After a year of diligent trading, Noe ?? finally accumulated enough Spirit Stones to rent a fertile Spirit Land (Linh ?i?n). He entrusted the land to the small Halflings ?????, giving them agricultural work that matched their strengths and preferences. With employment, the Halflings became joyful, working hard and diligently ??, no longer running around stealing petty items. Joy was evident on their faces as they contributed their labor. They dedicated a portion of the land to growing Spirit Food (Linh Th?c), energy-rich food types, to sustain their daily meals.

  However, once they started working, the Immortal City immediately cut off financial aid to the Halfling group. Some felt unfairly treated, so they quit farming and returned to the subsidized housing area to receive city aid, getting money without working, indulging in laziness ??. Others took advantage, both working in the Spirit Land and claiming unemployment to receive city aid and a salary—a blatant fraud ??.

  The City, in addition to providing good incentives to land renters, also hired a Spirit Beast Guard ??. This was a three-tailed Red Spirit Fox, capable of transforming into an exceptionally handsome man—its facial features, whether male or female, were outstandingly beautiful ?—thus often called the Beautiful Spirit Fox (Linh H? M? Nhan).

  He was a very lazy person, who spent all day sleeping, and only returned late at night after wandering around. Although lazy, he was very powerful. Noe once saw him single-handedly defeat three mages simultaneously. When fighting, he wore a mask to hide his handsome face, focusing entirely on combat with his ability to control Fire Fox (H?a H?), the blazing fox flames.

  Noe did not participate in the cultivation process, but he actively participated in harvesting the Spirit Herbs and selling them to apothecaries in the region, combined with selling the Elixir Water ?? he concocted. He quickly earned money and rented two more plots of land. One plot continued to be used for cultivating herbs for livestock feed by the Halflings.

  The third plot was for raising various adorable Spirit Beasts ?? like Spirit Chickens, Spirit Dogs, Spirit Mice, and Spirit Cats as pets for Immortals or Beastkin. All of them had the ability to communicate and understand human speech, but could not yet talk or shapeshift. Noe spent almost the entire day in the third garden, constantly busy caring for the Spirit Beasts. This was the time when Noe was happiest and smiled the most ??, according to ?oàn Chính when he visited Noe.

  ---------------------

  ?oàn Chính went

  ?oàn Chính went with a Halfling to explore the city , extremely happy , his every step was like bouncing. Suddenly, ?oàn Chính bumped into someone. He looked at ?oàn Chính like a piece of trash crawling out from under a sewer , for daring to touch his expensive shirt.

  There were also 4 tall bodyguards around , including bodyguards who were half-humans (lion head, human body and ox head, human body) , with fierce expressions. The man pointed at ?oàn Chính with a look full of arrogance , rubbing his nose because he smelled horse manure and said:

  "You horse herder, do you know who my father is, huh?".

  ?oàn Chính was confused, shaking his head , stammering:

  "No no, I... I'm sorry, sir.".

  The wealthy man saw the accompanying little Halfling and shouted loudly:

  "Thief! Thief! Arrest the accomplice of the thief. He touched me, he surely wanted to steal something!".

  The wealthy young man used every word to humiliate : asking about his parents, cursing ?oàn Chính's deity, badly scolding ?oàn Chính's master , every word was full of humiliation , extremely harsh to hear , like invisible whips lashing at ?oàn Chính's heart.

  After that, he condensed a fireball in his hand and threw it straight at ?oàn Chính's face , causing him slight burns , a sizzling sound of fire. ?oàn Chính begged profusely but he did not forgive. Four close guards held ?oàn Chính tightly , allowing this wealthy young man to torture him, punching, kicking or throwing fire , a truly cruel scene.

  The little Halfling, nimble, hid himself and ran to find Hàn Th??ng , one of the supervisors of this area. Hàn Th??ng just arrived and spoke loudly, his voice echoing full of authority :

  "Stop hands! There are laws and order here, self-justice is strictly prohibited. Everyone follow me to be questioned!".

