Ji Wang gazed at the genuine delight in Xu Wanci's eyes, his emotions so tangled that even he couldn't unravel them.
Simply because he was willing to remember… the Immortal Venerable.
She was this overjoyed, not even minding that he had nearly killed her before.
So overjoyed that she was willing to let him, someone who had wanted her dead, walk a brighter path of the Great Dao.
Xu Wanci’s regard for the Immortal Venerable had never been spoken aloud, yet it weighed so heavily that it made one sigh.
At this moment, he felt as though her gaze had scorched him, instinctively averting his eyes.
The ruthless, murderous aura that once surrounded him was gone, and even the crimson of his robes seemed to dim, all its brilliance now concentrated in a single red mole at the side of his neck—burningly vivid.
As he turned his head, the mole disappeared beneath his collar once more. His eyes, once a mesmerizing blend of beauty and ferocity, now held an almost docile focus.
The once merciless and heartless Ji Wang, the Supreme Cloud Master, spoke in a hoarse voice laced with a tenderness anyone could detect:
"Thank you."
By then, the others in the chamber had regained their composure.
Someone cast a thoughtful glance at Xu Wanci, still pale on the jade bed:
They, too, could sense the flaw in the Supreme Cloud Master’s Dao Heart. But for them, there was no need to risk angering him by pointing it out.
Moreover, if the Supreme Cloud Elder's cultivation regressed, it might not be a bad thing for the other sects.
What they hadn’t expected was that Xu Wanci, merely at the Nascent Soul stage, could discern the flaw in a Transcendent Daoist's Dao Heart with just one encounter.
Though the Supreme Cloud Venerable was somewhat obsessive, the Great Dao had three thousand paths, and obsession could still forge its own way.
Such keen insight into the Dao and cultivation—even without her other identities—made Xu Wanci worthy of their attention.
What truly astonished them, however, was her reason for reminding the Supreme Cloud Master.
It was because of the Immortal Venerable.
Simply because of the Supreme Cloud Venerable’s reverence for the Immortal Venerable.
Watching the spiritual energy settling around Ji Wang at the chamber’s entrance, the Sect Master of Mingjian Sect wore a complicated expression before looking away:
A century ago, the Immortal Venerable’s guidance had allowed him to rediscover the Dao.
A century later, it was the Immortal Venerable’s… beloved who steered him back onto the right path.
Such enviable fortune.
Only the Sect Master of Zhiqin Sect frowned imperceptibly.
Naturally observant, her thoughts ran deeper than most.
After learning of Xu Wanci’s connection to the Immortal Venerable, memories from the ancient battlefield—scenes she had once overlooked—resurfaced one by one.
In the Treasure Vault, amidst countless illusions of priceless treasures, Xu Wanci had lingered over only two.
One was the Wailingless Spirit Herb, capable of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh.
The other was the Nine Heavens Sword, one of the ancient divine blades.
Now, it seemed the Taiqing Sect Master’s remark upon seeing Xu Wanci choose the Nine Heavens Sword hadn’t been idle.
"Legends say the Nine Heavens Sword can reverse the cosmos."
Had Xu Wanci hesitated between these treasures for herself… or for the Immortal Venerable, who had sacrificed himself to the heavens a century ago?
At this realization, the Zhiqin Sect Master’s expression darkened. She glanced at Ning Menglan nearby:
Did he know what Xu Wanci sought?
If he did, he should dissuade her—this was a path with no future, a dead end.
How could there be a sliver of hope for one whose soul had scattered, whose body had been offered to the heavens?
Ning Menglan paid no heed to her gaze.
He simply looked at Xu Wanci with helpless resignation, his heart a turmoil of emotions.
She understood the Supreme Cloud Venerable’s obsession with the Immortal Venerable and could even counsel him.
She knew the Dao’s path demanded one prioritize oneself before others.
Yet what of her own actions?
To obtain the Immortal Venerable’s artifacts, she forged a sword heart that sought victory at any cost, heedless of her well-being.
To find that faint glimmer of hope, she drove herself to cultivate ceaselessly, neglecting her body…
Every step of her cultivation was for the Immortal Venerable.
