Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

The next morning, six tokens were neatly arranged on Zhu Yi's desk in the quiet room of the Golden Sand Palace.

The four dark gold tokens are the marks of four powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Fangshi military. The last two are placed side by side—a cyan jade tablet engraved with flowing cloud patterns and a simple-looking black iron token.

The cloud-patterned jade tablet naturally represents Lin Zhao, while the black iron token is Zhou Xun's own private token, which he has hardly used in fifty years.

Zhu Yi sat behind the desk, dressed in casual clothes, without armor.

He stared at the six tokens, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the smooth wood grain, producing a dull "tap, tap" sound.

Across from him, Zhou Xun sat imposingly on a guest chair, slowly and methodically peeling fruit with a small knife.

"How did you get involved?" Zhu Yi finally spoke, his voice somewhat deep.

Zhou Xun didn't even look up, peeling the fruit thinly and evenly: "My junior brother sent me a message, so I gave it to him. It's no big deal."

"What's the big deal?" Zhu Yi laughed angrily. "Gao Yuan's contribution meant the Foundation Establishment Pill was already his. I just... wanted to hold off on giving it to him for six months."

Now, six tokens are slapped right in front of me, two of them from Tianyun Market! Is this a negotiation? This is like holding a sword to my head, demanding I hand over the Foundation Establishment Pill right now!

Who knew that Gao Yuan was actually in contact with Lin Zhao? Now the matter is directly confronting him, and the Foundation Establishment Pill issue is now a foregone conclusion.

Even though Gao Yuan was a junior he valued, he couldn't help but complain a little, but he could only send a message to Gao Yuan to give him the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Zhou Xun tossed the peeled fruit into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and mumbled, "Giving it sooner or later is the same as giving it to you, why hold it for half a year? Old Zhu, who can you hide your little scheme from?"

Isn't the real intention to use this Foundation Establishment Pill to give Po Jun a warning and appease the people below?

Zhu Yi remained silent.

"It's not easy for a market town to withstand the beast tide of the Jinsha River." He lowered his voice. "The monster hunting teams and support teams below each have their own agendas and their own backers."

I can't let anyone think I'm biased. Gao Yuan is a skilled fighter, and Po Jun is indeed a sharp blade, but when a blade is too sharp, people's hearts easily become wild.

"So you're sharpening your knife?" Zhou Xun precisely spat the fruit pit into the trash can in the corner. "Old Zhu, back when we were young, how did we hold the Jinsha defense line? It was because these brothers were willing to risk their lives! Not because you were up there manipulating things and trying to maintain a balance!"

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the stone houses, the rising smoke from the chimneys, and the golden light shimmering on the river.

"You always say we need to consider the big picture, that without the support of other markets, Jinsha would have been gone long ago. But why are they willing to support it? Because if Jinsha collapses, they'll be next! It's a responsibility, not charity!"

The rulers of the Great Yun Dynasty are the three major sects. Why should Jinsha do all the dirty work, the bloodshed and death, while the benefits have to be shared and they get to boss people around?

Zhu Yi's expression changed slightly: "Watch your words!"

"Why should I be careful what I say?" Zhou Xun turned around, leaning against the window frame. "I am essentially a person from Tianyun Market, a disciple of a sect. I am helping you here out of old friendship and for the sake of the bigger picture."

But I can see clearly that while Jinsha Market is indeed a bridgehead against the beast tide, in some people's eyes, it is also a pawn used to deplete the power of rogue cultivators and Foundation Establishment families, a pawn to maintain their status!

He paused, his tone softening slightly, but still emphasizing: "Old Zhu, you're getting old."

Zhu Yi's body trembled slightly.

Zhou Xun looked at him with complicated emotions. "Where did Zhu Yi, who dared to fight a second-tier peak demonic beast when he was in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, go? You are now at the peak of Foundation Establishment, but you are afraid."

You fear the three major sects, the intricacies of the Thousand Radiance Sect, the disruption of the balance, the instability of your position as the sect leader, and even more so... the severing of that elusive path to Core Formation.

