Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

The "Pine Breeze" private room is located on the third floor of the Tea House.

When Lin Zhao pushed open the door, there were already five people inside.

Gao Yuan was also there.

"Young Master Lin, we've been waiting for you!" Old Wu, the host, greeted him with a smile.

Today's small gathering is to celebrate Gao Yuan's breakthrough to the seventh level of Qi Refining, and Lin Zhao's breakthrough to the fourth level of Qi Refining, making it a double celebration.

"Brother Gao, congratulations." Lin Zhao stepped forward and offered his heartfelt congratulations.

At this moment, Gao Yuan was deliberately restraining himself, but his spiritual pressure, which was just entering the late stage of Qi Refining, was still like a sharp blade that had not yet been fully sheathed, occasionally revealing its sharpness.

His eyes were sharper and deeper than ever before.

Gao Yuan laughed heartily, clasped his hands in return, and said in a booming voice, "Congratulations to Brother Lin on breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Refining! To have such cultivation at such a young age, your future is limitless! I'll definitely toast you later!"

It is clear that the two have known each other for a long time and are quite familiar with each other.

"Alright, alright, you two stop flattering each other and leaving us old folks out in the cold," Old Wu jokingly interrupted, stroking his white beard.

His cultivation level had been stuck at the sixth level of Qi Refining for many years. After failing to break through to the later stage in his early years, he became somewhat disheartened and turned his attention to cultivating future generations.

There were three other people present.

Chu Xin, at the fifth level of Qi Refining, was dressed in a neat and tidy outfit, with a cold expression.

Three hideous claw marks from a monstrous beast marred his once delicate face.

She was guided onto the path of immortality by a rogue cultivator master from a young age, but unfortunately, her master died during a demon hunt—the scar on her face is a mark of that tragedy.

Fatty Chen, true to his name, was portly and always wore the affable smile of a businessman. He was the son of an elder of the Qizhen Pavilion Chamber of Commerce and was well-informed.

Finally, there was Cheng Jin, dressed in fine clothes, with a cultivation level of the sixth level of Qi Refining. He had the strongest background present—his grandfather was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, his personality was completely opposite to his family background; he was the most timid.

This small team of six people met in recent years through exchanges of interests.

At first, it was just loose intelligence sharing. After several collaborations and tests, trust was gradually built up between them, which led to the current regular gatherings to exchange supplies and intelligence.

Lin Zhao sat down in an empty seat and asked, "I'm a little late. What were you all talking about?"

Upon hearing this, Fatty Chen's smile faded, and he sighed, "We were just talking about the turbulent times we're in now."

In other markets, the prices of spirit herbs and spirit ores have risen sharply, and merchant caravans have been frequently robbed, severely impacting the supply of goods for the merchant guilds.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Our Qizhen Pavilion caravan also encountered this twice last month, losing some manpower and almost losing all our goods."

The atmosphere at the table became somber for a moment.

Fatty Chen then mentioned that, in order to stabilize the surrounding area, the higher-ups in the market have a plan to invite a Foundation Establishment Master to personally lead a large-scale cleanup of threats near the market, hoping to make business easier.

Lin Zhao then asked about another matter of concern: the upcoming talisman lecture by "Master Mo Chen," the top talisman master in the market.

He admitted that he was stuck at the threshold of a mid-grade first-level talisman master. He had heard that every time Master Mo Chen gave a sermon, someone would break through the rank after listening to it, and he wanted to take this opportunity to seek a breakthrough.

However, the lecture tickets cost as much as 100 spirit stones, and they were extremely difficult to obtain.

Upon hearing this, Old Wu stroked his beard and smiled, "I have been in the market for many years and have some connections. I can help you raise one."

"But young friend Lin, you are a talisman master yourself, shouldn't you be more familiar with the intricacies of this than I am?"

Lin Zhao smiled wryly and explained, "Elder Wu, you may not know this, but it's precisely because we're both talisman masters that it's inconvenient to visit directly, lest we attract unnecessary trouble. With Elder Wu's help, that would be the best thing."

Old Wu nodded knowingly and agreed.

The Lin family also possesses a second-tier talismanic lineage. If Lin Zhaoruo goes there in a grand manner, it won't be to learn, it will be to cause trouble.

Just then, Gao Yuan stood up.

His tall and imposing figure appeared even more striking in the elegant room. His gaze was calm, and he solemnly clasped his hands in a respectful bow to everyone present.

Fellow Daoists

His voice was steady, and his gaze swept over every familiar face:

"Today, I, Gao Yuan, have been fortunate enough to break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining ahead of others, which should make me happy. However, the path to immortality is long and arduous, and I do not intend to stop here—I am determined to pursue the Dao and establish my foundation."

He paused slightly, his tone becoming increasingly sincere:

"I have obtained the approval of the Po Jun Demon Hunting Team's leadership to form a new demon hunting team on my own."

All of you here are old friends who have known each other for many years and know each other inside and out. My character, Gao Yuan's character, is evident to all.

"On this occasion, I, Gao Yuan, earnestly request your full support! Whether you join us directly or help each other in the future—Gao Yuan hereby swears that I will never betray your kindness today!"

These words clearly express the intention to recruit and forge a more solid alliance.

Their small team will upgrade from a loose intelligence exchange to a more clearly defined community of interests, working together towards that distant yet alluring path to foundation building.

Before the words were even finished, Chu Xin was the first to speak up.

She raised her cool, clear eyes, her voice crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation:

"Brother Gao, I'm joining."

Since her master's death, her demon-hunting team has been demoralized and unable to continue.

Now that Gao Yuan is forming a new team, it's a fresh start for her.

The "Broken Army Demon Hunting Team" to which Gao Yuan belongs has a history of over a hundred years and a profound foundation. It has produced a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the past - it's just a pity that he later went to develop in the more resource-rich Jinsha City.

Now that Gao Yuan has been granted the right to form its own team, it is both a rare opportunity and a challenge full of unknowns and risks.

At this moment, Wu Laodao also stood up shakily.

A long-lost glimmer of light flashed in his cloudy eyes. He took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision:

"Although I am already halfway to the grave and these old bones of mine can't last for many more years... after hearing what Brother Gao said, I'll just let it go."

He said slowly, "Even if it costs me my old bones, I want to fight one last time. I just want to have no regrets. Brother Gao, count me in."

Gao Yuan was certain.

His gaze then turned to Cheng Jin, who had remained silent.

Of the six people, Wu Laodao, Chu Xin, and he have already expressed their intentions.

Fatty Chen's foundation is in the Chamber of Commerce, and Lin Zhao's cultivation is still shallow; neither of them are the most suitable candidates to join the demon-hunting team.

Only Cheng Jin—with his Qi Refining Level 6 cultivation, being a Foundation Establishment descendant but not a prominent direct descendant, and having a strong background yet not being difficult to control—was the most ideal target.