Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

His gaze lingered on Lin Zhao for a moment, then he nodded. "A solid foundation. It seems you haven't wasted these past ten years."

Lin Zhao said, "I have gained some insights over the years."

Wu Mingxuan's smile deepened: "It's more than just a little bit. Once you advance to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, I wouldn't even dare say I could beat you."

His tone was casual, yet tinged with a serious感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and regret), "It seems my senior brother's cultivation also needs to be accelerated."

Lin Zhao could only say, "Senior brother, you flatter me."

"Let's go." Wu Mingxuan said no more, stepping aside to lead the way.

The two crossed the platform.

We walked towards the most imposing of the villas. The gate was not closed, and the faint sounds of pine trees and clear springs could be heard.

"The one guarding this place is Senior Brother Chu Fengge," Wu Mingxuan introduced in a low voice as they walked, his tone filled with respect.

"He has been in the Foundation Establishment stage for nearly two decades, and his Dao Foundation is perfected. He is only one step away from forming his Core. In his youth, he once conquered the sixth level of the Cloud Tower and was a prominent figure of his generation."

He's a bit... well, not very particular about details, but extremely protective of his own, and very responsible for affairs in the area.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a somewhat languid voice echoed from inside the courtyard: "Mingxuan, it's not a good habit to gossip about your senior brother behind his back. Why don't you bring the new junior brother in?"

The two entered the separate courtyard.

The layout of the courtyard is quite unique; it's not overly luxurious, but a stream of water flows through it, meandering into a creek. Beside the creek is a large blue stone…

A man who looked to be no more than thirty years old sat casually.

He was dressed in a simple blue robe, his long hair was not tied up, he held an ancient book in his hand, and a wine gourd was lying beside him.

He's just like a hermit in the mountains.

Chu Fengge raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Wu Mingxuan before landing directly on Lin Zhao.

That gaze was calm, yet it seemed to possess a certain penetrating power, making Lin Zhao feel that his own magical power flow and Dao foundation had been subtly seen through.

"Lin Zhao greets Senior Brother Chu." Lin Zhao greeted him politely.

"Yes, a new disciple accepted by Martial Uncle Qianqiu." Chu Fengge put down her book, a smile playing on her lips.

"Not bad. It seems our Tianyun base is going to be lively for the next few years."

He casually tossed over a token that was neither gold nor jade, but had a warm, cloud-like pattern: "This is your garrison steward token. For the next ten years, you will be a member of my Tianyun Garrison."

The rules are simple: First, the safety of the base is paramount; second, you must hunt down five Foundation Establishment demonic beasts within ten years—this is your assessment task; third, you must spend at least five of those ten years at the base. The rest of the time is yours to manage; the seventh courtyard on the peak is yours to use.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Chu." Lin Zhao accepted the token.

Chu Fengge then looked at Wu Mingxuan: "Mingxuan, Junior Brother Lin is new here. Could you show him around the various duties and defensive formations of the camp? Also…"

His gaze returned to Lin Zhao. "I heard you're a local from the Yunxia Mountains? Now that you're back, why not go home and visit first? For cultivators, worldly ties are also ties to the Dao. The mission at the post isn't urgent."

Lin Zhao's heart stirred slightly, and she thanked him again solemnly.

This senior brother Chu may seem carefree, but he is actually very insightful.

After leaving Chu Fengge's villa, Wu Mingxuan smiled and said, "How was it? Senior Brother Chu is easy to talk to, isn't he? You can familiarize yourself with the situation at the camp first, and then you can move around freely."

Courtyard No. 7 is more to my liking than I expected.

The courtyard is not large, but its layout is exquisite, with a pavilion, a pond, and several clumps of bamboo, exuding a sense of tranquility.

Most importantly, the spiritual energy in the cultivation room is comparable to a mid-grade second-tier spiritual vein, almost reaching the high-grade second-tier.

Clearly, Tianyun Market treats sect disciples better than ordinary inner disciples.

In accordance with sect custom, disciples residing in the sect also have exclusive villas above the clouds.

In the core area of ​​Tianyun Market below, a second-tier low-grade cave dwelling will also be allocated for rest and to house attendants and relatives.

Whether you use it or not, you will receive the same treatment.

Lin Zhao spent several days following Wu Mingxuan to get a general understanding of the rules and regulations of Tianyun Market, both overt and covert.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, including himself, there are fifteen Foundation Establishment disciples of the sect who reside there permanently.

Besides the unfathomable Senior Brother Chu who guards the town, there are also two senior brothers and sisters who are in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

One of them was the renowned "Zhong Family," which had twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Of these fifteen disciples, three were from the Zhong family, plus nine affiliated Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Below the sea of ​​clouds, there were more than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators affiliated with Tianyun Market.

They control nearly half of the circulation of elixirs and talismans in the market, as well as several lucrative mining businesses.

It's no exaggeration to say that the Zhong family is the uncrowned king of Tianyun Market.

"However," Wu Mingxuan said calmly, leading him to the edge of the sea of ​​clouds and pointing to the pavilions below.

"No matter how powerful and deeply rooted the Zhong family is, this market ultimately exists for my Yunhai Cangming Sect. Within the rules, they can live well; outside the rules..." He didn't finish his sentence, but just smiled.

Lin Zhao nodded silently.

What are twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators to a sect?

This year, the sect has produced more than 6,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Having become quite familiar with the situation, the desire to go home grew stronger.

Lin Zhao bid farewell to Wu Mingxuan and prepared to descend the mountain.

Wu Mingxuan raised his hand to stop him, a look of sudden realization on his face: "Junior Brother Lin, wait a minute. There's something I almost forgot."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Your parents... are no longer in Qingxi Mountain or Qingfeng Market."

Lin Zhao stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him: "Hmm?"

"They are at Rift Bear Lake now," Wu Mingxuan said, referring to the name.

Rift Bear Lake?

The beast tide in Guiyun Market.

Lin Zhao's pupils suddenly contracted.

Has something happened to the family? Were the parents forced to leave their ancestral home? Or... is there more to the story?

Countless guesses flashed through his mind like lightning.

But his expression only froze for a moment before returning to calm, though his voice was lowered, revealing little emotion:

"Splitting Bear Lake? Senior Brother Wu, do you know why they're there? Is the Lin family... alright?"

Wu Mingxuan glanced at him, smiled, and waved his hand: "Don't be nervous. It's my fault for not explaining clearly."

He recalled, "You probably don't know, but the place where I killed that Earth-Splitting Bear back then, due to changes in the earth's veins, by a stroke of luck, gave rise to a first-grade high-quality spiritual land."

Lin Zhao's eyes flickered slightly: "A spiritual land?"

"Yes." Wu Mingxuan nodded. "Later, when Guiyun Market was rebuilt, in recognition of my rescue efforts, they gifted me Liexiong Lake."

Later, I casually transferred it to the Lin family. I heard they've developed it into a nice fish farm over the years.

He paused, then continued, "About eight years ago, your parents voluntarily moved to settle near Rift Bear Lake to take care of the spirit fish farm."

I even went to see them myself, and your parents didn't seem to be forced. Don't worry, I left a little trick nearby. Everything has been peaceful these past few years.

Hearing this, Lin Zhao finally relaxed, but his doubts remained: "The Lin family of Qingxi Mountain..."

"The Lin family is quite lively."

Wu Mingxuan's smile held a different meaning. "You'll know the specifics when you get back. In short, with your current cultivation level, you should be able to handle it with ease."

Lin Zhao finally suppressed her turbulent emotions, but her desire to return home only intensified.