After the discussion, Red Silk indeed left her body under the protection of Demon Lord Yeshuang and Tian Xuan, her Nascent Soul departing. It was estimated she would need several days to awaken.
Mo Tiange watched the three of them, lost in thought.
Among the four, Nie Wushang had been injured by Venerable Songfeng's attack, and Qin Xi had expended much of his Vermilion Bird's Flame to break the Ten-Thousand Ghost Soul-Devouring Formation. One was healing her wounds, the other was meditating to recover.
Jing Xingzhi and Mo Tiange had only consumed some spiritual energy and recovered quickly.
Seeing her like this, Jing Xingzhi sidled over and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Mo Tiange stroked her chin. "I feel like that master and disciple pair are a bit strange."
Jing Xingzhi followed her gaze. Demon Lord Yeshuang and Tian Xuan were talking about something, a soundproof barrier preventing them from hearing. However, both of them sensed the subtle feeling between the two.
Jing Xingzhi chuckled. "Interesting, very interesting!"
"What's interesting?" Mo Tiange ignored his frivolous tone.
"I've heard of masters and disciples eventually becoming husband and wife. We cultivators never care about these so-called seniority distinctions. But I've never seen a female Nascent Soul cultivator have something with her own disciple, let alone a late-Nascent Soul one."
Cultivation talent had nothing to do with gender. However, because the mortal world valued men over women, women had far fewer opportunities to become cultivators than men, hence there were fewer female cultivators. Furthermore, as many women were not adept at combat, fewer reached the end compared to male cultivators. Therefore, every female cultivator who became a Nascent Soul cultivator was an elite among elites. Take Red Silk; she wasn't much in their eyes, but placed among ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, she was stronger than most.
Thus, female cultivators who cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage, being excellent themselves, had high standards and rarely chose male cultivation partners with lower cultivation levels than themselves, unless they had become Dao Companions when young. There was an example of this in Tianji: the Luan-Feng Immortal Couple of the Biyun Sect, who became Dao Companions during Foundation Establishment. Now both were at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, though Ding Luan's cultivation was slightly higher than Feng Xiao's.
But the master-disciple pair before them was clearly impossible. They had all been to Yunzhong and knew that Demon Lord Yeshuang had been a late-Nascent Soul cultivator for several hundred years, while this Tian Xuan was her disciple.
Getting excited, Jing Xingzhi waved his hand, creating a soundproof barrier, and chuckled. "Have you recognized him?"
"Recognized what?" Mo Tiange was puzzled.
Jing Xingzhi glanced over. "That Tian Xuan, we've seen him before."
"We have?" Mo Tiange was taken aback. Although they had known each other for over a hundred years, the times she had traveled with Jing Xingzhi were few: once at the Heavenly Demon Mountain, once rescuing Tang Shen, then in Yunzhong during his two aliases as Jianxin, and now.
She silently reviewed their shared experiences, slowly retrieving a familiar shadow from the depths of her memory. "It's him!"
The experience in the Lost Cave was absolutely unforgettable for Mo Tiange. It was the first time she had directly confronted a Nascent Soul cultivator, encountering a crisis that nearly claimed her life. Afterwards, recuperating from her injuries caused her to miss the sinking of the South Pole Island. It was also that experience that allowed her and Nie Wushang to become as close as they were now.
However, she hadn't seen the scene where Tian Xuan hid in the back to pick up advantages, so it wasn't as deeply impressed on her as it was on Jing Xingzhi. It took her a moment to remember.
Recalling this, Mo Tiange became thoughtful. "So, a hundred years ago, he was still at the Core Formation stage."
"Yes. Even if he just formed his Nascent Soul, such a cultivation speed is absolutely top-tier. Moreover, his divine abilities are mysterious..."
"You fought him?" Mo Tiange asked.
"Just exchanged one move," Jing Xingzhi said. His sword strike had taken Tian Xuan by surprise, and Tian Xuan's strength had similarly surprised him.
