The boundless sea of clouds stretched infinitely. From atop the tower, one could see the ever-changing shapes of the clouds and mist, ceaselessly flowing. Sunlight streamed through the gaps, pure and unblemished, save for a single black line that meandered like a serpent. Its dark scales reflected the light of the sky, occasionally flashing iridescent colors, strikingly conspicuous.

Yu Ci fixed his gaze on that black line, the Shan Gu, unblinking. His intense stare seemed to resonate with the Fish-Dragon, which responded by sweeping its long body, casting two beams of golden light that sliced through the clouds and met Yu Ci's eyes.

The golden light was dazzling, forcing Yu Ci to squint. In that moment, he knew that the Shan Gu before him had undergone a complete transformation.

Recognizing an old acquaintance, the Shan Gu coiled its body slightly before shooting towards him like a bolt of lightning.

Now closer, Yu Ci could see the Fish-Dragon's head, the size of a fist, crowned with two bifurcated golden horns that seemed almost transparent, shimmering with flowing light. What stood out even more was the drastic change in its facial structure: a protruding snout with whiskers fluttering at the sides, and when its mouth opened, a cold gleam flickered. Most importantly, where there had once been two indistinct lines, now lay two open fissures, with golden light moving within them, sharp and piercing like arrows.

Was this the Dragon Eye Formation?

Impressive indeed!

Yu Ci reached out his hand, as he had in the past, to touch the Shan Gu's head. The Fish-Dragon dodged, but then it thrust its entire long body into the tower, winding around his body back and forth. If one ignored the size of the Shan Gu, the Fish-Dragon resembled a large dog sniffing around its target, whether out of friendliness or malice—well, that was open to interpretation.

Yu Ci turned his attention away, only to be met with the calm face of Zhou Yu, who had been waiting for a while.

"Senior Brother Zhou, did you come to see me for a reason?"

Zhou Yu's tone was cool: "Junior Brother Yu, the Sect is at a critical juncture. All Fourth Generation Disciples must return to their posts to guard. I'm afraid your seclusive cultivation must come to an end for now."

"Is that so?"

Yu Ci appeared somewhat surprised. Looking behind, the Tu Brothers eyed him with a sense of resignation; they would be his partners for the foreseeable future. Of course, they were only one part of his new assignment; others were awaiting him.

"Your duty is to join the Tu Brothers in guarding the Countless Method Sanctuary. During your watch, you must be diligent and responsible, not leaving even for a moment. Any violation will be dealt with by the Sect Discipline."

The Countless Method Sanctuary was, in fact, the stronghold of the Empirical Department. Even with some Immortal Elders in the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens for cultivation, the sanctuary was considered impregnable. Why the need for extra guards?

Yu Ci's eyebrows rose slightly, while Zhou Yu remained impassive, his handsome face marked by a scar on the cheek, adding to his aloof demeanor. Their gazes clashed, and to the Tu Brothers, it seemed as if sparks flew within the tower.

Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere within, Shan Gu shook his head and wagged his tail as he left. Disturbed by this, the two men no longer wished to engage in their meaningless staring contest. Zhou Yu scrutinized Yu Ci with care, then took the lead in flying out of the building. The matters that followed would naturally be handled by the Tu Brothers.

The Tu Brothers were accustomed to projecting their Yin Spirits from their bodies, and walking a circuit atop the Star Plucking Main Tower was indeed a lucrative exercise, as they were bathed in the essence of Primordial Qi. However, at this moment, they were not in the mood for such indulgences. They looked at the motionless Yu Ci, at a loss for what to say.

After a long while, the elder brother, Tu Rilun, managed a wry smile and said, "Well then, Junior Brother Yu, let's head down. There's always another day to return to the Star Plucking Tower..."

Yu Ci glanced at them and suddenly smiled, saying, "Of course, let's move on."

His smile sent shivers down the brothers' spines. Half a month ago, Yu Ci had ascended the peak via the Self-Enquiry Route, reportedly seeking to challenge Grandmaster Fang and Elder He Qing. Although he did not succeed in his quest, the incident had set the Sect's Mountain Gate abuzz with whispers and veiled currents of unrest.

The impact of Yu Zhou's "Rainbow Transformation" was beginning to ferment because of Yu Ci's actions. In light of this, the Sect elders would not allow Yu Ci to stir up any trouble. Before Grandmaster Fang and He Qing could conclude their final deductions, the Sect's Mountain Gate was determined to contain this unstable element. The so-called "guard duty" came into existence.

Naturally, the responsibility for this task fell mainly on the shoulders of the Empirical Department, and the Tu Brothers were among the executors.

At that moment, Yu Ci suddenly asked, "Recently, have your skills in Manipulating Artifacts improved?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

When the topic turned to cultivation, the brothers' spirits visibly lifted. They had been making rapid strides in their cultivation lately. While they couldn't compare to Yu Ci, who had returned from the Sword Garden with his mastery over mechanisms firmly established, they had their own commendable achievements. Especially when it came to Manipulating Artifacts, it was one of the few areas where they had once bested Yu Ci, scratching an itch of pride.

Wait, why was Yu Ci bringing this up?

"Ever since I condensed my Seed True Talisman, I feel my skills in Manipulating Artifacts have greatly improved. I still can't quite accept the defeat from our last encounter. Why wait for another day? Why not take advantage of today and have another try?"

As he spoke, Yu Ci had already drawn his Seven Dipper Star Sword. Though the blade remained sheathed, his gaze was fixed on the long, dark shadow in the distance. The Tu Brothers paled at the sight, shaking their heads vehemently. Tu Rilun quickly interjected, "Forget it, this is a sacred place of the Sect, not a playground. Junior Brother Yu, let's just go back... Ah!"

