Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Lin Zhao, however, seemed somewhat distracted.

He also invited one person to this small banquet for Core Formation cultivators: True Man Qianqiu.

He should have gone to Qianqiu Peak to invite him himself.

But it was really inconvenient for him to go to Qianqiu Peak right now. Not long after, Master Qianqiu flew in from the sea of ​​clouds, with his fifth senior brother following behind him.

Master Qianqiu was still dressed in the same dark feather robe, but his aura was even more profound than before. He arrived neither too early nor too late.

Lin Zhao quickly stepped forward to greet him.

His combat power is now far superior to what it used to be, but in front of Master Qianqiu, he is still just that disciple.

Master Qianqiu looked at him with a mixture of relief and complicated emotions in his eyes. He vaguely sensed a hint of danger emanating from Lin Zhao.

After a trip to a secret realm, the young dragon transformed into a full-grown dragon.

This disciple no longer needs his protection to continue on his path.

Everyone came over to greet them.

Firstly, he was Lin Zhao's master, hence the master-disciple relationship.

Secondly, Master Qianqiu is the one with the highest cultivation and the deepest seniority present.

Among those present, even true disciples of sects might not be able to successfully form their Nascent Soul; many would be stuck at the Core Formation stage for hundreds of years.

Their future strength and status may not necessarily match those of Master Qianqiu.

Qianqiu wasn't arrogant either—those who came were all top talents among those who had reached the Core Formation stage, and even if he wasn't afraid, there was no need to offend them.

Lin Zhao knew that Master Qianqiu preferred quiet, so he specially arranged for him to sit in a corner on the outer side of the platform, where the sea of ​​clouds surged at his feet, making it relatively peaceful.

The banquet officially began, and Lin Zhao gave a few brief opening remarks.

Someone performed a few short shows using magic, and the light flowed above the sea of ​​clouds, casting dappled shadows on the jade tree on the platform.

Lin Zhao greeted everyone, and after the formalities were over, he sat down and shared his insights on Core Formation without holding back.

He broke down each stage of the Core Formation process in great detail, explaining clearly how spiritual energy circulates, how divine consciousness coordinates, and how to adjust one's state when the Heavenly Tribulation arrives.

Some listened intently, while others seemed lost in thought.

Lin Zhao didn't say much, but every word she uttered hit the nail on the head.

The Core Formation cultivators present gradually lost their relaxed expressions as they listened. Some had already guessed that Lin Zhao's Core Formation was probably not an ordinary high-grade Golden Core.

Lin Zhao's heavenly tribulation covered hundreds of miles, with a tremendous momentum, and could be clearly seen within a radius of hundreds of miles.

Now that Lin Zhao can explain the process of forming a golden core so clearly and effortlessly, it is likely that the golden core he has formed is a top-grade golden core that belongs only to him.

Those who hadn't yet formed their core—Xu Chuan, Fang Yue, Yan Chiheng, and the family members and younger generations of the true disciples—sat in a corner, holding wine glasses, listening to Lin Zhao share his experiences in forming his core, their faces filled with envy.

Core Formation and Foundation Establishment are two different things.

They were considered geniuses during the Foundation Establishment stage, but compared to those who had already formed their core, they were just average.

Those true disciples might not be able to compare to them.

They may be able to successfully form their core in the future, but whether they can achieve a high-grade golden core and become true disciples of the sect depends entirely on luck and fate.

The fifth senior brother was the most silent among them. While the others still had a chance to form their core, he didn't even have that hope.

He was never supposed to enter the sect; it was only because of a past relationship that Master Qianqiu brought him in. In his entire life, reaching the late Foundation Establishment stage would be his absolute limit.

Master Qianqiu glanced at him but said nothing.

There are some things he can't control.

Bringing Lao Wu here wasn't to discourage him, but to help him form a karmic bond with Lin Zhao.

When the fifth brother is no longer around, it will be enough for Lin Zhao to remember this old friendship and take care of his descendants.

The banquet was halfway over. Everyone moved around and chatted.

