Chapter 24 — Do Not Answer the Thing Beneath the World

"You're new."

The voice did not come through the air.

It came through the thread.

Shen Yuan felt it inside the Primordial Fate-Severing Silk.

A causal connection.

Thin.

New.

Dangerous.

The system interface remained red.

[WARNING.]

[Unknown entity has established reciprocal causal awareness.]

[Source location cannot be resolved.]

[Source cultivation cannot be resolved.]

[Source existence state cannot be resolved.]

That was a lot of things the system could not resolve.

Shen Yuan stared downward.

The fourth knock came.

Quiet.

Yet the entire Dead Sword Wasteland shifted.

Millions of swords sank several centimeters into the earth.

Xuankong moved first.

"Cut the connection."

Shen Yuan looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because Master told us never to answer it."

Silence.

Gu Jian slowly turned.

"What?"

Xuankong's face was pale.

"You remember?"

"No."

"Good."

"Third Brother."

"Keep not remembering."

That was not reassuring.

Shen Yuan looked at Xuankong.

"You've heard it before."

"Once."

"When?"

"The night before Ji Cang cut the bridge."

That got everyone's attention.

Jian Wuchen's Karmic Sword Thread trembled.

Ye Feng helped Duan Zheng farther back.

Even the six remnants below remained completely silent.

They were listening too.

Shen Yuan asked:

"What did it say?"

Xuankong swallowed.

"Master's name."

Exactly what it had done now.

"Then?"

"He answered."

"And?"

"Nothing."

Shen Yuan frowned.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing happened."

Xuankong's voice became quieter.

"That was the problem."

Eight thousand years ago.

Xuankong had been young.

By Immortal standards, at least.

He stood beside a river of stars beneath the Sword City.

Ji Cang sat on a broken pillar.

His sword rested across his knees.

Seven disciples were arguing.

Two were injured.

One was asleep.

Han Wuji was drawing karmic diagrams in the dirt despite the fact that no dirt existed there.

Gu Jian was sharpening a sword that did not need sharpening.

Then—

knock.

Everyone stopped.

The sound came from beneath the world.

Ji Cang looked down.

Second knock.

Han Wuji stood immediately.

"Master."

Ji Cang raised one hand.

Silence.

Third knock.

Then:

"Ji Cang?"

Xuankong remembered the expression on his master's face.

Not fear.

Recognition.

That had been worse.

Ji Cang stood.

"Yes."

Han Wuji grabbed his sleeve.

"Master."

Ji Cang looked at him.

"Don't follow."

Then he disappeared.

For six hours—

nothing.

No trace.

No karma.

No sword intent.

No connection.

Ji Cang simply ceased to exist.

Then he returned.

Covered in blood.

Not his.

His sword had lost half its blade.

Xuankong had never seen that weapon damaged before.

No one spoke.

Ji Cang walked past them.

Han Wuji blocked his path.

"What happened?"

Ji Cang looked at him.

For a long time.

Then said:

"Tomorrow, we cut the bridge."

That was all.

The memory ended.

Shen Yuan stared at Xuankong.

"He never explained?"

"No."

"Never said what was below?"

"No."

"Did you ask?"

"Repeatedly."

"And?"

"He told us not to answer if it called again."

Gu Jian's voice was low.

"I don't remember this."

Xuankong looked at him.

"You weren't there."

Gu Jian froze.

"What?"

Xuankong frowned.

"You had already left Sword City."

"Why?"

"I don't remember."

Gu Jian became still.

Another missing piece.

Shen Yuan looked downward.

The voice had not spoken again.

Good.

He mentally addressed the system.

"Can I cut the connection without damaging the Fate-Severing Silk?"

[Yes.]

"Do it."

[Host must perform severance.]

Of course.

Shen Yuan raised one finger.

A microscopic strand of Heaven-Severing Sword Dao appeared.

The causal thread became visible.

Xuankong's eyes widened.

Gu Jian tensed.

Shen Yuan cut.

The thread separated.

For one instant—

he felt resistance.

Not much.

Almost playful.

Then it broke.

The attention disappeared.

The wasteland exhaled.

Millions of swords rose slightly.

The system returned to normal.

