People were born with a spiritual sense. A paramount spiritual sense was in fact also an “abnormal spiritual sense”—it wasn’t completely human. 

Ordinary people’s spiritual senses were separated into first, second, and third class. 

Of these, the first-class spiritual sense came near to the level of the average person after they had opened their spiritual eyes. It was very rare and was among the natural endowments valued by the cultivation world. The third-class spiritual sense, meanwhile, belonged to those whose intellect wasn’t entirely sound. Apart from these, over ninety percent of people were second-class, with minor variations. Slightly more sensitive people had an easier time winning at dice and could often avoid a catastrophe through a flash of inspiration, but under ordinary circumstances they also easily became agitated by slight disturbances in their surroundings, and might be prone to illness. The slightly slower ones, for example the type that would carry out a prank right under their own father’s nose and still brag about it, were more robust; they only had a tendency to throw themselves at the discipline rod. 

A mortal’s spiritual sense wasn’t separate from their physical senses; only after their spiritual eyes opened could the spiritual sense stand alone and be free to control. Up to a point, cultivators could attach their spiritual sense to one of their physical senses, making it more acute. And when danger was near, some major event that concerned them took place, or there was a master in the area, the spiritual sense would be touched. 

“Beware the spiritual sense” read like “beware the eyes” or “beware the nose.” If you didn’t know better, you would have thought this letter had been meant for Zhuoming and had been sent to the wrong person. 

Xi Ping concentrated for a moment, but now that shifu was gone, there was no person or object in the vicinity that could touch his spiritual sense. His constantly stressed spiritual sense had gone dormant in the still night, for once resting. 

For the first time in his life, he couldn’t understand san-ge’s letter. 

Xi Ping suddenly felt an unreasoning distress. An unprecedented sense of distance passed through the four words on the paper and hit him in the face like a slap. 

The kitten was frightened by the aura coming off him; it shrieked. Xi Yue saw that there was something wrong with his expression. “Ge!” 

Xi Ping was quickly pulled back by their voices. He clenched his teeth tightly, forcing down his turbulent emotions, making himself return to the state of  “there are no big problems.” 

“It’s all right, let me think,” Xi Ping said softly. He deliberately deepened and lengthened his breaths. Across empty space, he picked up the little cat and held it in one hand. 

Controlling the extremely faint spiritual energy at his fingertips, as if he were using Zhaoting to carve designs into tofu, he cleaned the dust and dirt from the cat bit by bit. As his fingers stroked the kitten’s soft fur, he commanded himself again and again: Calm down…calm down…

San-ge had entered the way of clarity, not the way of “I’m not telling you.” He had no reason to be deliberately vague. 

The Heavenly Question looked spotless, but there was a smell of blood clinging to it. The handwriting that had been written with spiritual energy was obviously unsteady in a few places. It was clear that the writer had been injured. Princess Duanrui had just died, and the way of clarity stood aloof from the world; on the Xuanyin Mountains’ Principal Peak, who would dare to harm the successor to her Way of the Heart? Even if there were external foes in the immortal mountains, it wouldn’t be up to an established foundation to step in. 

So the greatest likelihood was that he had encountered some backlash… San-ge probably couldn’t say what it was. 

If it wasn’t some great matter of vital importance, san-ge wouldn’t have sent an extra Heavenly Question. But if it was a great matter of vital importance, then why was Xi Ping’s own spiritual sense so quiet? 

Xi Ping considered briefly, then sent a message through the reincarnation wood: “Is all at peace tonight?” 

Practically none of the cultivators were sleeping. Zhao Qindan, Wei Chengxiang, and the Luwu abroad were the first to respond; they reported whatever they happened to be busy with. 

“The Sanyue Mountains aren’t at peace, two groups of cultivators have started gearing up for a fight.” 

“I wouldn’t say it’s at peace. There are more and more evil cultivators in Tao County. Even that Bu Zhichou has come.” 

“What do you mean ‘at peace,’ senior? Everyone is on edge in Zhaoye. The government troops are going home to home searching for Miah. They won’t even let the old people and children slip by.” 