Zhu Yi's hand, resting on the table, was clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The peak of Foundation Establishment may seem like only one step away from Core Formation, but in reality, it is an insurmountable chasm.

There are two types of cultivators who stand at the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment. One type is a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator like Zhu Yi, but he has little hope of advancing to Core Formation.

Another type is the so-called Foundation Establishment Perfection, just one step away from Core Formation. Chu Fengge is like that. It's not that he can't advance, but that he's been stuck at this stage in order to achieve a high-grade Golden Core.

The resources and cultivation techniques for Core Formation in the Yunxia Mountains are almost entirely controlled by the three major sects. He compromises at every turn, only to receive scraps and empty promises in return.

He knew Zhou Xun was right; he was indeed backing down, step by step, until he began to loathe himself.

"You should relinquish this position as head of the workshop as soon as possible," Zhou Xun said softly at the end. "Find a reliable successor. Perhaps... by severing these worldly ties, you can rediscover some of your former spirit, and there might still be a glimmer of hope for you to reach the Core Formation stage."

After he finished speaking, he stopped looking at Zhu Yi, turned around and left, noticing that someone was coming.

Not long after Zhou Xun left, the door to the quiet room was gently pushed open again.

A delicate breeze, carrying the subtle fragrance of herbs, drifted in first. Then, a beautiful woman dressed in a moon-white palace gown, her hair loosely styled, slowly walked in.

She looked to be only in her early thirties, with gentle features and a calm temperament like a deep pool, yet she was surrounded by the spiritual pressure of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator—one of the five hall masters of the Hundred Herbs Sect, Fairy Baizhi.

She walked to the table, her gaze sweeping over the six tokens before settling on Zhu Yi's furrowed brows.

"He's right," Bai Zhi said, her voice clear and cool, yet tinged with a barely perceptible concern. "You should step down. Come back to the Hundred Herbs Sect with me. There are several spiritual items in the sect's secret vault that can nurture your Dao foundation. Although they can't guarantee you'll reach the Core Formation stage, it's better than wasting your energy and spirit here."

Zhu Yi raised his head and looked at his Daoist partner who had waited for him for decades.

Back then, she had just established her foundation and came to Jinsha for training. She encountered danger in the beast tide, and he risked his life to rescue her from the beasts' clutches. At that time, she was young and stubborn, while he was full of vigor and ambition.

Later... there were decades of separation and reunion. She returned to the Hundred Herbs Sect and rose all the way to the position of Hall Master.

He stayed in Jinsha, rising from commander to workshop head. She repeatedly invited him to go to Baicao Sect, but he refused each time.

He wanted to rely on himself and prove that he could achieve the Core Formation and safeguard the foundation of Jinsha without the help of a sect. Looking back now, how ridiculous that was.

"I shouldn't have kept you waiting so long," Zhu Yi said hoarsely. "You're younger than me, more talented, and backed by the Hundred Herbs Sect. Your chances of forming your core are far greater than mine. Why..."

"Why bother?" Bai Zhi interrupted him, a rare emotional fluctuation flashing in her eyes. "When you saved me back then, did you ask 'Why bother?' Zhu Yi, on the path of cultivation, some things cannot be absolved by weighing the pros and cons."

"I've made up my mind about you, so I'll wait for you. As for the sect... Master was indeed angry, but as the hall master, I have my own decision to make."

She walked to his side and gently placed her fair hand on his clenched fist. The touch was slightly cool, but it inexplicably eased his tense mind.

"I know you don't want to live under someone else's roof and want to forge your own path. I know your ambition, so I've never forced you."

Her voice softened, "But when the road is blocked, you have to know how to turn around. Being the head of the sect is both a responsibility and a shackle. You have compromised too much for it and lost too much. If you continue like this, there is no hope of forming your core."

Zhu Yi took her hand in return.

He turned to look out the window. The market was awakening in the morning light, and the monks were beginning to assemble, while the mortal soldiers lined up to change shifts.

This is the place he has guarded for nearly a hundred years; every brick and stone bears his blood and sweat.

After a long silence, he let out a long breath, a mixture of exhaustion, resentment, and relief.

"It seems...it's time."