Everyone’s faces turned grim as they watched the two silhouettes disappear.

The Exotic Treasure had vanished right before their eyes. How could they possibly accept that?

Wenren Xiao gazed in the direction Wen Qingye and Guann Xuan had fled, his voice cold. "My fist shattered Guann Xuan’s internal organs. On top of that, he took a sword blow for Wen Qingye. Guann Xuan is a dead man. We must find Wen Qingye at once—the Exotic Treasure has to be on him."

Lin Zijun nodded. "Wen Qingye is also severely injured. If we follow the trail of blood, we’re sure to find them." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

In the distance, the handful of heavily injured cultivators from Gaotang Country looked deathly pale. They couldn’t believe that even with so many people cornering Wen Qingye and Guann Xuan, Wen Qingye had still managed to escape. Worst of all, their own peerless genius from Gaotang Country had been slain by him.

The people from the ten countries looked at one another, completely at a loss, a dazed look in their eyes.

Just then, Wenren Xiao seemed to think of something. He shot a cold glance at the Seventh Young Master and Luo Xue. A jolt went through both of them, and they hastily offered a respectful salute before departing.

Only after Wenren Xiao saw them leave did he slowly turn to the people from the other nations and begin issuing his orders.

「Inside the Ancient City, beside a pavilion.」

"Did you get it?" the Seventh Young Master asked Luo Xue, his eyes wild with glee.

Luo Xue nodded, chiding him playfully. "Look at you. Are you in that much of a hurry?"

"I’m not, I’m not," the Seventh Young Master hurried over and placed his hands on Luo Xue’s shoulders. "No Exotic Treasure, however precious, is as important as my Snow."

"Such a smooth talker. Who’d believe you?" Luo Xue huffed.

A glint of delight appeared in Luo Xue’s eyes. "Guann Xuan is a dead man for sure. No one knows the Exotic Treasure has fallen into your hands, and Wen Qingye won’t dare to show his face again. From now on, this Exotic Treasure belongs to us."

As she spoke, Luo Xue pulled a bundle wrapped in white cloth from her robes. The cloth was wound tightly, clearly concealing something of great importance.

The Seventh Young Master hastily took it and began to unwrap it.

"Look at you, you’re like an eager monkey," Luo Xue laughed.

But when they unwrapped the white cloth, both of them froze as they saw what was inside.

The Seventh Young Master’s eyes widened in disbelief. "A Snow Lotus? Why is it a Snow Lotus?"

Luo Xue’s face instantly paled. "Impossible! Guann Xuan’s hands were fast, but I clearly remember him wrapping the Exotic Treasure in Chansi Cloth..."

......

「Two days later.」

Amidst a verdant meadow dotted with ancient trees, the air was alive with the chirping of birds and the hum of life. Nearby, a majestic waterfall, like the Milky Way descending from the heavens, plunged into the earth below. Its thunderous roar echoed relentlessly, a powerful force that seemed to shake one’s very soul.

The area was secluded, with the wreckage of several Puppet Birds lying nearby.

Mist danced in the air, catching the sunlight and casting a mesmerizing, radiant glow.

Wen Qingye carefully lowered Guann Xuan to the ground. Guann Xuan’s facial muscles twitched, his teeth clenched in pain. Wen Qingye’s heart sank as he looked at the Fist Seal on Guann Xuan’s chest.

Wenren Xiao’s punch had been unbelievably vicious, shattering Guann Xuan’s internal organs. Coupled with the sword blow he had taken for Wen Qingye, Guann Xuan was now on the brink of death, his breathing barely a whisper.

’If only I had enough heavenly treasures, this injury would be nothing,’ Wen Qingye thought. ’But where could I possibly find them now? Besides, the people from all the nations are undoubtedly hunting for us.’

Wen Qingye propped Guann Xuan’s body against a rock, then cupped his hands and drank several large gulps of clear water.

The Snow Lotus was rapidly dissolving within him, its essence slowly transforming and seeping into every part of his body. Wen Qingye felt a pleasant warmth spread through him, like a gentle flame coursing through his meridians.

As his body began to recover, bit by bit, he walked over to Guann Xuan and took his Sumeru Ring.

SWOOSH!

Every Sumeru Ring was protected by a Restriction, but this one seemed like nothing to Wen Qingye. It was, after all, a Low Level Sumeru Ring.

Wen Qingye’s Primordial Spirit pierced straight through the Restriction, swiftly scanning the contents of Guann Xuan’s Sumeru Ring.

’No Snow Lotus?’

