Hearing Shen Wenxin's words, Jiang Qiuning's spiritual energy faltered for a moment before she continued channeling it frantically into the Nethergathering Tree before her.
Yet her spiritual power was like a drop of water falling into the ocean—unable to stir even the slightest ripple.
Her heart sank instantly.
Though her cultivation was only at the Nascent Soul stage, she had been nurtured since childhood with rare treasures, granting her spiritual energy far surpassing that of her peers. Yet now, she couldn’t detect even the slightest flaw in this formation.
Even with her limited knowledge of formations, she could sense the peril within.
Jiang Qiuning recalled Xu Wanci’s words just before the formation swallowed her, and her hands trembled imperceptibly as she continued channeling spiritual energy:
How could Xu Wanci have entered such a dangerous formation out of mere curiosity?
Now that Xu Wanci had found the will to live, she would no longer disregard her own life as recklessly as before.
She… had clearly done this for them.
So that no one else would have to enter the formation. So that they wouldn’t have to worry any longer…
At this thought, Jiang Qiuning ignored her nearly depleted dantian and continued pouring spiritual energy into the formation without restraint, desperate to find even a momentary weakness.
Beside her, Shen Wenxin had unsheathed her spirit zither at some point, sending waves of sound like blades, unrelenting against the formation.
Meanwhile, Chu Qingchuan, sensing his own spiritual energy nearing exhaustion, was the first to stop.
Seeing the blood trickling from Shen Wenxin’s lips, he frowned and reached out to stop her.
His voice was heavy with a note of persuasion:
"Qiuning, continuing like this is futile. You’ll only hurt yourself."
"You should stop. Let’s discuss this properly and see if we can find the formation’s weakness."
It wasn’t that he wasn’t worried about Xu Wanci—he was simply accustomed to remaining calm in all situations, always thinking from the most advantageous perspective.
Seeing Jiang Qiuning still refusing to relent, he calmly reassured her:
"Wanci has the protection of the Heavenly Dao. She will return safely."
"Every challenge carries opportunity. This formation might even be a blessing in disguise for her."
Hearing his words, Jiang Qiuning’s emotions churned violently. She didn’t even glance at him, her spiritual energy never ceasing.
Just then, a faint crack sounded from her storage pouch—
The defensive artifact she had given Xu Wanci… had shattered?
A faint redness tinged the corners of Jiang Qiuning’s eyes, yet her gaze was icy with resolve.
She stopped channeling energy and slowly straightened her posture.
She couldn’t panic.
The longer Xu Wanci remained in the formation, the greater the danger.
She had to break the formation quickly and rescue her.
With a frosty expression, she turned to Chu Qingchuan and said:
"The formation within the Nethergathering Tree is too powerful for us to break."
"Qingchuan, go find Sect Leader Ning. Ask him to bring a few elders to the Nethergathering Forest."
Beside them, Shen Wenxin immediately sheathed her spirit zither, paying no mind to the blood dripping from her fingertips.
"I’ll contact my master," she said urgently. "She can help summon the Third Elder."
"The Third Elder is unmatched in formations. If she comes, she’ll surely find a way to save Wanci!"
Jiang Qiuning did not respond. Instead, she swiftly issued orders through the Jiang Family Young Master's Token in her hand:
"Shadow Three: Investigate all the details of the array formations within the Gathering Shadow Forest."
"Shadow Five: Find out how many people have been trapped in the central array of the Gathering Shadow Forest over the past century, and how they escaped."
"Shadow Six: Check if any suspicious individuals entered the forest in the last three days."
"Shadow Seven:..."
Her voice remained steady, every instruction delivered with precision.
Finally, she thought of someone still in the Taiqing Sect and unhesitatingly activated a communication talisman.
"Uncle..."
Only when she lowered the token did she realize her palms were drenched in sweat.
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Returning Origins.
Ning Menglan sensed the fluctuations and shattering of the defensive artifact he had placed on Xu Wanci, instantly sharpening his focus.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Just as his agitation grew unbearable, a communication talisman from Chu Qingchuan arrived.
Hearing his voice, Ning Menglan's heart plummeted.
Since when had the Gathering Shadow Forest contained such a dangerous array?
With no time to deliberate, he quickly sent a message to the Third Elder and others before rushing toward the forest without hesitation.
In the Ink Rain Pavilion.
Though the courtyard was empty, Jiang Ze's gaze instinctively drifted to where Xu Wanci usually stood.
He caught himself and averted his eyes with practiced indifference.
At that moment, a crimson-glowing communication talisman materialized before him.
