Kong Hou raised her head from Huan Zong’s embrace and discovered the illusory array had already been dispelled. Sect Master Jinyue and Grand-Master Uncle Qiushuang were standing not far away. She pushed away Huan Zong, straightened her clothes, trotted over to Qiushuang, and acted spoiled in a crisp voice: “Grand-Master Uncle.”

Seeing her eyes still clear and lucid, only the cultivation level in her body had become much more condensed, Qiushuang pretended nothing had happened just now and said: “The star disc hasn’t been dispelled yet. Don’t act on your own.”

As soon as the words fell, they saw the last barrier before them open. Yuanchen Zhenren still sat in the north position, his complexion deathly pale, breathing like gossamer. Hongyan stood at the array’s heart. Jiu Su stood opposite her, blood still trailing from the corner of his mouth.

Seeing Kong Hou and the others emerge, Jiu Su didn’t hesitate at all to deliver a killing blow toward Hongyan. Hongyan had used all her body’s spiritual energy to activate the star disc—she was at the end of her strength, completely unable to dodge.

Without thinking, Kong Hou summoned the Shuishuang Sword to block in front of Hongyan, her speed inconceivably fast. Her cultivation level was inferior to Jiu Su’s. Although she blocked part of the attack, Hongyan was still struck by the powerful airflow and tumbled backward some distance, coming to rest beside Master Yuanchen.

Not knowing what Hongyan had done to Jiu Su, seeing Kong Hou move against him, Jiu Su didn’t retaliate against her but instead withdrew, preparing to flee. As if anticipating he would behave this way, Huan Zong formed a hand seal. The Longyin Sword, carrying sharp momentum, went straight for Jiu Su’s spiritual platform.

Jiu Su barely avoided fatal injury. The Longyin Sword pierced through his abdomen. Sword energy overflowed, and the skin all over Jiu Su’s body burst open—his entire body a bloody mess. As a Great Vehicle Stage cultivator, he unexpectedly couldn’t avoid a strike from a Spirit Separation Stage cultivator. Who knew how severe his injuries were?

“Did you see?” Hongyan lay on the ground, coughing up blood in great mouthfuls, yet began to laugh heartily and madly. She turned her head to look at Kong Hou. “Men’s romantic love is always full of sweet words and magnificence, but once it involves their own interests, beneath the magnificence is full of selfish filth.”

Kong Hou’s lips moved. Huan Zong stepped forward two paces and blocked in front of her.

Jiu Su struck his own abdomen with one palm. The Longyin Sword emitted buzzing sounds but was ultimately forced out of Jiu Su’s body. When Zhongxi recalled the Longyin Sword, Longyin trembled continuously in his hand. Only after he input a stream of spiritual energy into the sword body did it return to its original calm.

Jinyue and Qiushuang threw out the magical artifacts in their hands, blocking Jiu Su who was preparing to flee. Jiu Su sneered coldly, ignoring the fresh blood continuously flowing down his body: “With just this bit of ability, you think you can stop me?”

His words were too arrogant. Jinyue and Qiushuang raised their vigilance. Who knew that at this moment, Jiu Su would actually grab Hongyan lying on the ground, strike her body with one palm, and throw her at Jinyue and Qiushuang as if she were a magical artifact.

Qiushuang flew up to catch Hongyan. Jiu Su transformed into a flowing light and disappeared into the dark night.

“Squeak?” The little beady-eyed, motley-furred fox lying on the ground retreated one step, turned its head to glance at Jiu Su who had already disappeared, and prepared to run.

A ray of golden light wrapped around its waist. It flailed about twice in place, then lay on the ground pretending to be dead. Kong Hou threw the motley-furred fox into a cage and quickly walked to Hongyan’s side.

Hongyan’s complexion was waxy yellow, as if all vitality had been drawn away. Only her slightly rising and falling chest could still prove she was alive.

Qiushuang input spiritual energy into her body but was stopped by Hongyan reaching out her hand: “No need…”

Qiushuang’s hand paused. She also knew Hongyan was now at the end of her oil and lamp. She wiped the blood from Hongyan’s face: “Why did you do this?” Back then, those grudges and resentments—to outsiders, they were nothing more than after-dinner gossip, but to those involved, they were a lifetime of memories.

