They landed within the territory of Yunwu Mountain. Night was approaching. Mo Tiange gazed at the familiar scenery, a flicker of hesitation in her heart, but as soon as she thought of her Second Uncle, she straightened her back.
Her Second Uncle had been indirectly forced to his death by them. Yunwu Mountain held a great enmity for her. With such a deep-seated grudge, how could she afford to be weak and afraid!
What was strange, however, was that after Qin Xi brought her down, not a single person came to investigate. The two of them swaggered right through the mountain gate.
After walking for a while, Mo Tiange asked curiously, "Senior Brother Qin, isn't this the way to the Wanfa Pavilion?"
It wasn't leading to the South Peak, nor the North Peak. This small path only led to the Wanfa Pavilion, with no other destination at all.
Qin Xi didn't deny it, merely making a shushing gesture.
Mo Tiange said no more and followed him forward.
Arriving at the entrance of the Wanfa Pavilion, they used a token to open the formation and entered the cave.
Mo Tiange walked behind. She didn't know what Qin Xi did, but when she entered, she saw that all the disciples guarding the Wanfa Pavilion had already fallen into a deep slumber.
Afterwards, Qin Xi led her to the central-most cave entrance. His hands wove a series of incredibly complex Hand Seals, and with a final burst of Spiritual Qi striking the stone door, it opened without a sound.
Seeing her astonished expression, Qin Xi smiled. "I was fortunate enough to follow a Core Formation Ancestor from the sect here once and just remembered it."
He said it lightly, but Mo Tiange knew this required keen observation and comprehension. Forming Hand Seals wasn't just about the gestures; it required the corresponding circulation of Spiritual Qi. That was precisely why those pill recipes were so expensive. Refining certain pills required specific Hand Seals, which had to be slowly studied and practiced to use them freely.
She admitted to herself she didn't have such skill. Seeing it once, she only remembered a little in her mind, and the Spiritual Qi circulation was completely beyond her grasp. This was also why she had never dabbled in alchemy or artifact forging and was unfamiliar with Hand Seals.
Qin Xi took out a talisman and handed it to her. "Put on this Invisibility Talisman to avoid triggering the restrictions."
Mo Tiange took it, her feelings complex. Invisibility Talismans were priceless and hard to find. She had only ever possessed one, which her Second Uncle had searched for a long time to obtain. It was more precious than many high-grade talismans. The talisman paper used for this one she had seen before, so she was certain Qin Xi had drawn it himself. Qin Xi had only started learning to draw talismans a little over two years ago. In just two short years, he could actually draw an Invisibility Talisman. She admitted to herself she absolutely lacked such talent and couldn't help but feel a sense of dejection—there were far too many people with higher talent than her. Achieving something significant was truly not easy.
This cave was smaller than the ones Qi Refining disciples could enter, and there weren't many items inside. Most were oddly shaped objects. Jade slips were actually not plentiful, and books occupied only a single sparse bookshelf. Moreover, restrictions were placed upon them.
Mindful of these restrictions, Mo Tiange merely looked around, not daring to touch anything. Qin Xi, however, paid them no mind, rummaging everywhere and tossing whatever caught his eye into his Qiankun Bag. Strangely, none of the restrictions were triggered.
Watching his actions, Mo Tiange had an absurd feeling. Did this Senior Brother Qin infiltrate the Yunwu Sect just to play the robber?
Before long, Qin Xi stopped. Besides what he had already put away, he held several more items in his hand and tossed them directly to her. "This is a place only Core Formation and above cultivators of the sect can access. These few items might be useful to you. Keep them."
Mo Tiange took them and silently stored them in her Qiankun Bag. Regardless, it was his goodwill. There was no need to refuse.
After erasing all traces, the two of them quietly left the Wanfa Pavilion.
As for those disciples guarding the Wanfa Pavilion, they only felt a momentary daze, never suspecting that during their brief lapse, the restricted library cave—which only Core Formation cultivators of the sect could open—had been robbed.
Leaving those cave guards aside, Qin Xi led Mo Tiange onward along an obscure, destination-unknown small path.
Mo Tiange only knew this path led towards the North Peak, but judging by Qin Xi's familiarity, he must have walked it often.
