"Fellow Daoist Qin," Ling Yunhe called from outside, "we can set off now."
Hearing the voice, Mo Tiange stopped her cultivation and emerged from the Virtual Sky Realm. This Ling Yunhe already knew her real name, yet stubbornly insisted on calling her "Fellow Daoist Qin," saying he was used to it and couldn't be bothered to change.
She shook her head, withdrew the room's restriction, and stepped out. Ling Yunhe was actually not a bad person; if not for their opposing positions, they might have become friends. However, at present, that possibility was slim. She had already made up her mind: once this matter was concluded, she would immediately return to Tianji. Unless her strength increased dramatically in the future, she would never set foot in Yunzhong again—it was better to stay far away after offending so many Nascent Soul cultivators.
Still, she didn't consider herself greedy in this matter. All she sought was the opportunity to enter the mysterious space within the Guixu Sea to find her own chance. These Nascent Soul cultivators, however, only wanted her to obediently play the role of a key. It was even possible that once she outlived her usefulness, they would simply wave a hand and eliminate her.
As for True Person Yuan Mu's suggestion of taking her into their sect, not only did she already have her own master and sect, but even if she truly joined the Jiuyan Sect, they would never nurture her the way they did Ling Yunhe. The most likely scenario was that they would give her a few things to placate her and send her on her way. And with the Virtual Sky Realm in her possession, how could she possibly covet ordinary treasures? Only true opportunities were what she sought.
It was precisely these two words—'opportunity'—that had thoroughly offended these Nascent Soul cultivators. Opportunities were not infinite. She possessed the Fusheng Sword, giving her a greater chance of obtaining opportunities than others. If a crucial opportunity were taken by her, others would be left with nothing.
But why should she give up an opportunity within her grasp? Although she lacked sufficient cultivation, it was unfortunately the case that she possessed the Fusheng Sword, which they did not.
"Fellow Daoist Ling, are we not waiting any longer?"
Ling Yunhe replied, "There's already news about the Heavenly Demon Tower, so there's no need to wait. The seniors have already announced the time; those Nascent Soul cultivators will naturally appear before the secret land opens."
Mo Tiange nodded in understanding. Such an opportunity was something others could only dream of; of course, they wouldn't want to miss it.
Following Ling Yunhe, she once again saw those Nascent Soul cultivators.
Over the past few days, their tempers had likely cooled. The looks they gave her no longer held the anger of that day, but were instead quite cold.
Seeing her arrival, True Person Yuan Mu spoke: "Very well, let us set off now."
The other cultivators responded one after another, each employing their own methods and stepping onto their flying treasures. Ling Yunhe, Han Shizhi, and Juewu were each taken under the wing of their respective masters.
Seeing that no one paid her any mind, Mo Tiange also waved her sleeve, causing clouds to form beneath her feet as she activated her Treading Cloud Boots.
The group of Nascent Soul cultivators suddenly rose into the air, transforming into streaks of light as they flew swiftly into the distance.
Yiye Island was only a small island, and such a commotion startled almost all the cultivators present. Those at the Nascent Soul level and above had mostly already received the news and departed earlier. The Core Formation cultivators, however, watched with a mixture of envy and jealousy. Only a few bold ones gazed in the direction the streaks of light had vanished and quietly followed. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain—how could they possibly keep up with the speed of Nascent Soul cultivators?
At this moment, Mo Tiange was driving her Treading Cloud Boots with all her might, even summoning the Shrinking Earth Ruler to boost her speed. Yet, keeping up with these Nascent Soul cultivators was still extremely strenuous. If they hadn't been holding back their full speed, she would have been left behind long ago.
She inwardly sighed with bitter amusement. Were the hearts of these Nascent Soul cultivators really as small as a needle's point? They had already agreed to her conditions, yet they still seemed to take pleasure in watching her struggle and lose face.
In truth, seeing her barely managing to keep up with the group, these Nascent Soul cultivators were secretly surprised. Some even thought to themselves that this female cultivator dared to negotiate terms with them, Nascent Soul cultivators, precisely because she had some capability. Considering further that she was already at the Core Formation perfection stage, with the right opportunity she could step into the Nascent Soul realm and become their equal. With this thought, those early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators began to shed their dismissive attitude toward her.
Mo Tiange chased with great difficulty. The result of driving her treasures at full power was that her spiritual energy drained too quickly, forcing her to constantly keep a high-grade Spirit-Replenishing Pill in her mouth. Despite this, she was slowly falling behind.
After flying for a while longer, Venerable Wuming suddenly spoke: "Little Fellow Daoist, allow this old monk to lend you a hand." As he spoke, his kasaya fluttered, and a surge of energy instantly approached Mo Tiange, sweeping her over. In a flash, she found herself standing on Venerable Wuming's lotus platform.
Mo Tiange let out a relieved breath and bowed in thanks. "Many thanks for Senior's assistance."
Venerable Wuming gave a slight smile and said no more, continuing to drive his lotus platform forward.
Among these Nascent Soul cultivators, Venerable Wuming had treated her relatively well. Over a decade ago, when he asked for the return of the Heaven-Encompassing Net, he hadn't made things difficult for her. And this time, when other cultivators were giving her a hard time, he had extended a helping hand. She secretly felt fortunate that she had returned the Heaven-Encompassing Net so readily back then. Perhaps it was precisely this that had left Venerable Wuming with a sliver of goodwill toward her.
"... Benefactor Mo, are you alright?"
A voice sounded by her ear. Mo Tiange turned her head to see Juewu, who stood behind Venerable Wuming just like her. This Juewu was tall and sturdy, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, appearing quite robust yet honest and simple. As he turned his head to ask, his expression held genuine concern, not feigned.
