Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Several days later, the expeditionary force returned to Wanshuzhenyan Fortress.

When the Purple Dragon Pattern Chariot reappeared in the sky, the cultivators on the city wall erupted in cheers.

Two purple chariots drove into the fortress one after the other, leaving long trails of purple light in the twilight.

Some were shouting "Holy Son," some were discussing the results of this expedition, and others wanted to see another unfamiliar Holy Son.

For the next period of time, Lin Zhao sometimes went out with Tian Hao, and sometimes observed the situation in Nanzhou on his own.

When traveling with Tianhao, it's no longer the kind of expeditions we used to take. Most of the activities are symbolic, as the Tianlu Divine Sect hasn't reached the point where it needs a Holy Son to lead the charge every day.

Lin Zhao followed beside him and also witnessed the daily life of a holy son of a dominant sect—leading by example, going deep into the grassroots to comfort cultivators, and inspecting the defenses of various war fortresses.

Sometimes, Tianhao even has to humble himself to mediate conflicts between different factions within the Tianlu Divine Sect.

The Nascent Soul True Monarch holds a very high position; if the two sides clash, things will escalate significantly.

The Holy Son's intervention was just right; he had the status to maintain order without being so arrogant as to embarrass either side.

Tianhao himself privately complained that although he went to the Endless Demon Sea to investigate the Misty Heaven Alliance and was beaten badly by the Hou, those ten years were actually a vacation.

Without sect affairs to attend to, and without having to consider the opinions of various factions, they can do whatever they want.

This is the Holy Son's normal life now—so busy he's constantly on the go, his eyes are always filled with various communication jade slips when he opens them, and when he closes them he's still thinking about what mess he needs to deal with tomorrow.

In comparison, Lin Zhao, as a secret disciple, doesn't have much real power in the sect, but he's worry-free. External affairs are basically none of his business, so he can just focus on cultivation.

There was a hint of genuine envy in Tianhao's tone when he said these things.

Of course, Lin Zhao knew that if he were asked to change, he definitely wouldn't.

The competition within the Heavenly Law Divine Sect is fierce; countless people are eyeing the position of Holy Son. Losing that status would be a tremendous loss for him.

It's not just about resources, but also about status. A former Holy Son's situation within the Heavenly Law Divine Sect is no better than that of a stray dog.

Lin Zhao also followed Tian Hao to several war fortresses, each of which, like Wan Shu Zhen Yan, was a mobile fortress comparable to the combat power of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Tianhao told him that there were more than 500 Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the Tianlu Divine Sect, of whom more than 200 were stationed in the Southern Continent, with about 30 stationed in each fortress.

This number left Lin Zhao speechless: five hundred Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

The Yunhai Cangming Sect added nine Nascent Soul cultivators in ten years, bringing its total to just over seventy, while the Tianlu Divine Sect had a full five hundred.

Is this the difference between the first and second hegemon?

The highest-ranking members of the Heavenly Law Divine Sect are the five Great Seal Masters, three of whom are Nascent Soul Heavenly Lords, and the remaining two are still in the Nascent Soul stage, but only one step away from becoming Nascent Souls.

The seal holder was originally designed to be only a Nascent Soul cultivator, but the Heavenly Law Divine Sect was not at its peak and could not gather five Nascent Soul cultivators at the same time, or was unwilling to do so.

The position of the seal holder cannot be vacant, which is why the Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation realms are on equal footing.

Tianhao's master is one of the two Nascent Soul cultivators who are currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Divine Transformation stage.

Lin Zhao would sometimes go out alone, specifically choosing those remote small tribes, not doing anything, just standing at a distance and looking around.

That day, he came to the vicinity of a small tribe called Taihua. The tribe was backed by a low hill, with hundreds of thatched huts scattered on the hillside, and animal hides and unknown herbs drying outside the huts.

The tribe was surrounded by a wide fence made of thick wooden stakes. Several men were repairing the gaps in the fence, while children were chasing and playing around it.

Several women sat by the fence processing animal meat, singing simple songs as they worked.

The Taihua tribe has already developed some rudimentary forms of civilization and is more vibrant than those tribes ruled by monsters.

Lin Zhao stood on a large tree outside the tribe. The tree's dense canopy completely obscured his figure.

Several ordinary people passed by the tree where he was hiding, talking excitedly about something.

Because the Taihua tribe was too weak, the influence of the Myriad Beasts Spirit Lord's Palace was not significant.

But there are countless monsters in the wild, and these people can only rely on each other to survive.

The Taihua tribe has simple architectural plans, collective property, basic etiquette, and ways to mediate disputes.

These things might not seem like much on other continents, but on the Southern Continent, they were the sparks of civilization.

Unfortunately, in order to control the Southern Continent, the Palace of Ten Thousand Beasts regularly destroys all the achievements of mortal civilization.

In order to survive, mortals can only actively or passively pursue power and make offerings to monsters.

The more spiritual energy they come into contact with in the future, the longer they live, the stronger they become, and the deeper their connection with demonic beasts will be. Given this environment, they have no choice.

The flame of civilization of the Taihua tribe will eventually be replaced by the faith in demonic beasts.

Lin Zhao did not intervene, so it was not very meaningful.

As long as the Palace of Ten Thousand Beasts Spirit Lord exists, the mortals of the Southern Continent are destined to walk this path.

As evening approached, he turned to leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a little boy looking up at him with a puzzled expression.

The child was about five or six years old, wearing a small jacket made of animal skin, and his face still had baby fat.

His eyes were bright, a very clear and bright kind of eyes.

Although Lin Zhao did not try his best to conceal his presence, ordinary cultivators could not see him, let alone a child without cultivation.

The fact that this child can see him can only mean that he has a special talent.

Lin Zhao fell down from the tree.

The child wasn't afraid; he simply looked him up and down for a moment before speaking, his voice childish but clear: "Are you the Holy Clan the clan leader spoke of?"

Lin Zhao knew that the cultivators under the Ten Thousand Beasts Spirit Venerable Palace would regularly go to various tribes to find children with spiritual roots.

Although the Taihua tribe is remote, it is impossible for them to escape this kind of search.

This child has probably been diagnosed with spiritual roots, which is why he knows the term "Holy Race".

He might also be taken away in the future and trained by the Myriad Beasts Spirit Venerable Palace to become a cultivator—or rather, trained to become a servant and tool of the Holy Race.

"no."

Lin Zhao said, "I come from the outside world."

"outside world?"

The child tilted his head, his eyes full of curiosity, and asked, "What's the outside world like?"

Lin Zhao thought for a moment and then told him about the outside world in the simplest language.

The child listened attentively, occasionally interjecting with a question or two.

Finally, he said, "When I grow up, I also want to go out and see the world."

Lin Zhao raised her hand and touched the child's head, saying, "Then you need to grow up safely."

He bent down and picked up a shard of pottery from the ground.