Tiberius's main objective in calling Stella Crestfallen to his office was to sate his burning curiosity. He had lived a long, long life, and as a Celestial Warden of the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion, he had connections to powerful cultivators as numerous as stars in the sky.

None of them could make a divine being move to save them. Not even one.

Divine beings were transcendent, meaning they had to originate from a higher plane of existence. Until recently, the World Tree was the only divine being in the realm, and nobody could manifest her power in combat.

Yet Stella had a spider-shaped storm of divine ash move to kill her foes. Also, Dorian Lunarshade seemed convinced the leader of the Ashfallen Sect was the reincarnation of a divine being from the higher realms before he was dragged off and likely killed.

She certainly carries herself like someone capable of such a feat. Tiberius mused as he looked at the girl casually sitting opposite him. Her legs were crossed, and she rested her head in her palm as she leaned on the armrest. As a courtesy, they had both removed their masks so Tiberius could see her expression and she could see his.

Stella seemed bored—her eyes seemed distant and tranquil, like an immortal yet with a hint of madness brewing beneath, which didn't match her youthful physique that couldn't be older than eighteen.

"Not one for meetings?" He asked to break the silence that had drawn on between them.

"No." Stella replied, "They bore me to death and are usually a waste of time."

"I see," Tiberius mused as he fell into thought.

She displays the attitude of a spoiled child or an immortal princess who knows the value of her time. To show such disinterest when meeting someone of my stature means I am below those she usually converses with, or her cultivation is so far above mine that I am an ant in her eyes, but that shouldn't be the case.

Judging by how the defensive formations reacted, she has to be in the upper stages of the Star Core Realm. An impossibility for a spatial cultivator of such a young age, meaning her youthful appearance is the result of being a prodigy at a young age.

Yet I don't feel a hint or see any evidence of heart demons plaguing her soul. It's as if she is entirely pure. Now that I think about it, her soul flames during the fight with the Lunarshade family were also devoid of impurities. An impossible feat without slow and careful cultivation to build a perfect foundation.

"Well, as I promised, I will make this quick," Tiberius said, earning a slight stir in interest from Stella as she looked at him. "But first, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Tiberius, and I originally hail from the Celestial Empire."

Stella's eyes widened slightly, and she raised her head from her palm. "Then what are you doing here?"

I finally got her attention. It seems the Celestial Empire is a topic of interest to her. I wonder why.

Tiberius decided to humor her question, "The Eternal Pursuit Pavilion is a realm-spanning organization, meaning we have a branch in almost every sect and empire—including the Celestial Empire. I worked my way up the ranks all the way up to Sage Advisor to the Celestial Warden in the Celestial Empire's branch during my youth. Unable to promote further, I looked for opportunities elsewhere, and that's how I ended up here in the Tainted Cloud Sect, where the largest branch for this region's demonic sects lies."

It wasn't exactly a secret, so Tiberius didn't mind telling Stella if it would earn some trust. As far as he was concerned, she had all the secrets and was shrouded in mystery. Due to her background and temperament, he was unsure how far he could push for answers without risking the wrath of those behind her.

Stella hummed with interest as she leaned back in her chair, "I didn't know celestial cultivators would mingle with the dregs out here in the demonic sects."

So, she has a poor opinion of demonic cultivators. It makes sense as she is devoid of any heart demons, meaning she reached her impressive cultivation level without abusing beast cores. But then, where is she from?

Tiberius chuckled lightly, "Why wouldn't we? There is much to learn and gain from trading and interacting with the demonic cultivators, though I will admit few would be as bold as I to move and live out here. What about you? Where are you from?"

"I don't know," Stella answered nonchalantly.

Tiberius searched her expression and found no hint of lies—or perhaps she was too good at hiding it. "What about your parents?"

Stella shrugged, "Don't know either."

"You are part of the Crestfallen bloodline, right?" Tiberius stroked his chin in fake contemplation. He knew that was a fact—at least, that's what the records said. "Janus Crestfallen's origins are also unknown. How does he relate to you?"

