High above the battlefield, Hui hovered, sitting on the air, a hand on his chin. Below, the armies moved into position. From afar, the Southern Sect Conference’s warriors flew in, while the First through Fourth Tiers lined up outside of the Palace but within the Palace’s barriers, staking their claim. The teleportation portal in the First Tier that led to their space laid dead, while a new portal opened on the far side of the mountains. The top four tiers spread out, preparing to attack, everyone racing to their positions.

The Southern Sect Conference would have the downside of being outside the barrier, except that we can let them in. Effectively, we’ve already breached the barrier.

He turned, looking at the empty space beside him. “No luck?”

The reaper appeared, holding her bare sword in her hand. She shook her head. “I only have authority over those whose time is up. Although she has extended her lifespan through immoral and illicit techniques that run contrary to the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Dao is so weakened that I cannot call upon its power to end her life. The Heavenly Emperor could still strike her down. Of that, I have no doubt. But…”

“Understood,” Hui said, nodding. I didn’t expect that to work. Given how she and the King of Hell before her were searching for the root of the resentment demons, and given how the King of Hell always seemed to be holding back on knowledge, the King of Hell likely would have already struck Tseng Caihong down, if he had the authority to. Unfortunately, he didn’t, so I assumed it was impossible.

Still, didn’t hurt to confirm it.

“Were you able to contact the former King of Hell?” he asked, looking up at her.

She cocked a brow at him. “Do you have a line to the Immortal Realm?”

“Er, I did. At one point,” Hui said, shrugging. I had the songbird, but that broke some time ago.

The reaper gave him a dead stare.

“What?” Hui asked.

“Well, Young Master, most of us don’t have a way to contact Immortals,” she said, rolling her eyes at him.

“I—I only had the one! And it broke, and I didn’t even get to choose when to use it!” Hui protested. What Young Master? Ha? I kept trying to cling to golden thighs, but golden thighs are slippery, okay? I never held onto one for long! Not Master’s golden thigh, or Ying Lin’s protagonist-halo-exuding golden thigh! Even Bai Xue’s has been slippery, and strangely controversial, at that! I can’t be called a Young Master when I never grasped a firm hold on a golden thigh!

“Huh.” Tapping the back of her sword on her shoulder, the reaper vanished.

Elder Sister! Elder Sister, what Young Master? Point it out! Please!

Hui shook his head at the empty air and turned in the opposite direction. “Chen Wuya.”

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“Haaaa? You’re calling me, like a dog? Young Master Hui, calling on near-Immortals the way one calls beasts, what a precocious child.” His claws slammed down on Hui’s head, and he plucked at Hui’s ponytail, deliberately ruining the smooth surface of Hui’s hair.

“Senior,” Hui protested, letting out a sigh.

“Hmm. It isn’t me you want, but Fen Long, no?” Chen Wuya asked, settling in atop Hui’s head. He folded his legs under him and adjusted his wings, getting fully comfortable.

“Ah, well… after a manner. What does he think?” Hui asked.

“First, he calls us like beasts, then, he treats two vastly powerful beings as one. Or worse, are you perhaps treating the illustrious me as Fen Long’s message boy?” Chen Wuya tilted his head, his eyes glittering dangerously.

“Senior,” Hui sighed.

Chen Wuya huffed. “You’re no fun anymore. Too powerful for your britches. I’ll talk to you again when you’ve entered the Immortal Realm.” He hopped up onto his feet again.

“Senior, please,” Hui begged. “Fen Long, what does he—”

“He thinks it ought to work. You already knew that, though, didn’t you?” Chen Wuya asked.

“That is, one should always consult experts before investing,” Hui said, nodding.

Snorting, Chen Wuya took to the air. “Cautious still, aren’t you? Well. That’ll serve you well.”

“Senior! Will you take part?” Hui asked, calling after him.

“We’re maintaining the barrier,” Chen Wuya said. Without waiting for a response, he flew away.

Hui stared after him, then nodded. Fair enough. It’s Fen Long’s barrier, after all. Besides, with all the warriors at war, we’d be weak and open to attacks without it. All the noncombatants, civilians, and mortals could be wiped out by a single attack otherwise, but now, I can rest easy.

The other clones gathered around him, circled up around him where he sat. He looked up at them. “Is everything ready?”

“As ready as it can be.”

“The disciples are safe in the secret realms.”

“We’ve put the pill cultivators on the back lines. They’ll provide support.”

“The body cultivators have given in. Jizhi Zhimei and the beast cultivators’ Tier Master convinced them.”

“They’ll be the front lines, with the beasts. The assassins will flank. The Southern Sect Conference will form our second wave.”

“So… yes. Everything is ready.”

Hui took a deep breath. He stood, then turned to the clones and held out his hand. The clones vanished. Six lotus seeds appeared in his palm.

He turned. Mortal looked at him, and he looked back.

“We’re all scared,” Mortal said.

“Yes,” Hui agreed.

Mortal turned. He huffed. “Is this really… is this the way? Is it going to work? Are we going to beat her?”

“We have to.”

Taking a deep breath, Mortal nodded. “Yeah. I get you. We have to. But…”

“This is it. There’s no going back. Once we take this step, we can’t turn around and backtrack.”

“Right.”

The two of them looked at one another.

“I’m the part of you that wants to linger. I’m the part that wants to stay here a little longer,” Mortal confessed.

“I know,” Hui said. He held out his hand.

“I know as well as you do that I don’t have an option. We don’t have an option. Even if I tried to run, nothing would change.”

“No,” Hui agreed.

Mortal took Hui’s hand, clasping the other seeds between their palms. “When it’s all over, we’ll bring them up, won’t we?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Hui said quietly, looking Mortal in his eyes.

Mortal nodded. Hui nodded back. A seventh seed appeared in Hui’s hand, and Mortal remained no more.

An uneasy sensation swirled in Hui’s stomach suddenly. He took a deep breath, forcing it down. I can do this. No—I have to.

It isn’t only Tseng Caihong who threatens my family and friends. It’s the Heavenly Dao. The disorder of the Heavens.

I can’t leave things as they are. Not any longer.

It’s time for me to face the reality I’ve built for myself. It’s time for me to accept my true path.

It’s time.

Hui put the seeds in his robes beside Zhubi’s still form. His eyes hardened. Yes. It’s time.