A long time passed before True Person Yuan Mu drew a deep breath, his gaze heavy as he stared at Mo Tiange. "Junior, the other Sacred Relics also have their chosen masters. The method to open the mysterious space is not something only you know. As for the method you mentioned to obtain the immortal fate..." He paused, a trace of killing intent leaking from his originally kindly and amiable face. "This seat only needs to search your soul and then turn you into a puppet. It won't affect the Fusheng Sword's bond with its master."
Yet Mo Tiange still smiled, not even blinking. "This junior dares not say Senior is wrong. However, what Senior wishes to know—even if you search my soul—will be useless."
True Person Yuan Mu stared at her.
Mo Tiange said nothing more, her expression calm.
The next moment, the expressions of several Nascent Soul cultivators abruptly changed.
In the air, there was a powerful fluctuation of divine sense.
Yu Shusheng gripped his folding fan, his brow furrowing. "This divine sense..."
With his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, it wasn't difficult for him to sense that this divine sense was incomplete. Yet the hidden momentum of wind and thunder within it was something even he could not ignore.
The divine sense flashed into existence, then slowly faded into the long sword carried on Mo Tiange's back, disappearing from sight.
"Esteemed Seniors, this is this junior's true bargaining chip." Mo Tiange cupped her hands towards the assembly, speaking slowly.
Perhaps it was because her attitude was still relatively respectful, at least preserving face for these Nascent Soul cultivators. Or perhaps it was because her bargaining chip was too astonishing, forcing them to consider compromise. In the end, these Nascent Soul cultivators said nothing more. Even the irritable cultivator who had earlier clamored to exterminate Mo Tiange fell silent.
True Person Yuan Mu's gaze shifted to the side. Venerable Wuming remained smiling with his eyes closed, seemingly not prepared to state a position. Yu Shusheng's expression was gloomy, but in the end, he let out a silent sigh.
True Person Yuan Mu withdrew his gaze and finally spoke. "Little Fellow Daoist, please speak plainly about what you want." His voice was very calm, as if he had already accepted this outcome.
Fuyaozi, the number one cultivator of Yunzhong, unmatched for over a hundred thousand years—his existence was already a legend. Even if only a wisp of his divine sense remained, even if they were all late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, they were still awed by his reputation.
Mo Tiange was not surprised by this result. She was just a minor figure, but her master, Fuyaozi, was a truly great personage.
"This junior only wants the share that is rightfully mine," she said calmly.
"The share that is rightfully yours?" True Person Yuan Mu watched her. "Little Fellow Daoist, please speak more clearly."
Mo Tiange smiled slightly, her demeanor humble. "Simply put, it is an equal opportunity."
Yet the next moment, a faint blue vein seemed to bulge on True Person Yuan Mu's forehead. He drew a deep breath and rubbed his temples. Having cultivated to the late Nascent Soul stage, his state of mind should have long been tranquil and undisturbed. Yet today, he had been repeatedly provoked by a mere Core Formation junior.
"On what grounds do you demand an equal opportunity?" The speaker was Yu Shusheng, who looked coldly at Mo Tiange. "Even if you have Senior Fuyaozi's divine sense by your side, you are still just a Core Formation cultivator. Even if we agreed, would you dare to trust us?" Once they found the immortal fate, with a mere wave of their hands, this junior would be reduced to ashes. Between two sides so completely unequal, how could she demand an equal opportunity?
"On the grounds of the Fusheng Sword in this junior's hands," Mo Tiange said lightly. She didn't care about Yu Shusheng's attitude. These late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were accustomed to being high above; how could they tolerate someone else taking a share from their hands? Especially someone who was merely a Core Formation cultivator, little better than an ant in their eyes.
"Little Fellow Daoist," True Person Yuan Mu looked at her, his gaze profound but his tone flat. "This seat will give you one more chance. If you obediently comply now, after entering that mysterious space, this seat guarantees your safe departure, and may even accept you into our sect. How about that?"
Mo Tiange merely smiled slightly. "This junior appreciates Senior's kind intention."
Having taken another step back only to be refused again, True Person Yuan Mu's expression darkened, his voice sinking. "Don't you think your appetite is too big?"
