The man in green robes had a short beard and held a folding fan, smiling calmly beside the others.
Behind the man in white robes followed a squad of soldiers. These soldiers were all dressed in armor as white and smooth as jade. They marched in unison, each holding a white spear and looking full of spirit.
“Those are the Bone Guards from the City Lord’s mansion,” someone nearby said with awe.
“I heard they were handpicked by the City Lord himself. Each one is extremely gifted.”
“Father,” Bai Yaoyao quickly walked forward and greeted the white-robed man.
Then she turned to the man in green robes and greeted, “Uncle Jiang.”
The man in white was the current City Lord of White Bone City, Bai Yankang.
“Elder Blue River, why are you so upset?” Bai Yankang asked with a smile.
“City Lord Bai, shouldn’t you ask your daughter about that?” Elder Blue River replied.
“Our Mountain River Sect respects the White Bone elder, but respect should go both ways.”
Although Mountain River Sect didn’t compare to the top imperial lineages, it had a solid reputation within the White Bone City region and often interacted with the city.
“Yaoyao?” Bai Yankang turned to ask.
“Father, it’s hard to explain everything right now, but this young master saved my life,” Bai Yaoyao said quickly.
Bai Yankang thought for a moment, then looked at Elder Blue River and said, “Let’s end this matter here, Elder Blue River. Consider it a favor to White Bone City. Besides, none of your disciples were harmed. Any damage, I’ll personally compensate.”
Hearing this, Elder Blue River’s expression eased slightly.
“Hey now, doesn’t anyone want to hear what I think?” Xu Zimo asked, shaking his head.
“Don’t push your luck, kid,” Elder Blue River snorted.
“But I want him dead today,” Xu Zimo said plainly.
“Young man, I’ll take care of Mountain River Sect’s side for saving my daughter’s life,” Bai Yankang replied. “But I hope you’ll act with restraint. Our sect isn’t as simple as you think.”
“Father, you don’t understand. Just do as Young Master Xu says,” Bai Yaoyao interrupted, clearly anxious.
She knew who the elder with Xu Zimo really was, someone powerful enough to crush a God Meridian cultivator with one hand.
“Yaoyao, step back,” Bai Yankang said sternly. “We’ve worked with the Mountain River Sect for hundreds of years. We can’t sour that relationship over something small.”
Just then, the crowd parted again. Three people stepped forward.
On the left was the elderly man in a scholar’s robe whom Xu Zimo had saved earlier from the Heavenly Dao Academy.
On the right stood a middle-aged scholar holding a horsetail whisk, with messy hair tied back.
In the middle was an older woman in a light purple robe. Her eyebrows were thick, and her face was thin, but she had a strong presence despite her age.
“Senior Yunshan, what brings you here?” Bai Yankang quickly stepped forward to greet them. “Greetings to all three seniors from the Heavenly Dao Academy.”
The elderly man in scholar’s robes was Wu Yunshan.
He nodded, then turned to Xu Zimo and the God Emperor and gave a respectful bow.
“I came today to thank you both.”
“Words aren’t enough for that,” Xu Zimo said with a grin.
“If it’s within my power, you can ask me for anything,” Wu Yunshan replied sincerely.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Elder Blue River let out a loud shout.
He kicked Wang He and the Song youth to the ground and scolded them loudly.
“Our Mountain River Sect is an honorable one! I’ve lived with a clear conscience and righteousness all my life. How could we end up with disciples like you two? Young Master Xu is a rare and outstanding genius. How could you offend him? If he doesn’t forgive you today, I’ll expel myself from the sect!”
Bai Yankang’s eye twitched at the speech.
He’d thought this elder from Mountain River Sect would have some backbone. But now it looked like he had no shame at all.
Wang He and the Song youth panicked and quickly dropped to their knees in front of Xu Zimo, begging for mercy.
“Please forgive us, Young Master!”
Xu Zimo smiled without answering, while Bai Yankang waved his hand.
The armored guards behind him stepped forward and dragged the two men away, ignoring their resistance.
“Young Master Xu, I failed to see clearly earlier. I hope this doesn’t affect things between you and Yaoyao,” Bai Yankang explained.
Xu Zimo simply shook his head. He didn’t really have any relationship with her, it was just a passing connection.
The older woman and middle-aged man who had come with Wu Yunshan were quietly observing Xu Zimo.
Bai Yankang then invited Xu Zimo to the City Lord’s mansion, but Xu Zimo politely declined.
He and the God Emperor returned to the inn to stay the night, planning to head for Bluesky City the next day.
That night, the sky had already turned dark.
But White Bone City remained brightly lit, thanks to the glowing white stones that gave off a soft light.
The city didn’t sleep, in fact, it was even busier than during the day.
Amid the noise of the night, Xu Zimo quietly sat in his room, focusing on the God World inside him.
Because time flowed faster in the God World, that world had now entered the Primal Beast Era and was starting to slow in its development.
Humans had learned how to farm and hunt. They could recognize herbs, use weather patterns, and raise animals for food.
They were becoming the dominant species at the top of the pyramid.
Beasts still lived through pure instinct and slaughter. Meanwhile, humans began creating primitive symbols that would evolve into writing.
They had basic forms of communication.
In the sealed Myriad Beast Realm, Chaos forbade any creature from leaving to avoid disrupting the outside world’s development.
But when the Dragon Gods in that race advanced, they caused massive disturbances.
They soared through the clouds with thunder and lightning roaring around them. These events sometimes pierced the seals and were witnessed by other creatures.
This led to the spread of mythologies among the primitive species.
They told stories based on what they’d seen or imagined, giving rise to myths and legends.
Overall, the world was developing peacefully. Xu Zimo’s next goal was to guide this ordinary world toward an era of dao cultivation.
Of course, all this had to wait until the current era stabilized.
You couldn’t rush progress. Trying to force it would only cause failure.