Stella's Star Core blazed in her chest as she glared at Grand Elder Valandor, who had appeared out of nowhere on Red Vine Peak. The man was the same as always, with his pristine white robes, flowing white hair, and profound temperament despite his younger face. He watched her with cautious amusement and had his hands raised in fake surrender despite the white soul flames dancing along his shoulders.

It had been years since she had last seen this ghost of her past. Valandor had visited Red Vine Peak on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee a few years ago and given her the ridiculous task of reaching Star Core Realm before her 18th birthday—a feat her Father had supposedly died trying to accomplish.

Stella tightened her grip around her dagger. She had seen this man as a kind uncle figure in the past, but now she wasn't so sure. He hadn't reported Ashlock's existence or demanded anything from her since their last meeting four years ago, but that didn't explain why he was here now.

Clearly, Ashlock's ascension attracted him here. But what is his angle? He claims that he comes in peace, so was he worried for me and came to check if I was alright? Or is he here on Vincent Nightrose's orders to eliminate us?

A shadow appeared overhead, and Diana dropped down between Stella and Valador. She protectively spread her wings, wreathed in demonic mist. "Stella, do you know Valandor the White Reaper?" she asked as her nails extended into claws.

"White Reaper?" Stella had never heard such an ominous term for Valandor before.

Diana didn't dare take her eyes off Valandor. "Yeah, that's his title among the nobles. I heard my Father arguing with his Elders about protecting him from the White Reaper before his ascension to the Nascent Soul Realm, so I got curious and asked around." Diana raised her finger and accusingly pointed at Valandor, "He is the Blood Lotus Sect Patriarch's personal reaper. There is a list of people marked for death at the Patriarch's hands, and it's his job to hunt them down."

Stella gulped. Such a man had been friends with her Father?

"Really, there is no need to be so cautious," Grand Elder Valandor offered a charming smile, "I will admit I came here on Vincent Nightrose's orders, but—"

"What orders?" Stella interrupted. Right now, Vincent was the man the Ashfallen Sect feared the most, so learning that he was aware of their existence, especially at a vulnerable time like this, sent a shiver down her spine. The Lunarshade Grand Elder had been hard enough to defeat, and Vincent was likely much worse.

"To capture you." Valandor said bluntly, "In the words of the Patriarch, your bloodline is now ripe for harvesting, and as his 'reaper,' I am here to fulfill his desire."

Stella felt bile threatening to escape her throat as her stomach churned at the words.

"So, are you here to capture me?" Stella took a step back, ready to Spatial Step away, and Diana hissed as she spread her wings even more.

"I am rather saddened that you do not believe my words of coming in peace." Valandor's smile turned to a frown, and he dropped his arms. An immense pressure descended on Stella's shoulders, making her breath vacate her lungs, and then it was gone. "You have certainly grown in strength since I last saw you, but if I was truly here to fulfill the Patriarch's orders, I wouldn't waste time talking."

"Can you blame me for not trusting you?" Stella snapped back, "After all the lies you have told me..." Her voice shook a little. Her whole body was tense as she struggled to get a read on him. I hate interacting with ancient cultivators—they are far too good at hiding their motives. Simpletons like Douglas are far easier to talk to.

Valandor raised a brow, "Oh, you figured it out?"

Have I figured what out? How deep do the lies go? Stella gritted her teeth. She knew his wording was deliberate, designed to make her reveal as much as she knew without him giving anything away. The problem was he had the upper hand here as he was a complete enigma, and Stella had been left in the dark.

If I had visited the pavilion and learned more about my bloodline and Father, I might have had more to work with.

Stella hesitantly nodded, unsure how much she should share. She decided to go with one of the more glaring lies: "My Father didn't die trying to reach the Star Core Realm. He is still alive out there somewhere, right?"

"You don't sound so sure," Valandor narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, "So you accused me of being a liar due to an unconfirmed rumor you heard from somewhere?"

That's kind of true. Stella bit her lip. Though I haven't confirmed it as I hadn't paid the Yinxi Coins, the pavilion basically told me he is still out there. So it is more than a simple rumor, but it is a bit much to accuse someone of being a liar.

Stella suddenly felt an all too familiar pressure blanket the area. The air began to glow with divine light, and rips in reality crackled all around them, merging with the roaring thunder and lightning overhead. Spatial Qi rose from the mountain below and whirled around her in a protective embrace.

"It would seem that the great spirit tree awakens," Valandor muttered as his eyes flickered to the giant tree looming behind Stella.

Stella hated to admit her body relaxed as she heard the bark behind her split open, and she felt Ashlock's gaze on her back. She liked to face challenges on her own, but sometimes she needed her Father's help.

A spiritual tree bloomed in her consciousness, and Ashlock's voice echoed through her mind.

