Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

212: Forming a temporary allianceFeng Xixi’s appeal and influence in the Southeast Market Town far exceeded Lin Jingyu’s initial imagination.

The few encrypted communication Talismans she sent out clearly utilized Miaoling Pavilion’s highest Rank channels, carrying an undeniable urgency.

In just over an hour, the underground secret chamber of Miaoling Pavilion—which was not spacious but absolutely concealed—quietly gathered several top power holders capable of determining the future landscape of the Southeast Market Town and even the entire Black Mountain region.

The air seemed to become thick and heavy due to the arrival of these great figures.

Vice President Gu Yue, a Great Master of the Alchemist Association, arrived first. He was wearing a slightly old Alchemist robe stained with some medicinal residue.

He was clearly startled directly away from his Pill Furnace, his snow-white eyebrows tightly furrowed, his eyes showing displeasure at being disturbed and a hint of curiosity.

Had the President of the Alchemist Association not been away traveling, he wouldn’t even have been qualified to attend.

Immediately after, a light fragrance wafted through, and Shopkeeper Shui Sheng, the Fairy of Tianfa Pavilion, arrived gracefully. She was still clad in a light blue dress.

Her figure was graceful and her face exquisite, but the gentle smile usually present in her bright eyes was gone, replaced by quiet scrutiny.

Her gaze swept across the secret chamber, pausing slightly on Lin Jingyu, revealing a hint of inquiry.

The third to arrive was Captain Zhao Mang of the Market Town Guard Team.

This man walked with the stride of a Dragon and the steps of a Tiger, his physique as sturdy as an iron tower. Just by standing there, a bloody Evil Qi tempered by battlefields and a fierce aura like a prehistoric Vicious Beast rushed forth.

His cultivation had clearly reached the Peak of Ninth Level Qi Refining, specializing in Body Cultivator, with formidable fighting strength.

His voice was like a great bell; his voice arrived before he did:

”Shopkeeper Feng, what matter is so urgent? Could it be that some blind Demon Brats dared to attack the Market Town’s great Formation?”

His arrival added a layer of grimness to the already heavy atmosphere in the secret chamber.

Since the two had hunted Yao Beasts together, they dispensed with formalities.

The last to arrive were two Family Heads who had a close personal relationship with Feng Xixi and also possessed the cultivation of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.

One was Ouyang Family Head, who specialized in Formation and Talisman; his face was gaunt and his gaze sharp.

The other was Baili Family Head, famous for Beast Taming; his aura was steady and condensed. An inconspicuous Spirit Beast Pouch hung from his waist, from which a faint, low hiss could be heard.

These five, plus Feng Xixi, almost represented a small portion of the Southeast Market Town’s top-tier fighting strength and authority on the surface.

When Feng Xixi reinforced the isolation Formation again and revealed the matter of the Secret Realm completely and without reservation.

Even though these were all great figures who had weathered storms and seen much, their reactions were still the same as Feng Xixi’s initial one, staging a silent drama of changing expressions.

First came extreme shock and disbelief; their pupils suddenly contracted, and their breathing hitched. The jade cup in Great Master Gu Yue’s hand made a ”crack” sound as it was unconsciously squeezed, forming a fissure.

Fairy Shui Sheng’s red lips parted slightly, and she instinctively covered them with her slender hand. Captain Zhao Mang’s copper bell-like eyes widened hugely, his bodily Qi and blood surged, emitting a low hum, and the two Family Heads abruptly stood up, their faces filled with horror.

Immediately afterward, an uncontrollable, almost instinctive greed and ecstasy erupted in their eyes.

A brand new, stable Secret Realm—this meant endless Spiritual Plants, mineral resources, ancient Legacies, lost Magic Treasures... This was staggering wealth capable of driving any power mad and making even Golden Core Immortal Masters envious.

Their gazes instantly turned fervent, as if they saw a glorious future where their Families prospered and their own Dao path advanced rapidly.

But this ecstasy lasted only a few breaths before completely transforming into immense solemnity and deep worry.

No one who could reach this position was foolish.

The prior intervention of Demonic Cultivators, the unknown risks of the Secret Realm, the catastrophic disaster that a leaked message could trigger, and... the potential disloyalty of these temporary allies... every factor was like a sword hanging over their heads.

The atmosphere in the secret chamber dropped to freezing point again. Excitement and fear intertwined, making the air seem to solidify.

”A Secret Realm! It’s actually a brand new, stable Secret Realm entrance!”

Vice President Gu Yue’s long, snow-white beard trembled slightly with excitement. He looked at Lin Jingyu, his gaze incredibly complex, containing admiration, envy, and an unspeakable fervor.

”This old man has studied the Dao of Alchemy for most of his life, examining countless ancient books, yet I have only heard of such things in vague and ethereal legends!

Young Friend Jingyu, you... you truly possess great Luck! You are the lucky star of our Southeast Market Town!”

Shopkeeper Shui Sheng’s beautiful eyes swept over Lin Jingyu, shining with brilliance. Her gaze, already gentle, was now so warm and moist it seemed water could drip from it.

Her voice carried a hint of imperceptible excitement:

”Young Friend Lin’s Opportunity this time is truly astonishing. If we can find one or two ancient Pill Formulas or Spiritual Plants within it, it will be a great fortune for my Tianfa Pavilion and even the entire Cultivation World’s Dao of Alchemy.”

These words were both an expression of emotion and an implicit attempt at recruitment and promise.

Captain Zhao Mang’s voice was like a great bell, making the secret chamber buzz. He slapped his thigh hard, his palm, like a cattail fan, raising a gust of strong wind as he said excitedly:

”No need to talk about it! Since Shopkeeper Feng is taking the lead, and with such a heaven-sent Opportunity as the Secret Realm before us, I... *cough*, *cough*, my Market Town Guard Team is duty-bound!

It’s a good chance for the brothers to stretch their muscles and see which suicidal Demon Brats dare to run wild in Black Mountain. We will make sure they never return, crushing their bones into fertilizer!”

Warlike light flickered in his eyes, as if he could already see the scene of the slaughter.

The other two Family Heads were also extremely excited, expressing their willingness to exhaust the power of their Families and participate fully in this exploration.

Everyone in the secret chamber chose to take the risk without hesitation.

However, after the brief excitement, came the stark, cold game of interests.

Under Feng Xixi’s calm, almost ruthless, moderation, the various forces focused on core issues such as profit distribution, risk bearing, personnel deployment, and command authority.

They engaged in intense but dignified negotiations, with every word carefully weighed.

Inside the secret chamber, they were sometimes arguing until their faces were red, and other times they fell into long periods of silent deliberation.

Lin Jingyu, as the representative of the Lin Family, participated throughout. He was the youngest and had the lowest cultivation, yet he behaved with extraordinary composure.

He clearly articulated the Lin Family’s bottom line: ten percent of the profits, the right to make copies, and a safety guarantee.

With Feng Xixi’s intentional or unintentional support, he withstood several rounds of overt and covert pressure and probing, his words sincere yet refusing to yield an inch.

He fully displayed the attitude of a collaborator rather than a supplicant, raising the appraisal of him in the hearts of the great figures.

Finally, an agreement that could be called rigorous and extremely binding was difficultly reached.

They established the ”Black Mountain Secret Realm Exploration Temporary Alliance,” publicly electing Feng Xixi as the Chief Commander, granting her supreme decision-making power and absolute command authority during wartime. Those who violate orders shall be jointly punished by the Alliance.

The Lin Family is responsible for providing the exact location of the Secret Realm entrance and all preliminary exploration information, and shall receive ten percent of the final total exploration profits.