Zhi Xuan walked calmly, his steps steady and unwavering. He looked around to observe the road that was now starting to be adorned with merchants. A comforting bustle that reminded him of his own home.

  "I have never been to Shoutuo," Zhi Xuan said, his voice dripping with admiration. "I only often heard about it from Mingling and Bashan; their parents often went to this Shoutuo."

  The stone path he had followed since leaving the Death Cliff area was now widening, smoothly paved, and fenced by shady willow trees.

  Small villages had been replaced by more organized settlements, and pedestrian traffic density increased drastically. This was the main road to Shoutuo City, the heart of the regional trade.

  On the roadside, makeshift stalls began to line up. The aroma of roasted spices, the sweetness of honey candies, and the smell of wet earth from fresh vegetables mingled in the air, much more pleasant than the mud he had left behind.

  A steamed bun seller at the Divine Wheel dawn stage cheerfully shouted, "Cloud Buns! Soft as cotton, nutritious as spiritual herbs! Two silver coins for one pack!"

  Next to him, a thin old man, who was merely a mortal, was fixing his cart full of bamboo scrolls and talismans believed to ward off bad luck.

  "Protective Talismans! Place them on the doorway, avoid all minor disasters! Cheap! Only eight copper coins!"

  Zhi Xuan saw many low-level cultivators and even some with a simple Human Wheel aura, mingling with civilians. They were all walking in one direction: the splendor of Shoutuo City.

  "The mortal world is truly noisy and vulnerable," Ruo Xianxue hissed in Zhi Xuan's Sea of Consciousness, her voice filled with majestic indifference. "All this nonsense, cheap talismans, mortal food. They disturb the tranquility of nature."

  "This is precisely what is valuable, Ruo," Zhi Xuan replied. "This is life. Sacred places and the upper realms are too cold. This place is full of color."

  In front of Zhi Xuan, a small child about six years old, carrying a dragon-shaped kite, was running fast. Accidentally, he bumped into the leg of a young cultivator in a purple robe with a sword on his back. The cultivator had a cultivation level of Divine Wheel Zenith Stage, only one level below Zhi Xuan.

  THUD!

  "Ow!" The little child fell and started crying.

  The purple-robed cultivator merely snorted, glancing at the child with disgust. "Such a lowly creature. Does not know how to walk on a cultivator's road."

  "Forgive my child, Young Master!" The child's mother, a middle-aged woman in rough clothes, immediately ran over and bowed deeply.

  The purple cultivator waved his hand. "Be gone. I am in a hurry. If you block my path again, I will use my hand to clear the way."

  Zhi Xuan, who witnessed the scene, felt his ribs suddenly cold. This was the arrogance he hated. However, he knew he could not disrupt public order without a strong reason.

  'Ignore it, Zhi Xuan. It is none of your business. Do not waste your energy on lowlifes,' Ruo Xianxue advised.

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw, but he did not step forward. However, he stopped behind the woman, and when the purple cultivator left, he quietly dropped three pure silver coins onto the ground near the woman's feet.

  "This is for the bread, Madam," Zhi Xuan whispered, his one blind eye providing a strange contrast to his peaceful face.

  The woman looked up, her tearful eyes staring in confusion. "Mister... Young Master?"

  Zhi Xuan merely smiled faintly and immediately continued his steps, catching up to the purple cultivator.

  "Stupid monkey," Ruo Xianxue scoffed. "You are a cultivator, giving your money to worthless mortals."

  "They are worthy, Ruo. They are the foundation. Without them, there are no cultivators," Zhi Xuan replied. He did not care about the criticism.

  After walking for about an hour, the intensity of the hustle and bustle on the path became overwhelming. The city gate was not yet visible, but merchants had already set up semi-permanent markets along the road.

  "Dragon Spirit Meat! Guaranteed from a fifth-level Dragon descendant! Unmatched power!" shouted a food vendor with a wide smile, frying slices of meat that emitted thick smoke.

