The Dragon Gate Selection ultimately recruited only two disciples.
Yet Lin Ze was thoroughly satisfied.
Ling Yixue, at just sixteen, was already an early Seventh Level Martial Vein Martial Master—her strength spoke for itself.
Ling Xiao was even more astonishing. Though his cultivation was only mid-Sixth Level Martial Vein, he effortlessly defeated two peak Sixth Level Martial Vein opponents.
More importantly, Ling Xiao’s comprehension of martial arts surpassed that of many Martial Masters.
By infusing soul attacks into his techniques, he forged a “Soul Realm” beyond the Transformation Realm.
He even devised an ultimate technique from the Shadow Sword Technique.
This wasn’t the behaviour of a fourteen-year-old—it was the mark of a martial arts prodigy.
Lin Ze felt fortunate that such a talent hadn’t been snatched by the Heavenly Ninja Academy but had instead joined his Border Town General’s Mansion.
This was a boon not just for the boy’s future development, but for the Northern Han Kingdom and the Human Sacred Dynasty as a whole.
After the Dragon Gate Selection concluded, Lin Ze’s business in Dragon Gate wrapped up.
The matter of destroying the Dream Pills in Dragon Gate was still brewing, and the Ninja Clan surely wouldn’t let it rest.
But neither would Lin Ze.
The Dragon Gate incident was just the beginning.
The rampant spread of Dream Pills had become a major issue for the Human Sacred Dynasty.
Dream Pills caused a massive outflow of spirit stones, making cultivation even harder for the already declining human martial artists.
Sometimes, even securing low-grade spirit stones required noble status—or worse, pledging allegiance to foreign clans.
Dream Pills were also corroding the Sacred Dynasty’s ruling institutions.
Many nobles, officials, and Martial Masters, after using Dream Pills, grew more corrupt, amplifying the parasitic decay of the ruling elite.
They took bribes, shielded Dream Pill smuggling, and used rent hikes and tax increases to offload the cost onto ordinary martial artists, making their already expensive cultivation even less sustainable.
It could be said that the Dream Pill was the biggest reason many martial artists couldn’t advance to the Martial Master realm.
Moreover, Dream Pills severely weakened the combat strength of the dynasty’s military.
Generals and soldiers within the Human Sacred Dynasty were also using Dream Pills.
Take Tianfeng City’s naval forces—officers not only consumed Dream Pills but took hefty bribes.
Naval patrol boats had even struck deals with Ninja Clan Dream Pill ships, charging “per crate of Dream Pills in spirit stones or gold.” Many “anti-smuggling” vessels had turned into smuggling ships themselves.
In short, Dream Pills had ruined countless human martial artists’ bodies. Nowadays, every town in the Sacred Dynasty had places selling them.
This led many martial artists to either mistakenly consume them or succumb to temptation, ultimately becoming puppets of the Ninja Clan.
Or ending up as crippled wrecks, their martial skills lost.
Such martial artists numbered in the tens of thousands.
Lin Ze had recognised this problem, which was why he’d proposed banning Dream Pill imports. Though the Sacred Dynasty’s young emperor lacked experience, he had some backbone and backed Lin Ze’s move.
Yet the task remained fraught with difficulty.
Tianfeng City’s issue was resolved.
But across Baiyun Province, Dream Pill shops thrived under the protection of the Ninja Clan, Governor Wan Ben, local officials, and sects.
Some shop owners were outright foreigners—Ninja Clan, Blue-Eye Clan, and the like. Eradicating them completely wasn’t something that could happen overnight.
As the convoy returning to Baiyun Prefecture wound through the twisting mountain roads, Lin Ze shared these matters with Ling Xiao.
Training a martial artist wasn’t just about building their strength—it was about shaping their values.
If you raised a peerless master who turned to evil, that training would be a failure.
That was likely Lin Ze’s thinking, which was why he felt compelled to tell Ling Xiao and Ling Yixue about these issues.
To let them judge the Dream Pill situation for themselves.
He wouldn’t force them into anything—that would only backfire—but he’d offer gentle guidance.
“Alright, you two don’t need to overthink it. With your current strength, you can’t help me much with destroying the Dream Pills yet. Your priority is still to improve yourselves,” Lin Ze said with a laugh, seeing their serious expressions.
It was also to lighten the mood.
“General Lin, you’re already a peak Ninth Level Martial Vein martial artist. Can’t you act according to your own wishes?” Ling Xiao asked, puzzled.
Lin Ze sighed, “Alas, not even a peak Ninth Level Martial Vein martial artist can do as they please, let alone someone who steps into the Mortal Realm. The higher you climb, the more you realise there’s always a greater sky, a greater person.”
“Mortal Realm? What exactly is this Mortal Realm?” Ling Xiao asked, excitement creeping in.
He’d seen peak Ninth Level Martial Vein martial artists, but he’d yet to encounter a single Mortal Realm martial artist.
Naturally, he was curious.
Lin Ze smiled, “The Mortal Realm is the realm of transcending the mundane!”
“To be precise, it’s shedding the mortal body and stepping into an entirely different state. The body undergoes unique changes, and lifespan extends dramatically.”
“But alas, I’ve only heard of it. Only by reaching the Mortal Realm can you truly grasp how powerful those martial artists are.”
“It’s something I aspire to, but Ling Xiao, in my view, your odds of reaching the Mortal Realm might just be higher than mine.”
Ling Xiao was surprised by this and asked, “Why do you say that, General?”
“Intuition!” Lin Ze laughed, “But not just intuition. Your comprehension tells me so. Generally, martial artists who reach the Mortal Realm are those who, as Martial Masters, can derive profound techniques from mortal martial arts.”
“And if I’m not mistaken, you’ve already grasped the profound techniques of mortal martial arts, haven’t you?”
Ling Xiao hesitated briefly but decided to be honest.
“To be frank, General Lin, I’ve only comprehended five techniques from fragmented mortal martial arts. I’m still far from mastering complete mortal martial profundities.”
As he spoke, Ling Xiao’s mind flashed back to the scenes when he’d grasped those techniques.
Mortal martial arts seemed to harness natural forces.
So, did the Mortal Realm mean using the body to wield those natural forces?
If that were true, it made sense why Lin Ze said human physique and lifespan would undergo massive changes.
“The Mortal Realm is unparalleled. Those who reach it are grandmasters who forge their own paths. The Human Sacred Dynasty has too few Mortal Realm martial artists—otherwise, it wouldn’t be bullied to this extent,” Lin Ze sighed, “If the Sacred Dynasty is in such a state, the Northern Han Kingdom, one of its vassals, fares even worse. As for Baiyun Province, I’ve yet to meet a single Mortal Realm martial artist.”
His words carried a mix of melancholy and helplessness.
How he longed to ascend to that transcendent realm, but it wasn’t something everyone could achieve.
His reason for taking in young martial artists at the Border Town General’s Mansion was to nurture talent for Baiyun Province, the Northern Han Kingdom, and humanity itself.
If even one or two could reach the Mortal Realm, he’d be content.
