Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

On this day, Lin Zhao was sitting on the platform outside his cave, a cup of spiritual tea, steam rising from it, the aroma of the tea mixed with the dampness of the sea of ​​clouds, creating a unique sense of tranquility.

He gazed at the rolling sea of ​​clouds, still weighing the pros and cons of various tasks in his mind.

Suddenly, the sea of ​​clouds in the distance seemed to be violently torn apart by a pair of invisible hands!

A streak of light pierced through the clouds and mist, hurtling towards them.

The flowing light was actually a magnificent carriage, emanating a terrifying aura of a third-tier magical artifact.

A large crimson flag fluttered in the wind, and in the center of the flag, a huge "炎" (Yan) character surrounded by golden flames shone brightly, proclaiming the identity of the newcomer.

Lin Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly, and she put down her teacup.

Master's daughter, who married into the Yan family many years ago, has returned.

This was the fourth time he had seen such a scene in the few years since he returned to his clan.

Judging from this situation, it doesn't seem like a typical family visit.

Earlier, from Xu Chuan's gossip and his fifth senior brother's occasional remarks, he learned that the Yan family seemed to have a request for their master, and that the request was not small. That was why this senior sister came in person time and time again.

However, Master's attitude has always been very clear.

The carriage slowly descended onto a platform halfway up the mountain, a platform specifically used for receiving visitors.

Before long, the group, led by a middle-aged woman who was dressed in luxurious clothes, had a dignified appearance, but whose brows were furrowed with worry, headed towards the summit.

The Yan family guards remained obediently on the platform, showing respect for a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

-----

At this moment, the fifth senior brother also came to Lin Zhao's platform. He looked somewhat helpless and plopped down on the stone bench next to him. Without any politeness, he poured himself a large cup of the spiritual tea that Lin Zhao had just brewed and gulped it down.

"Senior brother, why didn't you go and keep Master company while he entertained the guests?" Lin Zhao asked, somewhat puzzled. In the previous instances, it was always the fifth senior brother who greeted this senior sister and the Yan family.

Fifth Senior Brother put down his teacup, wiped his mouth, and shook his head, saying, "Master just sent word that, apart from Senior Sister herself, no one else from the Yan family is allowed to go up to the summit."

This time, even I don't need to go with them. It seems Master is completely fed up with the Yan family.

Lin Zhao pondered, "It seems that Master... has always disliked the Yan family?"

Fifth Senior Brother sighed and lowered his voice: "Master was born a hermit, with a firm and steadfast Dao heart. Although he had a Daoist partner in his early years, he was indifferent to worldly kinship."

Later, he became stuck at the bottleneck of the late-stage Core Formation realm, spending years in seclusion seeking a glimmer of hope for Nascent Soul cultivation. When he emerged, he discovered his family had long since declined and fallen into ruin. His senior sister was his only remaining blood relative.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "But back then, my senior sister was determined to marry into the Yan family, and the father and daughter had a very tense relationship because of it. The relationship has never really eased up to this day."

The root of Master's dislike for the Yan family probably lies here; he feels the Yan family... has corrupted his daughter and has also dragged him into unnecessary worldly disputes.

Lin Zhao nodded; that made sense.

He then recalled Xu Chuan's previous gossip and asked, "The Yan family has been making frequent moves lately, trying to win over Foundation Establishment disciples everywhere. What big plan are they plotting?"

The fifth senior brother revealed a hint of sarcasm on his face: "The Yan family? They look like they're on a hot spree, but in reality, they're all bark and no bite, and there are quite a few hidden dangers."

Master probably saw this back then, which is why he was even more unwilling for Senior Sister to get too deeply involved.

The Yan family nominally controls the Five Peaks and reportedly has more than ten Core Formation Realm cultivators under its command, but only about half of them truly belong to the Yan family.

The rest were mostly non-Clan Core Formation cultivators who had attached themselves to or been recruited; their cultivation levels were mostly in the early stages, and their combat strength was average.

