Qingshan Mountain Market

Green Bamboo Mountain.

"Everyone, move it."

A large flying boat hovered beside the mountain peak, and a stream of cultivators filed out from it.

"So this is Green Bamboo Mountain!"

As the crowd descended from the flying boat, they stared in shock at the sight before them—a massive cavern carved into the mountain body.

The cavern in front bore the banner of the Great Sword Sect, while in the distance, a few other caves were visible, each marked with different flags.

"That's the market district!"

A sudden cry drew countless gazes, and everyone turned to look, revealing expressions of astonishment.

From their elevated vantage point, halfway up the mountain, rippling barrier light shimmered. Beneath it, carved railings and painted buildings formed a bustling, lively market district.

"That's a barrier."

Watching Qi Feng and Li Han's stunned expressions, Lin Chang'an calmly explained to them.

Just then, laughter rang out from a distance. Everyone turned to see Elder Lu, usually stern and imposing, now beaming as he cupped his hands toward someone.

"Haha, Elder Lu is indeed a straightforward man."

The plump, prosperous-looking middle-aged cultivator accepted the spirit stones, his face breaking into a broad smile as he returned the gesture. Elder Lu smiled back and cupped his hands. "You're too kind."

"Heh, then I'll take my leave."

The plump cultivator, still smiling, flew up to the flying boat with eight cultivators behind him. As Elder Lu waved with a smile, the boat slowly vanished.

Seeing this, the crowd finally understood. Li Han, in particular, realized the significance of Lin Chang'an's earlier reminder and lowered his voice. "Chang'an, how did you know that flying boat wasn't from the Great Sword Sect?"

Lin Chang'an shot Li Han a look and transmitted his voice. "A flying boat that can both attack and defend while carrying a thousand people—its value isn't something an ordinary sect can afford."

As Lin Chang'an and Li Han exchanged words, the flying boat disappeared. Elder Lu turned to Zhang Qing and said in a deep voice, "Go down and arrange things quickly."

"Yes!"

Zhang Qing cupped his hands respectfully, then turned to the crowd and barked, "Move it! Get your tokens and pick up your mining tools."

"No one is allowed to wander off. Leave the designated area, and you'll be killed on sight. Ahead is where you'll be staying. From today, two shifts will rotate. Each person mines for six hours..."

The crowd lined up to receive their mining tools one by one. Because of their spiritual roots, Qi Feng and Li Han became mining squad leaders.

"Brother Lin, Chang'an."

As Li Han and Qi Feng waited in line, they watched the cultivators receiving their mining picks, then turned to Lin Chang'an with awkward looks tinged with envy.

Lin Chang'an patted them on the shoulder and said with a wry smile, "Work hard. If you get some spirit stones, you can come to me to buy pills."

"Lin Chang'an, Li San..."

Zhang Qing called out lightly, beckoning to a few of them. His tone was noticeably less casual than with the others.

"You all have special skills. Follow me." Zhang Qing smiled broadly and led the dozen or so of them toward the market district, leaving a trail of envious gazes behind.

But when Lin Chang'an and the others, who had just been secretly relieved to have their own skills, arrived at their destination, their eyes went wide.

"Zhang... Zhang Qing, Senior Brother, this is!"

Passing through the formation and stepping into the outer residential area of the market, they saw courtyards clearly divided into zones for alchemy, talisman drawing, and other tasks—each with its own function, giving off a professional vibe.

"This is where you'll be refining pills and drawing talismans from now on."

Zhang Qing led them on a tour with a casual smile. But the red-hot pill furnace and the worn-down talisman brushes made their eyes bulge—especially when they saw the cultivators currently working.

Each one looked listless, their qi and blood depleted, dark circles under their eyes. The sight gave them a bad feeling.

Cough, cough!

Zhang Qing cleared his throat and explained with a smile, "Lately, because of the Purple Copper Mine, a flood of cultivators has poured into the market for expansion, so demand has gone up. Once this period passes and things stabilize, it'll get better."

"You'll each take your posts. The pill furnaces and spirit brushes here are no worse than what you've used before. This kind of treatment is rare even in a major sect."

"You'll work in shifts—some refining pills, some drawing talismans. Elder Lu personally oversees this place, so no need to worry about safety..."

Listening to Zhang Qing's explanation, Lin Chang'an stared wide-eyed. He finally understood why the pill furnace he'd seen earlier was red-hot—it had been running nonstop for twelve hours, with cultivators rotating in shifts.

This... this is too outrageous!

"Senior Brother Zhang." Lin Chang'an turned to Zhang Qing with a forced smile and cupped his hands. "When does this junior brother start refining pills?"

While the others still wore grim expressions, Lin Chang'an stepped forward first. Zhang Qing nodded with a full smile.

"Alchemist Lin, with your Qi Refining third layer cultivation, you'll be assigned six hours of pill refining daily. During rest, there's a dedicated Spirit Gathering Array to restore your spiritual power, so no need to worry."

Lin Chang'an's eye twitched as he listened, but his gaze drifted to the dense piles of pills outside the pill furnace room. Zhang Qing didn't miss it.

Seeing this, Zhang Qing chuckled lightly. "Alchemist Lin, just focus on refining pills. As for those pill mixtures, there are specialized apprentices to handle the boiling."

"Then... what pills do I need to refine? I'm best at Bigu Pills." Lin Chang'an seemed unwilling to give up.

But this was no ordinary place. Zhang Qing smiled and nodded. "Alchemist Lin, rest assured, the sect has already prepared. Look at Alchemist Li over there, currently refining—he specializes in Bigu Pills, so there's no need to practice anything else."

"Alchemist Lin, your specialty in Bigu Pills is already accounted for by the sect."

Though Zhang Qing wore a broad smile, Lin Chang'an caught the cold glint in his eyes. They had no right to refuse.

"This is exploitation! Slavery!"

One of them spoke with grievance, but when faced with Zhang Qing's indifferent gaze, a flicker of cowardice rose within him. He steeled himself and bluffed, "Drawing talismans requires a calm mind. Like this, we simply cannot achieve our best state."

This quick-witted fellow earned nods of approval from many after speaking, yet Zhang Qing merely smiled as he looked at the crowd.

"With the market's expansion underway, I hope all you junior brothers can understand. At least three months, at most half a year—once the market stabilizes, this will naturally no longer be necessary. You only need to complete the sect's assigned tasks; the rest of the time can be used for cultivation. Moreover, the market center is rich in spiritual energy..."

"Senior Brother Zhang Qing, when do we start!"

Just as the crowd felt stifled, Lin Chang'an stepped forward with a resolute expression, cupping his fists. In that moment, he seemed so noble.

Seeing this, Zhang Qing couldn't help but show a genuine smile. "Haha, Alchemist Lin is truly an interesting person. No wonder Elder Lu holds you in such regard."

"In half an hour, Alchemist Li will be stepping out, and then Alchemist Lin, you will take his place." As he said this, Zhang Qing swept his gaze over the crowd, narrowing his eyes with a hint of warning.

"During this period, as long as you complete your monthly tasks, your resources will be doubled. I hope none of you will betray the sect's trust."

The final sentence carried an obvious warning: only by completing tasks would resources be doubled. If anyone secretly slacked off or wasted... Though their faces were grim, they could only remain silent.

Dear fellow cultivators, it's Tuesday. I ask those of you who are saving chapters to please follow along and let Jinli make a push for the recommendation.