[Reciprocal causal awareness terminated.]

[Trace retained: 0.0003%.]

Shen Yuan paused.

"Retained by whom?"

[Host.]

Interesting.

A tiny remnant remained inside the Primordial Fate-Severing Silk.

Not enough to reconnect.

Enough to recognize the same source later.

Useful.

Then the system added:

[Unknown entity did not resist severance.]

That was less comforting.

It had let him disconnect.

Shen Yuan looked down.

"Why?"

No answer.

Good.

He preferred the system not pretending to know.

Gu Jian stood slowly.

"We leave."

Everyone looked at him.

Xuankong frowned.

"This is your prison."

"Exactly."

Gu Jian looked across the wasteland.

"Something has changed."

"The six stopped fighting."

Shen Yuan had noticed.

The six ancient remnants were still.

Completely.

One had tried to kill Jian minutes earlier.

Now—

nothing.

"Why?" Jian asked.

Gu Jian looked downward.

"They're afraid."

Silence.

Ye Feng glanced at the ground.

"Of what's below them?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

"No."

Excellent.

Duan Zheng leaned against his sword.

"Then why leave?"

"Because if they're afraid, they'll stop wasting strength against my seals."

Gu Jian touched his chest.

The restored Guardian Authority pulsed.

"For now."

Xuankong frowned.

"You're coming with us?"

Gu Jian looked at him.

"Yes."

Xuankong became silent.

"After eight thousand years."

"Yes."

"You're leaving."

"Temporarily."

Xuankong looked away.

Gu Jian tilted his head.

"You're crying again."

"I am going to bury you under this wasteland."

"Already tried."

"Not personally."

Shen Yuan started walking.

"Family reunion later."

Both ancient cultivators looked at him.

"We have things to do."

Jian followed.

Ye Feng helped Duan.

Xuankong and Gu Jian exchanged one final look.

Then followed.

Behind them—

the six sealed remnants remained silent.

Far below—

something knocked once more.

No one answered.

Leaving the Dead Sword Wasteland proved easier than entering.

Mostly because Shen Yuan ignored several ancient restrictions.

At the outer boundary, Xuankong stopped.

He looked back.

Gu Jian stood beside him.

For the first time under daylight—

Shen Yuan could see how damaged the man truly was.

The black robes were not robes.

Not entirely.

Parts had fused with his body.

Ancient seal scars covered his arms.

The bandages around his face were inscribed with Dao characters.

His cultivation was impossible to determine.

The system had improved slightly.

Name: Gu Jian

Identity: Seventh Disciple of Ji Cang

Cultivation: Inaccessible / damaged

Current Combat Capacity: Highly unstable

Guardian Authority: Restored

Foreign Karma: Present

Memory Integrity: 38%

Physical Integrity: 61%

Soul Integrity: 72%

Recommended: Long-term recovery

Thirty-eight percent.

That explained a lot.

Shen Yuan looked at the bandages.

"Why cover your face?"

Gu Jian touched them.

"Seal damage."

"Remove them."

Xuankong looked over.

"Shen Yuan."

"What?"

"Maybe don't casually tell an eight-thousand-year-old sword cultivator to remove ancient seals from his head."

Reasonable.

Shen Yuan inspected them more closely.

Then:

"They aren't seals."

Gu Jian froze.

"What?"

Shen Yuan stepped closer.

The system analyzed.

[Ancient Memory Suppression Array.]

There it was.

Xuankong's expression changed.

"Han Wuji?"

"Probably."

Gu Jian's hand stopped.

Shen Yuan continued.

"They suppress memory."

"Do they protect him?" Xuankong asked.

"Partially."

"Then leave them."

Gu Jian looked at Shen Yuan.

"Can you remove them safely?"

System:

[Estimated safe removal probability: 83%.]

Better.

"Yes."

Xuankong immediately said:

"No."

Gu Jian turned.

"Third Brother."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you asked Han to erase something."

Gu Jian became quiet.

Xuankong continued.

"You don't know what comes back."

"Neither do you."

"Exactly."

Gu Jian looked at Shen Yuan.

"Remove them."

Xuankong grabbed his shoulder.

"No."