He counted on his fingers: "Among the main members of the Yan family, the only one who can truly hold his own is the Third Ancestor, whose cultivation has reached the peak of the Core Formation stage, slightly higher than Master."

Besides him, there were only two mid-stage Core Formation cultivators and nearly ten early-stage Core Formation cultivators. Even if all these people were tied together, they wouldn't be enough for Master to beat with one hand.

The Yan family appears to be at its peak, but in reality, it has already reached the ceiling of its power. To advance further, unless… a Nascent Soul True Monarch is born within the family.”

Fifth Senior Brother glanced at Lin Zhao and said, "So, they want to take a big gamble and launch an expedition?"

Lin Zhao suddenly realized.

The fifth senior brother continued, "The Yan family's target is a recently emerging alliance of treacherous cultivators in the 'Wasteland Region'."

For our sect, eliminating bandit cultivators not only allows us to plunder resources and expand our influence, but also provides a large number of 'Cloud Sea Jade Tokens' and battle merits through sect missions. It is the best way to quickly accumulate high-level resources.

The fifth senior brother explained, "But this is also a dangerous business. The robber cultivators are fierce, familiar with the terrain, and there are many who are desperate."

The Yan family, wanting to lead such an expedition, naturally needs a large number of core members, namely Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Lin Zhao sneered: "So they're recruiting people everywhere, actually looking for vanguards and cannon fodder?"

Fifth Senior Brother shook his head: "You can't say for sure. Opportunity and risk go hand in hand. If we can come back alive, the resources we can exchange for in battle merits could indeed make us rise to the top in one step."

Whether or not they can survive and obtain those resources depends on their own fate and... the conscience of the Yan family.

Several days later, the crimson chariot rose again, and amidst a group of Yan family cultivators, it tore through the sea of ​​clouds and departed.

The summit remained silent, and there was no movement from the direction of Master's cave.

Master Qianqiu chose to remain in his cave, accompanying his Great Dao.

The path to Nascent Soul is elusive, but he is still willing to spend hundreds of years of arduous cultivation to explore that barely perceptible possibility of forming a Nascent Soul.

The conflicts outside the sect, the rise and fall of the family, and even the daughter's pleas seemed unable to shake his heart in seeking the Dao.

Lin Zhao withdrew his gaze, picked up the slightly cooled tea, and took a small sip.

-----

Time quietly passed, and it was now the fourth year since Lin Zhao returned to his sect. He was forty-seven years old that year.

Inside the cave, Lin Zhao was immersed in the operation of the "Five Spirits Returning to the Void True Technique". Spiritual energy flowed into his meridians like a trickle, and the spiritual power refined by the Dharma Domain was extremely efficient.

Suddenly, an indescribable tremor descended without warning, piercing through his mind and soul.

It wasn't a sound or a fluctuation of spiritual energy, but a tremor stemming from the instinct of life, as if the entire world had "sunk" for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, a vast "heavenly might" swept across the entire sect's spiritual mountain like an invisible tide! Even the sect's powerful protective formations could not isolate this force that directly affected the rules of heaven and earth.

"Heavenly Tribulation!" Lin Zhao instantly realized, opened his eyes abruptly, and in a flash appeared outside the cave, standing in mid-air.

Not far away, the fifth senior brother also appeared at almost the same time, looking in a certain direction with a solemn expression.

Without Lin Zhao needing to ask, he said in a deep voice, "It's the fluctuation of the Heavenly Tribulation. The sect's formation can only weaken its influence, not block the perception of the Heavenly Dao."

Judging from this power, it couldn't be a Nascent Soul cultivator; someone must have attempted to break through to the Core Formation stage, triggering the Core Formation Heavenly Lightning.

Strangely, this person did not go to the ten "Tribulation Peaks" specially set up by the sect, but chose to fight on his own cultivation peak...