"Senior Brother, tell me, should I take out the Longevity Pill?" She rubbed the medicine bottle in her hand as she asked.
Qin Xi was flipping through ancient texts. After a moment, he replied, "Take it out if you want to."
"..." Mo Tiange turned her head and gave him a sidelong glance. "Are you always this casual?"
Qin Xi sighed helplessly. "It's your decision to make in the first place. Why do you need my opinion?"
"But, never mind how rare the Longevity Pill is, others' pills only extend life by a hundred years, while mine does five hundred. How do I explain that?" Mo Tiange was conflicted. She wasn't stingy with these things, but the source was difficult to explain.
Qin Xi, however, said, "They won't force you to explain. What are you worried about?"
"..." Alright, she admitted that when it came to sect matters, she lacked Qin Xi's kind of calm composure.
After thinking for a moment, she asked again, "Do you think, at this critical juncture, I should take out the spirit herbs and pills for use?" When they had organized the Void Heaven Realm, they had harvested a batch of spirit herbs. Most had been refined into pills, while a small portion was stored away. The quantity was enormous, far more than the two of them could ever use up.
Qin Xi also thought for a moment before answering, "That's fine. They would be especially useful right now. The sect's strength urgently needs to be enhanced."
Mo Tiange asked further, "Then how much should I take out?"
Qin Xi recalled the number of pills she possessed and said, "Half."
When they were trapped in the Heavenly Demon Mountain, with nothing else to do, they had refined pills every day. The stockpile they had saved up could shock people to death. Although the total number might not compare to the sect's main treasury, the number of high-grade pills was far greater, and their quality was also much better.
The two of them claimed to be in seclusion to the outside world, but in reality, each had important tasks. Qin Xi was searching for records about the 'Changing of Heaven and Earth.' Unfortunately, with the end of each era, vast amounts of texts disappeared, making it extremely difficult to find even a single word about that period of history. As for the Void Heaven Realm, it was likely created before the ancient times, and the texts within contained no such information. For this reason, Luo Fengxue had dispatched a large number of disciples to search for books and jade slips from all sources.
As for Mo Tiange, she was pondering the relationships between several cultivation techniques. Her Primordial Chaos Elemental Maiden Art, Qin Xi's Pure Yang Formula and Three Origin Rotation Wheel Art, and the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Great Method given by Yuan Bao—all these techniques had more or less some issues. Some were compatible with the Void Heaven Realm, some were not. They had to resolve these problems before they could use their special physiques to cultivate at a rapid pace.
Thinking of the pill issue, Mo Tiange summoned Shui Linbo and had her call Luo Fengxue over.
She was gradually adapting to her new identity and had learned to put on the airs of a Nascent Soul Dao Lord—this was a necessary demeanor for a Nascent Soul Dao Lord, and for the sect disciples, it was also a form of motivation.
Luo Fengxue rode the Mechanical Eagle, flying towards the Jiyuan Pool.
After Qin Xi formed his Nascent Soul, he had sealed off the original exit of his cave abode located on a certain mountain peak and opened another exit located in Jiyuan Valley. Now, the entire Jiyuan Valley was within the protective range of the cave abode's restrictions. To enter the valley, aside from riding Mo Tiange's specially made Mechanical Eagle, there was no other way.
Looking down from above Jiyuan Valley, most of the valley floor was covered by the Jiyuan Pool, the water clear as a mirror, shimmering with ripples. Being at the bottom of the valley offered a different scenery. The most eye-catching was the waterfall that plunged straight down like a white silk ribbon, the sound of rushing water splashing like pearls and jade. On the water's surface, floating ice was scattered about, resembling glaciers. In one corner of the pool stood several wooden huts connected by corridors, both covered in green vines, giving a rustic charm. The open ground where the huts stood was planted with exotic flowers and rare herbs, standing proudly against the frost amidst the ice and snow.
