I want to tread the heavens

The stench of blood from deep underground had not yet dissipated when Guo Yun swiftly began the cleanup.

On the Obsidian Forest battlefield, Guo Dahai's body lay in a pool of blood, a dark bruise between his brows, his eyes wide open in death. The remaining Guo family confidants were terrified, some kneeling and begging for mercy, others their faces ashen. The demonic minions and Guo Yan had vanished without a trace, fleeing in panic into the deeper labyrinth of the underground palace, leaving behind several twisted corpse puppet remains.

"Third Elder..." A trusted nanny, pale-faced, clutched a deep, bone-revealing claw mark on her shoulder and whispered, "Master... Guo Dahai's body..."

"Colluding with external demons, inviting wolves into the house, intending to destroy the foundation of my family's spiritual veins, the evidence is conclusive, and family discipline has been carried out." Guo Yun's voice was cold and hard, without a trace of emotion. She slammed her phoenix-headed staff down heavily, her gaze sweeping over the surrendered ones like a knife. "If even a single word of what happened in the underground palace today is leaked, you will be as useless as this stone!" The wind from her staff swept across, and a piece of obsidian next to her shattered in response.

Everyone fell silent, terrified.

"Pass on my orders," Guo Yun said quickly and clearly, "First, all members of Guo Dahai's faction who participated in the rebellion must be immediately arrested and imprisoned, interrogated rigorously, and all evidence of their association with the demons must be uncovered; second, announce to the public that Guo Dahai suffered a qi deviation while practicing demonic arts and died suddenly in his secluded meditation room, and that his followers who took advantage of the chaos have been suppressed; third, the entrance to this underground palace and the surrounding area are designated as a top-secret forbidden area of ​​the family, sealed off with the 'Dragon-Locking Formation,' and anyone who enters without permission will be killed without mercy; fourth, all those who fought loyally today will be richly rewarded, the wounded will receive full medical treatment, and the dead will be generously compensated."

"Yes!" The old woman and the surviving guards accepted the order with a stern voice and quickly sprang into action. Cleaning up the scene, taking prisoners, fabricating evidence... everything proceeded smoothly under Guo Yun's command. The demon spies were completely purified by Ling Xiao's "Wrath of the Stars," leaving not even ashes behind. This saved them the biggest trouble of dealing with the residual demonic energy, which could only be attributed to the abnormal eruption of the earth's veins.

Guo Yun walked to the unconscious Ling Xiao's side, checked his weak pulse, and frowned deeply. The child's meridians were on the verge of bursting, and his dantian was depleted. If it weren't for the pure star essence spontaneously protecting his heart, he would have already perished. She then looked at Uncle Rong, who was simply bandaged and whose breathing was weak but surprisingly stable, and at Fa Cai, who was curled up in the nanny's arms, had reverted to his gray wolf form, and was covered in wounds but breathing evenly. A complex and inscrutable emotion flashed in her eyes.

"Send them back to their courtyard. Use my token to prepare the best 'Pulse-Regenerating Pill' and 'Life-Saving Ointment.' Have Pharmacist Chen go there personally, and don't let anyone disturb them." She whispered to her most trusted nanny, "Tell them that being alive is their greatest asset."

In the days that followed, the Guo family experienced a silent earthquake.

Externally, the Guo family issued an obituary announcing the death of their third elder, Guo Dahai, who "died from a severed meridian due to improper practice." The funeral was grand yet suspicious. Several stewards within the inner courtyard died suddenly from "serious illnesses," or were imprisoned for "colluding with external enemies." Guo Dahai's faction was swiftly and decisively eradicated by Guo Yun, leaving them completely purged. Envoys from the Lin and Su families attempted to subtly probe the matter, but Guo Yun skillfully deflected their inquiries with the refrain of "family affairs, not outsiders."

While other forces in the old lands had their own speculations, they dared not delve deeper due to Guo Yun's ruthless methods and the vague rumors that "the Guo family's spiritual veins are showing unusual activity, as if an ancestor has manifested." On the demon side, with all their spies wiped out, they lost track of Ling Xiao for the time being, and with the Guo family heavily guarded, they temporarily lay low, leaving only undercurrents surging.

