In matters both big and small within the sect, Liu Yunan often sent Bai Shu to assist, allowing him to gain experience and better understand these affairs.
It wasn't that they were overworking Bai Shu. After all, Lin Xiao had personally said that Bai Shu, who had passed the Heart-testing Path the fastest, was no ordinary disciple.
Moreover, through his interactions, Liu Yunan himself grew fond of Bai Shu. Whenever Bai Shu was given a task, he would complete it diligently. If any mistakes occurred, Bai Shu would immediately work to fix them without offering excuses. And when praised, he never showed arrogance or pride. He trained hard, was diligent, and was kind and gentle with others. Truly, Bai Shu seemed perfect in every aspect.
However, there was one small issue—he had very little presence. Like the saying goes, "like gentle rain falling silently." Bai Shu was serious in his work, but he wasn't someone who could easily take the lead or command others.
Yet, Liu Yunan remembered Lin Xiao's words: everyone has their own place and skills. Not everyone needs to excel in the same areas. So Liu Yunan didn't push too hard. He felt that Bai Shu still had a bright future ahead.
Thus, Bai Shu was seen in many of the sect's activities.
Within Shuishui City:
The streets were bustling with people, carts flowing endlessly along the roads. Shops lined the streets, shopkeepers eagerly welcoming customers, and vendors called out their wares, bringing an energy few could believe was possible for a city that had only been built for a month.
The capture of the spies from the Cultivation Realm was incredibly welcome news for the cultivators of the Mortal Realm. After all, no one enjoyed the feeling of being constantly watched.
As for whether the Cultivation Realm would discover this and come seeking revenge—well, worrying wouldn't change anything now. Especially for the lower-level cultivators, they were not concerned at all.
After all, whatever came next, it would be up to the sect leaders and elders of the major sects to handle it. These lower-level cultivators had no influence on such matters, so they might as well enjoy the present.
Rumors of the newly established Shuishui City in Pusi Nation spread fast. Many cultivators saved up their spirit stones to visit, as it had been ages since anything this exciting happened in the Mortal Realm's cultivation circles.
Seeing an opportunity, many merchants, both mortal and cultivator alike, flocked to the city, eager to set up shop. Even more tourists and potential settlers arrived.
Some cultivators, especially those who had recently joined their sects, considered relocating their families to Shuishui City after witnessing the facilities and the measures in place to maintain order. It seemed like a safe place where they could ensure their mortal relatives' well-being while fulfilling their familial obligations.
Many cultivators also sought to set up small stalls, offering items they had accumulated over the years, either through their own sects or rare finds they stumbled upon as independent cultivators.
Naturally, there were also many mortal merchants hoping to open shops or stalls for business. Upon entering the city, they were all directed to the Trading Affairs Center for registration, leading to a surge in activity there.
The center was bustling with people, and business was thriving.
Wen Liyun held his father's hand as they walked through the crowd, wide-eyed at all the novel sights and people.
"Father, it's so lively here! It looks so fun!" Wen Liyun exclaimed to his father, Wen Laoda.
Wen Laoda gazed at his son with affection, but just as Wen Liyun raised his hand to point at a cultivator in a daoist robe, who had just been struck by a bolt of lightning, Wen Laoda quickly covered his son's mouth.
"Liyun, be good. Don't point or speak carelessly," Wen Laoda said as he lowered his son's arm and quickly led him away. "Let's go quickly and buy the ink and paper you'll need for school."
The Lingxian Academy had already begun its admissions exams recently, and just the day before, the Wen family had received their acceptance letter. All of Wen Laoda's children had been admitted. However, based on their varying levels of knowledge, they had been placed into different classes, with formal classes starting in three days.
Today, Wen Laoda and his son were out to buy school supplies. Previously, the family had only supported Wen Liyun's education, but now, with all the children attending school, they needed to purchase more supplies. As the head of the household, Wen Xiangzhi decided to give Wen Liyun's old supplies to his younger siblings and sent his eldest son and grandson into the city to buy new ones.
As the Wen family quickly left, many others in the crowd stepped back, keeping a safe distance from the unfortunate cultivator who had just been struck by lightning.
After a month of this, the residents of Shuishui City had grown accustomed to such scenes. Despite the strict rules forbidding the use of destructive techniques, some cultivators simply couldn't resist testing the city's defenses, only to find themselves promptly struck by the city's punishment array.
Of course, this was because such restrictions were unprecedented in the Mortal Realm. Cultivators, used to solving disputes with force, weren't easily deterred by a simple "forbidden" sign.
Those who lived in the city, protected by its laws, kept quiet, unwilling to provoke trouble with these more reckless cultivators.
The cultivator who had just been struck by lightning stood frozen in place.
He wasn't stunned by the lightning, but by the shock of what had just happened.
A city in the Mortal Realm had a defensive formation like this?
Wasn't this kind of array exclusive to the Cultivation Realm?
How did the Mortal Realm have the resources or the ability to construct such a powerful formation?
He had never heard of such a thing!
Before coming, they had bought information from Wanwan Tong. Weren't they supposed to have detailed knowledge of the Mortal Realm? How could they have missed something as significant as this city?
Could it be that Wanwan Tong had purposely withheld this information?
Wasn't the Mortal Realm supposed to be an impoverished, barren place?
And the spiritual energy here—how could it be so much more abundant than elsewhere?
In a place as barren as the Mortal Realm, how could such an extraordinary city exist? Why hadn't Wanwan Tong mentioned anything about it? Could it be that Wanwan Tong had ulterior motives?
Even if Wanwan Tong had concealed this information, other cultivators must have visited the Mortal Realm over the years. Surely, someone would have seen this city and reported it to the Cultivation Realm? Why was there no information?
The only explanation was that the information had been intercepted.
In that instant, countless doubts swirled in the cultivator's mind, and he even forgot to treat the injuries caused by the backlash.
He had started by wondering how the Mortal Realm could have such a city, but now, his thoughts had shifted to Wanwan Tong's suspicious actions.
Suddenly, a terrifying possibility came to mind.