  The wealthy young man laughed disdainfully and said: "Do you know who my father is, huh? Who allows you to order me? Go! Beat him for me!".

  The wealthy young man saw the close guards hesitate, so he angrily pointed at the Half-Human Tiger Head and human body and said:

  "Tiger animal, rush up and bite him for me!".

  Pointing at the Close Guard Ox Head and human body:

  "Ox animal, gore him!".

  Both half-human guards had been insulted by this young man many times , this time they were insulted in the middle of the crowd , because everyone was gathering to watch out of curiosity. He even ordered them to beat the Supervisor , which was considered a heavy crime here. So both signaled to each other , retreated to the back , keeping a distance , ignoring whatever the master wanted to curse , a silent act of defiance.

  The wealthy young man cursed for a while, then turned to Hàn Th??ng and said:

  "You do not have the right to arrest me, the City Lord is my father!".

  Hàn Th??ng understood this person was afraid of being arrested, being the son of some City Lord , and immediately said:

  "This is the law, no matter who you are, you must be arrested , taken to investigate and then judged.".

  Hàn Th??ng pointed to some Crystal Orbs on the road and said:

  "These are both lights and record all movements and words. Just by checking, we will know immediately who is right and who is wrong.".

  After a period of argument, another Supervisor also arrived , coordinating with Hàn Th??ng to take everyone involved for investigation. Everyone around who heard was very happy , they cheered when they saw that wealthy man being arrested , roaring cheers. ?oàn Chính was released immediately after that , while that young man and his accomplices were temporarily detained for many days , until the busy father, a wealthy City Lord , came and paid the fine before they were released.

  ?oàn Chính and Noe also appeared here , to be compensated and finish the paperwork issues. ?oàn Chính looked in the direction of the wealthy City Lord , and saw a faint black shadow behind him. Noe observed ?oàn Chính looking into the empty space and asked:

  "What do you see?".

  ?oàn Chính described: "A faint black shadow , looks like a person but indistinct , constantly hovering behind him.".

  Noe, after hearing the description, immediately said: "This is the Yin-Yang Eyes (?m D??ng Nh?n) , capable of seeing ghosts of the dead and Divine Souls (Th?n h?n).

  Chính, when did you get this?".

  ?oàn Chính replied, his voice slightly hesitant : "Since the day, Sir helped me awaken , that near-death experience. But this is my suffering , constantly being teased by ghosts , very annoying.".

  Noe smiled brightly and said: "Yin-Yang Eyes are a mandatory condition for cultivating Divine Cultivation (Th?n Tu) , close your eyes so I can guide you how to open and close the Yin-Yang Eyes.".

  After a moment, ?oàn Chính was able to do it. Noe said: "Chính, do you want to be my disciple? I will teach you the Divine Cultivation method.".

  ?oàn Chính smiled brightly, immediately knelt down to bow and said: "Greetings, Master!".

  Noe laughed and said: "Alright, stand up. Divine Cultivation's main purpose is to accumulate and use Merit (C?ng ??c). We will talk about using it later, I will show you how to earn Merit. Merit is divided into 3 types:

  - Yang Merit (D??ng ??c) is helping living creatures ,

  -Yin Merit (?m ??c) is helping dead creatures ,

  -Divine Merit (Th?n ??c) is helping divine beings.".

  "The value of Yang Merit is the lowest , Yin Merit is medium , Divine Merit is the highest , they can be mutually exchanged. Follow me, let's do it together!".

  ?oàn Chính walked close to that wealthy City Lord , opened his Yin-Yang Eyes and transmitted a thought to the ghost in that area. That ghost immediately had a reaction, flying closer to ?oàn Chính , transmitting a thought back: "You see me?".

  ?oàn Chính replied: "Yes, how can I help you?". Right after that was a stream of thought transmitted straight into ?oàn Chính's head , nearly the ghost's entire life was like a fast-forward movie , causing ?oàn Chính a slight headache.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Right after that, the ghost disappeared. Noe knew this ghost , this was the one who chased him before so he did not want to help , and he also did not dare to ask Noe. The ghost's purpose was to help his father and his younger brother. His father was busy so the two brothers rarely got to meet him , only when there was trouble did his father appear. This was also a rare opportunity for father and sons to meet and spend much time together.

