Lady Cultivator

Chapter 156: Into the Valley

Translator: Cenniwdyl Editor: Henyee

This woman spoke with a gentle tone, but her words were blunt. Right after she finished speaking, her husband, looking somewhat helpless, once again tugged at her.

Mo Tiange could roughly guess what this male cultivator was thinking. This woman was too outspoken; if Mo Tiange had a short temper, she would’ve most likely felt unhappy to hear what the woman just said.

But Mo Tiange was too lazy to get angry over this trivial matter. Besides, this woman just talked rather bluntly, but she hadn’t offended her or anything. “What Big Sister said is true. Allow me to consider it first.”

A wide smile bloomed on the woman’s face after she heard Mo Tiange’s reply. “Of course! Little Sister, just take your time.”

Upon seeing that she wasn’t relying on her high cultivation level to blast them with her anger, the male cultivator also heaved a sigh. They husband and wife might be two people, but their cultivation levels couldn’t compare to Mo Tiange’s. Even if the two of them joined hands, their odds of winning were unlikely against a cultivator in the peak of the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm.

Nevertheless, Daoist Fangzheng raised his head, gazed into the horizon and said, “Fellow Daoist Ye, you better make your decision quickly. The longer we delay, the more people will arrive.”

There was a trace of astonishment in Mo Tiange’s heart. The divine sense of this Daoist Fangzheng was surprisingly powerful! She also sensed people approaching the area now.

“That being the case, we better head out soon.”

Upon hearing what she said, the three of them were all delighted.

Daoist Fangzheng looked at their surroundings then laid a Sound-Insulating Barrier at lightning speed. “Fellow Daoist Ye, may I ask what kind of cultivation technique you practice?” Mo Tiange looked displeased by his question, so he immediately added another sentence. “The miasma and the gales below are extremely strong, so it’d be best if Fellow Daoist Ye had a technique with a restraining effect.”

Mo Tiange gave it some thought before answering: “Although I don’t have that kind of cultivation technique, I do have a magic weapon which might be able to withstand the gales.”

Her answer made the three people beam with happiness. Daoist Fangzheng clapped his hands. “That’s good then! For the miasma, I have antidote pills that have excellent effects. After we take some, we’ll just need to seal our aura and use Lightness Skill. Fellow Daoist Ye, can your magic weapon protect the four of us from being attacked by the gales?”

“Well… We have to try to find out.”

Once they finished briefly discussing their plan, the four of them took out their flying magic tools then leaped into the valley under the envious stares of the numerous Aura Refining cultivators present.

Mo Tiange took out an ordinary flying sword. The first reason for this was that the White Silk Handkerchief would have to be used in this trip to withstand the gales. The second reason was that she wanted to hide her wealth. The White Silk Handkerchief was a magic weapon; it would definitely be eye-catching enough when she took it out, but if other people saw that it had many functions, she might inevitably make people covet it.

From their brief discussion a moment ago, Mo Tiange learned that the husband’s name was Yao Zixiu and the woman’s name was Shang Ruwan. They were born in cultivation clans and grew up as friends ever since they were children. Later, their clans declined, and they became individual cultivators. In fact, the two of them could be considered very lucky. They accidentally saved a severely injured Nascent Soul cultivator, who was thankful for their life-saving grace, so he gave them several Foundation-Building Pills in return. With these Foundation-Building Pills, the two of them surprisingly successfully advanced to the Foundation Building realm together.

Originally, with their identity as Foundation Building cultivators, it wouldn’t be hard for them to find a small cultivation group. However, they were already accustomed to wandering the world, so they didn’t like to be tied down. Besides, their aptitudes weren’t great; even if they joined a cultivation group, their chances of advancing to the Core Formation realm were still very slim. Hence, it’d be better for them to remain individual cultivators—they’d be a bit happier that way.

Seeing that this Shang Ruwan was both honest and straightforward in her speech, and her mind was also much more unconstrained than many elite disciples of cultivation groups, Mo Tiange’s perception of her improved slightly. Her husband, Yao Zixiu, was relatively quieter. He was also a bit more tactful than her, which made them perfectly complementary. The two of them had a harmonious marital life and looked extremely in love with each other.

As for Daoist Fangzheng, he was also an individual cultivator. He was quite old and had a lot of experience. Nevertheless, Mo Tiange still couldn’t see his real nature yet.

