Outside the Mirror of Inquiry, silence reigned, a deathly stillness blanketing the ground.
No one dared to doubt the relationship between Xu Wanci and the Immortal Venerable anymore.
After several breaths, as the Shattered Void spiritual energy dissipated, a venerable elder finally mustered the courage to straighten his trembling form.
In this world, no other existence—not even a mere shadow—could awe all the Transcendent Realm elders of the cultivation world.
Except for one: Immortal Venerable Qingyan from a century ago.
The only Shattered Void Supreme in the cultivation world.
A being so mighty they could only gaze up in reverence, too fearful to meet his eyes directly.
One elder exhaled slowly, his expression still tinged with lingering awe:
They had assumed that given the Immortal Venerable’s status, even if he favored someone, it would only be with occasional, detached benevolence.
After all, Xu Wanci’s cultivation had been pitifully weak back then—so low that even to Transcendent Realm cultivators, she was little more than an ant, let alone to the most supreme existence of their era.
A mere scrap of kindness from him should have been enough to leave her overwhelmed with gratitude.
No one could have imagined that this was how Xu Wanci and the Immortal Venerable had truly interacted.
The lofty, peerless Shattered Void Supreme would soften his aura entirely in front of a mere Qi Condensation disciple. His voice, tender to the point of near-timidity, and his movements, restrained and gentle—
As if he were the subordinate in their relationship.
Yet he was the most formidable existence in the world, a being who could move mountains and seas with a wave of his hand, even influence the workings of the Heavenly Dao itself.
Recalling the conversation they had just witnessed in the Mirror of Inquiry, many shuddered inwardly:
The depth of the Immortal Venerable’s care for Xu Wanci had far surpassed their wildest assumptions.
Even after learning of the sacrificial fate awaiting her, his only wish for her was… to forget him.
At this realization, an elder’s gaze flickered with sorrowful understanding:
An Immortal Venerable like this, a love like this…
No wonder Xu Wanci had been unable to forget him for a hundred years.
The disciples of the Taiqing Sect were similarly stunned.
Though they had long known of the Immortal Venerable’s deeds for Xu Wanci, this was the first time they had witnessed their interactions firsthand.
Yet beyond their astonishment, what filled their hearts was a pang of grief for Xu Wanci:
The once-free-spirited, determined girl who yearned for strength and freedom had, in the century since the Immortal Venerable’s sacrifice, become a shadow of her former self.
Lifeless, detached, recklessly courting death time and again.
She had forsaken the freedom she once cherished, willingly shackling herself to the past.
Was her relentless cultivation now truly for herself?
Or was it for his sake—to fulfill his hopes, to chase the slimmest chance that he might still live?
She had become everything she once despised.
And yet, his greatest wish for her had been… to forget him.
Did she refuse to comply? Or was she simply incapable?
Perhaps both.
Xie Tingbai watched as cracks spiderwebbed across the Mirror of Inquiry’s surface, a bitter self-mockery flashing in his eyes:
At this moment, he understood—he would never see the day Xu Wanci turned back to him.
Not in a hundred years, not in a thousand. Her choice would never change.
He was a man who measured his sacrifices, always expecting greater returns.
Someone like him could never love as selflessly as the Immortal Venerable had.
And so, he would never be loved by her in return.
Lowering his gaze, he thought quietly:
At least he could still watch her from behind. That would have to be enough.
Not far away, Jiang Ze shared his sentiment.
Though he had long accepted that Xu Wanci would never love him, witnessing this scene still sent a sharp pang through his heart, his brow furrowing imperceptibly.
He closed his eyes in silence:
The Immortal Venerable had treated her… far better than he ever had.
That alone should suffice.
As the crowd remained dazed, Xu Wanci’s figure gradually materialized from the shattered mirror.
The moment she stepped free, the Mirror of Inquiry crumbled into nothingness, vanishing from the world.
Xu Wanci had no memory of what had transpired inside.
Her eyes swept discreetly over the crowd’s expressions, and she relaxed slightly—she had passed this trial.
Yet she quickly noticed the undercurrent of awe beneath their calm, as if they had witnessed something unimaginable.
Her fingers twitched:
Was it because of her?
Because of what the Mirror of Inquiry had revealed of her heart?
Before she could ponder further, Chu Qingchuan—badly wounded—snapped out of his stupor at the sight of her.
Ignoring his injuries, he muttered deliriously, "Impossible…"
"This has to be fake! You—you must have tampered with the Mirror!"
At that moment, the divine artifact, the Refinement Tome, tore free from his consciousness in accordance with their oath, drifting gently to hover by Xu Wanci’s side.
Chu Qingchuan reached out a trembling hand, but nothing remained for him to grasp.
The first to react was not the Taiqing Sect, but the Bai Family.
Having witnessed the scene in the Mirror, the Bai Family Head had already made his decision.
Now, with Chu Qingchuan’s cultivation crippled and his treasures destroyed, he stood no chance against Xu Wanci.
Only one Child of Destiny could ascend to immortality.
