Chapter 1731. As the Flowering Season Nears, It Is Time for the Curtain to Fall; Before One Wave Settles, Another Rises

Early the next morning, Gu Xian’er went to the immortal mountain where Lan Xin was staying to look for her master, Chen Yi.

On the way, she once again saw that Song Yu. However, Song Yu seemed to have truly been frightened; he deliberately avoided her. The moment he spotted her figure from afar, he led his followers away. This made Gu Xian’er quietly let out a breath of relief in her heart. She had been worried that he might realize things belatedly and come looking for trouble. It seemed last night’s display had indeed been effective.

After arriving at the immortal mountain where Lan Xin was, what surprised Gu Xian’er was that Chen Yi seemed to have already known she would come and had long instructed the disciples not to stop her.

Beneath the blooming, colorful peach trees, Chen Yi sat there. She was dressed the same as yesterday—her hair in a green spiral bun, wearing a gray gauze long dress, light brows, clear and cold beauty. Apart from Lan Xin, none of the other disciples were present, and Chen Yi seemed to have come specifically to wait for her.

“Junior Sister Xian’er…”

Lan Xin spoke first, a faint smile on her face. It seemed that after Chen Yi’s guidance, she no longer carried the heavy grief and sorrow she had when she first learned the news yesterday.

“Senior Sister Lan Xin.”

Gu Xian’er’s expression showed a slight hesitation as she pondered how to begin.

She knew Lan Xin had misunderstood her—she had not come directly to take a master.

“Master will be departing this afternoon with the envoy from the Zhengyi Alliance to meet up with people from other factions and traditions. If you came any later, you wouldn’t have been able to see her…” Lan Xin said.

Chen Yi sat beneath the peach tree, her eyes thoughtful as she examined Gu Xian’er.

This was the first time she had looked so seriously at this girl whom the entire Xieyue Sect avoided as an “inauspicious misfortune.”

“What a delicate little girl. If not for this matter of ill omen, you wouldn’t have ended up in such a situation in the Xieyue Sect.”

Chen Yi spoke, her voice naturally cold, like ice that had not melted for ages—her temperament seemed inherently so.

Gu Xian’er didn’t know whether she was praising her beauty or implying something else.

“Xian’er greets Elder Chen Yi…”

She weighed her words, intending to get straight to the point and explain her purpose.

Chen Yi stared at her and, as if already knowing her intention, interrupted directly, “You actually don’t want to take me as your master, do you?”

Gu Xian’er was stunned. How did she see that?

Lan Xin beside her was also stunned. What did Master mean? She suddenly became anxious and looked at Gu Xian’er, urgently signaling her with her eyes, afraid she would miss this good opportunity. To secure this, she had pleaded many times before her master. Chen Yi had only softened at the end and agreed to take Gu Xian’er as a disciple.

If Gu Xian’er became Chen Yi’s disciple, she would no longer need to worry about being bullied in the Xieyue Sect. After all, Chen Yi had personally said this in front of the sect master, elders, and numerous disciples. From now on, anyone who still dared to bully Gu Xian’er would be slapping the faces of the sect master and elders—something the Xieyue Sect absolutely would not allow.

“Xian’er means no disrespect. It’s not that I don’t want to take Elder Chen Yi as my master. Being guided by you is something I wouldn’t even dare dream of. It’s just that you may not know—I already have a master. Without their consent, it would be difficult for me to take another master…”

Gu Xian’er didn’t know how Chen Yi had seen through her intention. She hurriedly explained, afraid that Chen Yi and Lan Xin might misunderstand and think she was ungrateful, wasting their goodwill.

A rare faint smile appeared on Chen Yi’s face, like a snow lotus blooming—fresh, moving, extraordinarily beautiful.

“You don’t need to explain. Actually, from yesterday when you tried to find me, I already guessed your thoughts,” she said. “If I weren’t about to head to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance this time, I truly would have wanted to take you as a disciple. Just this temperament and character of yours already make countless people pale in comparison.”

Her tone was full of appreciation. Originally, she had been somewhat unconvinced by Lan Xin’s praises of Gu Xian’er, but after seeing her today, she realized the girl was truly outstanding. Whether in foundation, background, character, or temperament, there was nothing to criticize. No wonder the sect master had once sighed regretfully and even made the bold decision to let her remain in the Xieyue Sect.

Gu Xian’er was slightly astonished—she hadn’t expected that when she came yesterday, Chen Yi had actually known. Even though she was usually thick-skinned, her face still grew a little warm at these praises.

