The Tri-Faction Summons

Jian Nu had been in a state of barely contained excitement, while Feng Yunwuji remained quietly at his side, watching this elder—so deeply tied to his racial identity—with calm eyes.

After a long pause, Jian Nu finally composed himself. He cast a glance of approval at Feng Yunwuji and spoke.

"Heaven, the Demonkin, and the Devil Clan have all officially contacted the Sanctum."

"What?!"Feng Yunwuji was stunned. The moment Jian Nu calmed down, he dropped a bombshell powerful enough to shake the entire Primordial Realm.

"They... what? Why would they...?"Feng Yunwuji struggled to find the right words.

Jian Nu chuckled. "It's all thanks to you."

Seeing the confusion and shock on Feng Yunwuji's face, Jian Nu delivered another explosive revelation.

"The tri-faction leaders reached out to the Sanctum because of you. Do you remember the Demonic Extinction Manual you left behind before your ascension? The Sanctum never imagined that one manual could trigger such far-reaching consequences. In your home realm, cultivators began ascending in the thousands over the span of a few centuries. Even the Sanctum was shocked when they learned of this."

"What exactly did the tri-faction leaders say?"Feng Yunwuji cut straight to the heart of the matter, his tone calm and measured.

Jian Nu glanced at him and replied, "Mainly, it was Heaven. They demanded that the Sanctum erase all copies of the Demonic Extinction Manual. Furthermore, they insisted that no one from your realm be allowed to ascend to the Primordial Realm again—and those who have ascended must have their cultivation stripped."

"What?!"Feng Yunwuji's eyes reddened with fury. His clenched teeth ground audibly, and cracking sounds issued from the joints of his fingers as his rage surged.

"Yes, the demand is outrageous," Jian Nu said, raising his head to look at the brooding sky. "But Heaven threatened total annihilation of that realm by sending down angels if we refused."

A violent surge of sword intent erupted from Feng Yunwuji. The fierce energy whipped up sand and gravel, forcing Jian Nu to take a few steps back. He looked at Feng Yunwuji in astonishment.

"Incredible... four hundred years, and your cultivation has reached such a terrifying level."

Feng Yunwuji stood with his head bowed, fists tightly clenched, knuckles white. His long hair fell forward, veiling his face and hiding his expression.

"What was the Sanctum's response?"His voice was quiet and steady—too steady, betraying no emotion.

"The Sanctum pushed back as far as it could. In the end, Heaven compromised. The last batch of ascendants from your realm will be allowed to enter the Primordial Realm. But after that, the realm must be thoroughly purged. All martial manuals must be recovered. All knowledge of cultivation must be erased. From that point on, your home realm will never produce another ascendant. That's Heaven's final offer."

"Leave me. I need some time to think."

"Very well," Jian Nu said, nodding slightly. "I've delivered the Sanctum's message. The rest... is up to you. I hope we meet again. If you ever need help, I'll do everything I can from within the Sanctum."

With that, Jian Nu leapt off the cliff like a streak of light, vanishing into the horizon.

Feng Yunwuji found a solid boulder, sat down against the wind, and stared into the distance. After a long time, he rose. The confusion on his face had vanished, replaced by unwavering determination. In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared without a trace.

In the icy vaults of Youming Peak, Feng Yunwuji found Ximen Yibei sprawled out in a drunken stupor. Walking up to him, he said without preamble, "Ximen, I need your help."

The urgency on Feng Yunwuji's face sobered Ximen Yibei almost instantly. Surprised, he sat up cross-legged, closed his eyes, and exhaled a white mist reeking of alcohol. When he opened his eyes again, they were sharp and focused.

"What is it? What kind of help do you need?"

"I need to return to the realm I came from," Feng Yunwuji said.

"You mean... you want me to open a portal for you again?" Ximen Yibei looked at him uncertainly.

"Yes. More accurately, I'm hoping you can open a path to my original realm. I remember you once managed to go back—so you must know how it's done."

Ximen Yibei closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, sighing. "Brother Wuji, it's not that I don't want to help. I can't. Without having been to a specific realm, there's no way to precisely open a portal to it."

"What?"Feng Yunwuji was stunned. That was the last thing he expected.

"So... there's really no way?" he asked.

"There is one method," Ximen said after a pause. "But it's risky. If I open a portal without anchoring to a known realm, it's entirely random. You might end up in the Demon Realm, Heaven, or somewhere completely unknown. If your luck holds out, maybe... just maybe... it'll be the right one."

"Luck, huh..."Feng Yunwuji gave a bitter laugh and leaned against the cold wall. He looked up at the icicles hanging from the ceiling and asked quietly, "Is there really no better way?"

Ximen Yibei shook his head—then suddenly nodded and turned toward Feng Yunwuji.

"There is one more way."

"What is it?"

"You could learn to open a realm gate yourself."

"...How often can you open one?" Feng Yunwuji asked.

Ximen gave him a curious look, then replied, "Unlike ascension, opening a realm gate consumes tremendous energy. Even with my current cultivation, I can only do it once a month. You'll need to take this seriously. For the next month, I'll be completely drained—let alone opening another portal."

"I understand," Feng Yunwuji nodded. "When do we start?"

"Right now. But you'd better bring Sword Demon Dugu Wushang. I'll be too weak to protect myself after the portal is open."

"Got it."

Feng Yunwuji stepped out of the vault and let out a sharp whistle toward the sky. A giant eagle swooped down from the clouds.

"Go. Bring Dugu Wushang to me."

The eagle let out a piercing cry before shrinking into a black dot, vanishing into the horizon.