Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

He put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and said with an extremely solemn expression: "Because the sect you are going to is not in the Tongming Domain, nor is it any Nascent Soul power."

"Not in the Tongming Domain? Not a Nascent Soul sect?" Lin Zhao was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Xu Chuan.

Xu Chuan, however, wore an embarrassed yet suppressed laugh expression and said, "Brother Lin, it's not that I didn't want to tell you, it's just that Uncle Wu strictly ordered me to give you a 'surprise'..."

Lin Zhao only then realized that Master Mingxuan's surname was Wu.

Not a Nascent Soul cultivator? Then… Lin Zhao’s heart skipped a beat.

He blurted out, "It can't be... like Xuan Chen Valley, which Fairy Su joined, a Core Formation sect, can it?"

As soon as he said it, he himself thought it was impossible.

How could a Core Formation Sect bestow upon Tianyun Market such a superior status?

Upon hearing this, Lan Jingchi laughed and said, "Core Formation? Young friend Lin is joking."

"How could Fellow Daoist Mingxuan's sect be merely a Core Formation stage sect?"

Seeing the slightly puzzled look on Lin Zhao's face, Lan Jingchi deliberately paused before speaking:

"Although the Tongming Domain is vast, it is not the end of the world."

Do you, young friend Lin, really think that the Nascent Soul stage is the highest realm in the world of cultivation?

Lin Zhao said half-jokingly, "It's neither the Core Formation stage nor the Nascent Soul stage... Could it be the legendary Deity Transformation stage?"

He only mentioned it casually to ease the tension.

However, after he finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the teahouse.

Xu Chuan stared at his teacup, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rim. He neither denied nor responded.

Lin Zhao's expression froze instantly.

The Nascent Soul stage? That only exists in ancient texts and is regarded as a myth by cultivators.

Behind Tianyun Market... is a Nascent Soul stage power?!

He felt his throat was a little dry and subconsciously reached for the teacup in front of him, wanting to drink some tea to calm his nerves, but his fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

The Nascent Soul True Monarch was already the limit he could imagine; the Divine Transformation stage was simply a blazing sun hanging in the heavens!

No wonder the three major sects are so wary and yielding towards Tianyun Market; it's simply not on the same level!

After a long while, Lin Zhao forced himself to drink the spiritual tea in one gulp, suppressing the overwhelming shock in his heart.

He slowly put down his cup, looked at Xu Chuan, and gave a wry smile: "Brother Xu... you really kept this from me for a long time."

Xu Chuan then raised his head, looking somewhat embarrassed: "Brother Lin, please don't be offended. This was Uncle Wu's idea."

Knowing too much too soon will only confuse you; it's better to wait until you're on the road before making any decisions.

Lin Zhao took a deep breath and forced herself to accept this fact.

Seeing that he quickly recovered, Lan Jingchi's eyes showed even greater approval before he continued seriously:

"Since we've already started talking, I'll just say it directly."

The sect you will be joining during this assessment is called the Cloud Sea Azure Sea Sect.

He went on to say, "It's not in the Tongming Domain, but in the 'Ziyang Domain,' about 270,000 miles away. Yet its fame extends far beyond just one domain."

Lan Jingchi's voice carried an unprecedented solemnity: "The Yunhai Cangming Sect is the supreme ruler of Yunzhou! This land beneath our feet is called 'Yunzhou'."

The character "云" (cloud) represents the vast ocean of clouds!

This sect governs a total of 138 domains, including the Tongming Domain and the Yunxia Domain, making it a true world-suppressing holy sect!

Its lineage has endured for seventy thousand years, weathering countless storms and remaining steadfast!

Seventy thousand years! One hundred and thirty-eight domains! The World-Suppressing Holy Sect! Every word struck Lin Zhao's heart like a heavy hammer.

He couldn't imagine how powerful such a sect could be.