Gu Jian looked down at the hand.

Xuankong did not release him.

For several seconds—

neither spoke.

Then Gu Jian asked:

"Do you know what I forgot?"

"No."

"Then you don't get to decide whether I remember."

Xuankong froze.

Shen Yuan's eyes shifted between them.

That—

was correct.

Painful.

But correct.

Xuankong slowly released him.

Gu Jian looked at Shen Yuan.

"Do it."

Shen Yuan raised one hand.

Then stopped.

"Not here."

Gu Jian frowned.

"Why?"

"If something goes wrong, we're standing beside a spatially unstable wasteland containing six ancient prisoners and something under the world."

Pause.

"Fair."

"We go to Cloudveil."

Xuankong looked toward Shen Yuan.

"You're inviting him?"

"Temporarily."

Gu Jian tilted his head.

"Do I get a residence?"

Shen Yuan stared.

Chen An was going to hate this.

"Guest residence."

"Food?"

"Yes."

"Tea?"

Xuankong laughed.

"You'll like Cloudveil."

Shen Yuan opened space.

Azure Origin Sect.

The moment Shen Yuan returned—

three things happened.

First—

Gu Tianhe appeared.

Second—

Qin Feng appeared.

Third—

Chen An looked at the number of people coming through the spatial passage and closed his eyes.

Shen Yuan stepped onto Cloudveil Peak.

Jian Wuchen followed.

Ye Feng.

Duan Zheng.

Xuankong.

Gu Jian.

Chen An counted.

Then looked at Shen Yuan.

"You brought two more."

"Guests."

"Long-term?"

"Unknown."

Chen An looked at Xuankong.

Then Gu Jian.

Then Duan Zheng.

"Which residence?"

"Guest wing."

"All three?"

"Duan can share with Ye Feng if he wants."

Duan immediately said:

"No."

Ye Feng looked offended.

"Master."

"I spent three years chained underground."

"Exactly."

"I want silence."

"You snore."

Duan stared.

"When did you hear me sleep?"

"Travel."

"I do not snore."

"You do."

Chen An wrote something.

"Two guest residences."

Shen Yuan nodded.

Gu Jian raised one hand.

"I don't sleep."

Chen An looked at him.

"One guest residence and one meditation room."

Gu Jian paused.

"Efficient."

Chen An nodded.

"Thank you."

Xuankong laughed.

"I like him."

Chen An looked at Xuankong.

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you sleep?"

"Occasionally."

"Guest residence."

Xuankong blinked.

That had been fast.

Chen An walked away.

Gu Jian watched him.

"Is he powerful?"

"No," Shen Yuan said.

Xuankong frowned.

"Hidden bloodline?"

"No."

"Special physique?"

"No."

"Ancient inheritance?"

"No."

Gu Jian looked confused.

"Then why does everyone listen to him?"

Shen Yuan considered.

"Experience."

Six years of surviving Shen Yuan's administration.

More valuable than most inheritances.

Lin Yue arrived first.

She saw Jian.

Checked for injuries.

Then Ye Feng.

Duan Zheng.

Xuankong.

Finally—

Gu Jian.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Master."

"Hm?"

"Who is that?"

"Ancient sword cultivator."

"How ancient?"

"Eight thousand years."

Lin paused.

Then bowed.

"Senior."

Gu Jian stared at her.

His body went still.

Shen Yuan noticed.

"What?"

Gu Jian did not answer.

His covered face remained pointed at Lin Yue.

Xuankong noticed too.

"Seventh Brother?"

Gu Jian whispered:

"Nine-Yin."

Lin's expression changed.

Shen Yuan stepped slightly forward.

"Problem?"

Gu Jian shook his head.

"No."

But his voice said otherwise.

"What?"

Gu Jian looked at Shen Yuan.

Then at Lin.

"I knew someone with that physique."

Silence.

Lin Yue's eyes widened.

"Who?"

Gu Jian's hand rose toward the bandages covering his face.

Then stopped.

"I don't remember."

Of course.

Xuankong frowned.

"One of us?"

"I..."

Gu Jian's breathing changed.

Memory trying to surface.

Black karma flickered around his head.

Shen Yuan immediately pressed one finger against his forehead.

