Just before he stepped forward, he sensed something unusual about the portal.

Gu Qinghe turned around and looked back at the old man. "There’s something strange about that portal."

The old man behind him fell silent for a moment, then stepped forward until he stood right beside Gu Qinghe.

"The fifth to seventh peaks exist within a closed dimensional realm. Unlike these mountains, you won’t be able to return unless you reach the altar at the valley of the seventh peak."

This is dangerous. If I’m not strong enough, I could be trapped there forever.

"That’s why I gave that stone token to those who are worthy. I don’t want them to rot there after running out of lifespan," the old man said.

"That’s not my concern," Gu Qinghe replied.

The old man glanced at him with curiosity. "Then what is?"

"I need to return to the third peak. There’s someone I have to meet," Gu Qinghe answered.

The old man did not ask further. He raised his hand toward the stone door and retrieved the token.

It floated back to him, and he handed it to Gu Qinghe.

"Go ahead. Use your time," the old man said.

Gu Qinghe accepted the token, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Thank you for your understanding, Senior."

The portal to the fifth peak closed once more. Gu Qinghe flew away quickly on his flying sword.

The spiritual qi in his body had not fully recovered from the earlier battle.

As much as possible, he would avoid fighting other cultivators and focus on reaching the altar in the valley.

Along the way, he noticed several cultivators. Their expressions were filled with shock when they saw his damaged clothing, not yet restored with qi.

Their curiosity grew. They clearly wanted to know what had happened at the snow palace on the fourth peak that left a Golden Core cultivator like Gu Qinghe injured and exhausted.

Upon reaching the valley altar, Gu Qinghe formed a hand seal with one finger and activated the teleportation mechanism between the mountains.

His destination was not the first mountain, but the third.

He needed to check on Lin Ru, because he needed to retrieve his Ninefold Pagoda before truly entering the closed dimensional realm of the fifth mountain.

In an instant, a bright white light flashed, blindingly radiant. Gu Qinghe was immediately teleported away from the fourth mountain and returned to the third.

His destination was not the white palace altar, but the valley altar. When he opened his eyes, he had already arrived.

He stepped forward out of the altar alongside other cultivators.

They were somewhat shocked, as Gu Qinghe was not part of their group, yet he had arrived with them.

"Who are you?" one of the cultivators asked.

Gu Qinghe did not respond. Instead, he activated his cultivation sight. His eyes glowed with golden qi as he looked around.

His attention fixed on the island in the middle of the lake, where faint white runes glowed.

"There it is!" Gu Qinghe said.

Without hesitation, he flew from the altar and entered the rune barrier with ease.

His arrival caught Lin Xia’s attention as she was cultivating.

To his surprise, Lin Ru was also cultivating outside the pagoda, her cultivation restored to Mid Core Formation.

Lin Xia and Lin Ru turned toward him, smiling but also confused.

They were happy that Gu Qinghe had returned after three months, but they were puzzled about the absence of Ling Jia, Yan Ran, and Liu Xi.

"Where are the others? What happened to your clothes, Senior?" Lin Xia asked.

Gu Qinghe remained silent for a moment, then shifted his focus to the golden pagoda in front of him.

He needed to cultivate briefly to recover his strength and restore his clothing.

Without answering Lin Xia, Gu Qinghe entered the pagoda and began cultivating inside.

Lin Xia and Lin Ru exchanged glances. Wild thoughts crossed their minds, the most likely being death.

But Ling Jia, Yan Ran, and Liu Xi were Mid Core Formation cultivators.

If all three had died and Gu Qinghe was injured like this, what kind of enemy had they faced?

"It seems something happened to Senior Gu, Sister Lin Xia," Lin Ru said.

"I don’t know, but his attitude is cold. We shouldn’t disturb him for now," Lin Xia replied.

"Alright."

***

Three days passed.

A burst of golden qi spread from the Ninefold Pagoda, startling Lin Xia and Lin Ru, who were cultivating outside.

Gu Qinghe’s injuries began to heal. His clothing returned to its original condition, and the spiritual qi in his body was fully restored.

Now, with Golden Core cultivation, there was no cultivator who could stand against him.

The pagoda door opened. Gu Qinghe stepped out, wearing a completely black robe.

Lin Xia and Lin Ru looked forward, cupping their hands in respect.

"Greetings, Senior."

Gu Qinghe waved his hand, storing the Ninefold Pagoda back into his bag of holding. His gaze remained forward.

"Lin Xia... Lin Ru."

"You should leave the Seven Northern Mountains."

Lin Xia was slightly shocked, then gathered her courage to ask why.

When Gu Qinghe answered, both she and Lin Ru froze in disbelief.

"Ling Jia, Yan Ran, and Liu Xi are dead," Gu Qinghe said.

"Dead...?"

"By who?" Lin Xia asked.

Gu Qinghe did not want to explain. Describing their deaths in detail would only deepen his guilt.

"You don’t need to know. It was my fault. When I reach the Nascent Soul stage, I will ensure they return to the cycle of reincarnation," Gu Qinghe replied.

He looked upward to the side. His hand formed a seal as he released a beam of qi light into the sky.

Cracks appeared in the rune barrier before it shattered into fragments that fell apart.

Gu Qinghe narrowed his eyes and flew back toward the valley altar, leaving Lin Xia and Lin Ru behind.

The teleportation mechanism activated, and within seconds, Gu Qinghe returned to the valley altar of the fourth mountain.

Lin Xia remained on the lake island, confused and unsettled. She could faintly sense a significant change in Gu Qinghe.

Colder... more indifferent... perhaps even cruel.

"What really happened?" Lin Ru asked, confused.

"I don’t know. But their deaths must have affected Senior Gu deeply," Lin Xia replied.

She turned to Lin Ru. "Let’s follow his orders. Let’s go home."