Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

"Let him be for now," Lin Zhao said. "As long as he doesn't cause any major trouble, let him do whatever he wants. If he really wants to succeed, it will be at least several decades later..."

Lin Zhao didn't say this, but decades later, becoming a Core Formation True Person might still be a problem.

Old He glanced at Lin Zhao but didn't reply.

"What else?" Lin Zhao asked.

"There are three more things."

Elder He said solemnly, "First, a group of disciples from our sect will be on a mission and will pass through Cangyun Mountain."

According to the rules, we need to provide intelligence and some basic supplies. The list is here. He handed over a jade slip.

Lin Zhao took it and glanced at it: "This is the duty of the station, so let's do it according to the sect's rules and give them the best."

"Yes," Elder He continued, "The second thing is that Xuan Chen Valley of the Southern Li Dynasty sent a message saying they want to discuss trade with us."

Lin Zhao's fingers stopped on the armrest.

Xuan Chen Valley.

The largest cultivation force within the Southern Li Dynasty, with six Core Formation True Immortals in charge, and even rumored to have some connection with the Void Heaven Pavilion of True Lord Taixu.

Among the twenty-six Core Formation sects in the Tongming Domain, Xuanchen Valley is among the strongest.

"When will you arrive?" Lin Zhao asked.

"It's not decided yet, we're just sending a message to sound them out," Old He said. "They probably heard that we've opened up the Dingfengyuan trade route and want a piece of the pie."

Lin Zhao remained silent for a moment, then looked at Elder He: "What are your thoughts on Xuan Chen Valley?"

Mr. He did not answer immediately.

He pondered for several breaths before slowly speaking: "The power structure of the Tongming Domain should be clear to the garrison commander—the strongest is naturally the sect alliance, with True Monarch Taixu in charge."

Twenty-six sects that have joined the alliance have three to ten Core Formation Real Persons each, totaling over a hundred Core Formation Real Persons.

Secondly, there is the Tongming Immortal City, where the Tongming True Lord is stationed, along with more than forty Core Formation True Immortals.

Further down are the dozen or so dynasties—Zi Xuan, Nan Li, Tian Huo—each of which at its peak had only one or two Core Formation cultivators, and often faced periods of talent shortage.

He paused, then continued, "But within the territory of the Southern Li Dynasty, there is now a Xuan Chen Valley. Its six Core Formation True Persons far surpass the combined strength of the three great dynasties."

Normally, a sect that forms the Core Formation stage would not set up its headquarters within the territory of a dynasty—Core Formation cultivators need a lot of spiritual energy, and places with spiritual veins are usually not suitable for a large number of mortals to live in.

But Xuan Chen Valley is different. Their third-tier high-grade spiritual vein is located in a wide canyon spanning hundreds of miles, having little impact on the surrounding mortals.

"So they took root in the Southern Li Dynasty," Lin Zhao said.

"Yes." Elder He nodded. "For the Southern Li Dynasty, Xuanchen Valley is both a support and a source of pressure. For our Zixuan Dynasty, Xuanchen Valley is a neighbor, but also a threat. However..."

Elder He glanced at Lin Zhao and said, "Our Yunhai Cangming Sect is a Nascent Soul power that rules over 138 domains of Yunzhou."

"No matter how strong Xuanchen Valley is, it's still just a force within the Tongming Domain. As long as they don't send a Core Formation cultivator to deal with you, you don't need to fear their protection."

Lin Zhao hummed in agreement.

Fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, the rhythm slow and steady.

The power of the God Transformation.

These four words were his greatest source of confidence, but Lin Zhao knew in his heart that confidence was one thing, reality was another.

If Xuan Chen Valley really wants to take action, it doesn't need to get involved directly. It can support proxies, create obstacles, or use all sorts of underhanded tricks.

However, that's a matter for later.

Lin Zhao stood up, walked to the entrance of the main hall, and looked towards the distant Dingfeng Plain.

As the sun set, it bathed Cangyun Mountain in a golden-red hue. The market town was brightly lit, bustling with cultivators.

"Send someone to reply," Lin Zhao said, "If Xuan Chen Valley wants to talk, that's fine."

