Iram Rai swiftly reached the shores of the Chaos Sea. The distance from Diria village to the sea was roughly three thousand miles, and adjacent to its coast stood a bustling port city—one under the dominion of the Nivaria Kingdom. From here, ships were regularly available for travel to other realms. The city served as a commercial hub where numerous merchant chambers—both large and small—conducted a variety of businesses across realms.
Unlike her usual cautious self, Iram Rai did not bother concealing her identity or her son's presence as she entered the city. The name of the port was Amiya—one of the five maritime cities of the Nivaria Kingdom. All of the spirit stone income from these coastal cities went directly to the kingdom's treasury. To maintain control and security, each of these cities was guarded by a high-level cultivator in the Soul Transformation realm and was protected by complex array formations. These formations could instantly detect unauthorized entries and activate deadly killing arrays the moment any cultivator attempted to sneak in without paying the official tax.
In short, bypassing the city tax was nearly impossible.
As Iram approached the city gates, she was surprised to find an unusually large crowd of cultivators gathering. Many appeared eager to pay the toll and gain entry quickly. The crowd consisted mostly of cultivators in the Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Soul Formation realms. A few among them were even from the Soul Transformation realm, though they were clearly concealing their true cultivation level.
From the anxious buzz among the cultivators, Iram quickly surmised that word had spread about the current state of the Ice Rule Realm. She stepped forward, her curiosity piqued, and adopted the aura of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator before addressing an elderly cultivator in the line.
"Fellow Daoist," she asked politely, "why is there such a rush to enter Amiya City today?"
The old cultivator turned his sharp, suspicious eyes toward Iram and her child, his gaze filled with disbelief, as if questioning whether she truly belonged in this realm at all.
"You don't know what's happening in the Ice Rule Realm?" he said, frowning.
She shook her head. "I don't. I've been staying in a small village with my son. We've only come to Amiya to buy some rare herbs. I need to prepare a batch of medicinal pills. But it seems we'll have to wait quite some time to enter."
The old man let out a sigh. "Even if you wait all day, it won't make a difference. The city guards have increased the entry tax tenfold. Everyone wants to flee the Ice Rule Realm right now. Soldiers and cultivators from both the Blizzardheart Empire and the Nivaria Kingdom are abandoning it."
He paused for a moment before lowering his voice. "Rumor has it that a Chaos Treasure has emerged in the realm. That has drawn Immortal Realm and even Godhood-level cultivators from other realms. With beings of such power clashing, the very rules of the realm are unraveling. Low-level cultivators like us won't survive if the realm descends into total chaos."
The man's voice grew grim. "You do know, don't you, that cultivators of the Blizzardheart Empire and Nivaria Kingdom carry almost no Chaos Blood Essence in their bodies? If the realm laws collapse, we'll all perish. That's why everyone's trying to escape."
He looked toward the entrance gates where the guards were collecting taxes. "And of course, the city lords are exploiting the situation. They're charging outrageous fees just to let people in."
The old cultivator gave Iram one final glance—his eyes tired, yet resolute. "Money means nothing in the face of death. Yet, people still gamble their lives for it," he muttered. Then, without another word, he turned and approached the guards to pay the inflated fee.
Iram watched him go, her heart heavy. Perhaps, she thought, all of this—the deaths of mortals and cultivators alike—will happen because of me and my child. Most may not even realize it. But what can I do? Maybe this is all part of fate's grand design.
And yet, that is the very reason cultivators strive for power—to defy fate, to reshape the laws of Heaven and Earth according to their will. Clenching her fist, Iram felt her Dao Heart strengthen. I could have died today, she thought, if not for a stroke of luck. But now, I live—stronger than before—because of my child. He is my reason to keep going.
Her eyes softened as she turned to her child, looking at him with deep maternal affection. Before I face those who attacked me and take their lives in vengeance, I must first devote time to raising him, nurturing him, loving him.
Meanwhile, deep inside her child Adarsh, the Divine Soul and the soul residing within the Chaos Blood Lotus were undergoing profound changes. The soul within his human body remained in a damaged, dormant state—resting. But the soul inside the Chaos Blood Lotus was gradually healing, infused with pure Chaos Energy. Mysterious transformations were taking place. The soul energy was slowly fusing with the Chaos Energy, evolving into an entirely new kind of essence. A strange new energy was forming—its properties not yet fully understood.
However, due to the diminished divine power in Adarsh's body, his consciousness remained in a meditative trance. He was completely unaware of what was happening outside. Iram pulled him close to her chest, shielding him as she walked toward the city gate.
Before approaching the guards, Iram slightly increased her cultivation level—revealing the aura of a Soul Formation realm cultivator. Immediately, the guards straightened and gave a respectful bow.
"Senior," one of them said carefully, "the City Lord has declared that even senior cultivators are forbidden from entering without paying the tax. We respectfully ask that you comply."
Iram kept her voice composed. "How much is the toll?"
"Either one thousand low-grade spirit stones," the guard replied, "or ten mid-grade ones."
Without hesitation, Iram reached into her spatial bangle and produced ten mid-grade spirit stones, handing them over.
The guards, relieved, looked at the child in her arms.
"What?" Iram said sharply. "Do I need to pay tax for my child as well?"
"Y-yes, Senior," one of them stammered, shivering under the subtle pressure of her ice-elemental aura. "Those are the orders from our superiors."
Iram didn't wish to cause trouble. She understood the guards were merely following orders. Nonetheless, she let a faint trace of her power leak out—just enough to make the surrounding cultivators and the guards sense the true depth of her strength. She wanted everyone to know: she was not to be underestimated.
She handed over another ten mid-grade spirit stones without further word. For now, she didn't want conflict. What mattered most was entering the city safely with her child.
With the toll paid and no further resistance, Iram Rai finally stepped into the City of Amiya. Her next destination: the sea port, where ships waited to carry passengers across the realms.