Mo Tiange wiped the sweat from her forehead and answered with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist. I'm just a little tired, that's all."
Juewu also smiled at her, then resumed his stance with hands clasped, standing obediently behind Venerable Wuming.
A flicker of confusion passed through Mo Tiange's eyes. Back when they met in Tianxue City, Juewu had been driven out, utterly destitute, and had even joined his junior brother in robbing other cultivators. Although he spoke of precepts, his actions were rather... Moreover, back then, when she killed his junior brother in a fit of anger, he had been deeply grieved. How was it that now he showed no resentment at all and even expressed concern for her?
Sensing her occasional glances, Juewu turned and smiled at her. "Is there something on Benefactor Mo's mind? Why do you keep looking at this humble monk?"
Since she had been discovered, Mo Tiange decided to speak frankly. "Please don't take offense, Fellow Daoist Juewu. It's just that I feel you are quite different from when we first met, so..."
"So that's it," Juewu replied, still wearing a humble smile. "What happened back then was a momentary lapse on this humble monk's part. Since Senior Brother Juexin brought me back to Baifu Mountain, I have severed ties with the past."
"Is that so..." Could it be that he didn't even hold a grudge over the killing of his junior brother?
"Little Fellow Daoist," Venerable Wuming at the front suddenly spoke, "Juewu practices Chan."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. Practices Chan? What did that mean?
Juewu merely smiled at her, then resumed his posture, eyes fixed ahead, and said nothing more.
For the next several days, the group focused solely on traveling. During this time, Mo Tiange witnessed the multitude of sea beasts in the Guixu Sea, from fifth-rank to seventh-rank, too many to count, and even the occasional eighth-rank sea beast. Fortunately, with so many Nascent Soul cultivators present, those sea beasts sensed the powerful aura and fled far away before the group could even approach. Their journey was almost entirely without incident until they reached their destination.
Several days later, the group of Nascent Soul cultivators came to a stop above a solitary island in the sea.
Looking down at the small island shrouded in mist and clouds, someone asked doubtfully, "Senior Brother Yuan Mu, is this the place?"
Mo Tiange also harbored doubts. The island below was somewhat larger than Yiye Island, but it was barren, looking like nothing more than a rocky mountain, devoid of any spiritual energy.
"Naturally," True Person Yuan Mu replied without explanation, directly descending onto the island.
The others followed suit, landing one after another.
On the small island, other cultivators were already waiting. Seeing the cultivators from the three sects, they hurried forward to greet them.
Mo Tiange swept her gaze over them. Most of these cultivators were at the early Nascent Soul stage and didn't seem to belong to any major power. They could basically be considered extras—the greatest benefits would naturally be divided among the largest factions, while people like them would have to rely on their own individual opportunities.
Mo Tiange thanked Venerable Wuming, then casually found a quiet corner to sit down cross-legged.
Over the course of the next day, Nascent Soul cultivators continued to arrive, their cultivation levels growing increasingly higher.
"Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu, Fellow Daoist Wuming, Master Yu, the three of you have arrived quite early."
Sensing another powerful aura approaching, Mo Tiange opened her eyes to see another late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator descending with several disciples.
This late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator appeared to be a thin, withered old man, dressed in tattered Daoist robes and holding a horsetail whisk, yet his voice was full of vigor.
"So it's Fellow Daoist Guo who has arrived!" True Person Yuan Mu greeted him with a smiling face upon seeing him.
"This is Daoist Guo of the Pufa Sect," Ling Yunhe came to her side and said softly. "Daoist Guo may seem unremarkable, but his Vajra Body Refinement Art is extremely formidable. Few in Yunzhong can break through his body protection technique."
Mo Tiange nodded to show she understood, then turned and smiled at Ling Yunhe. "Thank you for informing me, Fellow Daoist Ling. Fellow Daoist Ling still associates with me; aren't you afraid your sect elders will be angry?"
Ling Yunhe chuckled. "Why would my uncles and granduncles care about such a thing? Their displeasure toward Fellow Daoist Qin is truly because Fellow Daoist Qin was too sharp and didn't leave them any face."
"Oh," Mo Tiange responded softly. So it was because her attitude had been too forceful, offending these Nascent Soul seniors. Come to think of it, these Nascent Soul seniors really did have hearts as small as a needle's point.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, we've known each other for many years now. Let me offer some unsolicited advice. Although you hold the Fusheng Sword and have Senior Fuyaozi's help, you still need to be cautious and prudent on this journey. After all, there are far too many Nascent Soul seniors coming this time, and among them are no shortage of those with fiery tempers. It would be best for Fellow Daoist Qin to temper your sharpness somewhat."
Hearing Ling Yunhe's admonition, Mo Tiange smiled and thanked him sincerely. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ling. I understand."
Seeing that she took his advice, Ling Yunhe revealed a smile, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief.
"By the way, Fellow Daoist Ling, has the master of the Heavenly Demon Tower also found someone to acknowledge as master?"
Ling Yunhe nodded. "Indeed. If that weren't the case, why would they have us acknowledge the Sacred Relics as masters?"
Mo Tiange thought it made sense. They were the ones who placed the greatest importance on the mysterious space within the Guixu Sea. Since they had set out, it naturally meant they had confirmed that all five Sacred Relics could acknowledge masters and open the space.
"Who exactly has obtained the Heavenly Demon Tower?"
This question made Ling Yunhe hesitate for a moment before he finally said, "Wait a little longer, Fellow Daoist Qin. You'll find out soon."