Mortal: I have a Spirit Gathering Cauldron

Deep within the market, at the end of an inconspicuous alley.

Lin Xingjian and the old man behind him stopped in front of an ordinary courtyard.

The courtyard wall was made of yellowish-brown sandstone, and it was no different from other buildings in the market, gray and inconspicuous.

Above the gate of the courtyard hangs a wooden plaque with the three characters "Qingfengju" engraved on it. The paint is already mottled, as if it has not been repaired for many years.

Old Hu took out a communication talisman from his sleeve, activated his spiritual power with his fingertips, and the talisman transformed into a streak of fire and flew into the courtyard.

A moment later, the air around the courtyard distorted slightly, the defensive array activated, and the spiritual light at the courtyard gate slowly cracked open, just enough for one person to pass through.

Lin Xingjian stepped inside, followed closely by the old man.

The space inside the courtyard is much larger than it appears from the outside.

A tiny garden, with clumps of green bamboo swaying in the corner, and a stone path winding its way to the main hall.

Two people, one tall and one short, one strong and one handsome, stood at the entrance of the main hall. The moment they saw Lin Xingjian, they bowed in greeting.

"Attend to the Young Master."

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an barely suppressed excitement.

Lin Xingjian waved his hand, a rare smile appearing on his face: "We're all family, no need for formalities. Let's go inside and talk."

The four entered the main hall.

The interior was simply furnished with an eight-immortal table, a few wooden chairs, and a landscape painting hanging on the wall. On the table sat a pot of local specialty sand fruit tea, with a light aroma and a slightly astringent taste followed by a sweet aftertaste.

Lin Xingjian sat down in the main seat, with the thin old man standing beside him. The other two men sat down at the lower end of the table, their eyes fixed on Lin Xingjian, appearing quite excited.

The burly man was a blond giant with a robust build. His square face was expressionless, but his eyes were piercing. He was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and his aura radiated outwards like a ball of raging fire ready to explode at any moment.

The handsome one was a young man with a fair complexion and no beard. He had delicate features and wore a moon-white Taoist robe with a jade pendant hanging at his waist. He had a scholarly air about him and his cultivation level was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

Lin Xingjian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said nothing.

The blond-haired giant couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned forward, his voice booming like thunder: "I never thought I'd see the young master again! If Elder Hu hadn't personally delivered the message, I, Huang Long, would never have believed it!"

His eyes were slightly red, and a large hand slammed on the table, making the teacup clink.

"Young Master, where have you been hiding all these years? We all thought you had already..."

Lin Xingjian put down his teacup and smiled faintly: "I did indeed use a trick to escape in my younger days, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to fool that person."

He spoke calmly, as if he were talking about something insignificant. But he emphasized the word "that person" heavily, and a flash of coldness crossed his eyes.

The handsome young man took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly: "Young Master, thank goodness you're still here. Our Lin family finally has hope of regaining power."

He paused, a hint of hatred flashing in his eyes: "You don't know, ever since the rebel leader Jin Nantian successfully usurped power, he has suppressed our Lin family at every turn. Our Lin family members have never had the good days we used to. Our cultivation resources are cut off, our positions are revoked, and sometimes we are forced to carry out dangerous missions."

"The Lin family members within the sect are either bowing their heads in submission, or they are... no longer here."

The handsome young man's voice grew softer and softer, and he practically uttered the last few words through gritted teeth.

Lin Xingjian remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the handsome young man's face, before slowly speaking: "Bingcheng, you've suffered these past years. This time, Old Hu and I have returned to take revenge."

Lin Bingcheng, the handsome young man, his eyes reddened, his lips moved, but he only managed to utter two words: "Young Master..."

Huang Long abruptly stood up, causing his chair to tip backward and crash to the ground with a thud. Without even helping himself up, he shouted gruffly, "I've wanted to do this for a long time! As long as the young master gives the order, I, Huang Long, will storm back into the sect right now! What, Jin Nantian? I'll smash his dog's head in one punch!"

Lin Xingjian raised his hand to urge Huang Long to sit down: "Huang Long, so many years have passed, and you still have such a fiery temper. Sit down."

Huang Long was stunned for a moment, glanced down at the chair that had fallen to the ground, picked it up sheepishly, and sat down again.

"I'm back this time for revenge, but we still need to plan carefully." Lin Xingjian picked up his teacup, his gaze calm. "Jin Nantian is not so easy to deal with. He was able to successfully usurp the throne and hold the position of sect leader for so many years, not because of luck."

Old Hu, who had been standing to the side, spoke up at this moment. His voice was hoarse, like the wind blowing through dry reeds: "That's right. Although we now have four Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Rebel Sect Leader is already a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator and a pseudo-Core Formation expert. We must be fully prepared, or we'll be committing suicide."

Peak Foundation Establishment, Pseudo-Core Formation.

These two words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Huang Longtou. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately kept it closed.

Lin Xingjian put down his teacup and turned to Lin Bingcheng: "That's right, this is our last chance. Bingcheng, tell me the details."

Lin Bingcheng straightened his expression, took out a jade slip from his sleeve, and placed it on the table.

"Yes, Young Master."

He cleared his throat, his voice becoming steady: "Although my Lin family is currently weak within the sect, we still have some disciples working in various halls. Through the clues they've provided, we've discovered that the traitor Jin Nantian has recently been mobilizing a large amount of resources within the sect."

