Upper Post Heaven Realm.

The Yin Region, a colossal expanse that occupied nearly one-third of the entire Upper Post Heaven Realm.

The region was divided into the Northern Expanse, the Black Marsh, the Nine Abyss Plains, and countless lesser territories ruled by sects, clans, and spirit beasts.

Yet among them, there was only one true forbidden zone.

The Yin Mountain Range.

A vast mountain range hidden beneath endless black mist. It was a forbidden zone where no cultivator dared trespass without permission, for this was the ancestral ground of the Lu Clan.

As one of the most powerful families within the Upper Post Heaven Realm, the Lu Clan had stood at the pinnacle for countless generations. Throughout the Yin Region, few forces possessed the qualifications to even stand before them.

Ancient palaces floated among the clouds while towering spirit mountains stretched into the heavens. Powerful formations silently enveloped the entire region, causing the surrounding space to remain incomparably stable.

Yet suddenly, space rippled.

A spatial passage silently opened above the tallest mountain as a bloodied figure stumbled out. His robes were torn while strands of gray aura quietly drifted around his battered body.

It was Lu Qian.

The moment he appeared, two terrifying auras swept across the mountain range. Two middle-aged men stepped through the void, arriving before him almost instantly.

Their gazes first landed upon the crystal in Lu Qian's hand, causing both of their expressions to darken.

"The Realm Breaking Crystal."

One of the elders spoke calmly as his eyes narrowed slightly. "You stole a clan treasure."

Lu Qian immediately lowered his head.

"This junior had no other choice."

"Explain."

Lu Qian concealed nothing.

Beginning with the approach of Senior Sister Liu and the mention of the Immortal Lotus Robe, he recounted everything that had happened within the Lower Realm, including Meng Lin, the battle in Heavenly Crossing City, and his eventual escape using the Realm Breaking Crystal.

Neither elder interrupted him.

As Lu Qian spoke, their attention gradually shifted toward the lingering gray aura surrounding his body. Their expressions slowly became solemn.

As Nihility Realm cultivators, they instantly recognized what it was.

Although incomparably weak, there was no possibility they could mistake it. It was undoubtedly the aura of a Dao.

"The Dao of withering?"

The white-robed elder frowned slightly.

"Only Ascension Realm cultivators possess the qualifications to wield the power of a Dao."

After Lu Qian finished speaking, silence descended upon the mountain. It was only after several minutes that the black-robed elder finally spoke.

"You stole a clan treasure without permission; you shall receive three years within the Penitence Pagoda. You will reflect upon your actions and upon acting alone without informing the clan."

Lu Qian's face paled further, but he bowed deeply. "This junior accepts the punishment."

He did not protest. The Penitence Pagoda was a place where time flowed differently, where three years felt like three centuries of isolation and spiritual suppression. But it was preferable to death, which would have been the punishment for a lesser clan member.

With a wave of the elder's sleeve, Lu Qian disappeared from the mountain.

The two elders remained upon the peak, the wind howling around them as the last traces of gray aura dissipated into the spiritual mist.

"The Dao is still weak," the white-robed elder murmured, his gaze fixed upon the torn space where the passage had collapsed, "but a Dao remains a Dao."

The black-robed elder nodded slowly. He turned toward the depths of the ancestral grounds. "This matter has exceeded our authority—we should report it to the Clan Patriarch immediately."

***

Immortal Heaven Realm.

Blazing Yang City.

The city stretched beyond the horizon, countless cultivators filling the wide streets as merchants continuously called out from both sides.

Flying ships crossed the crimson sky while spirit beasts pulled luxurious carriages through the bustling avenues.

Within one of the city's plazas, an enormous teleportation formation suddenly illuminated. Brilliant runes spread across the ground before gradually fading as a lone figure appeared at its center.

It was a woman with an unremarkable face, almost too ordinary; however, her aura hovered around the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Naturally, it was Meng Lin.

Before her stood an unfamiliar city far grander than any she had seen before, while astonishingly rich spiritual qi permeated every corner of the surrounding heaven and earth.

A white-robed steward overseeing the teleportation formation let out a faint hum as he noticed only a single person had arrived. He calmly walked forward, his gaze briefly sweeping over Meng Lin.

Meng Lin flicked her wrist.

A jade token flew toward the steward before stopping in front of him.

The steward accepted it before sending a strand of divine consciousness into the token. Moments later, a strange expression flashed across his face as he glanced at Meng Lin once more.

He kept the token without asking another question.

"You may proceed."

Meng Lin gave a slight nod before stepping off the teleportation formation.

Only after she blended into the bustling crowd did her thoughts gradually return to Heavenly Crossing City.

Since Lu Qian had escaped.

