Xu Shulou
Xu Shulou blended in quite well with the monkey troop. After a while, she returned with her hands on her hips and proudly said to her junior sister, "They've appointed to a position akin to 'Great General,' attempting to recruit into their ranks."
Bai Roushuang: "..."
Xu Shulou pointed to the mountains across the way. "My primary duty is to fight the monkey troop on that mountain and expand their territory. In return, they’ve offered to groom for fleas."
"...I’m sure you’ll excel in the role."
Xu Shulou grinned. "Should I secure a title for you too? Would you prefer 'Grand Scholar' or 'Grand Marshal'?"
Bai Roushuang couldn’t help but laugh. "Senior Sister..."
Only then did Xu Shulou drop the jest. Gazing into the distance, she mused, "This realm is quite similar to ours—sunlight, clouds, blue waters, green mountains—except there are no mortals or cultivators here."
Bai Roushuang shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe one day these monkeys will beco cultivators."
Xu Shulou smiled faintly, nodding along. "Yes, perhaps."
Of course, she had no intention of staying to serve as a "Great General." The two soon activated their Suru Ring and departed this world, imdiately entering the next.
The mont they opened their eyes in the new realm, a tongue of fire surged toward them. Xu Shulou grabbed her junior sister and swiftly dodged, hovering midair as she took in the devastated world below.
The flas that had nearly engulfed them erupted from a volcano. Before them stretched a scene of catastrophe—lava devoured the earth, the air was thick with scorching heat and billowing smoke. Even after flying far away, they still struggled to breathe.
Xu Shulou scanned the horizon. In the distance, the earth heaved, splitting open into gaping fissures, swallowing fleeing animals whole. Beyond that, the sea churned, waves towering dozens of feet high as hurricanes raged and lightning split the sky...
"This is a realm on the brink of destruction."
"..." Bai Roushuang was stunned. "How terrifying."
"This is beyond the power of any cultivator to oppose."
"What about immortals?"
Xu Shulou shook her head. "Who knows? No one has ever truly witnessed the power of immortals."
Bai Roushuang looked at her senior sister, the firelight flickering in her eyes.
They lingered for a long ti, until sothing deep within the earth exploded, shaking the entire world as it crumbled. Staying any longer would have ant certain peril. Xu Shulou imdiately pulled Bai Roushuang close and activated the Suru Ring. In the fading light, she cast one last glance at the realm, watching as it collapsed into a single point before dissolving into chaos.
The sight of a world’s destruction was too overwhelming. The two sat in silence for a while before gradually regaining their composure.
"Perhaps we should eat before exploring the next realm," Bai Roushuang suggested. "We might not find anything more delicious than those water plants."
Xu Shulou never refused a al. She agreed readily.
As they stepped out of their room, they noticed their master and fellow disciples gathered solemnly on the mountain peak. Curious, they asked, "What’s happened?"
Song Ping replied softly, "Sect Leader Ling Li of Lingxiao Sect has fallen."
Xu Shulou froze, recalling her conversation with Ling Li during the Zhang Baihe incident. A pang of lancholy struck her—she had seen it coming, yet the news still weighed heavily on her heart.
"When did it happen?"
"Early this morning," Song Ping said. "Our sect leader went to assist in guarding the tribulation. When it beca clear Sect Leader Ling was faltering, he urged him to retreat—even if it ant losing significant cultivation, there would always be another chance. But Ling Li refused to yield and pressed on, ultimately... perishing beneath the heavenly tribulation."
"..."
A somber air settled over the group. Though none had been close to Ling Li, such events always stirred reflection. On the path to immortality, all sought to ascend as carefree immortals, yet none truly knew how to achieve it.
As news of a major sect leader’s passing spread, it was customary to pay respects. Xu Shulou set aside thoughts of the myriad realms, stowed the Suru Ring, and changed into plain mourning robes. She accompanied her master to Lingxiao Sect. As they departed Bright Moon Peak, she noticed cultivators from other peaks of Dustless Island also flying in the sa direction.
Lingxiao Sect was draped in white. Mourners arrived in droves, and the receiving disciples guided them inside with solemn efficiency.
Many lanted Ling Li’s fate. True, he had been reckless, but after repeated failed tribulations, his desperation was understandable.
As fellow cultivators, they couldn’t help but empathize, sighing over the fragility of their shared pursuit.
The leader of Dustless Island stood at the forefront of the crowd. Sensing his sorrow, Xu Shou approached quietly. "Sect Leader."
"I’m fine," he murmured, shaking his head with a mournful sigh. "There aren’t many of my old friends left now."
"..."
Xu Shulou lit a stick of incense. Ling Li’s words—"Have the immortals above ever cared for those below?"—still echoed in her mind. He had cultivated a path of detachnt, yet in the end, he never beca an immortal of the heavens. Instead, he returned to dust on this very earth.