Her sword heart was thus; her Dao heart, the same.
She was so clear-eyed, yet willingly drowned in this clarity.
Ning Menglan sighed softly.
Hearing this, the Mingjian Sect Master seemed to recall something, guiltily looking away before sidling closer to Xu Wanci’s bed.
Lowering his voice, his normally booming tone strained into something oddly shrill:
"Wanci, the Mingjian Sect is the foremost sword sect in the cultivation world, home to the greatest sword techniques and countless sword masters.
"If you ever have doubts about swordsmanship, you’re welcome to visit us… or, well, we could always come to Taiqing Sect instead.
"After all, Taiqing only has the Ten Thousand Swords Peak, hardly enough—"
Before he could finish, Ning Menglan coldly snatched the spiritual treasure from his hands and turned to address the crowd:
"Esteemed guests, Wanci has just awoken from grave illness and needs rest.
"All sect masters and elders, please take your leave."
With a wave, he unceremoniously pushed everyone out with his spiritual energy.
The crowd glared at the Mingjian Sect Master by the door:
Couldn’t this man at least try to poach talent discreetly?
Did he think they didn’t want to recruit her too?
They’d held back precisely to avoid being thrown out by Ning Menglan, waiting for a better opportunity.
The Pingyang Sect Master sighed in exasperation before departing the Moqing Pavilion.
Only Ji Wang remained, peering through the door’s gap at Xu Wanci.
Noon sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting stripes of light over her, the brilliance only accentuating her solitude.
Amid crowds or alone, she was unchanged—sitting quietly, detached from the world.
Once the room emptied, Jiang Ze approached the bed, bending to feed her a pill to nourish her spirit.
Watching her obediently swallow it, his gaze darkened.
Kneeling, he looked up and asked softly:
"And your Dao heart—who is it for?"
You advised Ji Wang to prioritize himself, but what of you?
Xu Wanci smiled faintly, her lashes lowering slightly, as if her chosen path held no hardship.
Her voice was gentle yet firm:
"My Dao heart has always been for what I desire."
Jiang Ze’s aura turned sharp and icy, but the next moment, it faded back into stillness.
The words "Do you love him that much?" were crushed deep in his chest.
Rising, he placed a Jade Heart Flower—a spirit-nourishing herb—by her bedside. Though suppressed, his voice held no chill:
"Rest well."
Elsewhere, Ning Menglan, upon leaving the Moqing Pavilion, found the Zhiqin Sect Master waiting.
Meeting her grave, probing gaze, he showed no surprise, only resignation:
"I knew you’d see through it, Sect Master Qin."
The Sect Master of Zhiqin Sect exhaled slowly, his voice solemn: "The Tearless Spirit Herb, the Nine Heavens Sword..."
"Xu Wanci did it for..."
Seeing Ning Menglan's calm expression, she understood:
"It seems Sect Master Ning already knew."
"Have you ever considered..."
"Sect Master Qin," Ning Menglan turned slightly, his gaze fixed on the distant Moqing Pavilion, his voice tinged with bitterness. "You’ve never seen how Xu Wanci used to be."
"You don’t know how desperately... she once wished for death."
At this, he turned back, his eyes weary:
"If there had been any other way, how could I have..."
He stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder, his voice barely above a whisper:
"Soul-Severing Bone, Netherworld Needle, Thousand Silence Flame..."
The Sect Master of Zhiqin Sect listened, her expression shifting repeatedly:
Could it be...?
Even she would hesitate in the face of those three names, let alone Xu Wanci, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator.
Behind them, the other sect masters and elders who had been standing nearby revealed themselves, their faces filled with shock:
If their suspicions were correct, Xu Wanci truly... sought death.
Was it for the Immortal Venerable?
Seeing their confusion, Ning Menglan sighed and shook his head, offering no further explanation. He merely said quietly:
"Back then, Xu Wanci believed there was a sliver of hope for the Immortal Venerable. She waited for a hundred years."
"After learning his soul had dissipated, her sword heart shattered, and she lost all will to pursue the Dao."
"To ease the worries of those around her, she stopped actively seeking death, but... she no longer cared to live."
