Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Caught in Gao Yuan's expectant gaze, Cheng Jin instinctively lowered her head, avoiding his eyes.

With his usual hesitation, he said, "I need to go back and discuss it with my elders at home."

A fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in Gao Yuan's eyes, but he quickly dismissed it.

Recruiting two people today is already a good start. Cheng Jin's gentle nature makes her easy to manage.

If someone with a strong background and a assertive personality comes along, the question of who should be the leader and who should be the follower in the team will arise. There will be other opportunities in the future, so there's no need to rush.

Lin Zhao listened silently, his mind racing as he weighed the options.

The formation of this demon-hunting team was more beneficial than harmful to him.

Not to mention that his friendship with Gao Yuan was far deeper than that with others.

It was Gao Yuan who brought him into this inner circle.

Her thoughts drifted away; Lin Zhao had grown up under the protection of her family since childhood.

Before the age of ten, he only received introductory education in cultivation; he officially embarked on the path of cultivation at the age of ten.

It was also around that time that Uncle Lin Tianze formed a demon-hunting team and had no time to manage the shops.

His father was assigned to manage the shops in the market, and he followed him there.

Upon arriving at the market, as a young boy, he had nothing to do but cultivate, and his cultivation level was low.

On a sudden whim, I decided to imitate a scene from a novel and become that "guide".

This refers to a marginal profession that specializes in introducing the rules of the market to newcomers and earning a little bit of spirit fragments; a minor character among minor characters in the novel.

The first person he met when he opened his shop was Gao Yuan, who had only recently entered the world of cultivation.

At that time, Lin Zhao still carried a strange sense of superiority as a reborn person and a member of a family.

He thought he could easily "guide" this novice rogue cultivator.

Little did they know that although Gao Yuan was a newcomer to the immortal realm, he had already spent many years struggling in the mortal world.

He joined the Po Jun Demon Hunting Team much earlier and has a far greater understanding of the market than he does.

The result was predictable, considering the history of the market and its current power structure.

Then there's the intricate web of relationships among the Foundation Establishment cultivators, and even the unwritten rules of survival in the marketplace.

Lin Zhao was thoroughly "beaten up" and instructed by Gao Yuan from head to toe, inside and out.

That experience was like a bucket of cold water being poured over his head, completely extinguishing his pitiful sense of superiority.

This made him realize that he was not some destined protagonist, but just an ordinary cultivator.

It was with Gao Yuan that he learned many bloody survival tips that would never be recorded in jade slips or ancient texts.

This painful "dark history"

It became a secret between the two of them, and thus laid the foundation for their deep friendship, which would later become that of teacher and friend.

Gao Yuan's gaze then fell on Lin Zhao, and his tone became serious: "Brother Lin, since you're going to form a demon-hunting team,

The supply of talismans is of paramount importance.

I would like to ask you, or rather the Lin family, to purchase some talismans, just in case.

He explained his requirements in detail: "First and foremost, I need a top-grade first-tier [Fire Separation Talisman]. This talisman has strong explosive power and is especially effective against tough-skinned monsters."

Secondly, there's the [Teleportation Talisman], which can instantly deflect an attack's trajectory by a short distance, and can save lives in critical moments.

Last but not least, there's the [Shadow Splitting Talisman], used to save lives in dire situations.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhao couldn't help but gasp.

The [Splitter of Light and Shadow] is a genuine second-tier talisman.

Once activated, it can create ten shadow bodies with the strength of the seventh level of Qi Refining and fifty illusory bodies with the strength of the fifth level of Qi Refining, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the illusory. It can be used to confuse the enemy, launch surprise attacks, or escape.

These are all top-tier life-saving trump cards, and also one of the Lin family's closely guarded secret talismans.

A wry smile appeared on his face: "Brother Gao, your appetite is a bit too big."

The Fire Separation Talisman and the Teleportation Talisman are fine; these are the talismans that my Lin family is good at, and we already have them in stock in our shop.

However, since the passing of my ancestor, no one in the clan has been able to draw this [Splitting Light and Transforming Shadow Talisman].

It's a family heirloom, and once it's used up, it's gone forever; it's not something I can decide.

Gao Yuan sighed and explained solemnly, "Brother Lin, you may not know this, but the most dangerous creatures on the demon-hunting journey are never the ordinary demon beasts."

Rather, it is a 'commander-level' existence, one in ten thousand among demonic beasts.

They have developed intelligence and their strength far surpasses that of their peers, making them comparable to the pride of the human race.

If an ordinary demon-hunting team were to encounter it, they would almost certainly die.

"The kind of demon-hunting team I'm going to assemble can only be considered a reserve team."

A team consisting of a seventh-level Qi Refining level captain and five to ten mid-level Qi Refining level members is sufficient to handle two or three seventh-level Qi Refining level demonic beasts.

Even if I were to encounter someone at the eighth level of Qi Refining, I wouldn't dare say I'd win. But even if I had to sacrifice some talismans and magical artifacts and pay a price, I could still escape.

However, if they encounter a demonic beast at the ninth level of Qi Refining, or even a more terrifying commander-level demonic beast.

Gao Yuan shook his head, his tone as heavy as a mountain, "Then we'll have to use our most trump card for survival."

If you're lucky, you might lose some valuable cards; if you're unlucky, you might have to pay with lives.

A demon-hunting team won't go far without its trump cards.

"And among all the methods of self-preservation," Gao Yuan said, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Zhao.

"Talismans, especially high-level talismans with immediate effects, are the most cost-effective and reliable."

To be honest, a hundred years ago, the [Splitting Light and Shadow Talisman] produced by your Lin family was renowned among Qi Refining cultivators.

It's a protective treasure that countless people dream of.

Lin Zhao looked troubled. After a moment of contemplation, he replied sincerely, "Brother Gao can buy the [Fire Separation Talisman] and [Teleportation Talisman] at the market price at any time. I will try my best to reserve them for you."

As for the second-tier [Splitting Light and Shadow Talisman], that's not something I can decide. I can only promise you that I will immediately inform the family of your needs.

However, how the family responds is beyond my control, so I hope Brother Gao can understand.

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuan waved his hand generously, showing no displeasure on his face: "It's alright! This is a major matter, so it should be handled this way."

Please report this to me first, and let me know immediately if there is any news.

"As long as the Lin family is willing to part with it, I, Gao Yuan, will absolutely not let them suffer a loss in terms of price!"

With business temporarily concluded, Lin Zhao remembered something else and took the opportunity to inquire with Gao Yuan: "Brother Gao, have you ever heard of a man named Liu Yifeng in the Golden Feather Demon Hunting Team?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Gao Yuan's eyes, but he still nodded and replied, "I know this person. He's considered the 'face' of the Golden Feather Demon Hunting Team."

He further explained, "Although there are hundreds of demon-hunting teams in the market, only a handful can truly be considered elite."

Take my unit, Po Jun, for example. The entire team consists of over a hundred people. The elite main force is composed of experts at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and the formal team also requires all members to be at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

As for the reserve team, it consists of members like myself, led by a Qi Refining Level 7 member who is at the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

What I'm building now is this reserve team. Only when all of us advance to the seventh level can we become official members of the Breaking Army.