Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

The next morning, the gray fog had not yet dissipated.

Ian stood in front of the inner gate of Blue Hole Mountain.

The guards at the gate had changed; the one in charge was a one-eyed veteran.

He took the business alliance cooperation token from Ian, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"A second-tier partner of the Crimson Cloud Merchant Alliance?" The veteran looked Ian up and down. "Personally guaranteed by Elder Chen?"

"Yes." Ian nodded.

The veteran frowned, as if he wanted to ask something more, but Ian was already getting impatient.

The next moment, a condensed and tangible pressure slowly emanated from his body.

It wasn't a deliberate release, but rather the lingering effect of bloodline power naturally manifesting after a breakthrough in cultivation level.

An invisible ripple seemed to spread through the air.

The one-eyed veteran's expression changed drastically, and his hand holding the token trembled violently, almost dropping it to the ground.

The two guards behind him instinctively took a half step back, their faces showing fear.

"This...this is..." The veteran's voice trembled slightly, "A solidified aura?!"

The entire Blue Cave Mountain city, including both its inner and outer walls, has a population of about 100,000, and there are no more than 20 prominent figures at the Condensed Form stage.

A flash of silver light appeared deep in Ian's pupils, and the invisible pressure emanating from him subsided.

He didn't speak, but simply looked calmly at the veteran.

The veteran hurriedly bowed, handing back the token with both hands, his tone shifting from businesslike indifference to almost fawning respect.

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency! I was blind and did not know it was you, Your Excellency, who has come in! Please, please come in!"

He turned and made a quick gesture toward the door, then shouted.

"Open the door! Welcome our distinguished guests!"

With a creak, the heavy iron gate swung open inwards.

The neat streets behind the gate are a stark contrast to those in the outer city.

Several guards who were chatting idly inside the gate turned to look when they heard the commotion.

Sensing the lingering aura of solidified energy emanating from Ian, they all fell silent, bowed their heads, and retreated to the sides.

The moment Ian stepped inside, he had the illusion of entering another world.

The mud, stench, and crowds of the outer city have disappeared here.

The street beneath my feet is paved with smooth bluestone slabs, so clean that you can see your reflection in it.

The streets were no longer lined with crooked wooden sheds, but with neat stone buildings, mostly two or three stories high, with window frames painted dark red.

Red lanterns hung under the eaves, shining even during the day, emitting a gentle light.

There was no stench in the air, only a faint smell of herbs and the aroma wafting from a distant food stall.

Several neatly dressed pedestrians hurried past, and upon seeing the token at Ian's waist, they instinctively stepped aside to make way, their eyes filled with obvious awe.

This is the core of Blue Cave Mountain.

Ian walked along the street, his Starshine Perception silently spreading out.

The energy flow within the inner city was much clearer than that within the outer city, like underground rivers surging beneath the surface—the veins of the purification barrier.

I hadn't gone far when a rough, familiar voice came from the side.

"Li...Li Xing?!"

Ian turned around and saw the bald man he knew from before.

The other person was peeking out from a shop, holding a half-eaten piece of jerky.

Suddenly, he sensed something was off about Ian's aura.

"You...you've solidified?!"

His eyes widened, and the scar on his face contorted in shock.

The half-chewed jerky fell to the ground with a "thud".

The bald man's distorted voice drew the attention of several pedestrians on the street.

Ian nodded slightly: "I broke through by sheer luck yesterday."

"Yesterday...yesterday?" the bald man murmured repeatedly, looking at Ian with a complicated expression, as if he were looking at some monster.

A little over a month ago, this kid was just a late-stage Awakening cultivator, leading a group of refugees to escape.

How long has it been? It's already solidified?!

He knew very well that many people were stuck from awakening to solidification, unable to get past this point in their entire lives.

The guards in the Merchant Alliance who were at the peak of awakening, along with himself, had been cultivating diligently for more than ten years, but they hadn't even touched the edge of solidification!

And this kid... a month?!