Not caring to live meant she never considered her own safety in the face of danger.
The world of cultivation was fraught with peril. If one had no will to live, how could they be saved time and again?
Ning Menglan glanced at the gathered sect masters and elders, his voice heavy:
"For the sake of opportunity, I ask you all not to expose this."
Even after Ning Menglan left, the crowd remained motionless for a long time.
Each of them wore the same expression of shock and bewilderment:
Could such deep affection truly exist in the world of cultivation?
Yet the Immortal Venerable had passed a century ago. No matter how profound the love, shouldn’t it have faded with time? How could it still...?
But recalling Xu Wanci’s actions in the ancient battlefield’s Treasure Vault, none of them dared to voice their doubts.
At the foot of Moyun’s Spirit Mountain.
After meditating for a long time, Ji Wang finally opened his eyes. Though his Dao heart remained unsettled, the hostility around him had gradually subsided.
His early-stage Transcendent Tribulation cultivation had also begun to stabilize.
He stood, his expression indifferent as he glanced at the wound on his right side.
As if remembering something, his gaze lowered slightly:
He would go to Taiqing Sect.
He would protect Xu Wanci.
All for the sake of... the Immortal Venerable.
The next day at noon.
Under the complicated gazes of Ning Menglan and the elders of Taiqing Sect, Ji Wang boarded the Jade Zenith Flying Ship as if no one else were present.
On the Jade Zenith Flying Ship.
Though the disciples of Taiqing Sect had not fully recovered from their injuries, they were all able to move freely and regulate their spiritual energy for recuperation.
Yet, as they meditated, their eyes kept drifting toward Xu Wanci’s direction, filled with unconcealed curiosity and reverence.
To them, Xu Wanci had become an unquestionable authority—Senior Sister Xu.
If she needed them, they would go through fire and water without hesitation.
But...
Recalling what they had witnessed before losing consciousness, many itched with curiosity. Yet out of respect, they dared not disturb her.
That was the Scripture of Divine Refinement!
One of Immortal Venerable Qingyan’s artifacts.
How had Xu Wanci managed to open its third page?
In the end, they could only attribute it to her extraordinary talent and profound destiny.
Perhaps... such a miracle was possible?
Xu Wanci sat at the prow of the ship.
To her right, Jiang Qiuning and Shen Wenxin watched her with concern, occasionally offering spirit fruits and pills.
To her left, Elder Second Master checked her meridians every half-hour, ensuring her body could endure the journey.
Behind her, Jiang Ze stood silently, his gaze never leaving her.
Xu Wanci paid no mind to the others’ stares.
She had grown accustomed to being watched—perhaps even before arriving in the world of cultivation.
As always, her fingers traced the three-petaled lotus at her waist while her eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon.
Not far away, Ji Wang studied Xu Wanci intently.
Though surrounded by people, she seemed to exist apart from them all.
She smiled at those who cared for her and conversed with those nearby, yet it was as if she wore a mask—one that no one could see behind.
He frowned, puzzled:
Didn’t she grow weary of this?
Didn’t she feel... lonely?
On Qingzhu Peak.
Xie Tingbai inhaled the scent of the Illusory Blue Vine in his hand. Detecting its heavy bitterness, he lowered his eyes thoughtfully.
It seemed a sixth-grade Illusory Blue Vine’s efficacy was insufficient.
As he pondered the prescription, a talisman flashed through the air, landing in his palm.
Reading its contents, the gentle spiritual energy around him froze for an instant. His fingers tightened slightly, and the talisman dissolved into motes of light.
Xu Wanci... was injured again.
How many times had it been since his return to Taiqing Sect?
Thousand Extinction Flame, the Soul-Drawing Array, and now dried-up spiritual consciousness—each time risking her cultivation.
Xie Tingbai had always been indifferent to life and death.
Yet now, for the first time, he understood a healer’s frustration.
No medicine in the world could save a patient who repeatedly threw herself into danger.
At the Sword Summit.
Xie Tingbai’s gaze swept past Jiang Ze’s aloof figure in the courtyard, pausing imperceptibly when he noticed Ji Wang nearby:
The Cloud-Severing Venerable?
