I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Zhao Ling let out a breath and was about to speak when Zheng Yifei raised his hand to signal her to be quiet.

He walked to the window and watched through the crack as the group of disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall left Willow Alley.

Xuan Tian Sect disciples were still guarding both sides of the street, and streaks of light occasionally flashed across the sky. All four city gates of the market were closed.

"They acted faster than I expected."

Zheng Yifei said in a low voice.

After the Xuantian Sect sealed off the mountain, the Law Enforcement Hall immediately blocked off the market. At this rate, most of the surrounding towns and major transportation routes have also set up checkpoints.

If Su Wanqing and the others arrive now, they are likely to run into the search team on the way.

Zheng Yifei took out the communication jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

"Yifei, we have left Cave No. 3 and are heading towards Xuantian Market."

Su Wanqing's voice came through.

"Don't come any closer."

Zheng Yifei immediately replied: "Xuantian Market has been sealed off, and the Enforcement Hall is searching house by house. You can't enter the city. Find a secluded place to hide first. Don't go near any market, and don't use Qingyun Sect's flying boats or magic weapons."

After a pause, he added, "Replace all the communication jade slips on your bodies. The Xuantian Sect may be able to track your location through the sect's mark. Do not act without my information."

After a while, Su Wanqing sent back a message.

"Understood. Grandpa knows an abandoned mine. Let's go there to stay first."

Only after confirming their temporary safety did Zheng Yifei put away the jade slip.

Tie Feng returned from the doorway, reattached the inspection talisman, and muttered under his breath, "A bunch of insatiable bastards. They take a thousand spirit stones for every search. If this continues, we'll have to keep spending money."

"Giving them a few thousand spirit stones is nothing."

"I'm just so angry."

Tie Feng walked behind the counter and rearranged the messed-up documents: "They've ruined the whole street, making it impossible to do business. Just now, the talisman shop next door didn't produce any spirit stones, and the shopkeeper and his assistant were all taken away, supposedly for an identity check."

"The shop will remain open as usual these next few days."

Zheng Yifei turned to Zhao Ling and said, "You stay in the backyard to cultivate. Don't show yourself easily. Although your identity can withstand investigation, the more often you appear, the easier it is for people to remember you."

Zhao Ling nodded: "I understand."

For the next few days, Xuantian Market remained under lockdown.

The Enforcement Hall divided the market into more than twenty areas, with teams of ten people searching everything from inns and shops to private cave dwellings.

Anyone with questionable identity, who has recently entered the city, or who has dealings with the Qingyun Sect will be taken back to the Enforcement Hall.

After the first round of searches, Hu Xiaotian did not withdraw his men, but instead rearranged the areas each team was responsible for and began the second round of searches.

Jubaoge has been investigated three more times.

The first person to arrive was a late-stage Foundation Establishment deacon. He only checked the person's identity and the shop's ledger. Tie Feng slipped him five hundred spirit stones, and the deacon then took the person away.

The second team searched very thoroughly, not only checking the warehouse but also using a spirit-detecting mirror to examine every wall in the backyard.

Before leaving, the steward took away two thousand spirit stones and three third-grade spirit herbs from the Treasure Pavilion under the pretext of it being hiding prohibited medicinal materials.

During the third search, the Golden Core cultivator in charge happened to be someone Tie Feng had known in his early years. The two did not recognize each other on the spot. After the other disciples entered the backyard, the man simply tapped his fingers in front of the counter.

Tie Feng put down a bag.

It contained 1,500 low-grade spirit stones.

The other party took the storage bag, led his men around the shop, and left without even opening the storeroom.

After four searches, more than 5,000 spirit stones were stolen from Jubaoge.

Tie Feng would always scold him, but he never hesitated to give what he deserved.

Many shops in the market were not so lucky. In just a few days, at least a hundred people were taken away by the enforcement hall.

Some people were indeed connected to the Qingyun Sect, while others simply couldn't produce enough spirit stones and were thus accused of harboring traitors.

The city gates of the market were not reopened until the fifth day.

The number of Enforcement Hall disciples on the streets has decreased by more than half, and the number of patrol boats in the air has also decreased from ten to two.

Inns and restaurants have reopened, and shops that had been closed for many days are gradually opening their doors.

At the same time, news about the Qingyun Sect spread throughout the entire Xuantian Market.

Xuantian Sect publicly claimed that Qingyun Sect had secretly colluded with Tianmo Sect to hoard a large number of spirit stones and magical artifacts, intending to attack Xuantian Sect.

After discovering this, Elder Qin Cang personally went to Qingyun Sect to investigate, but was besieged by Xu Zhengkun and the elders.

