After speaking with Young Master Tian Ming, Bai Lan decided to leave the celebration held in honor of the Tian ancestor. But everything became clear afterward.
That so-called celebration was nothing more than a façade to gather all of the Tian Family's supporters.
The Southern Region would soon undergo tremendous changes, and the most drastic of them would be the fall of the Empire and the death of the Imperial Family.
Bai Lan's hands trembled. Even after telling her father everything, she still felt deeply uneasy.
Bai Tianheng was the one who was truly enraged. His eyes widened slightly, his fists clenched, and a mixture of anguish and hatred consumed him.
Although fear overwhelmed him whenever he heard the name of the Northern Region, supporting such a cause still seemed utterly absurd to him.
"Damn it! Why? Why? Why are those bastards coming here now? Aren't we the Barbarian Region? What the hell do those cursed people see here?!"
"Will the Imperial Court condemn us if we support the Tian Family?" Bai Lan asked.
Her father was visibly shaken by the news, sighing repeatedly in defeat.
"I don't know... To be honest, if the Imperial Family has a blade at its throat, it won't have the luxury of worrying about that—unless its goal is to flee... But where would we go? Crossing the Northern Forest would be extremely dangerous. Besides the powerful Demonic Beasts, we could be discovered by the Immortal Sects of the Northern Region."
"As for putting the population aboard ships and sailing toward the Western Isles... that's out of the question. We don't have enough ships for something like that, and the distance is so vast that countless commoners would die along the way. It would take months to reach them. And besides, that land belongs to the Lingmu People—the descendants of the World Tree," the Governor replied.
Bai Lan fell into deep thought, and then an idea occurred to her.
"What if we went to the Frozen Lands farther north? There are no records of civilizations living there. We could—"
Suddenly, her father interrupted her.
"No! That place is strange. There is an enormous concentration of Yin Qi there. Ordinary people cannot possibly survive in those lands... My dear daughter, there is no place left for us here. Either we are reduced to servitude, or we flee to another continent... and even that is impossible. Even Core Formation cultivators are incapable of crossing the ocean."
A depressing atmosphere filled the hall.
Father and daughter were lost in thought, considering countless possibilities—but every path led to the same conclusion.
Servitude.
On a hill within the mansion's gardens, the silhouette of a young man could be seen repeatedly inhaling and exhaling.
Something within him was slowly changing. His internal energy, blood, bones, and organs were being refined on a deeper level.
This was Feng Qi, now known by his true name.
What the young man was doing was preparing to reach the Fifth Layer.
After approximately the time it took for two incense sticks to burn, everything finally came to an end.
Feng Qi had finally reached the Fifth Layer of Body Refinement.
He exhaled softly.
"My strength is increasing, but the enemy forces are far too powerful for my breakthrough to meaningfully close the gap."
Leaning against a tree behind him, someone watched the young man with a serious expression, carefully analyzing every movement.
It was Luo Zixuan.
Now, the young man no longer trusted Feng Qi.
"You should cultivate your own abilities instead of standing there watching me. Do you really think I'd do anything to your young mistress?" Feng Qi asked.
"As long as you work for the Bai Mansion, you should address her as Miss. It is a display of respect that everyone in the household owes her."
Luo Zixuan spoke seriously.
He truly did not trust Feng Qi anymore. This incident had destroyed what little trust he had still possessed.
Suddenly, Feng Qi burst into laughter.
"You know I'm only staying here for a year, right? There's no need to be so alarmed by me when I don't intend to stay for long."
"But you are still a threat to the young mistress."
"Don't be like that. I was hired by the Bai Family, and I will fulfill my duty properly. Besides, I'm grateful to Bai Lan for all the help she has given me. I should repay her in every way possible."
The young man suddenly stood up and looked directly at the guardian.
"It's the least I can do, don't you think?"
Luo Zixuan fell into thought.
Several ideas passed through his mind, and after a quiet sigh, he approached Feng Qi.
"Honestly, I can't understand you. Why are you so determined to leave the city? What is your goal in life?"
The two stood atop a hill within the Bai Family's grounds.
From there, they could see the entirety of Qingyao stretching from one end to the other. The city was home to nearly twelve million people, yet it was still small compared to the Imperial Capital, which housed hundreds of millions.
Looking toward the horizon, they could make out the faint outlines of distant mountains.
"Do you see that?"
Feng Qi gazed into the distance.
"The world is an incredible place. I don't intend to remain trapped here forever. You know, I recently discovered just how vast our continent truly is—how many kingdoms, empires, and regions are governed by Immortal Sects..."
