These were the terms of his protection, Warden Lin’s words offering no choice to those who heard them. His gaze swept across the three supplicants before him, and then was withdrawn.

Should these three agree, then so be it. If not, Warden Lin would not wade into such troubled waters.

Ran’s elder patriarch pondered, the shadow of House Huan looming large. Should none stand against them, and their transgression be discovered, the House of Ran would face annihilation.

With a grimace, he spoke decisively. “Agreed!” His eyes flashed, and he turned to regard the middle-aged man who had been practicing within the icy chamber.

Ran was not alone. Sun followed suit, an odd light in his own eyes as he turned to the hermit, Zhao the Elusive.

“Brother Zhao, the deed was done by all three of us. Surely you do not seek to save your own skin?” Ran’s elder patriarch spoke in a voice like frozen wind.

Zhao the Elusive considered for a moment, then smiled wryly. “I agree.” Reaching into his robes, he produced a pouch for holding spirit jade. He removed a portion, and tossed it to Warden Lin, adding ruefully, “My family is small, Warden. I do not possess a vast trove of jade. What is in this pouch was earned through hard toil.”

Ran’s elder patriarch and Sun followed suit, each offering spirit jade. This precious commodity, so vital to cultivation, was rarely far from a cultivator’s grasp.

As for the belongings of the late member of House Huan, the three did not hesitate. Each produced the items, handing them over to Warden Lin. Four years they had held these things, not as treasures, but as a curse, weighing upon their hearts and minds, stirring unease.

Having accepted the items, Warden Lin turned and vanished, leaving only his words to echo in the air.

“Trouble me not. Should House Huan arrive, I will act.”

After Warden Lin departed, the three were lost in their own thoughts. Sun, relieved and with designs of his own, smiled faintly, clasped his fist in salute and said “Friends, I must depart. Matters of import await.”

Zhao the Elusive sighed, saying, “I too must return to my family, and prepare for any future requests of spirit jade.”

The two parted ways, one to the north, the other to the south, each transforming into a streak of light. Ran’s elder patriarch stood alone, lost in thought for a long time before drawing a deep breath. He lifted his head, gazing into the distance, muttering, “Damn! A costly reprieve… Warden Lin, by taking the burden of that event four years past, will absolve us, provided he lives, and this one does not seem a man to break his word. However, we must ensure he does not leave Ran Yun Star.”

Meanwhile, upon Huan Star, within the ancestral halls of House Huan, the family head, Huan Fengshen, stood respectfully before an elder. The elder was gaunt, the very same who had returned from the Alliance Starfield with Liu Mei.

“The loss occurred four years ago. Why is it only now being addressed?” The elder’s voice was as cold as winter.

“Ancestor, the lost one was but a branch member of our House, though blessed with talent sufficient to reach the middle stage of the Ascendant Realm. As you know, our House is vast, and aside from the direct line, the disappearance of others cannot always be thoroughly investigated,” Huan Fengshen replied calmly.

“None of higher cultivation than him were lost?” The elder frowned.

“Ancestor, the time you allowed was brief. Given three months more, I could have found one more qualified. As it stands, I cannot,” Huan Fengshen said softly.

“Very well. You have three months!” The elder paused, then spoke decisively.

“And the family member lost four years ago?” Huan Fengshen asked.

“Now that we know of it, send the family guard assigned to Huan Mei to resolve it. Uproot all involved! The might of House Huan must be demonstrated!”

Huan Fengshen assented and withdrew.

Stepping from the room, a flicker of resentment crossed his eyes. “The Old One is weakening, to expend blood arts on an outsider, and to empower Huan Mei in this way… Could he be preparing to bequeath House Huan to her?”

Three days later, within her tower, Liu Mei gazed at the sky, saying softly, “Ran Yun Star… Since my benefactor entrusted this matter to me, I shall dispatch the family guard. Huan Dong, go…”

“Yes!” From the void behind Liu Mei, a figure materialized. A man of perhaps thirty years, with an honest face, kneeled on one knee. His gaze, lifted to Liu Mei’s back, was filled with fervor.

“Your cultivation has reached the peak of the middle stage of the Ascendant Realm. Surely no complications will arise on this journey. This matter may seem small, but it is my first task within House Huan. You must act swiftly and decisively. Do you understand, Huan Dong?” Liu Mei turned, regarding the man with a soft voice.

“Fear not, Lady. Huan Dong shall not fail!” Huan Dong inhaled deeply, his eyes burning with fervor. From the moment he laid eyes on Liu Mei, he had been shaken to his core, believing her to be a celestial being.

“Upon Ran Yun Star, the most powerful cultivator is but Ran’s elder patriarch, who, like myself, is in the middle stage of the Ascendant Realm. He would not dare resist. This journey will not tarnish the Lady’s name.”

