"He is undergoing body tempering with the Breath of the Vermilion Bird." Having learned what happened from Feifei, Mo Tiange said this to Jing Xingzhi.
Jing Xingzhi was puzzled. "How do you know?"
Mo Tiange hesitated. The fact that Feifei could speak was truly astonishing. In the current cultivation world, demon beasts only began to develop intelligence at the eighth rank, learning to speak after study; Feifei was merely a fifth-rank spirit beast, yet its intelligence was in no way inferior to a human's. If others knew of this, Feifei would likely become a coveted treasure for everyone. Although within this Immortal Palace, Jing Xingzhi could be considered trustworthy, such a matter...
"Just trust me on this," Mo Tiange finally said without explaining clearly. Feifei never spoke in front of Jing Xingzhi, only communicating with her through divine sense, probably because it also didn't want others to know.
Jing Xingzhi didn't ask further, turning his attention to Qin Xi's condition. Having wandered the cultivation world for many years, he knew when to learn to keep his mouth shut and not ask unnecessary questions.
The two of them kept watch like this, observing Qin Xi being enveloped once more by the Breath of the Vermilion Bird, slowly undergoing the body tempering process.
This process lasted a full three days.
At first, Jing Xingzhi was quite concerned, but later, growing impatient from waiting and hearing Mo Tiange say there was no danger, he resumed his previous habits, still meditating daily, practicing his sword arts, and going out to wander.
By the third day, Mo Tiange saw the fiery light on Qin Xi's body growing fainter, while his complexion grew increasingly ruddy. Knowing the body tempering was nearing completion, she was overjoyed.
In this dim underground palace, although she had spent several months in relative calm, she had been suppressing her emotions all along. Only now did she finally feel her mood brightening.
Finally, half a day later, the fiery light on Qin Xi dimmed and then completely extinguished.
For the first time in over half a year, a slight fluctuation appeared on that previously unconscious face. After a while, he opened his eyes.
"Senior Brother..." The long-awaited moment had arrived, yet Mo Tiange found her voice choked.
Qin Xi slowly turned his head, spotting her at a glance, but made no sound. Instead, he gently reached out and took her hand.
Mo Tiange's eyes grew slightly moist at the corners. She revealed a smile, closed her eyes, and lightly rested her cheek against his hand, savoring this long-lost warmth. This silent tenderness did not last long before a series of clattering sounds interrupted them—Feifei had jumped onto the tea table, swept several puppet components to the floor, then flicked its tail and turned its backside toward them to express its displeasure.
Mo Tiange couldn't help but laugh, blinking away the moisture at the corners of her eyes. That fellow Feifei had never quite taken a liking to Qin Xi, perhaps due to its divine beast pride. Acknowledging her as its master was already a compromise it had to accept; having to tolerate Qin Xi, who was unrelated to it, was apparently too much.
Qin Xi also smiled. After regaining consciousness and lying still for a while, he had recovered some energy. Now sitting up and stretching his limbs slightly, he was surprised to find himself brimming with strength.
Somewhat astonished, he performed an internal inspection and discovered that his Dantian and meridians were vastly different from before. Even his body had become much more resilient. Extending a hand, it seemed to possess something extra compared to the past, appearing full of vitality just by looking at it.
Subsequently, he looked around and noticed this place was still the Vermilion Bird Hall, yet the surrounding setup resembled a temporary dwelling.
"What happened?" Qin Xi wondered. He remembered being engulfed by the Breath of the Vermilion Bird, with his meridians and Dantian enduring the Vermilion Bird's divine power. That power was too immense; he thought he wouldn't hold on, then lost consciousness. Yet unexpectedly, he woke up not only fine but even better than before, Tian Ge was unharmed, and they were still in the Vermilion Bird Hall—
Wait, back then, the time for the Immortal Palace Passage to close was very near. Why were they still here now?
"Tian Ge, has the passage closed?" he asked with a grave expression.
Qin Xi's question had immediately grasped the crucial point.
Mo Tiange nodded, rather nonchalantly saying, "You've been unconscious for over half a year. The Immortal Palace Passage closed long ago."
"Is that so?" Upon learning this news, Qin Xi was only slightly taken aback, showing neither shock nor panic, then let out a soft sigh. He was well aware of the situation before his coma. With only Jing Xingzhi and the others, it was already difficult for them to preserve their lives; escaping through the Immortal Palace Passage was nearly impossible.
Compared to life itself, being trapped within the Immortal Palace was no big deal. With life came hope. He was no privileged disciple from a renowned sect who had never faced setbacks. Although his path to the Nascent Soul stage hadn't been overly rough, he had experienced plenty of hardships, and his mental fortitude had long been tempered to be unyielding.
These thoughts flashed through his mind. His gaze fell upon Mo Tiange as he asked with concern, "Then, over these past six months, have you been alright? Did they give you any trouble? What else happened later?"
"What could be wrong with me? You can tell just by looking at me," Mo Tiange replied with a gentle smile. "As for what happened during these six months..."
Taking some time, Mo Tiange recounted everything that occurred after he lost consciousness: the Jiuyan Sect's hopes dashed, Perfected One Tiemian's helpless departure, Jing Xingzhi getting implicated and injured, Demon Lord Guifang's demise, Yang Chengji cultivating the Origin Demonic Art, and finally, how he, due to the Yang Spirit Bead, had subdued the Bow of the Vermilion Bird and had his body transformed.
"So that's how it is."