But tell them—the trade route was established by Cangyun Mountain; if they want a share, they'll have to show some sincerity.

Old He bowed and said, "Yes."

Lin Zhao gazed into the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

At fifty-three years old, at the peak of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he possessed the Cangyun Mountain Formation, commanded sixty Foundation Establishment combat power, and had Master Qianqiu standing behind him.

Lin Zhao had already gained some confidence in planning to acquire third-tier spiritual objects.

----

Lin Zhao did not wait for the disciples of Xuanchen Valley, nor did he wait for the disciples of the sect.

What he received were people from the Zixuan Dynasty.

To be precise, they were from the Qin Prince's Mansion, a branch of the royal family of the Zixuan Dynasty—the same Zheng Yuanshan and the brother and sister who had been preparing to explore the Ancient Sanren Cave together two years ago.

Lin Zhao smiled slightly after reading the contents of the communication talisman.

interesting.

Two years ago, they were ambushed at the entrance of the cave. The brother and sister and Zheng Yuanshan were beaten so badly that they were helpless. It was only with the help of Lin Zhao and the other two that they were able to save their lives.

Later, Lin Zhao let them leave and extracted a lot of information about the Zi Xuan Dynasty from them—it was that information that ultimately led him to decide to make Cangyun Mountain his base.

Before he could even begin to plan for the third-tier Core Formation spiritual artifacts of the Zi Xuan Dynasty, the Qin Prince's Mansion had already come knocking on his door.

Lin Zhao put away the communication talisman and gave the order: "Invite them in, and have Elder He and Yan Chiheng accompany them."

---

A quarter of an hour later, the three men from the Prince of Qin's residence were invited into the main hall of the garrison.

Zheng Yuanshan remained unchanged, his face composed. He possessed late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, and his expression was calm. The brother and sister—

Lin Zhao glanced over, a slight thought stirring in his heart.

The brother and sister have changed quite a bit in the two years since they last saw each other.

The older brother's face showed less timidity;

The younger sister also looked much more dignified, wearing a light red robe and her hair was neatly tied up. If you didn't look closely, you would really think she was a carefully cultivated direct descendant of some family.

But Lin Zhao had seen what they looked like back then.

He's timid and cowardly. This dignified demeanor he's putting on is only because he's back in the dynasty's territory and has his family backing him up.

Lin Zhao took the seat of honor, with Elder He and Yan Chiheng sitting on either side.

Polite words are indispensable.

Zheng Yuanshan first praised Lin Zhenshou's widespread fame, and then steered the conversation to Cangyun Mountain's "great achievements" in recent years.

"Two years ago, Lin Zhenshou announced the accompanying cultivation method for the Hundred Beasts Foundation Establishment Pill, which increased the chances of foundation establishment for countless rogue cultivators. This is a great deed."

Zheng Yuanshan chuckled and said, "There was also the Battle of Dingfeng Plain, where we killed nearly seventy Foundation Establishment cultivators and saved the lives of millions of mortals, making us famous throughout the Three Kingdoms."

Old He also delivered a series of impeccable words of flattery—praising the Qin Prince's Mansion for its profound heritage, implying that they could also do the same.

Lin Zhao picked up her teacup, lowered her head and took a sip, concealing the cold smile on her lips.

Millions of ordinary people?

How could the Prince of Qin's mansion not know where those mortals came from?

The Tribulation Cultivators of Dingfeng Plain have been entrenched for many years. Who is supporting them behind the scenes?

The three dynasties knew perfectly well that the Jiexiu were their front men.

Those mortals were nothing more than abandoned children after being plundered by the bandits; the three great dynasties never even considered rescuing them.

Now that Lin Zhao has been saved, it has become a "merit" in their mouths.

Lin Zhao looked up at the brother and sister.

The older brother sat upright, listening to Mr. He's compliments with a perfectly appropriate smile on his face.

Sister… Sister’s gaze was fixed on him. When she saw him looking over, she hurriedly looked away, her ears turning slightly red.

Then she actually nodded, seemingly agreeing with what Mr. He had said.

Lin Zhao: "..."

Are these brother and sister really naive and innocent, or are they pretending?