The Sect Master’s Jade Token—the sacred inheritance artifact of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land, the supreme symbol of authority—had gained sentience. And right before Gu Xiu’s eyes, it had drafted a Sect Severance Treaty.

Even with Gu Xiu’s extensive experience in the Jianghu and a Dao Heart as steady as the wind, he couldn’t help but stare in utter bewilderment.

Good heavens.

It was already unheard of for a sect’s inheritance artifact to gain sentience. Such a thing was unprecedented in the annals of history. But what was truly outrageous was its first act of free will.

It hadn’t just gained awareness. It had chosen to sever ties with its own sect.

No, this wasn’t just severing ties. This was open rebellion.

When Gu Xiu had left the sect, he was merely a disciple. According to the laws of Heaven and Earth, his departure required the signature of the Sect Master, Guan Xuelan, to be valid.

But this Jade Token was different. As a heritage artifact passed down through generations, its authority in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao surpassed that of any single Sect Master. It was the orthodoxy. It was the Azure Mystic Sacred Land.

Therefore, when it decided to quit, it didn’t need anyone’s permission.

“This…”

Gu Xiu rubbed his temples. “I have seen many absurd things in my life, but this… this surely takes the crown.”

It wasn’t that his mental fortitude was lacking. It was simply that the situation was too bizarre. It was akin to a Founding Patriarch, after thousands of years of receiving incense and worship, suddenly kicking open his coffin lid and declaring war on his own descendants.

Simply outrageous.

However, while Gu Xiu was merely bemused, the Azure Mystic Sacred Land was experiencing a cataclysm.

As the golden characters of the Treaty formed before Gu Xiu, a massive projection of the same document manifested in the skies above the Azure Mystic Sect.

Jiang Xun had just formed his Perfect Golden Core, consuming a mountain of resources to summon the glorious “Heaven’s Gate” phenomenon. The entire sect was looking up in awe, bathing in the auspicious light.

But then, the projection appeared.

Whether by coincidence or spite, the golden text of the Sect Severance Treaty unfurled across the sky like a giant net, directly blocking the view of Jiang Xun’s Heaven’s Gate.

Those straining to see the celestial glory could only catch glimpses of it through the gaps between the massive, glowing characters of rejection.

“I, the undersigned, hereby sever all ties…”

The entire sect, from the lowest disciple to the highest elder, stared at the sky, their mouths agape.

Silence reigned for a heartbeat, followed by an explosion of noise.

“What is happening? Isn’t that a Sect Severance Treaty? Why is it floating in the sky?”

“Who is playing tricks on us?”

“Our Azure Mystic Sacred Land is at the zenith of its power! We are in a golden age! Who would be foolish enough to sever ties now?”

“Wait… an ordinary disciple’s treaty wouldn’t have this kind of majestic pressure. Could it be… did the Sect Master herself sever ties?”

“Impossible! But who else has such authority?”

Confusion swept through the crowd like a plague. Even the senior sisters were frozen in place, their faces masks of shock.

“Eldest Senior Sister, what is this?”

“Third Senior Sister, you are the smartest. Explain this!”

“Fourth Senior Sister, you are well-traveled. Have you ever seen such a thing?”

Lu Qingyao asked them one by one, but the answer was always the same: deathly silence. No one could explain why the heavens themselves seemed to be serving the sect with a restraining order.

Amidst the chaos, no one noticed Jiang Xun.

His face, already pale from the earlier slight regarding the Jade Token, was now twisted in bewilderment. He stared at the golden text, his eyes flickering with confusion. Then, a sudden realization seemed to strike him, and a flash of pure, venomous hatred darted through his gaze.

“Damn it!”

A furious shout shattered the atmosphere.

A single white feather drifted down from the heavens. In the blink of an eye, it expanded into a massive curtain of light, forcibly blocking the projection of the Sect Severance Treaty from view.

It was an Immortal Feather—Guan Xuelan’s signature technique.

The disciples looked up to see their Sect Master hovering in the sky. She was trembling, her composure utterly shattered.

Others might be confused, but as the Sect Master, she knew exactly what was happening. She could feel the aura radiating from the projection.

It was the aura of the Sect Master’s Jade Token.

The token hadn’t just been stolen. It had betrayed her.

Of course, she reasoned desperately, perhaps a mysterious expert had used a secret art to forcibly strip the token of its allegiance. But regardless of the cause, this was a humiliation of historic proportions.

“This… this Treaty is for you all to see!”

Guan Xuelan gritted her teeth, forcing her voice to remain steady. She had to spin this. She had to control the narrative.

“Gu Xiu abandoning the sect was his own choice. But he was once one of us. To prevent his enemies from hunting him down, I have decided not to publicize his departure. This projection… is a reminder of our mercy!”

“Do you all understand?”

The disciples blinked, then nodded in realization.

So that was it! The Sect Master had projected the treaty herself to teach them a lesson about benevolence!

“The Sect Master is kind-hearted! We will keep this in mind!”

“Gu Xiu is heartless and unjust, yet the sect still protects him! Truly, our sect is righteous!”

“The Sect Master is magnanimous, with a heart full of benevolence!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd. The disciples’ eyes burned with fanatical devotion.

However, Lu Qingyao and the other core disciples exchanged uneasy glances. They knew the official story—that Gu Xiu was already dead. Why would Master go to such lengths to protect the reputation of a dead man?

Something didn’t add up.

But before they could voice their doubts, the ground beneath their feet lurched violently.

Rumble!

The mountains shook. A terrifying, heart-palpitating pressure erupted from the core of the sect.

“What… what is happening now?”

As the disciples stumbled, a colossal sword of light materialized in the sky, dwarfing the peaks.

Then a second one. A third. A fourth.

“That’s the Qingxuan Sword Array!” a disciple shouted, pointing. “Our sacred protective formation! Why has it activated on its own?”

Confusion turned to horror as the giant swords slowly tilted downwards, aiming not at external enemies, but at the heart of the sect itself.

“I feel like…” one disciple stammered, his face draining of blood.

“Our protective formation…”

“…is trying to kill us?”

While the Azure Mystic Sacred Land descended into panic, miles away in the Listening-to-Rain Pavilion, Gu Xiu held the transformed artifact in his hand.

It was no longer the Sect Master’s Jade Token.

The jade had shattered and reformed, shedding its green hue for a pristine, ethereal white. The characters “Azure Mystic”had been erased, replaced by two new characters written in elegant, flowing script:

Carefree .

The Azure Mystic Inheritance Token had become the Carefree Pendant.

The sect’s signature formation patterns had dissolved, replaced by carvings of auspicious clouds—a symbol of unbound freedom. It was a brand-new magical artifact, and the moment it took form, it recognized Gu Xiu as its master.

It no longer drew upon the power of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land. It had cut itself off completely.

But that didn’t mean it was weak.

Gu Xiu closed his eyes, sensing the pulse of the artifact.

The Carefree Pendant.

Capable of blocking a full-force strike from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

It was a divine artifact. For Gu Xiu, whose current cultivation was crippled, it was exactly what he needed.

Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a lingering sense of absurdity. He looked at the Green Bamboo Rod in his other hand, then back at the Carefree Pendant.

A perfectly good sect inheritance treasure… how did it inexplicably change its face, rebel against its creators, and run all the way here to him?