Luo Fengxue knew at a glance that this was the handiwork of Mo Tiange's nominal disciple. Having known each other for over a hundred years since their youth, she understood this "youngest Nascent Soul cultivator in Tianji" all too well. If Mo Tiange had to arrange her own cave abode, she would probably just casually build a couple of wooden huts and call it a day. It wouldn't be like this, with elegance and style displayed everywhere.
However, this was more fitting for the grandeur of a Nascent Soul cultivator's cave abode. As for how Senior Uncle Shoujing's original cave abode was just randomly opened on some uninhabited mountain peak... well, never mind.
Luo Fengxue alighted from the Mechanical Eagle. Shui Linbo was already waiting nearby, bowing in greeting. "Linbo pays her respects to the Sect Master."
Luo Fengxue smiled. "No need for such formalities." Now that Shui Linbo was Mo Tiange's disciple, their seniority was technically the same. However, Luo Fengxue was a Core Formation cultivator and the Sect Master, so her status was much higher.
Shui Linbo's demeanor was calm, neither subservient nor arrogant. "Aunt is already waiting for the Sect Master. Please follow me."
Luo Fengxue nodded. "Thank you for your trouble."
Shui Linbo led Luo Fengxue through the opening in the cliff wall, winding their way until they reached the main hall.
"Aunt, Sect Master Bingxin has arrived."
Mo Tiange was studying cultivation techniques. Hearing the voice, she stopped her work and nodded. "Understood." She smiled at Luo Fengxue. "Fengxue, have a seat."
"Thank you, Senior Uncle Qingwei." Luo Fengxue performed a proper bow with utmost seriousness, then took a seat in the lowest position.
Up to this point, both had observed proper etiquette without the slightest breach. After Luo Fengxue sat down, their eyes met. They looked at each other for a moment, then couldn't help but let out a simultaneous "pfft" of laughter.
"Not bad this time. You finally look like a Nascent Soul cultivator," Luo Fengxue said.
Mo Tiange sighed helplessly. "Putting on airs is simple enough. It just depends on who I'm facing."
"So, I'm someone you don't need to put on airs for? What an honor!" Luo Fengxue playfully clasped her hands in mock salute.
Mo Tiange laughed and said, "I called you here today because there's something I need to tell you."
Her attitude was amiable now, smiling warmly. In her speech and bearing, she naturally carried the demeanor of a high-level cultivator. Luo Fengxue couldn't help but recall the young cultivator who had followed Senior Uncle Shoujing to the Xuanqing Sect all those years ago, sighing inwardly.
"What instructions does Senior Uncle have?"
Mo Tiange took out a Qiankun Bag from her robes and handed it over. "These are troubled times. Master and Senior Brothers are all working hard for the sect, yet we cannot help. Here are some pills and spirit herbs we've accumulated over time. Consider it our small contribution to the sect."
Knowing that both of them were skilled in pill refining, Luo Fengxue didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it, saying, "Actually, you've already helped the sect a great deal. Your spirit beast Feifei brought back many of his clansmen last time. Those Feifei are extremely sensitive to treasures. Taking them along greatly increases the chances of finding treasures."
Mentioning Feifei, Mo Tiange gave a bitter smile. "That fellow, don't I know him? He never agrees to anything unless it benefits him, and he won't let his clansmen form master-servant bonds. I'm afraid he's demanding quite a bit in return."
Luo Fengxue smiled faintly. "The cost is indeed higher than for contracted spirit beasts. But without them, where would those treasures come from? To be honest, following Dao Lord Zhenyang's orders, I dispatched a group of disciples with the Feifei to search for treasures, and the harvest was quite substantial. These resources will be used to help us through this crisis. If the Xuanqing Sect can safely survive this tribulation, these Feifei will have contributed greatly."
"As long as they're not being kept for nothing..."
After exchanging a few more words, Luo Fengxue took her leave.
Riding the Mechanical Eagle out of Jiyuan Valley, then flying on her sword back to the main peak's Sect Master's Hall, Luo Fengxue opened the Qiankun Bag and poured out the pills and spirit herbs. As she poured, she was stunned.