"I wouldn't know," Stella returned to her bored position. "All I know is we share a bloodline. He could be my father, cousin, or brother, but I have no idea unless I ask him."

"Would you like to ask him? We have a branch in the Frozen Star Sect where he resides, so sending a message would be easy enough."

"Oh?" Stella perked up, "That's a good idea, I will do it later."

"Why not now?" Tiberius stood up and walked over to his desk. They would get nowhere at this rate, and he still craved answers. Just who is this girl, and where the hell did she come from?

"I would rather do it later," Stella said, but Tiberius ignored her. She was far too hard to read and didn't seem keen on opening up about her dubious origins, so this would be an excellent way to gain more insight.

He inserted his pendant into a hole in the center of the desk with a satisfying click, and power rippled across the desk surface before a golden light interface sprung to life, showing him all the operations of the pavilion. As the Celestial Warden, he could use most services for free, so he selected the Frozen Star Sect with a swipe of his finger.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

***

Stella really hated the direction in which the meeting was going. She had been instructed to remove her mask, so she tried her best to show no emotions or reactions to any questions while seeming as bored as possible so the Celestial Warden would lose interest in her and let her go.

"What message should I send him?" The handsome man with short black hair and a perfect temperament asked as he poked his head around the floating golden words over the table. "Don't worry, it's free of charge."

I wasn't worried about the cost. I am going to be quite wealthy soon from selling pills, you know? Stella cursed in her mind and barely managed to hide her irritation. Now was not the time to speak to her deadbeat dad, who had faked his death and left her alone yet was supposedly in the Nascent Soul Realm. She did have many questions she wished to ask him, but not with the Celestial Warden breathing over her shoulder.

"Say hello from me, and that I am in a meeting with you," Stella said, hoping that Janus would get the hint and not spill anything important.

"Okay," the Celestial Warden relayed Stella's message aloud to his table, and then it was sent off to the Frozen Star Sect. Withdrawing his pendant from the table with a click, he strode back over to their table and took his seat. "It shouldn't take too long to get an answer," he said, giving a charming smile. "In the meantime, I must admit I have a burning question."

So many questions. Stella sighed. "Sure, what is it?"

"Nox—"

Stella gripped the armrest a little tighter at the mention of the thing she had been dreading.

"—where is she?" Tiberius leaned in closer. "I know she is still alive, but I haven't heard from her since she visited the Voidmind family to rid herself of a rather unique curse. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

Stella quickly thought about the best way to go about this. Begging for forgiveness? Off the table. Admitting that Nox had become a tree? A quick path to the grave. The Celestial Warden seemed like a man who knew boundaries despite his superior cultivation and position, but Stella had no plans to test its breaking point.

Deciding to default to the mode she was best at, she smirked and assumed a haunting young mistress pose. "The Voidmind family? I fear they won't have been much help."

"Oh?" Tiberius raised a brow, "Why not?"

Stella inspected her nails to avoid having to look into the Celestial Warden's eyes. "They were a stain on the land, so the Ashfallen Sect wiped them out. So it suffices to say that Nox wouldn't have found much help from a family that only exists in history books."

Or they will be gone... soon. I can't imagine them surviving Larry's wrath, and no information seems to leave the Blood Lotus Sect and reach the pavilion's ears due to Vincent driving them out, so they won't be able to verify my words for quite some time.

Tiberius leaned back in his chair, unable to contain a look of surprise on his handsome face. "Was there a reason for eradicating such a rare and powerful family? You do know there's no other void Qi cultivators out there."

"Mhm?" Stella glanced up from her nails, "Oh, I know. As for the reason, there wasn't really one. They just caused too much disturbance for us—we hate people that go around poking their noses where they don't belong. I'm sure you would understand that much?"

That wasn't a total lie. The Voidmind librarian had met an unfortunate end inside Ash's trunk due to appearing on Red Vine Peak uninvited, and that death had caused a series of events that led to the Voidminds' imminent extinction.

