"Wind blowing from an empty cave need not be without cause. Why would so many rumors suddenly spring up when all was well? Clearly, this cannot be mere baseless talk..."
"Father, do you mean someone is testing us?"
"Heh... if anyone has the standing to set this in motion, it could only be that man. Would he even need to test us?"
In a separate courtyard belonging to the Heavenly Origin Association in the Central Province of the Spirit-Taming World, Yin Yuanzheng, an elder of the Heavenly Realms Alliance known as the "Profound Heaven Venerable," strolled leisurely through the rear courtyard of the inner residence with his eldest son, Yin Xiong, discussing recent events on Cloud Summit Peak.
"Since the Heavenly Origin Association was founded, everything has gone smoothly. We also happened upon an excellent opportunity for an expedition into the Otherworld, riding the favorable winds of the Heavenly Realms Alliance..."
"It is indeed time to seek an enduring foundation."
After passing through a long corridor, their view suddenly opened up. They had arrived before a waterside pavilion built specifically for admiring lotus flowers.
Looking out over the railing, they saw lotuses filling the pond. A school of carp accustomed to being fed surfaced at the sight of people, jostling to beg for food.
Smiling, Yin Yuanzheng casually grabbed a handful of feed from the wooden scoop kept hanging on the railing and scattered it into the water, setting the fish scrambling.
"An enduring foundation!" A sharp gleam flashed in Yin Xiong's eyes.
"During these past two years and more, I have withdrawn to recuperate, but I have not neglected the Alliance's affairs. On the contrary, I have had more time to handle mundane matters, and I have truly come to see that he possesses lofty ambitions."
"This enfeoffment is