I tricked you into thinking you had the makings of an emperor, but you actually did it?

As night fell, the cloud ship arrived at Baidi City.

Like a vast, boundless carpet, the buildings stretch endlessly into the distance, like countless tiny stitches.

Under the night sky, thousands of lights sway, like stars scattered across the earth, shining brightly.

The towering city walls were not joined together, but scattered haphazardly throughout the city.

Shen Mingxin became curious and activated his Eye of Truth, discovering that the eight city walls contained a certain pattern.

Like a fruit that has been opened, the city wall is the outer layer, and the various districts are the inner petals.

In times of crisis, the entire city will reunite as a whole to defend against external enemies.

The most eye-catching feature is the projection of the World Tree in the very center, which is like a miracle.

Towering into the clouds, with lush foliage, it seems to be supporting the heavens and the earth.

Each leaf shimmered with an extraordinary luster, like a piece of jade or a dazzling star.

As the light swirled, it seemed as if ancient runes were dancing within it, radiating a mysterious and powerful aura.

The World Tree, a divine object recorded in mythology, from which all the heavens and myriad realms grow.

After becoming the first lord of Baidi City, his Daoist temple, Daluo Palace, resonated with the World Tree. Many years later, the divine tree reappeared.

This tree is related to the fortune of a region and is also tied to personal opportunities.

Legend has it that everyone has a corresponding leaf, and the patterns on it represent their destiny.

That said, the cloud ship landed on a city wall, and the passengers filed out, all eager to get started.

Normally, you have to pay to enter Baidi City, but now it's open to the public for free.

As Shen Ming, Li Miaozhen, and Fang Lingyun descended the city wall, they heard a steady and powerful sound of footsteps approaching from afar, like muffled thunder.

A troop of soldiers, like an iron torrent, stepped into view, their gleaming armor making a series of crisp and intimidating sounds.

The soldiers parted to the left and right, standing on either side of Shen Ming.

The others craned their necks, wondering what was going on. Chang Wanming, who had disembarked with them, thought it was trouble coming his way and watched with great interest.

A figure quietly emerged, upright as a pine tree, with a belt around the waist that accentuated his slender figure.

The woman walked forward step by step, her steps firm and powerful. She had neat, short, jet-black hair that reached her ears, and her face had distinct features.

"Welcome, Divine Son of the Jiang Family. My young lady has been waiting for you at the Qishi Mansion for a long time to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey," the woman said.

Shen Ming had not given prior notice and deliberately kept a low profile, so he was quite surprised to find the other party waiting there. Judging from the scale of the event, it seemed to have been deliberately staged.

Qishi Mansion, known as the number one mansion in Baidi City, only recruits the most outstanding geniuses from the city's major families, similar to the Mi Luo Palace of the Jiang family.

They held a banquet there, showcasing the grandeur of Baidi City.

Of course, there wasn't much goodwill involved; the intention was to elevate Shen Ming.

"Please thank your young lady for me. I have other matters to attend to. I'll visit again next time," Shen Ming said.

The crowd erupted in an uproar, some completely bewildered.

The short-haired woman frowned, but didn't continue to make things difficult for him. With a single glance, she led her soldiers away.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Ming arrived at the accommodation that the Jiang family had prepared for him, Zuixianglou.

Located in the most bustling part of the city, it is antique and magnificent, resembling a grand palace.

The interior is laid out in a grid pattern, with a unique and orderly layout. It is very quiet inside, with no other guests, because the Jiang family has booked the entire building.

Shen Ming arrived at the seventh-floor rooftop, where the view was expansive and one could almost touch the sky.

"Your Highness, the people from the Sword Forging Manor have been kneeling and waiting for several days."

The person in charge of receiving guests from the Jiang family came forward. He was a middle-aged man named Jiang Ren, who came from the main branch of the family. Therefore, he addressed Shen Ming as the heir apparent to show his closeness.

"Okay, let them in," Shen Ming said.

