The embers of their dying campfire flickered in the crisp morning air, casting long shadows over the rocky terrain. The night had been restless, not from fatigue, but from the weight of Shen Xian's words. Lord Wu Tian had extended his hand—not in friendship, but in ambition. His offer of alliance was a warning wrapped in persuasion, a reminder that they were being watched, that their every move had already begun to shape the future of the realms.
Jiang Chen stood apart from the others, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the first light of dawn stretched across the sky. He traced his fingers over the talisman, its warmth pulsing against his skin, as though it, too, understood the gravity of the moment.
Behind him, Xiao Yue approached, her steps careful yet purposeful. "You don't trust them," she stated rather than asked.
Jiang Chen exhaled, watching the mist of his breath dissipate into the cold air. "No," he said simply. "But trust is not what they seek. They want leverage. They want to use me as a fulcrum to tip the celestial order in their favor."
Xiao Yue folded her arms, her expression dark with thought. "And what will you do?"
Before Jiang Chen could answer, Wen Ling spoke from the edge of the camp, where he had been tending to a shallow cut on his forearm—a wound from the previous night's battle. "They won't stop," he said, glancing toward Jiang Chen. "That wasn't an offer. That was a warning. Next time, they won't talk. They'll make us listen by force."
Li Wei, seated by the campfire, let out a quiet breath. "It was no coincidence they approached now. Lord Wu Tian must believe we are close to something."
Lao Yun, his gaze steady and thoughtful, tapped his staff lightly against the ground. "The Devouring Immortal moves with careful calculation. If he has chosen now to reveal his intentions, it means he believes the balance of power is shifting in his favor."
Jiang Chen's fingers tightened around the talisman. "Then we must move before that balance tips."
Xiao Yue looked at him. "Where?"
Jiang Chen turned toward the east, where beyond the mist-laden valleys and jagged peaks lay an ancient ruin untouched by time. "Before the heavens sealed my knowledge, there was a place—one not recorded in any modern texts. A place that holds the remnants of celestial wisdom."
Lao Yun's gaze sharpened. "The Valley of Withered Stars."
A hush fell over the group. Even Li Wei, who rarely reacted to matters of celestial history, stiffened slightly.
"That place is cursed," Wen Ling muttered. "It was a battleground once—one where celestial scholars clashed over knowledge too dangerous to exist. No sect lays claim to it. No cultivator dares enter."
Jiang Chen nodded. "Which is why it's the only place where we might find answers without interference."
Xiao Yue frowned, her arms crossing in clear unease. "If we go there, we move beyond the empire's reach. Even the Tribunal's influence will wane."
Jiang Chen met her gaze. "Precisely."
For a long moment, silence stretched between them, the only sound the wind whispering through the mountain pass. Then, Lao Yun spoke. "Then we leave at dawn."
Deep within the capital, in the shadows of unseen war…
In a hidden sanctum beneath the imperial city, golden light flickered over an ancient celestial map, its lines shifting like the currents of fate. Lord Wu Tian stood before it, his expression unreadable as he traced a single glowing point with the tip of his finger.
Shen Xian knelt before him, his posture rigid. "He refused."
Wu Tian did not look away from the map. "Of course he did."
Shen Xian hesitated. "Shall we intervene?"
Wu Tian exhaled slowly. "Not yet." His fingers pressed against the glowing point—The Valley of Withered Stars.
"He thinks the past will grant him wisdom," Wu Tian murmured. "Let us ensure he finds something else instead."
The Devouring Immortal turned to his emissary, his voice carrying the weight of command. "Summon the Spectral Envoys. The Sage will not walk his path unchallenged."
A cold silence fell upon the chamber, broken only by the flickering of ethereal flames.