The next day, Duan Yueqing looks at the calm face of her cousin.
An urge rises within her.
She wants to throw something at him.
At any other time, that same calmness would inspire confidence.
It would steady her thoughts.
She had always wanted to be like him.
Unshaken.
Composed.
But now, after telling him that his wife, carrying his unborn child, has fallen into the Eastern Ocean, that calmness feels unbearable.
Merin remains as he is.
Unmoved.
As if the news does not concern him at all.
Duan Yueqing cannot hold herself back any longer.
She stands abruptly.
"Cousin," she says, her voice tight, "I know you remain calm in any situation…"
"But right now, you feel cold-blooded."
For Merin, this is not the first time he has abandoned family for the sake of the great path.
He left his family behind in the Dragon World.
Then again, in the Magic World.
Now, even recalling the faces of his wives and children from those worlds sometimes feels distant.
Blurred.
Marriage, to him, has gradually become an exchange of interests.
Nothing brings him greater satisfaction than comprehending laws and advancing his cultivation.
But he cannot show that.
He cannot reveal such indifference.
So, he speaks.
"Diexin is alive."
Duan Yueqing freezes.
Shock floods her expression.
"Really?"
"Diexin is alive?"
Hope rises in her eyes.
She steps forward quickly and grabs his arm.
But then she pauses.
Her thoughts catch up to her actions.
What did she just say?
What did she just do?
She withdraws slightly, her expression turning awkward.
"Who is Diexin?" she asks, trying to recover.
"Did you take another wife?"
"I am asking about Wenji."
Merin stands.
"I am speaking about Wenji as well."
A faint smile appears on his face.
Then he turns and walks away.
Leaving Yueqing standing there.
Nervous.
Merin walks out of his residence and steps onto the street.
The city is lively.
People move in steady streams, their voices filling the air.
Ahead, in the open square, the Virtual Dragon Totem stands tall.
Before it, warriors gather in large numbers.
They sit, stand, or remain still in contemplation.
Each of them focuses on the totem, attempting to comprehend the power contained within it.
Merin glances at the scene.
At the same time, within his mind, different perspectives of the Virtual Dragon Law begin to emerge.
Fragments of understanding shift.
Rearrange.
Deepen.
His comprehension improves steadily.
And as it does, the foundation of his Virtual World Law strengthens alongside it.
The totem is effective.
It allows the warriors of this world to grasp power more quickly.
With that understanding, they refine their bodies faster.
Advance their cultivation more efficiently.
But Merin did not create the totem for them.
That effect is only a byproduct.
The true purpose of the totem is different.
It absorbs faith.
All the belief directed toward it gathers there.
Preventing that influence from reaching him directly.
Merin walks past the square and enters a nearby restaurant.
He moves to a private room.
Inside, Darus is already waiting.
The moment Merin enters, Darus looks at him with undisguised shock.
"You…" Darus begins, unable to hold back.
"How did you combine nine totems into one?"
He keeps pressing the question.
Again and again.
Merin does not answer.
Instead, he sits down calmly.
"What did you come for?" he asks.
Darus pauses.
Then he collects himself and speaks.
"Thousands of years ago, a Saint was born within the Totem Palace."
"That Saint later disappeared."
"But before leaving, he left behind ten keys."
"Four keys remained with the Totem Palace."
"The other six were divided among the six mountain peaks."
Darus looks at Merin.
"The Crimson Mountain Peak has chosen you to use one of those keys."
Merin listens quietly.
"What is the key used for?" he asks.
Darus answers without hesitation.
"It allows your consciousness to enter another world."
"A world without magic."
"There, you cultivate as a martial artist."
"You experience mortal life."
"You comprehend it."
"When you return…"
"…your cultivation can advance by leaps and bounds."
Merin remains silent for a moment.
Then he looks at Darus.
"You came here to tell me not to go?"
Darus gives an embarrassed smile.
"That was my intention before."
"But now…"
He hesitates briefly.
"After seeing your strength and ability…"
"You are the better candidate for this opportunity."
Merin smiles faintly.
"I see."
He nods slightly.
"Thank you."
Then he adds calmly, "If you need any help in the future, come to me."
Darus looks at him, then nods.
The atmosphere in the room settles.
Merin returns to the mansion shortly after.
He summons the elders of the Duan Family, along with the leaders of the six tribes.
They gather quickly.
Standing before them, Merin speaks without delay.
"From this point onward, you will govern the city."
"I will enter deep retreat."
"I intend to break through to the Origin Rune Realm."
The elders and tribal leaders exchange brief glances.
