people. Behind the square stood a magnificent hall, shrouded in mist and clouds, giving a truly immortal feel.
By now, ten dueling platforms had been set up on the square. Beside each platform stood several Foundation Establishment cultivators on guard, with Qi Refining cultivators present to handle registrations.
The rule of these platforms was simple: ascend the platform and defeat over ten opponents to qualify for the next round. The subsequent matches followed the same principle—defeat a number of people until only a few dozen remained.
Second Uncle had explained to her that the beginning and the end were the hardest times to fight. At the start, there were always those trying to secure qualification early, and the true experts hadn't yet taken the stage. At the end, many who had lost on other platforms would fight desperately for the last remaining opportunities, with most casualties occurring in these final moments. Therefore, she decided to ascend the platform around the middle period. This way, she could avoid both the early and late rush, making it easier and less likely to encounter desperate opponents.
As the sun rose, several Message Talismans flew out from the great hall, landing directly in the hands of the cultivators guarding the platforms. Upon receiving the talismans, these cultivators each announced that their platform's matches had begun.
Each platform held its own matches, and everyone could attempt once per platform. Thus, many would first try one platform at the start; if unsuccessful, they'd pick a weaker one for a second attempt. However, success was rare because talismans, spirit stones, and other resources would be depleted. Loose cultivators rarely had sufficient wealth for such consumption, and even if they did, they'd likely sustain injuries in between, making subsequent attempts much harder than the first.
Mo Tiange and her uncle randomly chose a platform to observe. Soon, someone ascended—a burly man around thirty years old, at Qi Refining Level 9.
The rule of the Immortal Platform Meet was that only those under fifty were eligible to register, as cultivators past fifty found it difficult to advance further. Therefore, most attendees were in their thirties or forties, with young people like Mo Tiange, not yet twenty, being relatively few.
The burly man handed his token to the cultivator responsible for registration, then proclaimed loudly, "Which Fellow Daoist will come up and grant me some instruction?" His voice boomed like a great bell, clearly heard by everyone below the platform.
Having a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator right at the start made the cultivators gathered around this platform sigh in dismay. Level 10 was the peak of Qi Refining, so starting with such a high-level contender inevitably left those at Qi Refining Levels 6 or 7 feeling helpless.
However, naturally, some were unwilling to let it go. Sure enough, someone else ascended, first submitting their token before exchanging greetings with the burly man: "Esteemed brother, I seek your instruction."
After a polite exchange, both retrieved their spiritual tools and began to trade blows.
Ye Jiang shook his head. "Let's go look at other platforms."
Mo Tiange had no objections. The fighting style of these two cultivators was quite ordinary. Even with her lower cultivation level, relying on her well-practiced Greenwood Sword and Greenwood Art, defeating them wouldn't be difficult.
The second platform featured a battle of talismans between two individuals. Who knew what backgrounds these two had? They hurled talismans at each other as if they were worthless, even more frantically than when she had killed that An Family cultivator.
Mo Tiange pondered; against such opponents, aside from matching their talisman frenzy, she really couldn't think of another method. Spiritual tools couldn't match the speed of talismans, and spells consumed Spiritual Qi. Whoever had more talismans was bound to win.
The next few platforms were all quite ordinary, but at one of them, Ye Jiang couldn't help but let out a soft "Huh?"
Mo Tiange was curious. "What is it, Second Uncle?"
Ye Jiang watched for a while longer before shaking his head. "This cultivator's Spiritual Qi control is extremely refined. He must either have guidance from an elder or possess remarkable determination."
Mo Tiange looked at the platform. A middle-aged man around forty, at Qi Refining Level 7, was facing off against a young man in his early twenties at Qi Refining Level 9. The middle-aged cultivator wielded a fan-shaped spiritual tool, while the young man only had a defensive talisman activated on his body. Yet, his spells were fast and accurate, leaving the middle-aged cultivator scrambling to defend. Second Uncle must be referring to this young man.
Mo Tiange watched for a long time but couldn't discern anything special. "This person just has well-practiced spells, right?"
Ye Jiang smiled and shook his head. "The spells he uses are quite ordinary, but his Spiritual Qi circulation is incredibly fast. Look at his casting intervals—he barely needs any preparation before spells come out one after another. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators require a long time to circulate Spiritual Qi before casting a spell, which is precisely why talismans are faster than spells. But look at him; he's not much slower than using talismans. This is the limit a Qi Refining cultivator can achieve."
Mo Tiange looked more carefully and indeed saw it. This person cast spells as if he were throwing talismans, one after another, leaving his opponent unable to keep up.
"To train this skill, he must have either received pointers from an elder or deliberately practiced his Spiritual Qi circulation himself, investing significant effort. To spend so much time and thought on something that seems to offer little immediate benefit shows he is a person of firm determination."
Mo Tiange felt great admiration—both for this person's willpower and for Second Uncle's keen insight. Merely from observing the young man's fast spellcasting, he could deduce his character.
After making a round of observations, uncle and niece finally selected a spot.
Ye Jiang said, "Here. You'll go up next."
Mo Tiange acknowledged and focused intently on the duel unfolding on the platform.
Interestingly, both cultivators on this platform appeared young, only in their twenties, and both were at Qi Refining Level 7. One controlled a flying sword, while the other used a whip. The flying sword was a high-grade spiritual tool, and the swordsman also seemed to have refined Spiritual Qi. Gradually, the whip-wielder could only defend, as the whip, being only a mid-grade spiritual tool, didn't dare make contact with the flying sword and could only dodge. Before long, the young man reluctantly conceded defeat.
Hearing the Foundation Establishment cultivator by the platform announce the winner, the young man with the flying sword cupped his hands smugly, sweeping his gaze over the crowd below.
Ye Jiang said, "Go up."
Mo Tiange nodded, leaped onto the platform, first paying respects to the Foundation Establishment cultivator at the side, then presenting her token. After the Foundation Establishment cultivator confirmed everything was in order, she cupped her fists toward the young man. "I am Ye Xiaotian. I ask for your instruction, brother."