"There's nothing particularly special about it."

Bai Ruoyue held the bowl-shaped stone in her hand, inspecting it from different angles and even holding it up to the sun.

But nothing stood out.

"Let's cut it open and see."

"Why don't you do it, little junior?"

"...I’m not cutting it."

After all, he had no intention of becoming a royal martial artist, so why bother cutting it?

At that moment, they were sitting on a magic carpet, making their way toward Black Cloud Town.

Stone dust drifted in the wind, and the crack in the treasure stone widened.

Eventually, a gleam of light flickered within the stone, prompting Lu Qingmo to halt.

She glanced at Han with a complex expression in her eyes.

"Very accurate."

Her intuition was spot on.

But she wondered whether it was just this instance or if it applied to everything.

"There's indeed a treasure inside, and it’s quite valuable."

"What is it?"

A surge of spiritual energy flowed, and a drop of liquid flew out from the stone's crack, landing on her fingertip.

On her finger, a drop of milky white liquid clung, emitting a fragrant aroma that was both soothing and refreshing to the mind.

At the sight, Han’s heart stirred.

Such a delicate jade-like finger... Wait, no—what a treasure!

"This is Earth Core Soul Milk," Lu Qingmo introduced.

"A rare item that can enhance one's soul power and heal soul injuries. But that's just the most basic effect."

"The real power of this treasure is that it strengthens the soul to be as solid and vast as the earth itself. Whether for cultivation or combat, it’s highly beneficial."

"It improves the soul's endurance, allowing you to take more damage in battle without faltering. A treasure like this is rare to come by."

Having a soul as solid as the earth was clearly an exaggeration, but it truly made the soul tougher and more expansive.

For example, if one were to refine moonlight, a typical practitioner could only refine a single unit of it, but after consuming Earth Core Soul Milk, they could refine three units.

"I see, so it's such a treasure." Han nodded, his expression calm.

Though he might seem aloof, this kind of treasure wasn’t new to him.

Han had used plenty of similar treasures before—those that purified, strengthened, and enhanced the soul...

The Great Thousand Immortal Tree had dropped similar treasures before, and given his own extraordinary soul, Han wasn’t overly impressed by its enhancement effects.

If it could raise one's soul rank, then that was certainly an added bonus.

"By the way, Lu Qingmo, would this be useful to you?"

Lu Qingmo shook her head. "No, I’ve already consumed a dose of Earth Core Soul Milk before."

"Ruoyue could benefit from it, though. While martial artists don’t cultivate their souls, strengthening the soul would still help in martial arts cultivation."

As she spoke, the milky liquid in her hand flew directly into Bai Ruoyue’s mouth.

Han sighed inwardly. Senior Sister should have waited for her own share.

"Is one drop enough? Should I get more?"

"Ruoyue isn't a cultivator, so she can only take up to three drops. More would be useless."

"Then let’s give Senior Sister some more."

Han wasn’t shy, casually offering up three drops of the Earth Core Soul Milk—what’s a few more drops?

After taking the three drops, Bai Ruoyue licked her lips to make sure there wasn't any milky residue left.

"It’s a bit salty, with a faint fishy taste. It doesn’t taste as fragrant as it smells," Bai Ruoyue commented.

Lu Qingmo then poured the remaining Earth Core Soul Milk into a jade vial and handed it to Han.

"This batch has quite a bit. After you consume it, there should be some left."

"Martial artists should consume it through the soul, not the body."

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"Little Junior, you're really lucky," Bai Ruoyue said enviously. "How come I never run into things like this?"

"What's yours is naturally Senior Sister’s."

Han chuckled. "Why are you making such a distinction, Senior Sister?"

Bai Ruoyue smiled but immediately turned her head with a fierce glare at Han.

"Lu Qingmo, have there been any updates from the County Ghost God Bureau regarding the Black Mountain God?"

"The County Ghost God Bureau can’t handle this. It’s been reported to the Provincial Ghost God Bureau, and the Xuandu Temple is already aware," Lu Qingmo replied calmly.

"As for how they’ll deal with it, we’ll have to wait and see. The Black Mountain God is no ordinary deity."

"Do we have any tasks related to it?"

"The County Ghost God Bureau is preparing to inspect the counties to prevent another incident like Qinghua, but this doesn’t concern us."

Lu Qingmo’s expression remained indifferent. "Stabilizing Black Cloud Town is our primary responsibility."

"After the next earthquake, martial artists and cultivators from outside Black Cloud Town will likely flock to Black Mountain."

"The days when foreign cultivators wouldn’t dare step a foot into the Thunder Pool are over..."

Lu Qingmo didn’t continue, but both Han and Bai Ruoyue understood what she meant.

Not long after returning to the martial arts hall, Meng Hao appeared before Han again.

"Your information really is impressive."

"All thanks to Uncle Mu," Meng Hao smiled.

Han understood; Uncle Mu was a powerful cultivator who dared venture deep into Black Mountain during the day due to his presence.

Lu Qingmo also acknowledged Uncle Mu’s strength, calling him a true master—one capable of traversing the entire world.

Since Meng Hao stayed in Black Cloud Town because of Han, he had been visiting the Taibai Martial Arts Hall every day, chatting with Han.

Meng Hao was a personable man, wise in the ways of the world, and over the course of just a few days, Han and this non-cultivator from a noble family had become quite close.

