It was remarkable how quickly time passed through one's fingers when one was not focused on it. In the blink of an eye, two years, one month, and fourteen days had gone by since Laude had been pushed into the world that cultivators lived in.

With no way back home, Laude had been forced to accept that the only way he would ever return to his former life would be to delve deep into the hidden, mystical side of the world that once ruled Oseo in the days of yore. But it would not be an easy task — the answers to all the questions Laude had were either sealed or buried somewhere in the bowels of places that had been erased by the passage of time... and influential people.

People who were so powerful they could still erase him and the Janusphere Empire with but a single word. Even now, as the world of cultivation was breathing its final breaths, the power these individuals still possessed was enough to set the entire world on fire.

Although Laude still had a lot he wanted to do at White Dew Society, he understood that his time was up. Once he heard the reports about all manner of strange sightings near the Janusphere Empire's borders, he resolved to leave the same day. The quicker he left, the more time he would have to create some distance between himself and the roving pack of hunters out for his little head.

Truth be told, a part of him found it difficult to leave. And the last thing he wanted to do was leave unannounced like an ungrateful bastard without even thanking everyone for taking care of him, but...

Just go, Laude. Don't look back and go. It's for the best, and you know it. Haven't you already learned this lesson?

Laude always struggled to find the right words to say during important moments, such as tender farewells between family and meeting new people. Even when Laude had written what he wanted to say beforehand, he would still find a way to botch it. The only thing that had ever come of Laude trying to convey his feelings or thoughts to other people were embarrassing memories...

He still felt an ugly knot form in his gut whenever he accidently recalled the time he tried to confess his feelings to Sophia Rotengaarm, one of the prettier girls back in Haalo when he was fourteen or fifteen. Not only had Laude completely messed up his confession, but he also became the "star" for more than a month after that incident.

The jeering and teasing had been endless, giving Laude yet another reason to pass his local civil examination. Back then, he desired nothing more than to leave for Alora and escape the sheepish gazes of his fellow peers and family members.

Who would have thought I'd end up regretting leaving for the royal capital and returning home an abject failure in little more than a year? And then I was smitten by the Heavens and... and...

Laude absentmindedly gazed at the scenery of the mountain range that White Dew Society was situated upon from the top of the Observatorium as if he was trying to carve the view into his mind, but he eventually stopped. He clambered onto the Endurance and said, "...Tellstar, it's time."

A shimmering mirage of a person appeared on the deck of the Endurance and said, "When will you return? Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

"Only when it is safe to do so will I consider returning. I can bring no more harm to this Society than I have already done. And I haven't the slightest idea if this is the right thing to do. I'm just following my gut," said Laude as he quietly shuffled around the deck of the Endurance performing final adjustments to the ship's sails and the magical array responsible for generating the upward lift that allowed the ship to fly.

"Have you done what I've asked?" said Laude softly.

Tellstar nodded and said, "It won't fool the Head Elders, though. I can feel them looking up here right now. But you already knew that, right?"

Laude chuckled wryly and shrugged his shoulders. Trying to dupe those old fossils was too hard a task, so he didn't fault Tellstar on that part. It was a formality, a small act designed to give White Dew Society another path out of the fire.

Not once had Laude mentioned when he would leave or where he would go. And despite the Alnus's insistence that Laude formally join White Dew Society as a genuine disciple and have a false name recorded in the Society's official register. That way, he'd be able to avoid many hassles that came with being a stray cultivator with no affiliation or reputable patron to verify their identity.

Even during the golden age of cultivation, stray cultivators were regarded politely with a slight tinge of disrespect. Not enough to result in excessive discrimination or oppression, but they would have to go through additional hoops to get a foot in through the door compared to a cultivator that belonged to a Society or was a member of a respected institution.

Nowadays, life was far worse as a stray cultivator. Most of the time, they were barred from entering various establishments and were denied access to many places that were once freely open to all cultivators. But the worst part was an alarming development — terrible rumors spoke of secret groups of cultivators that had begun to hunt stray cultivators whenever they encountered them.

