Adrien said nothing further about Alina. Instead, he changed the topic and began discussing other matters with his father, Victor.
Victor outlined his plan for dealing with Elder Zhu—how he had already laid a trap in advance and how, this time, there would be no way for Elder Zhu to escape.
"Father, your strategy is incredibly precise," Adrien said admiringly. "This way, all his exits will be sealed. Even if he tries, he won't be able to slip away."
Victor's voice was deep and resolute. "This time, I'm going personally to see it through. I don't want any guilty man to run free. Enough is enough."
"Father," Adrien said without hesitation, "I want to come with you."
At this, Victor's expression turned stern. He immediately shook his head.
"No, Adrien. This will not be a simple operation. It's not just following a plan—this is a direct confrontation. I won't have you placing yourself in danger."
But Adrien didn't back down. His eyes glimmered with steady determination.
"Father, it is necessary for me to be there," he insisted.
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Necessary? Why, Adrien? Tell me."
Adrien was silent for a few moments. Then, in a low voice, he said, "I can't explain it to you right now…but I must be present. And if you're with me, I won't have any fear."
Until then, Selena had been listening to the father and son quietly. She now intervened gently.
"Sooner or later, Adrien will have to face these kinds of situations," Selena said in her calm, composed voice. "We won't always be by his side. This is a good chance for him to learn under your guidance."
Evelen nodded in agreement. "Sister Selena is right. And Adrien has already reached the peak of the Mortal Master Realm. He's no ordinary boy anymore. You don't need to worry about him so much."
Victor was silent for some time, weighing their words carefully. At last, he drew in a long breath and said—
"All right, Adrien. You may come with us. We leave this evening."
A flicker of satisfaction crossed Adrien's face. He bowed his head.
"Thank you, Father. I'd like to spend some time alone to prepare myself mentally and spiritually. I'll be back before sunset."
Victor simply nodded. No one tried to stop him. Adrien rose from his seat and walked calmly toward his chambers.
After a few quiet moments, Victor turned to Selena and Evelen.
"Why did you both advise that I take him along?" he asked.
Selena answered without hesitation.
"We all know that in every attack those bandits have launched so far, not a single cultivator of the King Realm has appeared. As long as you're there, Adrien will be completely safe. And besides…in the future, he'll have to handle such matters alone. He must be prepared."
Victor looked at her intently.
"You're right," he said at last. "But something still nags at me. That same boy who was once careless and incompetent…has suddenly started acting as if he's been dealing with these situations his entire life. His whole personality has changed…"
Selena smiled faintly.
"Whatever the reason, the change benefits us," she said. "And don't forget—Adrien is our son. However he transforms, he's becoming our strength."
Evelen also nodded and smiled. The room fell silent again.
Meanwhile, Adrien reached his chamber. His face was serene, but something deeper churned in his eyes—as if the first steps of some unseen preparation had begun. He went to his desk, picked up a few books, a pen, and a special scroll, then without delay entered his Self-Dimensional Space.
In the blink of an eye, he was standing in the vast, echoing hall where his personal throne awaited. The walls still gleamed as before—crafted of black and blue crystal, so that when the light touched them, it seemed the walls themselves were breathing. Floating in the void, this place felt almost divine.
Adrien walked toward the throne and slowly sat down. His fingers rested lightly on the armrests, and in a quiet voice, he said—
"System, can I have a table here?"
The system responded instantly.
Tink!
With a shimmer of blue light, a beautifully carved table appeared directly before him. The tabletop was smooth black stone, etched with faint, flowing currents of energy.
Adrien picked up one of the three books, setting the other two aside. He opened it, dipped the pen, and began to write. The book's title was:
The Merchant Guild
Behind its unassuming name lies an extraordinary institution. This guild is not merely for merchants—but also for cultivators who seek wealth, prestige, or experience.
The guild's core purpose is mission exchange. Any merchant, herb-seeker, miner, or transporter can register their mission here.
