At the Celestial Bureau, the fifth elder and his assistant(young man), along with several officers, were welcoming an important guest.

The Southern Region’s Chief Director of the Celestial Bureau, Hao Ran, was a true Nascent Soul master.

He wore a grand dark blue robe and had a full head of black hair tied up in a crown, looking like a dignified and imposing middle-aged man.

Hao Ran’s hands and feet were large, and his tall stature added to his intimidating presence.

As he walked past the officers, his stern expression made everyone feel immense pressure.

In the silence, the fifth elder stepped forward, bowing nervously, “Master Hao Ran.”

“Regarding the breach in the southern primal forest barrier, as mentioned in the previous letter…”

Hao Ran interrupted him abruptly, “Where is the gap? Take me there.”

If any locals from the Southern Region were present, they would have been shocked.

To them, the Celestial Bureau Fifth Elder was a highly respected figure, yet here he was, being scolded.

But the fifth elder seemed used to it.

The Fifth Celestial Family emphasized a strict hierarchy, where the strong were respected and the weak were pushed aside.

Positions and resources were earned through competition, and anyone who couldn’t adapt to these rules would simply leave.

The fifth elder bowed and led the way for Hao Ran.

Hao Ran seemed unwilling to waste time.

He used a rare one-way teleportation scroll.

With a swish, the scroll opened, revealing a dark gap.

“Locate it!” Hao Ran ordered.

The fifth elder quickly formed a seal, and the two of them disappeared.

The gap in the barrier was located near the center of the primal forest.

It was small, about the size of a person.

The space around the gap was dark and twisted, making it dizzying to look at.

Hao Ran’s stern expression softened slightly. “It’s still sealable. If the gap were any larger, I would have to report it, and you can forget about keeping your position!”

The fifth elder sighed in relief, understanding the severity of the situation. He bowed, “Thank you for handling this, Master Hao Ran.”

Hao Ran snorted, and a square mirror appeared in his palm.

The mirror was made of bronze and inscribed with ancient runes, simple yet extraordinary.

The fifth elder held his breath.

This was the Ding Tian Four-Square Mirror, a top-tier artifact stored in the Celestial Bureau’s treasury.

It was not just an artifact but a legacy of the Ancient Celestial Family, guarding various regions.

Hao Ran glanced at the fifth elder, “You haven’t gotten so comfortable in the Southern Region that you’ve forgotten the incantation for the Ding Tian Four-Square Mirror, have you?”

This jab was a complaint about the trouble caused.

The fifth elder didn’t dare respond, quickly forming a hand seal.

Together with Hao Ran and the mirror, they started repairing the barrier.

They worked continuously for an hour.

The fifth elder’s face had turned pale, and his hands were stiff, struggling to maintain the hand seals.

Repairing a space-time barrier is no small task.

Without the Four-Square Mirror, even two Nascent Soul masters would be helpless.

Finally, the last gap slowly closed.

Once fully sealed, the area rippled like water before becoming completely still.

The fifth elder collapsed to the ground.

The Four-Square Mirror hummed twice and fell from mid-air, caught by Hao Ran.

On closer inspection, the ancient runes on the mirror had faded and disappeared, making it look like an ordinary mirror.

To Hao Ran, the disappearance of the runes was like losing a fortune.

His mood soured. “The Four-Square Mirror needs at least five years to recover. During this time, you must closely monitor the southern forest. If another gap appears, don’t come to me. Seal it by any means necessary. If you can’t, you’ll pay with your life!”

The fifth elder felt as if he had fallen into an abyss but dared not argue, only nodding in agreement.

Regardless, the gap was finally sealed.

The two returned to the Celestial Bureau, now able to discuss other matters.

Hao Ran sat at the head, having just heard the fifth elder report that he had captured all the escaped beasts and pushed them back into the gap.

Since the gap was small, no high-level beasts had escaped.

This bit of good news softened Hao Ran’s expression slightly, though his tone remained sarcastic. “You sure know how to protect your position.”

The fifth elder replied earnestly, “If I didn’t, I’d be letting down your trust.”

Hao Ran snorted.

The fifth elder was right.

Despite Hao Ran’s sarcasm, he would be the first to worry if the Fifth Elder lost his position.

The Fifth Elder was appointed by Hao Ran himself.

If the fifth elder were replaced, someone else might take his spot, which Hao Ran wouldn’t like.

Speaking more freely in private, Hao Ran said, “Keep your position secure! The Feng family already controls the prosperous Eastern Region and wants to meddle in the Southern Region too. If you step down, the Southern Region will be even more chaotic.”

The Feng family was one of the two major Celestial families on the Qianyuan Continent, alongside the Fifth Elder’s family ( Their Family ).

Hao Ran was referring to the rival Feng family.

After harshly criticizing the Feng family, Hao Ran shifted the topic, “You mentioned the Qin family helped with the forest anomaly?”

“Which Qin family?” Hao Ran was unsure.

“The Qin family that moved from Yingzhou in the Eastern Region to the Southern Ridge. Their Ancestors were Nascent Soul masters, but later Yingzhou had an upheaval…”

“Oh, right,” Hao Ran remembered.

If it were just an ordinary small family, he might not recall, but the Qin family stood out.

They had relocated to the Southern Region with his approval.

To gain his approval, the fifth elder nodded.

“Are you saying that the Qin family hasn’t fallen and actually shows signs of revival?”

Among the Celestial Families, belief in fortune and fate was common.

After the upheaval in Yingzhou, the Qin family’s fortunes were believed to have been severed, which typically meant they would struggle to recover.

The fifth elder nodded, “The Qin family’s fortune did take a downturn for a while, but it seems to have improved from a certain point onward.

Currently, three members of the clan have reached Foundation Establishment, and their ancestor is on the verge of reaching Core Formation.”

The fifth elder was quite satisfied with the way the Qin family had handled things this time, so he didn’t hesitate to praise them in front of Hao Ran.

Hao Ran didn’t seem to mind much, saying bluntly, “If you see potential, you can secretly support them a bit, but don’t overdo it and give others to critize on you.”

Although the Celestial Bureau officially remained neutral and didn’t interfere in family affairs, privately showing favoritism towards certain families and supporting them was common practice due to various interests involved.

Hao Ran’s straightforwardness was such that he didn’t bother hiding it.

After briefly mentioning the Qin family, the conversation quickly returned to the matter of the barrier gap, as it was Hao Ran’s main concern.

Oh, not entirely.

He also briefly mentioned the Hundred Families Conference, instructing the fifth elder to start focusing on selecting talents, which was crucial for the reputation of the Southern Region.

The fifth elder couldn’t help but think of the clever girl from the Qin family.

He wanted to mention that he had found a promising talent, but considering he had already brought up the Qin family earlier, he feared irritating Hao Ran and swallowed his words.

With that settled, several days later, the Celestial Bureau openly praised the Qin family for their contribution to quelling the turmoil in the southern forest.

In the Qin family’s estate, Qin Deming beckoned to his daughter Qin Ruqing, “Come here, daughter, see what the Celestial Bureau has sent us.”

Qin Ruqing ambled over, initially indifferent.

Such open gifts from the Immortal Registry were usually reasonable and predictable, without any surprises.

True to form, when her father presented the gift list, Qin Ruqing glanced at it uninterestedly and teased, “Father, our family’s treasury has received another windfall. Enjoy it yourself. Why tell me?”