He glanced at it casually, but the words written there turned his expression icy and sharp in an instant.
The next second, he vanished from the spot.
At the Gathering Shadow Forest, Jiang Ze and Ning Menglan arrived almost simultaneously.
Gu Yunqi's aura was turbulent with unrestrained fury. The moment she appeared, she strode toward the towering Shadowgather Tree, her voice barely containing her rage:
"This is the tree, isn't it?"
With a wave of her hand, dozens of high-level spirit-exchange arrays enveloped the tree.
One breath, two breaths...
No matter how she activated them, the arrays remained unresponsive.
Gu Yunqi withdrew her spiritual energy abruptly, a sliver of reason returning to her eyes.
Ning Menglan stepped forward, his voice grave.
"Third Elder, is there a way to break this array?"
Gu Yunqi's expression was uncharacteristically solemn as she summoned her lifebound artifact—the Illusory Sea Stone.
At the sight, the atmosphere grew heavy.
An array that forced the Third Elder to wield the Illusory Sea Stone was rare even in the entire cultivation world.
Jiang Ze's face darkened further.
His aura was oppressive, cold, and edged with a barely restrained turbulence—yet it did not disturb the Third Elder's work.
His gaze fixed on the Shadowgather Tree, he spoke slowly, each word weighted:
"What exactly happened here?"
The others turned to Jiang Qiuning.
Suppressing her anxiety, she recounted everything that had transpired since arriving at the forest.
After hearing her words, the Elder Second Master's expression tightened.
"For decades, though the Gathering Shadow Forest has seen its share of ferocious spirit beasts, never before has such a perilous array been reported."
At that moment, Ning Menglan's storage pouch flashed again—another defensive artifact shattered.
His hand trembled uncontrollably.
Now, he deeply regretted allowing Xu Wanci to enter the Gathering Shadow Forest.
How much safer it would have been to remain in the Taiqing Sect! Even if cultivation was exhausting, at least she would never have faced such danger.
But regret was useless now. He raised his head, his voice grave as he addressed Gu Yunqi, whose face had turned pale from overexertion of spiritual energy:
"Third Elder, is there still no way?"
Gu Yunqi withdrew the Illusory Sea Stone, her usually calm and solemn eyes now flickering with a trace of madness:
"I refuse to believe there exists an array in the cultivation world that I, Gu Yunqi, cannot master!"
With a fierce surge of her entire spiritual power, the Illusory Sea Stone floated into the air, its dazzling golden light illuminating the dense forest as if it were daylight.
Then, as if sensing something, her figure vanished in an instant.
The next moment, a black-clad figure with half-white hair was kicked out of the air and landed heavily in the midst of the group.
Ning Menglan recognized his face and exclaimed in shock:
"Lv Tianyun!"
Connecting this to Lv Tianyun's recent visit to the Taiqing Sect, realization struck him like lightning. His voice turned sharp with accusation:
"What kind of array have you used to trap Xu Wanci?!"
The Elder Grandmaster also understood, his gaze burning with fury as the crushing pressure of his Transcendent Realm cultivation bore down on the man on the ground:
"Release the array, and I may spare your life."
Already severely injured from Gu Yunqi's kick, Lv Tianyun now felt his entire body being crushed under the overwhelming pressure, as if his flesh and blood were being compacted into pulp.
A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips. Weakly, he defended himself:
"Sect Leader Ning, what is the meaning of this?"
"I merely came out for a stroll and noticed the surging spiritual energy in the forest. I only wanted to see what was happening."
Ning Menglan was not fooled by his smooth words. His expression darkened as he demanded:
"You came to the Gathering Shadow Forest—thousands of miles from the Taiqing Sect—for a stroll? And you hid yourself within such a divine-grade treasure?"
"Elder Lv, do not take us for fools!"
Lv Tianyun gritted his teeth as the pressure intensified.
"Does the Taiqing Sect now dictate where its guests may wander?"
"Truly, the number one sect of the cultivation world is most 'hospitable.'"
Gu Yunqi could no longer restrain herself. She kicked him again, her voice turning icy:
"You had better dismantle that array now."
Then, her tone dropped to a bone-chilling whisper: "Or I will cripple you right here."
Lv Tianyun coughed up more blood, his injuries worsening. Still, he forced out his words:
"Third Elder, the Tianxuan Sect and the Taiqing Sect have been allies for centuries! Will you truly jeopardize our friendship over baseless accusations?"
"The entire Tianxuan Sect knows I came here. If anything happens to me, they will not let this go!"