How could they not know that at this moment, Yu Ci was merely toying with them? And even if they were aware, what could they do about it? For nothing else but the pretense of protection that was in reality a form of house arrest, Yu Ci had more than enough reason to express his dissatisfaction.

Let him express it, then. But without the presence of a figure like the esteemed Senior Brother Zhou Yu to back them up, they would surely be unable to withstand the pressure!

While inwardly lamenting their situation, Yu Ci did not overdo things. With sword in hand, he descended from the Star Plucking Tower, followed closely by the Tu Brothers, who did not leave his side.

"Are we heading back to the Countless Method Sanctuary now?"

"Yes, yes."

The Tu Brothers nodded incessantly. Once there, Brother Li Hong would take over, and their duties would nearly be at an end.

Yu Ci cracked a slight smile: "Good, then let's return to the Countless Method Sanctuary!"

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

"Junior Brother Yu, Junior Brother Yu, are you still asleep?"

"I haven't fled."

Scratching his head outside the door, Li You sighed and pushed the door open. He saw Yu Ci sitting upright at the desk, engrossed in a scroll, reading with intense focus.

Li You scratched his head again. His usually lively and smiling round face couldn't seem to find the right expression, so he simply pulled up a chair and sat down beside him: "Junior Brother Yu..."

He found himself at a loss for words! He wasn't usually tongue-tied, but everything that needed to be said had been said ad nauseam recently, with little effect other than to further annoy Yu Ci. Naturally, anyone confined to a room with seven or eight guards posted outside would be in a foul mood.

Yu Ci was now smiling with an air of nonchalance, but who could know what he was really thinking?

Li You couldn't help but grumble internally: Who made these rules that required constant checks to ensure he hadn't escaped? Were they really that afraid of him running away?

To restrict Yu Ci's recent behavior, the Empirical Department had arranged things meticulously. With Li Hong overseeing everything, and Wang Jiu and Zhan Chuanyi guarding the door, as well as Zhang Yan and Li You tasked with soothing Yu Ci's emotions, the elite fourth-generation disciples of the Empirical Department were impressively involved, a sight to behold.

All this was for the ongoing Great Yin-Yang Extent deduction and empirical method.

Perhaps under the deep influence of Yu Ci, Li You felt an inexplicable irritation: Deduction, deduction, it's been deduced to this point—what's the point of continuing this 'deduction'?

At that moment, a sentence that had been building up in his heart for a long time reached the point where it had to be said, and Li You, disregarding everything else, slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

Yu Ci looked over in surprise, and Li You, fueled by a surge of passion, blurted out: "Junior Brother, rest assured, I will absolutely never touch that damned thing produced by the Great Yin-Yang Extent again. If it really comes to that point, I'll carve out my own path!"

After his outburst, he felt a bit shaky, but seeing Yu Ci's surprised face, his mood surprisingly improved. He laughed heartily, "Junior Brother Yu, it's settled then..."

"Whether you can reach that step depends on the whims of the heavens."

Such a harsh remark, naturally, did not come from Yu Ci. Zhang Yan had just pushed open the door and entered, nodding towards Li You, "Wang Jiu is calling for you. He's afraid that with a little instigation from you, what was originally nothing could turn into a big deal!"

Li You, his spirits lifted by his own shout, didn't bother to quibble with Zhang Yan. After exchanging pleasantries with Yu Ci, he left with a clear mind and buoyant spirit, as if he had come here specifically to declare his resolve. The two remaining in the room couldn't help but smile at his departure, but soon after, Yu Ci's lips tightened, and a heavy pressure seemed to weigh down on his chest.

Zhang Yan took the seat that Li You had just vacated, leaning his entire weight against the back of the chair, fingers interlaced, and let out a sigh.

Who could be more dispirited than him?

Seeing Zhang Yan in such a state, Yu Ci suddenly felt that his own worries were trivial. He chuckled to himself and decided to adopt a similar posture, no longer maintaining a proper sitting position, but leaning back and tilting his head to gaze at the ceiling beams.

Zhang Yan chuckled, "I had intended to come here and make a statement too, but that youngster beat me to it. Now it seems pointless to say anything. Of course, Li You is exceptionally gifted and understands the need for hard work. As long as the heavens look favorably upon him, his future is boundless. As for me, it's all empty talk; whether I say it or not doesn't really matter."

"I understand," Yu Ci replied softly, without looking at him; there was no need.

Zhang Yan suddenly felt like having a chat, "You've never been to the Northern Wastes, have you? That place is filled with maggots living in drunken stupor, completely different from the Sect's Mountain Gate..."

"The world of the parasitic cultivators," Yu Ci thought of the snippets he had heard about the Northern Wastes.

"Yes, many are like maggots. They are driven by any reason—women, wealth, pride, and so on—but certainly not for immortality. Immortality is meaningless to them; they are not even worthy of contemplating it. Thus, they are degenerate and mad—until death! If possible, you should go there and see for yourself. Either you'll be dazzled by the place, or..."

Before he could finish, the sky suddenly darkened, and the Golden Snake flashed wildly. Yu Ci stopped speaking and stared out the window as dark clouds spread, swiftly enveloping the entire sky.

From the Countless Method Sanctuary, one couldn't see the top of the Sky-Supporting Mountain Pillar, but in the next moment, another spot, a towering Light Pillar, burst through the clouds, stretching towards an unknown destination.

"That's the Ancestral Master's Hall!"

Yu Ci focused on the soaring Light Pillar, watching as the golden radiance seeping down from the heavens adorned the Light Pillar with magnificent hues, segment by segment.