The Liu Family caravan embarked on their journey early in the morning towards Fengxian, already nearing its destination. The road ahead had significantly developed, bustling with various activities and lined with numerous villages along the way. It was a safe route, with minimal risk of bandit attacks or encounters with Spirit Beasts. As a result, both the caravan and its guards could afford to relax a bit.

Wang Lingxin popped her head out of the carriage window, taking in the lively scenery. Along the road, numerous businesses had set up shop, catering to travelers and locals alike. Caravans, groups, and solitary travelers could be seen heading towards Fengxian, contributing to the vibrant atmosphere. The journey progressed smoothly, and by midday, they arrived at Fengxian.

Fengxian boasted an impressive outer wall, towering at twenty meters in height. With a population exceeding one million, it was truly a bustling city. The Liu Family caravan approached the city wall and joined the queue, patiently waiting for their turn to enter through the heavily guarded city gate. After undergoing thorough inspection by the guards and paying the necessary fees, including the customary "extra fees" for the guards' pockets, and presenting their identity as members of the Liu Family, they were granted entry into the city.

The city truly deserved its status as the capital of the Jiulong Province. It was well-developed, with a plethora of buildings, albeit mostly constructed from wood. Despite this, the design and quality of the structures were exceptional, exuding an air of luxury and sophistication.

The caravan made its way towards the commercial district, while Orion's carriage headed towards the elite residential area in the inner part of the city. Liu Yu and some of his subordinates rode alongside the carriage on horseback as they traversed the main road, with lavish and exquisite shops and buildings lining both sides.

Wang Lingxin couldn't contain her excitement as she observed the bustling scene. "Master, look at that... Master, look over there... Master that thing... Master..." she exclaimed, pointing out various sights and attractions with enthusiasm. Her awe and admiration for the city were evident in her animated gestures and exclamations.

"Do you want to explore the city?" Orion asked.

"Yes, there must be some new kinds of food I haven't tried before. We should walk around and check," Wang Lingxin replied.

"Sure, we can do that later," Orion agreed.

The carriage then entered through the inner gate, which stood about 10 meters tall. After another inspection and payment, they were allowed to enter. The carriage proceeded towards the Liu Family residence in Fengxian City. Upon their arrival, they exited the carriage, with Orion and Wang Lingxin stepping out. Liu Yu approached Orion, cupped both his hands, and bowed.

"Mr. Orion, we have arrived," Liu Yu said with a smile.

"Mmm... Thank you for your great work," Orion replied.

"No, no, it should be me thanking you. Thank you, Mr. Orion, for dealing with the Black Armor Crocodile and saving the caravan. Without your help, I don't know what would have become of us," Liu Yu expressed his gratitude. He was truly thankful for Orion's assistance, considering it a stroke of good fortune to have him with the caravan. Little did he know, being saved by Orion was indeed a blessing, but he unknowingly missed out on a far greater opportunity by not listening to Orion's explanation about the sun and stars. It was the biggest missed opportunity, not just for him, but for everyone on the boat. Only a bird and a fish had greatly benefited from it.

"Don't think too much of it, it's fine," Orion reassured.

"Then, I will excuse myself," Liu Yu said before bidding farewell and departing with the horse carriage and his subordinates.

The Liu Family residence in Fengxian is smaller than the one in Yanjing City but somehow more grand and luxurious. A middle-aged man stood at the front with several others behind him, waiting for Orion. Orion headed towards them.

"Greetings, Mr. Orion. Welcome to Fengxian. My name is Liu Mingzhen," Liu Mingzhen said, cupping his hand and smiling.

"Greetings, Mr. Liu. It's a pleasure to meet you," Orion replied, cupping its hand in return.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Orion. You are too polite. Just call me Mingzhen," Liu Mingzhen said with a smile.

"How could I do that, then, Mr. Mingzhen?" Orion responded with a laugh.

After a few more pleasantries, Liu Mingzhen continued, "Come, Mr. Orion. My brother has told me everything. You want to build your house. Let's discuss more details inside," inviting Orion to enter the residence.

