"Clang!"

The hammer struck heavily upon the anvil, sparks flying from the metal sheet caught in between, as the surging flames around were dispersed by the blast of air, filling the room with a chaotic dance of light.

This was Uncle Lu De's Casting Chamber. The room was situated atop an open peak at the Sect's Mountain Gate, where a Rune Array gathered the True Solar Fire, transforming it into a high temperature capable of melting gold and forging iron, all for the purpose of Artifact Refinement.

Uncle Lu De had promised him an answer, yet brought him here instead. Without hesitation, he picked up an unfinished piece and began to work, employing this most primitive method of blacksmithing, the relentless clang of iron striking iron ringing in his ears. Even though Yu Ci knew Uncle Lu De was a man of his word, who never spoke idly, he couldn't help feeling a touch of impatience.

Finally, during a pause in the hammering, Uncle Lu De spoke, "I just heard you call him 'Master'..."

He was referring to the title Yu Ci had used for Yu Zhou when trying to coax information out of Bao Guang.

Yu Ci frowned, offering no response, for this was not what he wanted to hear.

"I've advised him before, having a young disciple like you is quite good. It's a pity that there has been no follow-up from his side. I don't know if he's too shy, or if he has other plans."

"Titles don't matter," Yu Ci replied curtly.

"Yes, they don't matter. To Yu Zhou, they indeed mean nothing..."

Another resounding "clang" echoed as Uncle Lu De, with his hair and beard all aflutter, forcefully hammered down on the half-formed Sword Implement. A wave of spiritual pressure swept through the entire Casting Chamber, causing Yu Ci's breath to catch. It was at this moment that he heard Uncle Lu De say:

"He's dead!"

Yu Ci responded in a muffled voice, "He has ascended to the rainbow!"

"Do you really believe that?"

Uncle Lu De laughed heartily, the hammer once again crashing down onto the anvil, the sonorous clash of metal striking directly at Yu Ci's heart: "Dead is dead. He's never been so decisive in his life!"

"Did he deserve this?"

Yu Ci suddenly shouted, trying to overpower the hammer's continuous booming: "He took the Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill, he had at least another sixty years of life, his Cultivation Level had already reached the Vacuum Walking Realm. As long as he diligently practiced body refining, he clearly had so much more to achieve..."

"Shut your mouth, boy!"

Uncle Lu De's voice dominated, silencing Yu Ci, who nevertheless glared back defiantly. The air, distorted by the heat, failed to obscure their locked gazes.

In the end, it was Uncle Lu De who yielded first. He shifted his gaze away and, ignoring Yu Ci, tossed aside the heavy hammer and picked up the glowing red Sword Implement with his bare hands, examining it closely against his cheek to see if it had the planned curvature. The temperature was high enough to sear flesh, yet it didn't singe his beard.

Yu Ci's voice remained sharp: "Uncle Master Lu!"

"You're in luck, boy. When I'm refining a sword artifact, I'm in a good mood, so I'll let it slide that you're shouting at me..."

Uncle Lu De's gaze followed the Sword Implement out toward the raging golden flames in the heart of the Casting Chamber's furnace. In truth, his pupils lacked focus, and his booming voice gradually softened: "It's here that I feel like talking to you. I enjoy the act of blacksmithing, the Artifact Refinement, the heat of the fire, the satisfying clang of metal. It puts my mind at ease."

Yu Ci remained silent.

"Xie Yan is so engrossed in his swordsmanship that not even heavenly thunder could distract him when he's practicing. Elder Jie Liang would bury himself in books for days or even weeks without looking up once. And that kid from Thousand Treasures, he'd forget his own mother at the sight of some novel treasure... We're all like that, with a passion and a hobby, something to delve into. What about your master?"

He affirmed their relationship, and Yu Ci raised no objections.

