A lotus flower floated serenely within the Soul Realm, its leaves rippling gently, emitting faint green light that shimmered and receded in waves.

  The lotus was a deep, immaculate green, with nine petals that resembled flawless jade. Each petal was unblemished and perfectly formed, as if crafted by the heavens themselves, free from any human interference. It was nothing short of a masterpiece of nature.

  Han's soul approached the lotus, and as he did, the lotus grew larger, expanding to a size that could accommodate his soul. Slowly, Han’s soul energy began to seep into the lotus, marking it with his imprint—this was the process of refining it.

  As this occurred, the lotus began to glow brighter, its green light gently enveloping Han’s soul, slowly altering it.

  This was the object Han had received from the wish bottle of Xiao Qingwan.

  It was not a Green Lotus Fire.

  Nor was it the legendary Pangu's creation after the world's formation... but that was of course impossible.

  After refining the lotus, Han understood its true origin and purpose.

  The Immaculate Green Lotus.

  This was a precious Daoist artifact specifically designed for nurturing souls.

  When a soul remains within the Immaculate Green Lotus for an extended period, it gradually acquires a special property: the Immaculate Trait.

  This trait keeps the soul in a state of clarity, preventing it from falling into confusion or darkness.

  This was immensely useful for both daily cultivation and in counteracting illusion-based Daoist techniques.

  Furthermore, when Han faced opponents in battle, their Daoist attacks would be weakened if they struck him, as their techniques would be tainted, their potency diminished.

  Of course, the effect wasn’t endless—it couldn't infinitely weaken an opponent’s techniques, but it certainly had its limits.

  It was easy to understand, and didn’t need further explanation.

  Moreover, while Han’s soul resided on the Immaculate Green Lotus, it also offered protective defensive properties.

  "Not a bad treasure at all."

  Han was quite pleased with this acquisition.

  Although the Immaculate Trait wouldn't take effect immediately and would require time to accumulate, having the treasure in his possession meant that sooner or later, the benefits would manifest.

  Even before his soul fully attained the Immaculate Trait, meditating on the lotus would help him maintain clarity, enhancing his cultivation immensely.

  Although it wouldn't offer immediate assistance in battle, its effects on cultivation were already evident.

  Looking around at the now "empty" Soul Realm, Han felt a sense of satisfaction, yet an unshakable longing remained.

  He wanted more.

  Two bottles had arrived in the span of eight or nine days—people might think he'd found them by accident.

  Later that night, Han returned to the Peach Grove.

  "Aunt Mo, tell me about the history of our world," Han asked.

  "Why the sudden interest?" Lu Qingmo asked, puzzled.

  Han answered earnestly, "Reading history makes one wiser."

  "In the past, before the Three Kingdoms, were other countries also divided by states and counties like we do?"

  "Naturally," Lu Qingmo nodded, "since the earliest records, that has been the case."

  "So why does the demon race refer to their territory as the Shan Hai Domain? Why don't we humans use 'Domain' for our territories?"

  Lu Qingmo thought for a moment before replying:

  "That’s a question for the one who named the Shan Hai Domain."

  It had always been called that, and Lu Qingmo had no answers to give.

  "Is there only the Shan Hai Domain in this world?" Han pressed.

  "Yes, it’s been the only one since ancient times," she replied.

  Han fell silent. If only one domain existed in this world, then what about the Tian Bei Domain where Xiao Qingwan was from?

  According to the information in the wish paper, the Xiao family was quite powerful, so Xiao Qingwan wouldn’t be ignorant of basic geographical facts.

  If it was called the Tian Bei Domain, then it likely was.

  Lu Miaomiao seemed to be having issues with time, but could Xiao Qingwan be having issues with space?

  Another world…

  If Han were to ask most cultivators whether there was another world, the overwhelming answer would be no.

  But Han was a traveler, his situation was unique.

  Whether there were other worlds was uncertain for him as well.

  The drifting wish bottles certainly kept throwing Han more questions, confusing him further.

  At the middle of the night, Han focused on cultivating the Yin Earth Fire Seal.

  Suddenly, Lu Qingmo’s soul rose into the air, leaving the Peach Grove with hurried steps.

  "You stay here, don’t wander," she said.

  Watching her soul depart, Han felt perplexed.

  What urgent matter had occurred?

  It wasn’t until dawn that Lu Qingmo returned, her expression solemn. Her first words were:

  "The people from Yujing arrived at Black Cloud Town last night."

  "They arrived?" Han was surprised.

  "Aunt Mo, did something happen during your trip?"

  Lu Qingmo nodded. "On their way to Black Cloud Town, they were attacked."

  "The Yujing entourage suffered heavy casualties and only escaped after paying a great price."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Attacked?" Han's heart sank. "Did something happen to the emperor's favored official?"

  If the other members of the group had died, it wasn’t a huge issue, though still concerning. But if someone close to the emperor had perished, that would be a monumental problem, one that couldn’t be ignored.