Orion and Wang Lingxin walked alongside Liu Mingzhen into the Liu residence, engaging in small talk along the way. They headed to the main hall, where a table and chairs were set up. Several people who appeared to be servants followed behind.

Upon their arrival, they exchanged more pleasantries before being served drinks. Orion politely refused, while Wang Lingxin accepted and enjoyed the snacks provided. Then, Orion and Liu Mingzhen began to discuss Orion's intentions regarding building a residence. Orion handed several scrolls and books to Liu Mingzhen, providing brief explanations as Orion did so.

"I see, such detailed design, and Mr. Orion, are you sure you don't want our men to build this house for you?" Liu Mingzhen inquired after listening to Orion's explanation and skimming through the scrolls and books, which contained very detailed designs of the house, including furniture, decorations, and various household items.

"That's right. Can you make sure it can't be traced back to me or the Liu Family? I prefer it to be confidential, which is why I'd rather use people not related to your family. I'm sorry for the trouble," Orion responded.

"It's no problem, Mr. Orion. I can arrange it, but to keep it completely secret without any trace of my Liu Family involvement, the quality might suffer because I won't be able to use my people to supervise it," Liu Mingzhen explained. While the Liu Family also conducted construction business with high-quality standards, delegating the task to others might compromise the quality.

"It's fine, as long as it's acceptable," Orion assured.

"I see," Liu Mingzhen acknowledged.

Orion and Liu Mingzhen then continued their discussion, and Liu Mingzhen invited one of his subordinates, an architect, to join them. The architect examined the books and scrolls containing the design and created a simplified version for the builder to understand. Orion's design was deemed too intricate for easy comprehension, especially by those mortals lacking in literary knowledge who would ultimately be responsible for constructing the house. After finalizing the details regarding the house construction, Orion was very satisfied with Liu Mingzhen's expertise and experience in the business. Liu Mingzhen proposed to build the house through multiple channels and cover it up as if a Qi Condensation realm cultivator decided to retire from a bodyguard job and build a house in a remote place to enjoy the quietness of nature. The plan would pass through several hands to make it difficult to trace the origin of the one commissioning the house construction back to the Liu Family.

Orion also discussed several other matters, and after everything was settled, Orion excused itself. A horse carriage, prepared by the Liu Family, awaited Orion and Wang Lingxin. They boarded it, and the carriage proceeded through several blocks before halting at a residence. This particular residence had been purchased by Orion from the Liu Family during their previous discussions. Orion intended to use it as a cover and alternative accommodation in Fengxian city. The surrounding residences were also owned by the Liu Family, highlighting their considerable wealth. Despite being a minor faction in Fengxian city, the Liu Family still boasted impressive wealth and some influence.

After Orion and Wang Lingxin disembarked from the carriage, it departed, leaving them at the residence. Orion proceeded to enter the property, opening the front gate with the key provided by Liu Mingzhen, while Wang Lingxin followed closely behind. As they entered and explored the residence, Wang Lingxin was thoroughly impressed, while Orion was quite satisfied. From the outside, the residence appeared rather small compared to the surrounding residences, although in reality, it was quite spacious and enough for Orion. The two-story wooden structure had a smaller building attached to the side, a flower garden, a sizable fish pond, and a pavilion near the pond. The plants and flowers were neatly trimmed, giving the property a well-maintained appearance. Inside, the residence was fully furnished, clean, tidy, and in good condition. They inspected each room one by one.

"Whoa, Master, is this going to be our new place?" Wang Lingxin exclaimed, clearly impressed by the residence.

"Yes, this will be our safehouse in the city," Orion replied.

"Safehouse? Master, what is that?" Wang Lingxin asked, showing her lack of understanding.

"Don't worry too much about it. Come on, let's check the other rooms. You can choose your own room," Orion reassured her.

"Master, I want to stay in the same room as you," Wang Lingxin insisted, already accustomed to being with Orion.

"Fine, then let's pick our room together," Orion agreed.

