After the greetings, Daojun Hua Yan brought up another matter. "By the way, Senior Brother Zhenyang sent word that due to the current extraordinary circumstances, Qingwei's Nascent Soul Formation Grand Ceremony will have to be postponed for a while. He hopes you can understand, Qingwei."
This matter had been briefly mentioned by Dao Lord Zhenyang before they left Kunzhong City. Mo Tiange naturally didn't mind; she never liked such occasions in the first place. If not for tradition, she wouldn't even want to hold a Nascent Soul Formation Grand Ceremony.
"Senior Brother Hua Yan, what are you saying? I'm not that unreasonable," she said, pausing briefly before adding, "In fact, I'd prefer the ceremony to be as simple as possible."
"Ah, I forgot. You and Shoujing are cut from the same cloth," Daojun Hua Yan said with a rueful smile, shaking his head. "But this ceremony can't be skipped. It holds extraordinary significance!"
Daojun Hua Yan's words carried a profound meaning. Starting from Dao Lord Xuanyin, every Nascent Soul Formation within the Xuanqing Sect had carried deep significance. Dao Lord Xuanyin's formation marked the beginning of the sect's rise. Then Qin Xi's formation finally brought the Xuanqing Sect's number of Nascent Soul cultivators on par with the Tiandao Sect. Dao Lord Lingxi formed his Nascent Soul after Qin Xi's departure, when the sect was short one Nascent Soul cultivator, thus stabilizing the situation. And now Mo Tiange, returning after her formation, increased the sect's Nascent Soul cultivators to eight at once, firmly securing the Xuanqing Sect's position as the number one sect in the Tianji Region and heralding a millennium of prosperity to come.
What astonished outsiders was that among the four newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators, three were disciples of Daojun Jinghe.
"Hmph!" Thinking of this, Daojun Jinghe couldn't hide his smug expression. "Four Nascent Souls from one master! Look across the entire Tianji Region, who else can claim such a feat? That old geezer Songfeng boasts of being the region's top cultivator, yet he doesn't even have a proper disciple! Hahahaha…"
Listening to Daojun Jinghe's hearty laughter, Qin Xi's lips twitched again. Mo Tiange averted her gaze. Only Daojun Hua Yan smiled amiably, completely accustomed to this.
Once Daojun Jinghe had laughed his fill, Daojun Hua Yan continued, "Right, Qingwei. According to our Xuanqing Sect's rules, after advancing to Nascent Soul, one is entitled to occupy a peak exclusively. But over the years, we've never had more than six Nascent Soul cultivators. Back when Shoujing returned after his formation, he went into seclusion to stabilize his realm and had no intention of taking over Liuyun Peak. And while Shoujing was away, Junior Brother Lingxi happened to form his Nascent Soul. After discussion, we assigned Liuyun Peak to him. So…"
Mo Tiange waved her hand. "Senior Brothers, please don't trouble yourselves over this. My current arrangement is perfectly fine."
"Indeed, Senior Brother Hua Yan," Qin Xi said. "When I formed my Nascent Soul back then, Liuyun Peak was still vacant, but I had no desire to move there. As for now, Tian Ge will naturally stay with me."
Guarding a peak simply didn't suit their temperaments. Besides, between the two of them, they only had one disciple, Ye Zhenji. Even counting Shui Linbo, their cave abode only housed four people. There was no need to occupy an entire peak. The Xuanqing Sect only had six peaks in total. They couldn't very well move to the symbolically significant main peak, could they?
"I already said you don't need to worry about such things," Daojun Jinghe said dismissively. "Xuanyin has gone to Ganlu Peak. Can't I leave two disciples behind to inherit my legacy?" If he hadn't given his approval back then, with Qin Xi still alive, the others wouldn't have dared to assign Liuyun Peak to Li Lingxi. Still, Daojun Hua Yan felt it necessary to discuss the matter with them properly.
