From the Cloud Realm to the Qi Realm, the initial journey traversed seventeen nations and three territories under the sway of various sects.

Upon returning from the Qi Realm to the Cloud Realm, the route was adjusted, merely bypassing the You Realm, which added a touch of distance. While the overall mileage exceeded the original path, the travel time was considerably shortened. After all, the white-haired youth who had descended the Dengyun Stairs upon the initial journey possessed only a cultivation in the Zhou Tian Realm. Now, however, he stood within the Inner Mansion of the God Passage, a figure who could be considered a potent force in his own right.

Naturally, due to the frequent passage through numerous domains and the inevitable defenses encountered, it was impossible to maintain the absolute fastest pace. Jiang Wang’s nature was not one to court attention, and he adhered to the principle that fewer troubles were better. As they also possessed sufficient strength to defend themselves for the most part, this journey remained largely uneventful.

On the twenty-fourth day of the tenth month in the thirty-nine hundred and eighteenth year of the Dao Calendar, Jiang Wang’s victory over Lei Zhanqian, achieved despite a disparity of a minor realm, spread his fame throughout the Qi Border. On that very same day, wielding only a single sword, he quietly departed from Linzi.

By the twenty-first of the Winter Month, Jiang Wang’s foot had already crossed the border into the Cloud Realm.

Within the Taixu Illusion Realm, his Inner Mansion Realm ranking had yet to break into the top hundred. Of course, this was partly due to his infrequent visits to the Sword Discussion Platform. However, Jiang Wang could also perceive that upon reaching the Inner Mansion Realm, the speed of finding opponents for complete battles on the Sword Discussion Platform had significantly slowed. This likely indicated that the number of cultivators at the Inner Mansion Realm within the Taixu Illusion Realm was considerably fewer than in the preceding realms.

His Blessed Land, meanwhile, had fallen to the thirty-eighth position, now known as Xiaoyao Mountain.

The number of rooms he had delved into within the deeper reaches of his first Inner Mansion had now reached three thousand. While secret treasures were no longer attainable, the deeper understanding of oneself was always a valuable pursuit. The so-called cultivators, after all, were merely exploring the external heavens and earth, and the internal self.

After undergoing the Fuhai Tribulation and experiencing a significant increase in the power of his divine soul, the efficiency of exploring the Inner Mansion rooms had also greatly improved. However, the further he ventured, the more challenging it became. Delving too deep with the divine soul made the return journey perilous.

In summary, his sword techniques and Dao techniques had all shown steady improvement. However, overall, lacking the breakthrough to the second Inner Mansion, there had been no qualitative leap.

And throughout the journey, interspersed with periods of rest and travel, his outward appearance remained as always, unchanged. Still sporting a scruffy beard, he appeared dishevelled and a touch world-weary. To be precise, compared to his state before his departure, he was even more slovenly. The dust of a ten-thousand-li journey inevitably clung to him, and he was not one to prioritize washing and grooming.

The Cloud Realm was a land of many mountains, and the mountains themselves possessed a formidable height. Carving cities into mountains was not considered a grand feat in the cultivation world, but an entire realm established solely upon towering peaks was something Jiang Wang had only witnessed here.

The major mountain cities along the Cloud Realm’s border were connected by cableways. The innermost capital city was even directly linked to the four main cities by rainbow bridges. The entire populace of the Cloud Realm resided amidst clouds and mist-shrouded mountains.

Upon his initial arrival in the Cloud Realm, Jiang Wang had been somewhat astonished by this sight. However, after wandering for so long and now returning, that sense of astonishment had faded. He had, after all, witnessed too many wonders and sights of extraordinary beauty. A single example, the Hanging Temple in Temple Forest Hanging, was more spectacular than these mountain cities.

Upon arriving in the Cloud Realm, Jiang Wang did not immediately proceed to Cloud City, but first sought out an inn to rest. The inns and restaurants he had patronized along the way had generally been of a modest standard. The one he chose in the Cloud Realm, however, was likely the finest in the entire city. Moreover, he requested two superior rooms, a price that was staggering. Commerce in the Cloud Realm was prosperous, and entertainment options, if one indulged, could be prohibitively expensive.

However, what truly perplexed Xiang Qian was not this.

“You don’t want to see your sister? Why have you stopped here?”

