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The darkness receded like a tide, revealing the Kunlun Snow Mountain and the vast sea of clouds surrounding it once more.

The cold wind at the summit made Chen Xuan shiver.

Right, what happened to that thick-skinned giant insect...

He scanned the area and quickly found the scattered corpse of the insect—it was shattered into over a dozen pieces, some as mashed as meat paste, others charred black and obviously as dead as can be. He also saw Honglian and Xu Xuanling hastily making their way towards the direction of the sect, where someone seemed to be lying.

What’s going on?

When he faced off against the Star God, wasn’t time outside supposed to be relatively static?

But the actual situation didn’t quite match the scene before entering the gamble... for example, the spaceship appeared as if corroded by acid, with wings rusted, and the snow riddled with craters of various sizes... it seemed as if this intense battle had been going on for quite a while.

Chen Xuan patted his pocket and found the scan gun still there.

So was that truly a virtual space or merely an illusion?

He didn’t have time to ponder, instead, he sprinted towards the gathering place.

As soon as he arrived in front of the sect temple, Xu Xuanling turned around and saw him.

"Master!?"

This call was extremely surprised, filled with both joy and worry.

The others also crowded around.

"You don’t seem hurt, huh?" Xu Xuanling checked along his shoulders and waist, "Spiritual Qi is circulating normally too..."

"That’s great, I was wondering where you went." Ji Lian also breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Xuan’s gaze, however, passed over the crowd and settled on the person lying behind them.

He pushed Xu Xuanling aside to get a clearer view—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to believe what he was seeing.

Lying on the ground were not one but three people.

Lin Qing, Elorie, and Liu Shuyue.

They lay side by side, seemingly unconscious, while Wei was attending to them.

Chen Xuan’s mind buzzed.

"They..."

"Don’t panic," Ji Lian quickly said, "Even though Lin Qing and Elorie got caught off guard by the enemy, Wei protected their souls at the critical moment; they won’t die."

"It’s fortunate that the battle took place near the core area of the sect, and the soulless bodies have the ability to accommodate souls, so I could save them immediately." Wei also explained, "Now the internal threat in the Grotto Heaven has been eliminated, and the Lotus Cloud Sect’s defensive array faces no immediate threat of destruction."

"What about Liu Shuyue?" Chen Xuan noticed that Wei hadn’t mentioned Liu Shuyue.

As a Mountain Disciple of the sect, her soul should return to the soulless body more easily, right?

As he spoke, everyone’s expressions suddenly dimmed.

Ji Lian sighed softly, "She’s different. She wasn’t attacked by the enemy; instead..."

"Instead what?" Chen Xuan pressed on.

"Chose to die in battle."

Upon hearing this, he froze.

"The situation was extremely dangerous at the time; cracks in the array had already spread from within the sect. Wei told me, the Inner Demon was launching another fierce assault outside, and the mountain peak could collapse at any moment," Ji Lian whispered, "But Master refused to retreat; she burned herself, casting the most crucial blow with the Demon-Slaying True Sword."

"This spell doesn’t necessarily get stronger the more Spiritual Qi or lifespan one has; it also depends on the wielder’s resolve—in other words, the price they’re willing to pay for this sword." She looked at Chen Xuan, "It was the most powerful Demon-Slaying True Sword I’ve ever seen."

Wagering everything on... the Demon-Slaying True Sword?

Chen Xuan felt that everything around him had become surreal.

"Master?"

The voice seemed to come from afar.

"Hey, are you alright?" Someone supported him from behind.

It was Liuli.

"It’s probably your first time seeing a comrade leave, Master," Xu Xuanling approached, holding his hand, "Perhaps this is the fate of a cultivator—either sacrificing oneself against the Demon Fiends or perishing while pursuing their path. But at least, Immortal Master Liu protected you, protected the Lotus Cloud Sect, and shielded all the people of the Six Kingdoms. In the final sword, I could feel her will—even if it exhausts her, she would never leave you here."

Chen Xuan moved his lips, taking quite some time to voice his question, "After a Mountain Disciple’s death... isn’t their soul supposed to return to the sect?"

"Souls are a form of Spiritual Qi too," Ji Lian shook her head, "If it all goes into casting the Demon-Slaying True Sword, ultimately nothing will remain."

"In a way, what you see now of Liu Shuyue... is akin to a soulless body," Wei added.

"No... this can’t be true! Oh... the list!" Chen Xuan belatedly pulled out the scan gun from his pocket and activated the recall option. However, reality confirmed their words—Liu Shuyue’s name was no longer there.

Not only Liu Shuyue; even Lin Qing and Elorie had disappeared.

He stood motionless.

Ji Lian and Xu Xuanling exchanged glances, eyes full of concern.

Though they were saddened by Liu Shuyue’s departure too, in the protracted war against the Demon Fiends, both had witnessed too much parting, had become mentally prepared for such outcomes. Yet they worried more about Chen Xuan, as many couldn’t recover from similar experiences, some even broke down completely, eventually leading to self-destruction.

"During this period... what in the world happened?" Chen Xuan finally asked after a prolonged silence.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Honglian replied, "The giant insect somehow pulled you into a flash of golden light and then you vanished."

"And at that moment, several demons emerged from inside the insect—those that we had previously encountered with the mechanism. I thought they were dead; didn’t expect them to still be alive in another form."

"Another form..." Chen Xuan instinctively echoed.

"Just like the insect... head and limbs, all pieced together with the insect’s shell and organs, resembling a group of monstrous patchworks," Honglian sighed, "With you gone, everyone was a bit panicked; Lin Qing got caught off guard. As for Elorie... Liuli told me a demon attacked the spaceship, but thankfully, the Wind Song had two people stationed, and the AI could automatically pilot, or it would have been disastrous if the enemy seized control of the ship."

"Lastly there was Liu Shuyue."

"Maybe it’s too late to say now... I felt she had prepared for this, not even upon encountering the enemy, but upon learning the truth of the Lotus Cloud Sect." She clenched her fist in frustration, "Damn it, I should have paid more attention to her condition."

Is the situation... truly as such?

"And you? Where did you go after disappearing?" Honglian rapidly contained her emotions, suppressing any resentment and sadness within, "Why didn’t you return to the shop immediately, could the enemy have limited your abilities?"

"I... couldn’t go back," Chen Xuan took a deep breath, "I met the Star God."

"The Star God?" Everyone’s expressions turned rigid, "The same Star God mentioned by the mechanism?"

"Was this giant insect merely a decoy?"

"Not just a decoy, but also his Angel Envoy... or a part of his being. The giant insect’s appearance here wasn’t entirely due to the mechanism’s plan."

He was coming after me.

Chen Xuan’s mind was inevitably swept away by their whispers.

"Winning, for you, is it necessarily a good thing?"

"To turn people into cards, deciding their fates with a raise of your hand; this experience is entirely new to you, isn’t it? But what if you are merely one of these cards?"

"...As long as you can’t see the essence of fate, these joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness of yours inevitably become part of fate. The more you resist it, the more confused you’ll feel."

Chen Xuan opened his palms, scrutinizing his hands, "The Star God engaged me in a gamble, and within the game... I killed Liu Shuyue and the others."