After listening, Qin Xi suddenly understood. "No wonder, the moment I woke up, I found myself so different from before."
Mo Tiange's eyes sparkled. "Did you advance a stage?"
Seeing her expectant look, Qin Xi chuckled. "It's not that easy. My next advancement would be to the late Nascent Soul stage. It's just that, back then, to cross the South Sea, I forcibly elevated my cultivation to advance, leaving my foundation somewhat unstable. I also sustained injuries while crossing the South Sea. Although my cultivation level remained, there were hidden issues within my body. Just now, I discovered my Dantian is full, my meridians are robust, and even my physical body has become incredibly sturdy. Not only have the hidden issues been completely eradicated, but my Spiritual Qi has also solidified considerably."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange set down the heavy stone in her heart. "That's good. I was worried there might be aftereffects. This way, it actually resolves the major problem you had before."
"Indeed," Qin Xi also appeared relaxed. "I originally thought the injuries from the South Sea would take many years to fully recover. Now, it seems misfortune has turned to blessing."
"What about the Bow of the Vermilion Bird?" Since other matters were fine, Mo Tiange asked about this. "Feifei said the Yang Spirit Bead has assimilated the Breath of the Vermilion Bird, so the Bow of the Vermilion Bird has acknowledged you as its master. Can you sense it?"
Qin Xi did not answer immediately, tentatively using his Spiritual Qi to approach the Yang Spirit Bead within his Dantian. He knew the Bow of the Vermilion Bird was inside the Yang Spirit Bead. Ever since making the Yang Spirit Bead his own, this pearl had been continuously transforming his physique. However, limited by his cultivation level, the amount of Spiritual Qi from within the Yang Spirit Bead he could currently utilize was still very small.
Half a day later, Qin Xi shook his head. "I can sense the Bow of the Vermilion Bird, but I cannot extract it from within the Yang Spirit Bead. I think it's because the assimilation isn't sufficient. Although the Yang Spirit Bead has already merged with me as one, the Spiritual Qi contained within is simply too vast for my current self to utilize. It was the Yang Spirit Bead that subdued the Bow of the Vermilion Bird, not me personally. Both of these, regardless of which one, possess power far too immense. To control them, I still need to slowly tame them."
Powerful treasures, even after being subdued, were not so easy to use. Mo Tiange understood this principle and didn't inquire further.
Regardless, he was awake, and had even turned misfortune into blessing—that was a good thing. The Bow of the Vermilion Bird was never part of the plan to begin with. Fuyaozi hadn't told her about the Bow of the Vermilion Bird's existence from the start, clearly knowing that with their cultivation level, obtaining it was fundamentally impossible.
Now that the Bow of the Vermilion Bird had unintentionally been subdued by Qin Xi, it was already an unexpected boon. Not being able to use it immediately was nothing to fret over.
Qin Xi seemed to understand what she was thinking. He reached out, drew her into his embrace, and said softly, "These past six months must have been hard on you."
During this period, although there was no need for combat or schemes, being trapped in this dim underground palace with slim hopes, an uncertain future, worrying about his injuries, and planning an escape method... all these things combined would have been enough to crush anyone without firm resolve. And by her side, there was only a friend-like yet somewhat unreliable Jing Xingzhi and a proud, contrary-tempered spirit beast—no one to share the burden.
Mo Tiange also wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling their body temperatures meld together. The nerves that had been taut for over half a year suddenly relaxed.
"I... wasn't the least bit hard-pressed..." she murmured, closing her eyes.
None of this mattered. As long as hope remained in her heart, these psychological trials were nothing. She was no longer that orphaned girl who lost her parents and had no one to rely on, nor that immature, often-erring junior cultivator. She possessed a strong heart and unwavering will, capable of stepping forward to shoulder everything when he met with an accident.
Just as the two were immersed in tender affection, a voice suddenly came: "Huh, awake?"
It was Jing Xingzhi returning.
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi separated. Both their attitudes were natural, not feeling awkward in the slightest—they hadn't been doing anything.
Qin Xi glanced at him and said, "I didn't expect you to still be alive." His tone was very flat, as if merely stating a fact.
Yet precisely because of his flat tone, Jing Xingzhi felt particularly displeased. "Why shouldn't I be alive? You're still alive!" This Qin Shoujing really had a habit of looking down on him!
"Isn't that so? Daring to enter the Immortal Palace at the early Nascent Soul stage, your courage was already considerable. And on top of that, confronting late Nascent Soul cultivators—you surviving until now is truly a miracle."
"Hmph! Put you in my position, dare you say you wouldn't do the same?" Jing Xingzhi retorted bluntly. "You're only at the mid Nascent Soul stage, yet you dared to bring your little sweetheart and tangle with a bunch of late Nascent Soul cultivators. Your courage is no smaller than mine. Besides, if you hadn't been lucky enough to run into me, the two of you would have been wiped out long ago!"
These words were not an exaggeration. When Qin Xi fell unconscious from receiving the Breath of the Vermilion Bird, if Jing Xingzhi hadn't been by their side, Perfected One Tiemian definitely wouldn't have let them off.
Yet Qin Xi ignored the main point of this statement, only saying, "Tian Ge is not my little sweetheart. She is my Dao companion."
"..." Jing Xingzhi was speechless for a moment. "Qin Shoujing, you..."
But Qin Xi smiled and suddenly said, "Thank you. Although I truly find it hard to believe this is something you would do."
"..." Even expressing thanks came with a jab. Jing Xingzhi was left speechless.