Since Feifei could speak, her intelligence was no less than a human's, so Mo Tiange had nothing to worry about. She tossed her many ancient texts and let her study them on her own.
As for herself, she was making preparations for departure. Since she had agreed to Ling Yunhe's matter, she should go all out. She wasn't afraid of taking risks, but she had always cherished her own life.
Ling Yunhe was a man of action. Within a few days, he brought her some essential items for this trip to Carefree Valley, as well as some information about the valley.
This Carefree Valley was originally a secret location, with few in Yunzhong knowing its exact whereabouts. Yet he was so forthright in providing her with the map and details of the valley's situation, a style of conduct that greatly appealed to Mo Tiange. Thus, she felt a bit more willing about this trip. Working with someone she found agreeable, even if it was somewhat dangerous, felt refreshing.
After familiarizing herself with all this information, another half-month passed. The companions Ling Yunhe had mentioned finally gathered, and he sent a message inviting her to come.
Leaving her temporary cave abode, she headed straight for the Ling family's grand mansion at the peak of Baishi Mountain, as Ling Yunhe had instructed.
The Ling family was located at the summit of Baishi Mountain, occupying the best branch of the spiritual vein in Tianxue City. Mo Tiange ascended from the mountainside, her path unobstructed. Upon reaching the summit, she couldn't help but stop and utter a word of praise.
If Tianxue City was a city of white snow, then the Ling family mansion was a palace of ice. It covered an area of hundreds of li, with layer upon layer of pavilions and towering halls stretching as far as the eye could see, all constructed from crystal-clear white stone. This white stone was different from that used in other buildings in Tianxue City; it had a slight transparency, and just looking at it gave one a sense of a faint, chilling aura—though this aura was actually spiritual energy.
Mo Tiange could tell that this Ling family mansion was likely built using the highest quality white stone from Baishi Mountain. Its spirit-gathering effect was no worse than an ordinary Spirit Gathering Formation, and it was far superior to the so-called spirit stone rooms in Tianxue City.
This Ling family was indeed a renowned and powerful clan.
Before she even reached the entrance, a low-level cultivator had already come forward to greet her. "Senior, you've arrived. This way, please."
Mo Tiange took a closer look and was slightly surprised. "Aren't you... Xiaoshun?" This person was precisely that low-level cultivator Xiaoshun who had guided her when she rented the cave abode.
"Senior remembers me?" Xiaoshun was quite pleasantly surprised. Then he scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "This junior recognizes you, Senior, so Second Uncle specifically sent me to run errands and receive guests."
"Oh, I see." Mo Tiange nodded and followed him into the Ling family mansion.
"Have the others arrived?" she asked casually.
Xiaoshun, leading the way ahead, replied, "Senior, are you referring to Second Uncle's friends? They're all here, just waiting for you."
"Is that so?" Mo Tiange asked casually, "What kind of people are they?"
Xiaoshun looked troubled. "This... Senior, you'd better wait for my Second Uncle to introduce them. I'm not qualified to meet these Seniors..." He was merely a lowly Qi Refining cultivator, not some genius disciple. Usually, he just ran errands within the family. How could he be qualified to receive Core Formation cultivators? Having him receive Mo Tiange today was already an exception.
Mo Tiange didn't mind either, nodding casually as she followed Xiaoshun through the complex maze of pavilions and towers. After a while, they finally arrived before a standalone small building.
Before the two could approach, four Foundation Establishment female cultivators had already come forward, asking respectfully, "Is it Senior Qin Wei who has arrived?"
Having reached here, Xiaoshun's task was complete. He stood respectfully to the side.
Mo Tiange looked at the four Foundation Establishment female cultivators who had come to receive her and said unhurriedly, "I am indeed Qin Wei."
Hearing the affirmative answer, the four Foundation Establishment female cultivators immediately stepped aside, bowing their heads. "Greetings, Senior Qin. Our master ordered us, your humble servants, to come and respectfully welcome you, Senior."
