Nearly a century had passed since their return, and there were many matters to attend to.
Regarding their cave abode, Shui Linbo and Ye Zhenji had managed things quite properly, saving the two of them a great deal of trouble. Afterward, reuniting with fellow sect members and catching up with old friends kept them busy for several days.
Among their old acquaintances, Ye Jingwen, needless to say, had already formed his Core. His aptitude was good, and he had always been diligent in his cultivation. Back when Mo Tiange had yet to leave on her travels, he had already attempted Core Formation, but unfortunately failed. Over the course of this nearly one hundred years, he had made several more attempts and finally succeeded in advancing not long ago.
People like Kuang Zhu and Zhan Bai were also doing well. Kuang Zhu's cultivation had progressed even further, and he was currently doing his utmost to help Zhan Bai attempt Core Formation. It was said that this "Junior Brother Bai" had excellent aptitude and a solid foundation. Kuang Zhu had even managed to enlist Daojun Hua Yan's help, making the likelihood of successful Core Formation quite high.
What surprised Mo Tiange was that after her return, Luo Fengxue had neither come to visit nor even sent a message. She found it strange. Could it be that because she had formed her Nascent Soul, Luo Fengxue felt it inconvenient to associate with her anymore? Given Luo Fengxue's personality, that really didn't seem like her.
Upon asking Shui Linbo, she learned that Luo Fengxue was also in closed-door cultivation, attempting Core Formation.
Luo Fengxue's aptitude was also extremely good. However, she was more interested in wielding authority, and her cultivation wasn't particularly diligent. After so many years, she had only reached the Foundation Establishment perfection stage.
Over these years, the Xuanqing Sect had seen a batch of Core Formation cultivators whose lifespans had run out pass away. At the same time, disciples of the younger generation had successively formed their Golden Cores. The high-level cultivators were gradually being replaced.
Ye Jingwen was one of them. Over two hundred years old, he was still considered very young for a Core Formation cultivator. The one who had formed his Core even earlier was Bai Yanfei from Chaoyang Peak. This single-spirit-rooted Junior Brother Bai had succeeded in Core Formation at a little over one hundred and ten years old, which could be considered a young achiever. Unfortunately, with Qin Shoujing, Li Lingxi, and Mo Qingwei being such outstanding talents ahead of him, his cultivation speed could only be considered barely satisfactory.
What surprised Mo Tiange was that Junior Sister Jiang from Liuyun Peak had also succeeded in Core Formation. According to Shui Linbo's report, after experiencing the blows of Bai Yanfei's marriage and Dao Lord Lingxu's passing, this Junior Sister Jiang had shed her willful and spoiled temperament and devoted herself wholeheartedly to arduous cultivation, advancing to Core Formation at one hundred and sixty years old. In contrast, Senior Sister Wu, whom Bai Yanfei had married, had never managed to succeed in Core Formation.
After a few days of interaction, Shui Linbo grew a bit bolder and said to Mo Tiange, "Senior Aunt Wu has quite good aptitude. If she hadn't been handling mundane affairs for Senior Uncle Bai day after day, she might have succeeded in Core Formation many years earlier..."
She spoke euphemistically, but Mo Tiange understood her meaning. That Senior Sister Wu was a disciple of Daojun Miaoyi, so her aptitude was as one can imagine. She was slightly older than Mo Tiange, probably around one hundred and ninety years old now. For a personal disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator, forming a Core at this age was quite common. Unfortunately, she had married Bai Yanfei and spent her days handling his mundane affairs, holding herself back.
Mo Tiange felt somewhat emotional. Back then, Junior Sister Jiang had lost in love, and Senior Sister Wu had unexpectedly won. Who could have imagined things would turn out like this today? If Bai Yanfei hadn't chosen Senior Sister Wu, Junior Sister Jiang might not have cultivated her mind and temperament and succeeded in Core Formation. If Senior Sister Wu hadn't married Bai Yanfei and focused on cultivation, she might have advanced to Core Formation long ago. And when Bai Yanfei married Senior Sister Wu back then, he wanted to find a suitable dual cultivation partner. With his single-spirit-root aptitude, he would absolutely not choose a female cultivator who couldn't form her Core. Yet the current situation was completely unexpected back then.
