"Memories are still very fragmented, there's so much I still can't remember," Yuan Ming muttered bitterly as he shook his throbbing head.

This time, the possession triggered by burning incense in the incense burner had stimulated his lost memories, making him remember some relatively recent events.

Yuan Ming felt that if he could possess Wang Shun once more, letting him return to that General Mansion, he might be able to recover all his memories, and even recall the information of the person who had framed him.

However, from his first possession as the Emperor and the second as the coachman Wang Shun, it seemed that the subject of possession was random. Whether he could possess Wang Shun again was still uncertain.

But, from the conversation with the round-faced man, there was a commonality between them; both were people Yuan Ming knew. On further reflection, it seemed that both had good relationships with Yuan Ming. Yuan Ming had once been a study companion to the Emperor, and the coachman was very concerned about Yuan Ming's safety, likely indicating a good usual relationship.

"Could it be that the subjects of these possessions can only be people I know, or those whom I am close to?" Yuan Ming secretly pondered.

In terms of gains, the first time when he was still in the Ten Thousand Mountains, facing a critical moment where he couldn't cultivate Mana and his life was at risk, he obtained the Nine Elements Technique which solved his immediate trouble and became an important support for his current cultivation. As for the second time, as the coachman... it seemed there were not many substantial gains, only some clues related to his own origins.

"Perhaps the object of possession is related to the situation and thoughts where I find myself?" Yuan Ming thought, coming up with a possibility.

All of this was just his preliminary speculation since he had only tried it twice after all.

However, he believed that the third possession might allow him to explore more rules.

This made him inexplicably excited, and the thought of the next possession made him feel warm inside, almost unbearably itchy!

With this thought, Yuan Ming didn't care about other things and immediately took out a spirit stone, holding it in his hand and circulating the Nine Elements Technique to recover his Mana.

After half a day, Yuan Ming's Mana had recovered, and without stopping, he channeled his Mana into the incense burner.

However, just as his Mana was about to run out, he suddenly discovered that the incense burner had begun to repel his Mana. No matter how he tried, the subsequent Mana could no longer be channeled into it.

At this point, the Tai Chi Pattern on the incense burner was only partially lit, looking to be about one-seventh of the entire diagram.

"Is this the limit for Mana infusion? Can I no longer light up the Tai Chi Pattern by infusing Mana?" Yuan Ming thought of many possibilities, but had to give up for now.

Fortunately, the next day, when Yuan Ming tried to infuse Mana again, he found that the incense burner began absorbing his Mana once more.

But just like the previous day, it was only able to light up about one-seventh of the Tai Chi Pattern before beginning to repel Yuan Ming's Mana, meaning that it would take at least seven days to fully light up the Tai Chi Pattern.

It also meant that in five days, Yuan Ming could undergo possession once again.

After confirming this, Yuan Ming looked at the last piece of Black Incense in the incense burner and fell into deep thought.

He had only this last piece of incense left; once used, he would lose the opportunity to possess again, and right now Yuan Ming had not yet clarified the workings of this type of possession, he couldn't ensure that one possession would get the answers he desired.

So, he decided to continue lighting the incense only after obtaining more Black Incense.

The next day, early morning.

Yuan Ming came early to Qingfu Hall.

A young Deacon Disciple, seeing this, immediately came to greet him.

"Senior Brother, I would like to buy some incense," Yuan Ming said straightforwardly.

"Incense? Is it for calming and focusing the mind, to assist in cultivation?" The young deacon asked uncertainly upon hearing this.

"No, I just need ordinary incense... the kind used for offerings," Yuan Ming explained.

The young deacon stared at Yuan Ming for a long time, making sure he was not joking before shaking his head and saying:

"Our Sect does not engage in worshipping deities, we generally do not sell incense. Senior Brother, if you want to buy, I'm afraid you have to look in the local markets outside."

"Could you show me the type of incense you mentioned?" Yuan Ming thought for a moment and then said.

"Wait a moment."

After signaling with a shout, the young deacon quickly returned with a palm-sized round wooden box.

"This is Ningxin Incense, used during meditation. It can calm and purify the mind, enhancing your concentration," the young deacon explained as he opened the box.

Yuan Ming saw a layer of dark red powder inside, emitting a faint sandalwood scent.

He sighed, thanked the young deacon, and left.

This was far from the incense he wanted.

If even Qingfu Hall within the Sect didn't have it, it was even less likely to be available at other halls.

Leaving Qingfu Hall, Yuan Ming began to consider leaving the Sect to make a trip outside, as he felt restless with every day that passed without progress.

He returned to the Fire Refining Hall and headed straight for the Fire Workshop where he met Brother Fang Ge.

"How long have you been in the sect, and you already want to go on a journey?" Fang Ge asked in some surprise.