If it were an ordinary person, they might have been impressed by the display Ling Yunhe had arranged. These four female cultivators were beautiful in appearance, graceful in demeanor, and their cultivation wasn't bad either, yet they were trained to be so obedient. Receiving guests in this manner neither slighted the guests nor failed to convey the host's extraordinary status. This move was truly masterful.
Unfortunately, Mo Tiange was used to such things. The sixteen maidservants by Dao Lord Jinghe's side, though they had their minor flaws, were even more superior in beauty and temperament compared to these two female cultivators. In front of outsiders, they were also perfectly courteous, gentle, and refined. It had to be said that although Ling Yunhe knew how to enjoy life, he was ultimately a junior, not comparable to that old monster Dao Lord Jinghe.
Therefore, she merely glanced at the four of them with an indifferent expression and nodded. "In that case, lead the way."
The pressure of a Core Formation cultivator inadvertently emanated from her. The four Foundation Establishment female cultivators dared not be negligent. Two walked in front, two behind, respectfully inviting her into the building.
Upon stepping into the small building, someone immediately came forward with a smiling face to greet her. "Fellow Daoist Qin, you've finally arrived!"
Mo Tiange looked up and saw that the one welcoming her was indeed Ling Yunhe. At this moment, Ling Yunhe appeared even more dignified and graceful, his demeanor more carefree than when she had seen him a few days ago. She remembered the first time she saw him, he looked disheveled, like a down-and-out cultivator; the second time, he was neatly dressed and imposing; and this time, he looked refreshed and exceptionally charismatic. Mo Tiange couldn't help but wonder what he would look like the next time she saw him.
Though her mind wandered with random thoughts, on the surface, she politely returned Ling Yunhe's greeting. "Fellow Daoist Ling, I have come as promised. I wonder what comes next..."
"Ah," Ling Yunhe immediately took over. "Fellow Daoist Qin, these are a few of my friends. Let me introduce them to you first..."
Mo Tiange followed his gaze and turned her head, seeing four cultivators seated in the hall. She couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
These four cultivators were all at the Core Formation stage—two at the mid-stage, two at the early-stage—just as Ling Yunhe had previously said.
But what surprised her was that among them was an acquaintance: that demonic cultivator Yang Chengji she had seen at the tea house in Tianxue City that day.
"...This is my longtime good friend, surnamed Tian, named Zhiqian. He is a cultivator from the Five Elements Valley, specializing in the study of formation techniques. He rarely ventures out." Ling Yunhe pointed to a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator and introduced him.
After he finished speaking, this cultivator stood up and bowed to Mo Tiange. "I am Tian Zhiqian. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qin."
Mo Tiange smiled and returned the bow. "Fellow Daoist Tian." This Tian Zhiqian appeared to be about the same age as Ling Yunhe, around twenty-four or twenty-five. He was neatly groomed, his clothing quite simple. If one didn't consider the aura emanating from his entire body, one might not guess that this young man with a harmless smile was a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator. Mo Tiange noticed that his fingers were especially fair and clean, his nails trimmed perfectly. It seemed he spent no small amount of time studying formations—handling formation tools was delicate work. Any formation master had exceptionally nimble fingers.
"This Fellow Daoist is called Tian Can. He is a rogue cultivator." Ling Yunhe pointed to another mid-stage Core Formation cultivator and introduced him.
Mo Tiange looked him over. This was a rather thin and frail man, dressed entirely in black, with a black cloth covering his face, even his hands wrapped in black cloth, and wearing a bamboo hat. His attire was very similar to Yang Chengji's, except he lacked the demonic aura that surrounded Yang Chengji.
"Fellow Daoist Tian Can." She still smiled and greeted him.
This person merely slightly opened his eyes, nodded to her, gave a slight cupped-hand salute, and that was considered the greeting done. Then he closed his eyes again, lowered his head, appearing as if he didn't want to engage with anyone.