Furthermore, among the younger generation, not everyone had smoothly formed their Golden Cores. Some had met with unexpected demise. This person was Wei Jiasi.
Back when Mo Tiange hadn't yet formed her Core, the senior apprentice sister of that time, Han Qingyu, had already succeeded in Core Formation. But the second senior apprentice sister, Wei Jiasi, was still stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage when Mo Tiange left the mountain. Shui Linbo said she had been unable to advance to Core Formation for a long time. Seeing her age increasing, she steeled her heart and forcibly attempted Core Formation, only to suffer a deviation and meet an unexpected demise. After this incident, the various peak ancestors strictly ordered their disciples that if their mental state cultivation was insufficient, they must never forcibly attempt advancement.
Hearing this news, Mo Tiange fell silent for a long time. That Senior Sister Wei, though proud in temperament, wasn't bad at heart. She had just been trapped by emotions, falling into a demonic obsession, and ended up with such a result. It was truly lamentable.
As for Ruan Mingzhu, her illness had improved a lot over the years. Han Qingyu and Luo Fengxue took good care of her, and she was living well on Ganlu Peak.
A few days later, with everything settled, news finally came from Shangqing Palace: Daojun Jinghe had emerged from closed-door cultivation!
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi were overjoyed and immediately went to Shangqing Palace to pay their respects.
Having not returned for over eighty years, although the maidservants in Shangqing Palace still went by the same names, they were a completely new batch of people.
The original maidservants had grown older. Some had returned to focus on cultivation, others had sought different paths. After all, being a maidservant to a Nascent Soul ancestor had its benefits, but one couldn't do it forever. They were already over two hundred years old. If their cultivation hadn't progressed, they only had about a century left before their lifespans ran out. None of these new maidservants recognized them.
The new Mingsha, with a look of surprise and doubt, welcomed them into Shangqing Palace. The two of them immediately saw Daojun Jinghe sitting on the dragon throne, flipping through some book.
Even though he was already over a thousand years old, Daojun Jinghe still looked exactly the same, not a day older. Black hair, short beard, golden crown, brocade robes—exuding an imposing, noble air. Even though he was sitting quite properly at the moment, one could still sense a lazy, indulgent aura about him.
Seeing this scene, Mo Tiange felt a moment of trance, as if time had never passed, returning to the first time she had met this master of hers.
"Master!"
Seeing them enter, Daojun Jinghe lifted his gaze. The next moment, the book in his hand came flying at them.
"You two little brats!" he scowled angrily. "Your wings have truly hardened! You leave and don't know how to come back! How many years has it been, huh? Fine, you don't come back, but you don't even send a single message..."
He chattered and grumbled, scolding them right off the bat.
The two of them lowered their heads and obediently endured the lecture. Yet, seeing their master so lively and full of fire, they couldn't help but curl the corners of their mouths, warmth filling their hearts.
All these years, wandering outside, how much had they missed this scene? It was precisely because of this precious master's existence that the Xuanqing Sect was their home.
"Senior Brother Jinghe, Senior Brother Jinghe!" Seeing him scold more and more fluently with no sign of stopping, Daojun Hua Yan, who was at his side, hurriedly pulled at him. "Enough, enough!"
With someone smoothing things over, Daojun Jinghe snorted, sat back down, and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. "I'll let you off for now!" It had been a long time since he'd scolded someone like this. It felt really satisfying!
"Senior Brother Hua Yan." The two of them then paid their respects to Daojun Hua Yan at the side.
Although Daojun Hua Yan's cultivation wasn't high, he was much older than them and had a very good relationship with Daojun Jinghe. Their attitude was respectful, not daring to be discourteous.
"Junior Brother, Junior Sister, with no outsiders here, there's no need for such formality. Please, sit."
After Daojun Hua Yan spoke, seeing that Mo Tiange and Qin Xi didn't hesitate but very naturally found seats to sit in, Daojun Jinghe's eyes widened and he shouted again, "I, your master, haven't told you to sit yet!"
The two of them had no choice but to stand up again.
Seeing them so obedient, Daojun Jinghe nodded with satisfaction. "Alright, you may sit now."
"..."