In the ensuing battle, Xu Zhengkun and all the elders of the Qingyun Sect were killed.

Former sect leader Xu Tianyang has fled in fear of punishment and has been placed on the Xuantian Sect's highest-level wanted list.

The Qingyun Sect was not completely eradicated.

Qin Cang appointed Hu Lie as the sect leader of Qingyun Sect.

The first thing Hu Lie did after taking office was to publicly read out a proclamation condemning the Xu family, claiming that Xu Zhengkun had colluded with the Demonic Sect and intended to rebel, almost destroying the centuries-old foundation of the Qingyun Sect.

The second thing is to hand over all the remaining assets of the Qingyun Sect to the Xuantian Sect free of charge.

The Qingyun Daily was renamed the Xuantian Daily, and the newspaper office and printing plant were taken over by the Law Enforcement Hall.

After the newspaper resumed publication, the front page featured the news of the Qingyun Sect's collusion with demons.

Qingyun Logistics has also been renamed Xuantian Logistics.

All warehouses, flying boats, and freight routes in various locations were taken over by the Xuantian Sect, and the headquarters were moved from near the Qingyun Sect to Xuantian Market.

The original manager and employees need to re-register their identities and pass the review by the Enforcement Hall before they can continue to work.

As for the mirage, all that remains is a deep pit.

Qin Cang clearly had no intention of giving up this business.

Six days after the mirage was destroyed, the Xuantian Sect posted a notice announcing plans to build a larger gambling den in the eastern district of Xuantian Market. The General Affairs Hall had already sent people to survey the terrain and requisitioned more than a dozen shops from the vicinity.

According to the notice, the new gambling den is expected to be completed in two years and will become the largest gambling den in the Southern Wilderness.

When the news reached Jubao Pavilion, Tie Feng was so angry that he smashed the teacup in his hand on the ground.

"These guys robbed newspapers and logistics companies, and now they want to build another one like a mirage."

Zheng Yifei sat at the table, examining the spiritual materials he had recently purchased.

It was expected that Xuantian Sect would take over Qingyun Sect's assets.

He didn't pay attention to these messages.

What I'm most concerned about now is Zhao Ling's cultivation level.

On the first day after consuming the Earth Spirit Essence, most of the poison and impurities accumulated in Zhao Ling's body were washed away by the essence, and her meridians were also widened considerably.

By the third night, her dantian was completely full and could no longer hold any spiritual energy.

Zhao Ling opened her eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Zheng Yifei, sitting on the other side of the secret room, noticed the change in her aura and put down the jade slip in his hand.

"Foundation Building complete?"

Zhao Ling nodded, raised her hand and condensed a ball of spiritual energy. The spiritual energy slowly rotated in her palm, and its concentration was twice as strong as it had been a few days ago.

"My cultivation level has stabilized, and I can break through to the Golden Core stage at any time."

"We cannot break through here."

Zheng Yifei said.

The Golden Core stage is a true transformation for cultivators.

When one attempts to break through from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage, a large amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth is required. The spiritual energy within the dantian condenses into a pill, attracting the gathering of spiritual energy within dozens of miles.

The greater the talent, the bigger the impact.

Although the underground chamber of the Treasure Pavilion was hidden, it could not conceal the fluctuations of spiritual energy during the Core Formation stage. The Xuantian Sect was only ten miles away, and there were Nascent Soul cultivators stationed in the market year-round.

Once Zhao Ling forms his core here, the moment the strange phenomenon appears, the Enforcement Hall will arrive.

Tie Feng frowned and said, "How about we go to the Monster Forest? It's a big place, we can just find a cave and no one should notice."

Zhao Ling shook her head: "The Core Formation cannot be completed in just a few days. It can take two or three months at the fastest, or half a year at the slowest. There are many high-level demonic beasts in the Demon Beast Forest. The breakthrough cannot be interrupted. If we encounter a demonic beast attack, I will have no way to protect myself."

"Have Chen San and Lin Bao lead men to protect the Dharma."

"A larger group of people makes it easier to be exposed."

Zheng Yifei said, "Moreover, the phenomenon of Core Formation cannot be hidden from Golden Core cultivators; anyone passing by will notice it."

The room fell silent.

Within the territory controlled by the Xuantian Sect, every large spiritual vein is guarded by cultivators, while barren mountains without spiritual veins lack sufficient spiritual energy to support a Golden Core breakthrough.

Using a large number of spirit stones to temporarily set up a spirit-gathering array is feasible, but the noise generated by the gathering of spiritual energy still cannot be concealed.

Zheng Yifei spread out a map of the Southern Wilderness, his gaze slowly sweeping over the area around Xuantian Market.