  "Quick Energy Pills! For cultivators below Blood Transformation! Quickly restore your spiritual essence! Thirty silver coins per pill!"

  Zhi Xuan, who was now feeling hungry, realized that he had not eaten anything since the attack at the death cliff and leaving the star village, relying on spiritual essence to survive.

  "I am hungry, Ruo," he mumbled. "I need to eat something before we reach the gate."

  Zhi Xuan glanced around. He saw a small, relatively clean wooden food stall, adorned with a faded flag. The stall sold noodles and herbal soup. The aroma of rich broth and spices stimulated Zhi Xuan's sense of taste.

  "Hundred Flavors Soup Stall," Zhi Xuan read the sign above the stall.

  He stepped inside. The stall was quite crowded, dominated by low-level wandering cultivators and some resting merchants. Zhi Xuan chose a quiet corner, sitting on a wooden bench near the window.

  A middle-aged woman, the stall owner, who was only a Human Wheel Peak, approached him with a warm smile.

  "Young Master, what would you like to order? Our Herbal Soup is famous on this route. It is excellent for replenishing your essence after a long journey," she said.

  Zhi Xuan, who was now wearing his clean black-and-red robe, with his Divine Wheel Sanctum aura concealed, looked polite and elegant. The only strange thing was his one blind eye.

  "I will order the Herbal Soup, Madam, and a bowl of wild boar noodles," Zhi Xuan said. "And please, add a little Qi Jing leaf if you have some."

  The stall owner's eyes widened slightly. Qi Jing was a somewhat expensive herb and usually not found in roadside stalls. It indicated that this customer was a knowledgeable cultivator.

  "Certainly, Young Master. Wait a moment," the stall owner said with a more respectful tone, realizing that this young customer might not be an ordinary person.

  Zhi Xuan sat down, observing the conversations around him. At a nearby table, two young cultivators at the Divine Wheel dawn stage were discussing in worried tones.

  "Did you hear? The Sky Cloud Sect sent an investigation team to the Death Cliff. They confirmed that the daughter of Lin Yuan died there last night. It is as if the entire legacy the immortal jade school spoke of claimed a victim!"

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "Lin Yuan? Was not she a Consciousness Transformation and also brought two bodyguards with her?" the other replied.

  "Both her bodyguards died too! Not only that," the first man, who had a round face, lowered his voice, whispering anxiously. "Even Elder Su and Elder Chu of the poison sect also died there. They were searching for the five-element scroll under Young Master Gu's assignment!"

  "Young Master Gu?" The man next to him choked. His tone was a whisper, as if afraid someone would hear. "Is not he the one who is about to break through to the Five Element realm? I heard this small imperial region can only reach that realm with the scroll alone!"

  Zhi Xuan sharpened his hearing; this was information he had accidentally obtained. Young Master Gu, a name he had heard from the three hooded men of the poison sect yesterday in the jade valley.

  "Yes! The Young Master said he likes the Holy Fairy Zhu, Zhu Qinglan! Therefore, he is trying to reach the Five Element by any means necessary to pursue Fairy Zhu."

  The round-faced man smiled to himself, as if recalling something about the Holy Fairy Zhu he had just mentioned.

  "Oh gods, you know? I have only heard her name. She is a Holy Fairy from the Zhu clan, one of the ancient families!"

  Zhi Xuan, upon hearing that name, subtly shuddered. Ancient family... Holy Fairy... It had never crossed his mind what a Holy Fairy might look like. A faint smile touched the corner of his lips, lost in his contemplation.

  Zhu Qinglan. Holy Fairy. The name felt like a gentle winter breeze, promising a beauty that surpassed the mortal world. Why was Young Master Gu, who seemed power-hungry, so obsessed with pursuing her? And what was the connection to the Five-Element Scroll that seemed so crucial for stepping into a higher realm?

