This person was Jiang Shanghang, the person she saw on Mount Yunwu more than ten years ago.
The Jiang Shanghang in front of her was a lot different from ten years ago.
When Mo Tiange first entered Yunwu Sect, the Jiang Shanghang she saw was young and had a decent face, but his whole body was cold and his eyes were full of disdain, making people not want to get close to him.
But the current Jiang Shanghang looked a bit younger than before. He wasn't even fifty years old yet, which was quite young for a Foundation Building cultivator.
His entire person was much thinner than before, but the uncomfortable gloomy coldness of his body had turned into indifference. His brows had also become gentle, and there was no disdain to hurt others, only a faint indifference.
After Mo Tiange was saved by Jiang Shanghang, the two of them fled separately. Mo Tiange attracted the attention of the pursuers, so no one knew Jiang Shanghang was involved and he disappeared smoothly.
Later, although Mo Tiange was saved by Qin Xi, she lost Second Uncle and went to Xuanqing School. Separated by thousands of miles, she didn't have time to inquire about Jiang Shanghang.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten years had passed.
"… Senior Martial Brother Jiang?"
Jiang Shanghang was even more shocked when he saw her expression. When he heard her voice, he regained his composure and said to the curious Hai Bo, "This is my friend. Quickly serve the snow lotus tea."
Hai Bo promptly answered, "Yes, yes. Please wait a moment, the tea will be served soon."
After Hai Bo left, Jiang Shanghang's gaze finally fell on Mo Tiange. After sizing her up, the astonishment on his face slowly faded and he finally smiled. "Junior Martial Brother Ye, long time no see."
His smile made Mo Tiange sigh inwardly. How could Jiang Shanghang smile in the past?
It seemed that leaving Yunwu Sect for more than ten years had changed him a lot.
"It has indeed been a long time. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed. I didn't expect we'd meet again here."
Jiang Shanghang nodded with a smile. "Junior Martial Brother Ye, please sit … Oh, should I change my name now?"
Mo Tiange sat down on the guest seat and said with a smile, "What's the difference?
I'm still using the name Ye Xiaotian when I'm outside, so Senior Martial Brother Jiang can still call me that. "After a pause, she asked with a smile," Senior Martial Brother Jiang, are you using your original name now? "
Jiang Shanghang sat down on the seat of honor and shook his head. "My current name is Jiang Shuihan."
Upon hearing that he really did change his name, Mo Tiange sighed and nodded.
Jiang Shanghang probably changed his name because he had no other choice. When he left Jiang Clan, he broke off all relations with Jiang Clan. Before he left, he even killed the beloved junior of Jiang Clan's Core Formation cultivator. He wasn't like Mo Tiange, who entered Xuanqing School and had protection. If he didn't change his name, it would be very easy for others to find him.
"It's been so many years. Is Senior Brother Jiang doing well?
Why did you become a master immortal of this northernmost tribe and even entered Zhengfa Sect? "
"I'm doing pretty well."
Jiang Shanghang said faintly, "After I left Mount Yunwu, I decided to leave Kunwu and look for other spirit veins to cultivate. However, there are too few spirit veins in the secular world. In the end, after thinking about it for a long time, I came to the northernmost area.
Zhengfa Sect is the most powerful sect in the northernmost area, and it also cultivates water magic, which suits me very well. Kunwu is also far away from here, so presumably, no matter how hard Jiang Clan tries, they won't be able to find me in the northernmost area. "
"That … is true.
In the past, Senior Brother Jiang also cultivated water magic, so entering Zhengfa Sect also complemented each other. "Mo Tiange couldn't help but nod.
Now that she thought about it carefully, it was very normal for Jiang Shanghang to come to the northernmost area. He mainly cultivated water magic, so Zhengfa Sect's cultivation technique was very suitable for him. Furthermore, it was far from Kunwu, so it was a good place to hide.
Jiang Shanghang smiled. "It was actually a coincidence that I was able to smoothly enter Zhengfa Sect.
As long as a mortal in the northernmost area has spiritual roots, Zhengfa Sect will accept them no matter what kind of spiritual roots they have.