"Just imagining all of that existing within a single continent makes my blood boil. It's a strange feeling, difficult to explain, but somehow, it draws me in."
Luo Zixuan looked at him before turning his gaze back toward the horizon.
The sun was setting, bathing the city in shades of red and orange. Immense clouds filled the sky, slowly swallowing the blue above them until the sun descended and disappeared behind the mountain peaks.
"I want to become immortal, Guardian Zixuan. I want to live forever!"
Luo Zixuan was shaken by the strange feeling those words evoked.
It was as though he had been enchanted by Feng Qi's words.
An unusual aura lingered in the air, and Zixuan's heart began to pound as he gazed upon the breathtaking horizon. A gentle, cool breeze caressed him, causing the young man from the Luo Family to reconsider his own life.
He questioned Feng Qi's future, only to realize that he himself was still too small to truly see the world.
A faint sadness overcame him when he realized that his own future was tied to the Bai Family.
He would never dare abandon them.
The Luo Family would be nothing without the Bai Family, and his profound gratitude toward them would never end.
After several calm breaths, Zixuan looked at the young man beside him and noticed that his eyes were shining as he gazed toward the horizon.
At that moment, he realized something.
The young man named Feng Qi was free.
"I will travel to every corner of this world. I will uncover all its secrets, all of its history, everything."
"I am in love, Zixuan... In love with the world, with life. I've never felt anything so powerful, so intense. My chest burns every day, and many times I feel as though something is calling out to me—my Destiny!"
Luo Zixuan was stunned.
Strangely, he too was swept up by that aura and felt the desire to leave Qingyao and explore the world.
For the first time, he experienced Platonic Freedom.
Countless thoughts flooded his mind—frustration, disappointment, sadness—but that was simply life.
He would never abandon his duty...
Or at least, he would try not to.
Suddenly, the young Zixuan smiled and placed his right hand on Feng Qi's shoulder.
"Thank you for opening my eyes. Unfortunately, I must fulfill my duty. As for you, you are free."
"Not the kind of freedom we normally define, but a freedom in which your mind remains unbound, untouched by moral constraints. Follow your path, Feng Qi, Awakener of the Wind. Your year here will pass very quickly."
"Thank you..."
Feng Qi was deeply moved by those words.
They strengthened his Path—his Destiny.
Feng Qi's heart burned with passion.
One year was nothing.
Soon, he would return to action and follow wherever Destiny called him.
High in the sky—beyond the Sun and Moon—enormous floating islands could be seen.
Some were nearly ten thousand miles in diameter, while others exceeded one hundred thousand miles. All of them were enveloped by crystalline barriers, resembling a vast formation.
Within this region of floating islands, on the largest one—with a diameter of approximately one hundred and fifteen thousand miles—stood an enormous temple like a towering pillar at its center.
Surrounding it was a gigantic city that made Qingyao and Chenyang seem insignificant by comparison, easily housing billions of people.
At its edges, dense forests stretched endlessly, filled with rare forms of life and spiritual herbs.
At the summit of the colossal temple, inside a small chamber, an unfathomable existence floated in the lotus position.
Her eyes were open, radiating absolute authority and power.
"What...?"
The existence suddenly opened her eyes wider.
"I can sense something new flowing through this world. I know what it is..."
Suddenly, the existence interrupted her cultivation.
With a single gentle step from the center of the temple, she reached the edge of the Great Island and gazed toward the horizon with a solemn expression.
The sun was setting, painting everything in shades of red and orange, while the sea of clouds below resembled a scarlet carpet, completely obscuring the world beneath.
"The other Spirit Kings can sense it as well..."
Her expression became even more solemn.
"Then this isn't a calling—it's the birth of a new Dao!"
The eyes of this existence could scan hundreds of thousands of miles with precision, and with the proper techniques, even farther.
This perceptive observer was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, and a gentle expression resided within her eyes.
...
Back in Qingyao, Feng Qi refused to return and chose to continue cultivating.
"Are you sure? The young mistress's elder sister returned from her journey this afternoon. Tomorrow morning, you must pay your respects to her—and use the proper etiquette you've been practicing," Luo Zixuan said.
His gaze was distant, as though he were reflecting on his life ever since that strange aura had touched him.
He could not stop thinking about that so-called freedom.
"All right. I'll be there before the rooster crows," Feng Qi replied.
Thus, he remained alone.
He neither cultivated nor practiced martial arts.
The young Feng simply gazed at the beautiful night.