"Stop."

The memory pressure vanished.

Gu Jian steadied.

Lin looked at Shen Yuan.

"Master?"

"Later."

She nodded.

No argument.

But the question remained.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Nine-Yin Immortal Body.

Pre-Severance.

Possibly connected to Ji Cang's circle.

Another thread.

Lu Chen arrived at a run.

Then remembered he was stronger now.

He overshot.

Straight past everyone.

He tried to stop.

His foot hit the stone.

Crack.

He launched himself into a tree.

Boom.

Silence.

Leaves fell.

Lu Chen slid down the trunk.

"I'm fine."

Gu Jian stared.

Xuankong stared.

Duan Zheng stared.

Shen Yuan closed his eyes.

Lin Yue sighed.

"I told you not to run at full strength."

"I forgot."

"How?"

"It has been one day."

Fair.

Lu Chen stood.

Then saw the newcomers.

His eyes lit up.

"More people."

Gu Jian leaned toward Xuankong.

"Who is that?"

"Third disciple."

"Spiritual root?"

Xuankong examined Lu Chen.

Then frowned.

"I can't detect one."

Lu smiled.

"Nobody can."

Gu Jian looked at Shen Yuan.

"You accepted a disciple without a spiritual root."

"Yes."

Lu raised one finger.

"I do have one."

Gu Jian looked back.

"What?"

"Chaos."

Silence.

Xuankong stopped smiling.

Gu Jian went perfectly still.

Duan Zheng looked confused.

Jian Wuchen stepped aside.

He knew what was coming.

Gu Jian appeared directly in front of Lu Chen.

Lu jumped.

"Hello."

Gu Jian stared.

"Chaos?"

"Apparently."

Shen Yuan frowned.

The word again.

Gu Jian raised one hand toward Lu's chest.

Shen Yuan caught his wrist.

"No touching disciples without asking."

Gu Jian looked at him.

Then at his wrist.

Then nodded.

"Fair."

He looked at Lu.

"May I?"

Lu looked at Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan nodded.

Lu straightened.

"Sure."

Gu Jian placed two fingers near his chest.

Chaos Root reacted.

Fire.

Water.

Metal.

Wood.

Earth.

Yin.

Yang.

All surfaced—

then collapsed into balance.

Gu Jian stumbled backward.

Xuankong caught him.

"Seventh Brother?"

Gu Jian stared at Lu Chen.

Then began laughing.

Not amused laughter.

Disbelieving.

Almost hysterical.

"Of course."

Shen Yuan frowned.

"What?"

Gu Jian pointed at Lu.

"Nine-Yin."

Then Jian.

"Sword Heart."

Then Lu Chen.

"Chaos."

He looked at Shen Yuan.

"You're collecting them."

"Collecting what?"

Gu Jian stopped.

The laughter died.

"I don't know."

Shen Yuan's patience weakened.

"Bandages."

Gu Jian froze.

"We're removing them."

Xuankong opened his mouth.

Shen Yuan looked at him.

Xuankong closed it.

Good.

Before that—

Shen Yuan remembered the sword.

Lin Yue had already turned toward the training grounds.

"Wait."

She stopped.

"Master?"

He took out Moonfrost.

The moment the sword appeared—

Cloudveil Peak changed.

The Lunar Dao Spring beneath the mountain pulsed.

Silver light spread.

The Nine-Yin Lunar Pool rippled.

Lin Yue froze.

The sword floated.

Cold mist surrounded it.

Moonlight gathered despite the sun.

Her Nine-Yin Lunar Root reacted.

Strongly.

The system chimed.

[Optimal disciple weapon detected.]

Shen Yuan held out the sword.

"For you."

Lin did not move.

Her eyes were fixed on Moonfrost.

"For me?"

"Yes."

Jian Wuchen leaned against a pillar.

"Take it."

Lin glanced at him.

He raised Clear Wind.

"I argued."

"Did it work?"

"No."

"Then why should I listen to you?"

"Experience."

Shen Yuan smiled.

She was learning.

Lin approached.

Her hand closed around Moonfrost.

The sword awakened.

BOOM.

Silver light shot into the sky.