  That's why the two brothers continuously caused trouble to get arrested , then waited for their father to come rescue them , having a chance to be close to their father.

  Noe heard ?oàn Chính retell it and was annoyed, frowning : "Excessive love for children , no discipline at all , it's strange if they don't turn bad!".

  Noe went to meet Hàn Trung , and asked for an introduction to meet this wealthy City Lord. Through ?oàn Chính , Noe arranged for the father and son to meet, chat and confide. When the Ghost was satisfied , he said goodbye and completely disappeared , because the wish had been fulfilled. The Ghost also did not mention anything about the story with Noe. When emotions had settled down ,

  Noe said: "From now on, the City Lord's son has gone , he will never return again , if anyone talks about summoning the City Lord's son's soul up then do not believe.".

  The City Lord replied, his voice slightly hesitant : "I understand.".

  Noe spoke a plan to teach the City Lord's son , after listening it was very interesting but the City Lord refused and left.

  A New Disciple: H?u Thành Danh ??

  This City Lord immediately conducted an investigation about Noe and Doanh Ch?. Doanh Ch? was a business partner so they met to find. Doanh Ch? praised Noe endlessly about the way he taught his son , transforming his mischievous son into a genius. The wealthy City Lord decided to send his son to Noe to raise and teach.

  This City Lord arranged for the family to appear bankrupt for his son to see : creditors coming to demand payment , the father fleeing , the family scattered everywhere. The City Lord's son went to find his partying friends. They saw his family was bankrupt, losing power immediately , so they chased him away

  His father sent him to learn a life lesson. The City Lord's son arrived at Noe's house with no door, no family, no friends, and not a single coin in his pocket. He was forced by Noe to dig the ground, plant trees, and feed the Spirit Beasts, enduring much hardship compared to before—his body aching, his spirit broken ??. So, he ran away, but later returned because he didn't know how to earn a living; hunger forced him to come back. Noe taught, advised, and disciplined him appropriately, and the young man gradually became obedient.

  After a year, the This City Lord returned to pick up his son and told him the whole truth. The son was angry at his father for lying but also understood. He regarded Noe's house as his second home, often visited, and became a professional Beast Tamer (Thu?n Thú S?) ?? with a reputation in the region. His name was H?u Thành Danh. Valued by his father, Thành Danh participated in some affairs in H?u Thành (his city). The father and son often met due to work, and their affection grew stronger.

  Thành Danh later redeemed the Beautiful Spirit Fox and signed a Blood Pact (Kh? ??c máu) ?? with him. This pact granted the Spirit Fox more freedom—the right to leave the boring Immortal City and accompany Thành Danh on his adventurous journeys ???.

  With the Spirit Fox's assistance, who could transform into others for short periods, freely infiltrating various places to gather news, dangerous situations were often neutralized early. This made Thành Danh even more valued, combined with his ability to hear the voices of animals, allowing him to grasp all the news in the city.

  Rewards for good deeds, punishments for wrongdoings were managed appropriately. Thành Danh became a potential successor, possessing enough talent and connections to become the Future City Lord ??.

  ---------

  ?oàn Chính asked, "Can you read me more about the book on the formation of the world? I like it very much."

  Noah said, "Of course."

  Then came the Mortals, weak in countless ways, yet possessing special qualities. Their ability to perceive time, space, and emotion ?? evolved to the peak. Unlike Immortals and Gods, their wisdom was limited. But they were always joyful, singing and dancing day and night, spreading simple vitality.

  Long Xá ?? rebelled, expelled from the Divine Realm (Th?n Khu), causing chaos. Their further destruction brought the Mortal Realm (Phàm Khu) into disarray. Mortals who committed sins were banished to the dark, cold Underworld (??a Khu). There, they wept ceaselessly, their wails echoing endlessly ??.