"You...you're here to see Old Chen, right?"

The bald man unconsciously used honorifics in his speech and even turned slightly to the side, making a gesture to guide the way.

"I'll take you there."

The Crimson Cloud Merchant Alliance branch is located in the center of the inner city, in a five-story stone tower building.

At the top of the tower, a fist-sized crimson crystal hangs slowly, emitting a pale red halo that envelops the entire tower.

As soon as Ian reached the tower, Steward Wang's fat face peeked out from behind the door.

"Lord Li Xing! You've arrived!"

He had received the news, and his smile was even warmer than when he was in the outer city, with an added touch of cautious respect.

"Old Chen instructed that you should go directly to the fifth floor upon arrival, where he will be waiting for you in his study."

Ian nodded and followed Steward Wang into the tower.

The first floor is a spacious hall with tall shelves along the four walls, filled with all kinds of rare materials.

He noticed several bottles of pale golden liquid, gleaming deep within the shelf; they were high-grade purification agents.

Several servants were checking the goods when they saw Ian come in. They stopped what they were doing and looked over curiously.

"Who's that?" a girl with a ponytail asked her companion in a low voice.

"I've never seen him before... but since Steward Wang personally greeted him, he must be a distinguished guest."

"Judging from the token on his waist, he's a guest elder! Such a young guest elder?"

Amidst whispers, Ian had already followed Steward Wang up the spiral staircase.

The staircase is carved from a single piece of ironwood, and the handrail is so smooth that it reflects one's image.

At each corner of the staircase stood a guard, their auras calm and collected; all were in the late stage of awakening.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, Manager Wang stopped in front of a carved wooden door and gently knocked.

"Come in." Chen Lao's aged yet powerful voice came from inside the door.

Manager Wang pushed open the door, gestured for them to enter, but stepped aside, showing no intention of going in.

Ian stepped into the study. Update released! Readers are all going to Cola Novels to read it!

The room was small, but it was decorated very elegantly.

All four walls are lined with bookshelves that reach the ceiling, densely packed with parchment scrolls and thread-bound ancient books.

In the center sits a large mahogany desk, behind which Old Chen is looking at a roll of yellowed blueprints.

Mr. Chen, whose full name is Chen Jingshan.

As soon as Ian stepped into the study, Old Chen's hand, which was holding the intelligence scroll, trembled slightly.

He slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

Despite having already received the news, he still couldn't hide his shock.

The air in the study seemed to freeze instantly.

Chen Jingshan could clearly sense the aura emanating from the young man in front of him.

Solid and weighty, carrying the unique chill and profundity of stars.

That's an aura of power that only a fully formed being can possess!

Moreover... the level of refinement of this aura is even comparable to that of his veteran form-forming technique, which he has been immersed in for over forty years!

"You..." Chen Jingshan put down the scroll, stood up, walked around the desk and stood in front of Ian.

His gaze swept over Ian, as if trying to see right through him. "It really worked?"

"I succeeded by sheer luck." Ian's eyes were calm as still water.

"When did you break through?"

"Yesterday."

Chen Jingshan remained silent for a full three breaths.

The only sounds in the study were the soft crackling of the flickering candlelight and the faint murmur of the street outside the window.

"Hahaha!"

Suddenly, Chen Jingshan threw his head back and burst into laughter. The loud laughter shook the dust off the bookshelf.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He said "good" three times in a row and patted Ian's shoulder hard.

"Young friend Li Xing, your cultivation speed has truly broadened my horizons!"

Chen Jingshan quickly adjusted his attitude, transforming from a "senior investor" to an "equal partner".

"Mr. Chen, you flatter me." Ian nodded slightly.

"Not at all, not at all! Just call me 'brother' from now on."

Chen Jingshan waved his hand, his face still showing the afterglow of shock.

"I have cultivated for seventy years and seen many geniuses, but someone like you... who broke through from the late stage of Awakening to the Form Condensation stage in just one month is absolutely unique!"

