After being replaced by Xiao Feng, Mo Tiange felt like she was about to collapse.
It had been many years since she had been pushed this hard. Over the past few days, people had been arriving continuously. The number of Nascent Soul Cultivators outside had reached thirty, and the intensity of the Dharma Combat had increased significantly. The few of them were almost numb—fighting, rotating, swallowing pills, meditating—not daring to relax for a single moment. Facing so many Nascent Soul Cultivators, if not for their ample supply of pills, they would have likely collapsed outright.
Damn it, is the Jiuyan Sect coming or not!
"They will come!" Ling Yunhe said, his voice firm despite his exhaustion.
Hearing his reply, Mo Tiange realized she had unconsciously voiced that question aloud. She slapped her forehead in annoyance. Was she really so tired she didn't even notice herself speaking?
"Have you considered the possibility that the Jiuyan Sect might abandon you?" With the Yang Spirit Pearl on his person, Qin Xi was relatively more at ease.
Ling Yunhe paused, tilting his head slightly upward. "I haven't thought about it."
"You'd better think about it." Qin Xi's tone was indifferent, seemingly not considering whether Ling Yunhe could handle such a thought. "The Jiuyan Sect isn't that far from here, and with teleportation being so convenient, there's no reason for them not to have arrived by now."
Ling Yunhe fell silent, his gaze turning somewhat lost.
Qin Xi seemed completely unaware that his single sentence had shattered a person's long-held faith. He remained guarding the entrance, not moving an inch.
Mo Tiange sat within the Spirit Gathering Array, recovering her Spiritual Qi, watching Ling Yunhe with a sense of understanding.
A long while later, Ling Yunhe offered her a smile. "It's fine."
Was it really fine? Probably not. Mo Tiange sighed inwardly, recalling decades ago during their trip to the Guixu Sea. Back then, he was the Jiuyan Sect's most promising and highly regarded junior. Decades had passed; he had successfully formed his Nascent Soul in one go, yet his status had plummeted. 'The world is ever-changing' was just four words, but each one carried immense weight.
Mo Tiange didn't know whether the Jiuyan Sect's cold treatment of Ling Yunhe was right or wrong. But she knew that Ling Yunhe, as the person involved, must be deeply hurt. And she herself cherished everything she had all the more. Loneliness wasn't about having no one around you, but having no one in your heart.
"We can't pin our hopes on the Jiuyan Sect," Qin Xi's voice transmission sounded in her ear.
She pondered the meaning behind his words. "You mean the Jiuyan Sect likely won't come, and we'd better save ourselves?"
"Mm-hmm." Qin Xi's tone was flat. "Relying on others is unreliable. Besides, the Jiuyan Sect holds no goodwill towards us. Even with Ling Yunhe here, we wouldn't fare well."
This was something they had always known. In the best-case scenario, the Jiuyan Sect would ignore them, rescue Ling Yunhe, and leave. In that case, they could take advantage of the chaos to fight their way out. In the worst-case scenario, the Jiuyan Sect, bearing a grudge, would try to deal with them. However, even with True Person Yuan Mu present, the Jiuyan Sect couldn't just sweep them aside. If they joined forces, they were confident in escaping. Regardless of which scenario, they couldn't be completely unprepared.
"What do you suggest we do?"
Qin Xi repelled an enemy with a sword strike and transmitted to Ling Yunhe, "Fellow Daoist Ling, are you willing to part with that flying ship Magical Treasure of yours?"
Ling Yunhe was puzzled, looking at him as he replied, "What do you mean, Fellow Daoist?"
Qin Xi said, "We have a method that might ensure our safety. However, we need your Magical Treasure to buy us some time."
His words were tactful—essentially, using his Magical Treasure in exchange for time. Ling Yunhe thought for a moment and said, "A Magical Treasure is ultimately an external object. No matter how precious, it's not as important as one's life."
"Good." Qin Xi then transmitted to Mo Tiange, "I've already asked Ling Yunhe. We'll use his flying ship Magical Treasure to buy time. We'll enter the ship, and then enter the Void Heaven Realm."
Mo Tiange was startled. "Bring them into the Void Heaven Realm?"
"I once read in ancient texts that there are many spatial rifts in this world, similar to the Guixu Sea. There are secret arts to forge keys for entry and exit, like the five sacred objects from back then. Your Void Heaven Realm also uses a key. So, we can just tell them that."
Mo Tiange, however, said, "Won't saying that just invite others' greed?" If it was a key, then it could be stolen. And with so many spirit herbs inside... It wasn't that she was unwilling to trust her friends, but the human heart was unpredictable and not unchanging. Sometimes, the catalysis of circumstances was crucial.
Qin Xi patiently explained, "How could I not know that? Within the Void Heaven Realm, you are like a deity. If you don't want them to know something, it's easy for you to make some adjustments. At a time like this, they can still advance and retreat with us, which shows they hold genuine feelings towards us. They probably won't pry too deeply." Finally, he sighed, "I know this step is risky. It's a test for both us and them. If it goes poorly, it might even leave us with future troubles. However, at a life-and-death juncture, preserving our lives is paramount."
After listening, Mo Tiange carefully considered the matter in her heart and found it quite feasible. She was now at the mid-stage cultivation level. Among their group, no one had a higher cultivation than her, and she was also skilled in formations. Making such adjustments wouldn't be too difficult—setting up a barrier around the medicinal fields or simply enclosing the bamboo forest. As for future troubles, that was still better than losing their lives. After the Ren Yu-Feng incident, she had deliberately used the Void Heaven Realm less to avoid becoming overly dependent. But that didn't mean not using it at all. At a critical moment of life and death, one must use what they have.
