Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

"Sister Xuan." Lin Qinglu walked over lightly, lightly making hand gestures to set up a soundproof barrier. "Zhao Kun has already won over more than half of the team. If Captain Song doesn't come back soon, the Seventh Team might have to change its ownership to Zhao."

Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Qingluo, do you know why I chose Team Seven? It's because Captain Song Yuan is too greedy." Lin Qingluo nodded thoughtfully.

At this moment, a team member came to report: "Deputy Captain Lin, Captain Song requests your presence."

Lin Xuan got up and walked towards the central tent. As soon as he stepped inside, the outside sounds were immediately cut off, as a first-order soundproof array was set up here. Sitting inside the tent was a middle-aged cultivator with a sallow complexion, none other than Song Yuan, the captain of the seventh team.

Upon seeing Lin Xuan enter, he quickly stood up and said, "Fairy Lin, you've come so late at night because you have something important to ask me."

Lin Xuan sneered inwardly. If he were truly sincere, why would he wait for her to arrive before getting up? This further convinced her that Song Yuan was a rogue cultivator. Regardless of what a family member truly thought, outwardly, their manners would certainly be impeccable.

"Captain Song, you've had a long and tiring journey; it should be me who comes to pay my respects." Lin Xuan smiled as he sat down. "I wonder if you found anything during your investigation of the Fifth Team?"

"Don't even mention it," Song Yuan waved his hand in frustration, "I treated that old man Yin to drinks, spent a spirit stone, and didn't get any information at all."

Lin Xuan shook his head inwardly. At the critical moment of life and death, he was only willing to spend one spirit stone to bribe people. No wonder he could not get any information.

Captain Song's eyes darted around, and he bowed to Lin Xuan again, saying, "Fairy Lin is a veteran of the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Lin family. I wonder if you could offer me some guidance?"

Lin Xuan was among the first group to join the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce, Captain Song joined later, and Zhao Kun joined recently.

Lin Xuan looked troubled: "Senior Song, as you know, my strength is insignificant. I'm no longer ranked in the Chamber of Commerce. As for the Lin family," she sighed softly, "my father is timid and cowardly, and dares not participate in the affairs of the caravan at all. I really have no way of finding out anything."

Seeing Song Yuan nod unconsciously, Lin Xuan lowered his voice: "If you really don't have any connections, you might as well ask Deputy Captain Zhao. He comes from a prestigious family and has high cultivation. Today, he led us to wipe out more than ten Tribulation Cultivators in just ten breaths."

"What?!" Song Yuan's expression changed drastically. "Zhao Kun is from a prestigious family. Didn't he say he was a rogue cultivator?" Captain Song felt things were getting out of control.

As Lin Xuan recounted the day's battle in detail, Song Yuan's expression grew increasingly grim.

The team leader should have control over the formation, but Zhao Kun's ability to activate the formation and empower everyone indicates that he has already taken control of the formation plate.

What's even more frightening is that his teammates obeyed his orders without question, all of which indicates that he, as captain, is now merely a figurehead.

After seeing Lin Xuan off, Song Yuan paced back and forth in the tent. He had earned more spirit stones in the year he joined the caravan than in the previous few years. He was really unwilling to give it up, so he finally ordered, "Please ask Deputy Captain Zhao to come over."

He wanted to give Zhao Kun another chance; if Zhao Kun was willing to let go, he would let him off the hook.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. If Zhao Kun still refused to let go, then he shouldn't blame him for being ruthless. He wasn't unfamiliar with killing scions of powerful families.

Lin Xuan returned to the campfire, and Lin Qingluo asked if he wanted to do anything. Lin Xuan replied that there was no rush.

Zhao Kun then went into the tent, and soon came out with a grim expression, clearly indicating that the two sides had fallen out.

Over the next two days, the atmosphere in Team Seven became noticeably more delicate.

Song Yuan began frequently summoning his team members for pep talks, attempting to rebuild his authority. He not only personally led the team at the front lines but also distributed several bottles of his treasured pills to a few veteran members, clearly trying to win them over.

However, these actions seemed somewhat pale and powerless in the face of the situation that Zhao Kun had already laid out.

The day's journey was exceptionally dull. Song Yuan rode at the very front of the group, his back stiff.

Zhao Kun, on the other hand, calmly sat in the center of the team, occasionally chatting with his teammates and sometimes giving pointers on the training of the younger members. The difference in their abilities was immediately apparent.

During the afternoon break, Lin Xuan leaned against an ancient tree and closed her eyes to rest. Lin Qingluo sat down beside her and whispered, "Sister Xuan, Zhao Kun has completely taken control of the situation. Captain Song probably won't be able to turn things around."

Lin Xuan didn't even lift his eyelids, but said indifferently, "Song Yuan was too greedy before, and has long lost the hearts of the people. Now, apart from the title of captain, even the controller of the captain's symbol array plate has been taken away in half. He thought that he could control the whole situation with the captain's status and those little favors."

"Then we," Lin Xuan said, "wait and see." He opened his eyes and glanced at Zhao Kun, who was chatting and laughing with his teammates. "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. It's too early to intervene now."

When they set up camp at dusk, the conflict finally erupted completely.

Song Yuan summoned all the team members and announced that the night watch arrangements would be readjusted. This was originally his authority as the captain, but after he finished reading the list, the room fell silent.

The team members whose names were called exchanged glances, then all looked at Zhao Kun. Zhao Kun slowly wiped the longsword in his hand, and said without looking up, "Captain, should we reconsider the selection of the night watchmen for the first half of the night? Fellow Daoist Zhang suffered an internal injury while scouting yesterday, and Fellow Daoist Li is responsible for maintaining the array flags. Perhaps we could replace them with Fellow Daoist Wang and Fellow Daoist Liu, as they are in better condition today."

With each word he spoke, Song Yuan's face grew darker. This was no longer a suggestion, but a blatant challenge to his authority. "Zhao Kun!" Song Yuan abruptly stood up, unleashing the full pressure of his late-stage Qi Refining realm: "I am the captain of the Seventh Team!"

Zhao Kun finally raised his head, his face still bearing a gentle smile, but his eyes were sharp as knives: "Captain Song, please calm down. I only believe that in extraordinary times, the overall situation should be the priority."

Their gazes clashed in mid-air, the fluctuations of spiritual energy causing the campfire flames to flicker. The team members held their breath, the atmosphere tense and volatile.

After a long while, Song Yuan snorted coldly and left in a huff.

That night, the Seventh Team's camp was unusually quiet. But everyone knew that beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were surging.

Lin Xuan sat upright in the tent, the white jade ring on his left ring finger emitting a faint red glow. Before his departure, the clan elders had specifically instructed him that a red glow was a warning, signifying an impending change in the situation and that action was imminent; if it turned black, it meant the action had already begun, and now it was time to wait for the optimal moment to strike.

She also had a black jade ring on the ring finger of her right hand, and her right fingertip unconsciously rubbed the scabbard of the Qingfeng sword, feeling the cool patterns on the scabbard.

Silence reigned outside the tent, but this silence only made people more uneasy.

However, the night passed unexpectedly peacefully.

The next morning, Lin Xuan discovered that the red light on the white jade ring on his finger had dissipated.

In the morning light, Song Yuan and Zhao Kun exchanged a few words in the center of the camp. Although no conflict arose, their gloomy expressions indicated that they would part on bad terms once again.

During a rest stop on the road, Lin Qingluo leaned closer and whispered, "Sister Xuan, I heard that President Liu Yifeng personally inspected the camps of each team last night."

With a hint of admiration in her eyes, she said, "Wherever the president goes, all disputes are resolved. She's truly amazing."