His eyes landed on an unfamiliar ceiling, or was it even a ceiling? There were stars, constellations and everything cosmic. His first thought was Am I dead?

But he quickly remembered why he could be dead and sprung up to find the other person. Luckily, he didn't have to search too much as the person was lying beside him, still in the lands of dreams.

His sleeping face was truly a sight to behold. Never a name had fit someone so perfectly, a Jade indeed.

The corner of his lips curved up, forming a smile which he didn't know he was capable of, exploring every inch of his face with his eyes. His hand reached towards the jade and caressed his milky cheeks with his rough fingers. He had to make sure that they weren't actually dead. He felt the warmth crawl up his fingers and giving him every reason to feel alive. But he couldn't stop staring, nor he could stop his touch. It was as if his mind was no longer under his control and his body betrayed his every command.

He leaned closer and closer and closer, just inches apart.

Maybe it was the mysterious place or the aroma of sandalwood right in his face. It was too late to think who casted the magic with such a grace. He closed his eyes and gave in to his fate. He kissed the jade with warm embrace.

Jiang Cheng backed away as the warmth was too overwhelming, it was doing weird tricks to his heart and unfamiliar feeling was invading his stomach. He became scared.

Jiang Cheng looked up to see his Zidian and Sandu intact. And he could very much confirm that he hadn't died. The tint on his cheeks and his uneven breathing could testify that. He examined the room for a while and realized that there wasn't any door, he stepped towards the thing which he assumed to be a window and opened it, carefully not causing a sound. When his eyes made their way through the window, once again he thought he had died. He could smell the wet mud and sound of a water fall but wherever he looked, there were beds of clouds. He saw the clouds gave shade of dusky orange like the sun was near it.

The sight was-

"breath taking!"

His thoughts were given voice by the other person. Jiang Cheng looked behind to see the Jade smiling warmly at the scene or maybe, just maybe at him?

"S-sect Leader Lan, you're awake." Jiang Cheng couldn't find any other appropriate words at the moment; he had his gaze lowered not daring to face him.

"Any clue where we are?" Lan Xichen asked not receding his brilliant smile.

"From the looks of it, It can only be Baoshao Sanren's chalet." Jiang Cheng replied looking anywhere but at him.

"Hmm I agree! But where is she? Or how do we go out?"

"My guess is as good as yours."

"Your guess is quite accurate." A voice, more like a melody ringed in their ears and the two sect leaders immediately turned around only to be shocked by the beautiful angelic figure in front of them. They didn't even know how she came there but they sure as hell, didn't mind.

Baoshao Sanren, one of the 8 immortals whom cultivators only dreamt of meeting, was standing in front of them, shining with every fiber of her being, radiating warmth and literal sunrays, at least that's how the two sect leaders assumed it to be. Neither one of them could put the finger on the appropriate words for her. She was simply celestial!

"My apologies for using underhanded method, I can not let just anyone enter my humble home."

The two sect leaders were too shocked to say a thing. Baoshao Sanren chuckled and gestured them to sit down and make themselves feel at home, the two leaders obliged.

"I am aware that you need my assistance, but may I ask few questions along the way?"

The two leaders nodded, still unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Your core. It is unusually similar to my disciple."

Of course, why else would the heavenly immortal bother to meet with someone like Jiang Cheng? Now he's standing on his feet using the strength of his core which is not even his in the first place. He felt mocked!

Jiang Cheng explained the whole core incident to Baoshao sanren. Who silently listened to his story without giving any readable expressions.

"Tell her how did you lose it as well." Lan Xichen finally spoke.

"It doesn't matter."

"It does matter!" Lan Xichen raised his voice a little emphasizing the need of it and Jiang Cheng looked at him for mere seconds and completed the whole mystery. Baoshan Sanren didn't change her expression.

"I see. I thought maybe through some miracle, my children came back."

Though she was immortal but she was still holding on to the Miracle of life.

"And what about you? Are you his cultivation partner? I didn't just pick you up by fault?"

Baoshao Sanren directed towards sect leader Lan but hearing the world, cultivation partner made them both cough in awkwardness.

"You two have familiar mark on each other so I figured, am I mistaken?"

Mark? She meant the kiss!

Lan Xichen wasn't sure if Jiang Cheng was aware of the resuscitation while Jiang cheng was praying that Lan Xichen didn't know about the attempted kiss just earlier.

But would Baoshao Sanren send him away if they aren't partners? It wasn't time to pick guesses and so Lan Xichen replied,

"Yes! We are."

Much to Jiang Cheng's surprise. His face now beet red and he had hoped to just dive through the window.

"I see."

"So, how may I assist you, Young Masters?"

Jiang Cheng elaborated the story of their presumed Heaven's Gate. The two sect leaders were aware that they didn't nor they could open the Heaven's Gate. It was the only thing which they could explain to the juniors back then. They didn't mean to lie to them but they couldn't just say that they were used as a bait to attract the Gui or their blood was fed to all the things un holly just so Wei Wuxian could cross the Subterranean Realm and return back without getting engulfed by them but what did that idiot do?

He sent back Mo XuanYu!

Now how were they going to get him back? Sect Leader Nie owed them all an explanation.

"You must be aware why there are 8 immortals? Each has its significant role and I'm afraid I am not the one who deals with the soul. The person you're looking for is Immortal Dalou." Baoshao Sanren clarified.

"We do not want to retrieve just the soul, but the whole person in his own shell." Jiang Cheng replied. He would love to see his brother back in his own shell, and that way even Nie Huaisang could have someone by his side.

"What has been offered cannot be retrieved."