  This information, although just a stall rumor, was far more valuable than any treasure. The death of the Poison Sect elders at the Death Cliff confirmed that Young Master Gu was the mastermind behind the sect's operations and, indirectly, the one responsible for the threat against Star Village.

  'The Zhu clan? An Ancient Family...' Ruo Xianxue murmured, her voice dripping with knowledge and nostalgia. 'That is just one of the Nine Ancient Families. Perhaps, she is merely a small fairy who has just begun cultivating.'

  "Excuse me, Young Master," the stall owner returned, placing a steaming bowl of soup in front of Zhi Xuan. The aroma immediately filled Zhi Xuan's senses.

  Zhi Xuan snapped out of his contemplation, a calm yet slightly nervous smile creeping onto his face. "Thank you, Madam."

  The stall owner returned, carrying a wooden tray on which was the steaming Herbal Soup and a bowl of wild boar noodles with a few bright green Qi Jing leaves. The aroma of the soup was strong and comforting, bringing Zhi Xuan back from his thoughts.

  "Here you are, Young Master," the woman said, placing the dish on Zhi Xuan's table. "May it boost your energy."

  "Thank you, Madam," Zhi Xuan smiled.

  Zhi Xuan picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, his actions smooth and polite, far from the image of an awkward village boy. Each sip of the rich soup immediately warmed his meridians, replenishing the mortal essence he had neglected.

  The Qi Jing leaf provided a refreshing burst of flavor, cleansing his palate. Yet his mind circled back to the information about Young Master Gu and the Holy Fairy Zhu. With his new Divine Wheel Sanctum, Zhi Xuan felt he had enough confidence to operate in Shoutuo City, but facing someone pursuing the Five Element realm might be beyond his current capacity.

  'Can you explain to me what the Five Element realm is, red stone?' Zhi Xuan whispered, his voice hungry for an explanation. 'Grandpa Wu only said that the realm was like a legend in the star village, but here it seems like an important and achievable topic of conversation.'

  Ruo Xianxue sighed deeply in Zhi Xuan's Sea of Consciousness, her voice sounding like the wind rustling in an old temple. This was not the first time she had to explain basic concepts of cultivation in the lower realms.

  "After you pass the Divine Wheel and reach the First Ember, you will face the Three Foundations Transformation," Ruo began, her tone turning instructive. "After the three foundations are achieved, you will encounter the Five Element realm, the fourth stage you heard of. It is a leap that separates mortal cultivators from those with the potential to ascend to higher realms."

  Zhi Xuan stirred his soup, listening intently to Ruo Xianxue's ancient whisper. The aroma of the rich soup tasted bitter on his tongue as he tried to digest the heavy information.

  Zhi Xuan put down his chopsticks, focusing his spiritual attention. He imagined his newly enhanced Heavenly Samsara Wheel.

  "If your Divine Wheel is the foundation of life, and the Three Foundations Transformation is the forging of body and soul, then the Five Elements is the ultimate integration with the Great Dao," Ruo continued. "At this stage, a cultivator must begin to absorb the Essence of the Five Elements—Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning—directly into their Divine Wheel, which will transform it into a furnace, the Five Element Furnace."

  Zhi Xuan picked up a leaf of Qi Jing, squeezed it slightly, and inhaled its sharp aroma.

  "This shift is crucial. You no longer rely on ordinary jade essence. Your primary resource will change to Divine Stone, which is much purer and more powerful. This is the boundary where most mortals fail due to lack of resources and appropriate cultivation techniques."

  Zhi Xuan sipped his broth, feeling the energy of the herbal soup permeating his meridians.

  "The first step is to choose one main element. Say Fire. Then, you must harmoniously integrate the other four elements into that main element. This is much harder than simply cultivating, as it requires balancing the universe within yourself. But, if successful, your combat power becomes superior."

  Zhi Xuan glanced around the stall. The Divine Wheel Dawn cultivators discussing Young Master Gu still looked worried. They knew how immense the realm that Young Master was pursuing was.

