Star Trace Gate

Although this illusory village is full of metaphors and allusions, the stories that happened here, and most of the people here, are real and vivid.

Little Bad King couldn't use the secret techniques of the bodyguards to kill Zhao Mi and then extradite this number one person of the Illusionary Village to Qingliang Prefecture, because the other party might still be alive. Furthermore, it's impossible for two people with identical lineages to exist in this world.

This is against the laws of nature and is impossible. Therefore, Ren could only cautiously probe based on his own speculation and successfully triggered the last hidden task in this Heavenly Grace-level secret realm. As the new young master, he brought the three major cases and the conflict between the four clans to a complete end.

Previously, Heaven had announced that Ren had already triggered and completed most of the tasks...

This means that there are still a small portion of the tasks within this secret realm that Ren has not yet fully experienced or triggered. That's why he entered the Heavenly Prison today, first meeting Zhao Hao Chen and the more than twenty elders of the Zhao family, and then drinking and conversing with Zhao Mi.

As it turned out, Zhao Haochen and the twenty-odd elders' final choice was basically as he had expected: they collectively chose to commit suicide, reveal the truth, clear Zhao Mi's name, and leave behind an excellent and responsible clan leader for the Zhao clan.

Although Zhao Mi no longer needed to sacrifice himself for the law, his plans for his family and son this time had completely failed...

Zhao Haochen didn't die at anyone's hands, but rather in the matter of upholding the illusory authority of the law. He was well aware of this, and he didn't hate anyone; he only felt a sense of melancholy and loss.

In this state of mind, Zhao Mi announced that he would not participate in this journey away from home and resigned from his position as head of the clan hall. He planned to spend at least a hundred years in seclusion, cultivating the meaning of the Great Dao anew, and finding solace in the enlightenment of the heavens.

As Ren Ye walked out of the prison, a ray of warm sunlight enveloped his face.

Amidst sighs and reflections, he heard the pronouncement of Heaven.

Congratulations! You have successfully triggered and completed the only hidden quest in the Illusory Village Secret Realm—"The Final Truth".

[Through numerous past events, you witnessed fairness under extreme rules, saw through Zhao Mi's true character, and personally witnessed the suicides of Zhao Haochen and others. Through your courage, wisdom, and cunning... you fully witnessed everything that happened in the Village of Illusion.]

[Congratulations! You have successfully obtained the hidden reward from the Illusory Village Secret Realm—the Incense Token.]

[Incense Offering Token: This token looks ordinary and currently seems useless. Friendly reminder: This token can only be used in Tian Du City.]

"Damn it, I'm going to beat up all the riddle solvers in the world."

Ren was also surprised and looked down at the heavy black token in his hand. He immediately lost his temper and cursed a few times.

If it's a reward, then what exactly is its purpose? Just say it outright! What's the point of saying it's nothing special?

He was so angry that he trembled, his eyes wide open. He examined the "incense token" more closely and found that both the front and back of the token contained a faint light like gold dust. The scattered points of light formed a dazzling and eye-catching display.

He cursed venomously on the surface, but he knew very well in his heart that the only hidden job reward in this Heavenly Grace-level secret realm must be of extremely high rank and great significance.

This incense offering token currently seems unremarkable; perhaps it's just that the time hasn't come yet, and the major turning point in Tian Du City hasn't arrived.

After a brief attempt, he stored the incense token in his consciousness space, and then walked towards the Li family with his hands behind his back.

……

The little aunt is now forever asleep in the God's Tomb. The little house looks very cold and desolate, and there are no more hot meals. So the little rascal doesn't want to go back, so he simply stays at the Li family's house.

The clan hall advised the new master to choose a mentor so that he could consult and receive guidance when he encountered difficulties in his enlightenment. Ren Ye did not hesitate at all and directly took Li Erbo as his mentor, and even went through a very grand apprenticeship ceremony.

This situation, seemingly offering a choice, actually left no choice at all. Regardless of the relationship between Fatty and the Blind Man, the fact that the Li family protected him with the entire clan during the four-clan conflict already destined the Blind Man to become half a son of the Li family. Everything unfolded naturally; there's nothing more to say.

After Ren also became Li Erbo's apprentice, he did not forget the kindness of Qian Lao and Qin Yanting, and under Li Erbo's suggestion, he also recognized them as his new masters. He would occasionally go to the academy and the Qian family to learn some supernatural arts.

After becoming an apprentice, Ren Ye and Li Xiaopang, this spoiled brat, spent their days eating and drinking and idling around.

And so, four days passed.

That evening, Li Xiaopang led a simple-minded, seemingly dim-witted young man back home, where they met his second uncle in the attic.

Uncle Li sat upright behind his desk, consuming more than a dozen kinds of health-preserving pills while glancing sideways at the unfamiliar young man. He frowned and asked, "Who is this?"

"Reporting to Second Uncle, this man is named Da Erbi, and he is a brother I recently took in. He is exceptionally intelligent, physically strong, and proficient in array formations and illusions. I plan to travel with him after the road to my hometown opens." Li Xiaopang bowed slightly and replied calmly and skillfully.

"Da 2bi?!"

Hearing this outstanding name, and glancing at the unfamiliar young man who was practically drooling, Uncle Li couldn't help but ask, "Just looking at his face... I felt that this kind of talent is really hard to find. Where did you meet him?"

"Hehe...!" The young man who called himself Da Erbi looked at his second uncle and showed a very kind smile. His teeth were very bright and saliva was dripping from the corner of his mouth.

