Adding to the fifteen wisps of Evil Qi from before, Shen Bai now had twenty-one in total—a bountiful harvest indeed.

Shen Bai raised his eyes and looked into the distance.

Not far away, Long Yan got to her feet, the look of pain gone from her face.

She looked down at her hands, a look of relief in her eyes.

"Thank you."

Long Yan said with a wry smile, "I nearly made a terrible mistake. I would never have been able to forgive myself."

Shen Bai smiled. "Congratulations on overcoming your Heart Demon, Landlord Long. From now on, the sky’s the limit, with no Heart Demon to stand in your way."

Long Yan nodded. "Yes, the sky’s the limit now. I can finally focus on maintaining peace in Fenglin State."

The surrounding scenery finally vanished completely.

Everything before Shen Bai’s eyes first blurred, then slowly came into focus.

...

Shen Bai opened his eyes and found himself back in the empty clearing from before.

The look of struggle and turmoil on the faces of the townspeople had vanished.

Shen Bai had eliminated the Nightmare, and the crisis was resolved in an instant.

Elder Mu and the Liu State Governor were looking on anxiously, unsure of what to do.

Though both were powerful combatants, something like a Dream Realm was far too esoteric. Elder Mu had even taken out the Dream-Entering Incense, preparing to try and enter Shen Bai’s Dream Realm.

But before he could even try, he saw Shen Bai awaken.

Elder Mu rushed forward, grabbed Shen Bai’s shoulders, and asked urgently, "Shen Bai, are you all right? Are you hurt? Let me see."

Seeing Elder Mu’s concern, Shen Bai felt a warmth spread through his heart. He shook his head and said, "I’m fine, Elder Mu. I ran into Landlord Long, but I’ve already resolved the crisis."

’In this world, Elder Mu was one of the few people who genuinely cared about him, allowing him to feel a trace of warmth in this Otherworld.’

Without hesitation, he recounted everything that had happened in thorough detail.

Elder Mu and the Liu State Governor listened, stunned.

When Shen Bai finished, they exchanged a look, and both could see the shock in the other’s eyes.

Elder Mu blurted out, "You fought Landlord Long to a standstill? And you even forced her to use a Forbidden Technique from her embodiment arts?"

Shen Bai nodded. "That’s right. It’s a shame, though. If I could have defeated Landlord Long while she was using her Forbidden Technique, now *that* would have been a real thrill."

The corner of Elder Mu’s mouth twitched. He was at a loss for words.

Long Yan was the Landlord of the Registration Office. Although her actual combat strength was far inferior to his, she was still two Grand Realms above Shen Bai.

And Shen Bai had nearly worn her down to defeat despite that two-Grand-Realm gap. If word of this got out, no one would believe it.

But given what they had seen, they truly believed it.

After all, Shen Bai had given them one shock after another from the very beginning.

The Liu State Governor stroked his chin. After a moment of thought, he looked over at the slowly awakening Liu Wufeng and asked, "Elder Mu, is Lord Liu truly unwilling to part with such a treasure? If Shen Bai were to join the Fenglin State Government Office, I could arrange the fastest possible promotion track for him. His achievements wouldn’t be limited to just this."

He was now determined to recruit this talent.

Initially, the Liu State Governor had thought of Shen Bai as a prodigy of the younger generation, someone worth befriending.

If he achieved great things in the future, perhaps that connection would pay dividends.

But now, it seemed it was about more than just future achievements.

The Liu State Governor had a feeling that Shen Bai would one day stand at the very pinnacle of this world, so he was very eager to build a positive relationship with him.

This was reality, not some storybook where every master would inevitably become the protagonist’s enemy.

In reality, when powerful figures saw a young person with limitless potential, they were more than happy to extend an olive branch and pave the way for the future.

Elder Mu glanced back at the Liu State Governor, cleared his throat, and said, "State Governor, don’t even think about it. The Observatory can offer Shen Bai a fast promotion track as well. Between the two departments, the Observatory is a better fit for him."

His words already carried a protective tone.

After all, for the Liu State Governor to try and poach Shen Bai right in front of him was a sign of disrespect.

The Liu State Governor had simply been overeager. Seeing Elder Mu’s guarded reaction, he knew he had been presumptuous. He clasped his hands and said, "Please, don’t take offense. I was merely overcome by my appreciation for his talent. Since Shen Bai wishes to remain with the Observatory, then so be it."

As they were speaking, Liu Wufeng finally awoke from the Dream Realm.

After entering the Dream Realm, he and his group had been wandering aimlessly in a vast, white expanse, unable to find the supposed Nightmare.

But then, the Dream Realm had suddenly collapsed, forcing them out.

"What in the world happened?" Liu Wufeng asked, looking at the cracked Wooden Eye in his hand.

He understood nothing of the situation and was completely unaware of what had transpired.

Elder Mu thought for a moment before explaining what had happened, all the while watching Liu Wufeng’s face, hoping to see a particular expression.

Sure enough, after Liu Wufeng heard the whole story, his face was a mask of pure shock.

"What? Shen Bai forced Landlord Long to use her Secret Technique of embodying the uncanny, and he *still* resolved the situation?"

Elder Mu nodded with certainty. "Lord Liu, you’ve really struck gold this time. Shen Bai is the greatest treasure of our Fenglin State Observatory."

Liu Wufeng looked at Shen Bai, the complex emotions in his eyes practically overflowing. "I never imagined you’d already come this far."

Shen Bai shook his head. "It was just a stroke of luck. I happened to find the rule for breaking the Dream Realm. If I had to face Landlord Long’s Forbidden Technique head-on, I truly wouldn’t have been confident in the outcome."