Seeing this, Ling Yunhe smiled at Mo Tiange. "This Fellow Daoist Tian Can isn't much of a talker. Fellow Daoist Qin, please don't take offense."
Mo Tiange nodded to show she understood, then looked to the next person.
"This Brother Yang is named Chengji. He is from the Beilin Kingdom. He is the direct disciple of Demon Lord Guifang, and his demonic arts are extremely formidable. Ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivators are no match for him."
"Demon Lord Guifang?" Mo Tiange asked softly.
Ling Yunhe slapped his forehead and shook his head with a smile. "I forgot, Fellow Daoist Qin isn't from Yunzhong and wouldn't know these things. Demon Lord Guifang is one of the Three Great Demon Lords of our Yunzhong. He advanced to the late-stage Nascent Soul realm several hundred years ago, renowned throughout Yunzhong with few rivals. This Brother Yang is his only direct disciple."
Although Mo Tiange had never heard of any Three Great Demon Lords, since Ling Yunhe said he was renowned throughout Yunzhong with few rivals and had late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, he was probably a figure like Venerable Songfeng. If so, as his only direct disciple, this Yang Chengji's status was quite extraordinary. No wonder he hadn't introduced his background at all during that tea house gathering that day. Presumably, in Yunzhong, the name Yang Chengji alone spoke for his identity.
"Fellow Daoist Yang, we meet again." She curled the corner of her mouth slightly and bowed to Yang Chengji.
Having dealt with each other before and exchanged items, Yang Chengji was more polite than last time. He stood up and returned the bow. "Fellow Daoist Qin."
Seeing this, Ling Yunhe looked slightly surprised. "The two of you have already met?"
Mo Tiange smiled faintly. "We once met briefly at a tea house. At that time, I didn't know Fellow Daoist Yang had such an extraordinary status."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yang Chengji said with a wooden expression, "I, Yang, am merely an ordinary demonic cultivator. What extraordinary status? Fellow Daoist Qin need not flatter me."
These words were truly blunt. If someone who didn't know the context heard them, they might think this person was arrogant and difficult to get along with. However, Mo Tiange could tell that he didn't want others to treat him differently because of his master's reputation. This actually gave her a slightly better impression of him. She wasn't angry and instead apologized to Yang Chengji. "Then it was my careless words. Fellow Daoist Yang, please don't take offense."
Although she was apologizing, her tone was quite calm, without any sense of ingratiation. Hearing this, Yang Chengji instead politely bowed again. "Fellow Daoist Qin need not be so polite."
The interaction between the two was observed by everyone else. A flicker of surprise passed through Ling Yunhe's eyes, but he didn't say much. He then introduced the last person to Mo Tiange. "Fellow Daoist Qin, this is my clan brother, Ling Yunfei."
This person's age was similar to Ling Yunhe's, and their faces did bear a slight resemblance. However, this one had a touch of arrogance on his face, still unruly like a youth, lacking some maturity.
With one look, Mo Tiange knew this person was a proud young master from a prominent family. Fortunately, facing her, this Ling Yunfei was still quite polite. He stood up and greeted her. "Fellow Daoist Qin, I have long heard of your great reputation."
"Fellow Daoist Yunfei is too polite. What great reputation do I have?" Mo Tiange said modestly, returning the bow.
Ling Yunfei looked at her, not blinking. "These past few days, I've been hearing my Second Brother say that Fellow Daoist Qin has profound cultivation, a steady character, and what's rare is that you are also young and beautiful. I never believed it, but now that I've seen you, I know Second Brother wasn't exaggerating."
These words were indeed praising her, but Ling Yunfei's gaze was a bit too intense. Mo Tiange couldn't help but inwardly smile wryly. In the past, when she was still a Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivator, when would other cultivators praise her like this? Now that she had formed her Core, among Core Formation cultivators, female cultivators were truly few, making her stand out all the more.
"Alright." Ling Yunhe spoke up in a timely manner. "Everyone, get to know each other. From now on, for this trip to Carefree Valley, we are companions."