Mo Tiange said, "Five Sacred Relics, five people each taking one share. If this junior's appetite were truly too big, what I would demand would not be an equal opportunity, but one-fifth. After entering that secret land, with the capabilities of you esteemed Seniors, what you obtain will naturally be far more than what this junior can get. Why must you insist on making this junior a puppet, waiting for your charity?"
"..."
In the silence, it was ultimately Venerable Wuming who spoke. Among all the Nascent Soul cultivators present, this late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was the calmest. He still said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu, Master Yu, why not let this little Fellow Daoist go rest first? This matter cannot be rushed."
Mo Tiange's trump card had now been revealed. Her demand had been stated. What remained was the question of how they would respond. Keeping her here any longer was useless.
True Person Yuan Mu thought for a while. Seeing that no one else had an opinion, he said, "Yunhe, take this little Fellow Daoist to rest." He didn't utter a single polite word to Mo Tiange, nor did he even glance at her—probably furious.
Ling Yunhe respectfully responded, "Yes, Uncle-Master." Then he cupped his hands towards Mo Tiange. "Qin... ah, Fellow Daoist Mo, please."
Mo Tiange smiled and followed him out of the meeting hall.
After walking with Ling Yunhe for a while, putting distance between them and the meeting hall, she heard him say, "Fellow Daoist truly has remarkable courage. Facing so many Seniors, you showed not the slightest fear."
Mo Tiange merely smiled slightly. "It was simply a matter of having no other choice."
"..." Ling Yunhe was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Does Fellow Daoist Qin not trust me?"
Mo Tiange was puzzled. "What does Fellow Daoist Ling mean by that?"
Ling Yunhe frowned. "Although Ling is merely a Core Formation cultivator, if it's just guaranteeing Fellow Daoist Qin's safety, I can still manage that."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. After thinking, she realized he had misunderstood, thinking she didn't trust his guarantee and thus had to negotiate with the Nascent Soul cultivators to fight for a chance at survival.
She shook her head. "Fellow Daoist Ling need not think too much. What I said earlier was not a bluff, nor were my words false."
"Is that so?" Seeing her expression so calm, Ling Yunhe couldn't help but believe somewhat. "Then that truly was Senior Fuyaozi?"
Mo Tiange only smiled and didn't answer further. Instead, she asked about other matters. "Fellow Daoist Ling, I heard that the Sacred Relic of the Jiuyan Sect is the God-Restricting Bead. Could it be the same God-Restricting Bead we witnessed during that trip to Carefree Valley?"
"No," Ling Yunhe said. "The God-Restricting Bead in Ling's possession back then was a replica refined by an ancestor of my Ling family, modeled after the true God-Restricting Bead. However, its appearance and abilities are nearly identical."
"Oh..." No wonder Ling Yunhe could obtain the God-Restricting Bead back then; it wasn't the genuine article. "Then... is Fellow Daoist Ling the true chosen master of the God-Restricting Bead?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Yunhe's steps halted. He turned his head to look at her.
Mo Tiange smiled. "This is merely my speculation. If it's inconvenient, Fellow Daoist Ling need not answer."
Ling Yunhe turned his head back and continued leading the way. "Fellow Daoist Qin guessed correctly. The person chosen by the God-Restricting Bead is indeed Ling."
"Oh..." Mo Tiange nodded. "Are the chosen masters of the Heaven-Encompassing Net and the Nameless Record Juexin and Han Shizhi?"
Ling Yunhe smiled. "Correct. Otherwise, how could us Core Formation cultivators participate in such a grand gathering?"
Yet Mo Tiange frowned, thinking to herself, "The three of them, plus me—we're all at the Core Formation stage..." Her heart stirred, and she communicated with Fuyaozi using her divine sense. "Master, is there some hidden secret in this?"
"Hehe," Fuyaozi's voice sounded in her mind. "The Fusheng Sword recognizing you as its master was originally a coincidence of fate; its relation to cultivation level isn't very significant. However, the reason they are three Core Formation cultivators... this master speculates it's because the power on the keys is insufficient."
"Ah?"
"Didn't this master say earlier? Their divine sense secret arts cannot compare to this master's. Presumably, after being sealed for so many years, their divine sense has gradually faded. If they chose Nascent Soul cultivators, the power wouldn't be enough, so they could only choose Core Formation cultivators."
"So, the other Sacred Relics can arbitrarily choose their masters?" Could they just swap to someone else?
