These were disciples of the Golden Blade Sect, five in total: two at Qi Refining Level 10, one at Level 9, and two at Level 8.
Mo Tiange furrowed her brow. With the special effects of the Azure Wood Formula, she could handle two or three cultivators of similar cultivation level and still have strength left for self-preservation. But more than three... she didn't know how many Qin Xi could handle.
At that moment, Qin Xi had already sheathed his sword and whispered, "Junior Brother Ye, leave the two at Level 10 to me. See if you can trap the others."
Mo Tiange nodded. Whether it was the Azure Wood Formula or the formations she excelled at, both were better at trapping than killing. If she had to face the other three head-on, she truly had little confidence. But temporarily trapping them would be much easier.
Qin Xi had already stepped forward. Sure enough, seeing that his cultivation was also at Level 10, the two Level 10 cultivators both advanced, manipulating their spiritual artifacts to pounce on him. Since the Immortal Platform Assembly, Mo Tiange hadn't seen Qin Xi fight, but he was highly proficient in spell application and practiced Body Tempering techniques—both suited for Dharma Combat. He was likely stronger than the average Qi Refining Level 10 cultivator.
She had no time to worry about Qin Xi. Among the other three, two had already charged at her. Mo Tiange took a step back, her footwork circling, and she dodged their attacks. She then summoned the Azure Wood Sword to hover above, providing cover, while scattering seeds from her hand. The two didn't know what the seeds were and chose to dodge. But the next moment, they discovered that where those things landed at their feet, thorny vines immediately burst forth. The thorns gleamed with a red light, and upon contact, they felt a burning pain as if scorched by fire. Seizing their momentary confusion, she threw out another handful of seeds. The fire thorns grew wildly again, forming a simple Spirit-Trapping Formation that surrounded them. The seeds that flew next, upon touching them, suddenly sprouted into large white flowers that bloomed, emitting an intoxicating fragrance. The two immediately felt dizzy, unable to muster their Spiritual Qi.
Mo Tiange breathed a sigh of relief, retrieved the Azure Wood Sword, and fixed her gaze on the remaining one. That person had originally thought a mere Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator could be handled by two of similar level, but hadn't expected them to be trapped instantly. He immediately manipulated his spiritual artifact to attack her.
This person had sharp eyes. Seeing Mo Tiange's methods, he immediately used the Lightness Art to engage her in Dharma Combat mid-air. With his form shifting in the air, she couldn't set up a formation on the spot or use vines to entangle him; she only had to face his Illusion Flowers and the attacks of the Azure Wood Sword.
This was also a weakness in Mo Tiange's Dharma Combat. Once she advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, combat between cultivators would mostly take place in the air, making thorns and the like useless. Moreover, the Azure Wood Formula could only stimulate short-term plant growth, and those things would have little effect on Foundation Establishment cultivators. Right now, this person simply flying mid-air with the Lightness Art rendered half of her Azure Wood Formula ineffective.
For a moment, the situation was deadlocked. Mo Tiange glanced at the Spirit-Trapping Formation and frowned. A hastily set-up formation could only trap them temporarily; dragging this out would be disastrous.
Thinking this, she took out talismans from her robe, intending to end the fight quickly. Unexpectedly, at that moment, the person opposite her let out a cry of shock and anger.
Mo Tiange turned her head and saw Qin Xi catching something in his hand. His opponent was now only one person.
Overjoyed, she seized the moment when her opponent was distracted and ruthlessly threw out the talismans. Amid the flames ignited by the talismans, the token at this person's waist emitted a soft white light. Within the light, his body vanished, the token dimmed, and fell to the ground.
Mo Tiange reached out to catch the token, then turned to join Qin Xi in facing the remaining Level 10 cultivator. With his companions successively teleported out, this person was already flustered. It didn't take long before he too was teleported out, and Qin Xi collected the token. The two Level 8 cultivators trapped in the Spirit-Trapping Formation had just broken free when they were immediately disrupted by a series of spells. They were defeated with little resistance. Their bodies vanished, and two tokens fell.
Mo Tiange let out a sigh of relief. She didn't have much combat experience. This time, winning two against five was something she hadn't been confident about. Her nerves had been stretched taut the entire time. Once the Dharma Combat ended, she felt her legs go weak.
Looking at the two tokens, Mo Tiange hesitated. Although Qin Xi had handled two and she three, in reality, it was because Qin Xi had defeated one first that she had an opportunity. So, these tokens... she couldn't just take them for granted, yet giving one up felt unwilling.
But Qin Xi just smiled. "Junior Brother Ye, you trapped these two. The tokens are yours."
With the other party conceding, Mo Tiange couldn't help but feel she had been petty, feeling a bit ashamed. But she also wasn't one for polite refusals. She immediately took the tokens and said earnestly, "Thank you, Senior Brother Qin. I will remember this kindness."
Qin Xi simply waved his hand and said no more.
At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside the chamber again. Mo Tiange and Qin Xi exchanged a glance, feeling exasperated. Hadn't they just finished off one group? Was another one coming?
The next moment, the person entering the room made them pause—it was Liu Yidao.
"Senior Brother Liu!"
Seeing them, Liu Yidao was surprised. "So you were ahead of me. What about Junior Brother Jiang and Junior Brother Xu? Have you seen them?"
Mo Tiange shook her head. "No. Senior Brother Liu, what's the situation outside?"
Liu Yidao said, "I discovered the formation was broken and have been looking for you all, but after searching for a long time, I didn't see anyone until I reached here."
"The other two senior brothers aren't outside either?"
"I haven't seen them."
Mo Tiange frowned. "It seems their situation isn't good." With the formation broken, it should be easy to find this place. Yet those two still hadn't arrived.
The other two looked at her, puzzled.
Mo Tiange took out a Jade Talisman from her Qiankun Bag, infused it with Spiritual Qi, and tried to send a message to Xu Jingzhi. The talisman showed no reaction at all. She sighed, put it away, and said, "They're not here. They might have already been defeated and teleported out."
Qin Xi immediately realized. "Was it those five just now?"
"Probably. They were also teleported here. The two senior brothers must have run into them outside and were defeated by their combined efforts."
Liu Yidao was confused. "What happened?"
Mo Tiange explained, "Just after we arrived here, five Golden Blade Sect disciples came in after us."
"Oh?" Liu Yidao was astonished. "Where are they now?"
"We defeated them, and they were teleported out."
It took Liu Yidao a moment to process this. He sighed, "I underestimated you two junior brothers. Winning two against five so completely..."
Mo Tiange smiled. "They weren't familiar with the characteristics of my spells and were caught off guard, that's all. Senior Brother Qin is the real deal, facing two without being at a disadvantage and defeating one first. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a chance."
Qin Xi just shook his head and changed the subject. "Since Senior Brother Liu is also here, let's discuss our next steps. We've been here for half a day already. Who knows what's happening outside."
Liu Yidao suggested, "Shall we go out then?"
Mo Tiange hesitated. "Isn't it too dangerous to go out now?"
But Liu Yidao said, "Junior Brother Ye, you don't understand. If we hide here for a while, it'll be even more dangerous. There are many Zixia Sect disciples this time, and Mist Valley isn't that big. Once they clear out everyone outside and come back to search, we'll be hard-pressed to hide. If we're found then, there'll be no escape."
His reasoning was sound. After a moment's consideration, Qin Xi said, "Then let's go out. Since we can't hide, we might as well defeat a few more."
Neither of the other two objected. They had Liu Yidao stand guard while they first meditated to recover the Spiritual Qi consumed in the fight. Once their Spiritual Qi and energy were restored, the three packed up their things and headed out of the formation.