Gu Yan descended from the mountain at dawn.
The stone steps beneath his feet were familiar—worn smooth by centuries of passage—but today, each step felt heavier than the last. Beneath his outer robe, several jade slips rested quietly against his chest. None of them radiated power. None of them demanded attention. Yet their weight surpassed any treasure he had ever carried.
Golden Core methods.
Methods that countless people had begged him for across the years.
The wind followed him down the mountain, cold and steady. He did not look back.
Azure River Sect
Azure River Sect lay along the bend of a great blue river, its buildings arranged like flowing water—gentle curves, pale stone, open courtyards. When Gu Yan arrived, the sect bells rang three times.
Elder Li Canghe, his hair bound with a jade clasp, personally greeted him at the gates.
"Senior Gu," Li Canghe said, bowing deeply. "It has been many years."
Gu Yan returned the bow, his movements slow but precise. "Indeed."
They drank tea in the outer hall. No disciples were present—only elders.
After a long silence, Elder Li spoke carefully. "In the past… some words were spoken without thought. Azure River Sect regrets this."
Gu Yan smiled faintly. "The past has already flowed away."
He placed a jade slip on the table.
"This is the Golden Core method," he said calmly. "Heaven's aid has already been expended. Success or failure depends solely on the cultivator."
The elders stiffened.
Elder Zhou Wen, younger and sharper-eyed, leaned forward. "Senior Gu—are there… conditions?"
"No."
"Hidden requirements?"
"No."
A third elder, Han Rui, said nothing at all. His fingers tightened around his teacup.
Gu Yan stood. "This is my final visit."
He bowed once and left.
No one followed him.
Blazing Sun Sect
Blazing Sun Sect stood upon scorched red cliffs, its structures bold and angular. Cultivation flames burned day and night at its core.
Sect Master Yan Honglie received Gu Yan personally.
"Old friend," Yan Honglie said, his voice rough but sincere. "You look the same."
Gu Yan chuckled softly. "You flatter me."
They stood rather than sat. The air between them was tense.
Yan Honglie asked bluntly, "Is this method… truly complete?"
"It is complete," Gu Yan replied. "But Golden Core is not guaranteed."
Yan Honglie's gaze sharpened. "Will you remain to oversee?"
Gu Yan shook his head. "No."
A pause.
Yan Honglie exhaled slowly. "Then this really is goodbye."
Gu Yan placed the jade slip into Yan Honglie's hands.
"It is."
Mu Clan
The Mu Clan resided within layered courtyards surrounded by ancient trees. Gu Yan was welcomed warmly, almost desperately.
Elder Mu Jian, stooped with age, grasped Gu Yan's sleeve with trembling hands. "Senior Gu… we were wrong."
Gu Yan gently withdrew his arm. "Regret does not change the heavens."
He handed over the technique.
"Young ones will rise," he said. "Whether they stand or fall is their choice."
Behind the elders, younger clan members watched with barely contained excitement.
The old ones watched in silence.
He Clan
The He Clan was colder.
Clan Head He Yuanqing bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the stone floor.
"Senior Gu," he said, "we ask forgiveness."
Gu Yan nodded once.
"Golden Core carries risk," Gu Yan said evenly. "Failure will shatter cultivation completely."
He Yuanqing's lips tightened. "We accept that."
Gu Yan placed the jade slip down.
"Then do not curse Heaven when the time comes."
Clear Wind Pavilion
Clear Wind Pavilion had no walls—only platforms suspended over mist.
Here, Gu Yan met people who called him Gu Yan, not Senior Gu.
Old cultivators like Feng Luo, who once drank with him under a broken moon, and Qiao Ren, who had changed his name twice to escape sect politics.
They laughed quietly.
"You stayed with Heaven," Feng Luo said. "Do you regret it?"
Gu Yan shook his head. "No."
They accepted the techniques without ceremony.
Some left immediately.
Others sat, staring into the mist.
The Wanderer
At the edge of a desolate road, Gu Yan met a lone cultivator who called himself Mo Shen.
"Different name again?" Gu Yan asked.
Mo Shen smiled. "Different life."
No questions were asked.
No thanks were spoken aloud.
A single bow was exchanged.
His Former Sect
The gates of his former sect opened instantly.
Disciples lined the path, bowing as one.
"Senior Ancestor," they called.
Gu Yan stopped at the gate.
"I will not enter," he said.
The elders froze.
He handed them the final jade slips.
"I sever all ties today."
Shock rippled through the crowd.
Some understood.
Some did not.
Gu Yan turned away.
No one followed him.
Behind him, an entire generation realized they might never see him again.
Ahead of him lay only one path.
Golden Core.
Or death.
And somewhere far above—
Heaven watched.
Silently.
End of Chapter 45