After realizing the changes within him were a good sign, Han left the Immortal Tree Realm once again.

With the Three Lights Blessed Spirit Mirror in hand, he carefully checked every corner of his house for any lingering spirits. When he didn’t find any, he finally allowed himself to relax.

If it weren’t for the mirror, after what he’d just gone through, Han would have never dared to wander around alone in the middle of the night.

But now, armed with a magical artifact, his courage had grown considerably.

If another ghost like the one earlier showed up, he’d be ready for a Celestial Master’s Exorcism.

Back inside, Han placed the Three Lights Blessed Spirit Mirror safely by his side.

“The immediate danger is over, but things might not be safe in the long run…” Han pondered.

Having arrived in this new world, his first encounter had been an attack by a ghost, which had kept him on edge ever since. Now, Han finally had a moment of peace to process his thoughts and carefully go over the memories of his original self.

The original Han was 22 years old. His parents were businessmen, but six years ago, they tragically passed away in an accident while on a business trip, leaving behind this property for Han.

At first, the inheritance seemed secure, as some of the people in Hei Yun Town had known his parents. But as time passed and those connections faded, it was no surprise that the once-secure inheritance had become vulnerable.

Three years ago, Huang Shiren, an outsider, came to settle in Hei Yun Town and soon took an interest in the Zhou family's estate.

The original Han was a simple and stubborn man who would never have sold his parents' legacy. Without this property, he would have had nowhere to call home.

But Huang Shiren wasn’t truly interested in a fair deal—he wanted to exploit Han, who was alone, by using the pretense of buying the house to force a sale at an incredibly low price.

The offer Huang made wouldn’t even be enough to buy a shack in the worst part of town.

It was a clear case of bullying someone who was honest and unsuspecting.

“Since I’ve survived this time, Huang Shiren won’t stop. He’s a wealthy man with a lot of influence in town. I’m alone, so the only way to face future threats is one thing…” Han thought, his mind already made up.

He needed to take the Martial Arts Exam!

Wait, no… he needed to train in martial arts!

While martial strength wasn’t the only solution, it was certainly the most direct and effective way to protect himself.

At present, he had reached the Sensory Stage in soul cultivation, but his body was still at the mortal level.

The problem was, he lacked the knowledge and techniques to actively cultivate his soul's power.

While there might be soul cultivators in Hei Yun Town, Han had never heard of any concrete information about them.

He suspected that the ghost who had attacked him was somehow tied to the soul cultivation system, and Huang Shiren, being an outsider, probably had more access to these teachings than the locals.

“Despicable foreigner!” Han cursed inwardly.

He certainly wasn’t going to seek out Huang Shiren for that kind of knowledge.

But martial arts training—that was a different story.

Hei Yun Town wasn’t lacking in martial artists, and there were even several martial arts schools that accepted new students.

Every martial artist in town was formidable, capable of defeating a hundred opponents with ease, and they held high status within the town.

Once Han had settled on his course of action, he sighed with relief, only to notice some scattered coins on the floor.

Heavenly Wealth Bank!

Suddenly, Han remembered his first cheat—the Heavenly Wealth Bank—and quickly gathered the coins. There were copper, silver, and even a few gold pieces.

In the brief period he had access to the Heavenly Wealth Bank, he had amassed quite a fortune. Just thinking about its capabilities made his chest tighten with regret.

If only he could continue using it…

“Heavenly Wealth Bank, my Heavenly Wealth Bank, please come back!” Han collapsed onto his bed, wistfully recalling the artifact he had lost.

Han had also conducted some experiments with the Immortal Tree Realm, like trying to bring things from this world into it.

To his disappointment, while it was possible to bring items in, as soon as he left, everything from the outside world was ejected. Only items dropped from the Immortal Tree could remain inside the realm.

His dream of using the realm as a storage space was shattered, much to his dismay.

What surprised him next was that, despite not sleeping a wink, Han didn’t feel the slightest hint of exhaustion. He felt full of energy, as though he had boundless vitality.

This was clearly related to the life essence he had absorbed and his entry into the Sensory Stage.

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It was almost like a dream come true—cultivation was a gift to those who had a tendency to stay up late, like those on Earth who were always burning the midnight oil.

But if you weren’t cultivating, why bother staying up all night? Were you really trying to become an immortal?

By morning, Han realized that cultivation wasn’t just a blessing for night owls; it was also a miracle cure.

Perhaps because of his overabundant energy, Han’s body had been restless, a certain part of him constantly "on edge"—a true sign of vitality.

Such a pity, though, that his sword had no one to duel with.

After washing up, Han looked at himself in the mirror. The near-death look from the previous night was gone, and he had fully recovered.

If he had relied on normal supplements, it would have taken a long time and a lot of money to restore his body to its original state. There was even a high chance that he would have developed some lingering illness, and might have even died young.

Fortunately, he had the life essence dropped by the Immortal Tree.

What’s more, this body looked almost identical to his original self, with only subtle differences. Still as handsome as ever.

“Today, I’m going to check out the martial arts schools. There are three major schools in town… I’ll go to the Taibai Martial Arts School. That name sounds so familiar.”

Taibai—just hearing it made Han think of his past life and his days of “sword training.”

Hei Yun Town had three major martial arts schools: Tenglong, Kuangdao, and Taibai. Among them, Taibai Martial Arts School had the best reputation in the community.

At this moment, Han was just looking for a stable environment where he could quickly gain the supernatural power he needed in this world.

One reason for Taibai’s good reputation was that its tuition fees were relatively low… and that was also one of the reasons Han was interested.

Although his parents had been in business, when they passed away in the accident, most of their wealth had already been converted into goods, leaving Han with little.