Xu Chuan chimed in, his voice tinged with pride and excitement: "Senior Lan is right! The Cloud Sea Azure Sea Sect is recognized as one of the seven overlord-level forces in the entire Cangyuan cultivation world!"

"The Seven Overlords?" Lin Zhao caught this new term.

Lan Jingchi nodded and continued, "The Cangyuan Realm is vast and boundless, encompassing nine continents."

To be ranked among the seven overlords means having a Nascent Soul Celestial Lord presiding over it, a lineage spanning at least tens of thousands of years, and an aura of power dominating an entire continent.

This is the true pinnacle of the cultivation world; the Cloud Sea Azure Sea Sect is one of them.

Xu Chuan added: "Among the seven overlords, there is also the Hundred Arts Immortal Alliance!"

They focus on various arts and crafts related to immortality, such as alchemy, artifacts, talismans, formations, and puppets. They conduct business by establishing chambers of commerce at various levels, and their network of influence extends to all regions.

The Tier 3 spirit boat we're traveling in is a product of the Hundred Arts Immortal Alliance.

Lin Zhao looked at Lan Jingchi's youthful face, and then thought of this third-tier spirit boat, which was comparable to a Core Formation cultivator.

A thought flashed through his mind: "Senior Lan, may I ask if the Azure Sea Chamber of Commerce also belongs to the Hundred Arts Immortal Alliance?"

Lan Jingchi smiled slightly, a hint of humility in his smile: "Young friend Lin is intelligent. Indeed, the Bihai Chamber of Commerce is one of the second-tier chambers under the Hundred Arts Immortal Alliance."

Lin Zhao was shocked once again. It turned out that the Bihai Chamber of Commerce was also backed by a Nascent Soul cultivator! He had truly learned something new today.

Xu Chuan explained in detail: "Within the Hundred Arts Immortal Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce is divided into five levels based on strength and contribution."

A first-level chamber of commerce must have at least two Core Formation cultivators in charge.

Level 2 requires at least ten Core Formation cultivators or higher;

A level three merchant guild needs a Nascent Soul True Monarch to oversee it; a level four guild needs at least five Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

The highest level, the fifth-level merchant guild, requires that a powerful being who has transformed into a god has emerged in history.

The Azure Sea Chamber of Commerce is ranked at level two, which means it has at least ten Core Formation cultivators.

Its overall strength is probably comparable to the combined strength of the three major sects of the Yunxia Mountain Range!

Lin Zhao suddenly realized why the Azure Sea Chamber of Commerce dared to openly sell pills, which were strictly controlled by the three major sects, in the Cloud Mist Mountains.

So that's where their confidence came from.

In the eyes of truly powerful forces, the Yunxia Mountains might be nothing more than a slightly larger lake.

Lan Jingchi looked at Lin Zhao and Xu Chuan, his tone becoming exceptionally sincere:

"I'm telling you both this today, firstly to establish a good relationship, and secondly to speak frankly—"

Of the cultivators who went to the Cloud Sea Cangming Sect to participate in the assessment, based on my observation, only Friend Lin and Friend Xu have a chance.

"Today, I'm making some early connections with future Holy Sect cultivators."

Lin Zhao finally understood.

No wonder Lan Jingchi was so easy to talk to when I bought the Breakthrough Pill before, and even gave me the highest limit.

No wonder he readily accepted the invitation from the two Qi Refining cultivators, and his attitude was so amiable.

This was not only due to his personal cultivation, but also because he realized that Master Mingxuan intended to recommend him to join the sect.

This is also to give face to the future disciples of the Yunhai Cangming Sect, since Yunzhou belongs to the Yunhai Cangming Sect.

"I will never forget your kindness in enlightening me today, senior." Lin Zhao stood up and bowed solemnly.

Lan Jingchi accepted the greeting with a smile, and the three of them sat down again, but the atmosphere in the teahouse was completely different.

As forces both under the control of a hegemon, they still share some common ground, though dragons don't associate with fish.