Cloudveil's concealment formation immediately swallowed it before the rest of the sect could see.

Good formation.

The blade hummed.

Frost spread beneath Lin's feet.

Then stopped perfectly at Shen Yuan's shoes.

The sword spirit had instincts.

Excellent.

Lin's eyes closed.

She felt the weapon.

Not like Jian and Clear Wind.

Not yet.

But—

recognition.

Cold.

Quiet.

Patient.

The system appeared.

[Disciple Lin Yue has accepted Moonfrost Sword.]

[Weapon suitability: 99.4%.]

[Current equipment need: Extreme.]

[Nine-Yin Immortal Body resonance detected.]

[Weapon Cashback activated.]

The multiplier began climbing.

100×.

300×.

800×.

1,000×.

Shen Yuan watched.

Then—

[3,000×.]

Good.

Not everything needed ten thousand.

[Reward obtained.]

[Nine-Yin Moonheart Immortal Sword.]

Shen Yuan inspected it.

Nine-Yin Moonheart Immortal Sword

Grade: Immortal — High

Forged from Lunar Immortal Crystal and Nine-Yin Divine Metal.

Functions:

— amplifies Yin/Lunar Dao.

— self-refines through moonlight.

— naturally suppresses hostile Yang/fire energies.

— contains dormant Moonheart Sword Spirit.

— may evolve alongside wielder.

— can divide into nine lunar sword shadows.

— possesses exceptional compatibility with Nine-Yin constitutions.

Very good.

He did not give it to Lin.

Not yet.

She had just received Moonfrost.

Her current cultivation was Body Tempering Ninth Stage.

Giving an Immortal-high sword immediately would be excessive even by Cloudveil standards.

Also—

Moonfrost itself had extraordinary evolution potential.

He could decide later whether to evolve it, merge it, or use the returned sword when she was ready.

Lin opened her eyes.

She looked different holding a sword.

Not stronger exactly.

More complete.

Jian Wuchen studied her stance.

"Your wrist is wrong."

Lin turned.

"I've held it for four seconds."

"Still wrong."

She swung.

Jian moved his head.

A silver arc passed where his hair had been.

Lu Chen stepped backward.

Ye Feng smiled.

Duan Zheng watched with interest.

Gu Jian tilted his head.

Lin looked at Jian.

"Better?"

Jian touched the tiny frost line on his cheek.

"Better."

Shen Yuan sighed.

"Don't destroy the courtyard."

Chen An shouted from somewhere downhill:

"I heard that!"

Of course he did.

One hour later—

Gu Jian sat inside Shen Yuan's main hall.

Xuankong stood behind him.

Lin Yue, Jian Wuchen and Lu Chen sat nearby.

Ye Feng remained with Duan Zheng in the guest residence.

Mu Qinglan had been summoned because Shen Yuan wanted another person capable of reading ancient formation structures.

Chen An brought tea.

Then stayed.

No one asked him to leave.

Shen Yuan stood before Gu Jian.

"Ready?"

"No."

"Good."

Xuankong frowned.

"That's your response?"

"Readiness is optional."

Gu Jian laughed softly.

"I really do like this mountain."

Shen Yuan touched the first bandage.

The system mapped the suppression array.

[Memory Suppression Layer One.]

Primary function: Prevent recall of specific Pre-Severance events.

Secondary function: Stabilize damaged soul.

Shen Yuan adjusted.

He would remove the suppression without removing stabilization.

Difficult.

Not impossible.

His Primordial Autonomous Dao Body began comprehending the structure.

Lines appeared in his mind.

Cause.

Memory.

Identity.

Soul.

Time.

The formation was brilliant.

Ancient.

And cruel.

But—

not perfect.

Shen Yuan moved one finger.

The first bandage unraveled.

Gu Jian screamed.

Xuankong stepped forward.

Shen Yuan raised one hand.

"Wait."

Gu Jian's eyes opened.

Memory returned.

A woman.

Silver hair.

Cold eyes.

Standing beneath a moon.

Nine-Yin aura.

Gu Jian whispered:

"Senior Sister."

Lin Yue froze.

Xuankong's face changed.

"Which?"

Gu Jian stared at Lin.

Not seeing her.