Sometimes, it really doesn’t take long for two people to become friends; a single moment of resonance can make all the difference, while a decade of shallow interaction can feel like nothing.

Most importantly, Han could feel Meng Hao’s sincerity.

Sincerity was a lethal weapon—treat others with sincerity, and it would always be returned in kind.

"I won’t disturb your training, Qingge. Let’s talk after you’re done."

"Alright."

"Success is earned through diligence, while idleness leads to ruin."

Despite Han’s extraordinary talent and the advantage of his cheat code, he has always been diligent, never slacking off.

After finishing his martial arts practice for the day, Han set off once again toward the Yunjiang River.

This place, which was essentially his personal treasure trove, needed to be thoroughly explored.

Though the wild beasts in Yunjiang weren’t particularly powerful, it didn’t mean there weren’t exceptional spiritual plants hidden within.

This time, Meng Hao decided to accompany Han.

"Do you have the ability to control water?" Meng Hao asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes," Han confirmed.

At first, he had no way of explaining where the fragment of the Water Avoidance Pearl came from, so he attributed it to his natural talent—after all, the equipment was untraceable.

Now, there was no turning back.

"You wouldn’t happen to be the reincarnation of some Dragon King, would you?" Meng Hao joked.

Water manipulation often made people think of dragons.

"Have you ever heard of a Dragon King who was almost killed by a mere ghost?" Han shook his head.

"That’s truly remarkable," Meng Hao said with admiration. "Even with a mortal body and a soul wounded by ghosts, you still grow stronger at an astonishing rate, your foundation so solid that you can fight beyond your level. And on top of that, you've awakened various talents."

"Brother Qing, the whole world will be your stage in the future—royalty and wealth, all at your fingertips."

The more he learned, the more impressed Meng Hao became.

He had seen many geniuses before, but never one who was so talented without any resources to nurture them. This was unheard of.

The ordinary spiritual plants they had brought back from Black Mountain didn’t even count as resources in Meng Hao’s eyes.

He was envious of Han, for while Han had incredible cultivation talents, Meng Hao had the power and position that Han could only dream of in the short term.

But if he could, Meng Hao would trade all of that for Han’s talent.

No, he’d even settle for less talent than Han’s.

"Forget about royalty and wealth."

Han shook his head and, with a splash, jumped into the water, beginning his reign as the underwater bully.

Meng Hao’s safety didn’t worry Han at all. In fact, Han felt even safer with Meng Hao around...

In the water, Han floated beside the severed body of a strange fish, holding a blood-red bead in his hand.

Another Blood Calamity Pearl.

Han’s expression turned serious as he surfaced, carrying the fish’s body with him.

Meng Hao noticed something was off and asked, "What’s going on?"

"Something’s strange," Han replied without hesitation, immediately activating the token given to him by the Crab Soldier and Crab General, tossing it into Yunjiang and waiting patiently.

The Crab Soldier and Crab General had told him that after activating the token, he should wait a moment for them to appear.

Han didn’t fully understand, but he figured it was likely a method from the Dragon Palace.

After a short time, the water began to churn, and the two figures of the Crab Soldier and Crab General emerged.

"Human boy, why have you summoned us?"

The shrimp soldier spoke, glancing at Meng Hao before dismissing him as just an ordinary mortal.

"I found two Blood Calamity Pearls at the bottom of Yunjiang…" Han explained, recounting his encounter.

The Crab Soldier and Crab General exchanged a glance, and one of the beads flew into their claws.

"Hmph, so bold to cause trouble in Yunjiang," the Crab General snorted.

"Human boy, you’ve done well."

The shrimp soldier tossed the token back to Han. "If you come across something like this again, inform us immediately."

"As a reward, we will tell you about three places where spiritual plants grow. For someone at your level…"

"Huh? How have you reached the Meridian Realm?"

The shrimp soldier was taken aback, and the tone of its voice changed. The last time they met, Han was just a mere Flesh Realm cultivator. How much time had passed?

The Crab General, too, was shocked and curious.

They hadn’t been asleep, so how had Han made such progress so quickly?

"It’s just luck," Han replied humbly.

Though Lu Qingmo had advised against using this phrase, it didn’t matter since she wasn’t around at the moment.

Before the shrimp soldier or crab general could say more, Meng Hao spoke up.

"Are you two the soldiers of Yunjiang’s Dragon Palace?"

"Who are you, kid?"

Meng Hao smiled. "A few years ago, the Dragon King of Yunjiang held a Dragon King’s Feast, and my father and I attended the event at Yunjiang’s Dragon Palace."

The shrimp soldier and crab general froze. When they spoke again, their tone had shifted, becoming far more respectful.

"May I ask, who is your father?"

"My father is Lord Zixiao Tianjun."

With a splash, the shrimp soldier and crab general immediately sank back into the water, creating waves. When they resurfaced, they hurriedly bowed and saluted.

"We meet Lord Meng’s son. We failed to recognize you earlier, please forgive us."

"During the Dragon King’s Feast, we were not in the Dragon Palace and couldn’t see your father."

"It’s no problem," Meng Hao waved his hand, then introduced Han.

"This is my good friend, Han, whom I met in Heiyun Town. I consider him a brother."

Han’s heart stirred. So, Meng Hao was publicly supporting him.

"Young Master Zhou."

The shrimp soldier and crab general immediately bowed to Han.

"..."

Where had their pride gone? Where was their Dragon King’s honor?

Monsters could be so changeable too.