Chapter 1019: Stars Gathering

Ancient Courtesan's Hidden Realm.

A pair of slender, jade-like feet gently touched the water's surface, rippling outwards. A black dress swayed in the breeze like a delicate rose in a dim world. Liu Qingyan walked slowly forward in the shimmering lake, surrounded by a silence broken only by the trickling sound of water accompanying her steps.

A faint mist curled above the lake. Liu Qingyan reached the very center of the water and finally came to a stop. She lifted her skirt and respectfully bowed to the emptiness before her.

"Master, I have come to fetch you."

Drip—

A single drop of water fell onto the lake.

Between the dim, dark clouds, a hidden, brilliant moon slowly emerged. Its pure white moonlight flowed like a clear spring, washing over every corner of this world and illuminating Liu Qingyan's exquisitely gentle face.

At the same time, a headless body slowly surfaced from beneath the lake. It was a woman's body; her neck appeared to have been severed with an incredibly smooth cut, now seemingly frozen by the frost-like moonlight. She was clad in a simple grey robe, appearing peaceful and serene.

Between her clasped hands, a playing card was clearly visible. It depicted a figure shrouded in shadow, with arms crossed over its chest and head bowed low, as if in repentance or sorrow. It was a grey JOKER.

Liu Qingyan raised her hand and pointed at the lake. A grey coffin rose from the bottom, water sliding off its surface without leaving a trace. Liu Qingyan bowed deeply to the body, then gently lifted it and carefully placed it into the coffin.

After completing this, Liu Qingyan closed the coffin lid and lifted it onto her back. She began to walk, step by step, towards the lake shore.

Compared to the coffin, the young woman's figure was still somewhat small, yet Liu Qingyan seemed to bear no strain. Her black dress swayed with her steps, and the faint mist enveloped her, as if casting a mysterious veil over her. She gently raised her hand, and a red thread extended from her, pointing towards a certain direction in the void.

"Master..."

"I will take you to find him."

The black-clad girl, carrying the coffin on her back, gradually faded into the mist.

***

Tianshu Domain.

The vast conference room was utterly silent.

The Tower Master sat at the head of the table, his gaze slowly sweeping over the people in the room before he spoke slowly:

"...Does no one have anything to say?"

Those present in the conference room held important positions within the Tianshu Domain. All crucial decisions concerning the domain had historically been made in this very room. Similarly solemn meetings were also being held simultaneously in several other domains.

"The Silver King, does he intend to whitewash his image?" one person said in a deep voice. "Does he want to portray himself as a hero of humanity to sow discord among the people of our major domains?"

"If that's the case, his methods are too crude."

"Beyond that, he might have a deeper purpose..."

Everyone fell into deep thought.

"Regardless, we cannot stand by idly, or we will become passive," another person mused. "The most critical issue now is to figure out what the Silver King intends to do."

"We must also prepare for the worst."

"There's still a large civilian population in Wuji Domain. If the Silver King genuinely intends to start a war, those civilians will inevitably suffer. And as long as they are there, we cannot launch a large-scale attack on Wuji Domain."

"Didn't the Arbitration Enforcement Squad enter Wuji Domain with 'the Door' before? Can we find a solution through that?"

"Assembling 'the Door' isn't that easy. After the changes in Wuji Domain, the former members of the Arbitration Enforcement Squad were either killed or went into hiding among the civilians under false names. Reconstructing 'the Door' is not so simple."

"It's a pity we don't have enough personnel in Wuji Domain, otherwise..."

As the group discussed, a figure suddenly stood up at the edge of the conference room.

"I'll go."

Everyone looked over. The speaker was none other than Huai Mang, one of the recently selected Holders of a Heavenly Star Position and the former Young Sect Master of the Esoteric Sect. The young sect master's youthful face was filled with determination as he repeated himself:

"I am willing to go to Wuji Domain to gather intelligence and organize the scattered personnel among the populace to rebuild 'the Door' as quickly as possible."

When he stood up, the other Holders of Heavenly Star Positions sitting nearby could not remain seated. After exchanging glances and a moment of hesitation, they also rose from their seats one after another.

"We'll go together too."

The Heavenly Star Positions carried the fortune of humanity; no matter what they did, their situation would not be too dire. At present, they were indeed the best choice to go to Wuji Domain. The Tower Master's gaze swept over the group, and after soliciting opinions from others, he nodded slightly:

"Alright, then you will act as the vanguard, secretly heading to Wuji Domain..."

The meeting quickly concluded. As they exited the conference room, everyone was visibly worried. The Silver King's move had left them completely bewildered, yet for some reason, they all had an ominous premonition.

The young sect master was following the others, about to leave, when a voice called from behind him:

"Huai Mang."

The young sect master stopped. The one who had called him was none other than the Tower Master, the de facto controller of the Tianshu Domain.

"I know why you want to go to Wuji Domain," the Tower Master said earnestly, looking into his eyes. "But you must understand that your brother in Wuji Domain... he might no longer be himself. Don't do anything foolish."

The young sect master's heart trembled slightly. After a long silence, he nodded slightly.

"Yes, I know."

Having warned the young sect master, the Tower Master did not linger. He walked alone through the long corridor, heading deeper into the Heavenly Spire.

At this time, the Heavenly Spire was largely empty. The Tower Master walked into its depths, where dead silence prevailed. However, his mind was entirely focused on the Silver King's plan, and he did not notice the subtle changes occurring in his surroundings.

The lights within the Heavenly Spire gradually dimmed. The bright corridor seemed endless, and a faint operatic melody emanated from the void, as if obscuring the Tower Master's perception. Even as an Eighth-tier master, he did not realize anything was amiss.

Perhaps because he had walked this path for too long, when the Tower Master suddenly snapped back to his senses, the lights in the entire corridor exploded, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness!

His hair stood on end, and his Divine Power activated almost instantly. But in the next moment, a warm hand silently pressed against the back of his head.

Static—static—

A faint crackling sound came from behind him. A beam of light from above, like a spotlight, illuminated the darkness, casting its glow behind him.

There, a young man in an opera robe curved his lips into a faint smile.