Seeing someone else.

"Second."

Xuankong staggered.

"No."

Gu Jian's voice broke.

"Second Senior Sister."

Xuankong grabbed the table.

Shen Yuan looked between them.

"Name."

Gu Jian whispered:

"Yue Hanshuang."

The system reacted.

[Historical identity detected.]

[Yue Hanshuang.]

[Ancient Nine-Yin Immortal Body bearer.]

Lin Yue's sword trembled.

Moonfrost hummed.

Gu Jian looked at her.

"She had your physique."

Lin's expression became serious.

"What happened to her?"

Gu Jian's memory continued.

Blood.

Sword City.

Ji Cang's death.

A woman standing before Gu Jian.

Her chest pierced.

By his sword.

Gu Jian stopped breathing.

Xuankong whispered:

"No."

Gu Jian began shaking.

"I killed her."

The memory Han Wuji had shown.

The blurred corpse.

Now clear.

Yue Hanshuang.

Second disciple.

Nine-Yin Immortal Body.

Gu Jian's sword through her heart.

Lin Yue's face went pale.

Xuankong crossed the room and grabbed Gu Jian.

"No."

Gu Jian looked at him.

"I remember."

"You were controlled."

"I killed her."

"You were controlled!"

Black karma flickered.

Shen Yuan immediately stabilized Gu Jian's soul.

"Enough."

Xuankong looked at him.

Shen Yuan's tone hardened.

"Memory is not the same as context."

Gu Jian stared.

"You remember the act."

"Not why."

Silence.

"Next layer."

Xuankong froze.

"Shen Yuan."

"We continue."

Gu Jian looked at him.

Then nodded.

"Continue."

Second bandage.

Shen Yuan unraveled it.

Another memory.

Yue Hanshuang.

Alive.

Before the battle.

She was speaking to Gu Jian.

Urgently.

"If I change..."

The memory flickered.

"...you must kill me."

Gu Jian froze.

Xuankong stopped.

The memory continued.

Yue Hanshuang grabbed Gu Jian's hand.

Placed his sword against her chest.

"Promise."

Gu Jian's younger self shook his head.

"No."

"Promise me."

"Why?"

Her eyes turned black for one instant.

Karmic threads crawled beneath her skin.

"Because something is already inside us."

The memory shattered.

No one spoke.

Gu Jian stared at his hands.

Shen Yuan's expression became cold.

Something inside them.

Not Han Wuji?

Or not only him.

The third bandage pulsed.

The system flashed.

[WARNING.]

[Removing next suppression layer may reveal high-risk causal memory.]

[Unknown observer may detect recall.]

Shen Yuan stopped.

Xuankong saw.

"What?"

"The next memory is watched."

Silence.

"By Han Wuji?"

[Unknown.]

Shen Yuan looked at Gu Jian.

"We stop."

Gu Jian immediately shook his head.

"No."

"Someone may notice."

"Let them."

"No."

Gu Jian stared.

Shen Yuan continued.

"You waited eight thousand years."

"You can wait until I make sure remembering something doesn't invite another thing into my house."

Chen An nodded.

"Thank you."

Everyone looked at him.

He placed another teapot on the table.

"We recently renovated."

Fair.

Gu Jian's shoulders lowered.

"Fine."

The third bandage remained.

For now.

That evening—

Cloudveil Peak became unusually quiet.

Lin Yue sat beside the Lunar Pool.

Moonfrost across her knees.

Jian Wuchen sat nearby.

Clear Wind floated beside him.

Lu Chen lay on the grass because Lin's training had resumed.

He stared at the sky.

"I have a question."

Jian spoke.

"No."

"I haven't asked."

"Experience."

Lu ignored him.

"Senior Sister."

Lin opened one eye.

"What?"

"Does everyone who comes here have some ancient secret?"

"No."

Lu thought.

"Senior Chen?"

"No."

"Peak Master Mu?"

"Probably not."

"Master?"

Lin and Jian both became silent.

Lu nodded.

"Right."

He looked at Shen Yuan's palace.

"Definitely."

Inside—

Shen Yuan sat alone.

The system floated before him.

Three problems.

Han Wuji.