“It’s all right, don’t you worry. Everyone’s consciousnesses returned intact, no one was injured. Our village and the traps to ward off spiritual beasts are basically finished, I was just talking it over with Chief Li, we might have another batch of people come over at the end of the year…” 

Xi Ping listened with one ear, feeling that there was nothing out of the ordinary. What remained were the comparatively strong consciousnesses. Bai Ling and Zhi Xiu simultaneously asked him “What’s wrong?”, while Wen Fei and others like him were surprised that the reincarnation wood could be used as a communication device and asked him in the spirit of intellectual inquiry, between reincarnation wood and a Heavenly Question, which was more resistant to prying. 

Xi Ping quickly realized that only one person who was normally quick to respond hadn’t answered: Lin Chi. 

“Look after the house, Yue-bao’er,” Xi Ping said to Xi Yue, then turned and disappeared in the courtyard. 

Lin Chi had been helping him transport trees. A few reincarnation wood seeds had fallen on the summit of Moon Plated Peak. 

One of the reincarnation wood seeds that had dropped into a thicket easily found a place to put down roots and sprout. Before the sapling could finish growing, Xi Ping came out of the tree, crouching. 

In a rare occurrence, the summit of Moon Plated Peak was enveloped by an extremely oppressive aura. The spiritual wind had stagnated, hardly moving. With a flash, Xi Ping headed straight towards the peak master’s residence. 

He was feeling more and more uneasy: Lin Chi’s routine was more regular than an old man’s. If there was no “great work” that he needed to keep an eye on, at this time, he would usually be meditating to do his daily lessons. With such a major event having just happened in the Xuanyin Mountains, there was no way he could focus enough to create tools. Reasonably speaking, he also wouldn’t put away the reincarnation wood. What had happened? 

Lin Chi was in fact doing his daily lessons. A cultivator ought to have been at his calmest while meditating, but for some reason his brow was deeply furrowed. 

Xi Ping sent over a spiritual wind. “Peak Master…” 

Before the spiritual wind reached him, Lin Chi abruptly opened his eyes. There was actually some ferocity on his delicate features, aimed at Xi Ping. 

Xi Ping’s fingers curled instinctively to take hold of an invisible qin string. But Lin Chi quickly got a good look at him and pinched the center of his brow hard, pinching away the bitter enmity. 

Before Xi Ping could speak, Lin Chi, for once in his life, got ahead of him and said, “The Xuanyin Mountains and the Territory Map are blending together, and in less than a hundred years, the thirty-six…the other thirty-five peaks will completely dissolve into the veins of the earth like Resonant Stone Peak—is that true?” 

After a pause, Xi Ping broke out in gooseflesh—though Lin Chi was a friend, the battle in Jinping had just been fought. Apart from Wen Fei and the others who had been present, Zhi Xiu had yet to tell anyone else. 

“How do you know?” 

Even a person like Lin Chi, who was virtually without desire, couldn’t resist being dumbfounded. He blankly mumbled, “It’s actually…it’s actually…” 

He had lived over eight hundred years, one lonely and weary day after another, and suddenly he was learning that this immortal path would soon be severed. Lin Chi felt as if he had put a foot wrong going downstairs. He didn’t know how to react. 

Xi Ping said urgently, “This has profound implications. Peak Master Lin, who was it that told you?” 

Lin Chi came back to his senses and grabbed hold of Xi Ping. “Leave now. I’m afraid they also know that you’re here.” 

These words were even more bone-chilling. Xi Ping said, “Wait, are you telling me a ghost story? Who knows I’m here? Why should I…” 

“While I was meditating just now, my spiritual sense was touched by a ‘heavenly edict.’ It was the heavenly edict that told me.” 

As Lin Chi spoke, he tossed the Unbound Furnace and a pile of stuff on the summit of Moon Plated Peak into a mustard seed. It was said that when a cultivator was absorbed to the utmost point in their Way of the Heart, able to forget self and forget the world, they would sometimes have a subtle sensation, as if they were glimpsing the designs of the heavens. Once they attained this “heavenly edict” that could only be come upon by chance, not sought, they would make great progress. 

Xi Ping didn’t get a clear look at what he was sweeping into the mustard seed. He hadn’t come around yet. “What kind of heavens are so talkative? Overcast ones?” 

In a rare occurrence, Lin Chi bristled. “Don’t be flippant! When you came to Moon Plated Peak just now, it was as if something had pricked my spiritual sense. My head was full of ‘The pilferer of the immortal mountains’ heavenly order is here.’ How could a heavenly edict like this come only to a toolmaker like me? I’m afraid all thirty-six peaks must know by now! Even General Zhi might not be able to handle it if he returned. Take the things and go!” 

