Morning light spread slowly across Qingyun City.
The outer districts were already awake. Vendors shouted to attract customers, carts creaked over stone roads, and cultivators moved openly among ordinary people. Some wore clan robes, others dressed simply, but their strength showed through posture, confidence, and the faint pressure their bodies naturally released.
Lin Yuan stepped out of a small inn and paused for a brief moment.
He assessed himself calmly.
He was at Mid Qi Condensation.
In Qingyun City, this level meant he was stronger than most independent cultivators and guards, comparable to outer disciples of small sects, and still weaker than true elites and Foundation Establishment experts. He was not weak, but he was also not someone who could act without restraint everywhere.
"That's enough to move freely," he judged. "Not enough to dominate openly."
That was fine.
For now.
He entered the outer market district.
This area was chaotic and crowded, filled with stalls selling cultivation-related items of all kinds. Most of them were low-grade, meant for Qi Condensation cultivators. These items were cheap, common, and usually flawed in some way.
Lin Yuan walked slowly, his gaze steady.
He did not search for powerful treasures.
He searched for waste.
Cracked spirit stones lay in baskets. Dull weapons rested on wooden racks. Herbs with faded color were bundled together carelessly. To ordinary cultivators, these were items not worth much effort.
To Lin Yuan, they were unfinished goods.
At one stall, a cultivator argued loudly with a merchant.
"This spirit herb is almost useless," the cultivator snapped. "The Qi inside it is weak."
Lin Yuan glanced at the herb.
It was a Low-Grade Spirit Herb, the kind normally used by Early Qi Condensation cultivators to slowly improve Qi circulation. Its structure was damaged, causing it to leak spiritual energy.
"It's real," Lin Yuan thought calmly. "Just badly preserved."
That meant its effectiveness was low, but its base still existed.
Which meant it could be fixed.
He moved on.
At another stall, a sword caught his attention.
It was plain and undecorated, but well balanced. Lin Yuan picked it up and weighed it in his hand.
This was a Low-Grade Weapon.
Such weapons were forged with small amounts of spirit metal and could carry Qi, but only inefficiently. Most lost a large portion of Qi during use, making them unreliable in serious fights.
The merchant sighed when he noticed Lin Yuan's interest. "The forging method was correct," he said. "But the material inside is uneven. It won't sell for much."
Lin Yuan nodded and paid the low price without bargaining.
Back in his room, he placed the sword on the table.
"This weapon isn't weak," he thought. "It's just inefficient."
He focused his intent.
[Target identified: Sword internal structure]
"Improve its quality," he commanded simply.
The sword trembled lightly.
Nothing dramatic happened on the surface, but inside, the metal changed. Tiny cracks sealed. The internal structure aligned. Spirit metal dispersed evenly throughout the blade.
Lin Yuan picked it up again.
It felt lighter and sharper.
He sent a thread of Qi into the sword.
Instead of dispersing, the Qi flowed smoothly through the blade.
"A normal low-grade weapon wastes nearly half of the Qi," he assessed. "This one loses almost nothing."
That placed it just below Mid-Grade.
In real terms, this sword could overpower ordinary low-grade weapons and injure Late Qi Condensation cultivators if used correctly.
"This is dangerous," Lin Yuan concluded calmly.
He did not linger.
Instead, he left the inn and headed toward the mercenary guild.
The guild was a large hall where independent cultivators gathered to accept missions. Escort work, beast hunting, clearing dangerous areas—anything that required strength but not loyalty.
Inside, the atmosphere was noisy and rough.
Lin Yuan approached the counter.
"Name?" the attendant asked lazily.
"Lin Yuan."
"Cultivation?"
"Qi Condensation."
"Stage?"
"Mid stage."
The attendant frowned slightly. "Show it."
Lin Yuan released a controlled pulse of Qi.
It was dense, stable, and refined.
The attendant's expression changed instantly.
"Mid stage with this Qi density…" he muttered. "You can fight Late-stage cultivators."
That was accurate.
Lin Yuan was Mid Qi Condensation in realm, but his Qi quality far exceeded the norm.
He was registered without delay.
Lin Yuan scanned the mission board.
Most missions were simple—escort caravans, hunt low-level spirit beasts, gather herbs.
One mission stood out.
A spirit mine clearance that had been abandoned due to unstable Qi.
The reward was high because the danger was environmental, not from enemies.
Lin Yuan understood immediately.
"Unstable Qi is only dangerous if you can't control it."
He took the mission.
The spirit mine lay outside the city in a rocky valley.
Broken tools and damaged supports surrounded the entrance, clear signs that other cultivators had failed.
Lin Yuan walked inside calmly.
The air felt wrong. Qi twisted unpredictably, flowing in uneven directions. For ordinary cultivators, this would disrupt circulation and cause internal injuries.
Lin Yuan focused his intent.
[Target identified: Local Qi flow]
"Make it stable."
The change was immediate.
Qi slowed and smoothed. The chaotic pressure disappeared. The mine became no different from a normal low-grade cultivation area.
At that moment, the mission difficulty dropped sharply.
Low-level spirit beasts emerged from the shadows.
These creatures were roughly equal to Early Qi Condensation cultivators and dangerous in groups.
Lin Yuan stepped forward.
He struck cleanly and decisively.
Each attack broke bones or crushed skulls.
No wasted movement.
Within minutes, the mine fell silent.
Deeper inside, Lin Yuan reached the central chamber.
A vein of Low-Grade Spirit Ore ran through the stone wall. Normally, such ore was used by Qi Condensation cultivators and required heavy refining before use.
Lin Yuan placed his hand against the rock.
[Target identified: Spirit ore]
"Improve quality."
The vein pulsed softly.
Impurities vanished.
Spiritual energy condensed.
The ore shifted from low-grade to mid-grade.
That meant it could now be used to prepare for Foundation Establishment and was worth several times more on the market.
"This alone makes the trip worthwhile," Lin Yuan judged.
He collected a portion and left the rest intact.
No greed.
When he returned to Qingyun City, he reported the completed mission.
The guild attendant stared at the token.
"You cleared it alone?"
"Yes."
The attendant swallowed and processed the reward immediately.
That night, Lin Yuan laid his gains out on the table.
Refined spirit ore.
A weapon near mid-grade.
A solid amount of currency.
More importantly, understanding.
"This city wastes power," he thought calmly. "And I don't."
He sat down and let Qi circulate naturally through his body.
Growth continued without effort.
Tomorrow, he would go deeper.
Better markets.
Stronger opponents.
Greater rewards.
He was done hiding—not because he was reckless, but because hiding was no longer efficient.
Qingyun City slept.
But within it, something that would eventually overturn its entire balance had already taken root.