He took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and sat back down at his desk.

His expression had returned to calm, but the look of amazement deep in his eyes lingered for a long time.

"It seems that my investment back then really came at a great price."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pointed to the view of the inner city outside.

"The inner city of Blue Cave Mountain has a population of over 20,000, of whom 17 are at the Condensed Form stage."

Chen Jingshan turned around and looked at Ian. "Now, you are the eighteenth."

Ian remained silent, waiting for what was to come.

"Those rules of the outer city are no longer relevant to you."

Chen Jingshan took out a new token from the drawer of his desk. It was larger than the previous guest token and was entirely crimson.

The front is engraved with intricate star patterns, while the back features the character "霞" (xiá).

"From today onwards, you are a 'core guest elder' of the Crimson Cloud Merchant Alliance, with authority equivalent to that of an elder within the alliance."

He handed the token to Ian, "With this token, you can freely enter and exit the inner city, enjoy a 30% discount on materials exchanged at the Merchant Alliance warehouse, and receive a monthly offering of twenty standard crystals."

Twenty standard crystals.

Ian took the token; it felt slightly heavy in his hand, made of some kind of special metal, with a warm, smooth surface and a faint sense of energy flowing within.

"In addition," Chen Jingshan walked back to his desk and took out a thick booklet from the bottom drawer.

"This is the access list for the Inner City Knowledge Base, which contains various kinds of knowledge collected by the Merchant Alliance, bloodline cultivation experience, fragments of rune combat techniques, records of ancient ruins... You can borrow three volumes per month."

He pushed the booklet in front of Ian.

Ian solemnly accepted it and turned to the first page.

【Bloodline Awakening and Advancement Paths - Fragment - Author Unknown - Included in Cataclysmic Year 127】

[The Thirty-Six Basic Rune Arrays - Complete Edition - Author: Rune Master "Thousand Hands" - Included in Cataclysm Year 211]

[Map of Corrosion Cracks Around Blue Cave Mountain - Latest Revised Edition - Author: Chixia Business Alliance Exploration Team - Included in Cataclysmic Calendar 298]

As he turned the pages, Ian's gaze grew increasingly somber.

This knowledge, if placed in any book in the outer city, would be enough to incite a bloody struggle.

Here, they are neatly recorded and available for people to borrow.

What do I need to give in return?

Ian closed the booklet and looked at Chen Jingshan.

"I'm just a newly awakened Formation Stage cultivator. The Merchant Alliance doesn't need another Formation Stage warrior, does it?"

Chen Jingshan's smile faded, and his tone became serious.

"Because you are a 'purifier' and a rare master of potions."

He knew that Ian was training those teenagers and that he had also created a body-tempering potion.

"What are the conditions?"

"Conditions?" Chen Jingshan laughed. This young man's mindset hadn't changed after his promotion.

"There are no conditions. The only condition is that the Merchant Alliance has priority in purchasing the purification potions you refine, and the price will be 90% of the market price."

The conditions were very lenient, practically nonexistent.

Ian nodded; this meant there were no restrictions on his expansion of power in the outer city.

"make a deal."

Finally, Chen Jingshan took a small cloth bag out of the drawer and tossed it to Ian.

"This is your offering for this month, twenty standard crystals. I'm giving it to you in advance. Go and settle those people in the outer city properly, so they don't starve to death."

Ian took the bag, which contained twenty milky-white standard crystals.

He put away the cloth bag, nodded to Chen Jingshan, and turned to leave the study.

After closing the door, Chen Jingshan sat back down in his chair, picked up the yellowed blueprints again, but couldn't focus on them for a long time.

"Old Chen," Manager Wang entered unnoticed and asked in a low voice, "You really think highly of him?"

Old Chen put down the blueprints and looked out the window.

"You're not a fully formed being, so I wonder what level of genius you are to be able to break through within a month."

The old man sighed.

"The more monstrous geniuses there are in this world, the more hope humanity has."