News Brought by Yun Yao

Green Bamboo Mountain Market.

Even the howling wind and snow could not drown out the market's bustle.

The chaotic monster beasts within a thousand-mile radius had now become Spirit Stones in the eyes of countless cultivators.

"Little Princess, Qingqing and I lost all the goods."

Inside the room, the Little Marquis, Shen Lie, dragged his weak, wounded body before the arriving Yun Yao and pleaded guilty.

Lu Qingqing, standing beside him, also faced her in silence, offering no excuse for herself.

"How much was lost?"

Yun Yao had only just arrived at the market, yet her expression remained calm, as though Mount Tai could collapse before her without changing her countenance.

Yet when she heard the exact losses, the slight tremble in the Little Princess's pale knuckles told Lin Chang'an that she was likely far less composed inside than she appeared.

It made sense. Goods worth seven or eight hundred Spirit Stones had originally been meant to turn a profit amid the market's bustle, paving the way for her future Foundation Establishment.

Who could have expected them to run into such a disaster?

Shen Lie and Lu Qingqing pleaded guilty, but Yun Yao did not blame them too harshly. She merely sighed deeply and chose to continue letting the two manage the Chamber of Commerce.

After all, it was already fortunate that they had survived the chaos.

As long as they were alive, the Chamber of Commerce could still earn Spirit Stones for her.

Inside the restaurant.

This time, Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu played host, welcoming Yun Yao, an inner disciple of Li Fire Palace.

The atmosphere in the private room was somewhat bleak.

Seeing this, Lin Chang'an changed the subject and asked curiously.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, did something major happen within Yue Kingdom this time?"

Yun Yao was also a resolute person. She was the first to smile, as though she had not taken the earlier losses to heart at all.

"An elder of Divine Sword Sect broke through to Late Golden Core, and the sect has formed an alliance with Mystic Sound Pavilion."

With Yun Yao's explanation, Lin Chang'an and the others finally understood.

No wonder such a massive force had been mobilized merely to support one market. There had even been a Flying Boat that did not belong to Li Fire Palace.

Yue Kingdom had Three Great Sects: Divine Sword Sect, Li Fire Palace, and Mystic Sound Pavilion.

Divine Sword Sect had already been the strongest. Now, it had become the first among Yue Kingdom's Three Great Sects to produce a Late Golden Core great cultivator, making Li Fire Palace feel threatened.

"Moreover, the elder from Divine Sword Sect who broke through to Late Golden Core is too young. He is not even three hundred years old."

Everyone was startled upon hearing this. Even they understood what that meant.

A Late Golden Core great cultivator under three hundred years old had an immense chance of becoming Yue Kingdom's first Nascent Soul True Lord.

But that was hardly good news for Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion.

"No wonder True Treasure Pavilion made such a grand move this time. All First Tier Mid-Grade Bloodline Hundred Cultivation Arts have begun opening to the public."

Lin Chang'an secretly clicked his tongue, while Yun Yao nodded gravely at his words.

"Not only that. Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion have officially formed an external alliance. Every market under their control will be fully opened."

Even Li Erniu, the most honest and simple-minded among them, sensed something and could not help crying out, "Could war break out?"

War in the Cultivation World—an unfamiliar yet familiar phrase.

"Not for now, but this is preparation in advance."

"This alliance between the Two Major Sects will not only open Mid-Grade Bloodline inheritance arts to the public. Even Upper-Grade inheritances and Foundation Establishment Pills will be made available."

The information Yun Yao revealed made Lin Chang'an and the others both tempted and numb with dread.

How could there be such a thing as a free meal under heaven?

Foundation Establishment Pills had always been controlled by the Three Great Sects. Now that Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion had officially opened access, as long as one provided the materials, the Alchemists of the Two Major Sects would refine them for you.

The conditions, however, were equally harsh: you had to risk your life.

