Shortly after the Nascent Soul Ceremony, the Steward's Hall had investigated Shui Linbo's background and reported it.
According to the preliminary investigation, Shui Linbo wasn't lying. Except for what happened in Linhai, the Steward's Hall had investigated all her encounters and found nothing suspicious.
Since there was nothing suspicious, Mo Tiange felt relieved.
Ye Zhenji was the junior closest to her and Qin Xi. His Dao companion could have poor aptitudes and a low cultivation level, but she absolutely couldn't harbor evil intentions.
In addition, what reassured Mo Tiange was that compared to Ye Zhenji, Shui Linbo's character was much steadier and she had experienced a lot more. If she could supervise him from time to time, she could cultivate with ease and let go of Ye Zhenji.
As for Shui Linbo's injury, after confirming her identity, Mo Tiange asked Kuang Zhu to take care of her. No matter what precious materials he needed, he could just ask her. Not to mention other things, with her current status as a Core Formation elder, she could afford the cost of treating Shui Linbo. She could also afford any precious materials he needed.
There was no need to worry about Lord Daoist Jinghe in the short term. Shui Linbo's injury was also under Kuang Zhu's care. There were also some miscellaneous matters that had finally been sorted out.
In the following days, what she had to pay attention to was Qin Xi's Closed Door Meditation.
Qin Xi's Closed Door Meditation this time was no small matter. According to his initial estimation, it would take at least ten to twenty years. In that case, he had to prepare a lot of things.
Mo Tiange felt it was impossible for her to stay in Xuanqing School during this period of time.
She'd stayed in the Virtual Sky World for ten years. With the help of Dual Cultivation, her cultivation level had successfully reached the peak of the early stage of the Core Formation realm. It'd be best if she didn't enter Closed Door Meditation in the short term. Since that was the case, she had to go out to travel and handle affairs.
In that case, she had to leave something for Qin Xi, such as some special medicinal pills.
There was also her Master. She couldn't concoct all of the pills, but at the very least, she had to concoct one or two types so that her Master could use them to treat his injuries when he came out of closed-door cultivation.
Concocting pills, concocting medicines, cultivating, studying magic weapons, and occasionally giving pointers to Zhenji and Shui Linbo — two years passed quickly.
Although the past two years had been peaceful, it had been very fulfilling.
Becoming Dao companions with Qin Xi didn't bring any trouble to his life.
Their personalities were compatible, and after the time they spent in the Virtual Sky World, they quickly adapted to the life of two people.
Just as Qin Xi was about to enter Closed Door Meditation, Mo Tiange sensed a familiar aura coming from afar — it was her weak divine sense.
Ten Thousand Miles Sound Transmitting Talisman!
Mo Tiange carefully recalled that she seemed to have only given the Ten Thousand Miles Sound-Transmitting Talisman to one person, and that person was the Sect Head of Bixuan Court, Wei Haolan!
However, this aura wasn't very far from her. It should be somewhere in Kunzhong City — could it be that someone from Bixuan Court came to Kunwu?
Mo Tiange told Qin Xi about this matter. Qin Xi frowned and thought for a while. "They know your identity, so why didn't they come looking for you directly? Why did they send out a Ten Thousand Miles Sound-Transmitting Talisman instead?"
This was exactly what Mo Tiange was worried about. "I think maybe this person encountered some kind of danger, so he had no choice but to use this method to contact me."
"En." Qin Xi also thought so. He thought for a moment then said, "How about I go with you?"
"Eh, don't!"
Mo Tiange stared at him and said helplessly, "You're a Nascent Soul cultivator now, and you've been preparing for Closed Door Meditation for such a long time. Why do you want to accompany me everywhere?"
Qin Xi was a bit embarrassed by her words. He said, "I'm a bit worried …"
"In any case, I'm a Core Formation cultivator. Now, I'm just a step away from breaking through to the middle stage of the early stage. All these years, you've taught me a lot about fights of magical powers. Don't tell me I can't even handle such a small matter?"
