The two small hills outside State City had now been completely ravaged by the hurricane, with the swirling yellow dust adding yet another color to the vortex.

Now, the hurricane contained not only fierce flames but also dust, oh! And those two unfortunate souls in the whirlpools.

Their clothes were gone, leaving only shreds to cover them, yet their fates were uncertain, alive or dead.

After completely destroying the hills, the hurricane did not move on; instead, it lingered mysteriously in place, showing no sign of dissipating or expanding.

Time passed silently, and when night fell, the once-quiet night sky suddenly surged with storm clouds.

Dark clouds quickly gathered over the hurricane, growing denser and heavier.

Light flickered within the clouds, resembling a furious rage.

The surroundings were oppressively quiet, as the hurricane whirled violently, giving a sense of eerie stillness.

Crash!

A thunderbolt as thick as a bowl struck toward State City, causing the hurricane to suddenly move. It ceased advancing, instead rolling toward State City with unstoppable momentum…

——

Whoosh!

A Flying Shuttle rapidly descended outside State City, nearly scaring the soul out of the Cultivators guarding the gate.

After recovering from the shock, the Palace Guards surrounded the scene with grim faces.

"Who dares behave so recklessly in Zhanzhou Prefecture!"

"Get down at once."

A little girl jumped down energetically after pulling the control lever, prompting two Cultivators to step forward to arrest her.

Unexpectedly, before they could act, the little girl struck first, with a wave of her hand causing the two to kneel before this young girl.

An Ancient Bronze Token appeared in her hand, simply engraved with the characters for Spirit Realm. Any Imperial Court Cultivator would recognize this Fifth Tower token.

The Fifth Tower token was traditionally held only by a Tower Master, so if the little girl had such an item, the identity of the elderly man on the Flying Shuttle was obvious.

Even if it wasn't Tower Master Ling in person, it must be the Vice Tower Master.

Regardless, even Zhao Yulin would have to kneel here.

Thus, in just the blink of an eye, the previously aggressive Palace Guards all knelt down.

The little girl gleefully waved the token, only for an old hand to unceremoniously snatch it back immediately.

"I wondered where it went, turns out you had secretly taken it earlier, and used it to borrow the Flying Shuttle," the old man grumbled with a dark expression as he tucked the token into his sleeve.

Having initially thought the unreliable ones were Che Dapao's group under Chongming Tower, it turned out to be his own little apprentice who wasn't dependable. She must have taken his token to forcibly borrow the Flying Shuttle.

The little girl slyly stuck out her tongue, then obediently stepped aside, trying to downplay the situation silently.

The old man was exasperated by her behavior. This was his only disciple, he couldn't scold or beat her, what else could he do?

Resolving not to look at her, he surveyed the Palace Guards before speaking.

"You may all rise! I am Ling Wuce, Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Realm. I will find Zhao Yulin myself; you all return to your duties and don't follow."

With his instructions, the people stood cautiously.

They had no choice but to be cautious! Although only a Vice, Tower Master Ling was an eminent figure among those in the Imperial Court.

"Nansheng, let's go."

Ling Wuce beckoned to the little girl, then walked into the city with his hands behind his back.

Nansheng stuck out her tongue again and followed along cheerfully.

Just as they stepped through the city gate, they both stopped abruptly, looking up above each other's heads.

An odd sensation welled up inside them.

The Omen Star had appeared!

In Ling Wuce's view, the Omen Star above Nansheng's head was merely a pinprick of light.

But in Nansheng's eyes, the Omen Star above her master's head was as large as a bucket, glowing brightly.

Hmm! It even cast a ruddy glow on his wizened face.

Ling Wuce's expression turned peculiar, hastily conjuring a Water Mirror. Seeing the red glow above his head, he paused uncomfortably.

"I foresee a disaster for you!" Nansheng said, mimicking his own fortune-telling style.

Ling Wuce's face immediately darkened. Wasn't that what he always said to others?

After pondering for a moment, he suddenly turned back toward the city gate. No sooner had he stepped outside than he heard Nansheng shouting.

"Master, it's gone, your Omen Star is gone."

But as he stepped inside again, Nansheng quickly corrected herself.

"Master, it's shining, it's shining."

This was quite odd indeed. Was there someone in this city who could be a threat to him?

He was a Transcendent Realm strongman, even if State City had Transcendent Realm Cultivators, it shouldn't ignite his Omen Star.

Filled with doubt, they could only continue their path forward. Although night had just fallen, the city was bustling with people, and as they walked, Ling Wuce saw red everywhere in his vision.

Almost every citizen had an Omen Star shimmering above their heads, albeit not very bright, only causing minor troubles.

But for an entire city to simultaneously light up Omen Stars was unusual, suggesting potential disaster for State City.

This could be significant. The Omen Star merely offers a rough gauge of fortune and disaster but cannot definitively predict them. One must remember that nothing is constant in the world; sometimes, changes occur.

If not handled properly, the Omen Star suddenly transforming from a grain-like glint to the radiance of a full moon is not unheard of.

"Let's find that kid Zhao Yunlin first."

After Ling Wuce spoke gruffly, his pace couldn't help but quicken, as he and Nansheng made their way to the Government Office...

