On the middle slopes of the Origin Sacred Mountain, in the Great Shun Merchant Association's pavilion.
Lin Changheng still sat at a window-side table on the pavilion's top floor, in the same seat he always chose.
Beside the window, he could admire the Immortal City's mountain scenery and watch the cultivators passing below. The light was just right, neither dim nor glaring.
After six years of secluded cultivation, the furnishings here remained unchanged, as did the scenery outside. Even the Spirit-Gathering Orchid Grass in the corner was the same plant from back then, though it had grown much taller.
True Person Dong and Su Shuangjiang stood respectfully before the table, leaning forward slightly, their faces filled with shock they could scarcely conceal.
They had sensed the trace of aura that the man before them had released, whether intentionally or otherwise-
Indescribably powerful!
That aura seemed almost tangible, weighing on their hearts and making them tremble with apprehension.
Lin Changheng merely sat there quietly, even wearing his usual gentle smile, yet that faint, elusive pressure gave True Person Dong the illusion that he stood before an abyss.
Clearly, he had made another enormous leap during these six years of seclusion!
Moreover, the extent of that progress-
A thought neither dared believe crashed into their minds.
True Person Dong and Su Shuangjiang involuntarily exchanged glances, each seeing the same astonishment and uncertainty in the other's eyes:
Could he already have broken through to middle Core Formation?
After all, this aura was far stronger than before. The two could not even be mentioned in the same breath.
Six years ago, Lin Changheng had already reached the third layer of Core Formation, but his aura had still been within their understanding. Now, it had exceeded that scope entirely, leaving them with nothing but an