Then they step forward together.
"Congratulations, my lord."
"You can rest assured."
"We will take care of everything."
Merin nods once.
He says nothing further.
Turning away, he walks deeper into the residence.
Then, without stopping, he sinks directly into the ground.
His body phases through earth and stone.
He moves downward.
Passing through layers of soil.
Then water.
He travels beneath the lake.
The pressure of the water surrounds him, but does not hinder his movement.
He continues descending.
Deeper.
And deeper.
Until he senses it.
A concentration of spiritual energy.
He stops.
Before him lies a small energy vein.
Thin.
Weak.
But pure.
Merin extends his magic power.
It spreads over the vein like a gentle net.
Slowly, carefully, he begins moving it.
The process is delicate.
He cannot damage its structure.
He guides it through the earth.
Gradually redirecting its path.
The vein shifts.
Following his control.
He moves it upward.
Toward the centre of the city.
Toward the totem.
Above, the ground trembles faintly.
The lake ripples.
The entire island shakes slightly.
Beneath the city, the energy vein connects.
It links directly to the Virtual Dragon Totem.
The moment the connection completes,
The totem shines.
A brilliant light bursts outward.
Spiritual energy erupts from it in waves.
The entire city is filled with rich energy.
People stop where they stand.
They feel it immediately.
Comfort.
Warmth.
Relief.
Those suffering from illness feel their bodies recover.
Pain fades.
Strength returns.
Spiritual refiners feel their cultivation accelerate.
Outer Qi warriors sense their foundations stabilising and deepening.
The entire city experiences the change.
They do not understand the cause.
To them, it is a miracle.
A blessing from the totem.
One by one, they kneel.
They bow.
They pray.
Faith gathers.
It flows toward the totem.
An invisible current of belief forms.
It enters the dragon.
Then, under Merin's control, that faith is guided downward.
Into the energy vein.
Merin observes everything silently.
This is his purpose.
Merin carves out a cave directly beneath the totem and enters seclusion.
He understands clearly that dragon energy cannot exist within a small energy vein.
Only a true Dragon Energy Vein can produce it.
Energy veins follow a hierarchy.
Small.
Medium.
Large.
Giant.
And finally, Dragon Energy Vein.
The chance of a Dragon Energy Vein appearing in a small world is less than one per cent.
Almost impossible.
So Merin chooses another path.
If one does not exist…
He will create one.
He decides to nurture the existing small energy vein and elevate it step by step.
His method relies on faith.
Faith is the most versatile form of energy.
It can adapt.
Transform.
Evolve.
With enough faith, even a mortal can ascend directly to the Supreme.
Merin uses the totem as the anchor.
He refines an array beneath it.
The array connects the totem and the energy vein completely.
Faith gathered from the city flows into the totem.
From the totem, it is guided into the vein.
Constantly nourishing it.
Constantly transforming it.
After completing the arrangement, Merin settles within the cave.
He enters a deep retreat.
His focus shifts inward.
He begins absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy.
His Golden Qi Sea churns.
He refines it continuously.
Again and again.
Without pause.
He has not yet reached his limit.
So he continues.
While Merin remains in seclusion, the city above undergoes rapid change.
The newly established city gains a name.
Dragon City.
Its influence spreads quickly.
It becomes a central hub.
A bridge between the Song Kingdom and the tribes of the Maggon Mountains.
Trade flourishes.
From the Song Kingdom come grains.
Rice.
Cloth.
Tools.
In return, the tribes bring furs.
Beast meat.
Rare materials.
Unique resources found only within the mountains.
Within a single month, the city's name spreads across regions.
The three kingdoms hear of it.
The four cities within the Cangzhou Mountains take notice.
All tribes of the Maggon Mountains become aware.
Even merchants from the western desert begin travelling toward it.
For the first time, the resources of the Maggon Mountains are open to the outside world.
But not everyone welcomes this change.
Deep within the Maggon Mountains, the larger tribes grow restless.
These tribes once controlled the flow of goods.
They traded directly with the outside.
They held the advantage.
Now that control is slipping away.
The Totem Palace's influence also weakens in this aspect.
Discontent begins to rise.
The Meng Tribe starts plotting.
They seek ways to gain an advantage.
To reclaim benefits.
Within the Totem Palace, even some shamans of the mountain peaks begin to scheme.
They see opportunity.
They see profit.
They begin considering their own moves.
But before any of them can act,
The sky above Dragon City changes.
Dark clouds gather suddenly.
Thunder rumbles.
A storm forms without warning.