After Orion and Wang Lingxin left, Liu Mingzhen sat at the table, sipping his tea. Suddenly, a figure wearing a mask appeared before him, bowing respectfully.

"Give me your report," Liu Mingzhen said, setting down his tea.

The masked man began recounting everything he had observed while secretly tailing Orion's journey.

The next day, Orion brought Wang Lingxin to explore the city, but first, they headed to the Flameforge Sect's representative branch in Fengxian City to check Wang Lingxin's Cultivation Root. They walked to the main road, and Orion hitched a horse carriage for the day. The purpose of the sect's representative branch was to conduct business and establish connections with other factions and businesses. However, its main objective was to recruit new disciples, which occurred once a year. 

Anyone could enter and have their Cultivation Root tested. If they passed the requirements, they could join the Flameforge Sect as an outer sect disciple. Those with extraordinary Cultivation Roots could even become inner sect disciples, receiving more resources and attention from the sect and being nurtured with greater focus.

Orion and Wang Lingxin entered the representative branch and handed an introduction letter from Luo Fengwei to the receptionist. Initially polite, the receptionist became even more courteous after reading the letter. She promptly led Orion to a luxurious waiting room and excused herself to inform her superior.

After a while, a man in a red robe entered rather hastily, bowing slightly.

"Welcome to our Flameforge Sect representative branch. Please forgive me for making you wait. My name is Jian Wei, Head of the Flameforge Sect Representative Branch in Fengxian City," Jian Wei greeted.

Orion stood and cupped its hand in return. "Greetings, Mr. Jian Wei. My name is Orion. Please forgive the interruption during your busy time," it said, with Wang Lingxin also standing beside Orion.

"Haha, it's no disturbance at all. Please, be seated," Jian Wei gestured.

Orion and Wang Lingxin took their seats, followed by Jian Wei.

"Mr. Jian, my purpose for coming here is to test my disciple's Cultivation Root. I wonder if it's possible," Orion inquired.

"Elder Luo has explained everything in the letter. Don't worry, I can arrange it immediately," Jian Wei replied, glancing at Wang Lingxin. "Mr. Orion, your disciple must be extraordinary to catch your interest," Jian Wei remarked.

"Uh, yeah," Orion replied, choosing not to elaborate further on the situation.

Luo Fengwei, despite holding the title of Outer Sect Elder in the Flameforge Sect, prefers to remain outside the sect and reside in Yanjing City. While his status as an elder would grant him resources within the sect, he chooses to focus on cultivating and blacksmithing in Yanjing City due to the competition and politics within the sect. Although Luo Fengwei holds the title of Outer Sect Elder, he does not actively occupy a position within the outer sect. However, he is renowned as a genius blacksmith capable of crafting Rank-4 weapons and armor, a feat that only a few Golden Core cultivators can achieve. Thus, he is a highly respected individual within the Flameforge Sect, despite his decision to remain outside the sect's inner workings.

In contrast, Jian Wei is just the Head of the Flameforge Sect Representative Branch and holds a lower cultivation level at the Foundation Establishment realm. Given this disparity, Jian Wei treats individuals like Orion, who carry letters of introduction from Luo Fengwei, with great respect. Luo Fengwei's recommendation and Orion's reputed background and cultivation level explained in the letter pique Jian Wei's curiosity, particularly regarding the Cultivation Root test for the disciple taken by such an individual.

Jian Wei then ordered his subordinates to prepare for the Cultivation Root testing. While waiting, Orion and Jian Wei engaged in small talk. Once everything was ready, he led Orion and Wang Lingxin to a dark room. In the center of the room stood a crystal ball atop a pedestal adorned with inscriptions. Jian Wei then instructed Wang Lingxin to go to the center of the room, touch the crystal ball, close her eyes, and calm her breathing. Orion, Jian Wei, and Jian Wei's subordinate, who took charge of the test, stayed at the edge of the room. Wang Lingxin followed the instructions, placing her right hand on the crystal ball, closing her eyes, and calming herself.

