Early the next morning.

Liu Zixuan leaned against the edge of the manor balcony, gazing at the beautiful scenery of Lingxiu Village. For a moment, he felt as though he was merging with heaven and earth, bringing him immense comfort.

Liu Ruyan gently walked over, removed the cigarette butt from his mouth, and draped a coat over him. "It’s so cold, why are you daydreaming here?"

"Just admiring the scenery." Liu Zixuan suddenly pointed ahead and asked, "What is that lush green patch in front of the medicine field?"

"It’s the philodendron planted by Mr. Wang," Liu Ruyan replied.

"I haven’t visited the old man since coming back, which is quite impolite. You all go back to the clinic first; I’ll go chat with Mr. Wang." Liu Zixuan put on his coat and walked outside.

Mr. Wang was, of course, Wang Kun’s father. After Liu Zixuan helped cure Wang Kun’s illness, he stayed here to enjoy his retirement. It was during the renovation period of Lingxiu Village, and Mr. Wang had helped a lot, contributing significantly to the village’s current transformation.

As he stepped into the courtyard, Mr. Wang happened to be sitting in a wicker chair at the door, sipping tea.

"Sir, how have you been lately?"

Mr. Wang opened his eyes and stood up with a smile, "Thanks to you, young friend, I’ve been living quite carefree. On the other hand, you’ve changed quite a bit in these few months."

Liu Zixuan raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, detecting that Mr. Wang was referring to his aura, his realm.

But to Liu Zixuan, Mr. Wang seemed to be an ordinary person and shouldn’t have been able to discern such things.

He then chuckled meaningfully, "Seems I didn’t know you well enough before!"

Mr. Wang led Liu Zixuan into the house, and the two sat together by the stove, taking some sliced buns from a woven basket to place beside the stove. Then, he poured Liu Zixuan a glass of milk.

"Looks like you haven’t had breakfast; take this to fill your stomach."

Liu Zixuan nodded, not rushing to ask questions, and placed his hands near the stove to warm up.

Mr. Wang said slowly, "In the past half a year at Lingxiu Village, it must be the most peaceful time of my life—I never enjoyed such a simple life before."

"Is what you’re saying implying you want to leave?" Liu Zixuan asked with a frown.

"Yes, you can hide for a while but not forever."

Unexpectedly, Mr. Wang said something that puzzled Liu Zixuan.

"Hide?"

"The martial arts tournament is approaching, and turmoil in the Martial Realm is rising again. How many of us from Jianghu can truly avoid this major event?"

Mr. Wang spread his hands: "Now that things have reached this point, there’s something I won’t hide from you. Actually, besides being Wang Kun’s father, I have another identity."

Liu Zixuan’s eyebrows immediately furrowed into a ’川’ shape, but he soon relaxed.

Back then, when Mr. Wang arrived in Yuqing City and then came to the small Lingxiu Village, his words and behaviors were not those of an ordinary person. Liu Zixuan vividly remembered that Wang Kun once gave him a Dragon Spirit identity, although Liu Zixuan returned it later.

Dragon Spirit is a unique organization in Star Sea, half under official management and half under private management, and this private management refers to Jiang Yiyi’s family.

Jiang Yiyi once said that Wang Kun is a member of Dragon Spirit, but with a low status.

In that case, doesn’t that mean Mr. Wang is...?

Realizing this, Liu Zixuan suddenly looked up: "Are you also part of Dragon Spirit?"

Mr. Wang nodded: "You’re right, but I think you might have only heard of Dragon Spirit and never truly interacted with it."

Liu Zixuan touched his chin and murmured, "Indeed, I’ve never interacted with the real Dragon Spirit. However, back in Witch Country, I did have dealings with a middle-aged man from Dragon Spirit who had close ties to the Jiang Family."

"Yes, he was groomed by Jiang Yifan and naturally has a good relationship with the Jiang Family."

"If Mr. Wang doesn’t mind, I’m quite eager to learn more about Dragon Spirit." Liu Zixuan’s curiosity surged.

In the past, he’d only heard bits and pieces about Dragon Spirit, and in Liu Zixuan’s mind, it sometimes seemed like an organization, and other times like a family—mysterious and unfathomable. He truly couldn’t ascertain what it was.

What’s more, Liu Zixuan wanted to understand how Dragon Spirit compares in status to the Four Great Clans and Eight Great Powers.

In this way, he could also deduce the Jiang Family’s status in Star Sea, couldn’t he?

Mr. Wang waved his hand: "Even if you hadn’t come to find me today, I’d have found time to talk to you about these matters. We’ve interacted for quite a while, and I understand your nature. With the martial arts tournament approaching, coupled with the unfolding turmoil in the Martial Realm, as the central figure of this coming storm, it’s necessary for you to know everything about our Star Sea Martial Realm."

Liu Zixuan sat up straight, ready to listen attentively.

"In the past, Star Sea Martial Artists were divided into two factions: one was the lofty families and sects, and the other comprised sects, powers, small families, and scattered martial artists. People have their hierarchies, and naturally, so does the Martial Realm."

"Recently, due to the news of unification within the Martial Realm, these two original factions have undergone significant changes. They are largely split into those in favor of unification and those against it. Those in favor are mostly led by sects, families, and the Eight Great Powers. Those against include small sects, families, powers, and scattered martial artists."

Liu Zixuan nodded: "I’m aware of this. To put it plainly, those willing to unify are the strong entities at Star Sea’s summit!"

"This is right, but it’s also wrong," Mr. Wang said, shaking his head mysteriously.

"What do you mean?" Liu Zixuan asked, puzzled.

"Firstly, the Eight Great Powers, the Four Great Clans, and some sects involved are not the top entities in Star Sea. Secondly, even the major families and powers are not the strongest entities now. On the contrary, they are somewhat weak."

Mr. Wang paused at this point and chuckled meaningfully: "Lastly, there’s an even bigger conspiracy behind this attempt to unify the Martial Realm!"

"Conspiracy?" Liu Zixuan frowned. He had some doubts before, as the unification of the Martial Realm was proposed after the Willow Association Patriarch appeared, a narrative that hadn’t existed before.

Such a sudden unification claim forces one to ponder deeply.

Mr. Wang squinted and nodded: "I won’t elaborate on this conspiracy for now; let me first explain the powers in Star Sea and the Dragon Spirit behind me!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zixuan didn’t rush. He grabbed a bun slice by the stove to munch on, knowing that today he would learn significant secrets about the Star Sea Martial Realm.

This was the perfect opportunity for Liu Zixuan to genuinely understand the Martial Realm, and he needed to process it slowly.

Otherwise, when the martial arts tournament begins, or if the Martial Realm descends into chaos, he might end up recklessly bumping into things like a fool—by then, it would be an enormous joke.