Qin Xi said he was strong, and Jing Xingzhi also said he wasn't weak. It seemed this Tian Xuan was definitely not just a sidekick following behind Demon Lord Yeshuang. Every member of Demon Lord Yeshuang's party was extraordinary.
As the two were talking, Qin Xi had already stopped meditating and opened his eyes.
Seeing him staring at him, Jing Xingzhi quickly stepped back. "I didn't do anything."
Qin Xi ignored him and said to Mo Tiange, "Let's go out for a bit."
Mo Tiange was confused.
Qin Xi didn't explain either, dusted off his sleeves, and stood up.
Seeing this, Mo Tiange followed him.
His movement caught the attention of the two from Demon Lord Yeshuang's side. Venerable Songfeng was within the dark clouds; it was unknown if he was also paying attention here.
Qin Xi swept a glance over them and said calmly, "We're going outside." He offered no further explanation.
Demon Lord Yeshuang and Tian Xuan, seeing it was just the two of them with Jing Xingzhi and Nie Wushang not following, and Qin Xi's attitude being natural, thought the husband and wife just wanted some time alone together. They merely bowed slightly from a distance in acknowledgment and said nothing more.
Stepping out of the stone door, the two walked silently forward until they reached the White Tiger hall.
Seeing Qin Xi stop, Mo Tiange asked, "Senior Brother, do you have something to say?"
Qin Xi nodded, released a soundproof barrier, and asked, "Do you think what Demon Lord Yeshuang said is reliable?"
The four of them hadn't discussed this matter. Since they were trapped here and unable to move, if Demon Lord Yeshuang had a method, they might as well let them handle it.
Mo Tiange said, "I'm just puzzled. They're putting in so much effort just for one item? Could it be a treasure like the Vermilion Bird's Bow?"
For a late-Nascent Soul cultivator to travel thousands of miles for it, it definitely couldn't be an ordinary item. None of the things they obtained from the treasury met such a condition, unless it was the entire treasury itself, but they had explicitly stated they only needed one item.
"Perhaps," Qin Xi said. "I'm wondering if it might be related to Deity Transformation."
Mo Tiange looked at him.
Seeing her bright, shining eyes, Qin Xi couldn't help but smile and patted her head. "If it's related to Deity Transformation, we'll have to get involved. Master is already at the late stage!"
"Mm." Although they had the Deity Transformation Pill in their possession, this miraculous pill required several materials they had never heard of, and they didn't know where to gather them. Although Dao Lord Jinghe had only recently advanced to the late stage, he still had five or six hundred years of lifespan left. If he couldn't break through by then, Mo Tiange planned to offer her own Longevity Pill. With a thousand years of lifespan, there was still a great chance to attempt Deity Transformation.
Even if Dao Lord Jinghe didn't need it, they would eventually face Deity Transformation themselves. Given their lifespans and cultivation speed, the chance of them reaching Nascent Soul perfection was very high.
Qin Xi pondered for another moment before withdrawing the soundproof barrier. "Let's go out and take a look."
As the two walked further away, the Breath of the White Tiger grew fainter, and the ghostly aura grew stronger. The ghostly aura left behind by the appearance of forty Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivators was no trivial matter. Even if they had all returned to the Ghost City, this ghostly aura wouldn't dissipate anytime soon.
By the time the two reached the damaged section of the stone wall, they could see faint shadows. The powerful aura was undoubtedly that of Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivators.
Detecting their appearance, those Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivators grew restless, yet they still dared not approach.
Of course, they didn't think these Ghost Cultivators were afraid of them. What the Ghost Cultivators feared was the Breath of the White Tiger.
The Breath of the White Tiger here came from the true divine beast, the White Tiger. Its power was not something Qin Xi's already-subdued Vermilion Bird's Flame could compare to. They had hidden here for a full day, and these Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivators hadn't dared to enter, showing its might.