  Mortals who lost their bodies transformed into Fiends (Ma Nhan) ?? full of resentment. Unending hatred birthed the Specters (Qu? Nhan) ??. The empty Underworld became noisy, filled with mournful cries. They looked upward, searching for a path, holding the hope of forgiveness ??.

  Mortals were the pioneers on the path of atonement. They left the dark Underworld and ascended to the luminous Mortal World (Phàm Tr?n). They continued to ascend, advancing to the pure Immortal Realm (Khu Tiên ??a). Not a few Mortals, through extraordinary effort, even managed to achieve Godhood ?.

  This news was shocking, Gods and Immortals alike were thrown into confusion, unable to believe it. "To be forgiven for sin, how could it be so easy?" they wondered. Gods descended to the Immortal Realm, and Immortals descended to the Mortal Realm, seeking to understand the truth. From this, giant species were born, and Beastkin (Thú Nhan) ?? appeared.

  Gods transformed solemnly, Immortals transformed beautifully, creating new forms. They overturned the order of places, giving birth to many strange things, challenging the old order. The Iron Law of the Celestial Layer (Lu?t S?t T?ng Thiên) began to shake, imminent collapse threatened. The Grand Heaven (??i Thiên) ?? was enraged, and the Supreme Deity exerted His might, determined to restore order.

  The Sky Pillar was cut, separating the world layers once more. The Heaven-Reaching Divine Wood (Th?ng Thiên Th?n M?c) was planted in four crucial locations. Governed by the Gods, it prevented free travel up and down. This was a punitive division, prisons for the disobedient ??.

  The Heavenly Scroll (Thiên Th?) ?? was written, the Heavenly Course (Thiên Trình) was opened, everything had been predetermined. It was not accidental, but something known from time immemorial. Gods and Immortals were terrified, punished too quickly, unable to react. Resistance was futile, hiding was useless, all efforts were in vain.

  The races were unconvinced, deeming the Supreme Deity unfair. They demanded the separation of the heavens and earth: Upper Heaven and Lower Heaven. They thought it impossible, but the Supreme Deity agreed. Three Heavens and Six Lands (Tam Thiên L?c ??a) ?? were formed, with temporary Laws in effect.

  Three powerful Sovereigns (Tam ??) were chosen to govern the vast Celestial Layer (T?ng Thiên). Six mighty Emperors (L?c Hoàng) were added to guard the immense Six Lands. The Supreme Deity was timeless, appearing and disappearing at will, impossible to predict ??. The Heavenly Scroll recorded all, with rewards and punishments due at the set time.

  A new era began, Divine Sentience (Th?n C?m) ?? took the throne, emotions reigned supreme. Divine Intellect (Th?n Trí) ?? temporarily receded, becoming a supporting factor, no longer the center. The energy of Divine Sentience poured down into the Three Heavens and Six Lands, flooding everywhere. Multi-colored emotions and varied forms of love connected all things.

  Mortals became the center, Gods and Immortals served as support. They competed to descend to the mortal world, to experience the challenging Sentience Zone (C?m Khu). Acting as Gods and Lords, Kings and Rulers of various places, they immersed themselves in mortal life. But caught in the dust of the mundane world, they could not return, bound by invisible ties ??.

  The Sentience Zone was easy to enter, but difficult to leave, mesmerizing the hearts of beings. Debts of karma and love, attachments could not be cast off, countless emotions held them back. The remaining Immortals and Gods were terrified to go, fearing the entanglement. The Celestial Layer was joyous, but the Mortal Realm was filled with debts of love.

  Debts to father, mother, country, and home. Children, spouses, sworn siblings, a myriad of emotional bonds. Added to this were hatred, opposing will, and contrary paths, pitfalls difficult to escape. Unwilling to leave, determined to win or lose, they were submerged in the cycle of reincarnation ??.

  This trial was not easy, no laughing matter. Cultivating the mind, cultivating the intellect, this was about cultivating the resolute heart ?????. To continue ascending, to continue growing. The magnificent Heaven-Equal Reward (Ph?n th??ng T? Thiên) ?? was placed right there at their feet, awaiting the worthy ones.