This was a city located in the northern part of Yunzhong. Its walls, entirely snow-white, were constructed from a special type of white stone. The densely packed buildings within the city were, without exception, all stone structures.
Under a sky as blue as if washed clean, a snow-like city stood out starkly white against the clear, transparent blue. Mo Tiange gazed at the beautiful scene before her and couldn't help but sigh. No wonder this city was called Tianxue City—blue sky, white snow, the name truly fit.
"Esteemed Senior, would you like a map? A detailed map of Tianxue City, including all cave abodes available for rent by cultivators, as well as market locations."
"Senior, are you looking for someone or traveling? Do you need a guide?"
"Senior..."
The moment she stepped out of the teleportation array, Mo Tiange was surrounded by a crowd, offering all sorts of introductions. The flow of cultivators coming and going was immense. Although most were Qi Refining cultivators, it still made her sigh in admiration. Yunzhong truly was a sacred land for cultivation. Even though this wasn't a dedicated cultivation city like Kunzhong City, it still had such an atmosphere.
In the end, she simply bought a map of Tianxue City and dismissed the others.
Although Tianxue City wasn't the capital of Dongtang Kingdom, it was still a major city. The map recorded that this city had a history of over ten thousand years. Because there was a Baishi Mountain nearby, the city was built using its stones. The city resembled snow, hence the name Tianxue City.
It was said that the white stone of Tianxue City was incredibly hard, jade-like in quality, and possessed the function of gathering Spiritual Qi. Although far inferior to Spirit Stones, it was still better than nothing. Therefore, many low and mid-level cultivators resided in this city. They called this white stone 'White Spirit Stone' and jokingly referred to their dwellings as 'Spirit Stone Houses,' which was quite amusing.
At the same time, Mo Tiange also discovered that Tianxue City itself had a modest-sized spiritual vein. Combined with the function of the white stone, although insufficient to serve as a sect's mountain gate, it was a blessed land for many Loose Cultivators. No wonder so many Loose Cultivators gathered in this city.
Leaving the Tianyan Sect outpost where the teleportation array was located, Mo Tiange pondered for a moment and decided to first find a place to stay.
Among the five major sects of Dongtang Kingdom, the Five Elements Valley was located in a remote area, the Pufa Sect was in the west, the Jingxu Sect was near the capital, the Danxia Sect was in the north, and the Jiuyan Sect happened to be not far from Tianxue City.
Coming to Yunzhong, Mo Tiange's primary goal was to travel and experience the land. Her secondary goal was to investigate the Danxia Sect, searching for traces of Mo Yaoqing and the complete version of the Plain Maiden Art. However, the Danxia Sect was, after all, a major sect in Yunzhong, and Mo Yaoqing was its traitor. Directly inquiring would be unwise; she could only make contact slowly and proceed with caution.
Therefore, under the current circumstances, it was better to first settle in Tianxue City, make contact with people from the Jiuyan Sect, gather some information about the Danxia Sect, and then plan her next steps.
Tianxue City was originally built against the mountain. The entire city leaned against Baishi Mountain. Whether it was the city walls or the houses, all materials were sourced locally. Consequently, the city's layout was also uneven, with high and low areas.
Following the map, Mo Tiange headed towards the mountainside. The map stated that most of Tianxue City was the property of the Ling Family, the largest cultivation family of the Jiuyan Sect. The Ling Family was located at the summit of Baishi Mountain, occupying the area with the densest Spiritual Qi. Below the summit, many cave abodes had been excavated. These cave abodes varied in size and Spiritual Qi density, all available for rent. Loose Cultivators coming to Tianxue City, whether for long-term residence or temporary stays, would rent cave abodes from the Ling Family.
Reaching the mountainside, Mo Tiange checked the map and, according to its directions, turned left.
This Baishi Mountain was clearly a mining mountain, with very little vegetation—only sparse patches of yellow soil and some drought-resistant shrubs. Mo Tiange thought, the cultivators of Tianxue City must be quite lacking in spirit herbs, right? What do they use to refine pills?
As she was walking, she suddenly sensed a fluctuation of Spiritual Qi. Mo Tiange's eyes flickered slightly, but she continued forward as if nothing was amiss.
Just as she passed a clump of shrubs, Spiritual Qi suddenly rippled above her head. A golden net descended, instantly covering her completely.
"Hahahaha!" Seeing her immobilized under the golden net, two cultivators emerged from behind a rock. One of them laughed heartily, "Big Brother, I told you no one can escape our Heaven-Net, right?"
These two cultivators were both at the Foundation Establishment stage. One had a messy beard, obscuring his features, while the other had shifty eyes and a rather sleazy appearance—he was the one who spoke. The former was at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, the latter at early-stage.
The big man with the messy beard, however, was very cautious. He frowned and warned, "Don't be arrogant. This person's cultivation is higher than both of ours."
"So what if it's higher? Can she break the Heaven-Net?" The sleazy man grinned, staring at Mo Tiange trapped in the golden net, licking his lips. "Big Brother, this woman isn't bad-looking, you see..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Before he could finish, the bearded big man scolded him. "We're forced into this robbery out of necessity. Getting some wealth is enough. Have you forgotten the precepts?"
"Precepts?" The sleazy man snorted disdainfully, very displeased. "Big Brother, have you forgotten we've been expelled? Now we're just Loose Cultivators. What do precepts have to do with us?"
The bearded big man's eyes flickered, then he said solemnly, "Whether we've been expelled or not, if we want to continue cultivating, we can't forget the precepts. Aren't you afraid of the inner demons during Core Formation?"