"Meanwhile, in Sunset City, a major cultivation city near the Hurricane Desert in the Wangshui Kingdom, a grand auction is being held recently. According to leaked information, there may be Core Formation spiritual items appearing at this auction."

Lin Bingcheng raised his head and looked into Lin Xingjian's eyes: "All indications suggest that Jin Nantian is very likely preparing to participate in this auction. He has now reached the peak of Foundation Establishment and is only one step away from forming the Core Formation, so he will certainly not miss this opportunity. He cannot entrust such an important matter to others; he will definitely come in person."

Lin Xingjian nodded, a slight sneer appearing on his lips.

"This rebel has finally lost his temper."

He turned to look at Old Hu: "Old Hu, please tell us about our arrangements."

Old Hu bowed slightly, took out a map made of animal hide from his sleeve, and spread it on the Eight Immortals table.

The map depicts the border region between the western part of the Wangshui Kingdom and the eastern part of the Hurricane Desert. The mountains and rivers are clearly marked, and one winding yellow line stands out, with four small characters written on it: "Yellow Sand Corridor".

"To cross the Hurricane Desert from the far west and enter the Mingsha Prefecture of Wangshui Kingdom, we must pass through the Yellow Sand Corridor that stretches for thousands of miles." Old Hu's withered fingers traced across the map, slowly moving along the yellow line.

"The spiritual energy in the Hurricane Desert is thin, and the inert sand that is everywhere can restrict the spiritual sense of cultivators. At the same time, sand beasts will attack from time to time. It is almost impossible for Qi Refining cultivators to pass through. When Foundation Establishment cultivators travel through the desert, the range of their spiritual sense will be compressed to less than half of its normal range, and the speed of spiritual energy recovery will also be greatly reduced."

Old Hu raised his head, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his triangular eyes: "Jin Ni is going to participate in the Sunset City auction, so he probably won't bring too many people. Besides, there aren't many Foundation Establishment cultivators available in the sect right now."

"At that time, we will set up an ambush a thousand miles from the exit of the Yellow Sand Corridor." Old Hu pointed to a location on the map, a vast expanse of Gobi Desert, with open terrain suitable for setting up an ambush.

"Jin Ni and his party have traversed thousands of miles of yellow sand, and are exhausted both mentally and physically, with their spiritual energy greatly depleted. We should set up the 'Earthly Fiend Locking Yuan Formation' to wait for them to tire themselves out, so that we can be absolutely certain of success."

"And—" Old Hu drew a circle on the map, enclosing the area around the ambush point.

"Even if things change, we can use the Hurricane Desert to retreat. The spiritual energy there is thin, and divine sense is limited. Once we enter the desert, it will be difficult for our pursuers to find us."

Lin Xingjian picked up the conversation, his gaze sweeping over the three people present: "Old Hu and I have been planning this for many years, waiting for this opportunity to have him step down from his teaching post. This operation is both offensive and defensive, and it will surely be a resounding success."

He stood up, picked up his teacup, and said solemnly, "At that time, I hope you two will do your best."

Lin Bingcheng also stood up, holding the cup with both hands, and bowed slightly: "Young Master is far-sighted and will surely succeed. We will do our utmost."

Huang Long stood up, holding his teacup higher than his face, and said in a deep voice, "Me too! I, Huang Long, haven't yet repaid the Young Master's kindness in passing on his teachings!"

Lin Xingjian looked at the two people, and the coldness in his eyes finally softened a little.

He raised his teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Very well. With your words of encouragement, I will surely reward you handsomely when we succeed."

Huang Long and Lin Bingcheng also finished their tea.

Old Hu stood to the side, not raising his glass, but simply nodding slightly.

Outside the courtyard, night was falling.

One by one, the lights in the market went out, leaving only a few taverns still glowing with a dim yellow light.

In the distance, the Hurricane Desert resembled an endless black ocean in the night. The howling of the wind and sand could be heard dozens of miles away, wailing and sobbing, as if something was crying deep in the desert.

Inside the main hall, the four sat around an eight-immortal table and began to discuss specific action plans.

Mr. Hu clearly marked the ambush points, retreat routes, and backup plans on the map.

Lin Xingjian sat in the main seat, listening silently, occasionally nodding and occasionally frowning.

No one knows what he's thinking.

Two miles away from the courtyard, in a room on the second floor of an inn.

Lin Feng sat cross-legged on the bed, with the dusty gray Spirit-Seeking Butterfly on the windowsill. The little creature's antennae were always pointing northwest, towards the location of that small courtyard.

"They went in and never came out," Lin Feng murmured. "I wonder what they're plotting."

He felt a little regretful, but he knew there was nothing he could do, as every courtyard in the market had restrictions to prevent divine sense from probing.

"However, at least we know you're going to make a move. Now that we're so close to the Hurricane Desert, Lin Xingjian and the others can't possibly go to their home ground in the far west to cause trouble for the other side, can they?" Lin Feng's lips curled up slightly.

He glanced at the Spirit Butterfly on the windowsill and gently touched its wings. The little creature fluttered its wings twice in response.

"No rush," Lin Feng said, closing his eyes. "You need to be patient."

Outside the window, the sound of wind and sand grew louder and louder.