“Xian’er thanks Elder Chen Yi for your understanding.” She quickly cupped her hands.

Chen Yi looked at her and smiled faintly. “You can rest assured about this. I will only declare to the outside world that you are my disciple. Internally, you don’t need to treat me with disciple etiquette. That way you won’t carry any psychological burden.”

“This journey to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance—fortune or misfortune is unknown, life and death unclear. Even if I truly took you as a disciple, I wouldn’t be able to teach you much.”

“This is actually quite good.”

These words made Lan Xin’s eyes dim again, her heart trembling. Although Chen Yi had already comforted them last night and arranged a path for them, to the disciples it felt more like arranging her final affairs. Their master had already prepared herself for not returning from this trip.

As she spoke, colorful peach blossoms swayed in the wind and fell one after another like a magnificent rain of petals. Some landed on Chen Yi’s hair, some before her. She picked up a petal, and a rare loneliness and sadness appeared on her cold, elegant face.

“Life is like peach blossoms—there is a day when they bloom brilliantly like clouds, and a day when they wither into mud…”

“As the flowering season nears, it is time for the curtain to fall,” she sighed softly.

“Master…” Lan Xin’s heart trembled, her eyes reddening, her voice quivering with tears.

Gu Xian’er wanted to speak but stopped, suddenly not knowing how to begin. In Chen Yi’s eyes, going with the Zhengyi Alliance envoy to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was no different from courting death. Explaining further would only cause misunderstandings.

By the afternoon, Chen Yi was already preparing to depart, and Gu Xian’er still failed to persuade her to take her along. No matter how she explained—whether saying she had acquaintances there or wanted to gain experience—Chen Yi refused. The journey itself was filled with danger. Dark beings could attack at any time; even Dao-realm existences might not protect themselves. If Gu Xian’er followed, Chen Yi wouldn’t be able to ensure her safety.

Standing on the cliff, Gu Xian’er watched Chen Yi leave with slight melancholy. Lan Xin and the others beside her were also filled with grief. The wind blew, petals filled the mountain; though beautiful, no one had the heart to appreciate it.

Returning to her cave dwelling, Gu Xian’er could only remain in the Xieyue Sect for now. The white-robed woman in her cave was also like a ticking time bomb—gravely injured and amnesiac. If her enemies came, Gu Xian’er might be implicated as well. Coupled with the matter of the Jutian Sect she had overheard and Song Yu’s suspicious identity tied to the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, she felt herself silently drawn into terrifying invisible whirlpools.

In the following days, she began preparing to condense her Sword Dao True Seed. The white-robed woman’s memory showed no sign of recovery, though she occasionally offered cultivation guidance. The Xieyue Sect continued sending disciples out to hunt dark beings. Gu Xian’er joined Lan Xin several times, personally participating in battles.

However, the situation across the Boundless Expanse only worsened. The dark beings launched fierce retaliations specifically targeting the Zhengyi Alliance. Ambushes were set; Dao-realm experts fell; even Xieyue Sect elders perished. Fear spread. The Zhengyi Alliance realized unity alone was insufficient—what they lacked was true deterrent power. Invitations were sent to mighty civilizations such as the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, the Ancient Hidden Civilization, the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom, and the Brahma Holy Domain.

Before one crisis settled, another arose—the envoy team sent to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was reportedly attacked. A devastating battle erupted, tearing through time and space. No one knew the final outcome.

When the news reached the Xieyue Sect, sorrow filled the air. On Chen Yi’s mountain, her disciples wept. Lan Xin nearly collapsed. Gu Xian’er arrived, equally shaken, unable to comfort her. Peach blossoms still bloomed brilliantly, yet could not hide the desolation.

…

In a desolate star field, deep and cold, a campfire burned among scattered rocks, illuminating several flickering figures. Suddenly, a soft groan sounded.

A woman with a green spiral bun and gray gauze dress opened her eyes—Chen Yi. Confusion filled her gaze.

“Elder Chen Yi, you’re finally awake,” a voice said with slight joy.

She turned and saw she had been leaning against a female Daoist in wide robes holding a whisk.

“Lay Practitioner Huijue?”

Memories returned—the ambush in the spacetime tunnel, the desperate battle, certain death. Yet they had survived.

“Could it be that giant hand that saved us?”

She recalled seeing a golden, chaotic hand descending into the black mist—what she had thought a dying illusion.

Only then did she notice several strange figures by the fire: a charming woman in a red dress, a small child, a kind old monk, a tall burly man…

And a young nobleman with immortal bearing, as if he had stepped out of a painting.

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