Soon, Gao Qian from the Sword Casting Manor entered the room. Before Shen Ming could even see what she looked like, he heard her kneel down with a 'plop'.

"Get up and talk."

Shen Ming said in an unquestionable manner.

Gao Qian refused, instead lowering her head and saying, "Please, Divine Son of the Jiang family, show leniency and spare my Sword Casting Manor."

"Explain the whole story clearly, and I will make a decision," Shen Ming said.

He dislikes others being so afraid of him, and he also dislikes bullying others by abusing his power.

Unfortunately, in a world where the strong are respected, not acting this way is seen as hypocritical by others.

Gao Qian raised her head. Her skin was snow-white, second only to Nalan Li whom Shen Ming had seen, and there were obvious bruises on her face.

She told Shen Ming that Wang Min, a senior brother from the Sword Forging Manor, had embezzled public funds and was looking for an opportunity to steal the Thunder Sword Seal.

Fearing the Jiang family's wrath, the Sword Forging Manor wanted to retrieve the Thunder Sword Seal before the Jiang family discovered it, which instead allowed Wang Min to escape into Baidi City.

If it were the old Baidi City, the Jiang family could have used pressure to force them to hand over the person.

“Even if Wang Min comprehends the Thunder Sword Seal, there is no place for him in the Northern Region. He should know that, right?” Shen Ming said.

“We were also puzzled. We only learned a few days ago that he had made contact with the Black and White Academy, using it as a pretext to give the Thunder Sword Seal to Song Jingwen of the Black and White Academy in exchange for the academy’s qualification. After we found out, we went to the Black and White Academy and tried every means to see Song Jingwen to prove that the Thunder Sword Seal did not belong to Wang Min,” Gao Qian said.

"and then?"

Shen Ming noticed the bruises on her face and already knew the answer in his heart.

“Song Jingwen said she didn’t care about all that, this was what Wang Min gave her, and she also granted Wang Min the qualification to attend the academy. She told us to find Wang Min, but Wang Min is hiding in the Black and White Academy and won’t come out,” Gao Qian said.

"Didn't you say it belonged to the Jiang family?" Shen Ming asked.

Gao Qian hesitated, not daring to speak. Jiang Ren, who was standing next to her, said, "Your Highness, these people from the Central Region are very arrogant, and Song Jingwen is even more disrespectful."

"What did you say?"

"The Northern Region forces are probably just like children playing house; they're not worthy of establishing a divine son at all," Jiang Ren said.

These words were practically an insult to the entire Northern Region. Looking at the bruises on Gao Qian's face, Shen Ming could guess what kind of person Song Jingwen was.

Tell me about the Black and White Academy.

The Black and White Academy, one of the four great academies of the Central Region, has established a Black and White Dojo in White Emperor City to teach the true essence of swordsmanship.

There are two ways to enter the Black and White Dojo.

The first option is to pass an examination and directly enter the Black and White Dojos for training.

The second way is to enter the Great Luo Palace, gain merit by slaying demons, and then study at the eight major academies in Baidi City.

“Wang Min is hiding in the Black and White Academy. The Black and White Academy doesn’t care about the Jiang family, and Baidi City can’t do anything about it. No wonder Wang Min is so fearless.”

Jiang Ren said, "But he can hide for a while, but he can't hide forever."

The problem is that no one knows how long this "time" will last, and the Thunder Sword Seal could become someone else's property at any time.

"Go directly to the Black and White Academy tomorrow."

Gao Qian and Jiang Ren were both taken aback. All that had been said was to lay the groundwork for the Black and White Academy being untouchable.

“There are several Sovereign Realm experts from the Academy, plus those from White Emperor City. It might be difficult to make a move,” Jiang Ren pointed out.

"Since the Black and White Academy has crossed a region to establish a training ground in the Northern Region, it's inevitable that we'll have to verify whether they have the real skills," Shen Ming said.

Gao Qian and Jiang Ren were even more shocked than before. Was this guy going to come and cause trouble?!