After discussing some other miscellaneous affairs, Daojun Hua Yan rose to take his leave. With Dao Lord Zhenyang absent and Daojun Jinghe being… well, himself, the responsibility of overseeing the Xuanqing Sect fell upon Daojun Hua Yan's shoulders. While other routine matters were handled by the Core Formation stage Sect Leader, important decisions still required his input.
Once Daojun Hua Yan had departed, Daojun Jinghe's casual demeanor vanished. He waved a hand, casting a soundproofing barrier.
"Now, speak. What's the matter with your Magical Treasure, Tian Ge?"
"Master…" Mo Tiange started to say something but ended up sighing.
Daojun Jinghe waved his hand. "The Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation is both a calamity and a blessing. Your Magical Treasures being destroyed isn't necessarily a bad thing. Breaking and then rebuilding, starting anew from a higher foundation—it can turn out even better than before."
"Yes, Master." Mo Tiange was genuinely touched by this earnest comfort.
She thought for a moment before explaining her idea. "Master, I've thought it over. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. With Magical Treasures, quality matters more than quantity. My Life-Bound Artifact is inherently very powerful, but I've never fully unleashed its potential. Rather than refining new treasures, I should focus on mastering the Heaven-Earth Fan properly."
"Hmm." Daojun Jinghe nodded. "You're right. Your Senior Brother Shoujing relies heavily on his Three Yang True Fire Sword for most of his abilities. And as for your master here, my true killing move lies with my Life-Bound Artifact, the Li Fire Gourd. A Life-Bound Artifact's greatest advantage is that it grows stronger alongside its master. To abandon one's Life-Bound Artifact for other treasures is to neglect the root for the branches."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange flushed slightly with shame. Throughout her entire Core Formation stage, she hadn't paid enough attention to her Life-Bound Artifact, instead spending much time on miscellaneous arts. While her overall strength wasn't weak, she hadn't utilized her strongest combat potential.
"Master," Qin Xi spoke up. "While Senior Brother Hua Yan was here earlier, I didn't go into detail about some matters. I suspect Tian Ge's Life-Bound Artifact is connected to the Azure Dragon."
"The Azure Dragon?"
Mo Tiange felt a pang of guilt. "Actually, during that journey back when I was in Foundation Establishment… I obtained Azure Dragon bones…" She hadn't revealed the full story of that experience back then, only giving a vague outline. Otherwise, Daojun Jinghe would have jumped out of his skin. Azure Dragon bones—what kind of heaven-defying fortune was that?
"Azure Dragon bones?" Daojun Jinghe was momentarily stunned.
Qin Xi clarified, "One of the Five Spirits, the Azure Dragon of the East."
Daojun Jinghe was shocked. "Like your Vermilion Bird Bow? Remains of an Ancient Divine Beast?"
"Yes," Mo Tiange said, retrieving a remaining piece of dragon bone from her Qiankun Ring and handing it to him. "Look, Master."
Daojun Jinghe took it. Though it was just a small fragment, it radiated an intense wood-element aura. A vast, sacred spiritual presence washed over him.
"…It truly is a Divine Beast!" Even though he had never seen a Divine Beast, what else could possess such a majestic aura?
Holding the dragon bone fragment, Daojun Jinghe sighed. Divine Beast bones—even an old monster like him, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who had lived for a millennium, had never seen such a thing. He really didn't know what kind of luck this troublesome girl had!
Qin Xi said, "Tian Ge's Heaven-Earth Fan was actually refined from dragon bones."
Daojun Jinghe shifted his gaze. Mo Tiange obediently handed over the Heaven-Earth Fan.
"Strange…" Daojun Jinghe frowned after examining it for a long while. "The fan carries no trace of the Breath of the Azure Dragon at all."
"That's what puzzles us as well," Qin Xi said. "I originally thought the Breath of the Azure Dragon dissipated during the refining process. But when Tian Ge was undergoing her tribulation, an Azure Dragon phantom soared from the fan and blocked the heavenly lightning."
"Such a thing actually happened!" Daojun Jinghe found it incredible.
