The night deepened.
Time slipped by unnoticed. In a small pavilion, Lorian Vale drank heavily, cup after cup. The wine scorched his throat like fire, yet he didn't use spiritual energy to dispel it. Instead, he let the drunkenness seep through him. Slightly dizzy, inspiration struck, and he chanted aloud:
"Remembering youth, wandering in the imperial gardens,
Carriages flowing like water, horses like dragons,
Flowers and moon in the spring breeze.
Dreaming of the distant frontier,
Sorrow rising with the west wind over green waves,
Where is the way home?"
This poem, Remembering Youth, was an impromptu creation. Though no renowned poet, Lorian hailed from a noble family and had studied many classics. Blending past masters' lines, he recalled his youth and mused on the present—a fitting reflection for his current state.
But as he recited, a resonant voice broke in from outside: "Hand over the Profound War Mirror, and every path will lead you home. Lorian Vale, rather than clinging to a treasure and lamenting under the moon, return it to its rightful owners and find your way back."
With those words, three figures appeared in the courtyard.
At their head stood a purple-robed elder, short in stature but radiating an overwhelming presence that drew all eyes to him. Hands clasped behind his back, his stern gaze made it hard to meet his eyes.
Recognizing him, Lorian Vale spoke: "So, the Great Vow Master Wu Nian graces us with his presence!"
Among the four True Lords of the Celestial God Palace, Wu Nian ranked second, wielding insight and renowned for mastering the Great Vow Divine Ability.
"Knowing it's the Vow Master himself, why don't you kneel?" a voice thundered. It was He Chong, who had clashed with Lorian at Verdant Mist Mountain and uttered the earlier words about returning.
The elder, however, remained calm, saying only, "No matter."
Lorian's gaze shifted to another figure—a young man in white, his features faintly mirroring Lorian's own.
Seeing him, Lorian trembled. "Big Brother!"
He had suspected the Vale family might send someone, but not his eldest brother, Vale Ruogu.
Vale Ruogu met his eyes, his face devoid of warmth. "Father and Mother miss you. Give back what belongs to the Celestial God Palace and come home with me."
"Father… Mother…" Lorian whispered, a bitter smile flickering across his lips. "Are they well?"
"They're not. For the past six months, they've suffered because of you. I'm here to bring you back to them."
"To see them…" A shadow of sorrow crossed Lorian's eyes. "Can I still?"
"Of course," Wu Nian interjected. "Lorian Vale, you've misunderstood us from the start. The Celestial God Palace never meant to kill you. The Vale family is one of Moqiu's four great houses—we don't harm our own. We only intended to use the Mind-Cleansing Technique after settling matters, to erase your memories."
The Mind-Cleansing Technique, an immortal art, stripped away memories. Yet it was blunt—wiping out not just recollection but divine sense, halting the recipient's progress at the Heavenly Heart Realm forever.
Lorian laughed bitterly. "Without memories, am I still me?"
Without them, his mastery of arrays would vanish, leaving him unable to cast even basic techniques. He'd be a shell of his realm, weaker than a spirit apprentice. Memory defined a person; without it, he'd be no more than an infant.
Besides, the technique was intricate—Wu Nian's promise might just be a sop to the Vale family.
"Better than death," Wu Nian countered. "Let me use the Soul-Searching Technique to check your memories, ensure you've leaked nothing, and return our property. I swear, as a True Lord, I won't kill you—only erase your memories and send you back to the Vale family. This is what we promised Vale Huaili."
The Soul-Searching Technique was worse—agonizing, often shattering the soul or leaving one mindless.
Soul-searching followed by mind-cleansing was torture beyond imagining, yet Wu Nian spoke of it casually, as if it were just.
To him, Lorian's theft of a priceless treasure warranted this leniency—a mercy to the Vale family.
Rage flared in Lorian's chest. He glared at Wu Nian. "Search my soul, cleanse my mind—Shi Wunian, you're ruthless, as befits the Celestial God Palace's feared overseer. But this time, you won't have your way!"
Fury stripped away titles; he spat out Wu Nian's true name.
He rose, spiritual energy surging, his battle intent blazing even against a Violet Palace True Lord.