These missions can include:
Finding rare herbs
Procuring basic necessities
Transporting goods safely between regions
Hunting demonic beasts
Trading cultivation resources
Hiring personal guards
Gathering secret intelligence or delivering messages
Each mission is ranked by difficulty—from F to S—and rewards are determined accordingly.
Some missions were restricted to cultivators of the minimum level, while others were so perilous that only Elders or high-ranked Path Walkers dared to accept them.
Structure and Rules of the Guild
Registration was mandatory for every member of the guild.
Each registered member received a guild token, which served as both their identification and proof of rank.
If a cultivator accepted a mission but abandoned it midway or failed, they could face fines or suspension.
Once a mission was successfully completed, the guild transferred the reward immediately.
Adrien continued writing for many hours without pause. When he finally glanced across the finished book, his expression showed both satisfaction and a trace of concern.
He had built everything on his own observations—what he had seen in this city: the lack of work, people's unmet needs, and the way everyone had to search for help themselves. That was why he had first conceived the Merchant Guild.
In his past life, he had read about such guilds in many books.
"There's still something missing," he murmured.
He set the book back down on the table, drew a long breath, and stood.
"It's time to make myself a little stronger."
He stepped out of the hall and walked straight toward his training stadium.
The moment he entered, the entire stadium pulsed to life. Adrien's gaze fell on the massive beast waiting for him at the far end—a Scorpion-Tail White Lion.
Its fur gleamed pure white. A barbed tail flicked behind it, dripping with venom. Its golden eyes glowed with murderous intent.
Adrien smiled, a cold gleam in his own eyes mingling with anticipation.
"Come," he whispered. "Let's see how prepared I am for tonight."
And then the duel began.
Adrien surged forward, his qi coiling around his fists like crackling blue lightning. The lion lunged with a roar that shook the chamber's walls. Its claws slammed into the ground, throwing stone shards into the air as it bounded straight toward him.
Adrien spun sideways, narrowly avoiding a swipe of its claws that would have torn through a steel plate. Before the creature could recover, he struck the joint behind its foreleg. A muffled crack rang out, but the beast only roared louder, pivoting its deadly tail over its back and launching it toward Adrien's chest.
He barely managed to cross his arms in front of him as the stinger smashed into his guard. Even through the barrier of qi, the impact threw him backward across the arena. He rolled, flipped onto his feet, and exhaled sharply.
His arms were already going numb from the venom-laced strike.
The lion charged again, faster this time, jaws gaping.
Adrien's eyes narrowed.
He waited—counting the heartbeat—one, two—then vanished in a flicker of movement, reappearing directly beneath its throat.
"Too slow."
He drove his palm upward. A shockwave burst through the air as his qi condensed to a razor edge. The blow struck the beast under its chin with crushing force. The lion choked on its own roar, body convulsing as it collapsed to the floor, limbs twitching.
Adrien didn't stop to rest.
Another lion stalked out from the shadows. Then another. And another.
He fought them one after another for hours. When his qi finally gave out, he fell to one knee, breathing hard.
Blood trickled from several shallow cuts. His shirt was torn across one shoulder.
Adrien sat cross-legged right there in the training stadium. He swallowed a healing pill and a qi restoration pill, feeling the numbness fade and his internal energy gradually replenish.
When he had fully recovered, he finally glanced up at the shimmering notifications the system had left hovering before his eyes:
[Beast—Scorpion-Tail White Lion (Low Bronze) slain.]
Reward: 10 Shop Coins.
He scrolled through the list. Six notifications in total—he had fought six of them.
But he noticed that for the last two beasts, he had only received 5 coins each.
Adrien frowned.
"System, why did I only get 5 coins from the last two?"
The system replied in its calm, neutral voice:
"The Scorpion-Tail White Lions you killed last were one level below the host's cultivation. Additionally, your control over qi is now near perfect. From now on, any low-level beasts you slay will only yield 5 coins each."
Adrien accepted this explanation without complaint.
After all, he had indeed defeated the last two creatures almost effortlessly—each dying from a single strike.
He remembered it clearly: