The development of events was exactly as Mo Tiange had anticipated.
The person who had originally come up with this idea had thought it would be an opportunity for disciples of the three sects to interact. They had never expected it would turn into an opportunity for mutual slaughter.
For this, the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Zixia Sect flew into a towering rage, almost slapping the proposer to death on the spot.
However, it would be a long time before they, these Qi Refining disciples, learned of these matters. On the day their trial ended, the three Core Formation Ancestors all had faces ashen with fury. After hearing the disciples' reports, they dispatched several Foundation Establishment disciples to clean up the aftermath. These Foundation Establishment disciples retrieved some severely injured Qi Refining disciples and also reported the gruesome scenes left behind in the mountain forests.
Afterwards, the Core Formation Ancestors discussed something privately. Without saying a word, they simply brought everyone back to the sect and forbade them from leaving the mountain. After making inquiries, Senior Brother Zhou told them not to worry, which finally calmed some people down.
After this trial, their courtyard had lost many people. Mo Tiange's room was relatively fortunate—four out of five people had survived. The one who hadn't come out... was Xu Jingzhi.
Liu Yidao was severely injured but ultimately survived. Xu Jingzhi, however, had disappeared. No one knew who had killed him, nor where his body or ashes were. Not a single trace could be found.
In this disaster, many people had vanished just like that. They simply hadn't expected Xu Jingzhi to be one of them.
After receiving the confirmed news, members of the Xu family came to collect his belongings. Thus, all traces of Xu Jingzhi vanished completely from the room.
Not long after, the Sect Master announced the results of the competition. As expected, there was no investigation or processing. Instead, the distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills was announced directly.
For this trial, only about a hundred Cloud Mist Sect disciples had survived, yet forty of them received Foundation Establishment Pills—it was said that because the elite disciples had suffered heavy losses, the Zixia Sect's Nascent Soul Ancestor decided to distribute more Foundation Establishment Pills, hoping more Foundation Establishment cultivators would emerge among them to make up for the losses. All four people from Mo Tiange's room, along with Murong Yan, were among them.
But this news did not make Mo Tiange happy. Murong Zi's death and Xu Jingzhi's disappearance left her feeling lost as never before.
She remembered Xu Jingzhi's irritable demeanor before the trial that day... In truth, she had had a bad premonition that day, but hadn't dwelled on it. She never could have imagined it would be a final farewell.
"Junior Brother Ye."
Mo Tiange, leaning against a tree, looked up to see Qin Xi standing before her, holding out a wine bottle.
She forced a smile and took it.
Qin Xi also sat down beside her, and the two drank in silence.
On an autumn afternoon, sunlight filtered through the leaves, shining on them, making one feel too lazy to move. The surroundings were tranquil, with only the distant waterfall adding a bit of life with its rushing sound.
Recalling just over a month ago, when eight of them had chatted and joked here, a whole group ordering her around busily. But now, Xu Jingzhi was dead, Liu Yidao severely injured, Wang Qianyi married off far away, Shen Bing using her looks to serve others, Murong Yan determined to cultivate bitterly, and Senior Brother Zhou busy for his future prospects. The only one who could come sit with her here was Qin Xi.
"Senior Brother Qin."
"Hmm?"
"If you achieve Foundation Establishment... what will you do?"
"Of course, continue cultivating... Why do you ask?"
Mo Tiange shook her head, unable to articulate the source of her vexation. "I just can't figure it out. What exactly is the purpose of cultivating immortality?"
What is the purpose of cultivating immortality? Eight out of ten people in the cultivation world would answer without hesitation: for longevity. But what is longevity for? All this mutual strife, countless deaths and injuries... For the sake of longevity, why is there so little regard for life?
Qin Xi thought seriously for a moment but did not answer. He merely shook his head and slowly began speaking of unrelated matters. "I was born into a princely household in the mortal world. However, because I was from a collateral branch, I was never valued and was always bullied by others. But for some inexplicable reason, I felt different from everyone else since childhood. I had no desire to compete for favor with my brothers, nor any interest in idle pleasures. I only focused wholeheartedly on studying. When I was eight, a guest came to the princely mansion. He was said to be our ancestor, a seemingly remarkable figure. He was already several hundred years old yet showed no signs of aging. In his presence, even the most authoritative family head dared not utter a word. Then, I was brought before him. After testing my spiritual roots, he told the elders he wanted to take me away. I was young then and didn't know what I was hoping for. I just suddenly felt that perhaps this was the path I was meant to walk..."
At this point, he turned and smiled faintly. "Indeed, my premonition was correct. I embarked on a path completely different from that of my brothers in the princely mansion. I am still young now, yet those former siblings have already turned to dust... What is the purpose of cultivating immortality? I cannot answer that question. For me, cultivating immortality is a natural, unquestionable part of life. There's no need to ask why; I just want to keep walking this path."
This quiet narration made Mo Tiange feel a sense of peace. And his experience also made her see herself.
