Merin, three days later, strides out of the Array Association building.
He had just taken not one but two tests, passing both and being certified as an intermediate array expert.
He would have attempted the test of top-rank array master, but the books Mu Jingyi gave him contained no information about top-rank arrays.
To access those books from the association, he first needed the certification of an intermediate array expert.
With the books in hand, he doesn't return home but instead follows the stream of people leaving the city.
Today is the day Xiao Yun competes with Nalan Yanyue.
He follows the crowd, climbs a mountain, and walks down to the other side to see a massive training field.
The field lies between three mountains.
One is occupied by Cloud Sword Sect disciples and their supporters.
The second holds nobles, royals, and Xiao Yun's backers.
The third is filled with ordinary civilians, where Merin now stands.
From this vantage, he sees the political atmosphere of the empire laid bare.
The duel between Xiao Yun and Nalan Yanyue is no longer just between them.
It has become a struggle between the Cloud Sword Sect and the royal family for dominance over the empire.
Cloud Sword Sect once stood supreme, backed by a first-turn peak Dao Casting cultivator.
The royal family held only a first-turn intermediate Dao Casting cultivator.
The difference seemed small, but in higher realms, even one stage means life or death.
Now, however, the Cloud Sword Sect's great elder is on the verge of death, and their sect master is only at the first-turn initial Dao Casting rank.
Meanwhile, the ancestor of the royal family is rumoured to be on the brink of breaking through to the first-turn late Dao Casting rank.
After the Cloud Sword Sect's great elder dies, the balance of power should be clear—the royal family would dominate.
But the sect master of the Cloud Sword Sect comes from Yulan City.
That city lies in the wild lands, its lord a third-turn Dao Casting cultivator.
And the sect master herself is the daughter of that city lord.
Because of this, the royal family's ancestor cannot take action against her, nor can she call upon her father's aid without a sufficient reason.
Thus, the competition between the two powers has spilt into the younger generation.
After a few minutes, the duel begins.
Merin observes as Nalan Yanyue reveals she also cultivates a combined method, just like Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun channels fire, while Nalan Yanyue channels wind.
And like the hero of a tale, Xiao Yun, though on the verge of defeat, suddenly breaks through.
Not into the Seven Ring Rank, but beyond—his heavenly rank spiritual body shatters its limits and steps into an unknown realm.
He then defeats Nalan Yanyue, whose cultivation stands firmly at the Seven Ring rank.
As the crowd erupts in cheers, Merin's attention sharpens on something far more alarming.
The moment Xiao Yun's spiritual body advanced, an invisible aura surged forth, sealing the three surrounding mountains and preventing anyone from leaving.
Then, from the heavens, a vast palm of condensed cloud forms and descends straight toward Xiao Yun.
The ancestor of the royal family, Xun He, roars, "Yun Qing, you cannot afford to lose, and now dare to attack the younger generation!"
In the same breath, Xun He appears above Xiao Yun, conjuring a massive palm of stone that collides against the incoming cloud palm.
On the mountain of the Cloud Sword Sect, an aged figure materialises—Yun Qing, the sect's Great Elder, standing with boundless majesty.
Merin's eyes narrow as the aura spreads, for beneath Yun Qing's power, he catches the unmistakable stench of an evil creature.
Xun He's face hardens with disbelief as he shouts, "You… you broke through to the second-turn Dao Casting rank!"
Yun Qing's voice booms across the mountains, "Then, Xun He, stop your wishful thinking and hand over Xiao Yun—he must die today."
Xun He replies coldly, "No, I promised him I would take him away from here."
Yun Qing sneers, "You cannot save him today."
Another voice cuts through the tension, "What about adding me?"
A figure steps out of the void, and Merin hears the name whispered—Han Bodong, ancestor of the Han family, missing for ten years.
From his aura alone, Merin recognises him as a Dao Casting first-turn cultivator.
Without hesitation, Yun Qing strikes, and the three Dao Casting powers clash, taking their battle high into the clouds.
Everyone on the mountains stares upward, their hearts trembling as they try to read the outcome of that titanic clash.
But chaos erupts below—the elders of the Cloud Sword Sect launch a sudden assault on Xiao Yun, only to be met head-on by his loyal supporters.
Amid the turmoil, what truly unsettles Merin is the sight of the Cloud Sword Sect's sect master, standing aloof on her peak, her expression filled not with anger but with confusion.
An hour of relentless fighting passes with no decisive result, when suddenly another vast aura of Dao Casting rank floods the field.
A man in a black robe materialises, his killing intent suffocating, and he strikes directly at Xiao Yun.
His voice is chilling as he declares, "From today, there will be no Xiao Family."
But before the black-robed man's blow lands, a colossal serpent rises in defiance, and beside it, another powerful figure from Xiao Yun's side charges to block.
Yet the black-robed man's strength overwhelms them, his strike cutting through their defences and rushing toward Xiao Yun.
At the final instant, the soul of an old woman manifests, her presence halting the attack with a single wave.
The black-robed man freezes, then laughs coldly. "Saint Pill Refiner… Yao Churan. So you've been hiding here all along. Today is my lucky day—I'll kill Xiao Yun and drag you back to the headquarters."
He lunges again, but Yao Churan blocks his strike, her soul flaring with radiant force.
With a flick of her hand, she hurls Xiao Yun away from the battlefield, her will sending him far from the place.
Then, without hesitation, she turns to flee, her soul body streaking into the distance.
The black-robed man roars and gives chase, vanishing after her.
The serpent and the defender beside it dissolve into nothingness, their task complete.
High above, the clash in the clouds halts, every gaze now drawn to the direction Yao Churan and the black-robed man disappeared.
A week later, Merin receives congratulations from both the president and the vice-president of the Array Association for passing the test of a top-ranked array expert.
They invite him to join the association, but he declines without hesitation.
When they extend an invitation to a feast, however, he accepts, curious to learn more about the higher ranks of array experts.
At the feast, he learns that above the top-rank array expert lies the rank of low-rank array master.
But to gain certification as a top-rank array expert, he would have to leave the southeastern region, cross the Wild Land, and reach the Central Continent.
Even so, he obtains books and array diagrams of the array master rank from them, a reward greater than what he expected.
When he leaves the feast, he unexpectedly encounters Xun Leiyue waiting outside the restaurant.
She leads him to a quiet tea shop, and after a period of conversation, she shares important news with him.
Mulin City will be declared the next capital city of Liulan Prefecture, and with its expansion, it wants Merin to build a protective array around the entire city.
For the work, she offers payment of one thousand low-rank spirit stones, handing him five hundred on the spot as a deposit.
The next day, Merin departs for Mulin City after purchasing two ice stones.
Upon arriving, he hears the grim news of the Xiao family's destruction, with only three members in the city spared because they were no longer considered part of the clan—Xiao Yun's sister Xiao Yixian, his cousin Xiao Maning, and Xiao Ling.
They are currently staying in Merin's estate, being friends with his sister.
After settling matters, Merin ventures once more into the Demon Sea and hunts down another shark.
Upon his return, he immediately notices his estate being watched.
He understands the reason clearly—because Xiao Yun's sister and cousins remain alive, the enemies of the Xiao family suspect that Xiao Yun might come to see them.
Merin himself thinks the same, yet he refuses to let his family be implicated in such danger.
He begins constructing arrays—layering defensive formations along both the estate walls and the city walls.
In addition, he weaves a special identification array designed to detect anyone carrying the Xiao family bloodline the moment they enter the city.
His goal is simple—find Xiao Yun before his enemies do, if he is inside Mulin City or chooses to step into Mulin City.