Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Lin Zhao pondered for a long time before asking, "What are the family's specific plans? How will they be implemented?"

Upon hearing this, the clan chief's excited expression vanished instantly: "Plan? What plan? There is no plan."

"What?" Lin Zhao almost choked on his own saliva.

"I've never been a market keeper before, how would I know how to take over and manage a market?"

The clan leader shrugged, even saying with a hint of self-righteousness, "How many years have I been at the Foundation Establishment stage? I have to keep an eye on the mess that is the Azure Talisman Alliance, and also hunt second-tier demonic beasts to find ways to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills."

I also have to keep a close eye on the movements of Hidden Mist Market. How can I have that much energy to make plans?

These general directions are vague ideas left behind by the second-generation patriarch and the previous clan elders. As for whether they are feasible... who knows?

He patted Lin Zhao on the shoulder, his tone relaxed: "Now it's all right, Lin Zhao, you're back. You are the most accomplished and knowledgeable person in the Lin family."

This mess should naturally be taken over by you; I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Lin Zhao was speechless for a moment, looking at the clan leader's capable but overworked demeanor, feeling both annoyed and amused.

-----

In the end, he could only wave his sleeve, turn around and walk out of the treasure vault, return outside, pick up a cup of tea and take a big gulp.

He didn't believe the Lin family was completely unprepared; they were probably involved in some shady methods they didn't want him to know.

After a while, the clan chief also came out, holding a black spirit-sealing box.

He placed the Spirit Sealing Box on the tea table and pushed it in front of Lin Zhao: "Before, the Lin family was weak and didn't dare to exchange it for anything. Now that the Flood Dragon Claw is in your hands, it's more useful than keeping it in the family."

Lin Zhao didn't stand on ceremony and put away the dragon claw.

The dragon claw of a Core Formation demon beast likely contains supernatural powers; if he could comprehend it, it would be another major trump card for him.

Among Foundation Establishment cultivators, only the most exceptional talents can comprehend supernatural abilities during the Foundation Establishment stage.

Just as the clan chief was about to speak again, he suddenly noticed that a red jade slip had appeared on the tea table.

He picked it up with a puzzled look and probed it with his divine sense.

The next moment, his expression changed drastically, and he looked up at Lin Zhao with disbelief, shock and ecstasy in his eyes!

"This...this is a third-tier cultivation technique?! The True Technique of Departing Fire?! You..."

Lin Zhao calmly sipped her tea, as if it were just a trivial matter.

The clan leader couldn't wait to immerse his divine sense in it, and it took him two or three hours to barely memorize the contents.

This cultivation method not only has profound and mysterious cultivation techniques, but also comes with detailed crafting diagrams for a total of twelve matching magical artifacts from the first to the second tier, and even mentions the concept of a third-tier natal magical treasure!

This is a complete lineage sufficient to establish a sect!

He reluctantly withdrew from the jade slip, looked at Lin Zhao, and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "This... only contains the Foundation Establishment chapter? The Core Formation method, and the crafting of magic weapons..."

Lin Zhao flicked his wrist, and another red jade slip flashed and disappeared from his fingertip. "Let's talk about it when you reach the late Foundation Establishment stage."

He was genuinely a little afraid of the clan leader's way of doing things.

If the news of a complete third-tier cultivation technique were to leak out, it wouldn't be surprising if it attracted the covetous eyes of a Core Formation cultivator. Given the Lin family's current strength, they simply couldn't contain it.

The clan chief watched Lin Zhao put away the jade slip with longing eyes, his heart aching like a cat scratching at him, but he quickly felt relieved.

The item is in Lin Zhao's hands, which means it's in the Lin family's hands. With his methods... cough cough, we can just wear him down slowly later.

He composed himself and continued trying to persuade Lin Zhao: "Now that we have the cultivation techniques, all we lack are cultivation resources. Hidden Mist Market is truly the only and best opportunity for the Lin family to rise..."

Lin Zhao raised her hand to stop him: "I understand." He certainly knew that this was a rare opportunity.

