Waking from her slumber, Mo Tiange felt a splitting headache. She pushed herself up. The room was pitch dark, and she rubbed her head in confusion. Strange, how had she fallen asleep?
Sitting up, she circulated her cultivation for a minor cycle before the headache subsided, and she slowly recalled what had happened before she fell asleep—no, before she got drunk.
How embarrassing. Never having drunk before, she had tried to drown her sorrows like others, and worst of all, she had acted so disgracefully after getting drunk!
She groaned and fell back. Fortunately, only Senior Brother Qin had been there at the time, and no one else had seen—Senior Brother Qin! She hurriedly sat up again, feeling her body. Good, her clothes were intact, and the Spirit-Sensing Jade Pendant was still there. She let out a sigh of relief, but a sense of regret welled up inside her. She couldn't clearly remember what had happened before passing out, only vaguely recalling Qin Xi telling her to let go of her obsessions to continue on the path of cultivation. Yet she felt as if she had forgotten something...
She thought for a long while but couldn't recall it. She simply decided to ignore it. Since she couldn't remember, it probably wasn't important. What mattered was that she had to warn herself not to let her guard down like that again. It was fortunate that Qin Xi hadn't done anything to her; otherwise, being completely unaware and at someone's mercy, if it had been someone else, her secrets might have been exposed.
Having settled her thoughts, she got out of bed to wash up. She took out several Moonlight Stones from her Qiankun Bag and tossed them onto the bed, instantly brightening the room.
Although her clothes were intact, they were crumpled and still carried the smell of alcohol. Mo Tiange frowned, walked to the washstand in the corner, took off her outer robe, and wiped herself down. Only after the alcohol scent had dissipated did she take out fresh clothes and put them on.
Just as she was about to undo her hair to comb it again, she caught sight of her reflection in the bronze mirror embedded in the wall and froze. After a moment's thought, she picked up the comb, loosened her hair, carefully parted it, and then coiled it into a bun. In the process, her clumsy technique caused it to go askew several times. When she finally finished, she couldn't help but give a bitter smile at her reflection in the mirror. It had been almost ten years since she had dressed as a woman; she had even forgotten how to style a proper bun. The person in the mirror looked utterly unfamiliar and awkward. So she loosened her hair again and simply tied it back into an ordinary Daoist topknot.
However, the face in the mirror was still too delicate and refined for a man.
After some thought, she rummaged through her Qiankun Bag and pulled out a few items. First, she carefully thickened her eyebrows with a long, black block. Then, from a jade vial, she poured out some gray powder and dabbed it around the sides of her nose, the corners of her eyes, and her jawline.
Now, looking back at the mirror, the person had sharper features and thicker eyebrows, looking more like a man. She carefully smoothed out any traces before putting the items away. These two things were actually materials for artifact forging, but since they weren't toxic, using them on her face was fine. What mattered was that, with the Foundation Establishment Pill now within reach, she had to be even more careful.
After completing all this, she returned to the bedside. Mo Tiange took out her Qiankun Bag from her robes and sorted through its contents. Then she sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
This trial had actually yielded her many gains. Just the demon beast corpses alone were a considerable fortune, not to mention the pills, spiritual artifacts, and various materials. The Spirit Stones alone added up to over a thousand. After tallying everything upon her return, Mo Tiange felt quite conflicted. Years of hard work couldn't compare to the gains from killing a few people—fortunately, she had promptly suppressed this sense of injustice. If such violent thoughts were left unchecked, they could lead her down a demonic path in the future.
Unconsciously, several hours passed, and daylight began to brighten outside.
Mo Tiange withdrew her Spiritual Qi, jumped off the bed, straightened her attire once more, and opened the door to step out.
In the main room, Qin Xi was sitting in his usual spot, drawing talismans. Hearing the sound, he didn't even look up. "Junior Brother Ye, you're finally up."