  "When this harmonization is perfect, you can borrow the power of nature. Your spiritual techniques are no longer just an emission of essence but will contain the pure power of Fire or Lightning. You will have an advantage in fighting, defense, and movement that is far superior. And most importantly, your Five Element Furnace will allow you to form powerful attack formations, both for individual combat and for destroying large areas with the unified power of the five elements. That Young Master Gu, with his ambition, clearly knows what he is pursuing. That is why the Five-Element Scroll is so valuable in this mortal world."

  "He is pursuing the foundation of immortality, monkey. A path to dominate nature," Ruo concluded with a serious tone. "And that Scroll gives him a shortcut."

  Zhi Xuan sighed deeply, staring at the remaining noodles in his bowl. The Five Element realm sounded like a very distant dream, but it also gave him a clear roadmap of what he needed to pursue after Divine Wheel Sanctum.

  "I cannot be complacent anymore," Zhi Xuan said, his voice now full of determination. "I have decided to be the protector of the star village; I must also reach that realm."

  A low chuckle echoed from Zhi Xuan's Sea of Consciousness. "Oh? You are already impatient just from hearing that information."

  "That is good," Ruo Xianxue said, continuing her statement. "But also do not become a monkey who only knows fast cultivation; a solid foundation is only achieved if you understand the meaning of patience and stability."

  Zhi Xuan nodded, realizing the truth in Ruo Xianxue's words. The sudden breakthrough to Divine Wheel Sanctum had made him slightly complacent. A rushed foundation was a certain destruction for cultivators.

  "I understand, Ruo," Zhi Xuan replied internally, taking the last spoonful of his herbal soup. The hot and spiritual energy from the food spread throughout his meridians, calming the cold aura from the newly absorbed Taiyin.

  He glanced around the stall again. The young cultivators' chatter had shifted to the prices of pills and spiritual weapons in Shoutuo City. Zhi Xuan finished his drink and then stood up from the bench.

  "Madam," Zhi Xuan called respectfully.

  The stall owner, who was cleaning a table, immediately approached. "Yes, Young Master? How was the taste?"

  "Very good," Zhi Xuan praised, taking out some silver coins from his pouch. He placed ten silver coins—more than enough to pay for the Herbal Soup and noodles—on the table. "Could you tell me, that Young Master Gu they were talking about, is he from the Poison Sect?"

  The stall owner's eyes widened, and her warm smile faded, replaced by wariness. She glanced briefly at the young cultivators at the next table before lowering her voice.

  "Young Master," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "That is not a name you should mention carelessly on this route. He is a very powerful person. I... I do not know anything about the Poison Sect."

  The stall owner took the silver coins with a nervous movement, then added in a pleading tone, "Please forgive my ignorance, Young Master. I just want to make a living."

  Zhi Xuan understood. The fear was real. The name 'Young Master Gu' was powerful enough to silence even a mortal.

  "I understand, Madam. I apologize for making you anxious," Zhi Xuan said with a reassuring smile. He bowed respectfully, leaving the stall with a newfound aura of calm.

  Zhi Xuan continued his journey. After walking for about two more hours, the splendor of Shoutuo City finally came into view.

  It was not just a simple wooden fence or a brick wall, but towering gray stone walls, adorned with subtly flashing defense formations. The main gate was made of thick ironwood, guarded by a dozen cultivators in dark blue robes, all at the Divine Wheel level.

  Shoutuo City, which served as the main hub between small cultivation sects and the small mortal imperial region, looked vibrant. Long lines of people, from caravan merchants to sword-carrying cultivators, lined up to enter the gate.

  "Show your Identity Jade, or pay a ten silver coin entrance fee!" shouted one of the guards, his voice amplified by spiritual essence.

  Zhi Xuan walked closer. He did not have an official 'Identity Jade' issued by a sect or the Empire. He only had silver coins from Uncle Chen.

  When his turn came, he approached the towering guard, who had a Divine Wheel Zenith aura.