However, they're very strict with us cultivators who come from the south. My spiritual roots are too poor, so it was originally very difficult for me to be accepted by them. "
"Oh?
Could it be that Senior Brother Jiang encountered some kind of fated chance? "
"It was also a coincidence. As soon as I arrived here, I happened to run into the people of this tribe. Their master immortal had just passed away, so they were faced with the predicament of being incorporated by another tribe. Thus, they begged me to become their master immortal.
I thought about it and since I didn't have anywhere else to go, I agreed.
Later, Zhengfa Sect changed its name and abandoned the original Zhengfa School. To celebrate the change, foreign cultivators like me, who also became a master immortal of a tribe, were allowed to join as an exception. "
"… I see." That being the case, Jiang Shanghang had it much harder than she had in the past seventeen years.
After painstakingly escaping from Yunwu Sect, leaving Kunwu and fleeing to the northernmost area, he must've suffered a lot in the beginning, but fortunately, he finally had some results.
Jiang Shanghang stared at her and asked, "Junior Martial Brother Ye, judging from your appearance, you've been living well these past few years. I originally thought it would be good if you could build your foundation, but when I saw you again, your cultivation level was actually much higher than mine. You must've had some kind of fated chance, right?"
His own cultivation level was still in the early stage of the Foundation Building realm. Even if he wanted to advance to the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm, it wouldn't be something that could be done in a short period of time. Mo Tiange, on the other hand, was already in the peak of the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm and could advance to the late stage at any time.
Mo Tiange also smiled. Jiang Shanghang's current temperament was quite agreeable to her. He spoke bluntly and wasn't as gloomy as before. "It's not bad; I was just lucky."
"I'm afraid luck alone isn't enough. Junior Martial Brother Ye, you don't have to be so modest."
Jiang Shanghang paused for a moment then continued, "Junior Martial Brother Ye, I'll tell you the truth. When we parted that year, I thought you'd most likely be unable to escape the calamity. I never expected that you … How did you escape that time?"
"This …" Mo Tiange muttered to herself for a moment but in the end, she told him the truth. "It was almost like that. If Senior Martial Brother Qin hadn't come to save me, I would've died."
"Senior Martial Brother Qin?" Jiang Shanghang thought for a moment then said with astonishment, "Are you talking about Junior Martial Brother Qin Xi who lived with us?"
Mo Tiange nodded. "After we parted that day, Second Uncle and I escaped from Mount Yunwu, but we were quickly overtaken by them. Because of that, Second Uncle died …" Mo Tiange's expression became gloomy when she mentioned this matter.
Jiang Shanghang looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, I made you remember something sad."
"It's nothing."
Judging from Jiang Shanghang's current appearance, he was indeed completely different from before. How could he have apologized for this matter in the past?
She went on to say, "Before Second Uncle died, he told me to ask someone for help. That person was a famous Core Formation cultivator in west Kunwu. Back then, he owed my father a favor, so he left a Divine Sense Sound-Transmitting Talisman behind … After I crushed the talisman, Senior Martial Brother Qin appeared."
"What?" Jiang Shanghang was shocked. He thought for a moment then asked, "Junior Martial Brother Qin, could it be that you already have a master?"
Mo Tiange smiled and nodded.
She knew Jiang Shanghang misunderstood, but she didn't intend to explain.
In fact, she also thought the same as Jiang Shanghang back then. Qin Xi also made her think the same.
After all, how could an ordinary Aura Refining cultivator know that he lived with a Core Formation cultivator for several years?
Jiang Shanghang thought for a moment then asked, "Could it be that Junior Martial Brother Qin's master is much more famous than Yunwu Sect's, so he could …"
"Correct …" Mo Tiange said faintly, "How could those people from Yunwu Sect dare to offend the disciple of Lord Daoist Jinghe from Xuanqing School in west Kunwu?"
"What?!" Jiang Shanghang blurted out and stood up all of a sudden.
Right at that moment, someone called from outside, "Master Immortal, the Snow Lotus Tea is here."
Jiang Shanghang calmed himself down then sat down. His tone regained its calmness. "Come in."