Thinking of yesterday, Mo Tiange felt somewhat awkward. Seeing that his expression showed nothing unusual, she relaxed and asked, "What is it?"
"To collect the Foundation Establishment Pills, of course." Qin Xi put away his paper and brush. When he turned around, he paused for a moment.
His reaction made Mo Tiange nervous. Had her facial modifications been too obvious?
After a long moment, Qin Xi shook his head. "I must be confused. I keep feeling there's something different about you today, but I can't pinpoint what it is."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange felt slightly relieved and forced a dry laugh. "What difference? Aren't we going to collect the Foundation Establishment Pills? Let's go!"
Qin Xi nodded, and the two of them headed out together.
Walking behind him, Mo Tiange secretly wiped away a cold sweat.
Originally, the four of them in this dwelling had always moved together. Now, Xu Jingzhi was gone, and Liu Yidao remained on the North Peak under the care of Foundation Establishment seniors due to his severe injuries. The place had suddenly become much quieter—if not for this, Qin Xi might not have grown so close to her. It was only because the others were gone that they had no one else to talk to but each other.
The South Peak of Yunwu Mountain was still the same as before, with the faint light of dawn and a gentle breeze brushing their faces. Yet, two of their former companions were missing. Mo Tiange let out a soft sigh.
When they arrived at the Administration Hall, a line had already formed. The two of them waited respectfully outside.
Soon, it was Mo Tiange's turn. She entered, handed over her token, and after it was verified, left a Spiritual Qi imprint on another jade slip. Only then did she carefully receive a jade vial from the presiding Elder Yu. She stored it away with utmost caution.
It was no exaggeration to say that this was the lifeline of a Qi Refining disciple. Other disciples who received Foundation Establishment Pills were ecstatic; she was relatively composed by comparison.
After Qin Xi also collected his Foundation Establishment Pill, the two of them returned together.
"Senior Brother Qin, you've been at Qi Refining Perfection for some time now, right? Are you going into seclusion immediately?"
"Most likely. What about you, Junior Brother?"
"I... I'll wait a while longer. I haven't reached Qi Refining Perfection yet. It's better to wait until I have some confidence before going into seclusion."
"That's wise..."
After returning and parting ways with Qin Xi to their respective rooms, Mo Tiange endured for a while longer in her room before opening the door again, preparing to descend the mountain.
With the Foundation Establishment Pills distributed, this incident was officially concluded. The prohibition on disciples leaving the mountain without permission was also lifted. Of course, she wanted to go down the mountain first to see her Second Uncle. However, having just received the Foundation Establishment Pill, she was afraid of being targeted, so she pretended to return to pack her things before setting off down the mountain.
First, she went to the Yunwu Sect shop to collect the Spirit Stones from her consigned sales and exchanged them for pills. Then she sold the demon beast corpses she had obtained this time. During this period, many people would be selling demon beast corpses, so she wasn't too conspicuous.
The shop assistant, upon seeing the pile of corpses, was greatly impressed. This assistant was also a disciple of the Yunwu Sect and naturally knew about the recent trial. To have so many demon beast corpses, one must be highly skilled. Therefore, he didn't dare to be negligent and respectfully handed over the exchanged Spirit Stones to her.
Mo Tiange took the Spirit Stone pouch without counting it, tossed one Spirit Stone as a tip, and then wound her way through twists and turns back to her Second Uncle's small courtyard.
"Second Uncle!"
A coughing sound came from inside the house. Mo Tiange pushed the door open and saw the wrinkled old man on the bed. She smiled. "Second Uncle, I'm back."
Ye Jiang lifted his eyelids, his gaze cloudy as he scrutinized her for a long moment. He coughed again before speaking in a hoarse voice, "Xiao Tian, you're not injured, are you?"
"I'm fine," Mo Tiange quickly shook her head. She sat on the small stool by the bed, took out the jade vial containing the Foundation Establishment Pill, and said joyfully, "Second Uncle, look! I got a Foundation Establishment Pill!"