"Think carefully!"
Ning Menglan's voice was merciless:
"You attacked a disciple of the Taiqing Sect first. Whatever we do to you now is justified."
Lv Tianyun’s face remained arrogantly defiant:
“So you’re willing to disregard everything… for the sake of one disciple?”
Before he could finish, a sharp cry tore from his throat.
A blade of ice had pierced his right wrist, pinning it to the ground, tendrils of dark energy seeping into his flesh like venom.
Jiang Ze stepped forward slowly, his gaze devoid of any emotion as he looked down at Lv Tianyun.
To him, the man was already no different from a corpse.
His voice was cold and measured: “Undo the array.”
Lv Tianyun didn’t dare meet his eyes, his voice trembling with pain:
“I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
Another ice blade stabbed into his calf before he could finish. Tears streamed down his face, but he still refused to admit guilt:
“It really wasn’t me.”
This time, the ice blade aimed for his dantian.
Feeling the cold edge press into his abdomen, Lv Tianyun screamed like a madman:
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
The blade halted just half an inch from his core.
A second later, and Jiang Ze would have crippled him for life.
Realizing Jiang Ze truly intended to kill him, Lv Tianyun spilled everything without restraint.
“I was just jealous that the Taiqing Sect had such a prodigious disciple… I only wanted to teach her a lesson.”
Sensing the killing intent radiating from Jiang Ze, he hurriedly added:
“But the array has nothing to do with me! I only learned of a formation in the Gathering Shadows Forest—one that could trouble Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators—so I lured them near it.”
“I checked! At most, it would injure a Nascent Soul cultivator. It would never be fatal!”
Gu Yunqi cut in without hesitation:
“Impossible. That array is so powerful even three Transcendent cultivators couldn’t break it. It’s no ordinary formation.”
Just then, Jiang Qiuning received a message talisman from the Jiang family.
Her eyes skimmed the words swiftly before she confirmed:
“He’s not lying.”
“In the past decade, eight cultivators have been caught in the array, but all emerged unharmed.”
“The array is tied to luck—those with good fortune escape unscathed, while the unlucky suffer.”
And luck, to some extent, reflected one’s destiny.
“No, this array…” Gu Yunqi’s voice trailed off as realization struck her like a blow.
“It’s the Guiding Return Array!”
The moment she spoke the name, a towering tree behind Jiang Ze crumbled into ash.
The others paled.
The Guiding Return Array was an ancient formation, long lost to time.
Normally, it behaved like any other array—but on the centennial full moon, it unleashed a century’s worth of stored spiritual energy. Anyone caught inside that night, even a Great Ascension expert, would never return.
Worse, it shielded itself with spiritual energy, making it impervious to external attacks, regardless of cultivation level.
Remembering the array’s lethality, Ning Menglan’s hands shook uncontrollably.
At that moment, another faint glow flickered from his storage pouch—another defensive artifact had shattered.
Elder Second Master could no longer hold back:
“Sect Leader, is the Cloud Mirror you placed on Xu Wanci still functional?”
Ning Menglan’s expression darkened as he shook his head.
Upon arriving at the Gathering Shadows Forest, he had already tested it—the Cloud Mirror showed no reaction whatsoever.
At that moment, the Third Elder suddenly turned around:
"If we had the Cloud Mirror, along with the traces of spiritual energy lingering on me from the Illusion Heart Array that day..."
"I could make the Cloud Mirror display Xu Wanci's current state."
If they could see the scenes within the array, perhaps she could find clues to break it.
Ning Menglan had also thought of this. With a wave of his hand, the Cloud Mirror soared into the air.
Gu Yunqi used the Phantom Sea Stone as a medium, channeling her spiritual energy through it and gradually infusing it into the Guiding Array.
After a few breaths, shadows slowly began to appear on the Cloud Mirror.
Amidst the darkness, a violent gale raged, concealing countless wind blades capable of wounding even a Great Ascension cultivator—ready to tear any intruder to shreds.
Xu Wanci stood on a small patch of open ground, her figure appearing minuscule against the chaotic storm, as if she could be swallowed by the tempest at any moment.
Yet, though the winds howled fiercely around her, they narrowly avoided the spot where she stood.
Seeing this, Ning Menglan finally let out a sigh of relief.
It seemed Xu Wanci had found a minor array eye.
As long as she remained there, she would be safe—for now.
In the darkness, Xu Wanci suddenly felt a strange sensation of being watched. Her fingers twitched imperceptibly.
It seemed the Taiqing Sect’s Sect Master and the Elders had arrived.