The three of them guessed Mo Tiange was a disciple of a cultivation group. Mo Tiange didn’t refute them and just dodged the issue. She merely said she was passing through the area and happened to come across the spiritual aura fluctuation, so she came to take a look at what was happening.

As they flew down into the valley, they saw that the valley was completely covered with fog which consequently made the valley looked bottomless. They continued to fly down for a while and before long, they already reached the periphery of the miasma-filled area.

Daoist Fangzheng took out his Detoxifying Pills and gave them to the other three. Mo Tiange accepted the pill, but instead of taking it, she secretly swapped it with her own medicinal pill. This Daoist Fangzheng didn’t look suspicious at all, but he was someone she just met after all, so she thought she should be a bit cautious.

Soon afterward, Mo Tiange summoned the White Silk Handkerchief then cast an art. In a flash, the White Silk Handkerchief turned into chunks of bricks which fell around them and completely surrounded them, enshrouding the four of them inside of it as if it was a house.

This was the result of her five years in Closed Door Meditation. At first, this White Silk Handkerchief was only able to turn into a brick wall that covered one side. After she grew stronger, however, the number of sides it could cover increased and its defense power also increased.

Under the protection of the White Silk Handkerchief, the four of them flew down cautiously.

The miasma wasn’t thick, but as they kept on flying, they could hear the sound of wind blowing aggressively outside the Handkerchief. The sound became increasingly sharper; it was so sharp that it sounded like something was being torn apart as it directly slammed into the brick walls.

A slight wrinkle appeared on Mo Tiange’s brows. As they expected, the gales were fierce. If the White Silk Handkerchief hadn’t been consecrated by a Deification cultivator and was an ordinary magic weapon, maybe they wouldn’t have been able to pass through these gales.

Upon seeing Mo Tiange’s face turning somewhat pale, worry appeared on Shang Ruwan’s face. She asked softly, “Little Sister Ye, can you continue on?”

With a pale face, Mo Tiange answered, “I don’t have enough spiritual aura; can you and your husband please lend me a hand?”

Shang Ruwan and Yao Zixiu glanced at each other then both simultaneously made hand seals. Yao Zixiu transferred his spiritual aura to Shang Ruwan, and Shang Ruwan passed it onto Mo Tiange.

Daoist Fangzheng was focused on being the guard to avoid any unexpected incidents.

The gales became increasingly fierce. The three people also gradually exhausted their spiritual aura and started to take medicinal pills.

While Daoist Fangzheng provided them with medicinal pills to save them from the miasma and Mo Tiange used her magic weapon to shelter them from the gales, the Yao couple didn’t make any contributions. Because of that, the two of them didn’t dare to complain. They just took Restorative Panaceas silently and continued to pass all their spiritual aura to Mo Tiange.

As time passed by, the Yao couple’s Restorative Panaceas were eventually exhausted. After fumbling in his Qiankun Bag for more, Yao Zixiu whispered to Shang Ruwan, “Little Sister Wan, do you have any more Restorative Panaceas?”

Shang Ruwan, whose face was gradually turning pale, shook her head. “This is the last bottle.” They were just ordinary individual cultivators; they didn’t have many belongings.

Mo Tiange swallowed a Restorative Panacea then said, “Daoist Fangzheng, can you take their place?”

The four of them were in one boat now, so Daoist Fangzheng certainly wouldn’t object. He nodded and said, “Brother Yao, you and your wife should take a break for now. I still have some Restorative Panaceas, so it won’t be a problem for me to take your place for a while.”

The Yao couple had exhausted their medicinal pills, so they naturally agreed to his suggestion. Yao Zixiu said, “That being the case, we won’t be polite.”

Daoist Fangzheng clasped his hands then moved his spiritual aura, sending it to Mo Tiange through her back. Yao Zixiu and Shang Ruwan had nothing to do now, so they both used this time to close their eyes and rest.

At that moment, sob-like noises appeared outside. All of a sudden, several gale attacks came towards them and fell heavily on the brick walls around them one after another. For a short while, Mo Tiange lost control over the brick walls, causing the four people to be tossed around.

Shang Ruwan yelled, “Big Brother Xiu!”

Yao Zixiu immediately leaped towards her. They held hands with each other tightly and tried to steady themselves.