Hidden Mist Market is not like Green Maple Market. Green Maple Market has five interlocking second-tier high-grade formations that made his scalp tingle, while Hidden Mist Market only has one second-tier high-grade formation.

The Lin family has a very good chance of becoming the head of a neighborhood.

But Hidden Mist Market is not just a market; it is also one of the important nodes in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, which forms part of the human race's vast defense system.

Taking over a market town requires more than just strength.

It also requires the tacit approval of other markets and the formal recognition of the three major Core Formation sects.

Otherwise, even if they forcibly occupy it, it will be regarded as an invasion by treacherous cultivators, which will lead to their extermination.

The Lin family had remained inactive previously, partly because they genuinely lacked the strength.

Decades ago, there weren't even any Foundation Establishment cultivators. It was only because the clan leader had established a mid-grade Dao Foundation and possessed the magical artifacts of the previous two generations of ancestors that his strength was comparable to that of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, which gave him the courage to plan for Hidden Mist Market.

In addition, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Lin family's Black Fiend Pavilion lineage can provide certain intelligence, along with the alliance with the Qin family and Po Jun, and the spiritual stone resources accumulated by the Qingfu Alliance over the years.

Now that Lin Zhao has returned after achieving Foundation Establishment, he has five Foundation Establishment cultivators under his command, and the Lin family's power has reached its peak.

If we don't take action, it will be difficult to reunite this force once the Azure Talisman Alliance disbands, resources are scattered, and people's hearts are broken.

During the time Lin Zhao had been waiting, he had already sent a message to his senior brother Wu Mingxuan in Tianyun Market using his sect token.

Briefly explain the Lin family's situation and ask him to help look up the rules for changes in the market and neighborhoods of the Yunxia Mountain Range.

This matter is very serious and we must rely on the power of Tianyun Market. At the same time, we also ask him to keep an eye on the intelligence of Yinwu Market.

"This matter requires careful consideration and cannot be rushed," Lin Zhao said to the clan leader. "First, compile the information the clan has regarding Hidden Mist Market, including the formations, the situation of major forces, and Foundation Establishment cultivators, and give it to me."

The clan chief nodded repeatedly.

-----

After giving these instructions, Lin Zhao sat quietly in the clan chief's cave to regulate his breathing.

While processing the information I had gathered that day, I waited for Wu Mingxuan's reply.

It wasn't until late at night that Lin Zhao's sect token received a message from Senior Brother Wu.

Lin Zhao focused his divine sense into the token and carefully read the information transmitted by Wu Mingxuan.

After a while, he raised his head, his eyes flashing.

"Senior Brother Wu said that the timing we seized was indeed excellent," Lin Zhao said slowly.

"The Hidden Mist Market handled the last beast tide terribly, which drew criticism from the three major sects and other markets. Most importantly, they have lost far too many resource points and outposts over the years."

Clan Chief Lin Shanhe listened intently.

To understand a market town, it's not just the market town itself; it's more like a large tree. The market town is the trunk, while the first-tier resource points and the even more precious second-tier spiritual vein sites near it are its roots and branches. These are the foundation for sustaining the market town's cultivators and allowing them to accumulate wealth.

Lin Zhao's tone turned cold. "At its peak, Hidden Mist Market controlled nearly a hundred Tier 1 resource points and ten Tier 2 resource points. But now it has lost seven Tier 2 resource points and almost all of its Tier 1 resource points."

He emphasized, "Each market directly controls a radius of hundreds of miles and influences a region of thousands of miles. The three major sects and the seventeen markets together form a ten-thousand-mile defense line against the beast tide!"

Now it can't even protect the resource points of its own subordinates. It would be one thing if they were breached by demonic beasts, but the real reason is internal strife, with the Foundation Establishment leaders refusing to provide any assistance.

The three major sects had long wanted to replace the head of the workshop, but they hadn't reached a consensus.

Upon hearing this, clan chief Lin Shanhe finally couldn't help but smile. "Excellent! Fantastic! A godsend!"