Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Master Mingxuan looked out at the clouds and mist, and slowly spoke.

"I didn't have anyone selected to enter the secret realm before, and Meng Hao asked me about the quota, but he wasn't willing to offer anything truly valuable in exchange."

Considering our shared background as fellow disciples, I neither agreed nor refused.

It seems he knew about your visit, and now he can't sit still any longer.

A faint smile played at the corners of his lips: "Looks like you're in a bit of trouble."

His gaze was no longer indifferent; instead, it revealed a hint of anticipation, as if he were watching a good show.

A moment later, a Foundation Establishment cultivator dressed in brocade robes with a forced smile on his face walked cautiously into the courtyard.

It was Meng Hao, the man Mingxuan had mentioned, who adopted a very humble posture.

Behind him followed his son, Meng Xu, who was in his early twenties and at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining. He had a resemblance to Meng Hao in his features and sharp eyes.

Unlike his father, he was not cautious, and his gaze kept sweeping over Lin Zhao.

"Senior Brother Mingxuan." Meng Hao bowed respectfully to Venerable Mingxuan.

His tone was quite polite, even a little ingratiating, "I apologize for disturbing your cultivation, senior brother."

"Is there something you need, Junior Brother Meng?" Master Mingxuan asked in a flat tone, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Upon hearing this, Meng Hao immediately stepped forward, adopting an extremely humble posture.

Although he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator belonging to the same faction, he was an external member of the market.

Master Mingxuan was an internal member, and his position within the organization was not low. He was well aware of the vast difference in status between himself and Master Mingxuan.

His cave dwelling was in the market below, and he was only able to come up here now thanks to some past ties with his fellow disciples.

He quickly replied, "It's about the quota for that secret realm. I've thought about it a lot these past few days, and I still feel that this opportunity is too good to pass up."

As he spoke, a jade box appeared in his hand. The lid was slightly ajar, and a medicinal fragrance immediately wafted out, clearly indicating that it contained a valuable spiritual item.

"I am willing to exchange this 300-year-old second-tier 'Azure Jade Fungus' for the spot that you have, senior brother, and bestow it upon my son, Mengxu. I hope you will grant my request."

Lin Zhao, who was watching from the side, thought to himself:

Despite both being at the Foundation Establishment stage, their status in Tianyun Market is worlds apart.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the calm-looking clan chief, Lin Shanhe, beside him.

A thought flashed through my mind: this old fox probably already knew that Master Mingxuan held an extraordinary position in Tianyun Market, which is why he rushed me here.

Master Mingxuan didn't even glance at the jade box, turning his gaze to Lin Zhao and calmly saying, "Junior Brother Meng, you're late. I've already promised this spot to this young friend Lin Zhao."

"Him?" Meng Hao's gaze instantly fell on Lin Zhao, especially when he sensed Lin Zhao's Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation and unfamiliar aura.

A flicker of surprise and resentment crossed his face.

But he quickly suppressed his anger and forced a smile, saying to Master Mingxuan, "Senior brother, this person looks unfamiliar, and his cultivation seems... somewhat lacking."

The secret realm was fraught with danger. My son, Meng Xu, was, after all, one of our own, and his cultivation had already reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Both in terms of strength and reliability, it seems more secure. Senior brother, would you like to reconsider?

Meng Xu, standing behind him, suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Zhao's face.

His eyes held a mixture of defiance and a hint of provocation.

However, he still remembered his cultivation level and dared not speak recklessly in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so he could only wear his dissatisfaction on his face.

When Master Mingxuan saw this scene, he remained calm and said nothing.

Meng Hao felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that Master Mingxuan's mind was made up and that it was impossible to force him.

But he was truly unwilling to let a spot in the secret realm be taken by a cultivator of unknown origin, and his mind raced.

Suddenly he laughed and said, "Senior brother's word is as good as gold, so junior brother would naturally not dare to put senior brother in a difficult position."

However... since this young friend Lin has won the favor of his senior brother, he must have some extraordinary abilities.

I have a favor to ask: how about letting my son have a friendly spar with this young friend Lin, and the winner gets the spot?

In this way, my son will be convinced, we will also witness Lin's talent, and it will seem fairer. What do you and Lin think, Senior Brother?

He left the decision-making power to Lin Zhao, speaking politely but with a hint of provocation in his eyes, clearly showing great confidence in his son's abilities.

Master Mingxuan remained noncommittal, then looked at Lin Zhao: "Lin Zhao, what do you think?"

Lin Zhao took a deep breath, meeting Meng Xu's provocative gaze, but her heart remained largely unmoved.

He knew perfectly well that if Master Mingxuan truly didn't want to, he wouldn't have given Meng Hao and his son the chance to reach the summit.

Now that we're here, this is an inevitable test, though the form may differ.

But the real reason is to see how strong Lin Zhao really is and whether he is qualified to hold this spot.

He has fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood over the past few years, experiencing far more life-and-death battles than ordinary family scions. How could he be afraid of sparring?

Moreover, this spot in the secret realm is related to the secret technique for reaching the twelfth level of Qi Refining, and even more so to his future path after Foundation Establishment.

This is a struggle over the Dao.

He was determined to win and had absolutely no reason to back down!

He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Master Mingxuan, and said in a clear and firm voice, "This junior is willing to compete."

"Alright." Master Mingxuan nodded. "Then let's have a simple spar right here, stopping when we've reached our limit."

Without any further movement, he merely raised his fingertips slightly, releasing a ray of spiritual light that flowed into the trunk of the azure jade tree beside him.

On the tree trunk, the mysterious cloud patterns shone with a clear light, and a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation spread out like ripples.

Above everyone's heads, spiritual mist gathered wildly and instantly condensed into a semi-transparent cloud platform with a radius of 100 meters!

The cloud platform shimmered with light, and runes were faintly visible along its edges, exuding a stable barrier aura.

This is clearly their training ground.

A glint of triumph flashed in Meng Hao's eyes, while Meng Xu's lips curled into a sinister smile as he eagerly leaped onto the cloud platform.

Lin Zhao stepped steadily into the barrier, his aura instantly receding, like a sword about to be drawn.

A contest to determine who gets a spot in the secret realm is about to unfold on the cloud platform.

The two faced each other in the center of the cloud platform, with swirling clouds beneath their feet and a blurred barrier of light surrounding them.

"Admit defeat now, get out of there, and you'll avoid some physical pain!"

Meng Xu slightly raised his chin, his tone laced with disdain, as if victory was already assured.

Lin Zhao sighed inwardly, thinking, "Another scion of a noble family who doesn't know the cruelty of the world."

Although Lin Zhao is mostly cautious in her actions, she sometimes lacks the courage to take a desperate gamble in pursuit of the Great Dao.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have participated in this beast tide battlefield.

He said no more, only uttering a few words: "Let's see who's the best!"