When he had just spoken, a message came to Moon Plated Peak with a whizz. Lin Chi’s heart skipped. Before he could read it, all kinds of messages were coming thick and fast. There were spoken messages and Heavenly Questions. In hardly any time, all the great peak masters had Moon Plated Peak surrounded. 

Thoughts flew through Xi Ping’s mind: what the hell was this “heavenly edict”?

If someone was sending the peak masters a message, why hadn’t Wen Fei received it? Because he was an accomplice? 

But so was Lin Chi an accomplice! Lin Chi had run back and forth between the Xuanyin Mountains and the Law Breaker on his own, emptying out Rosy Cloud Peak and planting trees on Resonant Stone Peak, hopelessly busy… Wouldn’t the heavenly edict have to have been blind to miss an ascended spirit of his stature? 

Also, why was there someone who could disguise themselves as a heavenly edict and prod directly at the peak masters’ spiritual senses? 

Never mind the likes of the Dignitary of Fate, even the full moon Xiang Rong couldn’t have done it! 

“The immortal path has been severed” was a sentence to drive every mighty cultivator mad; it was no different from having your spiritual bones removed with a blunt knife. 

Each of Xuanyin’s ascended spirit peak masters competed with the next in outward propriety, but now they had involuntarily lost hold over decorum. Without waiting for Lin Chi’s response, they joined forces and barged onto the summit of Moon Plated Peak—after Lin Chi had rekindled his furnace, because he needed to be able to send materials in and out and communicate with the Principal Peak at all times, he had dispersed the mountain seal on Moon Plated Peak’s summit. After all, most of the people in the inner sect weren’t as rude as Xi Ping. Normally, if you “left the door open,” people still wouldn’t come in uninvited. 

Who could have expected something like this to happen? 

Lin Chi stuffed the mustard seed into his hands. “Go!” 

Xi Ping quickly absorbed the mustard seed into his palm. He didn’t delay for a moment—among ascended spirits, he was in the early period of the early period; an “eight-year-old” was a baby, and he wasn’t a fiendish sword cultivator. How could he withstand being ganged up on by a crowd of veteran ascended spirits? 

But just as he was preparing to swap places with a reincarnation wood tree outside the immortal mountains, he suddenly found that his consciousness was confined. 

Next, the Dignitary of Fate’s blindfolded figure flashed, appearing above the Sea of Stars. 

This was bad. Shifu must have already left Great Wan by now. 

Once Zhi Xiu went beyond the national boundaries, Xuanyin’s great mountain array would take instructions only from the Dignitary of Fate. The whole area of the Xuanyin Mountains seemed to have become like the bottom of the Impassable Sea had once been, completely cutting off contact between inside and outside. Xi Ping couldn’t leave by swapping places! 

At the same time, this meant that he couldn’t contact shifu, and shifu likely couldn’t return to the Xuanyin Mountains via his accompanying plant, either. 

Rosy Cloud Peak wasn’t very far from Moon Plated Peak. Wen Fei arrived quickly. “What is this? What has happened?” 

No one paid attention to him. All the great peak masters came to stand at the summit of Moon Plated Peak at once. It had never been so full of people. 

Xi Ping and Lin Chi were surrounded. 

Xi Ping only now realized that he had only been calm on the surface before. In reality, he hadn’t been calm. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed straight to the Xuanyin Mountains just because he had taken back his disciple name token. 

“Zisheng, move aside,” a peak master surnamed Lin said to Lin Chi in a relatively mild manner, but his eyes didn’t leave Xi Ping. “Dignitary of Fate Elder, just now, obeying the heavenly edict, I probed the immortal mountain’s veins of the earth and saw that the immortal mountains are indeed inseparably mingled with that Territory Map—so was everything the heavenly edict said true? Will the immortal mountains…truly come to an end under our auspices?” 

The Dignitary of Fate glanced expressionlessly at Xi Ping and responded, “I have received no heavenly edict. As to the rest, I cannot say.” 

A silencing spell only made a person unable to reveal information voluntarily. If someone else developed a suspicion and asked, the silencing spell couldn’t control what hints the person it had been placed on gave. When the Dignitary of Fate said “I cannot say,” what more did the peak masters need? 