A woman lifted the curtain then gracefully walked in with a tray. She poured each of them a cup of tea and cautiously looked between them as if she was trying to guess their relationship. Finally, she saluted them then left.
The women of this northernmost area were also different from the women of Kunwu in the heartland. Their skin was fair and their facial features were relatively deep. Their statures weren't tall, but they were sturdy.
The women Mo Tiange saw on the way to this tribe were all like this, but this woman was obviously a bit more beautiful. Her figure was much more graceful, and she didn't look like someone from the northernmost area.
Jiang Shanghang, who noticed her gaze, explained, "Ever since Zhengfa Sect established itself in the northernmost area, the mortals it brought with it had many marriages with the northernmost tribes. Now, some people in the tribe have bloodlines from the heartland and Kunwu."
He then pointed at the Snow Lotus Tea on the table. "Junior Martial Brother Ye, have you ever drunk this Snow Lotus Tea in Daan City?
Back then, I was in a hurry to come to the northernmost area, so I didn't drink this Snow Lotus Tea and suffered a lot. Fortunately, I met people from the Seal Tribe. "
Mo Tiange shook her head and said with a smile, "I didn't either. Fortunately, I've built my foundation now. Otherwise, I would've also suffered a lot."
Jiang Shanghang smiled and the two of them sipped their tea.
This Snow Lotus Tea was the same as the one in the south. It was dried and brewed, but instead of tea leaves, it was made from Snow Lotus petals.
After taking a sip, Mo Tiange suddenly felt a stream of heat flowing from her abdomen to her limbs and bones. She felt extremely warm.
It seemed that not only could she wash herself with Snow Lotus Tea, but drinking Snow Lotus Tea could also protect her from the cold wind of the northernmost area.
Jiang Shanghang put down the teacup, looked at her and continued with the previous topic. "Junior Martial Brother Ye, you said Junior Martial Brother Qin is the disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator at Xuanqing School?"
"Yes." There was nothing she couldn't say.
"So you're also at Xuanqing School now?"
Mo Tiange smiled faintly and said, "I was lucky. When I went to Xuanqing School, I won Lord Daoist Jinghe's favor and he accepted me as his registered disciple. After I built my foundation, I became his official disciple."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shanghang's gaze towards her was different from before.
When he saw that Mo Tiange's cultivation level had already reached the peak of the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm and she looked confident, he knew she was doing very well. However, he didn't know she was doing so well.
An official disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator … He thought about himself. After he built his foundation, his cultivation speed wasn't inferior to that of elite disciples, so he thought he was lucky enough.
When he occasionally thought about Junior Martial Brother Ye from back then, he always thought she was most likely no longer in this world. Even if she was lucky enough to escape the calamity, she probably wouldn't be able to build her foundation.
Unexpectedly, not only did she build her foundation, but she was also doing so well — so well that it was beyond his expectations.
"In that case, it's no wonder Junior Martial Brother Ye made realm-breakthroughs so fast. Not only did you smoothly build your foundation, but you also reached the peak of the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm so quickly …" Jiang Shanghang said with a sigh, "Everyone has their own fortune; there's no point in being envious."
"Senior Martial Brother Jiang, you're already an official disciple of Zhengfa Sect now — why do you need to be envious?
With Senior Martial Brother Jiang's temperament, presumably, you also have hope for the Great Dao. "
Jiang Shanghang smiled bitterly. "The Great Dao?
That's too far!
Back then, I didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. I thought those two ancestors deliberately suppressed me so that Jiang Chengxian could stand up for me. In fact, even if they didn't suppress me, so what?
Maybe I could build my foundation very smoothly, but … after that, my future would be unpredictable. "
Mo Tiange was silent. If she hadn't obtained the Art of the Origin and turned from a waste spiritual root of five elements into a heaven-gifted genius in one fell swoop, her cultivation path would probably be the same.
When she was in the Aura Refining realm, she always thought that by relying on her own efforts, even if the path to immortality was difficult, she could still reach the other side. However, after she built her foundation, she discovered that her previous thoughts were simply overestimating the immensity of heaven and earth.
Aptitude, cultivation technique, temperament, and luck — not a single one could be lacking.
"At least Senior Martial Brother Jiang built his foundation smoothly, didn't you?"