The demonic cultivation was indeed first thing the cultivators had seen and no one knew about it except the founder himself. It's true people cultivated it but none of them were brave enough to actually experiment with it. Cheng Mei was an exceptional case but he went just like he came, wrapped In the darkness, covering his true self.

"We aren't asking you to do anything grand, we just want you to guide his soul back, rest he can do himself."

"I see you have quite a lot of faith in your brother. But do you really need me to guide him. Isn't his husband enough?"

"Wangji hasn't awaken yet, and he won't until Wei Gongzi comes back." It was Lan Xichen's turn to speak.

"I do not wish to disappoint Young Masters but you don't need my help. Have faith in your brothers and they surely will return."

"You can't just expect us to sit down and watch our brothers die! There must be a way to reach him or even communicate! Anything at all! Anything....please"

When a person dies, they surely suffer from endless darkness but what about the person they leave behind? They suffer as much if not more. And seeing the same person die, in front your eyes and not being able to save him twice would leave a nasty scar on his already wounded body. Jiang Cheng already considered himself unworthy of so many things, especially when it came to protecting the ones he cared for.

" There was just one incident in the history where the order of Heaven was bent. It was the act of love."

The one time when Heavens Gate broke the bond itself!

What could Jiang Cheng possibly do with that, for him it was simply a word that held no meaning. And how could one even form the bond of Love, should he declare his love in front of Heaven and Earth? Should he perform love rituals and shout his lungs or should he etch it on his body with dagger or blade?

But isn't that why, Sect Leader Nie decided to arrange a marriage with Mo Xuanyu? Wasn't that their plan? Shouldn't his love pass some sort of check point by now? If they followed the moon, they should've been married by now. Isn't marriage the greatest contract of love?

Or maybe it wasn't? that might be why his father and mother were never happy. Maybe marriage was a curse itself. Then what exactly left? How could he prove to Heaven and Earth? How could he bring back his brother? What love he has to offer? What is exactly love?

Lan Xichen placed his hand gently on the shoulder of Sandhu urging him to calm down.

"The Great Immortal Baoshao, there's one last thing we ask and I'm quite certain only you can help with that."

. . .

[Continuation : ch 35]

Wen Yuan knew he was about to be served as a sacrifice but not to the gods, to the people instead. The days he spent in the abominable prison were enough for him to gather information.

He now knew that their enemy are YingChuan Wang Sect and Yao Sect.

The two had secretly been gathering rogue cultivators against the great 4 sects, with Moling Su sect being a clear volunteer. They had always hated Lans and now they have an open reason for it, with Shizui being a Wen.

He also learnt about the attack of Gonngong, these people planned it so they could sneak inside Meishan Yu sect and attack it from inside. And worst part, they had the Oracle of the Moon. 

And if their planned succeed, then his friends might already be dead.

Not only that, now they have huge collections of spells and sorcery. And the last thing they need is the blood of pure wen to revive all the dead corpses Qishan Wen sect.

Whoever planned this, was mindful of each step, he took advantage of absence of two Sect Leaders and strike the sects.

Lan Shizui had been thinking of a way to escape but they had robbed his blade and his talisman, even the outer rob of protective charm was taken off. What was more, they experimented with his core, trying to fuse it with corpses like Zao Lihua practiced . He needed to get back to his parents. He needed to warn everyone about the War which was about to happen.

. . .

The sound of bell had always been soothing to him but this time, it was alarming. It was the bell which Wei Wuxian had once made for Jin Ling for his New Moon celebration and it was also the bell, that marked the day that Jin Ling was an orphan now.

Jiang Cheng, Lan Xichen and Song Lan were heading back to the main sects.

They knew the bell rang and they knew that something wasn't right. Jiang Cheng prayed silently for his nephew to be alright. He would give anything up but please not his nephew. Please let him be safe!

. . .

When he opened his eyes, what welcomed him was dreadful sight. Mo XuanYu could hear the screams of the sacrifices buried in the walls. He immediately got from what he presumed to be a coffin and looked at his surroundings.

He looked around and saw coffins for Sabers and his doubt was confirmed, he was inside the Ancestral Burial Tomb of Qinghe Nie Sect. But how did he get there?

He tried to recall what happened last time he was conscious and the moment it hit him, he began to cry.

Tears rolled down his cheeks and there was a constant pain in his chest.

"You liar.." He clutched down, ignoring the turmoil of the walls. Right then, his heart was giving him more pain than those screams.

Mo XuanYu needed to get out and maybe just run away! He didn't feel wanted anywhere, he thought he could deal with anything as long as Sang Xi was by his side. But it was honestly too much, he (NHS) used his (MXY) own feelings against him. He should have never been brought back. He should have stayed dead.

"Why would you bring me back....." Mo XuanYu called to nothingness in the air

" You shouldn't have let me come...it's too painful..." He shouted at the walls to consume him. he didn't even have the courage left to take his own life. He begged to anything, anyone just please,

"...please...let me go back..."

"Is that what you want?" Came the unknown voice.

----------

Explanation time!

Now I have all the characters where I wanted them to be so its time to explain what those 40+ chapters were all about.

Long Story Short

Wei Wuxian decided to ditch the boring coronation of Smol Nie and visited darkness - his old pal. He sent back a farewell gift Baby M00.

Wangji panicked

Jiang Cheng Frantic

Lan xichen panoramic

EVERYONE decided to bring the trouble maker back (like he wasn't already causing trouble)

cause they aint nothing better to do. (killing the corpses gets boring)

Wangji sad

Jiujiu mad

Now Wen Ning a Dad.

He took his kid for a tour down the memory lane only to tell him ME NO UNCLE ME BROTHER

(Cause that's how mxtx siblings' function)

They all split up cause that was a good idea.

Juniors Parade

Date your mate

Something something Heaven's Gate

--------THE END-----------