The Guardian Sect had returned to its usual order, yet nothing felt ordinary.
Within the Hall of Disciplines, sunlight filtered weakly through tall windows, casting long, still shadows across the polished stone floor. The air was thick with anticipation, though no one spoke at first.
Sect Master Gu sat at the head of the elevated dais, robes neat but shoulders tense. Vice Sect Master Shen stood beside him, eyes narrowing as he scanned the assembled elders. Lu, Han, Wei, and Mo waited patiently, though the faint furrow of their brows betrayed their unease.
Finally, Elder Han broke the silence.
"Have we truly seen the Lord of the Immortal Realm?" he asked. His voice carried calm authority, but even he could not hide the astonishment in it.
Elder Lu glanced at the younger disciples lingering at the edges of the hall. "We saw only Qingshi. Not him. Not the Lord. Yet his presence…" He let the words hang. "…was unlike anything we've felt before."
Elder Wei's lips pressed thin. "I still cannot comprehend it. That envoy… he stood above the sky, yet no cultivation could be sensed. No aura, no pressure. It is… impossible."
Vice Sect Master Shen leaned forward. "Impossible or not, we are told the fragment is ready to integrate. If we ignore it, the decline continues. Spiritual energy will thin. Young disciples will stagnate. Mortals suffer. Our sect suffers. All of it continues unchecked."
Elder Mo spoke quietly, almost to himself, "And if we act? We do not know what awaits. We do not know what happens when one steps through that portal. One cannot fly, one cannot manipulate Qi as usual… and the Lord's realm…" His voice faltered. "…we have heard legends. Only those at Foundation Establishment could move freely in such realms. That was centuries ago. We believed it was a story."
Sect Master Gu's gaze hardened. "I remember hearing it, too, when I was a child. Foundation Establishment elders, they say, could soar above the heavens, untouched by mortal laws. That was the time of our elders' elders. Now, no one has reached that level in our world for centuries."
A murmur ran through the council.
"Then Qingshi…" Vice Sect Master Shen said carefully. "…he may already be at that level?"
"Or beyond it," Elder Han added. "We cannot be certain. All we know is that he appeared, unchallenged by the air, the clouds, the energy around him. Nothing of our world affected him."
Sect Master Gu rubbed his temples lightly. "We are faced with a choice. If we do nothing, the portal may expand uncontrollably—or vanish. It may be our only chance to preserve spiritual energy in this world. And if we step through… we do not know what awaits. It could be salvation—or calamity."
Elder Wei's gaze was steady but anxious. "We cannot ignore the mortals either. Rumors are spreading. People fear the skies themselves, and panic will disrupt settlements, trade, cultivation… everything."
Sect Master Gu rose, letting silence settle over the hall. "We will consult the other major sects and cultivation families. The integration of a fragment is not ours alone to decide. Envoys must be sent. Meetings arranged. Only through consensus can we ensure the stability of the realm and our people."
Elder Mo inclined his head. "And the mortals?"
"We will manage them," Sect Master Gu replied. "Form patrols. Contain panic. Keep the balance."
Vice Sect Master Shen gave a sharp nod. "Then the first step is clear: envoy preparation and council invitations. The portal remains open. Qingshi waits. The Lord has given us the choice—let us tread carefully."
A quiet tension settled over the hall. No one spoke for long moments, letting the weight of their decision sink in. The balance of cultivation, the fate of mortals, the stability of the fragment—all rested upon the actions they would take in the next hours.
Finally, Sect Master Gu said, "Begin preparations. Notify the elders of the other sects. Choose the envoys. Prepare the families. All who are capable of cultivating at Inner Disciple or above must be present for the discussions. This is a matter of survival—for all."
The council moved into action. Orders were given, scribes wrote, and disciples scurried to carry instructions to distant corners of the sect. Outside, the sky remained fractured. The portal pulsed faintly, patient and silent, waiting for the Guardian Sect to decide their path.
And somewhere beyond, unseen, Qingshi waited.
End of Chapter 17