Given his background, it was only a matter of time before cultivators from a higher realm learned everything that had transpired. They might even already be searching for her.

Her first thought had been to kill the steward.

As long as he died, no one would know which realm she had ultimately traveled to.

However, she quickly dismissed the idea.

If the steward suddenly died after activating the teleportation formation, then the Heavenly Crossing organization would definitely realize it was her, making matters even more complicated.

Plus, if he were to die, she didn't know how far the enemy would go to search for information about her whereabouts. It would likely force them to investigate every cultivator connected to her.

Given enough time, even Xiao Bai's relationship with her could eventually be uncovered, thus implicating him.

That was a risk Meng Lin was unwilling to take.

Instead, she relied upon the Mask of Infinite Faces, changing both her face and aura before using the teleportation formation.

Even if they eventually discovered she had come here, finding her among countless cultivators would be exceedingly difficult.

Meng Lin gradually withdrew her thoughts.

Only then did she carefully observe her surroundings.

The spiritual qi within the city far surpassed anything she had experienced before.

Every breath refined more spiritual qi than before, while even the surrounding elemental spiritual qi felt clearer beneath her spiritual sense.

A faint look of surprise flashed across her eyes.

Within such an environment, she could clearly sense her techniques resonating more strongly with heaven and earth. If she unleashed her full strength here, the power of her attacks would undoubtedly increase by several degrees.

She stopped at a roadside stall where a vendor was laying out talismans of different colors and materials, each one sealed with faint spiritual patterns. The man looked up as she approached, immediately shifting into a sales smile.

"Talismans? Attack, defense, concealment—everything you need, young lady. All freshly drawn, still warm with spirit ink."

"I am looking for a place to buy estates," Meng Lin said.

The vendor paused for a moment, then scratched his chin. "Estate information… that's not something I usually sell."

Without hesitation, he reached forward and picked up one of his talismans, a pale yellow slip engraved with a calming seal.

"But," he added smoothly, "if you're already here, you might as well take a look at this. Spirit Calming Talisman. Helps stabilize qi flow during cultivation. Useful for Nascent Soul transitions."

Meng Lin glanced down, then at him. "How about I buy your talisman inheritance?"

The vendor froze for a moment.

His hand, still holding the Spirit Calming Talisman, paused mid-air as if the air itself had tightened around his stall.

"…What?" he asked slowly.

Meng Lin's expression did not change. "Your talisman inheritance. The full set."

A faint silence settled over the roadside stall.

The vendor's smile faded, replaced by something more cautious as he looked at her again.

He glanced at the talismans on his table, then back at her. "That's not something you buy on the street."

Meng Lin replied evenly, "Everything has a price."

"Everything?" the man repeated. Then he leaned back slightly, studying her more carefully. "You don't look like a Talisman Hall disciple… but you speak like one."

At the mention of Talisman Hall, his tone shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing as if weighing something internal.

After a long breath, he finally spoke again.

"Forget it," he said. "I'll sell you a copy."

Meng Lin's gaze lifted slightly.

The vendor raised a hand quickly. "Don't misunderstand. Not any core inheritance, just the basics up to tier 4 formations."

When she did not object, he continued.

"The price is two hundred mid-grade spirit stones."

Meng Lin placed the spirit stones on the table without hesitation.

The vendor exhaled and pushed a jade slip toward her. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Talisman paths are slow. Most people give up before they even draw their first working seal."

She took it calmly before placing it in her storage ring.

Then, as if nothing unusual had happened, she asked again.

"The estates..."

The vendor blinked, as if reminded that this entire conversation had started elsewhere.

He sighed, rubbing his temple.

"Estate Hall," he said, pointing deeper into the city where the spires clustered tightly beneath layered formations. "Thirty streets north. White jade structure."

"Thank you," she said, turning to walk away.

Behind her, the vendor called out one last time, almost reluctantly.

"If you really understand talismans… don't waste that slip," he said. "And don't let the Talisman Hall see you using it carelessly."

Meng Lin continued forward, leaving the stall behind as the streets gradually became more structured and orderly.

As she walked, she observed the people.

Most were Foundation Establishment cultivators, with a Golden Core expert appearing every few streets. She spotted several Soul Wandering and even Nascent Soul Realm figures among the crowd. Other than that, she saw the giant spirit boats—some floating above the rooftops, others cutting through the clouds as they crossed the city. That was when she noticed how vast the city truly was.

The crowd density remained high, but movement here felt subtly regulated, as if unseen lines dictated how cultivators were allowed to flow.

Suddenly, a colossal shadow swept across the entire street, causing the bustling avenue to dim as countless cultivators instinctively looked toward the sky.

Meng Lin also raised her head, feeling a faint pressure over her head.

