Ye Lingyun carried only a sword,

  a few changes of clothes,

  and a small bundle wrapped in cloth—

  a lock of his parents’ hair, kept close to his chest.

  He took one last look at the Azure Edge main hall,

  one last look at Aunt Mei waving from the steps,

  one last look at the new graves behind the mountain.

  Then he turned and walked toward Sunri.

  “I’m ready,” he said.

  Sunri nodded.

  The sun?mark on his palm began to heat,

  gold light rising beneath the skin.

  It surged outward like a tide,

  spreading and enveloping four people and one cat.

  Aunt Mei stood before the hall, waving hard.

  Tears glimmered in the morning light,

  but her face held a smile—

  a smile of comfort,

  a smile of blessing.

  Before the gold swallowed everything,

  the last thing Sunri saw

  was the bold calligraphy of Azure Edge on the plaque,

  and Aunt Mei’s lone, unyielding figure.

  The star?lit chamber returned above them.

  Sunri knelt on the cold stone floor,

  Pardy in his arms,

  the child’s small hand gripping his clothes.

  Mo?Dou landed lightly,

  tail raised,

  eyes scanning the familiar yet foreign space.

  And Ye Lingyun—

  He staggered,

  caught the edge of the stone platform,

  and barely steadied himself.

  The young swordsman stared wide?eyed

  at the place that defied all understanding:

  A spiral of stars turning overhead.

  Black stone beneath his feet, polished like a mirror.

  Curved walls enclosing the chamber.

  An ancient, quiet presence in the air.

  “Where… where is this?”

  His voice trembled—

  not from fear,

  but from a worldview collapsing.

  “A transit point,” Sunri said, rising.

  “A place we stop between worlds.

  From here, we travel to different realms to search for clues.”

  Lingyun could not comprehend it.

  He had heard of sword flight.

  He knew light?foot techniques.

  But world?traveling was beyond martial arts,

  beyond legends,

  beyond anything the Jianghu could imagine.

  Still, he forced himself to calm.

  After witnessing the fall of his sect,

  after watching his disciples die,

  what else was there that he could not accept?

  The world was already strange.

  One more mystery made little difference.

  The ancient book on the stone platform opened on its own.

  Pages turned without wind

  and stopped on a new leaf.

  On the left, an image appeared—

  so vivid it felt real.

  Ye Lingyun at eighteen,

  wearing the formal azure robes of Azure Edge,

  Qingyun Sword at his waist,

  standing in a courtyard full of peach blossoms.

  His smile was bright,

  his eyes clear as stars,

  full of confidence and hope.

  The Lingyun before the massacre.

  The young heir of Azure Edge.

  Below the image, neat lines of text appeared:

  “Ye Lingyun, age 24.

  Second?generation Sect Master of Azure Edge (sect destroyed).”

  “Martial Skills: Azure Edge Sword (mastery),

  Qingyun Heart Method (seventh level),

  Light?foot Technique ‘Cloud?Step’ (expert).”

  “Record: Parents died fighting the Demonic Cult.

  Seven days later, Azure Edge was besieged by the Seven Sects.

  Sixty?three disciples killed.”

  “Status: Joined the Travelers of Time.”

  “Summon Status: Summonable (requires Azure Edge Sect Token).”

  Lingyun stared at the image,

  at the words sect destroyed,

  his fingers trembling.

  He closed his eyes, drew a long breath,

  and when he opened them again,

  his gaze was steady—

  a steadiness forced into place.

  On the right was an overview of Azure Edge,

  along with a panoramic image of the sect at its peak:

  Hundreds of disciples practicing in formation,

  sword?light rising like a forest,

  momentum vast and unified.

  Below were notes on the sect’s history,

  its sword techniques,

  its businesses and holdings.

  Further down, a record of the world:

  “Moon Fragment Status: Not yet found

  (weak resonance detected).”

  Sunri stared at the line,

  thoughts churning.

  He pressed his hand to the text

  and remained silent.

  The book responded:

  “Weak resonance points toward the legend of the ‘Overseas Immortal Mountain.’

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Exact location unknown.

  More clues required.”

  “Recommendation: Return in the future.

  Current information insufficient.

  Forced search efficiency low.”

  As if answering the words,

  the chamber began to shift.

  The curved walls moved outward,

  expanding the space nearly twofold.

  Two new door?shaped recesses formed along the edges—

  not yet full doors,

  but outlines of future rooms.

  The floor trembled softly.

  A new stone bed formed in the corner,

  covered automatically with dry grass and cloth padding.

  The chamber seemed to possess its own will.

  Lingyun watched, stunned.

  “This is… beyond any Jianghu tale.

  Shrinking space? Creating matter from nothing?

