The chaos at the Celestial Gate commanded the attention of the entire world.

Even Nian Zhaoxi, who had sequestered herself within the Heaven-Asking Pavilion since returning to the sect, could not ignore the phenomenon. Drawn by the disturbance, she stepped onto the Star-Gazing Platform, her eyes fixed on the fractured sky.

A voice suddenly broke her concentration.

Nian Zhaoxi stiffened. She turned around.

Standing there was none other than the Azure Mystic’s new prodigy, her Junior Brother, Jiang Xun.

“Junior Brother?” She frowned slightly. “What did you say?”

“I asked,” Jiang Xun said, his voice devoid of his usual sunny warmth, “where is Senior Brother Gu hiding?”

For the first time since she had met him, Jiang Xun was not smiling. His expression was cold, probing.

Nian Zhaoxi’s face froze. “Junior Brother, why ask such a question? I have already told you. Gu Xiu is dead.”

“Is Senior Sister certain?” Jiang Xun took a step forward, his gaze locking onto hers.

Nian Zhaoxi averted her eyes. “I reported to Master that Gu Xiu was slain by his old enemy, Lu Dongshan. My divination results confirmed it…”

“You and I both know Senior Brother Gu’s capabilities,” Jiang Xun interrupted, his eyes narrowing into slits. “He would not die so easily. And he certainly wouldn’t be quietly beheaded by some nobody like Lu Dongshan.”

Nian Zhaoxi’s expression tightened, but she held her ground. “I do not wish to believe it either, but those are the facts.”

This time, Jiang Xun did not press further.

Instead, he walked past her to the edge of the platform, looking up at the flickering phantom gates in the heavens.

“Senior Sister, do you know why the Celestial Gate Chaos has appeared today?”

“I do not.” Nian Zhaoxi exhaled softly, relieved the topic had shifted. She gazed at the sky, contemplating. “Ancient legends say that when the Celestial Gates fall into chaos, a Great Era is descending. Perhaps the world itself is shifting.”

“Senior Sister is the master of the Heaven-Asking Pavilion, well-versed in the secrets of Heaven’s Will,” Jiang Xun said softly. “With such a massive anomaly, why have you not performed a divination?”

“This phenomenon represents a mighty current of fate,” Nian Zhaoxi replied. “Whether I divine it or not, the outcome cannot be changed.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“My lifespan is severely depleted. Forcing a divination on an event of this magnitude… I might die on the spot.”

A strange glint flashed in Jiang Xun’s eyes. “So, Senior Sister values her life now?”

“Hm?” Nian Zhaoxi sensed the tonal shift and looked at him sharply.

But the moment passed instantly. The venomous coldness in Jiang Xun’s eyes vanished, replaced by a look of sincere concern.

“I heard Master say your lifespan was damaged, and I’ve been worried sick,” Jiang Xun said, his face full of earnest emotion. “When I saw the anomaly, my first fear was that you might force a divination and hurt yourself. Hearing you say you won’t risk it puts my heart at ease.”

“Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother,” Nian Zhaoxi said, offering a gentle smile.

“Oh, right. Senior Sister.”

Jiang Xun seemed to recall something. He reached into his robes and pulled out a wooden carving. “I carved this for you a few days ago. A small gift.”

Nian Zhaoxi paused, then accepted the object.

It was a carving of the Heaven-Asking Pavilion. On the balcony stood a woman looking up at the sky—but unlike the real Nian Zhaoxi, the wooden figure wore a bright, joyful smile.

“I don’t know where you went or what you experienced recently,” Jiang Xun said softly. “But since you returned, you’ve been shrouded in gloom. I haven’t seen you smile once.”

“I haven’t officially entered the world yet, so I have no treasures to give. I can only offer this handiwork, hoping that Senior Sister can find reasons to smile again.”

Nian Zhaoxi stared at the carving, touched. “Junior Brother… you are thoughtful.”

“Haha, as long as you like it, no thanks are needed!” Jiang Xun laughed brightly. Then, his expression grew wistful. “I heard that back then, Senior Brother Gu would often bring gifts for the Senior Sisters. I imagine you’ve kept them all safe? My clumsy carving can’t compare to his gifts, but I hope it helps you step out of the shadows.”

Nian Zhaoxi felt a pang of sorrow.

Gu Xiu used to bring back trinkets from every journey. She had kept them all.

From the very beginning, I was never worthy of his gifts…

“Senior Sister,” Jiang Xun asked innocently, “what sort of things did Senior Brother Gu give you? May I see?”

“This…”

“I’m just curious.”

Nian Zhaoxi found it hard to refuse his innocent curiosity. Finally, she nodded. From her Storage Ring, she carefully retrieved a pillow made of pale, translucent jade.

