A clamor of voices came from outside the door. Someone ran upstairs and began pounding heavily on an unknown room's door.
Others were shouting noisily: "Open up! Everyone, open your doors!"
After a moment, several room doors opened one after another. Someone spoke with displeasure: "Who are you, sir? Why disturb my peace?"
Another was very respectful: "What instructions does Senior have?"
The reply came in an arrogant voice: "The Zixia Sect is searching for traitors. Everyone, come out!"
Someone resisted: "This isn't even Zixia Sect territory. How can you be so presumptuous?!"
The answer was a heavy "Hmph!" followed by the release of an aura of pressure belonging to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Mo Tiange was startled and turned to look at her second uncle.
Ye Jiang had also opened his eyes by now, his brow tightly furrowed.
"Second Uncle?" Mo Tiange called softly. Searching for traitors... Given that there hadn't been any major disturbances among the three sects under the Zixia Sect's banner recently, this was most likely aimed at her.
Ye Jiang shook his head gently: "Don't panic. There's only one Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and a few Qi Refining cultivators outside. If they really are here for us, we'll just run when the time comes."
Mo Tiange nodded, but unease still churned in her heart. Although she was disguised in female attire and Second Uncle rarely appeared in public, if this truly was the Yunwu Sect coming to capture her, they wouldn't have much trouble recognizing her...
"Open up! Open up!" The knocking finally reached their room.
At her second uncle's signal, Mo Tiange pretended to be greatly displeased by the disturbance and went to open the door: "Who is being so rude?"
Upon opening it, she indeed saw disciples of the Yunwu Sect dressed in blue-green robes. Only, since the name 'Yunwu Sect' no longer existed, they now called themselves the Zixia Sect.
Mo Tiange looked coldly at the Qi Refining disciple knocking on their door: "What business do you have, Fellow Daoist?"
The Qi Refining disciple who had knocked on their room was about to speak when the leading Foundation Establishment cultivator interjected: "Junior, we are disciples of the Yunwu Mountain branch of the Zixia Sect, acting under our sect's orders to search for traitors. Please inform your elder so as to avoid any misunderstandings."
His words were polite, but his tone was arrogant. Clearly, he was only refraining from forcing a search because there was a Foundation Establishment cultivator present.
Seeing him, Mo Tiange pretended to be respectful, clasped her hands in a bow, and returned inside to report to her elder.
But as soon as she re-entered the room, a sharp glint flashed in Second Uncle's eyes. He immediately grabbed her hand and smashed through the window.
"Second Uncle?!" Mo Tiange was shocked. Their movement had already alerted the Yunwu Sect disciples, who rushed over. Upon seeing the two of them, the Foundation Establishment cultivator immediately snorted and summoned his flying Magical Tool to give chase.
"Second Uncle, what happened?" she asked, bewildered. Those people hadn't discovered them yet.
Ye Jiang said calmly, "You're dressed as a woman, but you didn't change your bow."
Mo Tiange froze, then instantly regretted it. Typically, only men clasped their hands in a bow as a greeting. Anyone who thought about it for a moment would undoubtedly see through their identities.
"Don't just stand there!" Ye Jiang barked, taking Mo Tiange with him as he urged his flying Magical Tool to flee westward.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator chasing them pursued for a while. Unable to close the gap, he paused in annoyance, took out several message talismans, sent them off, and then resumed the chase.
In an instant, the chase had carried them far from the small town.
Ye Jiang gritted his teeth, swallowed a Minor Recovery Pill, and poured all his energy into fleeing.
Mo Tiange nervously looked at him, then back at their pursuer.
Although Second Uncle was at the Mid-Stage of Foundation Establishment, with a higher cultivation level, he was still injured and nearing the end of his lifespan, which diminished his power. Compared to this Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he held no real advantage. Moreover, his flying Magical Tool wasn't particularly fast.
Half an hour later, Mo Tiange nervously realized the distance between them was gradually shrinking.
Ye Jiang exerted himself once more, but a sharp pain shot through his chest, momentarily numbing his entire body. He gasped for breath and swallowed another pill.
"Second Uncle, you..."
"Don't speak!" Ye Jiang shoved a talisman into her hand. "This is a Mountain-Steadying Talisman. When the fight starts, slap it on yourself and hide to the side!"
Clutching the talisman in her hand, Mo Tiange understood. Second Uncle intended to confront their pursuer head-on. If they kept running, they'd be caught eventually. It was better to kill the opponent directly and then hide their tracks again.
She clenched her fist, an indescribable self-loathing filling her heart. She finally understood how far she still was compared to Second Uncle! Without strength, what use was a little cleverness? She was still far from possessing true wisdom! Right now, she could do nothing but let her injured second uncle fight for their lives...
Two streaks of light flashed through the sky. The one in front finally descended, and the one behind paused before following.
Ye Jiang landed in a clearing in the forest, pushed Mo Tiange behind a large rock, and coldly watched the cultivator who had followed them.
This cultivator appeared to be in his thirties, with a haughty expression, likely a favored figure in his sect. As soon as he landed, he lifted his chin and said, "So you are the elder of that Ye Xiaotian?"
Ye Jiang didn't answer. He simply waved a hand, summoning a palm-sized Jade Plate.
Seeing his reaction, the cultivator's expression changed slightly. He snorted coldly: "Do you intend to make an enemy of the Zixia Sect?"
Ye Jiang said, "You are under orders to capture someone. I absolutely will not let my junior be taken. What more is there to say?"
His unyielding attitude greatly displeased the cultivator, who sneered, "Do you know who Ye Xiaotian has offended? You're just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and one so aged at that. Do you really think you can fight a Core Formation senior?"