The corner of Qin Xi's mouth twitched a little. He suppressed the urge to roar and sat back down.
Mo Tiange, meanwhile, turned her face away and patted her forehead.
"Alright, tell me, what exactly happened? Why were you gone for so long?" Daojun Jinghe finally asked calmly, then glared at Qin Xi and added, "And you, you brat, why is it that after only leaving for a few decades, you've aged several years?"
Hearing this, the two of them felt somewhat moved. Everyone had seen the change in Qin Xi's appearance. But whether it was Xuanyin or Zhenyang, none had asked much about it. They probably hadn't considered that at his age, it wasn't time for his appearance to change yet. But their master had noticed it at a glance.
"Master," Mo Tiange answered first, "it's not that I didn't want to come back. I couldn't come back."
The reason for this "couldn't come back" didn't need her to elaborate, right? Wasn't the reason Qin Xi left Tianji to search for her precisely because he discovered the undersea passage had collapsed?
Daojun Jinghe glared at her. "And what about later? Don't tell me this brat took several decades to find you!"
"Of course not. But," Qin Xi said helplessly, "we couldn't come back later either." As he spoke, he answered the previous question and briefly recounted the matter of being trapped in the Immortal Palace in the Guixu Sea—he had already told this story three times.
Hearing this, Daojun Jinghe's expression grew increasingly astonished. In the end, he said, not without jealousy, "You two little brats, your luck is just too good! To encounter such an opportunity!"
Ancient spiritual treasures, divine beast aura, the accumulated treasures of a Soul Transformation cultivator, and even that Nascent Soul stage puppet... Tsk tsk, so many things. They really hit the jackpot! If he had such an opportunity, why would he have been stuck at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul for so many years?
As for the dangerous situations they encountered in between, those weren't important. To achieve something, one must experience trials and tribulations. Anyway, they were perfectly fine now.
"You, girl," Daojun Jinghe sighed, looking at Mo Tiange. "I really don't know whether to say you're unlucky or lucky. When you were at Foundation Establishment, you went traveling and didn't come back for over twenty years. Similarly trapped by others and unable to get out, you returned and smoothly advanced. After forming your Core, you became even better at stirring up trouble. You actually dared to tangle with with so many late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivators! And in the end, you even turned misfortune into blessing and formed your Nascent Soul!"
Mo Tiange smiled. "Master, it's because I have deep blessings and am exceedingly clever!"
"Go on!" Daojun Jinghe glared at her. "Truly thick-skinned!"
Then, somewhat worried, he asked, "After you formed your Nascent Soul, is your realm stable? What was up with that Heavenly Tribulation? No damage, right?"
Mo Tiange straightforwardly walked forward and extended her hand. "You can see for yourself."
Daojun Jinghe pressed on her pulse point, his spiritual energy circulating through her body once. He was astonished. "Your spiritual energy is actually so condensed? And your body is also extremely tough. Even cultivators who have practiced body refinement techniques would find it hard to achieve such an effect. Heavenly lightning body forging is indeed extraordinary!"
When she was at Foundation Establishment, she received Zhong Muling's Five Elements Body Refinement. During her Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation, she underwent heavenly lightning body forging. Both her meridians and her physical body had been strengthened to a certain degree. In future battles, she could be said to have gained every advantage.
"And what about you, kid?" After examining Mo Tiange, Daojun Jinghe looked at Qin Xi. "You were seriously injured when crossing the sea, right? Did it damage your foundation? You're fine now, right?"
Qin Xi nodded. "Master, rest assured. When I obtained the Vermilion Bird Bow, I underwent tempering by the Vermilion Bird's aura. My injuries are healed, and the problem of my unstable foundation has been resolved."
"That's good." This was something he had been worried about before. Back then, if he didn't help him advance to the mid-stage, he worried his strength would be insufficient when crossing the sea. After forcibly raising his cultivation, he worried his unstable foundation would affect his future cultivation. Now, knowing this issue was resolved, Daojun Jinghe also set down the heavy stone in his heart.
"Master, what about you? Are the injuries from back then all healed?" Mo Tiange asked.
"Do I look unwell to you?" Daojun Jinghe shot her a sidelong glance. "You just worry about yourself. No need to worry unnecessarily."