Gu Qinghe gave Gu Qingyin a difficult choice. They stood there, staring at each other for a moment.

Gu Qingyin’s fists remained tightly clenched, as if she were holding onto something.

She couldn’t choose between her mother and the Gu Clan.

Wang Yunxi had raised her since childhood with gentleness and care. Gu Qingyin loved her.

But she also couldn’t abandon the Gu Clan. Gu Zhen had invested greatly in her. She couldn’t let them down.

Gu Qinghe remained silent, watching her sharply. After a long moment of thinking with her eyes closed, Gu Qingyin slowly opened them.

"I’m sorry, Brother."

"I love Mother, but I’m bound by my responsibility to the clan," she said.

Gu Qinghe stood still for a moment. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

From the beginning, he had already expected that Qingyin would choose the Gu Clan over their mother.

He even wondered if he should continue carrying the Gu surname.

"I already knew that would be your answer," Gu Qinghe replied, turning his gaze toward the large banyan tree nearby. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Anger burned inside him. His fists tightened as he heard Qingyin clearly reject returning to Wang Yunxi.

But slowly, that anger began to settle, tempered by the understanding he had gained over thousands of years as Yun Tian.

A cultivator’s fate was not tied to others, but to themselves.

Earth would return to earth. Dust would scatter in the wind.

Those who lived would eventually face death. In the end, everyone would still stand alone.

"Are you angry, Brother Qinghe?" Gu Qingyin asked softly.

He took another deep breath and closed his eyes briefly.

"No."

"I’m just... relieved," Gu Qinghe answered.

He turned and looked at Gu Qingyin. Her face was flushed, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"What makes family bonds endure is the strength of one’s feelings," Gu Qinghe said.

"The body will age, lifespan will fade, and the soul will return to reincarnation."

He extended his hand and caught a falling leaf from the banyan tree.

"A cultivator’s fate is decided by their own hands."

"Let go of your thoughts and calm your heart. Only then will you gain a new understanding of cultivation and life’s path," he continued.

Gu Qingyin listened carefully. She couldn’t believe how much her brother had changed.

The last time she remembered, Gu Qinghe had been lazy and wasted his potential.

But now, he stood on the fifth peak of the Seven Northern Mountains, a Golden Core cultivator with deep insight into life.

"You’ve... changed a lot, Brother Qinghe."

"Experience forces us to change. Pressure and circumstances reshape how we think," Gu Qinghe replied.

"I don’t mind that you chose the clan. Maybe you believe it will help you walk further on the path of cultivation."

"But I am still your brother, Qingyin."

"If you ever need help, I will help you."

Tears streamed down Gu Qingyin’s face as she wiped them away.

After finishing his words, Gu Qinghe left to find another place to cultivate.

Gu Qingyin and the others from the Tianzun Sect returned to their area, trying to cultivate while thinking of a way to reach the sixth mountain.

Meanwhile, yellow fairies gathered around Gu Qinghe, forming a swirling wind.

Other cultivators noticed, and Gu Qinghe opened his eyes.

"You?"

The beautiful blonde woman in white robes appeared before him, floating gracefully with a gentle smile.

"May I join your journey, Gu Qinghe?" she asked kindly.

She suddenly shows up and asks to come with me... That’s suspicious.

Could she be hiding something?

"Who are you really?" Gu Qinghe asked.

She smiled brightly and floated closer, gently touching his cheek.

Other cultivators stared in shock. The women were amazed by her beauty, while the men looked at Gu Qinghe with envy.

"I’m Xiao Yue. You may call me Fairy Yue," she said cheerfully.

"Fairy?"

Gu Qinghe raised his hand, and a yellow fairy landed on his palm again. Fairy Yue smiled.

"They are not yellow fairies. They are pollen formed from my natural qi," she explained.

Natural qi... I feel like I’ve heard of that before.

Gu Qinghe narrowed his eyes, then stood up and turned toward the sky, searching for something.

A moon with two rings.

That’s the twin-ring moon.

No doubt about it.

"Tell me... am I on the Nature Transformation Star?" Gu Qinghe asked.

"Wow!"

"You figured it out so quickly, Qinghe. Now I’m even more certain that you are a messenger of the Heavenly Emperor Palace," Fairy Yue said with admiration.

Gu Qingyin’s eyes widened in shock. The other cultivators also stopped cultivating, stunned by what they heard.

"Brother... is a messenger of the Heavenly Emperor Palace?" Gu Qingyin said in disbelief.

"Tch! He must be lying. I’ve never heard of such a messenger," a man beside her scoffed.

Fairy Yue floated in front of Gu Qinghe.

"It may look similar, but this is not the Nature Transformation Star," she said.

"The Closed Dimensional Realm copies its concepts and laws. Only those who can cultivate natural qi can truly wield power here."

"Concepts and laws... are the locations the same?" Gu Qinghe asked.

"Hmm... mostly. Why?"

Gu Qinghe focused his gaze on the banyan tree at the center of the altar.

If what she said was true, then that tree might be the key to leaving this place.

Fairy Yue turned and watched as Gu Qinghe sat down cross-legged and began meditating.

His hands formed complex seals, and he began chanting an ancient mantra.

The other cultivators watched closely. Qingyin smiled faintly, feeling relieved seeing how much he had changed.

Slowly, streams of golden qi flowed from nature into Gu Qinghe’s body.

The others were shocked. They couldn’t cultivate here, yet he could.

"Does he really know how to cultivate natural qi?"

"No doubt about it."

Fairy Yue smiled as she watched him.

Soon, golden light flared in Gu Qinghe’s eyes. He released a beam of golden energy toward the banyan tree.

A surge of natural qi spread outward, accompanied by powerful winds. Qingyin and the others were forced to retreat.

A crack opened in the tree trunk, revealing a glowing golden portal.

Gu Qinghe stopped cultivating and fell forward, breathing heavily.

Cultivating natural qi is exhausting...

Fairy Yue floated forward and pointed at the portal.

"Gu Qinghe, the path to the sixth mountain is open."

"Doesn’t look like there’s any treasure," Gu Qinghe said as he stood up.

"What do you mean? I am the treasure you’ve obtained," Fairy Yue replied.

"I don’t understand."

As the portal opened, one cultivator rushed inside. Gu Qinghe frowned, curious.

"He hasn’t awakened natural qi. He did enter the next mountain, but his body was instantly crushed by the pressure there," Fairy Yue explained.

Gu Qingyin stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Fairy Yue. This junior wishes to ask something."

Fairy Yue glanced at Gu Qinghe, who nodded slightly.

"What do we need to activate natural qi within our bodies?" Gu Qingyin asked.

"You cultivate ordinary qi. You cannot activate natural qi unless you receive guidance and a blessing from a fairy," Fairy Yue replied.

"Other fairies?"

"There are forest fairies, water fairies, sky fairies, fire fairies, earth fairies, and metal fairies."

"There are seven in total. If you are fortunate, they may favor you and grant you a pillar of natural qi," she explained.

"Just like what I did for Gu Qinghe."

"It seems we’ll have to search for those fairies," Gu Qingyin said.

She bowed again in gratitude.

Before leaving, she glanced at Gu Qinghe. He nodded, silently allowing her to go.

The other cultivators also left the altar, heading down the mountain to search for the fairies.

Fairy Yue turned and smiled at Gu Qinghe, "Let’s go, Gu Qinghe."