The mini replica of Hartley resembled a blue diamond shining and gleaming brightly among the greenery of the forested area, giving a blue hue to the nearest trees surrounding him. The Blue star sitting high in the sky shone down over the land mass as it overlooked Hartley's inner world like a deity.

The desolate outer areas began growing small patches of emerald green grass at a speed visible to the naked eye, the sandy outskirts of land slowly transformed from barren and sandy to fertile and green. Small streams formed like veins across the land as the landscape was carving itself into something more hospitable for life.

If one had a bird's eye view of Hartley's inner world, it would look as if the inner 300 kilometers were a green luscious forest and the outer 300 kilometers was a sandy barren desert, this slowly started to change as the grass bloomed and small shrubs grew up to the size of a human toddler with tufts of green scattered and invading all across the barren desert-like region.

As usual Hartley's heart beat began to synchronize with his gravity field, in the room Hartley floated 5 meters off the bed and hovered there.

Badum Badum, for a moment a flash of blue light brightened the room, spilling under the door and leaking out into the hall then disappeared again as everything in the room floated stably upwards in slow motion.

Badum Badum, Hartley's heart rate slowed to a crawl but every time his heart would beat, it sounded as loud as a drum in his ears, blue light would then be kindled in the room as if a spark was set ablaze among dry timber.

White steam roiled and twisted around his body behaving like smoke, tendrils of the white smoke-like steam escaped under the door, entered the hallway and disappeared without trace.

The process continued for eight grueling hours from Hartley's perspective......

His skin returned to normal, the steam pouring off his body slowly disappeared as he was once again sitting crossed legged on the bed, time once again ran at its normal pace.

Opening his eyes the room went blue for a millisecond then returned to normal as if nothing had happened and the sounds of the whirling wind whistling against the wooden window frame returned.

Glancing outside the window Hartley was shocked to see it was still daylight, he was sure it was supposed to be well into the night but promptly remembered he was cultivating in advance state of focus, his cultivation session was eight hours but in real time only an hour had passed. Hartley was pleased this meant his cultivation was now eight times faster than it used to be, he was now at the thin line between sub realms at any moment he could enter the 6th layer, this was a relief. At least something good came from his emotional turmoil and instability from his encounter with Biyue Jie .

Leaving the second floor Hartley went to find Zhi Ruo, she was on the ground floor as usual reading stories to the children who were rapt at attention, looking like normal children once again. He waited until she had finished, went over hugged and kissed her in front of everyone present, Zhi Ruo blushed scarlet and looked at him side eyed, "whats going on with you today?" she asked. Hartley smiled hugged her and replied "lets get Qin Li and go have some delicacies, we've been cooped up here too long."

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She smiled and didn't disagree, the children groaned out their displeasure at Hartley who had hijacked their mentor for the day, Zhi Ruo smiled and left them the book for them to try and read it on their own.

They both went and got the tired looking Qin Li from his room in mid cultivation, he had thought it would be simple running and integrating the guilds but now felt that he had received the short end of the stick as Hartley and Zhi Ruo took a hands off approach to the running of the guilds, Qin Li was stuck with all the annoying and time consuming day to day activities of running the guild, he now wondered if his suggestion to settle down and build influence was the right decision for himself. Hartley and Zhi Ruo dragged the unwilling Qin LI out of his room and made their way towards one of the local restaurants.

They chose a restaurant specializing in sea food and in his guilt and introspection Hartley was about to cross the snow covered street lost in his thoughts... The close tumult of swift hooves and the shrill squeaking of carriage wheels brought him back to reality with a slight startle. He looked up to find himself faceing the white rolling eyes of a majestic black fur-covered wild beast, mud gouting from beneath its hooves as it plunged through the snow covered street towards him with reckless abandonment.

By reflex Hartley flung himself out of the way feeling the wind on his face as the beasts thundered by, the carriage drawn behind it pitching wildly as it came to a complete screeching stop 20 meters later. Qin Li gave him a puzzled looked as if to ask if he was feeling well, Hartley replied with a subtle nod of the head and Zhi ruo wrapped her hands around his waist sensing something was amiss.

Snow swirled in the air, stuck to his face and melted on his cheeks as he stood stock-still staring down the road at the exquisite white carriage pulling to a sudden stop.

Hoof beats pattered as Men in silver armor riding sturdy horses covered in thick leather for the winter months came storming from the other end of the road, then swarmed around the trio.

All the civilians in the area rushed away taking refuge off the the street and out of sight, the audible murmurs from the hidden people seem to come to a consensus that these people wearing robes and armors imprinted with the insignia of two eagles standing beak to beak represented Viscount Sanzu, a direct delegate of the royal family based in the Wawrika province.

The people held puzzled hushed conversations baffled by the fact that the men of the Viscount had turned up in the south of the province, people in the south usually didn't see the viscount or his men too often as they were based in northern more rural parts of the province. The door on the white carriage slowly opened, like synchronized swimmers two men dismounted off their horses as smooth as liquid and went to hold the open carriage door to chaperone the occupant out of the carriage.

A tall pump middle aged man slowly emerged, his hair neatly cut with flecks of grey standing out in the predominantly black head of hair, the man a head or two taller than Hartley and wore a bright red robe lined with 5 inches of puffy white fur on each lapel extending all the way around the neckline of the garment.

The two robust knights flanked the man as they escorted him in the direction of the trio, pointing saying loudly "they match the description of the ones at the phantom earthquake my lord."

The man squinted his eyes as he approached casually, Hartley could now see that the man was wearing a pair of golden gauntlets which a gave a thick yellow back-glow onto the man's clothing.

He gave a signal to all of his armored men and they orderly made way to the side opening up a straight path to the trio standing calmly on the walkway, the well dressed man smiled and like breaking the rules of physics, the overweight middle aged man moved towards them leaving life-like after images in his wake.