Somewhere in the North Sea, on an unnamed deserted island, thunderous booms shook an obscure spirit valley that the nearby seafolk called Immortal Trace Valley.
As Blood Flame soared into the sky and light and shadow intertwined, a figure in loose robes with broad sleeves flew out, his exuberant laughter ringing through the air.
"Hahahaha! After thirty years of secluded cultivation, I've finally mastered my Blood Gu Secret Art!"
He was a middle-aged rogue cultivator whose hair had begun to gray. Despite spending years in seclusion without seeing daylight, his clothes remained neat and clean as new. His Dharma power, seemingly alive, turned into a fine radiance that roamed over his body, lending the circulation of his aura the force of the wind.
He strode through empty air and stood floating aloft, his bearing that of an immortal. A few small fishing boats happened to be heading out together on the distant sea. Seeing him from afar, everyone aboard cried out in astonishment, "Look, an immortal master!"
The middle-aged rogue cultivator had already noticed those fishing boats, but he paid them no heed and turned to fly in another direction.
Less than half a day later, he reached the hills behind a village in a nearby island kingdom. Gazing at the familiar green mountains and clear waters, he could not help feeling nostalgic.
"Nothing has changed here."
He looked around and extended his spiritual consciousness. Before long, he discovered the restrictions he had set up many years ago.
The middle-aged rogue cultivator possessed a Witch-Gu Secret Art: if it sensed his death, the Gu Worms hidden inside would crawl out and destroy the restrictions, allowing even mortals to discover the unusual site.
But he had not died, so the arrays and restrictions remained intact, continuing their duty of sealing away