Mo Tiange’s and Fangzheng’s cultivation levels were higher than theirs, so they were able to adapt faster than the couple. The moment she realized her magic weapon was going out of control, Mo Tiange immediately bit the tip of her tongue, spouting a mouthful of blood essence and forcibly regaining control over her magic weapon. Daoist Fangzheng also moved his spiritual aura immediately and sent it into Mo Tiange’s body.

After the torrent of gales passed and the four of them regained their footing, Mo Tiange said, “Our situation isn’t good. If the gales become a bit stronger, my magic weapon definitely can’t take it.”

What she said made the three others furrow their brows. They’d personally faced the gales before, so they naturally knew how terrible they were. Right now, the Yao couple had already exhausted their Restorative Panaceas and were lacking in spiritual aura. If they continued on, even protecting themselves would be difficult. As for Daoist Fangzheng, he might have some strength left, but if Mo Tiange couldn’t hold on and they lost the protection of the White Silk Handkerchief, he also couldn’t do anything to survive those gales.

While they hesitated, another torrent of gales came. This time, Mo Tiange was already prepared—she directly used her divine sense to firmly control the White Silk Handkerchief. Nevertheless, this torrent of gales was even stronger than before. No matter how powerful Mo Tiange’s divine sense was, she couldn’t help but feel the so-called “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” She promptly made a decision and shouted, “This won’t do! We have to go back!”

Daoist Fangzheng showed a conflicted look. “Well… we ought to reach the bottom soon, right?”

Mo Tiange raised her tone: “If another one comes, I can’t take it! Fellow Daoist Fangzheng, can you guarantee you can continue on?”

Her words made Daoist Fangzheng silent. His cultivation level was slightly lower than Mo Tiange’s; if even Mo Tiange couldn’t continue on, he certainly couldn’t.

Another batch of gale attacks came. Shang Ruwan’s face paled, and with a “pu,” she vomited blood.

Yao Zixiu was frightened. “Little Sister Wan!”

Mo Tiange didn’t say anything and immediately directed her flying sword in another direction. If she continued on like this, a tiny bit of carelessness might cause her to lose her life there. She wasn’t an individual cultivator; she joined a school and had a master. Her skills were outstanding, and she didn’t lack medicinal pills. Even if she didn’t obtain this unique treasure, whose existence was still questionable, she still had a chance of achieving the Great Dao. Losing her life for something that didn’t necessarily exist meant she would lose much more than she gained!

Upon seeing her changing her direction, Fangzheng called out, “Fellow Daoist Ye!” Apparently, he wasn’t willing to give up.

Mo Tiange said coldly, “We’ll all die here if we don’t go back! No matter how good the treasure is, we have to live to enjoy it!”

Daoist Fangzheng’s face flushed, but in the end, he remained silent. Unlike these people, he didn’t have much left in his lifespan, so he wanted to obtain as many opportunities as possible. However, if he offended this little girl now, he would lose the protection of her magic weapon and would lose his life here!

He gazed at the bottom of the valley, which could already be seen with the naked eye. His expression was filled with reluctance.

Yao Zixiu was just as unwilling as he was. Shang Ruwan, who stood next to him, said softly, “Big Brother Xiu, what’s most important is the two of us being safe and sound.”

Yao Zixiu was silent for a long time before he uttered a soft “en.”

They flew up in complete silence. The gales finally weakened, causing the four people to lose some of the tension they felt before.

However, there was suddenly a loud rumbling noise. The Yao couple raised their heads to look but right afterward, they turned pale in fear. “FELLOW DAOISTS!”

Mo Tiange looked up, following their line of sight. Her eyes instantly widened.

A part of the mountain wall was actually blown apart by the gale and was falling towards them!

“Brother Yao! Block them, quick!” Daoist Fangzheng shouted.

The Yao couple finally reacted. They promptly joined hands and made hand seals. Soon after, a protective barrier appeared above everyone.

The brick walls of the White Silk Handkerchief only covered four sides; it couldn’t block the rocks falling from above, so they had to rely on this protective barrier.

Mo Tiange’s heart sank. With no time to consider anything else, she fumbled in her Qiankun Bag for a medicinal pill which she immediately stuffed into her mouth. The next second, she felt a huge tremor shaking her entire body—those rocks were already raining down upon them!