A few dozen meters in the sky, a colossal spirit vessel slowly sailed across the crimson sky, stretching for hundreds of meters like a floating fortress.

Six Soul Wandering Realm guards stood motionless along both sides of the vessel, their expressions cold as they overlooked the city below.

At the stern stood two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators with their hands clasped behind their backs, their powerful auras quietly spreading outward.

The bustling street immediately fell silent as silent murmurs were heard from across the streets.

"It's the Gu family spirit vessel."

"It must be the Third Young Master's escort again?"

The bustling street immediately stirred as all cultivators were fixated on the floating ship above them.

Meng Lin quietly stepped aside with the crowd, silently watching the proceeding. It was only now that she truly understood how immense Blazing Yang City was.

A ship of such unimaginable size could navigate above the city with ease, yet it appeared no larger than an ordinary boat against the endless skyline.

Before she could continue observing, a side pavilion upon the spirit ship opened.

A figure was violently thrown over the railing before plummeting toward the street, striking the stone pavement with a deafening crash before rolling several times to a stop.

Spiritual aura flickered around them in disorder, as if their spiritual veins had been forcibly destroyed.

For a heartbeat, no one reacted.

Then the silence broke into murmurs.

"It's Yuan Hua…"

"Wasn't she the last branch of the main line?"

"This really is the end for them..."

Meng Lin's eyes stayed on the fallen figure only briefly before turning to a nearby middle-aged cultivator.

"What happened to the Yuan family?" she asked.

The man instinctively glanced around before lowering his voice.

"They were accused of harboring hidden motives against the city and secretly cultivating ambitions beyond their station."

Another cultivator quietly joined in.

"The Gu Family's City Lord's Manor ordered their extermination," he sighed softly.

Meng Lin's gaze shifted back to the young woman lying on the street.

"And her?"

"Yuan Hua," the cultivator replied. "She was once betrothed to the Third Young Master of the Gu family."

He shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Now she's simply a discarded woman from a fallen clan. No one will dare help her after seeing her thrown out of that carriage."

The crowd slowly dispersed, deliberately avoiding the bloodied figure lying in the street as though getting too close would invite disaster upon themselves.

Meng Lin remained silent for a brief moment, turning to look at the spirit boat that had already left the area before turning away, continuing toward the Estate Hall without looking back.

The city gradually shifted again, and half an hour later, the streets opened into a broad plaza dominated by a towering white jade structure—clean lines, reinforced formation pillars, and rotating seals embedded into its foundation.

The City Hall.

Stepping into the front door, Meng Lin felt an invisible wave brush over her, and she instantly recognized it as a formation that covered the entire hall.

The interior was quieter than the streets, but far more wondrous. Floating panels of jade light shifted across the air, displaying records, and a single clerk approached almost immediately, posture straight, expression neutral. "State your request."

"I want to purchase an estate," Meng Lin said.

The clerk nodded once, as if this was normal. "What size estate do you want?"

Meng Lin thought for a brief moment before replying, "Large enough for a small clan, but secluded."

The clerk raised a hand, causing one of the floating jade panels to drift toward them as dozens of miniature maps appeared within it, each marked with formation boundaries, spirit vein grades, and ownership records.

"These are the currently available estates," he explained. "The inner districts are the most expensive, with the richest spiritual qi and the highest-grade formations, while those near the outer districts are considerably cheaper."

Meng Lin's gaze swept across the maps one by one, paying little attention to the bustling estates clustered around the city's commercial districts.

Instead, her eyes settled on the southern edge of the city.

There, separated from the surrounding residences by a stretch of woodland and natural hills, lay a lone estate tucked against the city's outer formation boundary.

"This one," she said.

The clerk followed her finger and nodded lightly.

"A Grade Three Spirit Gathering Estate," he said. "It sits on a minor spirit vein and comes with defensive, concealment, and warning formations already established. Because of its secluded location, few people have shown interest."

"How much?"

"One thousand three hundred and thirty-two low-grade spirit stones."

Meng Lin nodded without hesitation and waved her hand.

A pile of seven high-grade spirit stones and over six hundred mid-grade spirit stones immediately appeared upon the counter, their spiritual fluctuations causing the surrounding formation to shimmer faintly.

The clerk's expression remained professional, though a trace of surprise flashed across his eyes before disappearing just as quickly.

He accepted the payment, formed several hand seals, and pressed them onto a jade token resting atop the counter.

"The ownership has been transferred," he said, handing her the token. "From this moment onward, the Southern Cloud Estate belongs to you. Simply refine this token upon arrival, and the estate's formations will recognize you as its master."

Meng Lin accepted the token with a slight nod before leaving City Hall, making her way toward the southern district as the afternoon sun gradually dipped toward the horizon.