“Fine—a fine two-hundred-year-old shed skin. He has always been mild and refined, keeping his head down, and now he’s turned around and placed a silencing spell on his own shifu—how far he has gone to give insult to his teacher and his sect!” another peak master said. “Here I was wondering how he could produce an accompanying plant when he became a shed skin—his must be an evil way that heaven and earth cannot abide! Is his shed skin boundary very firm? Does he really think that now that the Dignitary of Rule Elder and Princess Duanrui are dead, he can hoodwink everyone in the Xuanyin Mountains?” 

“Indeed,” Xi Ping answered, “it’s too disgraceful. In my opinion, Peak Master I-don’t-know-your-name, you ought to immediately write him a Heavenly Question calling him back and have it out with him.” 

Lin Chi was about to kneel down before him. Xi Shiyong, have a heart, don’t stoke the flames! 

“You…” 

Xi Ping quietly waved a hand at Lin Chi, changing tack quickly. The next moment, he smiled very charmingly and saluted the peak master who was seething with rage. “Do not be angry, senior. You criticized my shifu just now. It made me unhappy to hear, so I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me. Yesterday, Jinping was invaded by evil cultivators and enemies from Chu, who shattered the Southern Sage’s seal. The situation was urgent, you know that as well as I do. We all did whatever we could. No one had attention to spare for the consequences. My shifu knows that we have incurred a catastrophe and is already considering a means of remedy. Do you not see that he is still out working on it now and has not yet returned to the mountains?” 

It was just that the method of “remedy” might not be very well suited to the immortals’ wishes. 

The thirty-six peaks hadn’t turned out such a glib talker in centuries. The restlessness and rage about to blow the tops of the peak masters’ skulls off was suspended and held down; it fell slightly. 

Anyway, Old Man Zhang Jue couldn’t very well say anything. Even if his bladder burst from holding it in, all he could do was listen. 

Xi Ping assumed a grave expression and said with deadly seriousness, “As soon as I heard Lin-shishu mention the heavenly edict, I hurried back to learn the details. Before he could explain, all of you showed up. That will save me going to pay each of you a visit. We can all pool our wisdom and efforts, quickly discuss what to do—what did the heavenly edict say? Were there any other indications?” 

In order to keep him here, Xuanyin’s great mountain array had sealed the mountains. Xi Ping couldn’t contact the outside world, so others were sure to be unable to make contact either. After all, other people didn’t have accompanying plants. 

This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Him being trapped in the Xuanyin Mountains was much better than this deadly information secretly spreading in all directions. 

Xi Ping calmed down: maybe this was just what san-ge had meant. The most pressing issue was for him to work out as soon as possible just what was going on with this heavenly edict. 

He hoped that san-ge had escaped after sending him that letter. 

But even in this, events ran contrary to his wishes. 

When Xuanyin’s great array rose, its hum disturbed the Bell of Tribulation. The Bell of Tribulation moved on its own, causing the strange incense altar on the Principal Peak to sway gently. 

Seeing Zhang Jue “hanging” above Moon Plated Peak, Zhou Ying silently disappeared—his immortal path had always been unlike that of ordinary people. The Heartless Lotus had at least had the lotus seal; Zhou Ying had had no vital weapon as a consummate open-eyed cultivator, and he still didn’t have one after establishing a foundation. 

Perhaps he himself was the “weapon.” 

Before establishing a foundation, Zhou Ying could deceive a cultivator a major boundary above him when he turned into mist. After establishing a foundation, with the way of clarity inhibiting his emotions, he had become even more unfathomable. When he dissolved into mist, even he sometimes couldn’t find himself. 

His mist blended with the mountain mists. While Zhang Jue was being kept in check by Xi Ping, Zhou Ying silently snuck into the Sea of Stars. 

No one below an ascended spirit could enter the Sea of Stars, because low-level cultivators would be ensnared by chaotic fate and lose their way. 

Once inside, Zhou Ying, who had turned to mist, was blown back to his original form by the wind. Stars hinting at his destiny automatically drew near him, tempting him to look at them. 

Zhou Ying turned a blind eye, avoiding these obstructions with complete unconcern, going straight to the very core of the Sea of Stars.