Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

When it came to dominance and power, Lin Zhao, who had been sitting quietly listening, finally made a move.

He didn't speak, but a thought flickered in his mind.

"hold head high--!"

A deep, majestic dragon roar echoed through the cave!

Behind Lin Zhao, a faint purple phantom of the Nine Luminaries Heavenly Dragon appeared, radiating an aura comparable to that of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In an instant, the air inside the cave seemed to freeze, and the flow of spiritual energy stopped.

Shen Qianshan's pupils shrank sharply, and the Qin family's Foundation Establishment cultivators turned pale, instinctively taking a half step back.

Even the clan leaders Lin Shanhe and Lin Yuanfeng showed a hint of shock in their eyes.

They knew Lin Zhao was strong, but they never expected his power to reach such a level!

No need for further explanation; strength speaks for itself.

The alliance and profit distribution for Hidden Mist Market have been finalized.

Although Hidden Mist City has eleven Foundation Establishment cultivators, only two are at the mid-stage, and they are constantly embroiled in internal strife.

Without the aid of a formation, these people would have a good chance of winning if they launched a direct attack.

The secret meeting ended, and everyone went their separate ways.

------

Lin Zhao then prepared to return to Qingfeng Market – the three-month deadline had passed, the auction was about to begin, and he needed to finalize the details of clearing out the two major alliances with Master Qingming.

Before leaving, he took his little niece, Lin You, with him.

After observing her for the past few months, Lin Zhao found the young girl to be calm, intelligent, and with good qualifications and comprehension. He intended to train her and let her experience the world of cultivation in advance, which would be beneficial and harmless.

The once-in-a-decade auction extravaganza at Qingfeng Market has arrived as scheduled.

The market town was brightly lit under the night sky, several times more bustling than usual.

The auction houses in the central area are particularly dazzling.

The attic has four floors.

The ground floor hall was bustling with people, filled with independent cultivators in the Qi Refining stage and members of small families.

The private rooms on the second floor were occupied by various demon-hunting teams and local powerful families.

The third layer is shrouded in a faint blue water curtain of spiritual light, blocking all prying eyes. Only Foundation Establishment cultivators can enter, and no one knows how many Foundation Establishment cultivators are inside.

Meanwhile, the fourth floor, which was rumored to be reserved only for the most distinguished guests, has quietly opened.

A handful of people stood there, looking down at the bustling auction hall below.

Lin Zhao was on this floor, and beside him was Master Qingming, who was leisurely sipping tea.

Accompanying them were two others—the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Qiao Family, and a beautiful and capable female cultivator, Qiao Yanran.

More than a decade has passed. The once delicate pearl of the Qiao family, who had to carefully navigate the marketplace, is now a core figure in the Qiao family. Her cultivation has reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, and the immaturity between her brows has faded, replaced by a more mature and experienced demeanor.

When they met again, their positions had been reversed.

Lin Zhao nodded slightly to her, which was a way of greeting her and acknowledging the goodwill she had shown back then.

The private rooms on the fourth floor are quiet and luxurious, with soft light streaming down from the dome, making the jade tabletops glow warmly.

Qiao Yanran was keeping Lin You company, and the table was filled with all kinds of exquisite pastries.

Upon seeing this, the Qiao family patriarch had several plates of "Ice Crystal Pears" of excellent quality brought in, a delicacy for nourishing the meridians.

Inside the main hall, Lin Zhao did not wait for Master Qingming to speak.

He knew he was too young to have an advantage in scheming.

On the contrary, it is easy to fall into the opponent's rhythm.

His style is to be unreasonable and break the deadlock by force.

"The accumulated wealth of the Azure Talisman Alliance belongs to my Lin family, while the wealth of the Hundred Refinements Society belongs to the market."

Lin Zhao got straight to the point, her voice calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

He anticipated that the other party would try to negotiate.

However, Master Qingming simply picked up the spiritual tea, blew on it gently, then looked up and nodded directly: "It's fine."

This decisiveness caused Lin Zhao to pause slightly and become wary.

That old fox must have a backup plan.

Sure enough, Master Qingming put down his teacup and slowly said, "Over the years, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators involved in the alliance between the two families, whether openly or secretly, is no less than five."

Most of these people were merely collecting spirit stones and didn't personally commit evil deeds. Killing them all would surely discourage the people of the market.

Lin Zhao frowned slightly; this was indeed a thorny problem.

Foundation Establishment cultivators are different from Qi Refining cultivators. They are stronger and have more complex networks of relationships. If not handled properly, they can cause a lot of trouble.

He tapped his fingertips lightly twice on the armrest of the jade chair, waiting for the other party to continue.

"I can personally persuade these people to withdraw."

Master Qingming changed the subject, his gaze fixed on Lin Zhao like an ancient well, "But there is a problem that needs to be dealt with by young friend Lin—Liu Xingyuan, the head of the Liu family."

Lin Zhao's gaze sharpened.

Liu Xingyuan, with a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level, has been in charge of the Liu family for decades. He has a deep foundation and is a tough nut to crack.

In the entire Qingfeng Market, besides the Qingming Venerable in front of us, there are probably very few people who are confident in dealing with him.

"If he escapes, the consequences will be dire," Master Qingming added, his tone calm yet highlighting the key point. "It will ultimately be inconvenient for me to leave Qingfeng Mountain and the formation. Besides..."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "Young friend Lin also needs an opportunity to let some people truly see just how far your 'power' has gone."

Lin Zhao understood.

Last time it was just a confrontation of spiritual energy; this time, a real battle is needed to determine his strength.

If Lin Zhao cannot demonstrate sufficient strength, the previous events may still change, as strength is paramount in the cultivation world.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

Master Qingming smiled slightly and continued dividing the text:

"The Liu family's ancestral land, along with those sixteen Tier 1 resource points, will be handled by the market. As for the other two Tier 2 resource points... they will belong to the Lin family."

"Of course, if the Lin family is capable enough to break the second-tier mid-grade formation of the Liu family's ancestral land, you will naturally have a share of what's inside."

Lin Zhao quickly made a mental calculation.

The Liu family's ancestral land has been cultivated for many years and is heavily fortified with array formations. It is undoubtedly the fattest piece of meat, but also the most difficult to gnaw on.

Given the Lin family's current manpower and the patriarch's mastery of formations, a direct assault would be too costly.

In comparison, the two independent Tier 2 resource points may have slightly less resources, but they are easier to control, making it a good time for the clan leader and grandfather, both Foundation Establishment cultivators, to take action.

Although Qingming Shangren benefited more from these conditions, considering that the Lin family needed him to clean up the mess in the market and that the Lin family's strength was limited, it was still acceptable.

"We will do as you say, senior," Lin Zhao finally stated.

With just a few words, the fate of thousands of people in the two major alliances of Qingfeng Market, as well as the assets of a Foundation Establishment family that had been built up over hundreds of years, were completely divided up.

The Qiao family patriarch, who was accompanying him, remained calm. He had been involved for some time and had anticipated this.

But Qiao Yanran, who had been listening intently the whole time, couldn't help but tremble slightly in her hand holding the teacup.

She could clearly feel once again how much the cultivator who, more than a decade ago, needed her to relay messages and carefully survive, had grown to such an extent.

A single word can determine rise and fall, a single phrase can decide life and death. Fortunately... the connection forged back then was one of goodwill.