"…" Qin Xi was speechless.
If it was any other Core Formation cultivator, he wouldn't have this kind of thought. Even when she was still a Foundation Building cultivator and she was traveling outside, he didn't worry about her like this. Now, he could only say he was confused because he was too concerned.
"Listen to me," Mo Tiange said cautiously. "You should focus on your Closed Door Meditation. I'll handle these things myself —" Seeing that Qin Xi seemed to want to say something, she raised her hand to stop him. She stared straight at him and said, "Trust me, okay?"
After thinking for a while, Qin Xi sighed helplessly and nodded. "Alright, I know I should trust you, no matter what aspect it is."
Now that she had obtained his permission, Mo Tiange smiled. In a flash, she sat on his lap and leaned forward to kiss him. "Alright, you should focus on your Closed Door Meditation. I hope everything will be solved by the time you come out."
Qin Xi pressed her down. "That's not enough …"
* * *
Several days later, while Qin Xi was in Closed Door Meditation, Mo Tiange left Xuanqing School and headed for Kunzhong City to search for the aura of the Ten Thousand Miles Sound-Transmitting Talisman.
Although the place where the Ten Thousand Miles Sound-Transmitting Talisman was sent wasn't far, it wasn't close either. For a Core Formation cultivator, it would take them at least several days to fly to reach Kunzhong City.
Mo Tiange didn't know whether she would make it in time when she arrived, so she could only try her best.
Back then, she and Second Uncle also used a Ten Thousand Miles Sound-Transmitting Talisman to ask Qin Xi for help. Coincidentally, Qin Xi happened to be nearby. Otherwise, by the time he arrived or sent Xuanqing School disciples to investigate, she and Second Uncle would've already died without a burial place.
This kind of Ten Thousand Miles Sound-Transmitting Talisman sealed the cultivator's own divine sense. Even if it was thousands of miles away, the cultivator could still trace the place where the Sound-Transmitting Talisman was crushed. Moreover, the reaction time of the divine sense was also relatively long; it could remain for nearly a month, which was enough for Mo Tiange to find that place.
The speed of the Cloud-Treading Boots reached its peak. In just a few days, Mo Tiange landed outside Kunzhong City.
The place where she crushed the Ten Thousand Miles Sound-Transmitting Talisman was inside Kunzhong City. Now that she was close, Mo Tiange confirmed the direction and followed the imprint left by her divine sense. Unexpectedly, it was the restaurant where Qin Xi took her to meet up with Daoist Kumu and the others twelve years ago.
Back then, she'd just advanced to the Core Formation realm, and even using her divine sense in Kunzhong City made her feel uncomfortable. Twelve years had passed, and those Core Formation experts who looked down on her in this restaurant back then had already turned into ashes, but she was already in the Core Formation realm with ease.
This road to longevity was just this cruel. After the great waves washed away the sand, the new generation replaced the old.
Back then, Lord Daoist Jinghe was furious about Ye Zhenji's matter, and Master Daoist Mingzhen slaughtered the individual cultivators' alliance in Kunzhong City. Because of that, Xuanqing School also became a malefic existence in Kunzhong City.
Although Kunzhong City was still a city of individual cultivators and a city of trade, it was no longer as neutral as before.
Upon seeing the Xuanqing School Daoist robe Mo Tiange was wearing, the restaurant's manager came to welcome her and greeted her with great enthusiasm. "This lowly one greets Fairy.
Fairy, may I ask how I can help you? "
Mo Tiange followed the imprint left by her divine sense and went upstairs. After making several turns, she pointed at a room. "Who lived in this room half a month ago?"
"Half a month ago?"
The manager was dumbfounded. "Fairy, this room is also occupied by two Master Immortals. They've indeed been here for half a month, but they haven't checked out yet!"
Two Master Immortals?
Mo Tiange's gaze shifted.
