Mo Tiange stood frozen for a long moment before she snapped out of it and rushed forward to check. The stone door had been shattered into powder, and the restriction she had placed at the entrance had been broken as well.
The stone door itself was nothing—even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could shatter it—but this restriction had been personally set by her. Though it wasn't a top-tier formation, it wasn't something an ordinary Core Formation cultivator could break.
She stared at Nie Wushang in disbelief. "What did you just do?"
Nie Wushang still seemed lost in thought, murmuring, "I... just reached out and pushed." After saying this, she seemed to come to her senses somewhat, looking down at her hand. There was nothing unusual about it, except for the Origin Demonic Qi swirling around it.
"..." No matter what, Nie Wushang herself was still only at the mid-stage Core Formation realm. The only explanation for such a result was the Origin Demonic Qi on her body. Mo Tiange watched for a long while before shaking her head with a bitter smile. "Well, that's good. Even if you encounter a Nascent Soul cultivator now, you won't be completely at their mercy."
Though this level of power couldn't match the strength of a Nascent Soul cultivator, it already possessed an aura that could rival one. However, excessive power wasn't necessarily a good thing. Great power required an equally great vessel to contain it—that vessel being the cultivator's body, meridians, and Dantian. Though Nie Wushang now possessed such power, she was still only at mid-stage Core Formation. This was definitely not purely beneficial. If she forced herself to use it, she might very well explode and die.
How could Nie Wushang not understand this principle? She stood dazed for a long moment before saying, "It's too late for regrets now. We'll just have to deal with it as it comes." As she spoke, she looked down at her hand again and gave it a light wave. With a tremendous boom, a large rock at the cave abode entrance was smashed to dust.
Seeing this scene, Nie Wushang felt somewhat disheartened. With such huge commotions, how could she move about freely? Did this mean she would truly have to transform from a martial cultivator into a demonic cultivator?
Mo Tiange asked, "How is your body?"
"Right now, since I'm not really using the Origin Demonic Qi, I can't feel much." She then lowered her head with a sigh. "It seems I'll have to stay here for a long time."
"What?"
"Though I possess powerful Origin Demonic Qi, I myself don't have sufficient cultivation realm. I must enter seclusion to stabilize my realm." Nie Wushang gave a bitter smile. "Maybe three to five years, maybe ten or twenty. If I'm unlucky, it might even take a century or more of seclusion."
Mo Tiange agreed. "Given the current intensity of your Origin Demonic Qi, it would be best for you to advance to the Nascent Soul stage. Only then can you fully absorb it." Though she herself hadn't reached Nascent Soul, she had two Nascent Soul cultivators by her side and was quite familiar with that stage. The Origin Demonic Qi on Nie Wushang's body was comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, but because her own realm was limited, she couldn't fully utilize it. In fact, if she forced herself to use it, it would cause damage to herself. In this situation, unless her own meridians and Dantian completely absorbed this energy, this crisis couldn't be resolved.
Nie Wushang nodded, sighing as she said, "That's what I think too. Though I was forced onto the path of a demonic cultivator, I still want to live well and continue cultivating."
Whether one was righteous or demonic wasn't important. In this world, no one had heard of anyone ascending in over a hundred thousand years. Even if Nie Wushang became a demonic cultivator, she didn't need to consider too much. She could wait until the day she truly had the possibility of ascending before thinking about it.
After discussing briefly, both decided to stay here for a while.
Nie Wushang was determined to completely subdue this Origin Demonic Qi first. In her current state, it was very inconvenient to move about outside. If she lost control during a fight, she might injure herself. As for Mo Tiange, she didn't plan to leave before her injuries healed. Ever since coming to Yunzhong, things had happened one after another, leaving her with little time for cultivation. After her injuries healed, she would spend some time recuperating and stabilizing her cultivation, then go see Ling Yunhe to settle the matter of the Plain Maiden's Art. After that, she would consider returning to Tianji.
It had already been seven years since she left Tianji. If she spent more time healing, probably over a decade would have passed. Traveling abroad, especially to such a distant place, was truly inconvenient. Things were different from before—she and Qin Xi were bound by a blood oath. Five years ago, when she suffered severe injuries, Qin Xi must have been able to sense it. Yet he couldn't come immediately, and she didn't know how worried he must have been.
Mo Tiange only briefly mentioned these plans to Nie Wushang, who naturally didn't say anything about them. Though their relationship was good now, they weren't inseparable. They were both very independent cultivators, each with their own plans. Right now, they just happened to have coinciding goals.
As for Nie Wushang, not to mention that she was currently entangled with Origin Demonic Qi and couldn't leave seclusion in the short term, even if she could, she would absolutely not return to Tianji. She had expended such effort to escape Tianji, nearly perishing in the South Sea. Unless she one day became a top-tier late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, she wouldn't risk returning. If Venerable Songfeng was still alive, her fate would be predictable.
After their brief conversation, the two continued living in the cave abode, leading undisturbed lives without bothering each other. Each entered their own seclusion, each healed their own injuries.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, another five years had gone by.
During these five years, the two had almost no interaction. Only when the cave abode rental period expired did the innkeeper come to collect the rent, prompting each to emerge from their cultivation chambers.