Hongyan Zhenren actually smiled. She reached her hand to Qiushuang’s heart. After a moment, Qiushuang’s expression changed. Kong Hou, gently supporting Hongyan Zhenren’s head from behind, faintly sensed that Hongyan seemed to have said something to Qiushuang, only the other party had used heart-to-heart transmission, so she couldn’t hear.

“In my life, I’ve been foolish twice. The first time I thought I could break free from fate, but I met the wrong person who harmed my fellow sect members. The second time I thought someone could accompany me out of predetermined destiny, but who knew that what was most important in his heart was Buddha, not me.” Hongyan smiled. Without madness, she was like spring wind that couldn’t be grasped, liable to dissipate at any moment.

Yuanchen, who had been sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes. He climbed up from the ground and staggered to Hongyan. His pupils trembled. After a long silence, he still only recited a Buddhist prayer.

Hongyan leaned against Kong Hou’s chest, looking at the monk before her with a peaceful expression. That year when she met this little monk, he was still a young novice with a smooth bald head and lively big eyes. When he secretly glanced at her, his face would blush into an enticing peach.

She had sat in the desolate Star Palace discussing Buddha and life with him. This little monk told her he wanted to return to his sect to remove his kasaya and stay by her side.

Later she waited and waited, waited until the star tracks shifted, waited until news came that the little monk had been accepted as an indoor disciple by the abbot of Pure Clarity Temple. She knew then that the little monk would never come back.

Holding the letter the little monk gave her, the letter contained not a single word about Buddha, yet every sentence spoke of Buddha. She was merely a trial of romantic tribulation in his cultivation of Buddhist nature. Once the romantic tribulation passed, naturally he had to take refuge in the Buddha’s compassion.

“Master Yuanchen.” She softly called his title. Her eyes began to lose focus. “Little monk, I’m about to die. Your heart has finally gained freedom.”

Kong Hou raised her head to look at Yuanchen, wanting to see sorrow or regret in his eyes, but there was nothing in these eyes. He was so calm, so kind and gentle. To him, Hongyan was no different from all other cultivators. He was Buddha, and she was a female cultivator who needed to be saved, about to step toward death.

Her heart felt choked and uncomfortable, yet she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even have the standing to say a single word.

“I had you use a hundred years of cultivation to help me open the Star Formation. Between you and me, we owe each other nothing.” Hongyan opened her eyes again. Her eyes were startlingly bright, like the illuminated stars on the star disc, but Kong Hou felt her breathing growing weaker and weaker.

“If only back then I could have obediently listened to my master’s orders and not casually descended the mountain.” Hongyan smiled gently and softly. “Fortunately, I finally completed my sect’s last instructions and have the face to see them again.”

Yuanchen slowly closed his eyes, pressed his palms together, didn’t speak, and no longer looked at Hongyan. Whether his heart was as still as water, or he didn’t dare look at her, was unclear.

Just as he closed his eyes, Hongyan suddenly struck Yuanchen’s chest with one palm. Kong Hou, who was very close to her, sensed a stream of spiritual energy flowing from Hongyan’s body into Yuanchen. Hongyan withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. She withdrew her hand and said coldly: “I don’t want to owe anyone debts, especially those who wronged me. Yuanchen, I wish you early ascension to paradise and the sight of true Buddha.”

She clutched Kong Hou’s wrist tightly: “Remember, don’t easily trust men. In one’s lifetime, one’s heart is precious—don’t easily hand it over.”

After saying this, Hongyan’s hand loosened, as if she had completed everything in her life, and she closed her eyes.

“She has fallen.” In the silence, Qiushuang spoke. “Notify the people of Yuexing Sect.” If Hongyan hadn’t just transmitted the last bit of cultivation in her body to Yuanchen, she could have delayed a while longer, at least could have seen her disciples, could have fallen while maintaining a young and beautiful appearance.

Looking at the aged woman in her arms, Kong Hou took out a gorgeous brocade silk from her storage ring and covered Hongyan’s entire body. She turned her head to look at Yuanchen with closed eyes, then looked at Huan Zong accompanying her at her side. Suddenly countless thoughts surged in her heart, and spiritual energy from all around rushed toward her.

“Kong Hou is about to advance in cultivation level.” Qiushuang had already noticed earlier that the spiritual energy on Kong Hou’s body was so abundant it alarmed her. Now sensing the spiritual energy around them surging, she bent down to lift Hongyan’s corpse. “Everyone step back.”