Below, Qingyao never slept. Lanterns and glowing spiritual crystals illuminated every direction, resembling a sea of lights.
This feeling—watching the world move, witnessing the lives of countless beings and the history of each one—made Feng Qi feel that a secret permeated the world.
It was subtle, but it was there.
He felt as though he had touched that wall many times, yet whenever he approached it, the so-called "wall" moved farther away, making it increasingly difficult to comprehend.
Feng Qi did not know exactly what it was, but without a doubt, it was one of the world's many secrets.
Recently, while reading books in the library, he had discovered the existence of a supernatural force known as the Law.
A Law was a fundamental rule of the world—a principle governing how it functioned.
They were not spells, but fragments of that very operation.
"If Qi is energy, and Techniques are the means of using Qi, then a Law is the rule that determines the effect."
"If Life is energy, and Consciousness is the means of using life, then the Spirit is a reflection of the world's Truth."
Thus, as he contemplated the sea of lights and observed the smallest details—the countless lives desperately pursuing their goals—Feng Qi sank into deep contemplation.
All of it strengthened his own Truth:
To be free.
A cool breeze frequently brushed against his body.
Sitting atop the hill, he could observe the hurried movements within the Bai Mansion, hear the chirping of insects, the rustling of leaves, and the fragrance of vegetation.
"It truly is an incredible world..."
"Life is such a wonderful thing. It is an honor to be here, to witness it, to exist."
Then the young man closed his eyes and remained there—not cultivating, not practicing—but allowing his mind and soul to rest.
He was—
living.
The following morning, before the rooster crowed, the young Feng arrived as promised.
There was his young mistress beside Luo Zixuan.
Both were in the tea room, and seated before them was a beautiful woman.
When Feng Qi crossed the threshold of the tea room, the atmosphere was already filled with a restrained tranquility.
At the main table, Bai Lan sat with impeccable posture, while her elder sister sat opposite her.
Feng Qi was momentarily stunned by her beauty.
To him, she was even more beautiful than Bai Lan—dangerously beautiful.
His heart might not be able to withstand such beauty, and his promises might lose their meaning.
But, of course, he quickly composed himself and acted naturally.
The beautiful woman delicately held her teacup, her long, pale fingers caressing the fine porcelain as though they were part of the ritual itself.
A gentle stream of steam rose slowly, reflecting in her serene eyes, which seemed to contain a tranquil depth.
Her beauty was neither vulgar nor ostentatious, but refined—a subtle grace that asserted itself effortlessly, like a rare flower that needed no competition to be noticed.
Behind her, a bodyguard stood motionless, discreet yet steadfast, carefully sensing every fluctuation of Qi around him.
The room, filled with the faint fragrance of spiritual tea and the distant crackle of incense, seemed momentarily suspended in time.
When Feng Qi approached, a brief silence followed—not out of discomfort, but because the atmosphere demanded respect.
She slightly raised her teacup, took a small sip, and only then lifted her gaze.
Her serene expression contrasted with the subtle authority that naturally emanated from someone born at the heart of Qingyao's power.
At that moment, it became clear.
She was not merely Bai Lan's elder sister, nor simply the daughter of a governor.
She was an existence capable of shaping the environment around her, even in silence.
Feng Qi could sense it.
And this woman was far more powerful than the Governor himself.
"Qi Condensation... and at a high level!" Feng Qi thought.
Noticing the guard's intense gaze, the beautiful woman spoke.
"Hello. You must be new here. My name is Bai Lanyue, Bai Lan's elder sister. She told me about you."
Her smile was alluring.
Feng Qi felt intimidated by those lips, but he would not give in to temptation.
He straightened his posture and spoke firmly.
"My name is Feng Qi. Please forgive my lack of manners—I'm still getting used to all of this."
He gave a slight bow as a gesture of respect.
Bai Lanyue's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
"It's all right. I already understand part of what happened to you. Please don't worry."
Feng Qi did not understand why he was reacting that way.
His heart was racing.
It was a strange sensation, as though something were wrong.
His body reacted abnormally, a warmth spreading through his limbs, and only then was he able to resist the woman's charm.
"This woman..."
Suddenly, the young Feng sensed something strange.
He had read in books that there were Seduction Techniques throughout the world—methods that allowed women to captivate men's hearts with the slightest gesture, even using their fragrance to control them.
"Could it be?" he wondered.
She looked at him with a smile, but something told him that there was a mask behind that smile.
Feng Qi remained on guard against the woman.
He did not know who she truly was, nor whether she could be trusted.
Her return to Qingyao after years in the Imperial Capital could only mean one thing.