Vale Ruogu paled. "Third Brother, what are you doing? Don't be rash!"
His buried concern broke through.
Wu Nian's face darkened. "Insolent!"
A mere glance thickened the air, pinning Lorian's energy within him.
He Chong charged, hand outstretched. "Lorian Vale, surrender!"
Though bound, Lorian laughed fearlessly. "A Violet Palace True Lord, whose thoughts weave heaven and earth, conjuring powers with a whim. Let's see if your cultivation can stop me!"
Spiritual light erupted from him, an unstoppable force even Wu Nian couldn't restrain.
Wu Nian's face shifted. "He's going to self-destruct his Heavenly Heart!"
He hadn't foreseen Lorian's resolve—death over submission. Alarmed, he struck out, a tidal pressure surging forth. "Lorian Vale, don't be reckless! Think of your family—"
"I am!" Lorian cut in. "As long as you lack the mirror, you won't touch the Vale family! I've ensured that if I die and you act against them, the mirror's secret will spread worldwide. Tell me, Big Brother, you don't even know what it is, do you?"
Vale Ruogu froze.
He didn't. The Vale family knew only that Lorian had taken a treasure tied to a trove they'd tasked him with opening—nothing of its nature or worth.
Not every treasure justified such pursuit. The palace's hunt could stem from its value or mere wrath at betrayal.
Now, it seemed its worth was unimaginable—enough to threaten the Vale family's existence. Vale Ruogu reeled.
"What?" Wu Nian's heart jolted. Lorian had a hidden card.
His focus faltered, and his grip weakened. Lorian's light flared, a radiant beam piercing the night like a dawn sun.
"No!" Wu Nian cried, hands thrusting forward. "Universe Shield, rise!"
An immortal barrier encased the trio.
"Third Brother, no!" Vale Ruogu screamed.
Lorian met his brother's gaze, tears glistening. "Goodbye, Big Brother. I've no face to repay our parents in this life. All I leave to you…"
"No!"
Amid Vale Ruogu's cries, energy erupted from Lorian, streaming from every pore with torrents of blood.
It crashed outward like a sea tide, slamming the Universe Shield, igniting endless brilliance.
The estate vanished in an instant, the force flattening all around it.
The remote location spared lives, but the countryside quaked, light piercing the heavens.
If before it mimicked sunrise, now it was the sun itself, bathing distant Anyang Prefecture in its glow, shaking the city.
"Who dares disrupt Anyang Prefecture?" Figures soared from the city, peering toward the chaos.
The energy tide roared, stunning all who witnessed it.
Such power—what strength could unleash it?
"Something grave has occurred," a cultivator rasped.
A white horse sped along Anyang's ancient road.
Evan Reed fought the spiritual threads binding him, but they held fast.
As the estate receded, his heart sank.
"No, no, I must go back!" he yelled.
He drove the Hidden Form Sutra, drawing in spiritual energy, knowing it was futile but refusing to stop.
The energy tore through him, agonizing, yet he persisted, pushing it against his bonds.
Then, a wisp merged into his blood, vanishing. A thread snapped.
Stunned, then thrilled, he pressed on. More energy fused, his blood boiling as if to burst.
It was strange, unprecedented, but he embraced it, his strength soaring.
With a roar, he shattered the threads in a cascade of snaps.
The horse collapsed, reverting to paper.
Evan crashed down but leapt up, unharmed, brimming with power. He glared at the paper horse. "No! Rise! Take me back!"
It lay still, unresponsive.
Frustrated, he discarded it and ran toward the estate.
Not to fight the palace, but to drag Lorian away before they struck.
What if the Vale family had a life lamp? They could flee with the mirror to the Moon-Washing Sect—surely the palace wouldn't dare follow!
Hardships had answers; surrender wasn't an option.
But steps in, a boom rang out, light flooding the sky.
It was the estate.
"No! Big Brother Lorian!" Evan wailed.
He knew then—Lorian Vale was gone.
Gazing at the distant smoke, he dropped to his knees.
Fury blazed in his eyes as he roared skyward:
"Big Brother Lorian, farewell!"
"Evan Reed swears a grand vow today… by my inner demons, my heart eternal: as long as I live, I will raze the Celestial God Palace!"