After receiving their rewards in the steward's hall, Mo Tiange and Liu Yidao chatted and laughed as they returned to their residence.
Senior Martial Brother Zhou came back earlier than them. At the moment, he was tidying up the spiritual plants he had neglected for several days. When he saw them, he smiled and nodded at them.
Senior Martial Brother Zhou's name was Zhou Jinan. This time, he was the one who won first place. The two rewards really made people envious.
Because they traveled together in Miwu Valley, he treated them differently from before.
Mo Tiange and Liu Yidao hastily returned his greeting then returned to their rooms.
Qin Xi and Xu Jingzhi were still waiting for them in the small hall. Jiang Shanghang's room was filled with spiritual aura, so he must've returned to cultivate.
This time, it must've been a big blow to him, but they weren't familiar with him, so there was nothing to say.
After chatting for a while, the four of them went their separate ways. Mo Tiange hesitated for a moment but still went to knock on the door next door.
The door opened, and Qin Xi stood behind it. "Junior Martial Brother Ye, is there something else?"
Mo Tiange looked at his hand holding the door and raised her eyebrows. "Senior Martial Brother Qin, aren't you going to invite me in?"
Qin Xi smiled, let go of her hand, and turned around to enter the room.
This room … was different from the others. She hadn't seen Jiang Shanghang's room, but she had seen Xu Jingzhi and Liu Yidao's.
Xu Jingzhi's room was the same as hers. The bedding and praying mats were changed by themselves, and the tea set and so on were all brought from home. As for Liu Yidao, he didn't add many things. Aside from cultivation needs, there was nothing else.
The room in front of her was different from theirs.
The praying mats weren't things from the school, so she could feel they weren't ordinary. On the table, there was a green jade tea set, sparkling and translucent, containing spiritual aura. Obviously, it wasn't ordinary either.
In the middle of the room, there was a cauldron that seemed to be a pill-concocting furnace. The room was surrounded by formation tools.
Praying mats, tea set, pill-concocting furnace, and formation — only these four things were added, but none of them were ordinary!
She couldn't see through the other three things, but she could see some clues about the formation. This was a compound formation that combined defense, spiritual aura gathering, restriction on divine sense, and isolation of spiritual aura. Inside this formation, the density of spiritual aura was comparable to that of the North Peak!
She inwardly speculated that based on her and Second Uncle's attainments in formations, they definitely wouldn't be able to create such a formation. This formation must've been created by a cultivator in the Core Formation realm or above. If it was put on the market, it would fetch at least several thousand spirit stones.
She turned around and saw Qin Xi looking at her with a faint smile on his face. Realizing that she had lost her composure, she said, "Senior Martial Brother Qin, we've received our rewards. Let's split them now."
As she spoke, she took out a cloth bag from her Qiankun Bag and said, "There are 700 spirit stones here.
The medallion Senior Apprentice Brother gave me can be exchanged for two hundred spirit stones. As for the reward, I urgently need Qi Gathering Pills. Senior Apprentice Brother's cultivation base is already at the tenth layer, so I don't think you need them that much. So I think the spirit stones are yours, and the Qi Gathering Pills are mine. "
Qin Xi only glanced at her and said, "Since I said I'm compensating you, I naturally won't ask you for it. You can use it yourself."
"Although Senior Brother doesn't want it, I think it's better for us to be clear about it. After all, I don't want to attract attention. I came out early, but it's not just because of you."
Qin Xi muttered to himself for a moment then took the cloth bag. He took out a handful of spirit stones and threw the rest back to her.
Mo Tiange was puzzled. "This is …"
"There are about 200 spirit stones in here. Just take it as returning my identity medallion.
As for the reward, you'll have to bear part of the risk when you receive it. I don't want it.
Besides, do you think I'm lacking spirit stones? "
Mo Tiange could only smile bitterly at this question. Looking at the things in this room, this Senior Apprentice Brother Qin probably didn't care about these several hundred spirit stones, so she could only say, "Alright, I'll accept Senior Apprentice Brother's kindness today."
Qin Xi nodded then asked, "Is there anything else, Junior Apprentice Brother?"
"No …" Mo Tiange paused for a moment then said helplessly, "Then I'll take my leave."
Qin Xi revealed a faint smile. He was obviously very satisfied with her tactfulness. "Junior Apprentice Brother Ye, please go ahead."
He said please, but in fact, he just wanted to ask her to leave, right?
Mo Tiange felt even more helpless, but she also didn't want to stay, so she followed his wishes and pushed the door open to leave.
After returning to her room, she first took a bath then lay on the bed in a daze.
This time, she could be said to have gained quite a lot. A thousand spirit stones, a bottle of Aura-Converging Pills, and the bottle of Aura-Converging Pills she already had were enough for her to cultivate without worrying about spirit stones for the next two years until she reached the tenth layer of the Aura Refining realm.
However, when she thought about Qin Xi, she couldn't help but feel puzzled.