"The path upward is there now. Either sell your life to the Two Major Sects as cannon fodder, or head into Divine Sword Sect territory to create chaos and kill cultivators of the same realm."

Lin Chang'an was secretly alarmed. At this rate, Cultivator Bandits would likely become even more rampant in the future.

After all, Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion could use Rogue Cultivators as cannon fodder to wear down their enemies. Divine Sword Sect could do the same.

When sects went to war, the first to suffer were Rogue Cultivators like them, treated as expendable cannon fodder.

The shock brought by this news stirred even Li Erniu. Though worried, his eyes also gleamed with restless eagerness.

"Yun Yao's purpose in coming to the market this time is obvious: Foundation Establishment!"

The core spiritual ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills were no secret in the Cultivation World. Even without the core spiritual herbs, they were not irreplaceable.

The substitutes were the Monster Cores of Second-tier Monster Beasts. The Monster Cores of Third-tier Monster Beasts had already transformed into Inner Cores.

Cloud Mist Mountain Range was the best hunting ground.

After the somewhat oppressive welcoming banquet ended, Shen Lie and Lu Qingqing continued handling the Chamber of Commerce, burdened by guilt.

Amid the drifting wind and snow, a Mystic Sound Pavilion building had already appeared beside True Treasure Pavilion in the market.

One truly had to marvel at the speed of the Cultivation World.

"Big Brother Lin, do you think the Little Princess can achieve Foundation Establishment this time?"

On the way back, Li Erniu scratched his head and lowered his voice.

"Second-tier Monster Beasts are all Foundation Establishment Realm monster beasts. The Little Princess is only at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer."

Lin Chang'an lowered his head and transmitted his voice.

"Er Niu, the Little Princess achieving Foundation Establishment would bring us nothing but benefits, but there is nothing we can do to help with this matter."

Even Li Erniu had seen the problem.

The Two Major Sects had sent so many people this time. Clearly, they were preparing to venture deep into Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

Green Bamboo Mountain Market, meanwhile, was to become the rear base of the Two Major Sects' alliance.

On the street.

"Did you hear? Mystic Sound Pavilion brought a Second-Rank Alchemist. As long as we prepare enough materials, we can have Foundation Establishment Pills refined."

"How could it be that easy? Even if we risk our lives to gather enough materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill and luckily achieve Foundation Establishment, what comes next? The great sects are clearly treating us Rogue Cultivators as expendable cannon fodder."

"But if we do not take a gamble, we will not even be qualified to become cannon fodder!"

A Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator wore a resolute expression, causing many Rogue Cultivators who heard him to nod inwardly.

What they feared was not being used as cannon fodder, but lacking even the qualifications to be used as cannon fodder.

Along the way, news of the alliance between Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion had already spread. Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu exchanged a glance, then both fell silent.

Though those words were cruel, they were also reality.

If you could become cannon fodder, you still had value. As long as you had value, there was still hope. But if you did not even possess the value of cannon fodder, then you could not see even the faintest shred of hope.

"Green Bamboo Mountain Market will definitely expand. It may even become a market jointly operated by the Two Major Sects' alliance. By then, the number of cultivators coming here will multiply, especially Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators."

After returning home, Lin Chang'an calculated in silence.

Although his cultivation was not high, this brought both advantages and disadvantages for him.

The advantage was that with the market's cultivator population multiplying, it would be easier for him to secretly sell some Mid-Grade Bloodline Talismans. Once the market grew larger, his small business would not even make a ripple.

The disadvantage was equally obvious. Chaos would follow one after another, and war might break out at any moment.

"A sect war in the Cultivation World... it truly is both familiar and unfamiliar."

Lin Chang'an sighed wistfully. From seeing one spot, one could know the whole leopard. The mere unrest from the market's Land Reclamation was enough to make him tread on thin ice, much less a war between such great sects.

The alliance between Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion was meant to take the initiative. After all, they were the ones anxious now, not Divine Sword Sect.