Branching gradients?

jd,

To get a true branching keeping the live linear gradient(s), in other words a fully controlled linear gradient moderation where the lower part is unchanged and the upper part is an exact match up to the break, and with no viewing issues wherever, you can:

1) Copy the path to the front, remove the Fill from the copy and Hide it;

2) Select the original path and remove the Stroke;

3) Add a gradient stop at the break to lock the gradient there, seemingly about 66.6%, adjust percentage and colour as needed;

4) With the Line Segment Tool ShiftClickDrag to the left from the Anchor Point at the centre of the break and past the left edge;

5) Object>Path>Divide Objects Below;

Now you have and upper path and a lower path with identical gradients;

6) Change the rightmost part of the upper path (from the new gradient slider) as desired;

7) Show the stroked path from 1).

The following image shows step 2)/3), then 4), then 6), 7) in two versions namely with Stroke aligned to Center and to Outside, the latter being only outside the Fill instead of covering part of it, just as the original Stroke did, for a simpler version with gradient(s) between red and blue and with the break/slider at 75%,

Click/RightClick to see in full, Click again to get closer

Edit: Owing to a rift in the space time continuum, only the first reply showed a quarter of an hour ago; now all the three first replies appear as posted an hour ago.

Edit edit: Clarification of introduction.