Six years had passed, and Han was left with nothing but this house, living in a rather poor situation.

After rummaging through his belongings, Han found just enough money to pay for Taibai’s tuition.

As for the wealth he had obtained from the Heavenly Wealth Bank, he decided to hold onto it for now.

What if, with this money, he could summon the Heavenly Wealth Bank again in the future?

With the silver coins in hand, Han left his home.

As soon as he stepped outside, Han’s heightened senses detected someone watching him from a corner.

Over the course of a single night, Han had undergone significant changes—his senses were now sharper than ever.

He casually glanced at the corner, spotting a man dressed as a servant.

“Probably sent by Huang,” Han thought to himself.

He didn’t pay much attention to the man and, following the route stored in his memories, made his way to the Taibai Martial Arts School.

Though it was called a town, Hei Yun Town was more like a small city, bustling with activity and prosperity.

Han stopped by a street vendor to buy a quick snack. A few coins were enough to satisfy his hunger.

When he arrived at the martial arts school, he looked up at the sign hanging above the entrance. The calligraphy was bold and dynamic, and with his sharpened senses, Han could feel an aura of sharpness emanating from it.

Just as Han was about to enter, he heard a voice from behind.

“Xiao Zhou?”

Han turned around to see a middle-aged man and a boy who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old.

“Uncle Li,” Han greeted.

Li Guangyuan, when Han’s parents were still alive, had been someone they interacted with on a few occasions.

“So it’s really you, Xiao Zhou,” Li Guangyuan said, his gaze full of surprise. Han looked too healthy, far better than the young masters of rich families.

“What brings you to Taibai Martial Arts School?” Li Guangyuan asked.

Han answered honestly, “I’m here to learn martial arts.”

Li Guangyuan froze for a moment before saying, “If I remember correctly, you’re already 22, right?”

“Learning martial arts at this age, it might be a bit too late to make any significant progress.”

Not just a bit difficult—this was an incredibly hard task.

“I’ll just train for general fitness,” Han replied with a smile.

The fact that he was learning martial arts wasn’t something he could hide, but there was no need to explain the deeper reasons to others.

Li Guangyuan shook his head but didn’t say anything more.

After all, it wasn’t his money, and Han wasn’t his son. He didn’t need to worry about it. His comment had been made out of mere casual curiosity.

Han and Li Guangyuan entered the martial arts school together. The boy was Li Guangyuan’s son, Li Wu, who was also there to learn martial arts.

“This son of mine has always been smart and physically capable. I thought I’d send him to train here. Who knows, he might even become a great martial artist,” Li Guangyuan said proudly, his words filled with expectation.

The boy, Li Wu, gave Han a dismissive glance, then turned away, not bothering to speak. Han wasn’t offended.

After all, in both his past and present life, he was already an adult. A teenager’s arrogance wasn’t something worth getting upset over.

On the contrary, Han smiled and praised Li Wu, saying that the boy had great potential, which only made Li Guangyuan more pleased.

When they reached the registration desk, they were greeted by a young woman in her late teens dressed in a martial arts uniform, sitting behind a long table. She looked up at them.

“Are you here to register?” she asked in a clear, pleasant voice.

“Yes,” Han replied.

“I’m Bai Ruoyue, a disciple here, and I’ll be one of your instructors,” she introduced herself. “Come, take a seat.”

Li Wu stepped forward first, and Bai Ruoyue quickly began taking his details. Soon, it was Han’s turn.

“Name?”

“Han. Qingshui.”

“Age?”

“22.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Ruoyue looked up at Han, surprised. However, seeing the healthy glow on his face, she didn’t comment further.

“Where’s your home?”

“Hei Yun Town.”

With just three simple questions, the registration was complete.

“The tuition fee is fifteen taels of silver, and the training period is four months,” Bai Ruoyue stated.

Han paid the fee without hesitation. The other two martial arts schools in town charged eighteen and twenty taels for only three months of training.

The fees were steep. For an ordinary family, this would be a huge burden. Even for Han, this tuition drained his entire savings.

Except, of course, for the money he had gained from the Heavenly Wealth Bank.

Bai Ruoyue handed over the registration papers to both Han and Li Wu and said, “Enter through the door behind me. Family members, please stop here.”

Li Guangyuan gave a few parting words to his son, who responded impatiently before walking off.

Han smiled and waved at Li Guangyuan, ready to leave, but just as he turned to go, Li Guangyuan called out to him.

“Xiao Zhou, I’ve known your parents for a long time. I know things haven’t been easy for you these years. When you train, give it your all,” Li Guangyuan said kindly.

Perhaps it was because Han, who was like a son to him, had treated him better than his own son ever had, so Li Guangyuan took the time to give him some advice.

It’s a strange thing, really. People often show their worst side to their loved ones and reserve their best behavior for strangers.

Han nodded in acknowledgment, and Li Guangyuan left, while Han proceeded toward the door Bai Ruoyue had pointed to.

But then, Han was called back once more.

“Wait a moment.”

“Teacher Bai, is there something you need?” Han asked, feeling a bit awkward calling her "teacher."

Bai Ruoyue looked at him with a serious expression. “What is your family background?”

This question caught Han off guard. He had come here for a simple training program, and yet she was asking about his family situation?

Han paused, then answered honestly, “It’s not great. I live alone.”

“You may leave,” Bai Ruoyue said with a nod. “Prove yourself, and I’ll refund your tuition. Take the money and go.”

Han furrowed his brow. What did this mean?

Was she implying that because he came from humble beginnings, he wasn’t worthy of learning at her martial arts school?

What a cliché!