Thinking this, she nodded. "Alright, I understand."
Qin Xi nodded. "Make your preparations, ensure we have time to retreat to the flying ship." After Mo Tiange acknowledged, he transmitted to Ling Yunhe, "Fellow Daoist Ling, if the situation becomes critical, you throw out the flying ship, and we'll all take shelter inside."
Ling Yunhe naturally agreed.
Having recovered some Spiritual Qi, Mo Tiange stood up. She took out many formation-setting materials from her Qiankun Ring and began meticulously preparing, starting from the entrance. To defend against the enemy, she had already set up several simple formations at the entrance. Now, she carefully planned, incorporating these formations to enhance their defensive capabilities.
Qin Xi raised his voice, "Let's endure a bit more, hold out until she finishes setting up the formation."
No one objected. However, seeing Mo Tiange begin her formation work, the attacks from outside intensified.
After immense hardship, True Person Yuan Mu finally left the limestone cave and wiped the sweat from his brow.
That stretch of path had been incredibly perilous. Their group of about twenty, while suffering no losses, had half its members tainted by that strange aura. Three to five were especially severely affected; it would likely take decades to completely purge that aura.
Such danger made True Person Yuan Mu feel extremely uneasy. If this was the only way out, there really was a possibility of being wiped out in one fell swoop... However, the other side would also need formidable strength. Demon Lord Yueying alone wouldn't be enough.
Thinking this, True Person Yuan Mu felt slightly more at ease and focused on continuing forward.
Not long after, he sensed an immensely powerful and sacred aura, mingled with the auras of many cultivators. Usually, one wouldn't notice, but compared to this powerful aura, the so-called imposing presence of Nascent Soul Cultivators was utterly insignificant.
Seeing the stone-paved ground and massive stone walls, and detecting intense fighting inside, True Person Yuan Mu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Ling Yunhe could be abandoned if absolutely necessary, saving him was still preferable. After all, he was a disciple of the Jiuyan Sect and the one recognized as master by the God-Restricting Bead.
"Esteemed Fellow Daoists!" Entering the sacrificial temple, the five Jiuyan Sect members immediately took control of the passageway, turning to face the crowd. True Person Yuan Mu's tone was grave. "The reason we are all here is clear to everyone. Once we act, we are enemies! However, Fellow Daoists can also choose to be our friends. Yuan Mu promises here that those willing to lend a hand will be richly rewarded. Even those unwilling to act, as long as they do not oppose us, will also receive gifts of thanks."
True Person Yuan Mu's approach was to show courtesy before resorting to force. No matter how powerful the Jiuyan Sect was, it only had about a dozen Nascent Soul Cultivators. Some were in seclusion, some traveling, others guarding the sect gates. Currently, besides the trapped Yuan Zhen and his two companions, only these five could be mobilized. Yet, there were over a dozen Nascent Soul Cultivators traveling with them, plus those already present earlier... Even as the current top cultivator in Yunzhong, True Person Yuan Mu couldn't defeat all these people, especially with the presence of Scholar Yu, a Late-Nascent Soul cultivator.
For those with average strength and insufficient allies, helping the Jiuyan Sect was a good option. As the top sect and top cultivator in Yunzhong, if True Person Yuan Mu promised rich rewards, it would be something to stir the hearts of Nascent Soul Cultivators—far more practical than blindly fighting for the Xuanwu inheritance.
Some were immediately tempted. After weighing their options, some minor sect cultivators decided not to get involved. The remaining major sect cultivators, needless to say, would not agree—their fellow sect members were already fighting ahead!
"Scholar Yu." Finally, True Person Yuan Mu's gaze fell upon Scholar Yu.
Scholar Yu lightly fanned himself with his folding fan, smiling faintly. "Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu, is there still a need to ask?"
True Person Yuan Mu sighed. "Scholar Yu, I truly do not wish to cross swords with you."
Scholar Yu smiled. "This isn't the first time we've fought over something, Fellow Daoist Yuan Mu. Why be so sentimental?"
True Person Yuan Mu chuckled, and the Exquisite Pagoda appeared in his hand.
Mo Tiange was the first to sense the disturbance at the sacrificial temple entrance. The Spiritual Qi fluctuations were so intense; the ones fighting were likely Late-Nascent Soul cultivators!
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Ling Yunhe suddenly showed an expression of joy. "Senior Uncle Yuan Mu! Senior Uncle Yuan Mu is here!"
The others turned to look at him. Mo Tiange asked, "Fellow Daoist Ling, are you sure?"
Ling Yunhe nodded without hesitation. "There's no mistake. This is the aura of the Exquisite Pagoda." He had once been a favored junior of True Person Yuan Mu, often kept by his side. The Exquisite Pagoda was very familiar to him; he couldn't possibly mistake it.
Everyone was overjoyed. The Jiuyan Sect had arrived! There was a chance to escape!
Qin Xi glanced at Ling Yunhe, a faint smile on his lips. "Fellow Daoist Ling, your Magical Treasure is saved."
Ling Yunhe also smiled. "Fortunately, Senior Uncle Yuan Mu arrived in time. Otherwise, I'd be penniless. That flying ship cost me all my savings back then."
Mo Tiange joined in the laughter, secretly transmitting to Qin Xi, "They arrived just in time. No need to test them now."
Qin Xi gave a slight nod. It was best if secrets weren't revealed to others unless absolutely necessary. If not forced, he didn't want them to know about the existence of the Void Heaven Realm, as that always carried risks.
A sharp whistling sound came from outside. The Dharma Combat outside the sacrificial temple grew increasingly fierce, drawing the cultivators guarding the entrance to go support their fellow sect members. Qin Xi swept a glance and said, "Let's charge out too!"