Hearing this, the sleazy man was finally persuaded, albeit reluctantly. "Alright, alright, I get it." Just then, he saw Mo Tiange struggle slightly within the net. Squinting his eyes, he teased with a grin, "I say, Miss, you'd better stop struggling. This is the Heaven-Net, a magical treasure! Even though your cultivation is higher than ours, once caught in the Heaven-Net, you're still at our mercy!"
Mo Tiange stopped upon hearing this, her gaze cold as she looked at the two men. "What do you want?"
"What do we want?" The sleazy man stroked his thin mustache, his gaze lingering greedily on Mo Tiange's face. "Hand over your Qiankun Bag!"
Mo Tiange remained motionless, just watching them.
Seeing her lack of action for a while, the sleazy man grew impatient. He tugged on the net's knot in his hand. "Hurry up, or else I'll take you along too!"
"Junior Brother!" The moment he finished speaking, the bearded big man shouted, glaring at him with raised eyebrows.
Under his gaze, the sleazy man's bravado deflated. He muttered, "Fine, fine, I know."
The bearded big man turned to Mo Tiange, his voice gentle. "Fellow Daoist, my junior brother and I are forced into this unsavory business. I can guarantee we won't harm you."
Mo Tiange looked at the bearded big man and gave a cold laugh. "You want my Qiankun Bag? How is that any different from wanting my life? Surely you, sir, know the importance of a Qiankun Bag to a cultivator?"
The bearded big man was left speechless. After a moment, he said, "Then just hand over some Spirit Stones."
Mo Tiange looked at this man and narrowed her eyes. "Just Spirit Stones? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you after you let me go?"
The bearded big man shook his head. "That... we have our own methods."
"Big Brother, why talk so much with her? We've already done it anyway." The sleazy man impatiently interrupted their conversation, his eyes gleaming with malice as he looked at Mo Tiange. "My big brother is easygoing, but I'm not. If you still don't hand over the Spirit Stones, I'll make you suffer!" As he spoke, he pulled on the net's knot in his hand.
Mo Tiange frowned, feeling a sharp pain where the golden net touched her body. She was somewhat surprised. Senior Uncle Zhenyang had said that most magical treasures of Yunzhong cultivators focused on controlling Spiritual Qi, but she hadn't expected even two Foundation Establishment cultivators to possess such a treasure that controlled Spiritual Qi.
"Junior Brother!" The bearded big man shouted again.
"Big Brother!" The sleazy man said unhappily. "Since we've already decided to do this, why be so timid and hesitant? What's the point?"
Hearing this, the bearded big man's gaze dimmed. He lowered his head and fell silent.
Mo Tiange's eyes swept over the two of them. She asked, "Why did you two set up an ambush here? Isn't this the road leading to the Ling Family? Presumably, there should be many travelers. Aren't you afraid of being discovered by others?" This was what puzzled her. She had been trapped for so long, yet no one had come.
"The Ling Family? Haha!" Hearing her question, the sleazy man laughed triumphantly. "There really are a lot of fools in this world. Who said this road leads to the Ling Family?"
Mo Tiange furrowed her brows and said slowly, "That map was fake?"
"You're not too stupid after all!" The sleazy man grinned, his eyes squinting. "Not a bad idea, right? New arrivals to Tianxue City, solitary cultivators traveling alone—just tamper with the map a bit, and they naturally come this way."
Mo Tiange's expression darkened. "You..."
"Hand over the Qiankun Bag now!" The sleazy man lost his patience and barked. "If you don't, I won't be polite!"
"Not polite? I'd like to see how you won't be polite!" Under the gazes of the two men, Mo Tiange flicked her sleeve. Spiritual Qi surged wildly within her, and the imposing aura of a Core Formation cultivator erupted. The golden net covering her fluttered without any wind.
The bearded big man was shocked at the sight and cried out, "You're at the Core Formation stage..."
The sleazy man was stunned for a moment before hurriedly forming a hand seal, trying to tighten the golden net.
Mo Tiange gave a cold snort and lightly raised her hand. The sleazy man immediately felt an immense pressure transmitted from the other end. His face instantly flushed red, and beads of sweat the size of beans broke out on his forehead.
"Senior!" The bearded big man shouted, not daring to approach. He took out his own Qiankun Bag. "Senior, please spare my junior brother. I am willing to offer all my possessions!"
Mo Tiange glanced at the big man. He was clever, knowing he couldn't resist and immediately begged for mercy. Unfortunately, it was too late. Mo Tiange merely looked at him before withdrawing her gaze. Under the surging Spiritual Qi, her sleeves fluttered without wind. Her right palm extended and then closed. The sleazy man let out a cry of "Ah!" as he lost his grip on the golden net, watching helplessly as she took it into her hand.
The sleazy man was so shocked he lost his ability to react. Mo Tiange, angered by his earlier disrespectful words, showed no mercy. Gathering Spiritual Qi in her hand, she sent a palm strike flying out.
"Ah!" A scream echoed as the sleazy man was sent flying sideways. He crashed into a mountain rock, his head lolled to one side, and his entire body went limp as he collapsed, already devoid of life.
"Junior Brother!" The bearded big man's eyes widened. He rushed forward and, upon finding his junior brother's breath had ceased, froze on the spot.
After a moment, he suddenly turned to look at Mo Tiange. "You..."
"What? Do you want revenge?" Seeing the glint of murderous intent in this man's eyes, Mo Tiange raised an eyebrow and asked.
The man was first taken aback, then a look of grief and misery appeared on his face as his whole body seemed to deflate. A Core Formation cultivator—he was merely at mid-stage Foundation Establishment. How could he seek revenge?
Looking at this man's appearance, Mo Tiange couldn't help but feel puzzled. Judging from their earlier conversation, these two men had completely different temperaments. Why were they working together on this road robbery? The whole incident felt strange. What was really going on?