He was going to leave right away but needed one last stop.

Yun Shuqing sat cross-legged inside her own room cultivating, heart in turmoil. Her father prohibited any communication with her sister. How could she not tell something was wrong when they took Ming Ren away?

And yet she was also powerless. Unlike her elder sister, she didn't have any voice inside the clan.

The untalented daughter of the Patriarch. Pretty to look at, but completely useless. No one dared to utter anything in front of Yun Jie, but behind his back Shuqing was considered a waste of resources.

That's why, when Shufen brought Min Ren, she instantly empathized with him. Untalented, shadowed by his more talented siblings and friends, doomed never to amount to anything. That's also when her inner demons started to manifest at such a young age.

Ailments of the mind and soul might seem like nothing to cultivators but they are hardest to spot and cure. She had gotten many Spirit Herbs and Pills before, but they did nothing to help her break through this bottleneck.

When Ming Ren met Shuqing earlier, he knew there was nothing wrong with her body. Her physique and bloodline, although not as good as Shufen's, were still enough to reach the Spirit Gate Realm in this lifetime. So why would she be stuck at a mere 4th layer?

Ming Ren's plight was caused by the [Dragon Light Divine Body] and its special requirements, but Shuqing had nothing of the sort. Had she not met Ming Ren, unless some super expert came, she would never be able to break those shackles without the help of some heaven-defying treasure or encounter.

Because, in the Lower Realms, there was a fundamental lack of knowledge about Cultivation and the mysteries of the world.

Cultivators had two labels: talented and untalented.

Those with quick cultivation were called "Talents". Those with both talents and special characteristics, such as Bloodlines, True Elements, and Rare Energies, were called "Heaven's Chosen" or "Heaven Defying Talents". Everyone else was trash.

Yet Ming Ren knew this was essentially wrong. Special physiques, powerful techniques, tyrannical bodies… they sometimes had huge requirements of energy to progress. While those at big sects and families could enjoy a smooth sailing because of their n.o.ble birth, everyone else would probably not be able to pa.s.s those obstacles.

Slower did not always mean worse. His physique would be slower to cultivate, but its might will shake the world someday.

While Shufen's talent was discovered since an early age, Shuqing was considered only a normal prospect. Yun Jie tried to dote on both of them equally, but even he couldn't help but give more attention to Shufen.

It only grew worse as they grew older. In fact, Shuqing's comprehension and dedication were not any lower than Shufen's, but her bloodline and physique were inferior. It would be impossible for her to exceed her elder sister, but everyone kept urging her so. They didn't give any freedom or considered her feelings.

For a clan that specialized in the mind like the Cloud Clan, they certainly neglected this aspect of cultivation. It was not that Shuqing had problems and couldn't break through…

…somewhere inside, she didn't want to. She didn't want to compete with her sister. She didn't want to live in this world of cultivation. She formed an inner demon at such a young age but all they looked for were physical problems. In a way, it was good that she didn't force a breakthrough. Qi deviation would be a certainty under those conditions.

**

Ming Ren silently brought Yun Shuqing's into the dreamland. If he was right in the head he'd already have bolted out of the Cloud Clan as fast as possible. But he also sympathized with her. With more time to consolidate his memories from the Bright Sculpture and reach the Spirit Realm, a more direct approach would be possible, but for now, the fastest method was just to take advantage of this dreamland to help her fight the inner demons.

Shuqing always thought she would be happier without cultivation. Why would she live forever anyway?

Beauty, possessions, strength, fame, status… she didn't want any. Immortality? Why? Why would she want to live forever in this kind of world?

While on the outside she was bright and forced herself to be lively, inside she hated this world and, sometimes, everything and everyone else. She didn't envy her sister's talent nor the attention she had.

The world of cultivation was boring and brutal. She might as well have been born a commoner.

Inside the dreamland, Shuqing lived the life of a mere mortal. She was extremely happy. No need to cultivate. No pain. She woke up, took care of the house, and lived by herself. She found work as an alchemist's a.s.sistant, but never immersed in cultivation.

Time pa.s.sed, and nothing changed. Somehow, this path was also boring as h.e.l.l. Shuqing frowned. She was just as unhappy as before. The life of a mortal was not really exciting.

She saw her sister and father struggle to fend off their foes. She saw her former clan and kin attacked several times.

Powerless.

Was she even happier?

Soon, the scenery of the world changed to many places, many different people and tales. The Upper Realms!

Ming Ren showed part of the memories he acquired in the Bright Sculpture. Beautiful sceneries that that could not be described with mere words. A waterfall where golden fishes swam upstream freely, a senior that flew through the skies on the top of his sword, and a rainbow scaled dragon.

This world might be boring, but couldn't there be a world out there that she wanted to see?

Suddenly, it was as if the shackles that bound her heart were undone. The world of cultivation was brutal and ruthless, but the mysteries of the world more than made up for it.

