In the Azure Mystic Sacred Land, Jiang Xun had always cultivated the image of a “gentle as jade” gentleman. But in that moment of public rejection, his mask slipped, revealing a flash of deep, gloomy resentment.

However, he was no ordinary man. Before the chill in his eyes could fully congeal, he blinked it away, replacing it with a look of humble resolve.

He smiled faintly, his voice steady. “Master’s consideration is wise. The Sect Master’s Jade Token carries the weight of the sect. Although this disciple has broken through, my achievements are insufficient to convince the masses. I will strive to accumulate merit, so that one day, I may truly earn the honor of holding it!”

His words were candid and open. There was no suspicion, no self-pity, only understanding and ambition. The gathered disciples couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

“Master, look at Junior Brother Jiang! In the entire Azure Mystic Sacred Land, who else is qualified to inherit the sect?” Lu Qingyao was the first to speak up, her voice shrill with indignation. “Such a test is completely unnecessary!”

The others looked at Guan Xuelan, nodding in agreement. Surely, this was just another trial for their beloved junior brother. Why else would she change her mind so abruptly?

Guan Xuelan ignored them. Her face was as dark as storm clouds.

“This venerable one has her own considerations. Jiang Xun, focus on consolidating your realm for the next two days.”

Without waiting for a response, Guan Xuelan took a step forward and vanished into the void.

An instant later, she reappeared in the solitude of the Sect Master’s Hall. Her cold composure shattered, replaced by a look of panicked fury.

“What is going on?”

She paced the hall, her hands trembling. “The Jade Token… I kept it in my storage ring. I never took it out. Why has it suddenly disappeared?”

“Was it lost due to spatial instability? Or…”

She narrowed her eyes, scanning the shadows. “Was it stolen by some rat?”

Meanwhile, in Cloud Firmament City, inside the Listening-to-Rain Pavilion.

Gu Xiu stood in the center of his room, surrounded by layers of active formations. He had slapped down several isolation talismans for good measure. Only when he was certain the room was sealed did he look down at the object in his hand.

It was a jade token, inscribed with the words “Azure Mystic.”

His brow furrowed deeply.

This was the “fish” he had just caught with the Green Bamboo Rod.

Gu Xiu knew this token well. Five hundred years ago, before he entered the Forbidden Realm, the Old Sect Master had entrusted it to him. It was the Carefree Pendant—the Sect Master’s Token.

Though its protective magic had failed in that accursed place, the token itself had remained. It had been his anchor, a reminder of home that kept him from losing his mind in the darkness.

But now?

Seeing the token again, Gu Xiu felt no nostalgia. No warmth. Only a cold, pragmatic annoyance.

How do I destroy this thing?

It was a heritage artifact of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land, bound to their lineage. For Gu Xiu, it was worse than useless—it was a hot potato that could expose his location.

As if sensing his murderous intent, the Jade Token suddenly trembled in his palm. A powerful aura erupted from its core.

Guan Xuelan is summoning it.

Gu Xiu’s expression darkened. He activated his shielding array, blocking the signal temporarily, but he knew it wouldn’t hold against a Mahayana cultivator for long.

He prepared to crush it.

But then, the token wobbled.

With a violent jerk, it forcibly severed the connection to Guan Xuelan on its own accord.

It floated up, hovering at Gu Xiu’s eye level. A soft, golden light pulsed from its surface—fawning, pleading, like a lost dog begging its master to take it back.

Gu Xiu raised an eyebrow. “It has a spirit?”

He felt no joy at the discovery. His gaze remained icy.

“I have signed the Sect Severance Treaty,” Gu Xiu said flatly. “I have no further connection with the Azure Mystic Sacred Land. I am no longer a disciple. If you have a spirit, you should not involve yourself with me.”

The token didn’t move. It continued to emit waves of desperate goodwill.

“Go away,” Gu Xiu said.

The token stayed.

Gu Xiu sighed, standing up. He drew the Shadow Chasing Sword, the cold steel reflecting the token’s golden light.

“I have said all I need to say. If you continue to pester me, I will destroy you.”

His tone was calm, but the intent was lethal.

The Jade Token shivered. A new emotion radiated from it—panic. It wasn’t just begging for ownership; it was begging for help. It felt like it was facing an existential crisis, and only Gu Xiu could save it.

Back in the Azure Mystic Sacred Land.

“Hiss!”

Guan Xuelan opened her eyes, a vein pulsing on her forehead. “Why did it fail?”

“This is the inheritance token of my sect! As the Master of Azure Mystic, how can I be locked out? How can I not even sense its location?”

Fear began to creep into her anger. This wasn’t just a lost item. The token was rejecting her summons.

It felt… it felt like the Azure Mystic Sacred Land itself had betrayed her.

“Impossible!” Guan Xuelan snarled, shaking off the absurd thought. “No one in the sect can shake my position! No one would dare betray me!”

“It must be an enemy. Another Mahayana cultivator used spatial arts to steal it from my ring!”

Her eyes hardened. “Hmph! Just mere demons and monsters, hiding their heads and tails. Do you think this venerable one is afraid of you?”

She formed a hand seal, her spiritual energy surging like a tsunami.

“Break!”

In the Listening-to-Rain Pavilion.

The Jade Token screamed.

Gu Xiu couldn’t hear it, but he could feel the psychic shockwave of terror radiating from the artifact. A massive, destructive force was being channeled remotely into the token. Guan Xuelan was trying to detonate it or force it to submit.

Gu Xiu’s face changed.

He didn’t care if the token broke. But if it exploded here, the release of energy from a Sacred Land artifact would level his pavilion and likely kill him.

Too late to run.

Gu Xiu whipped out the Divine Demon Finger Bone. He didn’t know if it could block a Mahayana strike, but he had no other choice.

He channeled his Qi into the bone.

He felt no hesitation. The token was a companion of five hundred years, yes. But that debt was paid. The moment he signed the treaty, he had cut all ties. He owed the Azure Mystic Sect nothing—not loyalty, not nostalgia, and certainly not his life.

If Xu Wanqing herself were standing here, he would cut her down without blinking. A piece of jade was nothing.

Just as the two forces were about to collide—

Crack!

A crisp sound echoed in the room.

Gu Xiu paused.

The Jade Token wasn’t exploding. It was cracking. Fissures spread across its surface like a spiderweb.

Self-destruction? No…

Gu Xiu narrowed his eyes. It’s shedding its skin.

The outer layer of the jade crumbled away, revealing a blinding golden light underneath. The light coalesced, twisting and forming into characters that floated in the air.

Gu Xiu recognized them instantly.

They were the same words he had written on that piece of paper when he walked away from the sect.

It was the Sect Severance Treaty.