The Bai Family had staked everything on Chu Qingchuan, even at the cost of slighting Xu Wanci earlier. Now, they had to cut their losses.
They were already lagging behind other sects and families. To win favor with the Taiqing Sect and Xu Wanci, they had to act where others dared not—
For example, eliminating the other Child of Destiny.
Narrowing his eyes, the Bai Family Head flicked his sleeve, sending a surge of spiritual energy straight through Chu Qingchuan’s dantian.
His voice boomed with righteous fury:
"Chu Qingchuan! My Bai Family treated you with utmost respect, yet you secretly fused with our centuries-old treasure—the Netherbone Gu!"
"That was my family’s most prized relic!"
As he spoke, the sinister aura of the Netherbone Gu seeped unmistakably from Chu Qingchuan’s body.
Under the Gu’s control, Chu Qingchuan’s lips parted soundlessly, his protests trapped in his throat.
The Bai Family Head cast him a cold glance before bowing apologetically to Ning Menglan.
"Forgive my presumption in meting out justice ahead of you, Sect Leader Ning."
He sighed heavily. "But you understand how precious the Netherbone Gu is to my family."
Ning Menglan glanced at the unconscious Chu Qingchuan, his emotions in turmoil. In the end, he turned away, his voice icy.
"Chu Qingchuan is no longer affiliated with the Taiqing Sect."
"Karma has come full circle. The Bai Family may do as they see fit."
The Bai Family Head was not surprised by his response.
Chu Qingchuan’s fortune was only slightly inferior to Xu Wanci’s, surpassing that of most cultivators. Even if he died here, he might still seize a body and be reborn. That was why the Taiqing Sect had ultimately refrained from delivering a fatal blow.
But as long as the Nether Gu remained, the Bai Family could ensure he lived on—confined to their household for the rest of his life.
However…
The Bai Family Head glanced subtly at Xu Wanci in the distance, his brow furrowing with caution.
The one he truly wished to please had not spoken a single word from beginning to end.
Xu Wanci paid no attention to the commotion around her. Her divine sense focused on the faint tremors of the barrier ahead, while one hand rested on the bracelet formed by her sword, the Nine Heavens Blade.
"The barrier is about to open," she murmured.
At that moment, the other elders also sensed something amiss and frowned as they turned their gazes forward.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the previously invisible barrier gradually materialized.
After testing it with his spiritual energy, the Grand Elder spoke gravely, "This barrier only permits entry for cultivators at the Great Ascension or Transcendent Realm."
As he spoke, he exchanged glances with the other Taiqing Sect elders.
If the entry requirement alone was so stringent, the dangers within the barrier could not be underestimated.
They had to do everything in their power to protect Xu Wanci inside.
The Head of the Qin Sect was the first to step forward. She bowed slightly to the Taiqing Sect members, her voice resolute.
"On this journey, let each rely on their own means."
They all knew Xu Wanci’s identity, but that didn’t mean they would willingly surrender any opportunities to her.
Ning Menglan returned the gesture and replied earnestly, "As it should be."
Soon after, the figures of the cultivators vanished one by one into the barrier.
Xu Wanci did not hesitate either, entering alongside the Taiqing Sect members.
With her divine sense factored in, her current cultivation was not far below that of a Transcendent Realm beginner. Even if dangers lurked within the barrier, she was confident in her ability to protect herself.
Upon entering, she found herself in a lush, verdant plain.
Low-grade Greenwalk Grass covered the land, interspersed with occasional high-grade spiritual plants. It resembled a small-scale secret realm, with sparse spiritual energy and no apparent threats.
The cultivators who had entered gathered in one place, not yet scattered.
Despite the seemingly safe surroundings, Xu Wanci remained vigilant.
Then, she suddenly sensed something off about the spiritual energy beneath her feet. Before she could warn the others, a vine shot up from the ground, aiming straight for her vitals.
With a swift swing of her sword-wielding right hand, the vine was severed, falling amidst the Greenwalk Grass.
At the same time, the other cultivators were also attacked by spiritual plants.
These plants were of such low grade that they posed no real threat and were quickly cut down.
But before anyone could relax, the destroyed plants instantly reassembled, their grade elevated, and they launched another assault.
In an instant, every cultivator inside the barrier was surrounded by these reviving plants, trapped with no escape.
Killing them once only made them stronger the next time.
Yet, if left unchecked, they would absorb the cultivators’ spiritual energy during combat, growing even more formidable.
As long as they remained within the barrier, they were nothing but nourishment for these plants.
Xu Wanci sidestepped a lashing vine, her expression grave.
Inside the barrier, all spiritual treasures and talismans were rendered useless. She could only rely on her own spiritual energy to defend herself.
But these plants fed on spiritual energy—the more she attacked, the stronger they became.
Fire, confinement, ice, formations, wind…
Every method the surrounding cultivators tried was absorbed by the plants as long as it involved spiritual energy.
Sensing the silent surge of energy behind her, Xu Wanci tapped the tip of her foot against a nearby vine, narrowly dodging the attack.
The vines attacking her had now multiplied from one to four, their cultivation equivalent to a Divine Transformation Realm expert.