The Guiding Array was fraught with peril, a place where even Great Ascension cultivators could meet their end. If she wanted to survive, hiding her knowledge of the array was impossible.
As if struck by a thought, she slowly blinked.
Given her identity, it wasn’t entirely implausible for her to know about the Guiding Array.
With this in mind, Xu Wanci recalled the original novel’s details, tapped her right foot against the ground, and leaped seven steps to the right.
When she felt the wind blades avoiding her, she finally exhaled in relief.
This step—she had taken it correctly.
However...
The original novel hadn’t documented Chu Qingchuan’s every move within the Guiding Array word for word.
She only knew the general directions and the most crucial minor array eyes.
So sometimes, she had no choice but to test the path forward through trial and error.
Xu Wanci gazed at the roaring storm around her and took a slow, steadying breath.
For the next step, she knew the direction but not the number of paces.
She could only inch forward cautiously.
First, she took five steps west. A defensive artifact blocked the wind blades’ assault—only to shatter instantly.
She took two more steps, sacrificing two more defensive artifacts before finally finding the correct position.
Outside the array, witnessing this heart-stopping scene, Shen Wenxin—whose nerves were not the strongest—collapsed to her knees, her heart pounding so violently it felt like it might burst from her chest.
The others didn’t look much better.
If he could have sent a voice transmission, Ning Menglan would have been on his knees begging Xu Wanci to stop moving.
The Guiding Array was lethally treacherous. At only the Nascent Soul stage and without full knowledge of the array’s layout, a few more missteps would exhaust the forty-seven defensive artifacts he had placed on her!
Just then, a faint, sighing voice drifted from the Cloud Mirror:
"So... it was nine steps west after all."
Though she had just survived a life-and-death crisis, there was little panic on her face—only a trace of bitterness. She took a deep breath, suppressing all emotions, and stared intently ahead.
"If we took nine steps west just now, with the eastern Wood element corresponding to the Mao position, the next move should be southeast."
"Southeast..."
She paused for a moment, then lowered her head with a desolate smile.
Her voice was thick with regret. "If only I had listened more carefully back then."
Hearing this, everyone outside the formation froze.
So Xu Wanci’s earlier misstep hadn’t been reckless—she actually knew the path to survival within the Guiyin Formation.
The Immortal Venerable had once told her how to navigate it if she ever found herself trapped inside.
Recalling their journey through the Endless Mirage, Ning Menglan’s gaze grew unbearably complicated, as if he had finally realized something.
He had once wondered: If Xu Wanci truly meant so much to the Immortal Venerable, why had he never left her a single protective artifact?
Why had he never let anyone know of her existence?
Now, he understood.
The Immortal Venerable hadn’t wanted his reputation to become her cage.
What he left her was far more precious than any divine weapon or treasure—it was his care, woven into every preparation.
He had gifted her a Frostblack Orchid, ensuring she would never face obstacles in her cultivation.
He had guided her through the Endless Mirage, so that a hundred years later, she could retrieve whatever treasure she desired without a single scratch.
He had made her memorize the safe paths within ancient formations, guaranteeing she would never be harmed by them.
And perhaps, there was even more.
The Immortal Venerable had left no mark on Xu Wanci, nor had he ever revealed their connection to anyone.
Before his departure, he had simply done everything in his power to pave a smooth road for her—one that led nowhere near him, yet was free of all hardship.
Had Xu Wanci let go of her feelings and devoted herself to cultivation, she might have become one of the most talented cultivators in the realm by now.
She could have taken a supreme master as her teacher, surrounded herself with loyal friends, and lived a peaceful, happy life.
Perhaps that was what the Immortal Venerable had hoped for.
But no one could have predicted that Xu Wanci would willingly chain herself to the past for a hundred years.
In that century, she forgot everything about herself—except the need to wait for his return.
How could there be peace when she had spent a hundred years drowning in sorrow?
At this thought, Ning Menglan slowly closed his eyes, veiling his silent sigh.
Just then, Xu Wanci took a few more steps forward—this time, she chose the right path.
The tension in the air eased slightly.
Jiang Ze watched the scene in the Cloud Mirror with near-obsessive intensity.
He didn’t care who had once taught her the Guiyin Formation’s secrets, nor what thoughts filled her mind now.
He only needed her to walk out of that formation alive.
He only needed her to live.
Through trial and error, Xu Wanci inched closer to the formation’s core.
Another gust of windblades sliced through the air.
Now, only three defensive artifacts remained on her. Two more mistakes, and her life would be in true danger.