"It's not that simple," Fuyaozi said. "Although their conditions for recognizing a master aren't as stringent as this master's, they aren't that casual either. Moreover, because their divine sense secret arts aren't powerful enough, their Sacred Relics can only recognize a master once. That's why this master is certain they wouldn't dare take the risk."
Mo Tiange began to understand. In short, her master was just more cunning.
"Master, your Fusheng Sword requires a Mixed Spiritual Root to recognize a master—a Mixed Spiritual Root that appears only once in a thousand years. And those four, because their secret arts aren't powerful enough, can only have their relics recognize a master once. Wouldn't it be too difficult to gather all five Sacred Relic masters simultaneously?"
Fuyaozi chuckled lightly. "So what if they can't be gathered? The reason this master set up these tricks was merely to leave behind a legacy for myself. Even if the mysterious space of the Guixu Sea never opens again, what does it matter to us?"
"..." Mo Tiange secretly wiped sweat. Anyway, he was now just a wisp of divine sense, and his true self had long since reached the Deity Transformation stage, so it really had nothing to do with her. As for the other four sages, who knew where they had gone? They probably just left an opportunity for later generations. In the end, if it couldn't be obtained, they likely wouldn't care either.
But the living Nascent Soul cultivators would care.
Inside the meeting hall, the various Nascent Soul cultivators remained silent, each with an unpleasant expression.
After a long while, Ling Shiyu asked, "Senior Brother Yuan Mu, is there really no other way? Although Senior Fuyaozi is said to be the number one cultivator of Yunzhong, he is, after all, a figure from a hundred thousand years ago, and now only a bit of divine sense remains..."
True Person Yuan Mu held his teacup, not moving for a long time. At this moment, he sighed and said, "It's not that simple. Only now does this seat realize that Fuyaozi was truly far more powerful than our sect's founding ancestor."
Someone was puzzled. "What does Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu mean by this? His Fusheng Sword is a Sacred Relic, but we also have Sacred Relics in our hands. Can't we contend against it?"
Yu Shusheng tapped his folding fan and spoke. "Our three sects have already chosen to cooperate. Everyone present is an elite of the three sects. Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu, Fellow Daoist Wuming, why don't we speak openly?"
Upon hearing this, Venerable Wuming nodded with a smile. "The two Fellow Daoists decide. This old monk has no objections."
True Person Yuan Mu considered for a moment and also nodded. He set down his teacup, his gaze sweeping over the Nascent Soul cultivators present. "Since that's the case, this seat will make things clear to everyone." He paused. "Everyone probably doesn't know this: a Sacred Relic can only recognize a master once. After recognition, the spiritual consciousness on it dissipates. Unless the new master also reaches the same cultivation level as the five sage predecessors and places a new seal on the Sacred Relic, it is no different from an ordinary magic treasure."
"Ah!" Exclamations arose in the meeting hall. This matter was a secret of the three sects; not all Nascent Soul cultivators knew about it.
Someone cried out, "Senior Brother Yuan Mu, does that mean we must gather all five Sacred Relics and have them all recognize masters before the current masters perish?"
True Person Yuan Mu shook his head. "Our Sacred Relics have not yet recognized masters." His brow furrowed deeply. "Fellow Daoist Yuanming, Master Yu, and I discussed earlier that before confirming all Sacred Relics can recognize masters, we would not let the Sacred Relics recognize masters. Otherwise, if even one Sacred Relic cannot recognize a master, the secret of the Guixu Sea will be sealed forever."
Ling Shiyu caught on. "So, that junior has already had the Fusheng Sword recognize her as master. We simply cannot find another person for the Fusheng Sword to recognize?"
"Correct. That is the reason the three of us are constrained," Yu Shusheng said, his expression gloomy. If not for this junior knowing this point, how could she be so arrogant? Searching her soul, turning her into a puppet—these were just methods to intimidate her. After turning her into a puppet, whether the Sacred Relic could still function as before was not certain. And they absolutely would not consider giving up such an opportunity.
"Moreover, we now face another problem," Venerable Wuming said with a smile. "We still cannot confirm whether the Heavenly Demon Tower has produced someone who can be recognized as its master."
"..." After a moment of dead silence, someone gritted their teeth. "If because of this junior, the secret land of the Guixu Sea can never open, I will definitely grind her bones to dust!"