"I see, so the Voidmind family is no more. It's a hard pill to swallow as few dare to stand against one who can wield the void, but if anyone can do it, I believe it lies within the realm of capabilities for the Ashfallen Sect." Tiberius closed his eyes as if saying a prayer for the fallen, or perhaps he was taking a moment to calm his expression. Once his eyes snapped open, he asked, "So what happened to my dear Nox?"

Heavens, this topic is a real pain. Stella internally groaned. She hated meetings and despised talking with ancient cultivators like this even more. Everything had a hidden meaning, and she had to be very careful and cryptic with her words. Any wrong move could expose the true strength of the Ashfallen Sect, and Stella wasn't sure they would survive if such a fact became known.

Clearing her throat, Stella replied, "Ahem, well, Nox dared to go against a deal and steal from me, so the fact she isn't dead is quite generous of me," Stella said as arrogantly as she could muster, "For now, she is repenting in the Ashfallen Sect for her crimes while she adapts to living with the curse. You will be free to see her in time."

"She is repenting?" The Celestial Warden clearly wasn't too happy with learning that his beloved Nox was being held hostage if his grave expression was anything to go by. Yet, it seemed Stella's arrogant performance had convinced him it was a twisted form of kindness as he wiped away his anger and gave a weary smile, "I suppose I should thank the Ashfallen Sect for showing her mercy... she was always a rash and hardheaded girl that caused those who cared for her a lot of problems in the past. I had hoped she grew up, but I guess not."

"Be assured, Celestial Warden, as a gesture for our new friendship, I will personally ensure she is treated well." Stella lied through her teeth. The damage was already done—Nox was a freaking tree!

"If a person such as yourself is seeing to it personally, then I can rest assured," Tiberius replied.

Stella quickly jumped in to change the topic. "Could you tell me about the World Tree from the perspective of someone who lived in the Celestial Empire?"

"That's an interesting question, and I suppose it's unfair if I am the only one asking," Tiberius stroked his chin. "Let's see. The World Tree is breathtakingly beautiful, with bark of shining gold that reaches for the heavens. The sheer size of the tree is impossible to articulate in words, but entire cities are built along its numerous branches and between its exposed roots. Its canopy is so vast it encompasses the sky from horizon to horizon, and during the day, the cities are bathed in golden light as the sunlight bounces between her golden leaves."

Stella wasn't sure when it happened, but she was on the edge of her seat. The description of the World Tree painted such a breathtaking picture in her head that she couldn't imagine her Mother gifting the cultivators under her canopy such a life while being in immense pain.

A twinkling of nostalgia clouded the Celestial Warden's eyes, "I still miss it sometimes. The air was crisp with Qi, so there was never a need for beast cores to cultivate. It was all right there for us. Oh, and the World Tree's sap... ah, it was bliss."

"Yes, the World Tree sap. Tell me more," Stella couldn't hold back. "I am most curious about it."

Valandor said Janus had fed him World Tree sap to free him from Vincent's control, so it must be a mythical substance.

"What's there to say?" Tiberius shrugged. "The Celestial Order, the most powerful group in the Empire, harvests divine sap from the World Tree and gives it to their followers in the form of pills or wines. In return, the cultivators pray to the World Tree and protect it from beast tides. A harmonious relationship that has gone on for thousands of years."

Stella heard her seat creak in protest as her grip around the armrest tightened as she tried to hold back her rage. Harmonious? What an unbelievable lie. Those Celestial Order bastards know precisely what they are doing, and they hide it from the cultivators by putting themselves between the cultivators and the divine sap supply.

"Other than that, there isn't much to say—oh, actually, as a higher-up, I did hear rumors that the Order had started doing some more questionable practices using the World Tree sap inspired by some of the rituals conducted here in the demonic sects."

"Such as?" Stella asked.

Tiberius bit his lip, "Mhm, I shouldn't really say. It made raising pill furnaces or creating Nocturnes seem like child's play—" A sudden flash from the table drew both of their attention. "—looks like a message from Janus has arrived."

He got up and strode over to the desk. Inserting his pendant with a click, a voice Stella vaguely remembered from her childhood echoed through the room with a single ominous line before it cut out.

"Run—they are coming for you."