Did Bixuan Court send a male cultivator?
Her divine sense had already enveloped the entire inn, but there was no one in this room.
"Did they go out?"
"This …" The manager shook his head. "Fairy, this lowly one is just a mortal. If the Master Immortals went out, this lowly one wouldn't know!"
This was also the truth. Aside from low level cultivators, which cultivator would go through the front door when staying in an inn?
They'd just fly out directly.
Just as Mo Tiange was thinking about how to deal with this, she saw the manager staring at her in fear, so she said, "You can go now. I came to look for someone."
How could the manager dare to say no? He just answered respectfully then turned around and left.
After the manager left, Mo Tiange's spiritual aura fluctuated, and the room's door opened.
She stepped into the room, swept her gaze around, and her divine sense enveloped the room. She frowned.
The Ten Thousand Miles Sound-Transmitting Talisman was indeed crushed here, and there were other cultivators' breaths in this room. However, this wasn't good news. Because based on the remaining breaths, she speculated that one of the two people was at least a Core Formation cultivator!
Bixuan Court shouldn't have a Core Formation cultivator so soon, so this person fell into the hands of a Core Formation cultivator?
However, there were no defensive formations or restrictions laid in this place. Apparently, these two cultivators only treated this place as a temporary residence.
Mo Tiange pondered for a while then put her hand into her Qiankun Bag and took out several things. They were formation discs and formation flags.
She hadn't used formations to fight enemies for a long time, so the current situation was very suitable for laying a trap here.
With a faint smile, her sleeves fluttered, and the formation discs and formation flags flew out and fell one after another. In just a moment, the formation was set up properly.
She then walked to a corner and laid spirit stones.
With this Four Symbols Hundred Flowers Formation, even if this Core Formation cultivator's cultivation level was higher than hers, it wouldn't be difficult to deal with him.
Once she was done, Mo Tiange took out the Heaven and Earth Fan and leisurely leaned against the window, sipping tea and watching the street view.
Time passed by bit by bit.
It was noon when she arrived, but the person still hadn't come back even when night fell.
Mo Tiange wasn't worried. Since he didn't check out of the room, he probably hadn't left. If he really left, she didn't even know who sent the Summoning Talisman, so she didn't have any way to track him, so she might as well continue to wait.
She waited until the moon was high in the sky.
In the dead of night, the shops in Kunzhong City closed one after another.
Mo Tiange sat cross-legged on a chair, silently adjusting her breath.
Suddenly, her divine sense tightened, and she immediately hid her breath completely.
Although her breath-concealing technique wasn't brilliant, she had the Spirit-Concealing Pendant. Not to mention a Core Formation cultivator, even a Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn't be able to detect her for a while.
Then, two breaths appeared nearby. One was in the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm, and the other was … in the late stage of the Core Formation realm!
Mo Tiange was shocked.
They were actually in the late stage of the Core Formation realm. Was she confident?
The thought flashed in her mind, but she calmed down again.
What was there to be afraid of?
She wasn't the Mo Qingwei who had just formed her Gold Core twelve years ago. With a magic weapon like the Heaven and Earth Fan in hand, ten years of exploration, and Qin Xi's guidance, her strength in fights of magical powers had improved a lot. Moreover, she now had the Four Symbols Hundred Flowers Formation as her backing.
The person was getting closer and closer, and Mo Tiange heard a voice.
"Brat, can't you calm down a bit?
When have I ever mistreated you, Senior?
Run, run, run! Where can you run to?! "The voice sounded a bit familiar.
Mo Tiange frowned slightly, still holding the Heaven and Earth Fan in her hand tightly. Even if it might be an acquaintance, she had to subdue it first.
Then she heard another familiar voice pleading, "Senior, just let me go, okay?
You won't get any benefits from holding me, I … "
Tang Shen!
Mo Tiange raised her eyebrows.
This was Tang Shen's voice. He actually came to Kunwu?