Not for their paltry resources or out of some senseless hatred for them. They were being hunted down for a purely logical motive.

The fewer competitors there were out in the world, the more Spiritual Qi and cultivation resources there would be to divide amongst the remaining factions. It was a cruel and heartless act, but not one that attracted much shock these days. Desperation had the power to drive even the noblest of souls to commit some of the most heinous atrocities in the name of survival.

When push came to shove, people were capable of doing things they couldn't even begin to imagine...

The outlook was grim. Today, stray cultivators were being hunted in secret by large factions, just so they could preserve the facade that they were virtuous and noble, but the day would come when the last stray cultivator was caught and killed.

And once they were all gone, the real show would begin.

Factions that had once been friends for millennia would turn on each other in a final bloodbath of cataclysmic proportions that would wash over the world... until only one faction remained to enjoy the miserable honor of watching the last star in the sky fade into the darkness.

The Gate of Heaven would close shut for all time, and the world would fall into chaos as it unraveled at the very seams.

And this is precisely why the world of cultivation had begun to shift its attention toward a once formerly insignificant mortal empire.

Amidst the encroaching nightmare that humanity had wrought upon the world, The Great Sage of Heaven had sent down a single spider's thread of salvation. If humanity shared the thread, they might be able to escape the approaching inferno, but it was unlikely to happen. Time had proven that humanity's greed and ambition were endless. It was safe to say that the human race was destined to suffer an eternity of damnation.

Even so, no one could ignore the miracle that had occurred. They would stop at nothing to capture Laude... and use him to climb out of hell.

With everything set, Laude headed toward the aft of the Endurance to lift the anchor and set sail out into the unknown, but he froze when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He frowned and shouted, "Who's there?! Identify yourself! This area is off-limits for junior disciples, so turn around and scram!"

An amused voice replied, "And what if I don't want to leave? What are you going to do, capture and punish me? I'd love to see you try, punk."

Laude sighed and said, "If I could actually do it, I would've done it long ago... Belladonna. How many times have we sparred? And how many of those matches have I won?"

There was no way he'd be able to restrain her, even if he got serious. Despite all he understood, Laude knew he stood no chance against a professional cultivator with years of refined combat experience. If he had some prep time, he was sure he could probably land a couple of solid hits on her, but it wouldn't be enough to down her. The only thing that awaited him was a thorough ass-whooping at the end of that pointless endeavor.

"Of the one hundred and forty-six matches we've had, you've won... none of them! But it's not like you ever stood a chance of winning, so don't beat yourself too much about it," said Belladonna, laughing in delight.

Even though Laude couldn't see her face, he instinctively knew she was sporting a shit-eating grin behind that damned veil. It pissed him off to no end, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"So, what are you doing here? Come to gloat and talk shit one last before I... Wait, who are they?" said Laude chuckling, before he shifted his gaze toward two slinking shadows that slowly stepped out into the moonlight.

"...You two? What are the two of you doing here? Did the Patriarch send you guys to deliver a message? It's been a while since we've last met, senior brother. And you as well, Sister Vateria," said Laude politely.

Over the last two years, Laude had established a cordial relationship with Shorea Ingel, but it never really amounted to anything more than that. They had chatted a bit whenever they met, and Shorea had offered Laude some advice about cultivating, but that was about it. The two of them were more akin to friendly coworkers than genuine friends. Not that either of them minded that type of arrangement.

On the other hand, Laude's relationship with Vateria was a tad... awkward. It went without saying that the events that transpired at Windell Temple had faded in the minds of both Laude and Vateria. Though they were not friends in any sense of the word, they kept outward appearances and treated each other politely whenever they managed to cross paths...

In any case, Laude highly doubted these two siblings had come to see him off of their own accord. Belladonna was the only real friend he had made during his stay in White Dew Society. She was weird, snarky, and had a bad habit of playing mind games with Laude, but she was the only disciple who had treated him without any particular concern as if he really was a disciple of White Dew Society. Were it not for her, Laude would have never cared about White Dew Society as much as he did today. At best, he would have felt a heavy debt to the Society and nothing more.