  "Left Tianzheng, the imperial envoy, was wounded but isn’t in danger," Lu Qingmo shook her head.

  "But his guard has been mostly wiped out."

  "Who did this? This is audacious!" Han exclaimed.

  This was open defiance against the imperial court, slapping the emperor in the face.

  Whoever dared to do this must be the arch-enemies of the empire.

  "The Tianmu Sect and the Wuchang Temple joined forces to ambush the Yujing envoy group."

  Now that made sense.

  Those two factions had long been enemies of the empire. Given the opportunity, they would not hesitate to strike, even if it meant targeting an imperial envoy.

  "Experts from the Divine Manifestation and Cleansing Marrow realms were involved. If not for Left Tianzheng's guards being strong, he would have surely perished."

  Lu Qingmo’s face grew serious. "Now that Left Tianzheng was ambushed in Black Cloud territory, this is troubling."

  "If he wishes to use this incident to escalate matters, he’d be completely justified."

  "Do you know Left Tianzheng?" Han asked.

  "I’ve heard a little about him when I was in Yujing," Lu Qingmo replied.

  "He’s one of the few imperial officials I know personally."

  "Oh?" Han's curiosity was piqued. "What makes him special?"

  "Not much, actually. His cultivation talent is said to be poor, and from what I can tell today, he’s only reached the peak of the Bone Refining stage."

  "But he’s known for having saved the emperor’s life when the emperor was once attacked. That’s when he gained fame in Yujing."

  An assassination attempt on the emperor was no small matter. It would send shockwaves through the entire capital.

  Whoever saved the emperor in such a crisis would naturally become well-known.

  For such a great deed, it was only right that he received special treatment.

  "He's fiercely loyal to the emperor, though his cultivation is mediocre. Still, his martial heart is quite strong," Lu Qingmo continued.

  "But over ten years have passed since then. I’m no longer familiar with him."

  "Well, he’s closing himself off for cultivation during the day..." she added.

  When Han arrived at the martial arts academy, he shared the news of the imperial envoy’s attack with Bai Ruoyue and the others. They were all quite shocked.

  Though they were martial artists and had little awareness of legal matters, they all recognized the importance of their identities as citizens of the empire.

  The emperor’s position was unique, and the idea of attacking an imperial envoy was unthinkable. Yet, it had actually happened.

  "Could the envoy be planning to take his anger out on Black Cloud Town?" Shen Long asked bluntly.

  That was the big unknown.

  Today, Han could definitely feel that the atmosphere in Black Cloud Town had changed. There were far more government patrols.

  By night, Lu Qingmo told Han that the entire day had been busy.

  Both the Ghost God Bureau and the Ding Wu Bureau were out in full force, searching the area.

  With the Yujing envoy suffering such heavy casualties, the Tianmu Sect and Wuchang Temple would also be dealing with their own losses. They might be hiding nearby, nursing their wounds.

  Even if it was just a show of force, the surrounding territories had to be thoroughly inspected to demonstrate their stance.

  The leaders of both the Ghost God Bureau and Ding Wu Bureau were personally leading the search as an example.

  Lu Qingmo said to Han:

  "Tomorrow, Left Tianzheng will likely summon the various factions in Black Cloud Town. You and Ruoyue should go. I’ll be there too, to keep an eye on things."

  "I understand."

  It seemed the mighty dragon was about to meet the local snakes.

  Sure enough, early the next morning, someone from the government came to Han’s door with an invitation, asking the Taibai Martial Arts Academy master to attend a meeting at the town’s magistrate’s office.

  “My father isn’t here, so I’ll go,” Bai Ruoyue said.

  Carrying on her father’s legacy, she had now become the head of the Tai Bai Martial Arts School!

  “I’ll accompany you, just as Aunt Mo instructed yesterday.”

  “Alright.”

  Bai Ruoyue would have felt a little uneasy going alone. But with Han by her side, she felt completely confident.

  The two of them made their way to the town’s command center. Presenting their invitation, they were promptly escorted into a pavilion.

  Yun Yuan Nan and Long Tian Chong had already arrived and were waiting for them there.

  The three largest martial arts schools and the three most powerful families were the leaders of Black Cloud Town.

  Other, smaller families or foreign powers hadn’t received invitations.

  Today was an important assembly of Black Cloud Town’s leaders.

  Long Tian Chong frowned as he watched Han and Bai Ruoyue enter, his expression clearly displeased.

  “Is it just you two young ones from Tai Bai Martial Arts School coming?” he scoffed.

  The others were all from the older generation, yet here came a young lad and a girl. It felt disrespectful.

  But Han and Bai Ruoyue paid no attention to Long Tian Chong’s words.

  Gao Zhenxiong gave them a cold, frosty look, his eyes like shards of ice, though he remained silent.