“He had no home and lived in a dilapidated temple in the south of the city. When I went to the mountains to meditate in the early morning, I saw him at a glance and felt a strong connection with him, so we agreed to travel together on the road away from home,” Li Xiaopang replied with a smile.

"Has he qualified to enter the road to leave his hometown?" After a brief pause, Uncle Li picked up a pill and gently put it in his mouth.

“No. He…he missed the competition earlier and doesn’t qualify for the Journey to Leaving Home yet.” Li Xiaopang blinked, immediately bent down and knelt, and shouted loudly, “Second Uncle, please grant us the favor of our brotherhood and give up one spot on the Journey to Leaving Home among the family members. This way, we won’t break the rules and I can walk the Journey to Leaving Home with him.”

Normally, if Uncle Li heard his nephew's request, he would definitely slap him hard across the face and smash the ancestral tablets to pieces.

As everyone knows, these spots on the road to leaving one's hometown are hard-won, requiring a life-or-death struggle. Therefore, each spot is extremely precious to every person of low status. Even family members, unless faced with a major emergency, would not use trickery or force to seize a spot based on personal relationships.

However, after hearing Little Fatty's shameless request, Uncle Li was neither angry nor did he immediately refuse. He simply gave that Da Erbi a deep look.

The two looked at each other, and Da Erbi was still drooling.

"Second Uncle, please, give him a chance, and I'll repay you with a miracle someday." Li Xiaopang looked at his second uncle with pleading eyes.

Uncle Li hesitated for a while, then waved his hand impatiently and said, "Take your Da Erbi and get as far away as you can. I don't want to see you again before the road to leaving home opens."

"Then this spot...?!" Li Xiaopang swallowed hard and asked, forcing himself to speak.

“Go to the third branch of the family and ask them to give you a spot. But you can’t insist on it; you have to offer something good enough in exchange.” Uncle Li said softly, “I will explain the matter of changing the roster at the clan hall for you.”

"Thank you, Second Uncle!" Li Xiaopang replied excitedly, and then tugged at Da Erbi's clothes.

"Slurp...!"

Da Erbi swallowed hard and quickly bowed to Li Taishan, saying, "Thank you, Second Uncle...!"

"Thank the people you should thank," Uncle Li said calmly. "Also, don't call me Uncle Er... it sounds weird."

Fifteen minutes later, Li Xiaopang led Da Erbi to Ren Ye and solemnly said, "Let me introduce you to my new brother, Da Erbi. He will be traveling with me on this journey away from home, and my second uncle has already helped him secure a place."

Ren was slightly taken aback, looked the wise young man up and down, and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Where did you bring him back from?"

"No, to be precise, it wasn't brought back, it was a bird that pooped on my head again," Li Xiaopang grinned, responding happily.

Ren Ye smiled upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "Communicate with shit?! Your thought processes are quite similar to those of one of my close friends."

……

Uncle Li didn't delve into who Da Erbi was or what his background was. Because stray dogs like this were plentiful in Xuwang Village, and several would even die every few days…

All he knew was that his eldest nephew had said, "I am brothers with this man, and I want to take him away." So he decided to give his nephew some warmth and also to give the new young master some face.

This is what sets Li Taishan apart from others. He also believes in fairness and is more willing to abide by the rules, but he is not rigid or pedantic, and is very flexible in his actions.

Da Erbi also temporarily stayed at the Li family's house, but he never left the house. Not only did he not flaunt himself in front of outsiders, he also rarely came into contact with the Li family members. He only spent his days with Ren Ye and Xiao Pang, waiting anxiously for the road to leave his hometown to begin.

Happy days are always short-lived, and another half month or so passed.

On the fifteenth of this day, the full moon hung high in the sky.

Above the village of illusion, a beam of celestial light suddenly surged across the sky, looking extremely dazzling, like a giant dragon swimming.

It's here! The long-awaited journey away from home is finally about to begin.

Late at night, the twelve elders of the clan hall, as well as the clan elders and heads of the Qian, Li, and Zhao families, all stood with their hands behind their backs, gazing at the strange sky, their hearts surging with emotion.

Since its appearance, that celestial light has shown no signs of waning; on the contrary, it has become increasingly brilliant and dazzling.

Immediately afterwards, the clan hall announced to the entire village that the road to their hometown would open soon, and all those with a quota for the road should begin preparations that night. They should bid farewell to their loved ones and friends, and together they would head to Wangxiang Tower at dawn the next day.

Little Bad King was also notified, and then he packed his bags with Little Fatty, Da Erbi, and the Li family's children.

While they were busy, Uncle Li quietly went to the Zhao family and said to Zhao Mi, who was preparing to go into seclusion, "This time... I'm going too."

Zhao Mi slowly opened his eyes and replied softly, "If you don't go, perhaps you'll still have a chance to break through the shackles...!"

“My Dao is afflicted with a hidden ailment that is difficult to cure. Rather than staying here to wait for death, I might as well break out of this Heavenly Prison and fight for it.” Uncle Li pondered for a long time: “This journey away from home leads to the prosperous age of today… Many old monsters from the surrounding villages are also about to set off, preparing to meet outside the road and launch the tide.”

"Okay." Zhao Mi nodded slightly. "Then you can go."

"Are you really willing to stay here in seclusion for a hundred years?" Uncle Li asked with some doubt.

Zhao Mi sighed deeply: "Since this is a golden age, it cannot possibly end within a hundred years. Let's think about it some more, and wait and see...!"

“Alright. Old Qian won’t leave, and neither will Qin Yanting…!” Uncle Li only said half a sentence before falling silent again.