Uncle Lu De continued, "His talent is enviable. He practiced the Sect's most challenging Dissolution Sword Technique with ease and even mastered several others. The elders always said he shouldn't have come to the Lichen Sect; he would have been better suited for the Sword Competing Pavilion.

"But he's not Xie Yan. Sword practice for him was just a simple task. In his spare time from cultivation, he preferred to wander about. Whatever we did, he'd join in: discussing Artifact Refinement with me, even just watching the flames and shooting the breeze by the forge was fine; bickering with Elder Jie Liang, the disputes between the Empirical and Theory Departments could keep them arguing for days and nights; he'd join Thousand Treasures on a raid to Six Barbarian Mountain just for a newly emerged Magical Instrument, risking life and limb; and with Xie Yan, there's no need to say—speaking through swords, they'd fight until the sun and moon dimmed..."

Uncle Lu De laughed again, then turned to Yu Ci, "I used to wonder, how could that old guy have so much free time? But gradually, I understood. We might love this or be obsessed with that, but what he really enjoyed was just being with us old brothers, chatting, arguing, fighting—it was his pleasure. Hey, this guy's hobbies were certainly unique."

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Though he laughed, there was no joy in Uncle Lu De's smile.

"He had many friends, not just us, but I suppose he got along with us the best. However, when it comes to closeness, no one could compare to his couple..."

"He Qing?" Yu Ci ventured.

"Address her as Immortal Elder!" Uncle Lu De scolded without reservation, yet confirming it.

At that moment, Yu Ci thought of Yu Zhou, Bao Guang, Li You, and many others' related remarks and behaviors. From there, it was easy to infer an all-too-common possibility:

"She wronged the Temple Master!"

Uncle Lu De shot him a cold glance, "Are you saying it, or am I?"

Yu Ci knew his mindset was problematic. He took a deep breath of the scorching air, his Five Viscera and Six Bowels burning with fervor, and resolved not to utter another word until he grasped the whole story.

Yet, Uncle Lu De immediately asked him a question that was completely off-topic, "You've been at the Sect's Mountain Gate for a while now. Do you know the names and identities of the Sect's thirty Vacuum Walking, four Taoism Immortals, three Thunderbolt Tribulated?"

Not accounting for the recent changes, Yu Ci frowned in thought and then nodded.

"Then let me ask you, how many people are assigned to each of the four divisions at the Sect's Mountain Gate?" Yu Ci was about to speak when Uncle Lu De spoke on his behalf: "There's no need to mention Great-Uncle Fang Hui. Elder Jiang is from the Empirical Department, as are Elder Xian and Uncle Kong Shan."

The individuals he mentioned included Elder Jiang, Jiang Zhen, who, aside from Fang Hui and the Jade Void Elder, was another exalted Thunderbolt Tribulation master, as well as the current Sect Leader of the Lichen Sect. Elder Xian, Xian Luo, and the Taoist Kong Shan were two of the, no, now five Taoism Immortals. These four, all members of the Empirical Department, and if you include He Qing, made up five of the Sect's eight Thunderbolt Tribulation Cultivators.

Among the Vacuum Walking Cultivator group, Yu Ci estimated that the Empirical Department also boasted as many as fourteen members. Thus, nearly half of the Lichen Sect's high-end combat power belonged to the Empirical Department, a testament to the flourishing talent in recent years.

But what does this have to do with Yu Zhou's matter?

"In recent years, there have been more and more individuals like Elder Jie Liang who are proficient in multiple divisions. However, it is often a collaboration between the Morality, Discipline, and Theory departments, with the Empirical Department frequently being left out. Do you know why that is?"

Yu Ci could only shake his head.

Uncle Lu De curled his finger and spoke evenly, "Each division of the Sect's Mountain Gate has its focus, but on a certain level, only the Empirical Department is different from the other three. The Morality division emphasizes sensitivity, the Theory Department values contemplation, and the Discipline division prioritizes rules. On top of their concrete cultivation methods, they all possess a metaphysical element—perhaps elusive and intangible, but it is the source of truth-seeking and the essence of evolution, something that can be sensed, deduced, and followed. Even with its errors, it can ultimately converge to the same truth.