A catastrophe that could have overthrown the entire family was forcibly suppressed, turning into dust in the power struggles of the old regime. Under the control of the third branch, the Guo family ushered in a new, but more cautious, order.

Seven days later, on a clear morning, the quiet little courtyard in the east corner of the outer courtyard finally welcomed back the long-awaited peace.

The first rays of dawn filtered through the newly sprouted leaves of the old locust tree. Uncle Rong sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, his bare upper body wrapped in clean gauze, old and new wounds crisscrossing, yet no longer exuding death. In his hand he held the broken knife, carefully wiping the newly added cracks on the blade with a soft cloth soaked in Star Essence Water. His movements were still slow, but no longer heavy; instead, they conveyed a composure born of having weathered many storms.

His eyes were deeper and clearer than ever before. The return of his memories was like piecing together a fragmented map of his soul. The flames of war in the Heavenly Palace, the lord's entrustment, the mistress's resolute decision, the tearing apart of spacetime... those unforgettable past events were no longer chaotic nightmares that tormented him, but had transformed into a heavy responsibility and strength, settling deep within his eyes. The power of creation from the Star Source Pool, though it hadn't fully restored his cultivation, had miraculously prevented the collapse of his Dao foundation and gently nourished his battered body. With his life no longer in danger, there was hope for the future.

Inside the room, Ling Xiao lay quietly on the bed, his face still pale, but his breathing had become much longer. The remaining stellar essence within his body was spontaneously guiding the slow circulation of the *Zhou Tian Xing Chen Dao Jing* (Great Dao Scripture of the Celestial Stars), nourishing and repairing his damaged meridians like a gentle spring rain. His eyelashes trembled slightly, as if sensing something in his slumber—perhaps his mother's astonishing attack, or perhaps a distant call from the star map.

In the corner, nestled in the grass, Fa Cai lay sprawled out, its belly rising and falling with its breath. Its back and legs were covered in ointment; it was fast asleep. Its body had shrunk back to its normal size, its fur a dull gray. Occasionally, its ears twitched, as if it were still struggling with someone in its dreams. The aftereffects of its berserk state hadn't subsided, its intelligence somewhat clouded, but its instinctive attachment to Ling Xiao and Uncle Rong kept it remarkably docile.

"Squeak—" The courtyard gate creaked softly, and Guo Yun walked in alone, carrying a food box in her hand.

Uncle Rong put down the broken sword, stood up, and nodded slightly. He was no longer in the posture of a humble servant, but with a sense of equality and even a hint of pride in his gratitude: "Third Elder."

"No need for formalities." Guo Yun waved her hand, placed the food box on the stone table, and looked into the room. "Still not awake?"

"It'll be soon." Uncle Rong looked out the window, his gaze gentle. "The source is repairing itself; forcibly awakening it would be harmful. This child's resilience is stronger than we thought."

Guo Yun remained silent for a moment, then whispered, "The underground palace is completely sealed off, and the array's core has been reinforced with double restrictions. It cannot be opened without our combined efforts. Guo Dahai's henchmen have also been eliminated. But the demons... are still a threat. They won't give up."

"I know." Uncle Rong picked up the broken knife, his fingers tracing the cold blade, his eyes as sharp as ever. "Bring it on. As long as these old bones of mine are still here, no one can touch him."

Looking at the transformed old man before her, Guo Yun's last trace of doubt vanished. She nodded: "The Guo family will be your temporary shield. But if you want true peace of mind... the old land is too small."

Uncle Rong looked up at the vast sky, towards the direction of the Purple Star Region, his voice low and firm: "Wait until he recovers from his injuries, wait until Fa Cai recovers, wait until we are ready... The sea of ​​stars may be vast, but there is always a way home."

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the old locust tree. Inside, Ling Xiao's fingers unconsciously tugged at the bedsheet; in its nest, Fa Cai rolled over, scratched at the empty bowl with its paws, and grunted in dissatisfaction.

As the sun fully rose above the horizon, it bathed the courtyard in a warm golden light. Yesterday's bloodshed and grief were buried deep in our hearts, becoming the foundation for moving forward.

The faint light of the old earth has not yet faded, and new star trails are already quietly extending.