Zhao Yulin released the Communication Bird, and after a day of waiting, no response came. According to the Guardian Bureau's rules, if there's no reply by Communication Bird, it usually means someone from the tower is coming personally.

After waiting anxiously for half a day, only at the onset of nightfall did he hear voices from outside.

Just as he joyfully stepped out, upon seeing the visitor, his expression instantaneously became sorrowful.

Why wasn't it someone from his own tower?

Why was it this living ancestor?

Ling Wuce not only knew him but was quite familiar with him. Before being assigned as a Guardian, he used to work closely under the Commander, making encounters with these Tower Masters a routine matter.

He didn't have a deep impression of most Tower Masters, except for this one, who left the deepest impression.

This one, in particular, would call the Commander Che Dapao by name when in a bad mood — one can imagine how troublesome he could be.

Upon seeing Zhao Yulin's wrinkled face, Ling Wuce immediately turned grim, raised an eyebrow, and spoke.

"What's wrong, Zhao Yulin, you're too high and mighty to acknowledge this old man now that you've been promoted?"

Just look, with such skills in ribbing, who dares ignore him? A mere Guardian can't possibly do anything against him, right?

But he can certainly rib you.

That's what he thought, but Zhao Yunlin didn't dare show it and quickly put on a smiling face to greet him.

"How could that be? Even while out handling affairs these past two years, I've always been thinking about Elder Ling. It's just been so long since we last met that I didn't react right away."

Ling Wuce clicked his tongue as he listened, shaking his head for a while.

"You dare say you've been out handling affairs for two years, yet your bootlicking skills haven't improved a bit. If you ever can't make it under Che Dapao, just come over to the Spirit Realm Tower and hang with me."

Zhao Yulin was embarrassed, knowing he couldn't reply to such words. If he truly agreed, this shameless old man might really go and talk to the Commander about stealing a subordinate. The Commander would then definitely come specifically to beat him up.

"No sense of humor at all, how boring."

Ling Wuce glanced at the silent Zhao Yulin, pursing his lips.

The three of them went to the residential quarters, and after everyone was seated, Ling Wuce finally asked for the details.

After about half a cup of tea's time, Zhao Yulin sighed helplessly.

"That's about it. That person is extremely bizarre and has numerous tricks. If things go awry in Zhanzhou Prefecture, the Commander will probably skin me alive."

Dragon Blood Stone? Ling Wuce hadn't expected Han Yu to have such an item on hand; it's been about a hundred years since the last Dragon Blood Stone appeared!

No wonder Zhao Yulin is terrified — this thing could indeed tempt most Cultivators at the Divine Gaze Great Perfection to take risks.

"Aren't you tempted to take it for yourself?"

Ling Wuce gave him a sidelong glance, teasing.

Zhao Yulin was honest, giving an awkward smile before speaking.

"I thought about it, but I'm afraid my lord would beat me to death."

Ling Wuce nodded with satisfaction; knowing fear is a good thing. If everyone were as reckless as those Sect Cultivators in the Cultivator Realm, the world would soon be in chaos.

The Imperial Court has spent years planning, prioritizing Cultivator selection from the military. Even those chosen from the populace are first immersed in military training before entering the Cultivator Hall. Naturally, they don't want to cultivate a batch of unchecked Cultivators.

Order and discipline!

That's what the Imperial Court wants.

"Let's go! I'm actually a bit interested in these two evil cultivators you mentioned."

The Hehuan Sect's top disciple, the Flower Burial Valley's top disciple, they're not small fish — Zhao Yulin conveniently scooped up this merit.

——

The State City prison.

Just as the group entered, Nansheng couldn't help but snicker.

What a peculiar scene.

A man with an effeminate look was tied to a torture rack, covered in blood marks, yet his face remained indifferent. Before him, a Cultivator wielded a whip, continuously striking him, yet he yawned, seemingly about to fall asleep any moment.

That was enough!

In the adjoining steel cell, a Grand Monk with a head swollen like a pig, used one hand to ceaselessly slap his own face, while simultaneously shouting, "Stop hitting, stop hitting."

Not only her, but even Ling Wuce, despite his vast experience, had never seen such peculiarities.

But the more he looked, the more things seemed off.

The man tied to the torture rack was understandable; dark clouds loomed over his head, an Omen Star shone brightly among them — he's certainly in for a run of bad luck.

But the Grand Monk was something else. From his grey-tinted perspective, this wasn't an evil cultivator from Flower Burial Valley, but rather an enlightened monk.

His entire body was bathed in the glow of merit, even concealing the Omen Star on his head.

"Did you make a false capture for merit? Back in the day, your Che Dapao detested such underhanded tricks when commanding troops. If he finds out, he'd surely break your legs again."

Ling Wuce cast a peculiar glance at Zhao Yulin before speaking.

Zhao Yulin cried out in his defense, then turned towards Yankong, shouting.

"Yankong, stop hitting yourself, and tell us who you are?"

Upon hearing this, Yankong finally halted his hand that's been slapping himself all day and cast a grateful glance at Zhao Yulin.

"My name is Yankong, the top disciple of Flower Burial Valley."

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