Jian Wei watched in anticipation, wondering if he would witness some kind of high quality or even unique Cultivation Root. Orion observed closely and zoomed in using its camera, trying to understand the process, which it had only read about in books and never seen before. Jian Wei's subordinate then made a series of hand gestures and used his Qi to activate the inscriptions on the pedestal, causing them to glow dimly. After a while, the crystal ball began flickering dimly. Jian Wei, watching with anticipation, opened his eyes wide in disbelief. How could this be? he thought internally. The results were very disappointing. Apparently, the Cultivation Root of the little girl was of low quality. Even among low quality Cultivation Roots, hers was exceptionally poor. While others' Cultivation Roots, despite being of low quality, could at least make the crystal ball light continuously even though dim, Wang Lingxin's caused it to flicker dimly. During the yearly recruitment test, the accepted disciples had far better Cultivation Roots, and Cultivation Roots such as hers were not accepted.

"Well, as you can see, Mr. Orion, this is the result," Jian Wei said awkwardly, attempting to smile despite the disappointment.

And what would that be? Why don't you explain it to me? Orion wondered internally. Having only learned about the Cultivation Root test from books, Orion's understanding was limited. Overall, Orion only knew that during the test, the crystal ball's glow intensity was assessed—the brighter, the better. Additionally, if the test participant had a unique Cultivation Root, the crystal ball would react uniquely, such as with fiery flames or crackling electricity. However, from the dimly flickering crystal ball, Orion could only conclude that perhaps Wang Lingxin's Cultivation Root was very poor.

"Yes, what do you think?" Orion tried to probe for information.

"Uhh... Well, at least she can make the crystal ball glow, so that means she has a Cultivation Root and can manipulate Qi. Although the quantity, quality, and proficiency of her Qi manipulation may be low, at least she can enter the cultivation path. I'm sure you also know this," Jian Wei replied. "But I am sure there is some other reason that someone like me doesn't understand. She must possess some other quality for you to take her as a disciple," Jian Wei added politely.

"Of course," Orion played along.

Wang Lingxin let go of the crystal ball and returned to Orion's side.

"Don't be disappointed, little miss. The path to cultivation is boundless. It's not just about the quality of your Cultivation Root. As long as you have one, despite the quality, it's fine. There are still many ways to go far on the cultivation path," Jian Wei tried to comfort with a smile. Despite Wang Lingxin having a poor quality Cultivation Root, having someone like Orion as her mentor meant she still had the potential to soar higher than him in the future. It wouldn't hurt to have a connection with such a person.

Wang Lingxin surprisingly wasn't affected much by the test results. "Mmm..." she nodded, "it's fine. As long as I am with Master, even if I can't cultivate, it's okay." Wang Lingxin wasn't really perturbed. As long as she was with her Master, she believed that anything was possible. How could a mere Cultivation Root test be important to her when her future self had visited her in a dream and explained how great she could be with Orion as her master?

Orion and Wang Lingxin then left the Flameforge Sect Representative Branch and boarded the carriage. As they were about to depart, Jian Wei presented a "meeting gift" to Wang Lingxin. When Orion unwrapped it on the carriage, Orion found several peculiar-looking fruits inside. In the introduction letter, Luo Fengwei had mentioned that Wang Lingxin was rather fond of food and also Spiritual Fruits. Jian Wei hoped to establish a connection and leave a good impression by gifting Wang Lingxin some Spiritual Fruit to try. Wang Lingxin enjoyed the fruit as they rode in the carriage.

Orion observed Wang Lingxin as she ate one of the fruits. "Let's have fun today. Where would you like to go first?" Orion asked, checking to see if Wang Lingxin was feeling sad after the Cultivation Root test, but she seemed fine, which was a relief.

"Really? Yay!" Wang Lingxin exclaimed. "Master, we must definitely try some unique food in the city. But first, I want to go to the noodle restaurant I saw yesterday. It was packed with customers, so it must taste great, and I can't wait to try it."

"Sure," Orion agreed, instructing the carriage driver to head to the noodle restaurant.

During the ride to the noodle restaurant, Wang Lingxin excitedly shared her plans for other places she wanted to visit.