When the first wave of rocks fell, the Yao couple managed to block them with much effort. Faced with the second wave, the protective barrier trembled, and the light on its surface dimmed. When the third wave came, the protective barrier finally shattered.

Mo Tiange suddenly lost control over the brick walls. She immediately clasped her palms, causing the walls on the four sides to transform back into her White Silk Handkerchief. She then made a hand seal in an attempt to retreat to her Virtual Sky World but unfortunately, she couldn’t hold on. In an instant, she was sucked into the raging gales…

…

It was unclear how much time had passed before Mo Tiange slowly regained consciousness.

Hurt… Her whole body was aching…

It was only after she closed her eyes and let her spiritual aura flow through every inch of her meridians that the aches in her body dissipated slightly.

After a long time, she eventually regained some strength and slowly propped herself into a sitting position.

She turned to examine her surroundings. The view in front of her made her feel amazed.

Under the brightly shining sun, lush green grass was everywhere, a breeze was blowing gently and the stream was making rippling noises. This was a beautiful, paradise-like scene.

She began thinking about what happened before she fainted.

She discovered the spiritual aura fluctuation, looked for its source, went into the valley with Yao couple and Daoist Fangzheng, faced torrents of gales… In the end, she wanted to enter the Virtual Sky World but she couldn’t do it in time—she was sucked into the gales and lost consciousness.

She probed her body to examine it and discovered she didn’t have any wounds. Both her dantian and meridians were extremely tough, so they also didn’t suffer any damage. The reason why she didn’t suffer any external wounds was because she was wearing the Heaven and Earth Cloud-Silk Armor. This magic tool was what Qin Xi stole from Yunwu Sect’s Guiyuan Hall and gave to her along with the Land-Fleeing Ruler when they left Mount Yunwu. The Land-Fleeing Ruler once saved her life, and now this Heaven and Earth Cloud-Silk Armor also saved her life…

Mo Tiange repressed those chaotic feelings then stood up from the ground.

This was indeed a valley, but it was completely different from the original valley that was covered with fog and filled with rampaging miasma and gales. What kind of place was this? How did she end up here?

After summoning the White Silk Handkerchief and getting onto it, she hovered in midair. From the air, she saw that this was a T-shaped valley. There were precipitous rock walls all around. Aside from flying up, she couldn’t see any other way out. Hence, Mo Tiange cautiously flew near the rock wall.

She didn’t know how the Yao couple and Daoist Fangzheng were now. The Yao couple was together, and Daoist Fangzheng had a lot of experience; presumably, they had some means to protect themselves. This place was breathtakingly beautiful. The vegetation was lush, and there were harmless little beasts passing by occasionally. There was probably nothing dangerous about it, right?

As Mo Tiange’s eyes swept the area beneath her, she suddenly discovered a black thing. A frown emerged on her face, and she flew down towards it.

That thing… looked just like a pile of stones. As she flew closer, she could see it more clearly. It seemed to be… a stone statue!

Mo Tiange suddenly felt invigorated and continued to fly down. The existence of the stone statue indicated that there were humans here. Since there were humans here, she would be able to ask them about this place and what was going on here.

Once she landed on the ground, she looked at the statue.

The statue was several hundred feet tall. From its appearance and posture, it seemed to be a female statue. Her hair was rolled up into a high bun, and there was a phoenix hairpin in it. Her attire was somewhat strange. The upper part of her clothes was short; it wrapped around her upper body tightly but left her entire shoulder exposed. The lower part of her clothes was actually a long skirt. Although it was only a statue, it had a fresh, elegant vibe to it.

These clothes… seemed to be a dress from several thousand years ago! Several thousand years ago, women weren’t like modern women who had to completely cover themselves. They exposed their shoulders to look beautiful, and they liked to wear long skirts which fluttered and made them look like fairies, just like the Flying Apsaras in the drawings.

Mo Tiange attentively scrutinized this stone statue. Moss had grown all over it; it seemed like it had been left unattended for a very long time. She was rather disappointed. It seemed that the people from this valley had most likely moved away.

Under the stone statue, there was a platform made of stone which seemed to be an altar, but weeds were growing inside the incense pot.

Mo Tiange suddenly furrowed her brows and placed her hand on the incense pot on the stone altar. She gave it a light push and suddenly, a faint spiritual aura was emitted.