Wen Qingye frowned upon finding no Snow Lotus. Meanwhile, Guann Xuan’s breathing grew ever fainter.

Wen Qingye quickly circulated his Primordial Qi, slowly channeling it into Guann Xuan’s body. Guann Xuan’s brow furrowed, and his eyelids twitched.

"COUGH... COUGH..." Guann Xuan’s body shook violently as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.

"Ha... haha... COUGH... haha..." The moment Guann Xuan opened his eyes, a sound somewhere between a laugh and a violent cough escaped his lips. "Those people from the ten countries... still couldn’t stop us."

Wen Qingye nodded. He sat cross-legged beside Guann Xuan and gazed at the distant white clouds, sighing softly. "That’s right. They’re just a pack of useless curs."

Wen Qingye had also been severely injured in the fight.

Guann Xuan also looked up at the clouds, a faint smile playing on his lips. "My organs are completely shattered. This isn’t like the other injuries... Looks like this is the end for me."

Wen Qingye took a deep breath, his expression turning sorrowful, but he said nothing.

"The Exotic Treasure is here in my robes," Guann Xuan said in a low voice. "What Luo Xue took from me was the Snow Lotus. The Luo Family is skilled in contraptions and sleight of hand... I just never thought I’d be the one they’d use it on. The real Exotic Treasure is in your hands now. What you do with it is up to you."

Wen Qingye remained silent. Guann Xuan gave a bitter smile. "All for a single Exotic Treasure... I never would have thought... never."

Guann Xuan struggled to turn his head to face Wen Qingye, managing a weak grin. "Brother... thank you."

Wen Qingye’s gaze was intense. "Is there any need for thanks between us?"

"Hahahaha! No need, of course there’s no need!" Guann Xuan laughed, his old boisterous self for a moment.

After a moment, Guann Xuan’s smile vanished. "Death is death. It’s no big deal. But... I’m just not reconciled. There are still debts to be paid, both of vengeance and of gratitude..."

"I know," Wen Qingye nodded. "I’ll see them paid for you." He knew how unreconciled his friend felt.

"Good..." Upon hearing Wen Qingye’s words, the light in Guann Xuan’s eyes began to fade.

Alarmed, Wen Qingye quickly took the Snow Lotus from his Sumeru Ring—but he had already consumed it completely.

Wen Qingye drew the One Thought Sword from his back. With a flick of his wrist, a cold light flashed.

Wen Qingye held his bleeding wrist to Guann Xuan’s chapped lips. "My blood," he said softly, "it still has the potency of the Snow Lotus."

Drop by drop, crimson blood fell into Guann Xuan’s mouth. His lips moved instinctively.

"Enough," Guann Xuan said. "Even if I drank all your blood, I’m beyond saving. I just... I find it a pity, that’s all. That we’ll never be able to drink and laugh together again. What a pity..."

HUM!

As Guann Xuan spoke, his eyes glistened. The sight of the red blood shook his Heart Spirit, and his whole body began to tremble. It was a crimson that burned his very soul.

’He never imagined that after so many years of sworn brotherhood, it would all come to this. And at the end of the road, it was Wen Qingye who stood by his side.’

On the vast earth, spray from the waterfall filled the air, its roar a constant, thrumming presence.

"My name is Guann Xuan. A commoner from Lanyu Country, twenty-two years old. My home is in Chuyun City. I have no parents to answer to, no wife or children to leave behind. My favorite thing..."

Guann Xuan spoke softly, and Wen Qingye listened quietly beside him. He told Wen Qingye his story—his entire life, everything about himself.

An unknown amount of time passed. Perhaps a very long time.

"I’ve weathered every storm this life has thrown at me. A man like me... I have no regrets..." Though Guann Xuan was smiling, his eyes were filled with a bleak and profound sorrow.

When he finished, his dimming eyes turned to Wen Qingye.

Wen Qingye’s lips parted. "My name is Wen Qingye," he said softly, "from the Celestial Martial Country. This year..."

For some reason, as Wen Qingye continued to speak, a smile spread across Guann Xuan’s lips—a very natural one.

Suddenly!

Wen Qingye looked at Guann Xuan. His friend’s eyes were now closed, the breath from his nostrils gone. But the faint smile remained on his lips.

After a pause, Wen Qingye looked to the distant sky and continued, "...I am twenty years old. My home is in Phoenix City, in the Celestial Martial Country..."

This chaotic mortal world was filled with too much misery, a truth Wen Qingye was now experiencing all over again.

On the long road that crosses a thousand mountains and rivers, how many kindred spirits can one truly find?