Even with all the pleasantries and kindness the Society had shown him, Laude always felt a step away from everybody. But that was only normal, given that all the disciples in White Dew Society had grown up together after the Head Elders took them in. At the end of the day, White Dew Society was essentially a large family, and Laude would always be an outsider to some extent.

The only way to amend that priceless gap in intimacy shared between all disciples would be for him to spend a decade or two in the Society. Alas, Laude was dreadfully short on time, and... he had his own family in Haalo to think about.

Shorea smiled and saluted Laude before he said, "It has been a while since we've last met, Brother Laude. It's good to see that you're still as healthy as ever... We've only been back for a couple of days, so we were adjusting to all the changes here, you know. For a good minute, I almost thought we stumbled into the wrong Society, haha...!"

Vateria pinched Shorea's side, and his expression twisted for a second before he continued, "Anyhow, the reason we've come to meet you is, well..." He stared at Belladonna with pleading puppy-dog eyes until she eventually capitulated and spoke up on his behalf.

"To put it bluntly, we've been instructed to accompany you. The Head Elders didn't think it wise to throw you into our world alone. There are many things you still don't know, and it'd lessen their worries a lot if we were around to help you get... acclimated living as a cultivator."

Belladonna shrugged her shoulders and said, "That's about the gist of it. Thanks to you, the three of us have no choice but to join you. It's not like I wanted to come along, bu—"

Just as Belladonna was about to climb aboard the Endurance, Laude rudely grabbed her face with a claw hand as he pondered whether to push her off. He wasn't a fan of unexpected developments, especially ones that involved his sense of security or privacy.

It doesn't add up correctly, no matter how much I think about it. Had the Head Elders only sent Bella, I might've let my suspicions go. But those two siblings are just... I mean, come on, it doesn't get any weirder than that. They're hiding something from me, and it's probably nothing good.

They can't be trusted. But then again, it might be helpful to have them around. It's all matter of how much I benefit without getting scammed...

A hundred gears turned inside his head as he arrived at his judgment. Laude snatched Belladonna by the scruff of her robe and dragged her in like a fisherman would wrest his bountiful haul from the sea, flinging her willowy body on the deck of the Endurance. Then he coldly stared at the sibling duo and said in a low tone, "You have sixty seconds to convince me that the two of you are worth taking along. Make it count."

Laude's behavior floored Shorea and Vateria; not once had they seen such a side from Laude. The sort of decisiveness in his words betrayed the image they had of Laude. They had both thought of him as nothing more than a disgruntled scholar with a bad attitude. Sure he could be unsociable at times, but he wasn't a coldhearted bastard.

"Don't be like that, junior brother! Have my sister or I ever wronged you? Has White Dew Society ever wronged you? We mean you no harm! The Head Elders just dispatched us to help you until you're ready to journey alone! Please, you have to believe us! We're friends! If you don't believe us, we can go and talk to the Head Elders right now and let them clear this misunderstanding up!" said Shorea anxiously.

Vateria piped up for the first time since the conversation started and sternly shouted, "Is this how you treat your benefactors, Laude?! By treating them with suspicion and hostile intent? My brother speaks the truth — all we have ever done is help you! And yet here you are, treating us like enemies! Don't you have a sense of shame, you heartless bastard?! And here I thought you had matured a little since back then! It seems I was wrong!"

Belladonna got up and stared daggers at Laude, and she said, "I'm sure you understand the consequences that await you after this is over?"

"Fifteen seconds left." Laude darted his gaze toward Tellstar and said, "Can you make these two guys pass out for me? If push comes to shove, I might have the Head Elders chase me down, too. Do you think you can delay them for a bit if that actually happens?"

Tellstar slowly nodded and said, "I can do that for you. Just tell me when to start, and I'll knock them out. Don't worry; it won't hurt. Probably."