The two walked for a while and entered the North Peak. Faced with the layered formations within the North Peak, Qin Xi simply produced a token, safely leading her inside.
Then came more twists and turns. By the time buildings finally appeared before them, Mo Tiange had completely lost her sense of direction.
Qin Xi still quietly breached the restrictions, leading her into a garden.
Entering it, her nostrils were filled with the fragrance of medicine, and Spiritual Qi overflowed all around. So this place was actually a medicinal garden.
Qin Xi again had her stand to the side. This time, however, he didn't look around randomly. Instead, with clear targets in mind, he picked several spirit fruits and spirit herbs before leading her out of this medicinal garden.
Mo Tiange now understood. This Senior Brother Qin was simply here to pilfer things. He wasn't familiar with that Wanfa Pavilion, but he was familiar with this medicinal garden—a few years ago, he had gained the favor of a Foundation Establishment cultivator on the North Peak and secured a position in the alchemy room. He must have had his eye on these spirit herbs for a long time, taking this chance to swipe them.
This left her speechless—the image of that Senior Brother Qin, though aloof but possessing a gentlemanly demeanor, had completely collapsed.
After picking the spirit herbs, Mo Tiange silently followed him onward, wondering in her heart which other unlucky places he had his eye on.
A quarter of an hour later, she was dumbfounded.
Although she had mentally prepared herself, she still hadn't expected the next place to actually be the Guiyuan Hall!
What place was the Guiyuan Hall? This was the residence of the Yunwu Sect's Sect Leader! Throughout the generations, Sect Leaders resided in the Guiyuan Hall during their tenure. The last Sect Leader, Fang Dingyue, was killed by the Zixia Sect. Now, the one living here was that Branch Master Jiang!
She never imagined Qin Xi would be so bold. At this moment, she could only brace herself and follow him as they stealthily infiltrated the Guiyuan Hall.
Inside the Guiyuan Hall, restrictions were everywhere. Somehow, as the two of them made their way through, these restrictions seemed non-existent, completely untriggered. Moreover, they weren't discovered by the hall guards either.
She knew Qin Xi must have done something, but such methods were usually secret arts, so she didn't ask.
The two of them wandered around the Guiyuan Hall, avoiding several patrols of hall guards, and finally entered a stone passageway through another restriction.
Even with her limited knowledge of the Guiyuan Hall, Mo Tiange knew such heavily restricted and guarded areas were absolutely important. But she had no more thoughts on the matter. Though Qin Xi was audacious, he also had the skill. She couldn't even tell what kind of restriction it was before he effortlessly resolved it.
The stone passageway behind the restriction twisted and turned, its length unknown. The two walked for a long time without reaching the end. Occasionally, there were one or two stone chambers containing some treasures, but Qin Xi didn't even glance at them.
Mo Tiange understood in her heart. He must be targeting a specific treasure; these things were not his goal.
After walking a while longer, they arrived before a stone chamber. Qin Xi suddenly raised his hand, signaling her to stop. Then, he took out a Peach Branch from his Qiankun Bag. The branch had fresh green leaves and blooming peach blossoms, as if just plucked from a tree.
He murmured a few low incantations, waved his hand, and the Peach Branch stood upright on the ground. A wave of fragrance arose, and a barrier slowly formed around them.
"Senior Brother Qin?" Mo Tiange whispered, puzzled.
Qin Xi merely raised a finger to his lips, signaling her not to speak.
The two stood in the narrow passage beside the stone chamber for a moment before Mo Tiange heard voices coming from within.
"Senior Brother Lin, what do you think of this Nine-Dragon Cauldron?"
That voice... it was that Branch Master Jiang!
Mo Tiange looked up at Qin Xi, hoping he would explain what they were doing here. That Branch Master Jiang was inside, and there seemed to be a Core Formation cultivator with him. Were the two of them, mere minor cultivators, crouching here just to seek death?!
But Qin Xi just shook his head at her, saying nothing.
After a moment of silence, another voice was heard, its tone not at all polite. "What do you want?"
