Things Changed, Faces Gone; a Hidden Realm's Inner Heaven and Earth

When Fang Shu learned that the sect had summoned him, his thoughts stirred. He was far from the only one.

Across the vast Zucchini Continent, and even beyond its borders, others picked up their identity tokens with strange looks on their faces.

Somewhere in the Vast Sea Desert.

A storm raged through the yellow sands as though it would never end.

Yet one man stood motionless in midair, utterly unaffected by the storm around him.

The token in his hand flashed with five colors. It was identical to Fang Shu's: an inner disciple's token of the Five Viscera Temple.

"A summons back to the sect..." he murmured. "That's a first."

Recalling the rules he had once learned in the sect, he could not help looking a little wistful.

He knew that this time, he would have to make a choice and leave the sect for good.

Without the slightest hesitation, he crushed the token with a crack, ground it to powder, and scattered it into the swirling sand.

Just then, a streak of light flew out of the sandstorm and appeared beside him.

"Brother Wu!" the newcomer shouted. "The restrictions here are formidable. We need your help!"

The man who had crushed the token burst out laughing. "Gladly!"

If Fang Shu had been there,

he would have noticed that the man's surname matched that of the senior brother he had heard about at Solitary Gu Hall. His build and features also closely resembled the senior brother Fang Shu had once glimpsed at Senior Sister Fang Lu's place.

The man surnamed Wu followed the streak of light deep into the sandstorm.

Several days later.

A rumble like muffled thunder sounded, followed by a sudden shout: "Hah!"

The dust and sand for ten li around trembled as one.

The sandstorm that had