Seeing the jade vial, Ye Jiang's hands trembled slightly as he took it. He opened the vial, sniffed it, closed his eyes, and nodded. "That's right, this is a Foundation Establishment Pill... Xiao Tian, you've worked hard."
Mo Tiange shook her head repeatedly. "I was just lucky. There was an accident during this trial, so distributing the Foundation Establishment Pills was much easier."
Ye Jiang showed a loving smile, gazing at her with pity. "Do you think your Second Uncle doesn't know what happened? You... ah, forget it. It's enough that you came out alive."
Though his tone was reproachful, it was filled with warm concern. She held her Second Uncle's already withered hand and smiled sincerely. "Second Uncle, don't worry. I'm much stronger now. I cultivate diligently every day, and I've learned how to face opponents in battle. I won't be soft-hearted anymore. Second Uncle, let me tell you, during this trial..."
For an hour, Mo Tiange chattered on about everything that had happened during the trial. Ye Jiang listened, smiling at times, sometimes praising her for her calm handling of situations, and other times offering careful advice on how she could have handled things better.
By the end of their conversation, Mo Tiange felt she had gained more from this talk than from her own reflections. Thinking this, a sense of oppression weighed on her heart—what would she do without her Second Uncle?
When everything was said, Ye Jiang sighed. "Xiao Tian, seeing how you handled things this time, you've truly grown up. Your Second Uncle can rest easy now. Even if you don't succeed in Foundation Establishment this time, you're still young. Trying a few more times shouldn't be a problem..."
These words sounded like a final testament. Mo Tiange bit her lip, gripped her Second Uncle's hand, and called out softly, "Second Uncle..."
How could Ye Jiang not know what she was thinking? He smiled and patted her head. "Don't be like this. You're already an adult; you don't need your Second Uncle by your side. If one day you form your Golden Core, return to the mortal Ye family and see if any descendants possess spiritual roots. If there are, you don't need to rebuild the Ye family; just pass down the cultivation techniques..."
"Second Uncle!" she called out, somewhat annoyed.
But Ye Jiang's expression turned serious and stern. "Xiao Tian, just because you don't mention it doesn't mean you can avoid facing it. You must remember: you are a cultivator, and a female cultivator at that. If you can't even accept reality, how will you continue? For a female cultivator to achieve anything, it's even harder than for a male cultivator! Your aptitude isn't outstanding, and you have no family elders to rely on. If you don't have a firm heart, it would be better to give up early!"
Her Second Uncle had never spoken to her so harshly before. Mo Tiange was stunned, lowered her head, but said nothing.
Ye Jiang softened his tone again. "What have I taught you all these years? Do you remember? Since you don't have exceptional aptitude or backing, you must be even stricter with yourself. Don't be weak, don't be greedy, don't indulge in emotions! Remember: weakness and sentimentality are the great enemies of a female cultivator. Not just today, when you face your Second Uncle's passing, you must accept it calmly. In the future, if you develop feelings for someone, you must restrain yourself. Know that human hearts are fickle, and the world is ever-changing."
How could she not know all this? But still...
Ye Jiang closed his eyes again, revealing a serene smile. "Life and death are part of the Heavenly Dao's cycle. Both you and I are cultivators; we should understand the principle of the Heavenly Dao's endless cycles. Cultivation, cultivation—cultivating the Heavenly Dao is what makes a True Immortal. Go back. Contemplate this well. When you can calmly face your Second Uncle's passing, come see me again."
Mo Tiange remained silent for a long while before finally leaving behind some pills, bidding farewell, and stepping out the door.
Weakness and sentimentality are the great enemies of a female cultivator.
The Heavenly Dao cycles endlessly. Cultivating the Heavenly Dao is what makes a True Immortal.
She stood in the courtyard, closed her eyes for a moment, and then strode out with renewed determination.