Liu Mei smiled, and that smile was radiant. Huan Dong was stunned, his fervor intensifying, infused with a deep, almost obsessive infatuation.

Warden Lin shifted, returning to the small town of Sun. Instead of heading directly to his residence, he wandered through the streets, contemplating the essence of intent. The intent of life and death, of reincarnation, had already merged with his nascent soul. His nascent soul was now that intent.

“Beyond life and death lies karma… Uncertain… The Dao of Karma is vast. When I ascended, I grasped the Dao of the Heart, transforming it into the Yellow Springs… but this Dao of the Yellow Springs is but death’s expression within life and death. Death within the Yellow Springs…”

Gazing upon the bustling crowds, Warden Lin frowned. “But where does the Dao of Life lie?”

Lost in thought, Warden Lin sighed softly and entered the northern sector, where he immediately saw the young woman sitting cross-legged beneath the rocky hill. A faint smile touched his lips.

“This woman is pure of heart. Such cultivators are rare in the realm of cultivation.”

The woman seemed to sense something. She opened her eyes, and seeing Warden Lin, she paused, then exclaimed with delight, “You… You weren’t captured?”
Wang Lin smiled faintly. “They merely questioned me on a few matters, and then granted me leave.”

The youth regarded Wang Lin with a quizzical gaze, yet pressed no further. Every soul harbored secrets, and if one desired silence, queries were but futile endeavors.

“You would do well to seize the time for practice,” the youth said, his gaze earnest. “I see your cultivation remains unchanged from your arrival. Remember my words from before.” He added, “Diligence can mend flaws.”

Wang Lin nodded, a flash of teeth in his smile. “And you as well. Strive in your cultivation, that you might attain the Nascent Soul stage ere long.”

“Nascent Soul…” The youth shook his head, a tinge of bitterness in his expression. “The elders of my clan say that advancement to Nascent Soul is not merely a matter of toil. No matter how assiduously one labors, without comprehension of the Heavenly Dao, one cannot become a demigod, nor truly graze the edge of the Way. I shall be content if, in this life, I reach the late stages of Core Formation Perfection.”

Wang Lin offered a serene smile. The sun stood behind him, its rays bathing him in light, lending a touch of brilliance to his countenance. “Hold firm to your present state of mind. Nascent Soul is within your reach.”

The youth, plainly taking it as mere comfort, laughed. “Well then, should I one day reach Nascent Soul, I shall recall your prescience today. Now, return to your practice.”

Wang Lin nodded with a smile, stepping into the portal, his form vanishing. The youth by the stone, alone, murmured to himself, “Can one truly reach Nascent Soul…?”

Within his chamber, Wang Lin sat cross-legged. Celestial energy flowed abundantly within him, yet without advancement in his comprehension, even the consumption of boundless spiritual essence would be in vain.

After a moment’s contemplation, he retrieved the relics of the Illusion Clan that the Old Ancestor Ran and his companions had surrendered. All were contained within a single storage pouch, a motley collection of tattered garments and sundry trifles.

Amongst them, it was the two spirit treasures, an eighth-grade elixir, and a jade slip and token that seized Wang Lin’s attention.

The two treasures bore no trace of any divine sense imprint, and clung to faint wisps of resentment from the death of the Illusion Clan descendant. Clearly, Old Ancestor Ran and the Carefree Wanderer had dared not leave their mark upon them.

One was an obsidian comb, its nineteen teeth radiating a bloody aura. As it appeared in Wang Lin’s hand, he immediately sensed its savage nature. “A pseudo-immortal offensive treasure! Woven with arrays. Its power must be considerable.” Wang Lin tapped a comb tooth lightly, his gaze turning to the other treasure.

A pair of metal tinderstones, violet-gold in hue, floated in his palm. He could distinctly feel their prickly energy.

“This…” Staring at the tinderstones, Wang Lin’s eyes flashed, then widened in realization. He pinched one between his fingers and rubbed them together, a shower of starlight-like sparks erupted, and a wave of heat washed over him.

“Naturally formed spirit treasures!” Wang Lin inhaled sharply, his mind utterly captivated by the pair.

Most spirit treasures were forged by cultivators, yet some were born of nature itself. These treasures were exceedingly rare, even more so than inherited artifacts.

Wang Lin knew of these only from the memories of the Ancient God Tusi. Indeed, in the eyes of the Ancient Gods, these were not treasures, but materials for crafting.

Tinderstones were among these naturally formed materials. They were metal in nature, yet their extreme hardness and the strange powers they contained allowed them to conjure sparks when rubbed together.

These sparks were not the mundane flame of hearth and home, but a form of golden fire, akin to the Yang Fire wielded by the Skyfiend County Governor in the Land of the Demons. Though these could be used for crafting, they could also be wielded as treasures, possessing remarkable power.