Recalling the rumors about him, Xie Tingbai’s thoughts stirred, but he said nothing.
He clasped his hands toward Jiang Ze and Ji Wang, his voice mild:
Greetings, Young Master Moze, esteemed Cloud-Severing.
After the brief courtesy, he pushed open the door and entered the room.
Inside, Ning Menglan and three elders stood by the bed, their expressions grave.
Third Elder stood closest to Xu Wanci, one hand resting lightly on her left shoulder—not forcefully, but enough to keep her from rising.
Seeing Xu Wanci pinned to the bed under Third Elder’s watch, Xie Tingbai’s lips curved faintly.
He bowed slightly to Ning Menglan:
"Sect Master."
Relief flashed across Ning Menglan’s face:
"Tingbai, please examine Wanci’s injuries."
“On the ancient battlefield, she exhausted her spiritual consciousness and energy to forcibly open the third page of the Divine Refinement Tome. Yet after only a day of rest, she already wants to push herself into cultivation again…”
Xie Tingbai’s fingers twitched slightly at the mention of the Divine Refinement Tome.
He had long known of Xu Wanci’s close ties to the Immortal Venerable, but he had never imagined… they would be this close.
The Divine Refinement Tome, a divine artifact used multiple times by the Immortal Venerable—she could actually open it too.
Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Xie Tingbai strode to the bedside. Seeing Xu Wanci sitting there obediently, blinking up at him, he was suddenly reminded of how she had looked after waking from her injuries inflicted by the Thousand Silence Flame.
Back then, she had obediently accepted every pastry and pill from his hands, even without knowing what they truly contained.
If she could always remain like that… perhaps she wouldn’t get hurt.
At this thought, Xie Tingbai’s eyes darkened imperceptibly before returning to their usual composed gentleness.
He reached out, clasping Xu Wanci’s wrist, and gently channeled his spiritual energy into her meridians. Sensing the sluggish flow of energy in her dantian despite its fullness, his brows furrowed slightly, and his aura grew heavier.
A cultivator’s spiritual consciousness was far too vital. He couldn’t bypass her instinctive resistance to enter her sea of consciousness, but from the way her spiritual energy moved, he could faintly detect something amiss.
Releasing her wrist, Xie Tingbai’s expression carried a trace of a pill master’s helplessness.
Meeting Xu Wanci’s cautious yet hopeful gaze, he calmly shook his head.
“Your spiritual energy and consciousness have been severely depleted. Even the rarest elixirs can only replenish what was lost, not repair the damage done to your dantian and consciousness that day.”
“You’ll need medicinal aids and several months of rest.”
“Can I still cultivate?” Xu Wanci asked, recalling the events soon to unfold in the original story.
Hearing her question, Xie Tingbai suddenly understood why some physicians lost their temper with stubborn patients.
The curve of his lips took on a cold edge.
“No.”
“But I—”
Before she could finish, Xie Tingbai cut her off with an indifferent shake of his head.
“Nothing is allowed.”
Then, softening his tone, he gave her a gentle smile.
“For the next few days, I’ll come to the Sword Summit daily to tend to your recovery.”
“Once you’ve fully healed, Wanci, you can cultivate all night if you wish.”
Ning Menglan quickly nodded in agreement.
“Wanci, cultivation shouldn’t be rushed. If you don’t recover properly and end up with hidden injuries, it won’t be worth it.”
Elder Grandmaster and Elder Second Master also voiced their concerns.
Under everyone’s worried gazes, Xu Wanci blinked slowly.
“Alright.”
“I won’t cultivate during this time. I’ll follow Seventh Elder’s advice and rest properly.”
Ning Menglan sighed in relief. “That’s good.”
Third Elder finally withdrew his hand from her shoulder.
Xie Tingbai helped Xu Wanci lie down with a wisp of spiritual energy, then placed a Nourishing Spirit Pill at her lips. Watching her swallow it, he stood and spoke softly,
“The pill will make you drowsy. Sleep now.”
Xu Wanci closed her eyes.
Only when she was soundly asleep did Ning Menglan relax. He patted Xie Tingbai’s shoulder.