Lin Zhao finally arrived in front of Master Qianqiu and sat down at the small table by the sea of ​​clouds.

The fifth senior brother stood behind him, and at some point, he took a few steps back, retreating to the shade of the green jade tree. Half of his face was in the shadows, so his expression was unreadable.

Lin Zhao didn't say anything. He specially took out a cup of spiritual tea—a top-grade third-level tea, the most precious spiritual plant of the Luo family.

The tea leaves are put into the pot and boiled with spring water. The aroma of the tea is not strong, but it is concentrated and does not dissipate. It floats on the table at a height of about a foot and does not sink for a long time.

Master Qianqiu picked up the cup and took a sip. "Good tea."

The master and apprentice drank their tea and fell silent for a moment.

In the end, it was Master Qianqiu who spoke first.

"I know about your grandmaster summoning you before," he said. "Ignore him."

Lin Zhao nodded.

In the first few days after returning to the sect, because he was carrying a fourth-tier magic treasure, people kept coming to visit him.

Finally, even the Grandmaster Wuyai Zhenjun personally summoned him. Although he didn't explicitly say what it was about, his purpose was crystal clear.

To put it bluntly, Master Qianqiu is merely a disciple of Master Wuya.

Lin Zhao had been a disciple of Master Qianqiu for decades, but had never seen Master Wuya.

While the difference in status between Nascent Soul and Foundation Establishment certainly plays a role, the most important reason is that True Monarch Wuya did not value Qianqiu much.

If it weren't for Master Qianqiu's strength and the hope of him reaching the Nascent Soul stage in the future, he probably wouldn't even have the chance to become a disciple.

Even so, aside from the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the Wuyai lineage, and the regular occasions when they summoned Core Formation True Monarchs, Qianqiu received independent summons and guidance from Wuyai True Monarch only a handful of times.

Lin Zhao had vaguely known some of these things before, but she only learned the details after Qianqiu told her in person today.

"You did the right thing before," Qianqiu said. "Within the sect, Nascent Soul cultivators cannot directly take action; they can only use other methods to suppress you."

As long as you hold on, there won't be any problems. Besides, with True Monarch Qingyuan protecting you, no one dares to really harm you.

Lin Zhao gave a wry smile.

"I have some idea of ​​what it was like for Yan Feng to be targeted by a Nascent Soul cultivator back then," he said. "He was always hesitant and on edge, constantly on edge."

Master Qianqiu looked at him, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"Those who aspire to great things will inevitably face pressure. In other words, ordinary cultivators aren't even worthy of being coveted by Nascent Soul cultivators." He paused for a moment. "Does thinking about it this way make you feel a little better?"

Lin Zhao paused for a moment, then smiled.

Master Qianqiu took another sip of tea.

"As for True Monarch Wuya," he put down his teacup, his tone calm, "if he really doesn't care about his reputation, just disown him as your grandmaster and see what he does then."

Lin Zhao was taken aback.

"How could you not acknowledge your grandmaster?"

Master Qianqiu glanced at him, his gaze quite meaningful.

"Disciples of a sect have only three identities: outer sect disciples, inner sect foundation-building disciples, and true disciples who have formed the core."

Next came the Core Formation Stewards, Nascent Soul Elders, and Deity Transformation Supreme Elders.

The so-called core disciples in a sect refer to the disciples accepted by a Core Formation cultivator.

He paused for a moment, then said, "But this status doesn't exist in the sect's official structure. In other words, theoretically, our master-disciple relationship is just a private one; the sect never acknowledges it."

Lin Zhao's expression froze.

"In other words," Master Qianqiu's voice was calm, "as long as I don't acknowledge you as my disciple, his title of grandmaster is meaningless."

"Trying to use etiquette, seniority, or hierarchy to intimidate you—don't even think about it. At worst, we'll meet at the Cangming Palace. Then we'll see who's more humiliated, me or him."

Lin Zhao opened her mouth, then closed it again.

After a long silence, he finally said, "This works?"

"How old are you? The sect has a history of 70,000 years. There are many things you don't know."