After being reborn, the villain comes with a spoiler tag.

A spiritual projection is completely different from an external avatar.

An avatar is a second physical body created by a cultivator. It can share the consciousness of the original body or merge with it, but in essence, it is a complete person with spiritual roots and the ability to cultivate. Even if the original body perishes, the avatar can still exist in the world.

In the cultivation world, it is not uncommon for avatars to rebel after their cultivation surpasses that of the original body.

Spiritual projection is essentially just a "projection." Advanced spiritual projections have physical form and can perform magic and supernatural powers. They look and feel exactly like real people.

However, the projection has no independent consciousness; it is merely a puppet remotely controlled by the main body. As soon as the main body cuts off the supply of spiritual energy, the spiritual energy projection will disappear.

Furthermore, spiritual projections can only exist within a certain range near the main body. If those five Nascent Soul cultivators are all spiritual projections, the main body controlling them will not be too far from this city. Moreover, to control five Nascent Soul projections at the same time, the cultivation level of the main body will not be lower than that of the Divine Transformation stage.

This is equivalent to revealing one's true identity to Huo Yu.

After discovering the strange state of the Zoroastrianism, Huo Yu still needed to carefully consider how to enter the Zoroastrianism and find information about the old man.

However, in this Vermilion Bird City, besides the few Nascent Soul cultivators of the Fire Worship Sect, there is another very special existence: a person who has no spiritual root but possesses Heavenly Dao Value.

Thinking of this, Huo Yu called Long Yucheng and prepared to go to a certain place first.

……

This Vermilion Bird City is indeed completely different from both ordinary cities and cities for cultivators.

It was jointly governed by Zoroastrianism and the mortal dynasty, with the mortal dynasty seemingly in a dominant position and Zoroastrianism playing a supporting role through military force.

Besides the Golden Core cultivator he saw meditating on the city wall when he entered the inner city, Huo Yu also found the Zoroastrians' signature red-clad figures among the government's patrol guards, but they were all only at the Qi Refining stage.

Even more compelling evidence lies in the fact that, within the imperial palace at the heart of Vermilion Bird City, atop the Zoroastrian headquarters, lived members of the royal family of a mortal dynasty.

The mortal dynasty operated openly, while the Zoroastrianism remained in the shadows. The two seemed to have formed a delicate balance and co-governance system, jointly maintaining the superficial peace and order of the city.

Before they knew it, the two had walked back to the city gate where they had entered the city the day before.

Long Yucheng's expression changed subtly the moment his gaze fell upon the plaque in front of him, which was inscribed with the words "Dragon Tiger Escort Agency" in a flamboyant style. But Huo Yu stopped in his tracks at that moment.

Long Yucheng glanced at Huo Yu and also stopped walking.

The two stopped in front of the security company on a busy street, naturally attracting the attention of the security company staff.

Soon, a martial arts master dressed in a tight-fitting outfit strode forward and politely inquired about their business. Huo Yu gave Murong Yu's name and was then invited into the escort agency.

Although the exterior of the security escort agency is magnificent, the interior layout has a unique and elegant charm.

The interior furnishings are simple yet elegant, with porcelain and calligraphy on the tables exuding a subtle scholarly atmosphere, which contrasts sharply with the bodyguards coming and going in the courtyard.

The young servant who served the two men was quite young, but he was quick and efficient. He poured tea for them cleanly and then served them obediently.

The aroma of tea rises gently; though it is not a spiritual tea imbued with spiritual power, its delicate and lingering fragrance is still delightful, clearly the work of a master.

The martial arts master who led the way clasped his hands in a fist salute to Huo Yu and Long Yucheng:

"Please have some tea, I'll go and inform Senior Sister Murong."

Long Yucheng was clearly not interested in sipping tea. After looking around for a while, he finally couldn't resist his curiosity and asked Huo Yu in a low voice:

"Senior brother, what brings us here?"

"Find a guide."

Huo Yu put down the teacup he had only taken a sip of.

Long Yucheng was a little puzzled, but before he could ask, the person they were waiting for had arrived, so he simply shut up and drank his tea.

The newcomer was none other than Murong Yu. She was still dressed in black, her hair neatly tied up, but she had removed the sword from her waist.

Upon seeing Huo Yu and Long Yucheng, she first bowed and apologized again for yesterday's unexpected incident before asking:

"Is there anything you two need today?"

Long Yucheng glanced at Huo Yu, and seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he took the initiative to continue the conversation:

"My senior and I are newcomers to this city and are looking for a guide who knows the city well."

Murong Yu nodded upon hearing this, not asking further why the two had chosen the escort agency instead of the neighboring carriage shop to find a guide. He simply instructed the servant beside him:

"Call Lian Hu here."

The servant left as instructed, and Murong Yu then turned to Huo Yu and Long Yucheng, saying:

"You two must be cultivators, but in this city, cultivators are no different from ordinary people and must abide by the laws of this city. Lian Hu grew up in Vermilion Bird City and has a lively personality. You can tell him whatever you need. I will pay for this commission as compensation for what happened yesterday."

Soon, a martial arts master, no more than thirty years old and dressed in shorts, entered the room. He had a resolute face, was not tall, had a solid lower body, and a strong physique, clearly a trained fighter.

"Senior sister, you were looking for me?"

Murong Yu nodded.

"These two guests will need a guide during their stay in Suzaku City, so you will be in charge."

Upon hearing this, Lian Hu patted his chest and said:

"No problem, senior sister."

He then turned to face Huo Yu and Long Yucheng, revealing a hearty smile:

"You can just call me Lian Hu. I'll be keeping you company for a while. All my expenses for food, clothing, and lodging are included in the insurance premium, so you won't need to pay anything extra."

Judging from their level of proficiency, it's clear this isn't their first time handling this type of task.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door, as if someone was shouting loudly.

Murong Yu frowned slightly, said "Excuse me," and hurriedly left.

Even Hu's expression became somewhat unnatural, but he refrained from making a scene because of the presence of guests.

He turned to Huo Yu and Long Yucheng and asked:

"Gentlemen, shall we leave now, or..."

Huo Yu nodded slightly, his expression calm.

"Let's go."

The two walked out of the reception room and saw what appeared to be a dispute taking place in the west courtyard. A group of martial arts masters were surrounding the main character, blocking their view.

Because Lian Hu was present, Long Yucheng, though curious, did not feel comfortable going forward to watch directly.

However, he couldn't help but ask:

"Brother Lianhu, is someone coming to cause trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Lian Hu burst into laughter, his voice brimming with confidence.

"This guest is joking. My Dragon Tiger Escort Agency is renowned throughout the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, with branches all over the country. How could anyone cause trouble on the territory of the Vermilion Bird City headquarters!"

Upon hearing this, Long Yucheng became even more curious.

"Then this is..."

"This is the young master Li who rode his horse around the city yesterday and ended up knocking himself unconscious at a tea stall."

Lian Hu sighed helplessly, frowned, and continued:

"The Li family is considered a prominent family in Vermilion Bird City. Although this young master Li comes from a collateral branch, he is a person with a predestined affinity for immortality."

"Young Master Li came to the Holy City to participate in the Thousand Candles Ceremony in seven days, so he is a bit troublesome to deal with. If it were anyone else, they would have been thrown out by now."

At this point, Lian Hu glanced at the two of them:

"You two must also be cultivators, right?"