Severing Ties: The Sect Regrets My Departure

Deep within Gu Xiu’s Dantian Qi Sea, a transformation had occurred.

Resting atop the swirling Yin-Yang Purple Qi was a brand-new Dao Platform. It was shaped like an anvil, its surface carved with intricate, ancient patterns. But the most striking feature was the light within it—it pulsed with the brilliance of a thousand trapped stars.

At first glance, it resembled the Star Shattering Forging Platform Gu Xiu had just subdued.

But there were key differences.

If the Star Shattering Forging Platform was an artifact that contained the power of crushed stars, then Gu Xiu’s new Foundation Establishment Platform looked as if it had been birthed from the cosmos itself.

It was a Ten Thousand Star Forging Platform!

The moment it settled into place, it radiated a supreme, stabilizing power. Starlight spilled from its surface, cascading over his other Dao Platforms like a protective veil, making the entire structure of his cultivation foundation resemble a dazzling, multi-tiered pagoda.

Its full capabilities were still a mystery, but one thing was certain: the power of the Star Shattering Forging Platform was now actively enhancing his entire foundation.

However, Gu Xiu didn’t waste time studying it.

Taking advantage of the blinding light that still shielded him from outside view, he reached into his robes and pulled out his favorite tool.

The Green Bamboo Rod.

He had used this rod many times since his return. Every cast brought a harvest. Unless his hands were tied, he never missed an opportunity to fish.

And this was a prime spot.

But…

“Huh? Huh? HUH?”

“What is that thing?”

“Great Heavens, where did you get that?”

Gu Xiu hadn’t even cast his line when the newly bound Star Shattering Forging Platform—or rather, its loudmouthed spirit—started screaming in his mind. The shock in its voice was palpable.

“Is it… very powerful?” Gu Xiu asked, eyebrows raised.

“Very powerful?” The spirit clicked its tongue. “Remove the ‘is.’ Otherwise, I’ll think you’re bragging. This isn’t just powerful, kid. This is a Great Dao Divine Object!”

“A Great Dao Divine Object?” Gu Xiu blinked.

“Yes! Although I, Star Shatterer, haven’t personally seen one before, I know what I’m looking at. This thing far surpasses Immortal Artifacts. It is absolutely, undeniably a Great Dao Divine Object!”

Gu Xiu looked down at the simple green rod in his hand.

Truth be told, even with his ‘Glance of Ten Thousand Years,’ he had never figured out its origin. All he knew was that it had followed him out of the Forbidden Realm years ago. It could fish for anything and possessed a strange ability to sever karma.

Beyond that? He knew nothing.

“What exactly is a Great Dao Divine Object?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“…You don’t know?”

“Nope! I only know the legends. Artifacts that surpass Emperor Weapons and Immortal Artifacts are called Great Dao Divine Objects. They stand at the limit of the Great Dao, the absolute pinnacle of what can exist.”

Gu Xiu’s heart skipped a beat.

Surpassing Immortal Artifacts.

The term ‘Immortal Artifact’ carried immense weight. No one in this mortal world could forge one. The few that existed were ancient relics, treasures that even Supreme Realm experts would wage wars to possess. The gap between a Supreme with an Immortal Artifact and one without was an unbridgeable chasm.

And this bamboo rod… was superior to them?

“Can you leave it with me sometimes?” the spirit asked eagerly. “I want to study it. If I can figure out even a fraction of its secrets, maybe I can forge something similar in the future. It would be a great opportunity for me, Star Shatterer, to bring honor to my ancestors!”

“Bring honor to your ancestors?” Gu Xiu stared blankly. “You’re a forging platform. You have ancestors?”

“What kind of talk is that?” The spirit sounded offended. “You humans care about bloodlines, don’t you? Do you think I just popped out of a rock? Everything has a lineage!”

Gu Xiu didn’t quite understand the genealogy of magical anvils, but he decided not to argue. “Fine. When I’m not using it, you can study it.”

He gathered his Qi into a thread, cast the line into the void, and waited.

Fishing required silence.

Unfortunately, his new artifact spirit didn’t get the memo.

“Indeed! Indeed! I wasn’t wrong!”

“This rod possesses spatial power! No, not just space… it carries the power of Rules! Thread-crossing boundary transcendence! This is the ability to cross dimensions!”

“If you use this right, you could fish straight into the Immortal Realm!”

“I have to study this! If I can learn just a tiny bit, I could forge incredible treasures! I’m going to be famous! Star Shatterer will go down in history!”

“…”

The endless chatter would have driven a lesser man insane. But Gu Xiu remained as calm as a still lake.

Building a hut amidst the human realm, yet no noise of carriages and horses. You ask how this can be? With a mind detached, the place becomes remote by itself.

He tuned out the noise and focused on the line.

Suddenly, the rod trembled.

It wasn’t the usual tug of a catch. It felt… different.