The two retreated slightly. Qin Xi took out a talisman paper from his Qiankun Ring, drew a rune in the air, then said something to the talisman paper. Finally, he forced out a drop of essence blood, which dissolved into the talisman.
Looking at the talisman, Mo Tiange said, "You came out mainly for this, right?"
Qin Xi smiled and nodded. With a flick of his finger, the talisman turned into a wisp of smoke and slipped out through the exit. The waiting Ghost Cultivators remained unaware.
Seeing these Ghost Cultivators still didn't dare approach the sacrificial temple, there should be no immediate danger. The two turned back.
This place was quite far from the Xuanqing Sect, and the current situation was complex. Ordinary message talismans would have difficulty escaping the notice of these Ghost Cultivators, while message talismans that sealed off divine sense couldn't describe the situation here in detail. If Dao Lord Jinghe discovered they had crushed a message talisman and brought along the two Senior Brother and Sister from the sect, that would be very bad.
Therefore, just to send a message, Qin Xi used his essence blood to transmit the specific details of this place, so that Dao Lord Jinghe could lead people to rescue them.
Forty Nascent Soul Ghost Cultivators, an unknown Ghost City—this matter had to be reported to the Immortal Alliance. Only the Immortal Alliance could dispatch a group of Nascent Soul cultivators. With a secret treasury here, plus the White Tiger Sacrificial Temple, there was no worry that the Immortal Alliance wouldn't be tempted.
It could be said that although they were trapped here, as long as the message got out, they were in an invincible position. That's why Qin Xi had never been worried, letting Demon Lord Yeshuang and the others do as they pleased.
Thinking about it, Mo Tiange couldn't help but laugh. "When a bunch of Nascent Soul cultivators from the Immortal Alliance arrive, I wonder what Venerable Songfeng will think."
Qin Xi walked leisurely with his hands behind his back, smiling. "This talisman technique is something I recently learned, obtained from the Ice Palace in the Guixu Sea. I imagine Venerable Songfeng has no idea such a talisman technique even exists in the world." He paused, then added, "Master has now advanced to the late stage. Combined with us, Venerable Songfeng is in for a hard time this round. However, he has been at the late-Nascent Soul stage for several hundred years, with powerful divine abilities. We probably can't keep him here."
Mo Tiange also understood that Nascent Soul cultivators weren't so easy to kill, especially late-Nascent Soul cultivators. There had never been a precedent of one being exterminated by others. They could be severely injured, they could abandon their physical bodies, but as long as their Nascent Soul remained, they could escape. To exterminate a late-Nascent Soul Great Cultivator required not only absolute superiority but also a great deal of luck.
Thinking of this, she sighed inwardly. If so, Nie Wushang would have to avoid Venerable Songfeng until he passed away. She hoped Nie Wushang could surpass him later and exterminate Venerable Songfeng, but the possibility was too low. When Venerable Songfeng reached the late-Nascent Soul stage, Nie Wushang hadn't even been born. And within Venerable Songfeng's remaining few hundred years, it would be extremely difficult for Nie Wushang to reach his current level.
"Let me out!" Fei Fei's voice rang in her ear. The creature was very impatient. "Can you hear me or not?"
Mo Tiange had no choice but to open the spirit beast bag. Fei Fei immediately scrambled out.
"Wouldn't it be good for you to cultivate properly inside the spirit beast bag?"
Fei Fei sniffed the air, overjoyed. "Hey, we've entered the White Tiger Sacrificial Temple. You expect me to leave empty-handed?"
"..." Mo Tiange shook her head. "Don't get any wild ideas. Even we can't get close to that White Tiger. At most, you can absorb some of its Breath."
"Ha!" Fei Fei jumped onto her shoulder, smug. "That's you, not me."
Mo Tiange was surprised. "You have a way?"
Fei Fei shook his head and tail, proudly saying, "Have you forgotten my innate talent?"