The chaos unfolding in the outside world remained unknown to Gu Xiu. He was currently entirely focused on transcribing the Celestial Book of Talismans. To call it a mere transcription was an understatement; it was a journey of profound enlightenment.

The Nameless Ancient Tome possessed a function far beyond simply upgrading manuals or merging techniques: it allowed for the rapid acceleration of one's comprehension. Gu Xiu had caught a glimpse of this while transcribing the three Daoist scriptures, but because he had already mastered those texts, the effect had been subtle. With the Celestial Book of Talismans, the clarity was staggering.

Normally, gaining even a foundational understanding of such a tome would take a year of dedicated study. Mastering it would take decades. Yet, under the influence of the ancient manual, every character Gu Xiu wrote acted as a key, unlocking deeper layers of perception. In just one day and one night, he reached the final stroke.

Instantly! A brilliant radiance erupted from the ancient tome within his Dantian’s sea of qi. The transcribed pages drifted upward, coalescing into a standalone volume that hovered within his sea of qi. Two simple yet heavy words adorned the cover: Talisman Book.

Gu Xiu opened it and was struck with awe. This new volume was leagues beyond the already formidable Celestial Book of Talismans.

Ordinary talisman arts involved beckoning the Dao Rhythms of heaven and earth, essentially pleading with the laws of the world for aid. The Celestial Book had gone further, making those rhythms actively receptive and eager to assist. But this new Talisman Book... it contained the secrets of how to construct Dao Rhythms from nothing.

This discovery shook Gu Xiu to his core. The Dao Rhythms were the fundamental natural laws of the universe. Even the Paramount Sovereigns of the Mahayana stage would never dare claim they could manufacture such laws. What was written here was the work of gods.

However, Gu Xiu eventually shook his head and closed the book. Its power was undeniable, but its difficulty was equally immense. He understood that a cultivator’s greatest tool was their own foundation. At the third layer of Qi Refining, he was a mere novice. Attempting to force his way into the mysteries of law-creation was a fool's errand that would only destabilize his current progress.

Exiting his internal vision, he glanced at the green bamboo pole. "This artifact is truly heaven-defying," he murmured.

In the future he had glimpsed, Jiang Xun had used this pole to hook countless treasures, herbs, and spirit stones, though he often hauled up useless debris. Gu Xiu had been prepared for a haul of basic resources; he never expected to hook a lost celestial manual on his first cast.

He tried to fish again, but the pole remained dormant. It was as he suspected: it could only be activated once every ten days. He felt no regret. For a cultivator, ten days was a blink of an eye.

It was time to leave.

He had spent the last month in this cave solely to reach the third layer. Now that he had succeeded, he could no longer stay. This location was too close to the Qingxuan Sacred Land, and its spiritual energy was too sparse for a long-term stay.

Cultivation required a rich environment. He had only survived this month by exhausting the spirit stones he had left behind five centuries ago. Now that his reserves were dry, lingering here would only invite stagnation.

After restoring the cave to its original, abandoned state, Gu Xiu stepped outside. He immediately ducked back under cover.

In the sky above, a streak of rainbow light cut through the clouds. Even at a distance, he recognized the figure: his former senior sister, Nian Zhaoxi.

Why is she here? Gu Xiu wondered.

He didn't assume she was looking for him. His memories of her were faint; even five hundred years ago, she had been a reclusive figure, and their interactions after his return had been non-existent. Regardless of her purpose, he wanted no complications. He waited, then slipped silently into the dense forest, heading in the opposite direction.

His destination: Cloudsoar City.

It was a sanctuary for rogue cultivators, far from the influence of the major sects. Having severed his ties to the Sacred Land, Gu Xiu was determined to live for himself, free from the burdens of others. More importantly, his visions told him that Cloudsoar City was about to witness a massive opportunity—one that Jiang Xun had claimed in the other timeline. This time, Gu Xiu intended to take it for himself.

Half a day later, the cave dwelling welcomed its second visitor in five hundred years.

Nian Zhaoxi landed softly at the entrance. Her eyes brimmed with exhaustion and excitement. "Traces of a formation! My divination was right! He didn't go to the city; he came here!"

She didn't rush in. "Junior Brother?" she called out softly.

Silence.

"Junior Brother? It’s me... Nian Zhaoxi. I have something I need to tell you..." Her voice trembled. "May I come in?"

The desolate quiet made her heart seize with fear. Had something happened to him? She hurried inside, only to find a cave covered in dust. To the naked eye, it looked as if no one had stepped foot inside for centuries.

"How... how is this possible?" she whispered. "My Heaven's Secrets art pointed directly here. Did I fail?"

Then, she paused. "Wait. This cave is covered in dust, but there isn't a single insect or rodent. And these formations... they've been recently activated."

A spark of hope returned to her eyes. "It's him. He was always so careful. He used a technique to hide his traces before he left."

She began a meticulous search of every corner. Eventually, in a dusty crevice, she found a pile of bluish powder.

"Drained spirit stones?" she muttered, touching the fine dust. "Drained so completely they turned to powder?"

Normally, when spirit stones are used to power machines, they shatter into chunks. Only a cultivator who absorbs every single sliver of energy through painstaking meditation would leave behind such a fine residue.

"Could he have recovered his cultivation?" she wondered, her heart aching.

Only the most impoverished rogue cultivators, those desperate for every drop of energy, would be so meticulous. She thought of Gu Xiu's former status and the pittance of a stipend he had been given. The guilt was a physical weight in her chest.

"Junior Brother, I will find you," she vowed, soaring back into the sky. "I will make this right."

Just as she prepared to resume the hunt, the sect token at her waist hummed. An urgent summons from Guan Xuelan: Return Immediately!

Nian Zhaoxi looked toward the endless mountain range, let out a frustrated sigh, and turned back toward the Qingxuan Sacred Land.

Deep within the forest, Gu Xiu suddenly paused.

He felt a strange sensation, as if someone were watching his back. He glanced behind him, but his attention was quickly pulled forward.

The air had turned cold and foul. Evil spirits were blocking his path.

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