“Why does it feel like the hook is being pulled?” Gu Xiu frowned. “Like someone interfered with the line?”

“The target has changed,” the Star Shattering Forging Platform muttered, its tone turning serious. “Someone is trying to make the hook catch a specific item.”

“Wait…” The spirit gasped. “Why do I feel like the thing attracting the hook… is right nearby?”

Meanwhile, on the stone cliff platform near the entrance.

A figure destined to attract attention had arrived.

“Senior Jiang!”

“This Junior pays respects to Senior Jiang.”

The Azure Wave disciples stationed at the cliff immediately rose and bowed respectfully. The newcomer was none other than the Junior Uncle of the Azure Mystic Sacred Land.

Jiang Xun.

He still wore his cloak, obscuring his face. His presence commanded respect, not just because of his Golden Core cultivation, but because Leng Mingshu had sent word ahead to give him full cooperation.

“En.” Jiang Xun nodded, maintaining a cool, aloof demeanor befitting a senior expert.

Internally, however, his thoughts were far less noble.

The Azure Wave Sect lives up to its reputation. Beauties everywhere. Tsk tsk… I should definitely play some tricks with the Profound Yin Soul-Protecting Pill. Best to make them indebted to me…

His primary goal was the pill. But his secondary goal was influence. He wanted to replace Gu Xiu in their memories, to erase the man’s legacy and make this sect his own stepping stone.

“Senior Jiang,” Yu Xueqing said, stepping forward. “This is the location of the pill. The only path forward is the God Platform Stone Bamboo Shoot Array across the abyss. Only by passing through it can you reach the opposite shore.”

She cautiously omitted the fact that someone had already crossed. But aside from that, she offered full assistance, even detailing Gu Xiu’s steps.

“It is fine,” Jiang Xun interrupted with a faint smile. “A mere bamboo shoot array holds no difficulty for me.”

“Senior, having the prior experience might—”

“Fairy Yu,” Jiang Xun said, cutting her off gently but firmly. “A cultivator’s life relies on oneself. I possess an Invincible Dao Heart. I believe the path lies underfoot, and the Dao lies ahead. The experiences of others are useless to me.”

“I prefer to believe in my own ability.”

His words painted a perfect picture of an arrogant, peerless genius. The female disciples looked at him with admiration.

Yu Xueqing hesitated, but seeing his confidence, she nodded. “Senior Jiang’s confidence is admirable. We will await your success.”

“Rest assured. However,” Jiang Xun added, “I need you all to withdraw. Do not enter without my permission.”

“Withdraw?”

“I may attempt to break the formation by force later,” he lied smoothly. “It might be dangerous for bystanders. To avoid accidental injury, it is better if you leave.”

The truth was, he didn’t want witnesses. He couldn’t let them see him relying on his artifact to cheat, nor did he want them watching when he swapped the real pill for a fake one.

“Very well,” Yu Xueqing conceded after a moment. “We will withdraw. Good luck, Senior Jiang.”

She led the disciples out.

As they left, a mocking smile curled beneath Jiang Xun’s hood.

With a flip of his wrist, a pill identical to the Profound Yin Soul-Protecting Pill appeared in his hand. A fake he had prepared beforehand.

He stowed it away and stepped onto the array.

This formation had stopped countless cultivators. The unpredictable platforms, the scorching flames, the phantom hammers—it was a nightmare.

But for Jiang Xun?

With the Heaven-Bestowed Ruyi hovering invisibly above his head, emitting its protective green light, the formation was a joke.

As he stepped out, the chaotic platforms seemed to align for him. No matter where he stepped, a stone shoot would rise just in time to catch his foot.

This was his cheat code. This was the power he had schemed for.

“Gu Xiu, oh Gu Xiu,” Jiang Xun murmured, his smile widening. “You truly guarded a treasure mountain yet didn’t know how to use it.”

“What a waste of a divine object!”

He felt invincible.

However, just as his smile reached its peak, his next step landed on… nothing.

Whoosh!

Jiang Xun pitched forward, flailing, nearly plummeting into the abyss. He barely caught his balance on the edge of the previous platform.

He frowned. “It seems the old fool who set this up had limited skills. A frog at the bottom of a well… a minor glitch is understandable…”

But as he spoke, his frown deepened.

The stone platform beneath his feet began to shake violently. It felt unstable, ready to crumble.

What is going on?

He instinctively retreated several steps, back toward the safety of the cliff edge.

But as he landed, he froze.

The two stone guardians, which had vanished earlier, had reappeared. And they were radiating chilling killing intent.

A sudden, sinking feeling gripped his heart.

He looked up.

One glance.

Just one glance, and Jiang Xun’s pupils dilated in horror.

The empty air above his head was… empty.

The Heaven-Bestowed Ruyi, the artifact that had been protecting him, the source of his confidence… was gone.

No!

WHERE IS MY RUYI?!