Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Lin Zhao is currently stuck at the peak of the third level of Qi Refining, but his divine sense has already reached the peak of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

When he looked inward with his divine sense, his dantian was like a jar full of water; no matter how hard he tried, his cultivation level wouldn't increase by even a fraction.

Only by breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining can this jar be expanded to hold more magical power.

For the past two months, his cultivation level has remained unchanged, but he has been practicing his cultivation technique for more than five hours every day without fail.

The total amount of magical power did not increase, but the ball of spiritual power in the dantian, under repeated tempering, became purer in color and its circulation became more and more smooth and natural.

He has always believed that no effort is wasted on the path of spiritual practice.

Like tree roots buried deep in the soil, unseen yet firmly planted, they will one day break through the soil and grow into towering trees that support the path ahead.

It was because of his five years of consistent practice that he had the confidence to tell his father that he was "90% sure".

Even without a high-grade cultivation room, he was confident he could break through.

---

In the afternoon, Lin Zhao finished his cultivation and pushed open the door of the cultivation room.

A familiar aroma of spirit rice wafted over. Lin's father had already prepared a simple meal, clearly having figured out his cultivation rhythm long ago.

Lin Zhao sat down, glanced at the empty seat opposite him, and casually asked, "Father, where are Sister Xuan and Brother Zimo? I haven't seen them for several days."

Lin Xuan is the daughter of her uncle Lin Tianze, three years older than him, and has the cultivation level of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Zhao Ziming is a descendant of his grandfather, Old Servant Zhao Bo, and like Lin Zhao, he is at the third level of Qi Refining.

Uncle Zhao would come to the market shops every month, and all the goods and spirit stones that changed hands between the shops passed through his hands.

Mr. Lin picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks: "They went to Green Maple Forest with Miss Qiao."

Qingfeng Mountain is located in the core area of ​​the market. The leaves of the Qingfeng Mountain, a local specialty, are excellent materials for making talismans.

Originally, it was just an annual gathering held by the inner guild to distribute green maple leaves. Later, it gradually evolved into a regular gathering place for young cultivators, held every few months, and it was mostly young people who participated.

"A gathering at Green Maple Forest?" Lin Zhao frowned. "Wasn't it just held last month? What happened again?"

Lin's father put down his chopsticks, sighed softly, and a solemn expression appeared between his brows: "The Liu family and Master Feiyu's side have been making even more trouble lately. They've been fighting each other openly and secretly for several rounds."

If the older generation intervenes directly, there might be no room for negotiation. So, we'll have the younger generation meet first to see if we can slow things down and gauge their opinions.

There are seventeen Foundation Establishment cultivators in Qingfeng Market, with the Market Master Qingming, who is in the late Foundation Establishment stage, being the most respected.

The three cultivators below are at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage: his personal disciple, Venerable Feiyu; the current head of the Liu family; and Venerable Mochen, a rogue cultivator.

The Liu family is the most powerful cultivation family in the market. The patriarch is in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and there are three elders in the early Foundation Establishment stage. Their strength is second only to the market lord's lineage.

The resource friction with Master Feiyu has been going on for quite some time.

The power in the entire market can be roughly divided into three parts: the core power led by the market owner, the family power represented by the Liu family, and the independent cultivator power led by Master Mo Chen.

The three parties maintain a superficial balance.

---

As dusk fell, Lin Zhao returned to the backyard of the shop.

A faint, pungent smell of blood mixed with a chilling pressure rushed towards us.

His heart skipped a beat—his uncle had returned.

Looking up, one could see a tall, thin, and resolute middle-aged cultivator standing in the courtyard, talking quietly with Lin's father.

He was wearing a dark blue outfit stained with grime, and his brows showed signs of fatigue, but his eyes shone with a sharp light.

Noticing Lin Zhao enter, his gaze swept over her like lightning, his chilling aura softening slightly, and a hint of approving smile appeared on his lips:

"Indeed, solid foundation, no shortcuts taken. Pure and refined magic power, without any superficiality."

It seems your claim of being 90% certain wasn't just empty talk.

The Lin family has always taught their children that if they can break through to the middle stage of Qi Refining without relying on pills, they will encounter far fewer bottlenecks on their future cultivation path.

But very few people in the family could do that.

Those who rely too much on elixirs in the early stages often get stuck at a certain hurdle in the middle and later stages of Qi cultivation, and this hurdle can last for years or even decades, wasting their entire lives.

I've heard that the prodigies of those major sects even require that all pills be banned during the entire Qi Refining stage.

Lin Zhao knew he couldn't compare to those chosen ones, so he could only ask himself not to use pills in the early stages.

This has become an invisible barrier distinguishing ordinary children from elite children.

"then!"

As soon as his uncle finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a silver light flew out of the storage bag—it was an antique-style silver token, which landed steadily in Lin Zhao's hand.

"The training room is ready. This is a rare opportunity, so go quickly."

Lin Zhao bowed deeply and gave a respectful salute. He accepted the token, which still carried a hint of chilling aura, and turned to walk towards the training room deep inside.

Watching his retreating figure, Uncle Lin Tianze nodded slightly and whispered to his father beside him:

"Second brother, your son is steady-minded, meticulous, and unhurried. He may go further than you and me on the path of cultivation in the future."

---

Holding the token, Lin Zhao walked to the cultivation room below the core of the shop's formation.

He activated the incantation, and the token in his hand flashed with a faint light.

The intricate patterns of the stone gate lit up one by one, and then silently slid open a crack.

Lin Zhao slipped inside.

The stone door behind them closed silently, completely isolating them from all outside sounds.

The interior was not dark. The floor and walls were made of a dark stone that absorbed stray light, and were engraved with intricate spirit-gathering patterns, emitting a soft glow in the dim light.

The concentration of spiritual energy here far exceeds that of ordinary mid-grade cultivation rooms on the market; it has almost condensed into a thin mist that can be seen with the naked eye.

Lin Zhao walked to the futon in the center of the formation and sat down cross-legged.

Close your eyes, clear your mind, and adjust your breathing.

After an unknown amount of time, he had a thought, and the "Five Elements Rhythm Spirit Technique" began to slowly operate.

In an instant, the surrounding spiritual energy seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, transforming into countless fine threads of spiritual energy that swirled around his body, forming a stable and orderly cycle.