“You’ll have to trouble yourself with her care these days.”
Xie Tingbai chuckled lightly.
“If not for Wanci, I’d likely still be plagued by the Thousand Cycles Pill, with no hope of advancing my cultivation.”
“Now, I’m merely fulfilling my duty as a healer. It’s nothing.”
Ning Menglan glanced once more at the sleeping Xu Wanci before stepping out.
Spotting the striking figure in red beneath the Illusionary Blossom Tree, he narrowed his eyes.
“Since the Cloud-Severing Sage has come to our Taiqing Sect, I assume you’re curious about our ways. As Sect Master, I’ll gladly—”
“I came for Xu Wanci.” Ji Wang straightened, his slender frame belying the terrifying power within.
His voice, usually sharp with ruthlessness, was now calm and resolute.
“Xu Wanci is the Immortal Venerable’s… beloved. To me, she’s also a mentor of sorts.”
“I don’t leave debts unpaid.”
Knowing Ji Wang’s stubbornness, Ning Menglan took a deep breath.
“Then I’ll arrange a spiritual peak for the Sage—”
“No need.” Ji Wang pointed to the empty plot beside the Ink Rain Pavilion. “I’ll stay there.”
Ning Menglan glanced at Jiang Ze’s icy expression nearby and sighed.
“As the Sage wishes.”
In the days that followed, Xie Tingbai, Jiang Ze, and Ji Wang visited the courtyard daily, staying from dawn till Xu Wanci retired for the night.
One such day, Ji Wang’s gaze lingered on Jiang Ze’s opulent black robes, irritation prickling in his chest.
Xie Tingbai came to tend to Xu Wanci’s recovery.
But why did Jiang Ze come every day?
And that Ink Rain Pavilion—
The Taiqing Sect was vast. Yet he chose to settle right here. Disgustingly deliberate.
The air around Ji Wang grew heavy. Without looking up, he slowly wiped the blade of his Cloud-Severing Saber.
“Xu Wanci is the Immortal Venerable’s beloved.”
“You’re merely a Mahayana cultivator, your strength propped up by the Jiang family’s treasures. What right do you have to stand before her?”
Jiang Ze’s aura darkened at the provocation.
He knew well that every ripple in Xu Wanci’s emotions was tied to the Immortal Venerable.
To others, she wore a mask of serene gentleness.
So what if he knew?
An outsider who’d barely arrived had no place to lecture him.
Jiang Ze’s voice was frost-laced. “Some hide behind the Immortal Venerable’s name to act unchecked. Now you’d use it to dictate who stays by Wanci’s side?”
“Today it’s me. Tomorrow, who? Sect Master Ning? Elder Grandmaster? Elder Second Master? Or anyone who dares approach her?”
Ji Wang’s grip tightened on his saber.
“They’re not like you.”
“They—”
—don’t covet her.
Just then, Xie Tingbai pushed the door open, perfectly interrupting the tension.
As if oblivious to their clash, his smile remained warm and cordial.
“I heard the Cloud-Severing Sage injured himself recently?”
“The Cloud-Severing Saber is one of the sharpest blades in the cultivation world. A wound from it isn’t something rest alone can heal—it might hinder one’s cultivation.”
“The Sage should take care when wielding it.”
Ji Wang’s hand lowered slowly.
He remembered that day—the moment he swung his saber at Xu Wanci. His aura vanished entirely, his face paling.
Still feigning ignorance, Xie Tingbai turned to Jiang Ze with a light smile.
“I’d thought the Young Master of the Ink Rain Pavilion disliked Wanci, given how…”
At this point, he clasped his hands in a gesture of apology, his voice tinged with remorse:
"It seems I, Xie Tingbai, misunderstood."
Jiang Ze's grip on the teacup tightened abruptly, spilling the spiritual tea onto the back of his hand.
His thoughts drifted back to his first encounter with Xu Wanci.
That first meeting… the Xuanming Needle…
The relentless, searing pain that lasted seven days—how unbearable must it have been?
A strange yet familiar ache pulsed in his chest as the teacup shattered in his grasp, shards slicing deep into his right hand, blood dripping freely.
The courtyard fell into dead silence.