  This is no martial art…”

  Sunri stepped toward him

  and held out the Azure Edge Sect Token.

  “Keep this.

  It’s your root.

  Your past.

  And what you’ll rebuild someday.”

  Lingyun took it,

  closing his fingers around the warm jade.

  It felt as if his parents’ warmth

  still lingered in the stone.

  He held it for a long time,

  knuckles whitening.

  “…Thank you,” he whispered.

  Pardy wriggled out of Sunri’s arms

  and toddled toward Lingyun,

  tilting his small face upward.

  He reached out—

  not to be held,

  but to pat Lingyun’s knee.

  Clumsy.

  Serious.

  A child’s way of saying: It’s alright.

  Lingyun crouched to meet his gaze.

  In the child’s clear eyes,

  he saw his own grief?stricken reflection.

  And then—

  he smiled.

  A faint smile,

  bitter at the edges,

  eyes still red,

  tears still unshed.

  But a smile.

  The first since the fall of Azure Edge.

  “I will protect you,” he said softly.

  “With my sword.”

  It was his first step

  out of the abyss.

  His voice trembled,

  but he straightened,

  walked to the new stone bed,

  set his sword beside it,

  and sat to meditate.

  A warrior’s way

  of steadying breath and spirit.

  Mo?Dou leapt onto the stone platform,

  curling beside the ancient book.

  Its golden eyes watched the newcomer—

  assessing, curious—

  then slowly closed,

  as if accepting him.

  Sunri watched the scene:

  a farmer from a primitive world,

  a child with a secret,

  a cat from a ruined future,

  and now a swordsman from the Jianghu.

  A strange group.

  A mismatched group.

  But becoming whole.

  Each had lost something.

  Each was searching.

  Each was trying to piece together a path forward.

  Sunri looked up at the stars.

  The spiral above turned slowly,

  pointing toward distant worlds,

  toward the unknown.

  Lunelle… am I closer to you now?

  You left traces in this world.

  Why were you here?

  Will the next world hold your fragments?

  More clues?

  The chamber fell quiet.

  Lingyun meditated in the corner,

  breath steadying,

  though Sunri could see his clenched fists

  and trembling lashes.

  Pardy slept on the bed,

  small hand curled beside his cheek.

  Mo?Dou kept watch,

  tail flicking now and then.

  Sunri turned the pages of the ancient book,

  reviewing past worlds,

  searching for any hint of Yueqiao.

  The journey continued.

  The grief remained,

  but the steps could not stop.

  Meanwhile, in the Sword Realm,

  the tofu?pudding shop in Bluestone Town reopened.

  Aunt Mei still wore her faded apron,

  working at the stove,

  her smile as brisk as ever.

  But a new wooden plaque stood by the counter.

  On it, in neat calligraphy:

  “Record of Azure Edge’s Injustice —

  Ye Qingshan and his wife died fighting the Demonic Cult.

  Seven days later, the Seven Sects falsely accused Azure Edge of collusion,

  attacked Azure Edge Mountain,

  slaughtered sixty?three disciples,

  and seized their assets.

  Heaven bears witness.

  This injustice will be avenged.”

  Below was a detailed list of stolen properties:

  three escort agencies,

  five inns,

  seven pharmacies,

  twelve estates…

  Customers copied it in secret.

  One became ten.

  Ten became a hundred.

  Rumors spread faster than carrier pigeons.

  Within half a month,

  the story reached three provinces.

  The Seven Sects panicked.

  They sent people to threaten Aunt Mei,

  demanding she remove the plaque.

  But every time,

  those people “accidentally” encountered

  a white?haired old man at the town entrance.

  He never interfered.

  He simply sat at a tea stall,

  drinking quietly.

  Yet the visitors felt their hearts tighten,

  their inner breath falter,

  and they fled in fear.

  The Jianghu began to stir.

  Storytellers in teahouses

  spoke of Azure Edge’s tragedy,

  Ye Lingyun’s lone courage,

  and the Nameless Elder’s intervention.

  Truth began to flow—

  sharper than swords,

  deeper than inner force.

  But that was for later.

  For now, in the star?lit chamber,

  three people and one cat

  prepared for their next departure.

  Wounds still bled,

  but had begun to close.

  Grief still lingered,

  but had become strength.

  The next world awaited.

  And they would face it together.

  Mini?Scene: “The Book’s Bribe”

  Late at night,

  Sunri woke to a faint sound.

  The ancient book glowed softly.

  Ye Lingyun walked toward it.

  The book flipped open on its own.

  A dim gold light seeped from the pages

  and condensed on the stone platform—

  forming a chilled food item.

  Sunri frowned, expression helpless.

  It felt like the book

  was offering a bribe

  for smoother negotiations in the future.