Every spectator held their breath, eyes locked on the Cloud Mirror.
Unaware of their concern, Xu Wanci glimpsed a faint glimmer of dark light ahead and exhaled imperceptibly in relief.
Only one step remained.
In the original text, Chu Qingchuan had leaped into the center of the formation to seize the Instant Mustard Seed at its core.
But this final move was fraught with deadly peril.
She didn’t know how many defensive artifacts she had left, but she had no other choice.
With this thought, Xu Wanci pushed off the ground with her toes and vaulted toward the dim glow. Just as she was about to land, a wind blade—far more vicious than any before—sliced toward her.
The last three of her defensive artifacts shattered one after another, leaving nothing to shield her from the strike.
Pain flared across her back, but in the next instant, relief washed over her:
The chaotic energy had been completely deflected by the artifacts. Only a shallow cut marred her skin—nothing serious.
Outside the formation, Jiang Ze watched the wound on Xu Wanci’s body, his lips pressed tightly together, yet he remained silent throughout.
His gaze followed her as she reached the formation’s core, channeling her own spiritual power to resist its force.
He watched as her face paled by degrees, as blood from the wound on her back spread relentlessly, as she fought with everything she had—until at last, she pried the treasure from the heart of the formation.
The moment the treasure touched her blood, it vanished into her forehead.
Her composure, her strength—they had long since stolen the rhythm of his heartbeat.
After obtaining the treasure from the Eye of the Guiyin Formation, Xu Wanci, her spiritual energy spent, finally let go. She collapsed backward, falling from the formation’s core into an abyss of endless darkness.
She had claimed the treasure. Though the formation’s wind blades still howled around her, they could no longer harm her.
Then, atop the Gathering Shadow Tree, a dark void appeared. From its depths, a figure in blue gradually emerged.
Jiang Ze stepped forward, reaching into the void with both hands. With tender care, he gathered the figure at its edge into his arms.
As he withdrew, his hands—now lacerated and dripping blood from the residual wind blades—were revealed.
Despite their wounds, they cradled her gently, careful to avoid the injury on her back.
Their blood mingled, drop by drop, upon the ground.
He paid no heed to the expressions of those around him. With Xu Wanci in his arms, he walked step by step out of the Shadowgrove.
Before leaving, he cast a glance at the unconscious Lv Tianyun and spoke indifferently to the shadows lurking in the darkness:
"Investigate the Xuantian Sect."
Days later, rumors spread like wildfire across the cultivation world—the Xuantian Sect had conspired against fellow sects within their city, even sacrificing their own disciples to test the formation’s lethality.
Already in decline, the Xuantian Sect now saw its remaining disciples scatter. Their sect leader was detained by neighboring sects, awaiting judgment from a joint council.
The leader of the Zhiqin Sect also heard the whispers—though her version ran deeper:
"Since when does the Taiqing Sect go to war with the Xuantian Sect, a century-old ally, over a mere Nascent Soul disciple?"
The disciple at her side replied matter-of-factly,
"Not just any Nascent Soul disciple. One whose breakthrough triggered celestial phenomena."
"I see." The Zhiqin Sect leader lazily flicked her gaze toward the disciple. "Didn’t Chu Qingchuan’s breakthrough also stir the heavens? Yet I don’t recall Ning Menglan ever treasuring him so dearly."
Her fingertips tapped lightly against the stone table beside her as she chuckled. "How I’d love to meet this Xu Wanci."
"It's a pity Ning Menglan guards her like a treasure—hard to get a glimpse of her."
"But no matter. In a month, the Ancient Battlefield will open, and the top disciples from the ten foremost sects of the cultivation world will enter."
"By then, I’ll naturally see for myself what makes this Xu Wanci so special."
A disciple beside her voiced their confusion:
"If she’s so important, why would Sect Leader Ning allow her to go to such a dangerous place like the Ancient Battlefield?"
The Sect Leader of Zhiqin Sect chuckled lazily:
"My foolish disciple, how many sects do you think are itching to lay eyes on this Xu Wanci?"
"Refusing to send her would only turn her into a target."
She took a few steps forward before adding:
"This time, the Immortal Venerable Jiyun will likely attend as well."
At this, she sighed with a hint of resignation:
"Immortal Venerable Jiyun merely received a single piece of advice from that person a century ago, and yet… even after a hundred years since their passing, why does he remain so… fanatical?"
"Remember to steer clear of his taboos. I’d rather not witness the might of his Jiyun Blade firsthand."
The disciple bowed.
"Understood."