"Just wanting to keep walking this path... Is that it?" She pressed her forehead and spoke softly. "I don't know why I embarked on this path... I matured early, understanding how to read people's expressions from a very young age. I grew accustomed to the fickleness of human relationships, often feeling pain in my heart. Back then, I only hated myself for understanding these things, why I couldn't be like other children. Later... later, after meeting Second Uncle, I finally knew I truly was different from other children. Cultivating immortality? I don't know the purpose either. It's just... Second Uncle told me that without strength, there is no freedom."
"Without strength, there is no freedom," Qin Xi murmured in repetition, his gaze towards her suddenly becoming much more complex.
A bottle of wine finished, Mo Tiange tossed it aside. In truth, she never drank—she had neither the mood nor the opportunity. Second Uncle didn't drink because he said cultivators should not indulge in worldly things, so she thought the same. However, she found the feeling of having drunk quite pleasant.
"Senior Brother Qin, that elder of yours must have left you by now, right?"
Qin Xi paused for a moment but said nothing.
"Actually... Second Uncle's lifespan is almost up too, either this year or next. Sometimes I feel I can accept it very calmly; other times, I find it unimaginable. If Second Uncle is gone, what will I do? What if, like Senior Brother Xu, he suddenly disappears without even a farewell? What then?" She hugged her shoulders, burying her head in her arms, somewhat afraid to continue.
Qin Xi wanted to pat her shoulder but hesitated. His hand ultimately did not fall, and he finally said, "I'm different from you. Actually, my aptitude isn't the best, but I've never encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation up to now. Grandfather said perhaps I was born to cultivate immortality. I have neither obsessions nor attachments. In other words, I don't have superfluous emotions. I can't understand your feelings, but I know you place too much importance on emotional attachments. If you cannot let go, you will not achieve much in the future."
Mo Tiange was stunned. "Obsessions..."
Qin Xi sighed and finally patted her shoulder. "That's all I can say. Whether you can achieve it depends on yourself. Cultivating immortality... perhaps requires giving up many things for people like you..."
Mo Tiange pondered bitterly. Obsessions... Because she had craved too much since childhood, she harbored obsessions? She seemed to understand somewhat, yet remained confused.
Qin Xi handed her another bottle of wine. "Don't think too much. If you could figure it out so easily, it wouldn't be an obsession. This requires opportunity. Take it slowly."
Another bottle of wine went down, making her head even dizzier. Hazily, she heard Qin Xi teasing, "Junior Brother Ye, you've never drunk before, have you? Who drinks like it's water like you do?"
Mo Tiange, muddle-headed, looked up and saw what seemed like several Qin Xis swaying before her. She tilted her head, reaching out to try and steady his head. "Se... Senior Brother Qin, why are you... using an illusion technique?"
Qin Xi was taken aback, then burst into loud laughter, finally laughing so hard he pounded the ground. "You... I should have gotten you drunk earlier. To think..."
Mo Tiange stared at him fixedly for a while, then stood up and staggered towards the water's edge.
Behind her, Qin Xi called out, "Junior Brother Ye, what are you trying to do?"
She continued swaying with every step. "Wash... wash my face."
Reaching the pool's edge, she squatted down and saw her own reflection in the water, suddenly freezing.
She hadn't paid attention to her appearance for a long time. Only today did she realize it had changed greatly from her memory. Her once sparse, faint eyebrows now had a defined shape. The contours of her face seemed deeper, her cheeks fuller—clearly an adult's appearance now. Though her mind was still muddled, she felt a surge of panic because... this face looked more and more like a woman's.
"Junior Brother Ye, are you done?"
Hearing the voice behind her, she hurriedly scooped water to wash her face, but the face she saw remained delicate and bright. Worried Qin Xi might notice, she dared not turn around, thinking in panic—had someone already taken notice...
"Junior Brother Ye..."
Her foot slipped, instantly losing her balance. With a "plop," she fell into the pool.
"Junior Brother Ye!" The scene left Qin Xi dumbfounded. After a moment, seeing Mo Tiange struggling in the water, he snapped back to reality. He sprang up, instantly grabbing her floating, sinking form from the water's surface and bringing her back to shore, shaking his head. "I say, Junior Brother Ye, you really are drunk silly. As a cultivator, you can actually drown? What about your Lightness Technique?" Looking down, he felt even more helpless. This wasn't just ordinary silliness—she had actually choked on water and fainted...
Placing her under a tree, Qin Xi thought for a moment, then raised a hand. In his palm appeared a section of vibrant peach branch, peach blossoms still budding on the stem, dewdrops nestled in their centers as if freshly plucked from the tree. He murmured a few low incantations, then with a wave of his hand, uttered, "Go!"
Subsequently, the two of them vanished into thin air.
Yet, from Qin Xi's perspective, they were still in the original spot, merely surrounded by a faint light barrier enclosing this small area. He looked down at the unconscious Mo Tiange, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. After a long while, his hand reached to her drenched neck, searching. Soon, he pulled out a Jade Pendant strung on a red cord.
A circular Jade Pendant, the jade warm and smooth, cloud patterns clear. He sighed. "As I thought..."