In fact, she only said a few words to probe him, so she didn't know he had secrets. However, this person didn't seem to be afraid of her knowing he had ulterior motives and seemed certain she wouldn't divulge them.
Why was he so sure?
As she thought about it, she suddenly felt her hair stand on end. Could it be that her secret was discovered? Was that why he was so sure?
Now that she thought about it carefully, this Senior Apprentice Brother Qin did treat her a little differently from other people, but she couldn't tell what exactly was different.
She couldn't figure it out no matter how she thought about it, so she shook her head and decided to sleep first. Tomorrow, she would go down the mountain and ask Second Uncle. Second Uncle had a lot of experience, so he would definitely be able to tell her what to do.
She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep. However, she kept dreaming today.
First, she dreamed of her childhood. Her mother was still in good health and was cooking in the kitchen. She was only three or four years old, sitting on a small stool and watching.
Then she dreamed of Li Yushan. She didn't understand the Human Furnace when she was young, but now that she knew what it meant, she became even more terrified.
Then she dreamed of Ye Jingwen. She and Second Uncle were taken back to Xuanqing School and were at their disposal.
Then she dreamed of Yunwu Sect. Her secret was exposed and she was forced to kneel in front of the Sect Head of True Treasure Hall, waiting to be punished …
Mo Tiange woke up with a head full of sweat. She felt weak. It seemed she was really scared yesterday.
She patted her forehead and went outside to get some water. After washing herself, she prepared to go down the mountain.
She first went to the sect's shop to get the spirit stones she used to sell formations and exchanged them for healing medicinal pills before returning to the small courtyard she used to live in with Second Uncle.
She opened the formation and walked into the courtyard. Before she could knock on the door, she heard Second Uncle's voice. "Xiaotian?"
Mo Tiange pushed the door open. "Second Uncle, it's me."
A smile appeared on Ye Jiang's old face, but Mo Tiange was dumbfounded.
After not seeing him for a month, Second Uncle looked even more tired. His face was gray and his hair was white. He looked extremely old.
She finally realized that without her knowledge, Second Uncle had already become like this.
With Second Uncle's cultivation level, even if he had no hope of advancing to the Core Formation realm, he could've found a small cultivation group and lived the rest of his life in peace. However, in the past seven or eight years, Second Uncle took her everywhere to avoid Xuanqing School, racking his brains to earn spirit stones. In the end, he ended up in a situation where he was seriously injured …
"Second Uncle …" Tears welled up in her eyes. She whispered, "Did your injuries worsen? Why didn't you tell me?"
Ye Jiang looked at her and smiled. "Xiaotian … Tiange, according to Second Uncle's estimation, I don't have much time left in my life, so my injuries haven't healed.
Although we, cultivators, have a lifespan that surpasses mortals, we still have to die. Don't be sad. This day will come eventually. "
"But …"
Ye Jiang waved his hand to stop her. "I can feel that I only have two or three years at most. Even if my injuries are healed, it won't be enough.
Now that you're in the eighth layer of the Aura Refining realm, Second Uncle hopes to see you advance to the Foundation Building realm before I pass away. At that time, even if I die, I'll be able to rest in peace. "
Tears involuntarily fell from her eyes. Upon hearing what he said, she hastily wiped them away, took out her Qiankun Bag, poured out spirit stones and medicinal pills, and said with a smile, "Second Uncle, look, I won a lot of people in Miwu Valley. These rewards are enough for me to cultivate until the tenth layer of the Aura Refining realm."
Ye Jiang smiled. "Second Uncle always believed you could do it. Don't worry, Second Uncle will definitely hold on until that time. Therefore, you have to cultivate diligently, understand?"
Mo Tiange nodded, but she felt bitter in her heart.
She knew this day would come eventually.
Ever since Second Uncle was injured, he kept reminding her that he didn't have much time left in his life. Cultivators naturally had to be indifferent to life and death, but although she understood this, she couldn't help but feel sad.
Ten years ago, it was her mother who abandoned her. Now, it was Second Uncle … The most important people by her side always left her.
"Alright, tell me about your trip to Miwu Valley. Second Uncle can give you some pointers."
Mo Tiange calmed down and told him everything about Miwu Valley in detail. Finally, she talked about Qin Xi.
Ye Jiang was silent for a long time before he said, "That person's background must be extraordinary.
According to what you said, he's so experienced in fights of magical powers and doesn't lack treasures — he really doesn't seem like an Aura Refining cultivator. Unless he's not an individual cultivator and has a high level cultivator as an elder, or he had other fortuitous encounters, you don't have to worry.
He obviously doesn't have any ulterior motives toward you from what he did. You just need to reduce your contact with him in the future. "
Mo Tiange felt a bit relieved. "I understand. I won't care about what he does. We'll just continue our relationship like before."
"Correct.
You should go back and continue cultivating. Second Uncle doesn't have much time, so you have to hurry. "
Mo Tiange was silent. In the end, she listened to him and said, "I understand, Second Uncle."