**

"Now, it depends on you, Little Shuqing," Ming Ren smiled and walked out of the Cloud Clan from the front door. The servants bowed to him even though they didn't know who he was.

He took Yun Lin Xue's low-grade s.p.a.ce ring with him as compensation but left everything else untouched. s.p.a.ce Rings were rare and expensive but extremely useful, so he wouldn't let it slip.

Ming Ren decided to go to the Jade Clan but the journey was too long and his strength right now too weak. He secretly went to the Bright Clan former lands and saw the Silver Clan and Sunflower Pavilion members working together.

With his Spirit Sense, only Spirit Gate Cultivators pursuing him would be a threat, and their Spirit Sense only covered a few kilometers at a time. Suppressing his urge to start a ma.s.sacre, he vowed to repay this "kindness" tenfold before leaving.

He had coins from Lin Xue's s.p.a.ce ring but didn't hire a Spirit Beast. Instead, Ming Ren paid some loose cultivator to disguise as himself and go to the neighboring city in the opposite direction.

Aside from the Cloud Clan, everyone else thought he was gone. There was no need to hide but he couldn't lower his guard. Ming Ren covertly made his way towards the nearest city in the River Province direction, but to get there a huge forest was in the way.

**

Yun Jie felt a surge of Qi pa.s.s through his body, bringing him out of the dreamland. He instantly fell to his knees and shouted, "Shuqing, Shufen, no, don't leave me, I'll treat him well!"

The elder that broke the Purple Cloud Dreamland had heavy lines all over his face. How could he not know what just happened?

"...You fool of a Patriarch!" The Elder berated while his powerful aura fell upon Yun Jie's body. Spirit Gate Realm, third-layer!

"...F-Father… what is going on?" He was still dazed. Where are Shuqing, Shufen, and that heartless son-in-law of his!?

His father instantly became furious, "You still don't know? And you call yourself a cultivator from the Cloud Clan? You don't even recognize the Purple Cloud Dreamland? Would you ever have woken up without me? Even some juniors had already broken out of the formation!"

Putong!

Yun Jie fell to the ground. That was the Purple Cloud Dreamland? He was lost in an illusion…? Then Shufen and Shuqing aren't concubines?!

He felt so happy tears streamed down his face. This Purple Cloud Dreamland… way too fearsome.

Yun Jie felt the killing intent emanating from his father. If he kept this up he might kill him for sure.

"*ahem* What is going on, esteemed father? Why did you activate the Dreamland?"

His father rage went to another level, "Why would I activate it, you buffoon?"

"Eh? but if it wasn't father…" His uncle, the other Spirit Gate cultivator of the clan? Aside from them, who could have power enough to make him fall to the formation? And wasn't the formation ineffective on their bloodline?

"We will know soon," as the Elder finished talking the other Spirit Gate Cultivator came in the room with someone under his arm. It was an unconscious Yun Lin Xue.

"...Lin Xue? What happened to him?" Yun Jie asked.

"He's the one that activated the formation with a few tricks. His mind took a huge backslash and he will probably be unconscious for a few days."

He then told them how he found Lin Xue unconscious inside one of the interrogation rooms. Aside from those that were with Shuqing, Yun Lin Xue and Yun Jie, the two Elders hadn't been informed of the matter. It was all Yun Jie's decision.

Yun Jie felt his body tremble. Alone? What happened to that brat?

How could his father not feel something was amiss with his son? With a deadly glare, Yun Jie hurried to explain everything without lying. After pondering about it, they roughly came to understand what happened: Lin Xue's somehow lost the mental battle and was controlled by the other party.

The brat then used him to activate the formation and left the Cloud Clan. The more they thought about it, the more they thought how absurd it was. Not only to control Lin Xue but to even understand and manipulate the formation? not even the three of them would be able to do so.

"This brat from the Bright Clan… no wonder Shufen considers him important," Yun Jie's father praised.

'Important? See if I don't kill that b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I'll never let that dream come true!' Yun Jie was thinking deep inside.

His father glared at him, "You're still harboring such simple thoughts? Heavens, how did I bear such a stupid fool for a son?'

"...F-father?" He didn't understand why his father would suddenly attack him like that.

"If you can't tell this matter might be related to that treasure of the Bright Clan, then you are a fool, Little Jie" the other Spirit Cultivator chimed in.

"Uh?" When he thought about it, Yun Jie realized there was no way a cultivator at the 4th layer would be able to tamper with their formation. Besides, the brat was asleep for ten years but his body never aged or changed. They all thought it was mysterious but never found the source, no matter how much they tried to.

"We need to bring him back and make him spill out everything", the other cultivator said.

Yun Jie and his father agreed. They needed to block all information as quickly as possible and then send his most trusted people out. The problem was that little la.s.s, Shuqing and how to shut her up. Because Shufen couldn't know about any of this.

If she knew…

Yun Jie could only tremble.