  “Please, sit,” Yun Yuan Nan said with a gentle smile. “Brother Bai is temporarily away from Black Cloud Town, so Tai Bai’s responsibilities fall to you.”

  “It’s only for a short time,” Bai Ruoyue replied, shaking her head.

  The others exchanged glances, remembering the news they had received a few days ago that Bai Tian had left Black Cloud Town. Curiosity stirred within them about his sudden departure.

  The seats in the pavilion were arranged casually, with no specific order, so everyone took their places informally.

  “I wonder what this Left Envoy seeks from us?” the head of the Lin family asked.

  The head of the Wild Blade Martial Arts School answered, “With the current chaos in Black Cloud, though it’s prosperous, it’s a skewed kind of prosperity. Left Envoy likely wants to restore order.”

  They chatted casually, though there was a certain seriousness in their words. However, they weren’t overly tense. After all, they were the leaders of Black Cloud Town. No one was likely to simply attack them.

  Soon, three figures walked in—two men and one woman.

  Lu Qingmo, the Chief of the Dingwu Department, Jiang Wenwu, and the third person was a young man dressed in plain robes, with a somewhat pale complexion.

  All eyes turned to the young man, who was none other than Left Envoy Zuo Tianzheng from Yujing.

  “Left Envoy,” everyone rose to show respect.

  Those present were all well-informed, and their relationships with the government were complicated. They had all heard something about Zuo Tianzheng. Now, seeing his pale face, they couldn’t help but think, “So the rumors were true…”

  They were all relieved that this Left Envoy hadn’t died in Black Cloud.

  “Please, take a seat.” Zuo Tianzheng’s face was cold and stern. He glanced over the group, recognizing most of them.

  Lu Qingmo walked straight over to sit beside Han, drawing Zuo Tianzheng’s attention.

  “Seems like Tai Bai’s master isn’t here?” Zuo Tianzheng remarked.

  “My father left Black Cloud Town a few days ago for some matters and has yet to return,” Bai Ruoyue answered.

  Zuo Tianzheng nodded without much reaction.

  “The reason I’ve invited all of you here today is not for any great matter, but simply to get to know each other.”

  “After all, we will be working together for a long time, so it’s better to familiarize ourselves now,” Zuo Tianzheng continued, his expression remaining unchanged.

  “Black Mountain has fallen into turmoil, and Black Cloud Town has been restless. The Emperor worries for his people, and it weighs heavily on his heart. So, I’ve come by his order to restore order in Black Cloud and bring peace.”

  “The people of Black Cloud should not have to suffer at the hands of rogue cultivators, and the town should be able to prosper. This is my mission,” he stated.

  “As you are all from Black Cloud, I will need your assistance in the future.”

  “Of course, it’s our duty,” Yun Yuan Nan was the first to respond.

  The others also nodded in agreement. Ensuring Black Cloud’s stability was a small matter to them, something they could easily commit to.

  “With your support, I can rest easy,” Zuo Tianzheng said with a nod.

  “Now, onto the matter of Black Mountain.”

  “Cultivators from various counties have poured into Black Cloud Town and entered Black Mountain, many of whom have met untimely deaths. It is truly a tragedy.”

  “These are all citizens of Da Qi, who train arduously, only to lose their lives in Black Mountain. Had they joined the army or served in the court, who knows what contributions they could have made?”

  “Such a waste.”

  “And with the mountain god’s impending fall, now is not the time to disturb him. He deserves peace.”

  Zuo Tianzheng glanced at everyone and continued, “I intend to establish some regulations, restricting cultivators from entering Black Mountain. If we work together, we can reduce the casualties among them.”

  “The fewer people who enter Black Mountain, the fewer who will die. It is truly a virtuous deed.”

  “What does everyone think?”

  The room fell silent as everyone appeared deep in thought.

  Ensuring Black Cloud’s stability was easy; they could all agree to that. But imposing restrictions on who could enter Black Mountain was a different matter.

  If they agreed and took action, it would spark public outrage.

  After all, people came to Black Cloud specifically to enter Black Mountain. If they were forbidden from doing so, they might turn against the leaders.

  The court paid them a monthly stipend, but they didn’t want to risk their lives for nothing.

  Besides, the mountain god had agreed to this arrangement, and those powerful cultivators who had made pacts with the mountain god wouldn’t object. What right did Zuo Tianzheng have to set such rules?

  Seeing that no one responded, Zuo Tianzheng’s gaze shifted, and he finally settled on Bai Ruoyue.

  “Miss Bai, what do you think?”

  Han was about to speak up for Bai Ruoyue, but she beat him to it.

  “Since this concerns Black Mountain, why not ask the mountain god?”

  “Perhaps we could directly invite the mountain god to set the limits. That would be the most convenient.”

  “….”

  The room fell into complete silence, including Zuo Tianzheng.

  Though he was a Left Envoy, if he could just order the mountain god around, would he even need to have this meeting with them?

  She was clearly trying to make trouble.