After paying her respects, she spotted Lu Beichen on her way out. Their eyes t, but no words passed between them.
Unlike their entangled past in the dream realm, now that their nominal engagent had been dissolved, they were little more than strangers.
Before his passing, Ling Li had truly withdrawn from all affairs—so much so that he hadn’t even nad a successor. As Xu Shulou followed Elder Changyu through the crowd, she overheard hushed discussions about the matter.
Jiang Yan mused aloud, "I wonder who will take the sect leader’s seat?"
Elder Changyu replied, "If Wei Xuandao were still alive, it would have been him."
Xu Shulou agreed. Wei Xuandao had spent years consolidating power within Lingxiao Sect, placing his trusted followers in key positions. Much of the sect’s affairs had already been under his control, making his succession a natural choice.
"But since he’s gone," Elder Changyu glanced back at the grand hall, "Lingxiao Sect may descend into chaos over this position."
Out of respect, no one flew in the air during such an occasion, leading to a crowded procession on the ground.
Yet Elder Changyu moved swiftly through the throng, as if his very presence commanded others to make way.
Xu Shulou, infamous in her own right, received similar treatnt. The announcent—"Elder Changyu of Bright Moon Peak, Dustless Island, and disciples have co to pay respects"—ensured even those who didn’t recognize her guessed her identity.
The rest of their group, however, struggled through the press of bodies. Only after finally exiting the gates and mounting their swords did they relax, resuming their earlier discussion.
"Master, are you saying the elders of Lingxiao Sect will fight over the position?"
"The worst thing that can happen to a sect is this situation," Chang Yu remarked. "Several elders with similar seniority, similar cultivation levels, and no one truly outstanding among them. Just wait and see—there will be chaos for a while yet."
His tone was indifferent, as though he were rely stating a fact without caring about its consequences. With those words, he flicked his wide sleeves and took his leave in a graceful flight.
The remaining disciples exchanged uneasy glances. "Let’s hope the next sect leader is a decent person with a good temperant."
"There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s not our place to interfere," Jiang Yan glanced at Xu Shulou. "Unless Senior Sister goes and cuts down all the scheming elders first."
"..."
Seeing Xu Shulou reach for the hilt of her fan, Jiang Yan swiftly changed the subject. "Shall we head back to Bright Moon Peak?"
Xu Shulou shook her head. "I’d like to wander outside for a while."
Song Ping then suggested, "Perfect timing. Let’s find a tavern and share a drink. After this, we’ll all be going our separate ways again."
"Agreed."
———
In the largest tavern of the city nearest to the Lingxiao Sect, Xu Shulou raised a cup to the group gathered around the table. Eight years had passed since their last reunion. Bai Roushuang had already broken through to the early Golden Core stage—just as Xu Shulou had predicted when they first t, her cultivation speed surpassed that of half the cultivators in the realm. The other junior brothers had also advanced in their own ways, whether in swordsmanship, alchemy, talismans, or spirit beasts. Each had found their path, living lives that brought them contentnt.
After several rounds of drinks, knowing they would soon part again—even if only temporarily—they indulged in the wine until they were pleasantly drunk.
Ji Ci pressed an assortnt of pills into Xu Shulou’s hands—life-saving elixirs, beauty-preserving tonics, even a large vial of corpse-dissolving powder. "I made this especially for you," he slurred, tugging at her sleeve. "For cleaning up after fights." Xu Shulou was touched, though she suspected he had a rather exaggerated idea of her habits.
Jiang Yan, anwhile, began distributing talismans with bizarre nas like "Feathers in Chaos," "Mutual Dependence," and "Waste of Heaven’s Gifts." Xu Shulou wisely decided to ask about their uses once he sobered up.
As the strong liquor flowed, one disciple mumbled, "I’ve noticed—lately, you’ve been trying to leave us behind so you can go stir up trouble on your own."
"Of course not," Xu Shulou replied lightly. "You’re all priceless to ."
They weren’t convinced. "How priceless?"
"Not for all the gold in the world."
Bai Roushuang, tipsy and emboldened, chid in, "What if—what if the three realms were about to collapse, and you had to save the world..."
Xu Shulou laughed. "With all the unfathomably powerful experts in the cultivation world, why would it fall to ?"
"Hypothetically," Bai Roushuang insisted, wrinkling her nose. "If soone forced you to choose between the three realms and us, what would you do?"
The question hung in the air for a mont before she blinked, sobering slightly. "Senior Sister, I didn’t an—"
"I wouldn’t choose," Xu Shulou answered firmly. "I want the realms at peace, and all of you safe. I want a world free of strife, and the joy of our sect standing together. With my sword in hand, even if I must fight to my last breath, no one can force to make that choice."
The group stared at her, struck silent. For the first ti, she revealed a trace of the domineering aura that matched her legends.
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