Mo Tiange let out a long sigh and patted Nie Wushang's shoulder, unable to find words.
She had known Nie Wushang must have her own tragic story, but she never imagined it would be like this.
A man who should have been her father had both raised her and tormented her, taking out his hatred for her mother on her. She had never seen her mother, not even experiencing the longing a child who lost their mother should feel. For over a hundred years of living, she had no freedom, no hope, not even her own thoughts.
What kind of life was that? Mo Tiange found it difficult to imagine. If she had ever harbored any slight reservations about Nie Wushang, they vanished completely now. Not out of sympathy, but because even if Nie Wushang had done anything that displeased her, it wasn't from her true heart.
She remembered Nie Wushang once saying that the reason she could advance so rapidly was because Venerable Songfeng had used Origin Demonic Qi to clear her meridians, and this Origin Demonic Qi would flare up periodically, making her wish for death when it did. Was this also one of the methods of torment?
"Will your Origin Demonic Qi flare up again soon?"
The tone, carrying some concern, made Nie Wushang momentarily dazed. She said, "Since advancing to mid Core Formation, it hasn't flared up yet. I feel that the spiritual energy during the advancement suppressed the Origin Demonic Qi in my meridians. It probably won't flare up in the near future."
"That's good."
Nie Wushang looked at her, hesitating to speak.
Seeing this, Mo Tiange asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Nie Wushang hesitated for a long moment before finally asking, "Are you... treating me as a friend?"
Mo Tiange raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Otherwise, why would I travel with you?"
Nie Wushang fell silent for a long while, not speaking.
After a long time, Mo Tiange heard her sigh. "I thought... someone like you, a favored child of heaven, wouldn't pay any attention to someone like me, nor understand..."
So that was how she appeared in Nie Wushang's eyes? Mo Tiange chuckled. "How do you know I was a favored child of heaven from the start?"
Nie Wushang was taken aback. "When I first saw you, you were only at Foundation Establishment, yet you were already Perfected One Jinghe's personal disciple. How could you not be?"
Mo Tiange sighed. "What about before Foundation Establishment? I only entered the Xuanqing Sect at twenty, and by then, I was already at Qi Refining tenth layer."
"Qi Refining tenth layer at twenty—such cultivation speed is considered outstanding even among elite disciples of major sects."
"True," Mo Tiange said. "But back then, I was just a waste spirit root with all five elements, a good-for-nothing who had to rely on pills to cultivate."
She said it plainly, but Nie Wushang listened in astonishment. "How is that possible? With such aptitude, how could Perfected One Jinghe take you as a disciple, and how could you be so young and already..."
Mo Tiange smiled. "My aptitude is unusual. Before Master took me in, everyone, including myself, thought I had a waste spirit root."
"Oh..." Nie Wushang didn't probe further. The world of cultivation was miraculous, always full of strange and wondrous things. Even as a Core Formation cultivator, she couldn't fully comprehend it all.
Thinking this, she asked, "If that's the case, how did you spend those twenty years?"
Mo Tiange lowered her gaze, looking at her own hands, and slowly began to speak of the past. "I was born in the mortal world. Until I was seven, I was just an ordinary village girl..."
She briefly recounted her youth, omitting the parts inconvenient to share with others. By the time she finished, nearly half an hour had passed.
After listening, Nie Wushang remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.
After a while, she finally let out a breath. "No wonder... no wonder you're quite different from those disciples of major sects. Some parts even feel familiar to me..."
Mo Tiange smiled. "Never thought the favored child of heaven in your eyes had such experiences?"
Nie Wushang looked at her seriously. "I truly didn't expect it. I thought you were born with smooth sailing..."
Such an assumption wasn't strange. Knowing only her identity and seeing her young age with exceptional cultivation, most would think so. In fact, those turbulent years were but a few short years in the long journey of cultivation. The longer one cultivated, the less noteworthy they seemed. Yet, the imprints they left on one's life were far heavier than decades of smooth sailing.
Having once had nothing, she knew to cherish what she gained. Having seen important people in her life depart one by one, her heart gradually grew stronger, able to face those storms with calm. Compared to those true favored children of heaven, she had experienced more life and death, partings, loss, and injustice. Facing the affairs of the world, she could be more open-minded.
"So, in places you can't see, others are also experiencing lives similar to yours, also growing, even if that person seems detestable."
"..." Nie Wushang looked at her, thoughtful.
"Why that expression?" Mo Tiange touched her own face.
Nie Wushang sighed and looked up at the sky. "I really have underestimated other cultivators too much. I always thought my experiences were complex, my insights different from others, but I never considered that others' experiences might be even more complex."
Mo Tiange chuckled. "I'm not as unlucky as you. Though I lost both parents young, I never lacked people who cherished me."
"That may be so, but my thinking isn't as clear as yours." Nie Wushang looked down at her hands. The injury on her left hand wasn't healed yet; the place corroded by the black water still bore black traces. She rewrapped the wound, clenched her fist, and looked up. "After this matter is over, I've decided to travel around, experience the life of an ordinary cultivator. What about you? Do you want to come with me?"