“Gu Xiu used to like stargazing with me here,” she whispered, her eyes lost in memory. “He said lying down would be more comfortable, so he carved this jade pillow from Spirit Stream Jade…”

While she was immersed in nostalgia, she didn’t notice the look in Jiang Xun’s eyes.

It wasn’t curiosity. It was naked, voracious greed.

“I’ve heard Spirit Stream Jade has a soul-calming effect,” Jiang Xun said, licking his lips mentally. “And it has Tranquil Spirit array patterns carved into it. Senior Sister… could you lend it to me for a few days?”

“This…” Nian Zhaoxi hesitated.

“Just a few days.”

“But…”

“Ah, I see. I’m asking too much.” Jiang Xun’s face fell instantly, taking on a look of dejection and bitterness. “Actually, ever since the Divine Sword backlash injured my soul, I haven’t been able to sleep. When I saw the Spirit Stream Pillow, I couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. But since it is Senior Sister’s beloved treasure, I won’t insist.”

He lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Senior Sister. I was wrong. Please don’t be troubled.”

His performance was flawless. Nian Zhaoxi felt a knot of guilt tighten in her chest.

If she refused, she would hurt her Junior Brother’s feelings. But if she lent it…

“I’m sorry, Junior Brother,” she said gently but firmly. “If it were anything else, I wouldn’t hesitate. But this item… holds extraordinary significance for me.”

“Besides, the Spirit Stream Pillow’s effects are mild. If you need help sleeping, I will craft you a new one from Jade Clear Wood in the next two days. It will be far more effective.”

In the end, she couldn’t bear to part with it.

Jiang Xun’s eyes flickered with a trace of pure resentment, but he buried it instantly behind a hearty laugh.

“Of course! If Senior Sister personally makes me a gift, that is even better! I won’t disturb you any longer.”

Jiang Xun stood up to leave. But before he stepped off the platform, he stopped and turned back, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone.

“Senior Sister. You and I both know… Gu Xiu is not dead.”

Nian Zhaoxi went rigid.

“For you and the Sect, perhaps it is better to pretend he is dead,” Jiang Xun continued, his back to the flickering sky. “At first, I thought so too. For Senior Brother Gu, death—or the pretense of it—might be a form of freedom.”

“However…”

He gestured to the chaotic heavens.

“The Celestial Gate is in chaos. The Great Contention Era has arrived. The reclusive sects, the hidden dynasties, the prodigies and saintesses… they will all emerge.”

“Senior Brother Gu made many enemies five hundred years ago. If they discover he is alive but weakened, they will hunt him down. By the time we find his corpse, it will be too late for regrets.”

Jiang Xun smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “I will be descending the mountain soon to gain experience. If I knew where Senior Brother was, I could perhaps shield him from the wind and rain.”

“So, I will ask one last time.”

“Where is Senior Brother Gu?”

Nian Zhaoxi looked at him. The air between them grew heavy.

Finally, she shook her head.

“I am sorry, Junior Brother. My divination remains the same.”

“Gu Xiu… is dead.”

Jiang Xun stared at her deeply for a long moment. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

The moment his face turned away from her, the mask of sincerity shattered, replaced by a look of twisting, venomous hatred. He glanced up at the frantic Celestial Gates, his heart sinking into a pit of rage.

Who is helping him?

Even the Celestial Gate is being used to cover his tracks…

Damn it! Damn it all!!!

As his footsteps faded, a trickle of fresh blood leaked from the corner of Nian Zhaoxi’s mouth.

“I am sorry, Junior Brother Jiang.”

She wiped the blood away, her eyes sorrowful. “I have already wronged Junior Brother Gu too much. For the rest of my life… I only hope not to make any more mistakes.”

When Jiang Xun had pressed her, she had been tempted to tell the truth. But in that moment of hesitation, she had secretly cast a ‘Seek Luck, Avoid Calamity’ divination.

The result had terrified her.

If I tell him, a Towering Calamity will descend.

She didn’t know why, but the warning was absolute. Moreover, doubt had begun to take root in her heart.

Jiang Xun had been aggressively collecting items that once belonged to Gu Xiu from the other Senior Sisters. His obsession with Gu Xiu… it didn’t feel like brotherly concern. It felt predatory.

As she pondered this, a flash of movement on the distant horizon caught her eye.

Wisps of Immortal Aura were flickering in the distance.

Nian Zhaoxi squinted. Her eyelids began to twitch violently—an omen of disaster.

That direction…

Falling Rain Valley!

She hadn’t cast a divination, but a revelation struck her soul with the force of a physical blow.

In Falling Rain Valley…

An Immortal is weeping.

…

Meanwhile, inside Falling Rain Valley.

The white butterfly, the remnant of a soul long passed, had finally regained its freedom. It fluttered through the courtyard, dancing in the air.

But there was no joy in its flight.

There was no sense of liberation or peace.

The butterfly moved with frantic, erratic jerks. It radiated only panic.

And regret.