"Who the hell is this guy? He seems kinda familiar?"

Valandor winced as Ashlock had likely planted the seed of telepathy in his mind.

"The White Reaper of Vincent Nightrose, Grand Elder Valandor," Stella filled Ash in on the situation, "He is here on the Patriarch's orders because apparently my bloodline is ripe."

Valandor nodded, "That is all true, but I also came here on a promise to an old friend." Valandor locked eyes with Stella, "Your Father."

Stella felt her blood turn to ice. The idea that her real Father was out there somewhere made her sick. He should have just died.

"I also believe this isn't the first time we have met, oh great spirit tree," Valandor met Ashlock's profound gaze without faltering, "I felt your spiritual gaze all those years ago despite how small you were. I must say it hurt my feelings when you didn't give me a fruit and pretended to be asleep even after I asked so nicely."

"How uncouth of me," Ash replied sarcastically, "Since you came all this way, allow me to make up for a past mistake."

A bright red fruit dropped from above, and Valandor caught it with telekinesis as his hands rested behind his back. It floated before his face, and he eyed it curiously. "Such a Qi-dense fruit—even more impressive than a few short years ago. However, I must say, it appears we have gotten off on the wrong foot."

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"Oh? What makes you think that, Grand Elder?" Ash replied with a hint of amusement.

"This fruit contains enough poison to kill me three times over," Valandor summoned a dagger to his hand and poked a hole in the fruit, and Ashlock's black blood leaked out and pooled at his feet. "And this viscous fluid carries something rather sinister, am I right?"

"A tree never reveals its secrets."

Valandor gave a thin smile, "A good quality to have to survive in this world. But sometimes, we need to reveal our secrets to gain the trust of others, so allow me to be the first. Stella..."

Stella stopped hiding behind Diana's wing and faced Valandor directly.

"You have been told many lies throughout your life. For example, your family didn't die saving the Patriarch. I mean, think about it, how would that man ever need saving?"

"True..." Stella muttered under her breath. Why had she never questioned that part of the story? How could anyone 'save' such a powerful cultivator.

Valandor continued, "I met your Father while scouting for new potential bloodlines. He was alone, crossing the wilderness as the sole survivor of an envoy from the Celestial Empire. All he had with him was the clothes on his back, some supplies in a spatial ring, and... you. A baby girl bundled in cloth."

Stella furrowed her brows, "So I was born in the Celestial Empire?"

If that's true, it further validates the fact that my Mother is the World Tree.

"Most likely," Valandor nodded, "Though everything about you and your Father was a bit of a mystery. How he managed to survive in the wilderness alone while in the Soul Fire Realm didn't make any sense, and what followed was even more bizarre."

Stella eagerly gestured for Valandor to continue—the anticipation of learning about her past rising.

"After checking with the Patriarch, he was very interested in you. So after I added you to the list of people to be devoured by him, I offered your Father a useless peak near the most impoverished city in the Blood Lotus Sect to raise you and call home. To my surprise, he offered me a small vial containing a golden liquid in appreciation."

"World tree sap?" Ashlock asked. His voice was sharp and cold, clearly not enjoying Valandor's story.

Valandor nodded, "I tested it thoroughly as he didn't tell me anything about it other than it would 'free me.' After making it into a pill, I consumed it and felt a cloud in my mind lift. I don't know when or how, but Vincent had been controlling me. After ingesting the World Tree sap Stella's Father had gifted me, I was finally free."

"So that's why you were friendly with my Father?" Stella said.

"More than friendly. I basically owed your Father my life." Valandor looked off into the distance, "But one day, he suddenly disappeared. All he left was a note asking for me to protect you for the next five years. A task I admit I should have devoted more time and attention to..."

Stella was in disbelief as all the crazy near-death experiences rushed through her mind. The maids that wanted to kill her, the guy from the Winterwrath family trying to capture her, the wars with other families, the giant worm monster, and Dao Storm... the list went on. The fact she was still alive was a mixture of a miracle and Ash's incredible abilities.

"I thought this was a desolate peak on the edge of the sect. A place nobody would go to or care about, so I left you alone. Clearly, I was wrong to think as such, but unfortunately, if I paid too much attention to this place, people would grow suspicious, and I don't trust anyone in this sect to watch over you." Valandor looked at Ash's canopy, "But it seems a being even greater than I took on that role in my absence." Valandor gave a slight bow, "For that, I am deeply grateful."

Ash hummed as if he were deeply contemplating, "Did Stella's Father ever mention anything about her Mother?"

Valandor rubbed his chin, "Not that I remember. He was clearly a man with many secrets. I never even learned his name and simply called him Elder Crestfallen."