Jiang Shanghang sighed. "I was able to build my foundation because I entered Zhengfa Sect.
Back then, although I obtained Foundation-Refining Pills and Constitution-Enhancing Pills, I tried them once and failed.
Later, I went to the northernmost area and entered Zhengfa Sect. I modified their high-grade ice element cultivation technique and won a minor competition in the sect. It was only after I obtained pointers from a Core Formation senior that I dared to enter Closed Door Meditation again.
This time, I finally succeeded by a fluke. "
"…" With Jiang Shanghang's aptitude of four spiritual roots, being able to build his foundation twice was indeed a fluke. In fact, wasn't she also lucky?
"Back then, when I built my foundation, I used no less than four Foundation-Building Pills. If I hadn't received several Foundation-Building Pills as a reward from master, I don't know when I would've been able to build my foundation." Mo Tiange also sighed.
She didn't know when she was in the Aura Refining realm, but after building her foundation, she recalled the process of building her foundation.
The two of them sighed, then glanced at each other and couldn't help but smile.
Mo Tiange pondered for a moment then chose a tactful way of saying, "Right, Senior Martial Brother Jiang, your temperament seems to be different from before …"
Jiang Shanghang laughed. "I know what you mean. You want to say that I'm not as annoying as before, right?"
Mo Tiange also smiled and didn't deny it.
Jiang Shanghang said, "It was only after I left the Jiang Clan and saw more things that I realized the world was actually this big … When I was in the Jiang Clan, in order to cultivate quickly, I kept using secret techniques, which damaged my body and caused my temperament to become very strange.
When I arrived at Zhengfa Sect, I gave up my original cultivation technique and switched to Zhengfa Sect's high-grade ice element cultivation technique, so I was naturally different from before. "
"I see …" No wonder his temperament was different.
His previous secret techniques tended to be cold and gloomy, while his current high-grade ice element cultivation technique tended to be cold.
Moreover, without the shackles of Jiang Clan, he was naturally more cheerful.
"Besides, here, everyone in the tribe respects me, and Zhengfa Sect also doesn't bully me. Everything goes smoothly, so I naturally won't be resentful of the world."
Mo Tiange thought about it and agreed. The environment affected one's temperament. When she was in Yunwu Sect, she was cautious and had a heavy heart. She always greeted people with a smile and didn't dare to offend them in the slightest.
When she arrived at Xuanqing School, she had a cultivation level, identity, and status, so her personality became more flamboyant and she also learned to show her power to others.
"Junior Martial Brother Ye's also different from before …" Jiang Shanghang sized her up again then said with a smile, "In the past, no matter how I looked at you, Junior Martial Brother Ye was still a child, but now … you can really be considered a fairy."
Was this a compliment to her appearance?
Mo Tiange felt a bit strange. Even though she changed back to her female clothes, she always wore a loose Daoist robe with big sleeves, and she only wore her hair in a Daoist bun. She didn't even use the jewelry Qin Xi gave her … When she thought of this name, she was stunned. They hadn't seen each other for ten years, so she didn't know how his Closed Door Meditation was going.
Master said he was too thoughtful and most likely couldn't form his Nascent Soul, but he was very persistent. However, she clearly knew he wasn't an impatient person when it came to cultivation, so what made him so anxious to form his Nascent Soul?
"Junior Martial Brother Ye, Junior Martial Brother Ye!"
Seeing Jiang Shanghang's curious expression, Mo Tiange realized she was distracted just now. She felt annoyed and said, "I'm sorry, Senior Martial Brother Jiang …"
Jiang Shanghang looked at her inquisitively, but in the end, he shook his head and didn't ask anything. Instead, he talked about another matter. "Right, you said Junior Martial Brother Qin is Lord Daoist Jinghe's disciple. Are you his martial brother now?"
"… Yes."
"Since he's a disciple of a big sect like Xuanqing School and a Nascent Soul cultivator's disciple, why did he go to Yunwu Sect?
And he stayed there for three years … "
"Uh …" She also didn't know the reason. Besides, this was Qin Xi's private matter, so it wasn't appropriate for her to say it.