In the Biluo Cave, it was not uncommon for disciples and elders to journey outside, but mostly it was those who had practiced for many years without progress in their cultivation, who would travel abroad for a while to become calm and focused and seek opportunities for a breakthrough.

However, it was rare for someone like Yuan Ming, who had not even been in the sect for a year, to plan on traveling outside.

"Brother knows that although I've not been in the sect for long, my cultivation efforts have still been diligent. I've been feeling somewhat tired recently and would like to travel outside for a while. Perhaps upon my return, my cultivation and mindset might both have grown," Yuan Ming said, his voice somewhat deep, his expression earnest.

"That being said, it also seems fine. How long do you plan to be out? This must be recorded in the register," said Fang Ge.

Upon hearing that, Yuan Ming hesitated slightly, not having yet decided exactly how long he wanted to be away.

After all, the Black Incense was different from ordinary incense, and he couldn't say for sure when he might find it.

"Let me put it this way, under normal circumstances, Registered Disciples in the Qi Refinement Realm are not permitted to travel outside for more than three months. Those who overstay and do not return will be expelled from the sect, regarded as deserters, and the Law and Regulations Hall will issue a warrant for their arrest, regardless of life or death," Brother Fang Ge looked at Yuan Ming, his demeanor becoming somewhat solemn.

"Having the support of the sect is not easy to come by; who would be foolish enough to desert the sect to become a Loose Cultivator who doesn't know where their next meal is coming from? I'll just take a three-month leave to travel," Yuan Ming joked, yet he couldn't help but think of that Cultivator from the Central Plains, "Ma Xingkong," who had a bounty of a thousand contribution points on the Execution Hall's stele.

"That's acceptable. However, just to let you know, during your journey, the monthly salary provided by the sect will be suspended and will only continue upon your return," Brother Fang Ge nodded and added.

"That's only proper."

"Furthermore, once you're outside, remember when interacting with common folks, do not misuse your mana, nor kill mortals without due cause," Fang Ge cautioned him.

"Will there be any consequences?" Yuan Ming asked.

He asked this not because he feared that he would engage in such behavior and bear the risks someday, but because, thinking about what had been done by the Beast Slave Hall, it seemed somewhat contradictory to what Brother Fang Ge had said.

"Whether they are ordinary people or Cultivators, after all, we share the same world, and naturally, it's not possible to be completely isolated. In fact, most ordinary worlds are under the influence of various Cultivation sects. Randomly killing mortals is sometimes seen as a provocation to the Cultivation sects and can bring about unnecessary trouble," Fang Ge explained.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming understood that even ordinary people lived under the control of Cultivation forces.

But this realization made him wonder if the actions of the Beast Slave Hall, whether hunting Wild Men or massacring villages, were just acts of villainy on their own territory?

Thinking of this, Yuan Ming couldn't help but feel a sense of indescribable revulsion.

"The reason I tell you this is more in the hope that you can discipline yourself, and avoid committing senseless killings," Brother Fang Ge spoke again, cautioning him.

Clearly, he also knew that such restrictions weren't very strong; much depended on the Cultivator's own reflection and self-discipline.

"Yuan Ming will keep Brother's teachings in mind," Yuan Ming said, bowing with his fists clenched.

"Right, when you go to the ordinary world, it's hard to do anything without money. Remember to go to the Qingfu Hall to exchange some silver coins to take with you," Brother Fang Ge nodded in satisfaction and then added another piece of advice.

After Yuan Ming nodded in agreement, he then took his leave.

He went back to make all the necessary preparations. He wanted to inform Silver Cat, but he couldn't find him.

Thus, he left a note on the desk inside the window that read, "Traveling outside, will return after three months," and then he left the Biluo Cave directly.

...

A few days later.

A man dressed in a blue robe, riding a black horse, was slowly moving along a mountain trail.

His features were handsome and youthful, yet his face did not show any signs of immaturity; it was Yuan Ming, who had left the sect.

At that moment, he sat on the horse, gently holding the reins, his eyes slightly closed as if letting the horse carry him forward, but whenever they reached a fork in the road, or the horse strayed off the path, he would gently pull on the reins, adjusting the direction.

Above him, a black raven spread its wings and flew over the forest, its eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

The reason Yuan Ming did not need to watch the road was because of the raven's vision.

Another two ravens had also been released to scout the path and to practice his ability to simultaneously control three ravens and monitor three viewpoints.

This was actually a form of cultivation, training his Soul Cultivator abilities and command skills.

Soon, one of the ravens spotted a village built in a valley, housing approximately thirty-seven to thirty-eight families, all living in fenced bamboo houses and wooden buildings.

Yuan Ming's spirits lifted slightly, and he opened his eyes.

This was the largest village he had encountered in the past few days.

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