Chapter 114: A Twist of Fate

The path of cultivation is timeless.

A crisp autumn breeze blew, bringing with it a hint of chill. Gu Weiyu had traded her elite disciple robes from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect for a simple goose-yellow gown. She sat cross-legged atop her spirit pet, Qingtuan, munching on a crunchy green fruit. As the sweet and tart flavor spread across her palate, she could not help but narrow her eyes in enjoyment.

At her feet, the little sprout, now successfully stretched to half a meter in height with eight or nine green leaves, was clutching a piece of red spar. Its tender shoots probed into the stone, and its leaves swayed joyfully. Qingtuan was highly intelligent and steered itself automatically toward the direction of Spirit Hidden City.

Having successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage, Gu Weiyu was generally safe, provided she did not have the misfortune of encountering demonic or spirit cultivators at the Golden Core stage. The Voidless Realm was merely a minor world, and the number of Golden Core cultivators could be counted on one’s fingers, so she felt little cause for concern.

Spirit Hidden City was situated on a small spirit vein not far from the Snow Dragon Mountain Range. Through the continuous development of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, it had grown into a major city comparable to the five great cities of the Ten Thousand Swords region. From afar, before even entering the city, Gu Weiyu could see vast stretches of red and yellow leaves blanketing the mountains, imbued with the desolate beauty unique to autumn. The thought of reaching Spirit Hidden City and seeing Gu Weilan filled her with excitement.

"Qingtuan, let’s head down and take a look." Gu Weiyu gestured toward a valley below.

Qingtuan dove nimbly into the woods and landed in a patch of grass. "Little Sprout, we’re off!" Gu Weiyu said lightly to the curled-up seedling.

"Okay!" The little sprout unfurled, and the red spar it was holding shattered into tiny fragments. It darted into the pile of fallen leaves like a gust of wind, frolicking with the glee of a toddler who had just been given candy.

Gu Weiyu scanned her surroundings, where the landscape was carpeted in golden leaves. Enjoying the rare tranquility, she strolled through the foliage. If one looked closely, they would notice that while her movements appeared slow, her footwork shifted with every step. Half an hour later, she stood on a hillside overlooking the distant city, a faint smile gracing her lips. A pair of dimples appeared on her cheeks, giving the usually mature young girl a rare touch of playfulness.

"Spirit Hidden City!" Gu Weiyu’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the three ancient seal characters carved above the city gate.

Although the sky was only just beginning to brighten, a long queue had already formed outside the gates. Gu Weiyu joined the end of the line. A quarter of an hour later, she followed the flow of people into the city. As the headquarters of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, Spirit Hidden City was deeply favored by rogue cultivators; over ninety percent of the population consisted of them. Without needing to ask for directions, her sharp divine sense extracted the information she needed from the myriad conversations surrounding her. She did not stop, heading straight toward her destination.

An incense stick’s worth of time later, she arrived at the offices of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.

"Senior, how may I help you?" A boy in dark grey clothing stepped forward, greeting her with a bright smile.

Gu Weiyu was startled by the title "Senior," but then she realized: she was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Being addressed as such by a boy at the initial stage of Qi Refining was perfectly normal. After all, in the world of cultivation, one’s age could rarely be discerned from their appearance.

"Do you know of the True Lord Lone Sword?" Gu Weiyu, having silently processed her promotion to "senior," glanced at the boy and inquired.

"Who hasn't heard of True Lord Lone Sword?" The boy became visibly excited, looking as though he were ready to recount the True Lord’s every heroic deed.

Gu Weiyu pursed her lips, retrieved three low-grade spirit stones from her storage pouch, and said, "That is enough. Please take me to the residence of True Lord Lone Sword."

The boy happily accepted the stones and turned to walk eastward. "Please follow me, Senior!"

Gu Weiyu nodded slightly and followed. After turning a few corners, the boy stopped in front of a modest-looking house. He pointed to the building and said, "Senior, this is the residence of True Lord Lone Sword."

"Very well." Gu Weiyu produced two more spirit stones and tossed them to the boy. "That will be all. You may go."

The boy beamed, caught the stones, and scurried away. Gu Weiyu examined the tightly closed doors, stepped forward, and knocked gently. Addressing the courtyard, she said respectfully, "Junior Gu Weiyu requests an audience with True Lord Lone Sword!"

The courtyard remained silent, as if it were unoccupied. Gu Weiyu stood quietly outside the gate, waiting patiently and composedly for a response.

Shortly after, the gate creaked open without a breeze, revealing the small, serene courtyard within. Knowing this was an invitation to enter, she took a deep breath and stepped inside. The door creaked shut behind her. Gu Weiyu’s gaze fell upon a spirit jujube tree in the yard. It was late autumn, and only a few withered yellow leaves hung from its branches, looking somewhat desolate. Beneath the tree, a Daoist in green robes sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, a long sword hanging at his waist.

"So, you are Gu Weiyu?" The Daoist’s gaze was sharp as lightning as he swept his eyes over her.

"Yes," Gu Weiyu replied, bowing her head in compliance.

"What business do you have with me?" The True Lord’s voice softened as he asked.

"Junior has heard my sister speak of you, Senior. I have come today hoping to invite my sister to return home with me," Gu Weiyu said truthfully.

True Lord Lone Sword let out an "oh" and replied, "How unfortunate. Weilan left some days ago, saying she intended to return home."

Gu Weiyu couldn't help but press further, "Senior, did my fourth sister mention anything else?"

The True Lord shook his head, looking quite helpless. "Don't you know your fourth sister's temperament by now? She is as tight-lipped as a sealed gourd!"

Gu Weiyu fell silent, thinking to herself that the True Lord was not as eccentric or unreasonable as rumored, and that he clearly understood her fourth sister quite well.

"In that case, Junior shall take her leave." Her expression dimmed, the earlier excitement replaced by disappointment.

True Lord Lone Sword nodded gently and flicked his sleeve; the courtyard gate opened once more. Gu Weiyu left the premises and stood amidst the bustling streets of Spirit Hidden City, feeling a sense of confusion. She had not expected that, through a twist of fate, her sister would have already departed. Her plan to travel back with her was now abandoned. It seemed she was destined to embark on the journey back to Qin County alone.

She leapt onto the high city wall, her mind drifting to the map of the Voidless Realm that her great-grandfather had given her.