With great care, he held Han Cai's soul in his hands as he floated above the river. Slowly, Yongnian reached down towards the river, his hands covered in gray Qi, and scooped some of the water from the river into his palm.
Another gray third arm materialized from Yongnian's body. This arm had ten fingers, and upon closer inspection, each finger was made up of tiny needle-shaped threads of Qi. Each thread was ten times thinner than a strand of hair. The threads extended from the fingers and dipped into the water in his palm, each carrying a minuscule amount of water on their pointed tips. These threads then carefully moved towards the soul in his other hand.
Upon reaching the soul, the threads deftly bypassed the gray Qi protection and penetrated the soul with precision. They began to drip the tiny amounts of river water onto the soul, targeting only the purple markings and avoiding the golden or blue ones. Each time the threads made contact with the purple markings, the soul quivered.
The process was precise and surgical; not a single golden marking was affected, and the river water would disappear after removing the purple markings. Some form of protection within the soul prevented the river water from making direct contact with it. Gradually, all the purple markings on the soul were removed.
The moment the last of the markings was removed, Yongnian transformed back into gray Qi and moved the soul back inside in protection of gray Qi.
He flew at breakneck speed again towards a new location, not the same one from which he had entered this world. After a long journey, the gray Qi arrived at a new destination.
Once again, there was a tear in space, and a path opened for the gray Qi to pass through.
While Yongnian entered the Path.
In a vast, ominous-looking castle deep within this world, a massive being lay asleep. This being had an imposing and terrifying appearance, with a muscular, chiseled body covered in thick, black scales. Its head was adorned with a crown of twisted, jagged horns that seemed to absorb the dim light surrounding it. Its eyes were closed, but when opened, they would reveal a piercing, blood-red gaze that could strike fear into the hearts of even the most courageous. Despite its fearsome appearance, the being exuded an air of regal authority and immense power.
The being opened its eyes and spoke curiously, "Someone tried to steal river water and escaped?"
Since the person had already escaped, the being decided to dismiss the matter and returned to its slumber.
While Yongnian took Han Cai's soul through a new path.
The Sky Soaring Sect began its transformation. Over time, the outer sect on the mainland continued to thrive in Yin, with new outer sect disciples. People unaware of the true power and legacy Sky Soaring had long moved and concealed on an island. The core and inner sect members who had relocated to the island continued to train and grow, safeguarding the sect's legacy and progressing their cultivation.
The ruler of the Island, Xiaoyun, Han Cai's senior sister and subordinate, made sure that Han Cai's rules were implemented on the island.
In the aftermath of Han Cai's departure, the once-thriving Daxing Continent was plunged into a maelstrom of chaos and uncertainty for a while. The Battle of Leaders had decimated the leadership and most powerful Immortals of numerous organizations, leaving the continent without direction and vulnerable to strife. The remnants of these organizations struggled to regain their footing in a world forever changed, and the escalating tensions between them threatened to cast the entire Daxing Continent into even greater turmoil.
In the midst of this disorder, Shadow Lotus, the sole surviving organization, saw a unique opportunity unfold before them. Resolute and swift, they embarked on a mission to consolidate their power and restore order to the continent. They began by annexing the territories previously governed by the fallen organizations, swiftly and methodically establishing their dominance over the regions.
As shadow lotus acquired the continent, stability and peace began to return in Daxing.
With their newfound power, Shadow Lotus handled the countries they acquired gently, bringing them under control without much resistance. Upon acquiring a country, they shared four rules:
1. The country could never betray Shadow Lotus.
2. The country would support Shadow Lotus's cause to bring stability to Daxing as much as possible.
3. The country could never offend or attack the Sky Soaring Sect of Yin, the sect of Han Cai. Any wrongdoing by the sect's disciples or elders would only be punished by the leaders of the Sky Soaring Sect and the leaders of Shadow Lotus.
4. The country could never offend or attack the Han Family of Yin, the family of Han Cai, the enigma of Yin.
People understood the first two rules, but the last two left them puzzled. They wondered why Shadow Lotus placed such importance on Han Cai, his sect, and his family.
Eager to uncover the truth, they sent people to learn more about Han Cai's background and achievements.
Through their investigations, they discovered numerous stories about Han Cai: how he had slapped the empress in front of the emperor at just sixteen years old and how he had destroyed the strongest sect in Yin and taken control of the country.
While these accomplishments were impressive, they didn't fully explain why Han Cai held such importance to Shadow Lotus.
As Han Cai had left no instructions to keep his name hidden, the leaders of Shadow Lotus were open about his contribution to the organization.
Shadow Lotus members spoke of Han Cai with such reverence that it seemed like they were worshipping a deity. They claimed that everything Shadow Lotus had achieved was due to Han Cai, as he had single-handedly ended the millennia-long struggle between the organizations in Daxing, bringing Shadow Lotus to the top.
When asked how Han Cai had accomplished this, the Shadow Lotus members could only answer that they did not know. However, the respect and admiration in their eyes made it clear just how important Han Cai was to the organization.
Rumors and stories about Han Cai spread throughout Daxing, and as time passed, Shadow Lotus solidified its position as the number one organization managing the peace of Daxing.
Under their four rules, Han Cai became a legend in Daxing.
As his legend spread through every country in Daxing, the enigma of Yin, a young boy who had started as a minor outer sect disciple of a small sect, became the enigma of the entire north.
As the years passed and his story continued to be passed down from generation to generation, Han Cai's name was forever etched into the annals of history, a symbol of hope and perseverance in a world that had once been known for cold winters and suffering.
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Gifts are always appreciated, but golden tickets and power stones matter a lot too.
If we reach 1500 power stones, I will release a supplementary chapter.
If we reach 1000 golden tickets, I will release five supplementary chapters.
Thank You