Shorea raised his hands and quickly blurted out, "W-Wait! Stop! I know information that's extremely important to you! I know the location of a prohibited domain! If you let us come with you, I'll tell you where it's located and how to bypass its seal! How about it?! Sound fair?!"

Laude was shocked. How the hell did Shorea manage to come across such a dangerous piece of information? Prohibited domains were sites that the Golden Triumvirate, the three most celebrated factions, had deemed forbidden to all cultivators, no matter their status or power.

Sometimes it was because a particular place had been used to seal a dangerous beast that could cause mass destruction and harm or because it was the site of a priceless cultural or historical heritage to all cultivators that the Golden Triumvirate wanted to preserve.

Some places were sealed off to allow for the undisturbed maturation of extremely rare natural treasures, such as consecrated trees that bore heavenly fruit and hard-to-find medicinal ingredients needed to make legendary elixirs. It was public knowledge that certain prohibited domains held isolated prisons meant to contain some of the worst criminals that ever plagued the world...

It was an unspoken truth in the world of cultivation that not every prohibited domain was established for a charitable purpose, though.

There were dirty little secrets and blemishes that the Golden Triumvirate and those aligned with them did not wish to see the light of day. Despite their best efforts to hide their ugly pasts, certain types of evidence could not be washed away even with the strongest of immortal arts.

And that was precisely what Laude wanted to find the most. Somewhere in Oseo, there was bound to be some leftover evidence of the catastrophe that produced the Spiritual Qi Crisis over five hundred years ago. Only by learning about the events that led up to that terrible event would he be able to grasp the meaning of the Great Questions that the Heavens asked him to answer.

Though Laude was not particularly happy about having them come along, he was in a position where he couldn't afford to let a potential lead pass through his fingers. He had to start looking somewhere... and the information Shorea possessed was too tempting to ignore.

Laude grit his teeth in frustration and said, "Goddamnit... Fine! Hurry up and get your asses on board. We're burning moonlight, and I want to get as much distance from this place as possible. Make yourselves useful, raise the sails while I head below, and start the furnace."

In the end, Laude pushed his emotions down and compromised; if he didn't like having them aboard, he didn't hate the idea of having two extra lackeys to help him perform some basic labor. And if they tried anything funny, Laude was confident that he and Belladonna could just toss them overboard or ditch them once a good opportunity came around.

Yeah, this should work out dandy fine. Nothin' wrong with treating them like disposable housemaids for now, hehe... I could get used to this!

Unfortunately, his gloating was cut short when his vision suddenly turned topsy-turvy, and he slammed headfirst onto the deck with a loud thud. Laude was unceremoniously put into a suplex by Belladonna and thrown around as if he were a bag of potatoes. He didn't even have a chance to get a word of mercy before Belladonna dragged him down into the ship's lower decks, to the dread of the Ingel siblings...

Near the southern periphery of White Dew Society, a group of elderly folk gathered in an old pavilion and watched as an old flying ship began to sail out of the tip of the Observatorium in silence.

As they watched the ship grow smaller in the night, each Head Elder wondered what changes the young man would bring to their world. They knew that the one Heaven had chosen was highly clever, headstrong, and far too jaded for his age. What they all feared most was that if he was left alone, he would delve too far, too fast into the dark side of their world, and lose hope and faith in humanity.

If not kept in check, they believed it would not be long before he would become a rogue cultivator or... worse. What the boy needed most was not cultivation resources to grow or powerful immortal arts to protect himself, but people who could keep him from peering too much into the abyss.

For this reason, the Head Elders unanimously decided to have Shorea, Vateria, and Belladonna accompany Laude on his journey. To keep him safe, to provide counsel in times of crisis, and if necessary, to forcefully stop him from attempting anything too dangerous.

The day would inevitably come when Laude would uncover their greatest sin; this was fated to happen whether they liked it or not. But what they could do is delay the arrival of that day and mentally prepare Laude for it. That way, there would be a slight chance that the most likely outcome would not occur...

That Laude would not condemn them all to eternal damnation.