The innkeeper had probably known about the shattered stone door for a long time, but since two Core Formation cultivators resided here, it wasn't convenient to say anything. When he came to collect the rent, he showed no surprise at all, only asking if repairs were needed. Nie Wushang directly tossed him a pile of spirit stones as compensation and paid another ten years' rent on top of that.
Seeing this, how could the innkeeper feel displeased? He hurriedly ordered someone to come repair the stone door. For the next two years, things continued as before, with no disturbances.
The innkeeper's tactfulness satisfied both Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang. For them, having a quiet place to stay was currently the most important thing.
Five years later, Mo Tiange stopped cultivating and emerged from the Void Heaven Realm.
Sensing her aura, the stone door to Nie Wushang's cultivation chamber automatically opened.
It had been two years since they last saw each other. Nie Wushang examined Mo Tiange carefully, both admiring and curious. "Is this you healing from injuries? Two years ago, I saw your injuries had just healed. How has your cultivation progressed so quickly?"
No wonder Nie Wushang was surprised. After she woke up, Mo Tiange's injuries hadn't fully healed. Three years passed before she saw Mo Tiange's injuries mostly recovered. And now, after just two years, Mo Tiange was already more than halfway through mid-stage Core Formation. Such cultivation speed was truly exaggerated.
Mo Tiange simply replied, "During these ten years, I haven't just been healing injuries." When her injuries were no longer serious, she began taking large quantities of pills to boost her cultivation. The reason for doing this was that she planned to leave seclusion. The stronger her power, the smoother the matters she needed to handle next would go. There weren't many things left to do. The first was to see Ling Yunhe and settle the matter of the Plain Maiden's Art, then return to Tianji. Additionally, if possible, she also planned to visit the Danxia Sect to inquire about Mo Yaoqing.
Mo Yaoqing had passed away over five thousand years ago. The grievances between her and the Danxia Sect had already been settled when she left Yunzhong. Since that was the case, Mo Tiange naturally wouldn't dwell on it. The grudges of ancestors wasn't for a descendant thousands of years later to comment on. Besides, after so many years, the Danxia Sect's disciples had probably changed generations several times. There was really no need to take it too seriously.
After Mo Tiange said this, Nie Wushang looked at her thoughtfully. After a long while, she said, "You're leaving?"
"Mm." The reason she emerged from seclusion now was to bid farewell to Nie Wushang. It had been over a decade since she left Tianji. It was time to return.
Nie Wushang wasn't surprised, though she faintly felt a sense of loss. She sighed. "That's right. You're different from me. No matter how far you go, you still have to return."
"..." Mo Tiange heard the melancholy in her tone, but this was something she couldn't comfort her about.
Though their personalities were compatible, their life trajectories were completely different. In Tianji, she had her sect, her master, her partner, her family. No matter how far she went, she had to return. That was her roots. But Nie Wushang was precisely the opposite. She absolutely couldn't return to Tianji. In Yunzhong, she had neither family nor friends, drifting like duckweed. The only thing that kept her going was her determination to continue cultivating.
Cultivators were also human. They might regard worldly emotions more lightly than mortals, but they couldn't completely abandon them.
"Maybe in a few years I'll come back to Yunzhong. We might have another chance to meet then." After a long while, this was all Mo Tiange could say.
Nie Wushang smiled, pushing the sentimental feelings aside. "What are your plans next?"
"Mm... First, I'll go find Ling Yunhe to collect payment. If things go smoothly, I'll return to Tianji." There was nothing to hide about this matter, so Mo Tiange told her frankly.
"Right, I almost forgot. Ling Yunhe still owes us." Nie Wushang smiled slightly, then sighed softly. "It's a pity. The payment he promised me is useless to me now."
Mo Tiange had never asked about this matter before and couldn't help being curious now. "What payment did you ask for when you agreed to Ling Yunhe's invitation back then?"
"A sacred relic for exorcising demons." Nie Wushang didn't hesitate, telling her directly before shaking her head with a bitter smile. "At the time, when I made this request, Ling Yunhe was quite troubled. If not for the urgent situation and his desperate need for help, he probably wouldn't have agreed to give it. But now, even if I got it, it would be useless." She was already a demonic cultivator now, with so much Origin Demonic Qi on her body directly occupying her meridians and Dantian. Trying to use demon-exorcising objects to clear the demonic energy from her body was an impossible task. If she insisted, she would probably lose all her cultivation.
"So you're not planning to go?"
"I estimate I'll need at least another ten or more years in seclusion." Nie Wushang thought for a moment. "How about this: if you see Ling Yunhe, tell him for me that what he promised me is now optional for me. If that item is very important to him, then he can substitute it with something else. I don't require its preciousness to match that sacred relic. I just don't want him to renege on the debt. When I leave seclusion, I'll go find him myself."
"Alright." Mo Tiange agreed immediately. It was just passing on a message, nothing difficult.
But Nie Wushang looked at her with complex emotions for a long while before finally saying, "I hope we still have fate to meet again."
"..." After a long pause, Mo Tiange smiled slightly. "Don't worry. When I one day form my Nascent Soul, I'll definitely come back to Yunzhong to find you."