Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Lan Jingchi glanced at Lin You and the other two, and said with a smile, "Brother Lin, are these your juniors?"

Lin Zhao nodded: "My niece is a disciple, and another one is a junior from my Cangyun Mountain."

They're planning to participate in the tournament, so I brought them here to buy some things.

Lan Jingchi understood and beckoned the Qi Refining Steward standing at the door—a handsome young man with ten levels of Qi Refining and a solid aura.

"Take them to pick out some things, and put them on my tab once they've chosen them," Lan Jingchi instructed.

The steward bowed in response and gestured for Lin You and the other two to proceed.

Lin You glanced at Lin Zhao.

Lin Zhao nodded: "Go ahead, don't be shy."

The three followed the steward downstairs.

---

The door closed, and the room became quiet.

Lan Jingchi personally poured Lin Zhao a cup of tea. The tea was clear, with a faint golden hue; it was a second-tier spiritual tea.

"Brother Lin," Lan Jingchi picked up his teacup, his eyes somewhat complicated, "A few years ago in Immortal City, you were still struggling to find Foundation Establishment resources."

"In just a few years, your name has spread to the Immortal City—defeating a Core Formation cultivator with only Foundation Establishment cultivation has become legendary."

Lin Zhao shook his head: "It's all empty fame. I fought with that Zheng family patriarch, but I didn't gain anything and even lost a lot of spirit stones."

Lan Jingchi chuckled: "You might fool others with that, but me? Do you think the people of Immortal City don't know about the third-tier magic weapon in Princess Blood Phoenix's possession?"

Lin Zhao didn't reply, but picked up her teacup and took a sip.

The aroma of tea unfolds on the tip of the tongue, carrying a subtle spiritual energy that seeps into the meridians.

He put down his teacup and said, "I came here this time to ask you about something."

Lan Jingchi nodded: "Go on."

Do you have a detailed list of the third-tier spirit items at the auction?

Lin Zhao said, "I plan to shoot one."

Lan Jingchi took out a jade slip from his storage ring and handed it over.

"It's all prepared for you," he said. "Our three major chambers of commerce contributed quite a lot to this auction; the list is all here. Take a look for yourself."

Just then, Lan Jingchi spoke up.

"Brother Lin, there is actually another chance to obtain a third-tier spiritual item."

Lin Zhao looked up at him.

Lan Jingchi said, "After the Qi Refining Arena, the Inner City will hold a Foundation Building competition."

Those who register and rank in the top three will each receive a third-tier spiritual item as a reward.

He paused, then looked at Lin Zhao: "With your current strength, a mere third-tier spiritual item is a piece of cake."

Lin Zhao didn't speak, but glanced at him.

Lan Jingchi added with a smile, "Of course, that's what we say publicly. In reality, the top three spots are basically predetermined."

Lin Zhao then spoke up: "Who has been pre-selected?"

"The ten strongest forces in the Tongming Domain," Lan Jingchi said, "each of them will send a representative to compete for the top three."

If you can represent our Bihai Chamber of Commerce, then you'll be qualified to compete.

Lin Zhao picked up the teacup and slowly took a sip.

He didn't answer immediately.

During the grand auction, the so-called Foundation Establishment competition was not merely a matter of third-tier spiritual objects.

What's involved behind the scenes is probably the allocation of resources, the division of social networks, and the balance of power in the Immortal City for the next hundred years.

There were at least a hundred Core Formation cultivators watching, and possibly even Nascent Soul cultivators.

If he gets involved, it's like putting himself in a very difficult situation.

Lin Zhao's combat strength is quite good at the Foundation Establishment stage, but he doesn't think he's invincible.

If a Foundation Establishment cultivator suddenly appeared wielding five or six magical treasures,

Lin Zhao wasn't surprised at all; rules and regulations have always been controlled by those in the Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages.

The waters of the Immortal City are too deep for Lin Zhao to wade into.

One must have self-awareness; foundation building is foundation building, and elixir formation is elixir formation.

He put down his teacup and could only say, "I'll think about it."

Lan Jingchi could also see that Lin Zhao didn't want to get involved. The two had been working together for so many years, and it wasn't worth getting estranged over such a small matter.

He smiled and said, "Okay. No rush."

He paused, then said, "Since Foundation Establishment is inconvenient for you, how about the Qi Refining stage?"

Lin Zhao looked at him.

Lan Jingchi offered an explanation: "Immortal City deliberately squeezed the three major chambers of commerce into the same district. Over time, this has led to some friction."

But since everyone involved is in business, they couldn't directly resort to violence, so they established a small tradition—an annual competition that has continued for hundreds of years.

He pointed out the window, "This once-in-a-century auction is an opportunity."

The three major chambers of commerce plan to use the Qi Refining Arena to secretly compete. We, the Azure Sea, have already selected several people, but…”

He looked at Lin Zhao and said, "I think your female disciple and niece are not ordinary Qi Refining Level 10 cultivators. If you let them represent Bihai, their chances of winning are not small."

Lin Zhao remained silent.

Lan Jingchi continued, "I'll make the decision. Regardless of the outcome, as long as they participate, the Bihai Chamber of Commerce will offer them two Foundation Establishment Pills."

Lin Zhao looked up at him.

Two Foundation Establishment Pills are nothing to him now.

But for Lin You and Ye Xiaoxiao, it was equivalent to their entire fortune.

Lan Jingchi added, "Of course, the opponents are from the other two major merchant guilds, so they will definitely be more difficult to deal with than ordinary cultivators."

But ultimately, it's just a friendly sparring match at the Qi Refining stage. Besides, our three major chambers of commerce have been holding these kinds of competitions for hundreds of years; the rules are well-established, and nothing will go too far.

Lin Zhao nodded, not in a hurry to express his opinion.

He looked out the window.

Outside the window is the street scene of the 25th arrondissement, with three streets crisscrossing and people coming and going.

The headquarters of Jiuding Chamber of Commerce is diagonally opposite, and Jinyu Chamber of Commerce is not far away.

Lin Zhao withdrew his gaze and looked at Lan Jingchi.

"I agreed on their behalf."

Lan Jingchi smiled and raised his teacup: "Then it's settled."

Lin Zhao also raised her teacup and clinked it with his.

Ultimately, it's just a matter of a few Foundation Establishment Pills, and with Lin Zhao's current strength, he can handle it.

The battles will be a bit difficult, but since there are many cultivators during the grand auction in the Immortal City, the difficulty difference between other areas is not actually that great.

That's how the cultivation world is. If you want to climb higher, you have to fight.

Their talent for cultivating immortality is average; if they want to enter a sect, they need to put in more effort and have greater strength than others.

-----

Outside the window, the setting sun was sinking below the horizon, bathing the entire fairy city in a warm orange hue.

The streetlights came on one by one, and the bustling crowds continued to fill the air, the prosperity undiminished.

Lin Zhao held her teacup, her gaze fixed on the view outside the window.

He casually remarked, "I've heard that a new Nascent Soul True Monarch has been born in the ancient Loulan Kingdom."

Lan Jingchi's hand paused.

The teacup stopped in mid-air, and the tea almost spilled.

He forced himself to steady himself, placed the teacup back on the table with a soft thud.

"Brother Lin," he said in a low voice, "if someone else had said that, I would have thought they had ill intentions."

Lin Zhao glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Lan Jingchi took a deep breath, shook his head with a wry smile: "As expected, we couldn't hide it from Yunzong's intelligence."

Yunzong—another name for the Yunhai Cangming Sect.

Only the seven dominant powers would address each other in this way.

As a disciple of the Holy Sect, Lin Zhao naturally knew these things.