Ye Jiang said calmly, "Enough talk. If you want to stop us, just make your move!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, his hand flicked. The Jade Plate flew into the air. Simultaneously, he reached into his Qiankun Bag, and a thin flying dagger shot out silently.
Once the Jade Plate was released, it immediately expanded. Ye Jiang struck it with several spirit incantations. The Jade Plate began to spin rapidly, instantly releasing a powerful aura of pressure.
Seeing him attack without hesitation, his various techniques seamlessly linked, the cultivator immediately knew this opponent had extremely rich Dharma Combat experience. Among rogue cultivators, some were impoverished and easily defeated, while others had fierce methods far surpassing their peers. The one before him was clearly the latter. Thinking this, a sliver of fear arose in the cultivator's heart, and he began to panic.
Ye Jiang showed no mercy. He sent out the final spirit incantation. The Jade Plate had already expanded to the size of a mat, glowing brightly. With a "Boom!" it smashed towards the cultivator.
The cultivator hastily dodged, barely avoiding a direct hit, but was sent flying by the powerful pressure, his organs instantly wracked with pain.
Ye Jiang had succeeded with his strike, but he wasn't much better off. His face grew even paler, his aged features gradually turning ashen gray. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Second Uncle!" Mo Tiange hurried forward to support his swaying body.
Seizing this opportunity, the cultivator recovered, a murderous intent flashing across his face. He summoned his flying sword, thrusting it towards the two of them.
Ye Jiang opened his eyes, mustered his last bit of strength, pushed Mo Tiange away, and used the Jade Plate, which had returned to his hand, to block. Two streams of Spiritual Qi tangled together, wrestling and contending.
Blood continuously trickled from the corner of his mouth. Gazing at his ferocious opponent, Ye Jiang struggled to hold on.
By now, Mo Tiange had no time to hide. She took out all the talismans she had and hurled them at the cultivator.
But it was useless. The opponent merely raised a protective barrier. None of her attacks had any effect.
This was the difference between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment. She couldn't help at all.
"Pfft!" Another mouthful of blood. The Jade Plate emitted a crisp cracking sound, shattering simultaneously with the opponent's flying sword.
Fragments of the Jade Plate and flying sword scattered. Ye Jiang also collapsed, completely spent.
Seeing this, the opponent took out another flying sword, intending to finish him off with a single strike. But just as he was about to release the sword, he looked down at his chest in disbelief. Unnoticed by him moments before, a flying dagger had pierced it, already claiming his life.
Both men collapsed heavily to the ground.
"Second Uncle!" Mo Tiange threw herself forward, frantically searching for healing pills to feed him.
Ye Jiang swallowed the pill with difficulty, only to spit out another mouthful of blood.
"Second Uncle, hold on a little longer. There are more pills here, there's still..."
After a long while, Ye Jiang finally stopped vomiting blood and spoke with great effort: "Quick... we must leave quickly..."
Mo Tiange nodded through her tears. She cleaned up the scene, temporarily concealing the traces of the Dharma Combat, helped her second uncle up, and stumbled down the mountain.
Several hours later, Mo Tiange and her uncle had reached a small village at the foot of the mountain.
This village housed many mortals. Mo Tiange didn't dare disturb them, quietly settling in a dilapidated hut outside the village.
"Second Uncle! Second Uncle!"
Ye Jiang finally regained consciousness. He forced his eyes open and, with great difficulty, retrieved a Jade Token from his Qiankun Bag, handing it to her.
Mo Tiange took it in a daze: "This..."
Ye Jiang's breath was as faint as a thread: "Crush it..."
This was... a Ten-Thousand-Mile Message Talisman! Mo Tiange hesitated for a moment, but finally followed her second uncle's instruction and crushed the Jade Token.
The token shattered, releasing a burst of bright light that lingered for a good while before fading.
In her daze, Mo Tiange felt that the aura within the token seemed very familiar...
Seeing her crush the token, Ye Jiang relaxed slightly. With her help, he sat up cross-legged, swallowed a pill, and began to heal his wounds.
At the same time, above Yunwu Mountain, many Foundation Establishment cultivators flew back and forth, gradually converging in this direction.
Another half hour passed before Ye Jiang finally opened his eyes.
"Second Uncle!" Mo Tiange exclaimed with joy. "Second Uncle, are you better?"
Ye Jiang shook his head gently, his breath still weak: "Xiaotian... Second Uncle... can't hold on any longer..."
Mo Tiange froze. Can't hold on? Did he mean...
Ye Jiang leaned against the wall, breathing weakly: "It's no use... the pills are useless... Second Uncle forced his Spiritual Qi earlier, aggravating his injuries..."
"Second Uncle..." Tears uncontrollably dripped down as she murmured, "Second Uncle, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's all because I was too foolish..."
Ye Jiang smiled, holding her hand: "Child... everyone makes mistakes. Being able to watch you grow... grow up... Second Uncle is happy..."
He looked up at the sky outside and sighed: "I just hope... I just hope there's still time..."
But Mo Tiange's self-blame did not lessen one bit. If not for her, Second Uncle wouldn't have had to flee West Kunwu; if not for her, Second Uncle wouldn't have been severely injured by the Lightning Beast; if not for her, Second Uncle wouldn't have had to force himself to fight...
It was all because of that detestable constitution. If she had known... if she had known it would be like this, what would it have mattered if she had gone to the Xuanqing Sect back then? Second Uncle might have had a chance to form his Core, and Tian Qiao wouldn't have been implicated because of her. Compared to the life and death of her family, what did losing the freedom to choose her marriage matter?
Time passed minute by minute. The cultivators finally discovered the concealed traces of the Dharma Combat in the forest and began a systematic search centered on that location.
And at that moment, above Yunwu Mountain, a streak of light appeared, its aura astonishingly powerful—a hundred times stronger than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator—streaking westward.