Branch Master Jiang gave a dry laugh. "Senior Brother Lin, you are now a Pulse Master of the Golden Blade Sect, and I am the Branch Master of Yunwu Mountain. By all accounts, our situations are similar. We should get closer."
The other person, however, snorted lightly. "This old Daoist dares not compare himself to Branch Master Jiang. You are the great hero who helped the Zixia Sect merge with Yunwu Mountain. I, Lin, am merely an old, decrepit Daoist who doesn't know how many years he has left to live. Getting too close to you might shorten my lifespan!"
The words were dripping with sarcasm. Mo Tiange felt the voice and attitude seemed somewhat familiar—right, wasn't the Daoist who led the Golden Blade Sect team during the Foundation Establishment Pill trial the Pulse Master of the Golden Blade Sect?
Mo Tiange had later heard some gossip about this. This Daoist Lin was the former Sect Leader of the Golden Blade Sect. Later, as his lifespan neared its end, he passed the Sect Leader position to Sect Leader Jin. Who would have thought that with the Zixia Sect's upheaval, the Golden Blade Sect would suffer a great calamity, with Sect Leader Jin and several Core Formation cultivators perishing. The Golden Blade Sect was truly weakened and couldn't contend with the Zixia Sect at all. This former Sect Leader had no choice but to plead with the Zixia Sect, offering the Golden Blade Sect's voluntary submission to the Zixia Sect in exchange for stopping the purge. Later, the Zixia Sect, considering his high prestige and nearing lifespan—useful for winning hearts and unlikely to cause trouble—appointed him as the Pulse Master of the Golden Blade Sect. Thus, this retired former Sect Leader was forced back into the storm.
This Pulse Master Lin had become the Zixia Sect-appointed Pulse Master for the sake of the other Golden Blade Sect disciples. Naturally, he looked down upon Branch Master Jiang, who had defected to the Zixia Sect and betrayed the Yunwu Sect, and his words were extremely caustic. But because his prestige was so high, even the Zixia Sect side respected him greatly, and Branch Master Jiang didn't dare offend him.
At this point, they were clearly at odds. Branch Master Jiang indeed just laughed twice and changed the subject. "To be frank, Senior Brother Lin, I've encountered a difficult matter and would like to ask for your assistance."
Pulse Master Lin didn't seem surprised at all. "Is it about your great-grandson trying to force himself on a female disciple of the sect and ending up losing his life?"
"...Yes. The person who killed my great-grandson was unfortunately rescued by someone. That person is..."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange's mind suddenly went numb, and her body went limp.
Qin Xi gently supported her, leaning her against the stone wall. From within the stone chamber came Pulse Master Lin's voice. "Branch Master Jiang, I cannot accept this Nine-Dragon Cauldron!"
Branch Master Jiang quickly said, "Senior Brother Lin, I'm not asking you to kill that person. I just beg you to trap him, giving me a chance for revenge."
Pulse Master Lin, however, just snorted coldly. "Let's not mention this matter again. Even if this old Daoist had the ability, I wouldn't do it. Do you think I don't know there's a Nascent Soul cultivator behind this person?"
"Senior Brother Lin, the Xuanqing Sect is thousands of miles away..."
"Branch Master Jiang!" Pulse Master Lin suddenly said sharply. "Your family's grudge, settle it yourself. Do you want to bring annihilation upon my Golden Blade Sect? I cannot accept this Nine-Dragon Cauldron! We are clearly at odds. Let's end it here today. No need to see me out!"
Not long after the words fell, the stone chamber door suddenly opened. An old Daoist stormed out angrily, with Branch Master Jiang following behind, both furious and not daring to show it openly. The two seemed completely oblivious to Qin Xi and Mo Tiange pressed against the stone wall and just left. However, as he left, Pulse Master Lin seemed to glance in their direction.
After a moment, Branch Master Jiang returned, his face full of rage. But as he stepped into the stone chamber, he found a young man already standing inside.
His expression turned horrified. He immediately summoned his magic treasure and demanded, "Who are you?!"
The young man smiled slightly but didn't answer. Unhurriedly, he took a sword from his Qiankun Bag and drew the blade. The sword was entirely golden, with flames dancing along its length, its aura astonishing.
"The Three-Yang True Fire Sword! You are—"