So, I still have much to learn about him from the pavilion. Stella glanced up at the sky. Once this storm is over and Ash is safe, I will head over and use the Yinxi Coins from cashing in Albis Lunarshade's bounty to buy the information.

"Okay, Grand Elder Valandor, this is all very helpful, but if you won't capture Stella, then why are you here?" Ash's pressure flickered across the mountain peak, "Did my ascension attract your interest in this place?"

Valandor's expression turned serious, "I believe your ascension brought the Patriarch out of seclusion, and then he smelled that Stella's bloodline was ripe. You need to hide Stella. Even I can't protect Stella if the Patriarch reemerges and decides to hunt her down himself."

"How does he know her bloodline is ripe?" Ash asked.

Valandor tapped his nose, "By smell. He has a keen sense for bloodlines and knows a ritual that allows him to bathe in the blood of bloodline holders and assimilate a weaker version of their bloodline." Valandor then gestured to Diana with his chin, "Is this form of yours a result of a bloodline? If so, you should hide as well."

"How can we hide?" Diana asked as she lowered her wings.

"I have two suggestions," Valandor raised two fingers, "First, you run far away, perhaps even further than the Tainted Cloud Sect. The second less feasible one is to hide away in a pocket realm somehow."

Diana crossed her arms below her chest and didn't seem convinced, "Won't the Patriarch notice the disappearance of our scent and hunt us down before we can even get away?"

Valandor shook his head, "He returned to close-door cultivation to finish absorbing a bloodline from the Starweaver family. I can also buy you some time by claiming the Voidmind family killed you during the war with the Skyrend family—void Qi would explain the sudden lack of scent. Would that work for you?"

Stella exchanged a look with Diana. "We could run off to the Tainted Cloud Sect until Ash is finished ascending."

Diana nodded, "Looks like the only option for now."

Later, we can hide inside Ash's Inner World. Stella thought but didn't say that out loud in front of Valandor. Clearly, he was on their side, but there was no telling what information would make him switch sides.

"Good, you should leave as soon as possible," Valandor said as white flames flickered across his body. "I will head over to the Voidmind residence and conduct a fake investigation."

"Hold on." Ash said as a portal rippled into existence, "Allow my guardian and Elder Elaine to accompany you. I have some business to settle with the Voidmind family."

Larry crawled through the portal in all his shimmering silver glory and eyed Valandor with his many red eyes. Stella smirked a little, seeing the composed man take a hesitant step back as the Nascent Soul Realm divine beast stared him down.

"O-of course," Valandor said warily, "May I ask what this business with the Voidmind family could be?"

"Eradication and salvation for a chosen few," Ash replied cryptically.

A tired-looking Elaine stepped through a portal beside Larry, giving Stella a wink. Stella returned the gesture with a smile. They had discussed going to save her family members in the past, and it seemed Ash had finally decided to take action. With Larry's evolution, conquering the Voidmind family would be a breeze.

Two new portals rippled into existence on either side of the peak: one behind Stella and Diana and the other behind Valandor. Through the rift, Stella could see Slymere, and glancing over her shoulder, the one behind her showed the empty alley behind the restaurant in Nightshade City.

"Looks like we are going our separate ways already," Stella gave a slight nod to Valandor—the man known as the White Reaper was rather untrustworthy. Still, it was a fact that he had risked a lot to come over to Red Vine Peak and warn her about the Patriarch, and for that, she was thankful.

"Until Vincent Nightrose is dead, it's for the best we keep our distance." Grand Elder Valandor clasped his hands behind his back and turned to walk through the portal, "I'm sure we will cross paths sometime soon, and I say this with genuine awe—I am surprised how far you have grown since I last saw you. Keep it up. I'm sure your parents would be proud, Stella."

With those words, he was gone. Larry and Elaine followed behind, and the portal snapped closed.

Stella clicked her tongue. They would be proud? Why should I care what they think? All I care about is Ash's opinion—

"He is right," Ashlock said, "Even I am beyond proud of you."

Stella felt her lip quiver. This was all too much.

"Now run to the Tainted Cloud Sect, don't worry about me. My ascension is almost over."

Stella walked over and patted his bark, "See you soon... and just so you know, you are the only Dad I care for."

Ashlock chuckled, "I am flattered, truly. But learning about your family is important. We don't know the circumstances behind your origins, so give them the benefit of the doubt. Okay?"

"Fine," Stella replied, but internally she wasn't so sure. Everyone had neglected her upbringing—only Ash had been there to protect her. How could she face her supposed Father who abandoned her and she thought was dead for all these years?

Stepping away and giving Ash one final smile, she stepped through the portal with Diana and headed to the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion, where she planned to turn in the bounty and learn more.

"I just hope the Celestial Warden doesn't make things difficult for me..." Stella muttered.