“The surprise I’ve prepared hasn’t arrived yet, so I need to wait one more day.” Jiang Wang chuckled, a look of anticipation on his face. “Besides, I’m about to see An An. I can’t be dirty. I must at least burn incense, bathe, and change into a clean set of clothes.”

Xiang Qian’s expression was unreadable, a mix of envy and jealousy. He curled his lips. “Smelly fussbudget!” With that, he retreated to his own room.

However, that evening, when Jiang Wang went out to arrange his “surprise,” he happened to encounter Xiang Qian returning to his room. He saw him wearing thick clothing, with a jade pendant hanging at his waist, and his hair neatly pinned up. Even that scruffy beard had been carefully trimmed, though the craftsmanship was not particularly skilled…

The man had undergone a complete transformation. At first glance, he appeared significantly younger. Of course, upon closer inspection, it was still that downcast and gloomy dead-fish face.

Jiang Wang looked at him with amusement. “Smelly fussbudget?”

“Hmph!” Xiang Qian raised his head and walked into his room, arrogantly closing the door with his heel.

In this world, “reunion” was sometimes a luxury. And for some, it was not only luxurious, but also fragile, cold, and utterly unattainable. Sometimes, it was better that it was luxurious, for then, no matter what price was paid, there was always the hope of achieving it one day. No matter how extravagant the cost, there was at least the possibility of redemption.

But any clear-headed person knew that in the human realm, the meaning represented by the word “better” generally could not be established.

A massive warship sailed on the vast Qingjiang River. Since Emperor Zhuang’s ascension to the Dongzhen realm, the Qingjiang Water Mansion had become more compliant with each passing day. In the past, the entire eight hundred li of the Qingjiang had been the private domain of the water races. Whether merchant ships or the Zhuang Realm’s navy, all movement required reporting. Now, that was no longer necessary. Every mountain, every river, every blade of grass and tree within the Zhuang Realm’s borders belonged entirely to the Zhuang Realm. Thus, the Zhuang Realm’s soldiers should be able to move freely anywhere within the border.

Of course, if one did not fear death, perhaps they could refute this statement by citing the Fenglin City Domain, forever sunken into the underworld – a place within the Zhuang Realm’s borders that did not belong to the Zhuang Realm. It was a raw, open wound, an ugly scar exposed within the country.

It was a pity that those who did not fear death were ultimately very few, and these words were never uttered by anyone. Moreover, the White Bone Dao had now disappeared in silence, almost completely flattened. The monument to the living beings standing outside the Fenglin City Domain seemed sufficient to offer solace.

This was a thriving place, a rapidly growing kingdom where everyone was content. After all, those who were likely unhappy were no longer here.

The warship on the surface of the Qingjiang carried warriors who had just withdrawn from the Zhuang-Mo border. Since Zhuang Gaoxian, with the might of a Dongzhen, had personally intervened and forcefully seized ten cities from the Mo Realm, there had been no large-scale wars along the Zhuang-Mo border. However, small-scale skirmishes had never ceased. After all, these ten cities had only been ceded recently, not long enough for the Mo Realm’s soldiers to adjust to this reality.

And with the secret support of the Qin Realm, the Mo Realm did not worry about a large-scale invasion from the Zhuang Realm. Small-scale conflicts did not need to be prohibited, and the Mo Realm court fundamentally did not prohibit them. The military and civilian populace of the Mo Realm had suffered humiliation, and they needed an outlet for their frustration. Killing one or two Zhuang Realm soldiers in border conflicts was enough to make the Mo Realm people happy for a long time.

From a broader perspective, these continuous small-scale conflicts between the Mo Realm and the Zhuang Realm were precisely what the Qin Realm was pleased to see, and even secretly promoted. The Qin Realm profited greatly from its support of the Mo Realm, while also seeking to curb the Zhuang Realm’s growth. Of course, these things could not be spoken openly.

On the deck, a general sat cross-legged alone. He was a general with a full, bushy beard, appearing quite aged. Even though he was not on the battlefield, he still wore his armor. The armor was overall a dark red color, stained by countless soakings in fresh blood, long since impossible to wash off.

Against the backdrop of the sky and the water’s hues, the general remained silent. He sat alone on the deck in silence throughout the journey. However, as the waterway passed through a certain fork, he suddenly stood up and, without a word, walked back into the ship’s cabin.

The deputy general guarding the side of the ship let out a long sigh in his heart. He knew his general could not bear to look upon his homeland.