Mo Tiange pondered for a moment. "We'll see. I can't decide right away." She came to Yunzhong to travel, but she had more important goals. That, however, would have to wait until she met Ling Yunhe to confirm.
Nie Wushang wasn't disappointed. She smiled slightly. "Then we'll discuss it later. At the very least, before returning to Tianxue City, we can still travel together, right?"
"Of course." Mo Tiange smiled in reply. From what she could see now, Nie Wushang was trustworthy and formidable. Traveling with her was a pleasant thing.
Having said this, the two asked a maid to inform City Lord Mei. In no time, City Lord Mei sent someone to invite them over.
"Two young friends." It was still the small hall from their first meeting. City Lord Mei walked in with a hearty laugh.
Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang both stood up and bowed. "City Lord Mei."
City Lord Mei smiled, one hand behind his back, the other pressing down slightly, gesturing for them to sit.
The action itself was very mature, but yet he looked like a youth who hadn't fully grown, making it appear particularly incongruous.
City Lord Mei took the seat of honor, ordered tea to be served, and only then smiled. "I heard the two young friends have agreed to this request of mine. I am very pleased."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange raised an eyebrow. "I heard there are many Core Formation fellow Daoists here. Why does City Lord Mei value us so much?"
City Lord Mei looked at them, pointed to his own head, and smiled. "Intuition."
"Intuition?" Nie Wushang was puzzled.
"Hehe," City Lord Mei's gaze fell on her, his attitude amiable. "Fellow Daoist Tiancan, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, one naturally possesses some marvelous divine abilities, akin to sensing the Mandate of Heaven."
Mo Tiange, however, smiled. "I wonder what City Lord Mei sensed? Could it be that you sensed we can pass the trial?"
"Not that. Sensing isn't prophecy." City Lord Mei laughed. "It's just that, observing the words and actions of you two young friends, plus some experience, I always feel that if anyone can pass this trial, you two have a relatively high possibility."
The insight of a Nascent Soul cultivator was indeed extraordinary. With just a brief meeting, he could already see that Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang were formidable, making their chances of passing higher than those of ordinary cultivators.
His gaze circled Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang once more, and City Lord Mei smiled again. "I observe that you two young friends have exceptional cultivation, fine spiritual treasures, and don't look very old. You must have a master, right?"
Though the cultivation world wasn't lacking in examples of self-reliance, those with a master's guidance certainly had it much easier than loose cultivators. Loose cultivators were mostly low-level because their aptitude was often poor, Foundation Establishment Pills were hard to come by, and few could advance to Foundation Establishment. Core Formation was one in ten thousand—the odds were much lower than for sect disciples. Because cultivation was difficult, loose cultivators often appeared weathered, even if their appearance was young.
But Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang weren't like that. Whether in appearance or bearing, they clearly didn't seem like loose cultivators.
Hearing this question, Mo Tiange merely smiled slightly. "This junior does indeed have a sect, but it's inconvenient to speak of it. I hope Senior will forgive me."
Nie Wushang also said, "Same for me."
City Lord Mei laughed upon hearing this. "It seems you two young friends have extraordinary status. I didn't misjudge you." He paused, then continued, "In that case, I will arrange for you two young friends to enter the secret land trial together."
"City Lord Mei," Mo Tiange asked, "can this trial be entered at any time?"
City Lord Mei shook his head. "In principle, the trial ground can be opened at any time. However, I won't hide it from you two. After discovering this secret land, I gathered the power of all Core Formation and above cultivators in Starfall City to set up a restriction, ensuring it wouldn't be discovered by outsiders in the short term. Opening this restriction isn't an easy task. So, I want to wait until the invited Core Formation cultivators reach a certain number before opening it."
City Lord Mei's words were reasonable. Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang both nodded.
"Then when does City Lord Mei decide to open it?"
City Lord Mei said, "If you two young friends decide to join, that makes over a dozen people. It can be opened within the next two or three days."
"Alright. If you decide when to open it, please inform us, City Lord Mei."
"Naturally." City Lord Mei stood up. "In a moment, I'll have Elder Liang explain the precautions to you two in detail. I hope you two will prepare well in the coming days."
"Naturally." Sensing the host's intention to see them off, Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang both stood up. "In that case, we two juniors will take our leave first."
City Lord Mei smiled warmly. "You two young friends, please make yourselves at home."
Bowing once more to City Lord Mei, the two left the small hall and, led by a maid, returned to the Wind-Lotus Courtyard.
Once inside the Wind-Lotus Courtyard and sure no one could spy on them, Nie Wushang couldn't wait to ask, "Don't you think there's a problem?"
"Hard to say." Mo Tiange frowned deeply. "Over a dozen Core Formation cultivators... it's too chaotic... And especially he reminded us that although the trial itself doesn't take lives, others can still ambush. I think we'll have to be careful every step of the way."