"Only the Empirical Department, which prioritizes practice over the abstract and values tangible results, advances rapidly. With the same talents, they often leave their fellow sect members from the other three departments far behind. However, their cultivation methods, upon reaching the Thunderbolt Tribulated level, lack precedents to follow. One must try one path after another, and the empirical methods, being concrete at every step, leave no room for error. How can the Sect risk the lives of its Thunderbolt Tribulated elders in such trials?"

He tossed the nascent form of a Sword Implement into the fire and gave a cold smile:

"Above, there is nothing to rely on; behind, a chasm thousands of fathoms deep. It's clearly a predicament that spells certain death and the end of the path. If this continues, with the road ahead cut off and confidence lost, how can one speak of cultivation? How can one speak of achieving the Dao? And this is not even a matter of individual effort, but a congenital defect. Half of the Sect's combat power, its most elite talents, are trapped in this deadlock. It is imperative that someone points out the way forward for everyone. For this matter, Great-Uncle Fang Hui is inescapably responsible."

The Sword Implement softened rapidly in the golden flames, nearly turning into juice. Yet Uncle Lu De paid it no more heed, simply saying, "Since my initiation into the Sect over three hundred years ago, Great-Uncle Fang Hui had already spent many years researching this matter. To my knowledge, he has twice succumbed to obsession, each time teetering on the brink of death, requiring over a century to recover. During that period, the first upheaval of Sky Rift Valley coincided, casting the shadows of the Rakshasa Ghost King and the Great Mysterious Demon Mother over us. Many had despaired, believing the Sect's downfall was imminent."

Yu Ci was momentarily lost for words, able to imagine the atmosphere of the Sect back then, undoubtedly shrouded in gloom and despair.

"However, it was the changes brought about by the Sky Rift Valley incident that provided a new twist. Great-Uncle Fang Hui, observing the battle between two Earth Immortal-level powerhouses from afar, suddenly had an epiphany, realizing the Great Yin-Yang Extent—a method of divination and deduction that employs Yin and Yang energies to simulate and predict the success or failure of various methods. While it did not stray from the Empirical Department's traditional path, the nurturing and deduction through Yin and Yang energies possessed the ability to foresee and verify, sparing the need for life-threatening trials."

Yu Ci forcibly cut off the words that were about to leave his throat, allowing the information to swirl only in his mind:

It was the Yin Yang Transformation Method!

He felt an inexplicable sense of panic and unease, and then heard Uncle Lu De continue, "The crux of this method lies in the Yin and Yang energies. Although the human body inherently contains both, to see early effects, there is nothing better than Divine Intercourse for Gathering Qi, combining Intercourse Cultivation..."

In the depths of Yu Ci's Brain Palace, a string suddenly snapped with a "clang."

*************

High in the sky, atop the Star Plucking Tower, a female cultivator leaned against the railing, gazing thoughtfully at the cloud-enshrouded Sky-Supporting Mountain Pillar.

Fang Hui asked from behind her, "What are you thinking about?"

"I was recalling the time when I completed the Self-Enquiry Route and met the Ancestral Master."

"Oh?"

"Now that I have achieved Longevity and Sustained Health, I can't help but reflect. The rumors about the Self-Enquiry Route were certainly false, but for me, the vow I made back then has indeed come true."

After a moment of silence, he replied, "You have worked hard for many years; you deserve it."

The female cultivator smiled faintly, thinking to herself: The stubborn girl of those years, who spoke against her heart and deceived the Ancestral Master—the reasons for that seem so trivial now that I might forget them.

Yet, that intense desire to survive, which broke through all defenses and engulfed her in that moment, remains forever vivid.

The Self-Enquiry Route... was indeed a falsehood...

But it was aptly named.

**********