The thing beneath the world.

The watched memory inside Gu Jian.

Four if he counted the Immortal Realm.

Five if he counted Bloodriver Patriarch arriving soon.

Six if he counted Profound Sword Sect.

Seven if he counted Lu Chen potentially exploding during cultivation.

Shen Yuan sighed.

Six years.

He had spent six peaceful years refusing disciples.

He accepted three.

Now the heavens had started sending problems personally.

The system chimed.

[Cloudveil Disciple Resonance active.]

Lin Yue.

Jian Wuchen.

Lu Chen.

Three lights appeared.

Silver.

Sharp white.

Colorless chaos.

They rotated.

For the first time—

they aligned.

The Primordial Autonomous Dao Body reacted.

Shen Yuan opened his eyes.

The three disciple paths resonated.

Yin.

Sword.

Chaos.

Something formed between them.

Not a technique.

A pattern.

The system froze.

Then:

[Unexpected Disciple Resonance detected.]

[Three high-level destiny paths have produced a shared causal structure.]

Shen Yuan frowned.

"Meaning?"

[Unknown.]

Of course.

Then—

a fourth empty position appeared.

Shen Yuan stared.

Another.

Fifth.

Sixth.

Seventh.

Eighth.

Ninth.

Nine positions.

Three occupied.

Six empty.

The system interface flickered violently.

[ERROR.]

[Pattern does not originate from Disciple Cashback System.]

Shen Yuan became very still.

"What?"

No answer.

The nine positions rotated.

Three lights.

Six empty.

Then—

the same symbol appeared.

Seven swords around one circle.

But now Shen Yuan saw what had always been missing.

Two points outside the circle.

Nine.

Not seven.

The black token.

The Covenant Mark.

Nine disciples.

Shen Yuan stood.

"No."

The system flashed.

[Unknown external resonance detected.]

[Source: Cloudveil Peak.]

"Where?"

[Everywhere.]

Outside—

Lin Yue stood.

Jian Wuchen opened his eyes.

Lu Chen sat up.

All three felt it.

The mountain.

Cloudveil Peak itself.

Deep beneath Shen Yuan's palace—

something responded.

A pulse.

Old.

Buried.

The previous Cloudveil Peak Master's sealed cave.

The place where Shen Yuan had found Ji Cang's broken sword fragment.

The mountain shook.

Gu Jian burst from the guest hall.

Xuankong appeared beside him.

Both stared toward the rear mountain.

Gu Jian's remaining bandages tightened.

"No."

Shen Yuan appeared outside.

"What?"

Gu Jian pointed toward the cave.

His hand trembled.

"I remember that aura."

Xuankong turned.

"So do I."

Silence.

The rear mountain split.

Not violently.

A door appeared.

It had always been there.

Hidden beneath formations older than Azure Origin Sect.

Older than Cloudveil Peak's current name.

Older—

perhaps—

than the Severance.

Nine sword marks covered the stone.

And above them—

a single line of ancient script.

Gu Jian read it.

His voice barely carried.

"For the one who gathers them again."

Shen Yuan stared.

The system chimed.

[Hidden Cloudveil inheritance detected.]

[Age: 8,000+ years.]

[Creator: Unknown.]

Then the identification changed.

[Reanalyzing...]

Xuankong stepped closer.

His face had become completely pale.

"No."

Shen Yuan looked at him.

"You know who made it."

Xuankong stared at the door.

"That handwriting."

Gu Jian finished for him.

"Master."

Silence.

Ji Cang.

The man who cut the bridge.

The man whose Dao Shen Yuan somehow possessed.

The man whose disciples had been scattered for eight thousand years.

Had built something beneath Cloudveil Peak.

The stone door trembled.

Then—

from the other side—

came a familiar sound.

Knock.

Once.

Xuankong froze.

Gu Jian stopped breathing.

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

Second knock.

Not beneath the world this time.

Behind the door.

Then a voice.

Weak.

Ancient.

And unmistakably human.

"If you're hearing this..."

Xuankong's eyes widened.

Gu Jian fell to his knees.

The voice continued.

"...then I suppose Cloudveil found a new master."

Xuankong whispered:

"Master."

And the door began to open.