Seeing her embarrassed expression, Jiang Shanghang said, "I was just asking casually. If it's not convenient, you don't have to say it."
Mo Tiange sighed with relief and explained with a smile, "This is Senior Martial Brother Qin's private matter. It's not convenient for me to say it."
"I was too abrupt." Jiang Shanghang put down this question and asked again, "How is Junior Martial Brother Qin now?"
"… Very good." She swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. "Senior Martial Brother Qin advanced even faster than me."
"Really?"
Jiang Shanghang was surprised. He thought for a moment and said, "Back then, he was only an Aura Refining disciple, but he was already the disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator … Could it be that his aptitude is actually very outstanding?" As he spoke, he stared at Mo Tiange with a somewhat strange expression.
What he was thinking was that he knew what aptitude this Junior Martial Brother Ye had, but he was unexpectedly accepted as a disciple by a Nascent Soul cultivator. Could it be because of that Junior Martial Brother Qin?
"You can say that …" Mo Tiange said faintly, "Senior Martial Brother Qin is my master's blood-related descendant, and his aptitude is outstanding. Presumably, it's not impossible for him to advance to the Nascent Soul realm."
"Nascent Soul …" Upon hearing this, Jiang Shanghang couldn't help but say, "Junior Martial Brother Qin is only in the Foundation Building realm now, right?
He's a genius with a single spiritual root, but advancing to the Nascent Soul realm isn't a certainty … "
However, he only saw Mo Tiange smiling slightly as if she didn't care, so he swallowed the rest of his words and said, "Back then, there were five people in our family. Junior Martial Brother Xu died, and you and Junior Martial Brother Qin left. The only one left in Yunwu Sect was Senior Martial Brother Liu. I wonder how proud he is now."
When Liu Yidao was mentioned, Jiang Shanghang sneered, seemingly disdainful.
Mo Tiange frowned slightly. She asked in confusion, "Senior Martial Brother Jiang, back then, you and Senior Martial Brother Liu didn't have any conflicts, right?"
"Of course not."
"Then why did you …"
Jiang Shanghang sneered again. "I originally thought among cultivators, he was one of those people who valued friendship. Who would've thought I'd see a secret of his."
"A secret?" Mo Tiange was stunned.
"Correct." Jiang Shanghang said coldly, "Do you know how Junior Martial Brother Xu died?"
"It was during the Foundation-Building Pill's test …" Mo Tiange paused.
Since Jiang Shanghang said that, could it be that Xu Jingzhi's death was related to Liu Yidao?
Upon seeing her expression, Jiang Shanghang nodded indifferently. "You should've guessed what I mean. Back then, in that forest, I happened to see them. I saw them being besieged with my own eyes. When they were in danger, Senior Martial Brother Liu, in order to buy himself time to escape, didn't warn Junior Martial Brother Xu and took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him to slip away. However, Junior Martial Brother Xu was surrounded by Zixia Sect's cultivators. Without a doubt, he died."
"What?!"
Mo Tiange's face paled. She was about to question why Jiang Shanghang didn't make a move even though he saw them, but on second thought, regardless of Jiang Shanghang's temperament back then, since he was bound to lose, he naturally wouldn't throw his life away.
However, not making a move was one thing, and abandoning Xu Jingzhi like a sacrificial pawn was another!
The last time she saw Liu Yidao, he was so angry about Xu Jingzhi's death … Could it be that he had a guilty conscience?
Because he did such a thing, he hated the person who made him do it even more.
Mo Tiange said slowly, "Senior Martial Brother Liu … is also in the Foundation Building realm now. I met him once. He's now a Core Formation cultivator's disciple of Yunwu Sect."
"Really?"
Jiang Shanghang sneered with an indifferent expression. "I've been away from Yunwu Sect for so long, and I don't plan to go back in the future. Whatever happens to him has nothing to do with me."
Mo Tiange was speechless.
She also thought the same way. It was something that happened more than ten years ago. So what if Liu Yidao wronged Xu Jingzhi?
In any case, she wouldn't have anything to do with him in the future.
However, this matter really made her sigh with emotion.
Sure enough, one might know a person's face but not his heart.