"Yet afterward, we still couldn't find the Breath of the Azure Dragon," Mo Tiange said, her face filled with confusion. "Master, when the Azure Dragon appeared, its breath was extremely potent. Also, back when I formed my Core, I encountered a Nascent Soul stage demonic cultivator. He accidentally struck the Heaven-Earth Fan and was forced back. This proves the Breath of the Azure Dragon must exist. But where did it go?"
After examining them for a while longer, Daojun Jinghe handed the Heaven-Earth Fan and the dragon bone back to her, his expression serious. "This question, even your master cannot answer. This is your Life-Bound Artifact. Only you can truly understand it deeply. You've just formed your Nascent Soul not long ago; this is the time to stabilize your realm. Spend a decade or so slowly consolidating your foundation while continuously refining and communing with the artifact. One day, when you know the Heaven-Earth Fan like the back of your hand, you'll be able to uncover the hidden Breath of the Azure Dragon."
Mo Tiange took back the Heaven-Earth Fan and the dragon bone, nodding. "Understood, Master."
"No." Qin Xi, however, voiced opposition. "Tian Ge, don't forget the two-hundred-year agreement. If we delay further, who knows what accidents might occur?"
"What two-hundred-year agreement?" Daojun Jinghe was baffled, glaring at Mo Tiange. "You girl, what else are you hiding from your master?"
"…" Mo Tiange felt even more guilty. Initially, she hadn't fully trusted this master. Later, a series of events happened, and it felt inconvenient to bring it up.
Qin Xi sighed. "Let me explain…" He gave a general account of the matter concerning Patriarch Zihui, concluding, "I learned of this back at the Demonic Mountain. I originally planned to have Master take a look and help think of a solution after we returned. But who knew it would be such a coincidence? Right after returning from the Demonic Mountain, Master suffered a severe injury, so the matter was set aside."
"Later, I thought since there was still plenty of time, it wouldn't hurt to go on a journey first. Moreover, that Patriarch Zihui said if we helped fulfill his wish, he would bequeath his lifelong accumulations. So even if there was a way to remove the restriction, it wouldn't hurt to try. Therefore…"
"Therefore, it got dragged out until now!" Daojun Jinghe rolled his eyes in exasperation. To be fair, her thinking wasn't wrong back then. When she went to Yunzhong, she originally planned to travel for a few years or a decade. After returning, there would still be over a hundred years to slowly figure things out. Who could have predicted she'd be away for so long?
"Come here, let me see!" Seeing Mo Tiange hanging her head guiltily, Daojun Jinghe said helplessly.
"Yes, Master!"
Placing his hand on her crown, Daojun Jinghe instructed, "Don't resist. Master needs to enter your Sea of Consciousness." She was now a Nascent Soul cultivator. If she resisted while he entered her Sea of Consciousness, a serious accident could occur.
Mo Tiange obediently closed her eyes, letting down her guard. Then, she felt a foreign power appear within her Sea of Consciousness.
This power moved through her Sea of Consciousness, gentle and cautious.
For high-level cultivators, the Sea of Consciousness was as important as the Nascent Soul, if not more so. Unless it was someone they absolutely trusted, they would never allow another to enter their Sea of Consciousness, because once invaded, one's self-awareness could be destroyed—equivalent to possession.
After a while, the power withdrew from her Sea of Consciousness. Mo Tiange opened her eyes.
"Master?" Qin Xi asked eagerly. "How is it?"
Daojun Jinghe's expression was grave. He paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back, finally shaking his head with a sigh. "This Patriarch Zihui is indeed extraordinary. The mark he left… your master is powerless against it."
"…" Mo Tiange wasn't overly disappointed. Patriarch Zihui had stated from the beginning that this was his unique technique; only a God Transformation stage cultivator might be able to remove it. A mere wisp of his divine sense could persist for two hundred years, and even continue beyond—this showed he possessed unique expertise in divine sense techniques. So-called unique secret arts—how could others easily undo them?
"This Patriarch Zihui only attempted to break through to God Transformation; he never truly reached that realm. Yet he already possesses such capability…" Daojun Jinghe murmured to himself. "Then how immense must the powers of a true God Transformation cultivator be?"