If this continued, they would soon match her own strength.
Her peripheral vision caught sight of the Taiqing Sect members, similarly besieged. They dared not kill the plants or fight back, forced to dodge helplessly as their spiritual energy dwindled with every move.
The higher a cultivator’s cultivation, the more spiritual energy they emitted—and thus, the stronger the plants they faced.
In the split second Xu Wanci was distracted, another vine shot toward her chest.
As she noticed the frontal assault, she simultaneously sensed danger from behind and the sides. Pressing her left hand against the ground, she flipped backward, evading the coordinated strike of four vines.
Perhaps the barrier had absorbed enough energy, for the plants’ movements grew increasingly agile.
Mere evasion was no longer enough to fend them off.
Faced with the vines’ inescapable net, Xu Wanci had no choice but to sever their shared root with a single slash of her sword—even though she knew they would revive with cultivation equal to her own.
The moment the Nine Heavens Blade struck, Xu Wanci detected an exquisitely concealed pulse of spiritual energy fleeing from the severed vines.
Had it not been for her keen divine sense, her acute sensitivity to spiritual energy, and the faint trace of her sword intent within that pulse, she might never have noticed it.
But the energy was too fleeting—she couldn’t discern its destination.
In the next breath, the vines revived.
This time, their numbers increased to six, their cultivation now on par with a mid-stage Great Ascension Realm cultivator.
Xu Wanci, who had once handled them with ease, now found herself struggling.
As she dodged the vines’ relentless attacks, her mind raced with cold precision:
These plants couldn’t revive without a source. The most plausible explanation was that some spiritual treasure within the barrier controlled them.
The escaping pulse of energy earlier was likely the vines transferring her spiritual energy to that treasure before reviving.
After killing the vines so many times, she had only sensed it once.
Therefore, the higher the vines’ grade, the more detectable the energy pulse would be.
With this realization, Xu Wanci fixed her gaze on the lethal convergence point of the six vines and made her decision.
If this continued, she stood no chance against endlessly reviving foes.
She had to gamble.
If she could locate the hidden spiritual treasure, she could stop their resurrection.
Even if the vines’ next revival would elevate them to Transcendent Realm strength—beyond what she could handle—she had no other choice.
Spotting an opening in the vines’ assault, Xu Wanci moved with blinding speed, her Nine Heavens Blade flashing like lightning.
With a single sword strike, six vines fell lifeless to the ground.
Her spiritual sense focused on the severed ends of the vines, and finally, she detected a faint but stronger surge of spiritual energy than before.
This time, the direction of the energy flow was completely opposite to what she had sensed earlier.
The destination of the energy… was there!
Xu Wanci steadied herself and looked:
There, amidst the ordinary greenery, stood an unremarkable Greenwalk Grass, indistinguishable from its surroundings.
At this moment:
Behind her, the vines had revived once more, poised to strike her down at any second.
Before her, lay what might be the spiritual treasure sustaining the barrier’s energy.
This treasure could shift locations at any moment—even if she warned the others, it might vanish in the time it took her to speak.
She had no choice.
If she was fast enough, if she could destroy that Greenwalk Grass before the vines reached her…
Or else…
Xu Wanci tightened her grip on the Nine Heavens Sword, merging her spiritual sense with its blade’s intent, and without hesitation, unleashed her strongest strike since entering the world of cultivation—straight at that unassuming grass.
Her speed was at its limit, but the vines behind her had reached the Tribulation Transcendence realm, matching—or even surpassing—her pace.
Head, spiritual sense, neck, heart, dantian, limbs…
Nine vines, each aimed for a vital point.
The elders of the Taiqing Sect, along with Jiang Ze and Ji Wang, abandoned their battles with the spiritual plants, pouring their energy forth in a desperate attempt to intervene.
But their efforts were too distant, too slow compared to the vines closing in on Xu Wanci.
Yet, just as the vines were about to strike, she seemed to have anticipated it. Her right hand loosened, her spiritual sense guiding the Nine Heavens Sword onward toward the Greenwalk Grass.
Meanwhile, she twisted her body, narrowly evading the eight vines lashing at her.
But the vines were too powerful. Though she dodged eight, one remained unavoidable—spearing straight for her chest.
In that critical instant, she barely managed to shift her stance, redirecting the blow from her heart to her left shoulder.
A minor injury in exchange for breaking the barrier’s core? A fair trade.
No one could say what truly happened in that final moment—only that the vine veered at the last second, grazing past Xu Wanci.
Then, the Nine Heavens Sword struck true. The Greenwalk Grass disintegrated into nothingness.
Above, a single drop of divine blood fell into the void, devoured by the chaos and the contesting wills of the Heavenly Dao.
Xu Wanci retrieved her sword. There was no time to ponder why that last vine had spared her. Instead, she swung the blade in a sweeping arc.
The remaining eight vines, surging back for the kill, were severed mid-air.
This time, they did not revive.
She sheathed the Nine Heavens Sword, her voice calm:
"The spiritual plants won’t resurrect anymore."
"Kill them."