The pills and spirit herbs pouring out of the Qiankun Bag were enough to form a small hill, and it wasn't even finished. There were hundreds of Jade Boxes containing spirit herbs, and countless jade bottles containing pills. Luo Fengxue stared blankly for a moment, then reached into the Qiankun Bag to feel around, muttering to herself, "So many pills... even the bottles must cost a fortune, right?" These jade bottles were made of fine, high-quality spirit jade. Just calculating their spirit stone value would be considerable.
Luo Fengxue grabbed a jade bottle, opened the stopper, and instantly the room was filled with fragrance. She poured out one pill and was even more shocked. "Taiqing Pill!" This was a top-grade spirit pill that aided in Core Formation! She opened several more bottles. Besides the Taiqing Pill, there were Qingyun Pills, Immortal Breeze Dew, and even Nascent Soul-level Taiqing Golden Pills and Nine Revolutions Return to Yang Pills.
Luo Fengxue felt her breathing become a little difficult. The entire Xuanqing Sect's treasury didn't have this many high-grade pills!
She casually picked up a Jade Box. It was sealed with a high-grade spirit talisman to prevent spiritual energy loss. Next to the talisman was a line of small characters: Purple Origin Spirit Herb, eight thousand years. Looking at the other Jade Boxes, they all contained precious spirit herbs, each over five thousand years old, with a few even reaching ten thousand years.
Luo Fengxue wiped a bead of cold sweat from her brow. After a brief moment of thought, she stuffed all the jade bottles and boxes back into the Qiankun Bag, left the Sect Master's Hall, and headed towards the foremost Three Pure Hall.
Dao Lord Hua Yan was drawing talismans. For him, cultivation was no longer the priority. With only a little over two hundred years of life left, the best choice was to make the most of his remaining time, quickly arrange the future paths for his disciples and sect members. Therefore, after hearing the news brought by Mo Tiange and the others, he had requested to return to the mountain to guard the Three Pure Hall, protecting the three most promising Nascent Soul cultivators of the Xuanqing Sect during their seclusion.
When Luo Fengxue arrived, he only spared her a little attention. "Oh, Fengxue. What is it?"
"Senior Uncle Hua Yan." After paying her respects, Luo Fengxue didn't bother with pleasantries and presented the Qiankun Bag. "Senior Uncle Qingwei just summoned me and said to offer these things to the sect."
"Oh? What is it that even you can't decide?" Dao Lord Hua Yan's brush moved like a dragon, the characters on the talisman paper emitting a faint spiritual light as the talisman brush passed over them.
"Senior Uncle, you'll understand once you see."
After finishing a talisman, Dao Lord Hua Yan put down his brush and took the Qiankun Bag. Reaching inside, he pulled out a jade bottle, opened it, and sniffed. "Top-grade Qi Circulation Pill. Good stuff." He turned to Luo Fengxue. "Is this it?"
Luo Fengxue said, "Just see how much there is, and you'll know why I came to seek your advice."
Hearing this, Dao Lord Hua Yan thought to himself, even if there's a bit more, what's so strange about that? Those two have always had profound fortunes... Then, he too was stunned.
With just a casual pour, a pile of things came "clattering" out of the Qiankun Bag. Feeling the bag, he simply dumped everything out. Dao Lord Hua Yan exclaimed in amazement, "These two youngsters... their luck is simply too good. Where did they get so many spirit herbs, and how did they manage to refine so many pills?"
Luo Fengxue said from the side, "Senior Uncle Hua Yan, take a look at those spirit herbs first."
Dao Lord Hua Yan gave her a suspicious glance, picked up a Jade Box. On it was written: Phoenix Crown Herb, nine thousand years. He was taken aback, hurriedly removed the spirit talisman on top, and saw that inside was indeed a nine-thousand-year-old Phoenix Crown Herb.
For a long moment, he closed the Jade Box, reattached the talisman, and said to Luo Fengxue, "Fengxue, leave these things with me for now. If there are no issues, I will hand them over to you."
Luo Fengxue replied without hesitation, "Yes, Senior Uncle."