When cultivators advanced in cultivation level, they most feared others disturbing them.

Jinyue dragged away his disciple with one grab and threw him at the courtyard entrance: “If you’re worried, stay here to guard the dharma.”

Zhongxi sat down cross-legged without thinking. Jinyue sighed. So many things had happened tonight—after daybreak, no one could feel at ease. Yesterday Kong Hou was only at Heart Movement Stage cultivation level. How could she suddenly advance? What exactly did Hongyan do in the illusion?

“Hongyan opened the Star Constellation Gate.” Qiushuang bent down to arrange Hongyan’s hair properly, as if she had only elegantly aged and then quietly fallen asleep.

Hearing this, Jinyue was greatly shocked. As Liuguang Sect’s sect master, he naturally knew what the Star Constellation Gate was. That was a small world created by successive generations of Yuexing Sect cultivators—it couldn’t be easily opened. In times of crisis, disciples with peculiar fates could be sent through the Star Constellation Gate to elevate their cultivation level and mental state, but the price for opening the gate each time was extremely great. Every generation’s sect leader was both gatekeeper and the sacrifice to open the gate. Fortunately, this gate hadn’t been opened in nearly a thousand years.

He turned to look at Huan Zong. Hongyan had repeatedly said that Zhongxi was the child of destiny who would save the cultivation world, but the person she sent through the Star Constellation Gate was Kong Hou. Could it be…

Tribulation clouds rolled in the sky. This didn’t look at all like the commotion of advancing from Heart Movement Stage to Core Formation Stage, but more like shattering the core to form an infant—skipping stages to advance.

What exactly was behind the Star Constellation Gate, people of Yuexing Sect had never stated publicly, nor were there any descriptions of this in records. When Miss Kong Hou emerged from the illusion, he hadn’t noticed anything too strange, but unexpectedly she had such an encounter.

Understanding this point, Jinyue felt no dissatisfaction or envy, but rather a feeling of relief. Bearing the fate of the entire cultivation world was too heavy and too hard to endure for a cultivator. That his own disciple didn’t have to shoulder such a heavy burden—how could he not be happy?

Successive sect leaders of Yuexing Sect lived secluded lives and didn’t dare develop too close feelings with others. Wasn’t it precisely because they feared emotions would affect their own judgment?

“Master…” Yuexing Sect disciples hurried over. Their gazes swept over everyone and finally fell on the ground.

The leading female cultivator’s face showed a grief-stricken expression, but she quickly returned to normal. She walked before Hongyan’s remains, knelt down and performed the grand ceremony of three bows and nine kowtows. The other disciples behind her did the same as her—clearly grieving to the extreme, yet not a single tear appeared on their faces.

Qiushuang looked at these disciples with deathly pale faces and handed the already withdrawn star disc to the leading disciple.

The leading female disciple glanced at the star disc. Her complexion changed slightly. The star disc had been activated—Master had opened the Star Constellation Gate? She raised her head to glance at Qiushuang Zhenren, forcibly suppressing the grief in her heart, and bowed to Qiushuang: “Thank you, Zhenren.”

She didn’t ask Qiushuang why her master would suddenly activate the star disc. She didn’t even ask why her master died.

People of Yuexing Sect could calculate others’ fates but uniquely couldn’t see through their own. But upon entering the sect, they had to understand one principle—life and death are determined by heaven; forcing it brings no benefit.

“Please accept my condolences, everyone.” Facing these disciples, Qiushuang didn’t know what comforting words she should say. “If there’s anything you need, please speak freely.”

“Yesterday morning, Master once said to me that if there were any difficulties, I should seek help from Yunhua Sect elders and definitely wouldn’t be refused.” The leading female disciple bent down to lift Hongyan. “Perhaps Master calculated there would be this day long ago. Although we cannot bear Master’s departure, we must respect her choice.”

She raised her head to glance at the tribulation clouds gathering in the sky, bowed to Qiushuang: “Please forgive this junior for taking leave first.”

They came very quickly and left very quickly as well. From beginning to end, they didn’t glance once at Yuanchen standing nearby. Perhaps they didn’t know about the past between Hongyan and Yuanchen, or perhaps they did know.

However, the person was already dead. The past no longer mattered.

Yuanchen took one step toward the direction the Yuexing Sect disciples departed and was tripped by something at his feet.

It was a kasaya stained with dust.