Morning in Qingyun City arrived with noise.
Shouts echoed through the streets as vendors competed for attention. The smell of cooked food mixed with dust and smoke. Cultivators moved through the crowd with different levels of confidence, their strength visible in subtle ways—how others avoided their path, how stall owners spoke more carefully when they approached.
Lin Yuan stepped out of the inn and blended into the flow.
He did not release Qi.
He did not hide it either.
He simply kept it contained.
At Mid Qi Condensation, with Qi quality far above average, even passive leakage would draw attention. Attention led to trouble. Trouble led to wasted time.
Time was valuable.
As he walked, Lin Yuan continued to build a clear picture of the city.
Qingyun City was not ruled by a single force. Several clans controlled districts, small sect branches maintained outposts, and independent experts operated freely as long as they did not cross invisible lines.
Strength decided everything—but context decided how strength could be used.
Most cultivators here fell into three groups.
The first were Early Qi Condensation cultivators. They made up the bulk of guards, escorts, and low-level mercenaries. Their Qi was thin, unstable, and often leaked constantly. Against a proper opponent, they relied more on numbers than skill.
The second group was Mid Qi Condensation, where Lin Yuan currently stood. These cultivators were competent. Their Qi circulation was stable enough for real combat, and their bodies had begun to adapt to spiritual reinforcement. In the outer city, this level commanded respect.
The third group was Late Qi Condensation. These were elites among independents. Squad leaders, veteran mercenaries, and promising disciples from small sects. Their Qi density was significantly higher, and their techniques were far more lethal.
Above them stood Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Those were rare in the outer districts.
And untouchable.
"For now," Lin Yuan thought calmly.
He entered a larger market area closer to the inner city.
Here, the quality of items improved slightly.
Instead of cracked spirit stones, there were intact low-grade ones. Instead of rusted weapons, there were properly forged low-grade blades and spears. Instead of damaged herbs, there were fresh bundles carefully wrapped.
Prices were higher.
But so was consistency.
Lin Yuan stopped at a stall selling manuals.
Most were low-grade techniques, suitable only for Qi Condensation cultivators. These manuals usually focused on one of three things: Qi circulation, basic martial techniques, or minor body reinforcement.
He picked one up and skimmed it.
The technique was crude.
The circulation path wasted Qi, the breathing rhythm was uneven, and the final result offered only a slight boost to power.
"This is why people plateau," he thought. "They follow bad methods too faithfully."
He put it back.
The system did not create techniques out of nothing. It refined what already existed. That meant he needed raw material worth refining.
A disturbance drew his attention.
Two cultivators stood in the middle of the street, arguing loudly.
One was clearly Late Qi Condensation—his Qi pressure was heavy, forcing nearby people to retreat instinctively. The other was Mid Qi Condensation, but his Qi fluctuated erratically.
"You think you can cheat me?" the stronger cultivator growled. "That ore vein was mine."
The weaker one clenched his fists but did not back away. "We agreed to split it."
Agreement meant nothing without strength.
Lin Yuan watched calmly.
The Late-stage cultivator struck without warning.
A single palm attack, reinforced with Qi.
The Mid-stage cultivator barely blocked. He was sent flying, crashing into a stall and coughing blood.
No one intervened.
This was normal.
Strength decided disputes.
Lin Yuan turned away.
"Late Qi Condensation is already treated like authority here," he noted. "Foundation Establishment would rule openly."
That gave him a clear target.
He did not need to rush to Foundation Establishment immediately.
But he needed to prepare for it properly.
He returned to the inn and laid out his resources.
Mid-grade spirit ore.
A near mid-grade sword.
Currency from missions.
In this city, mid-grade spirit ore was valuable even to Late Qi Condensation cultivators. Some Foundation Establishment cultivators would accept it as partial payment.
But using it directly for cultivation at his current level would be inefficient.
"It's too strong," Lin Yuan judged. "Wasting it now would slow my future."
He placed the ore aside.
Instead, he focused inward.
His Qi circulation was already highly refined, but now that he had been using Qi actively, subtle imbalances had begun to appear—not dangerous, but noticeable.
"These are from combat usage and environmental changes," he assessed.
Most cultivators ignored such issues until they became serious.
Lin Yuan did not.
He activated the system again.
[Target identified: Qi circulation balance]
"Improve stability," he ordered. "Reduce long-term strain."
The refinement took effect immediately.
Qi flow adjusted slightly, smoothing out areas where minor stress had accumulated. The circulation became even more stable than before.
"This prevents hidden injuries," Lin Yuan concluded. "And allows sustained combat."
That alone would let him outlast most Late Qi Condensation cultivators.
Next, he turned his attention to his body.
His physical strength already exceeded what Qi Condensation cultivators normally possessed, but the distribution of that strength was uneven. His bones and muscles were reinforced, but his joints and connective tissues could still be improved.
"This matters in prolonged fights," he thought.
He focused again.
[Target identified: Body structural balance]
"Improve quality."
A familiar sensation spread through him.
Not pain.
Adjustment.
Joints strengthened. Tendons tightened. Force transmission through his limbs became smoother.
He stood and tested his movement.
Each step felt lighter, faster, and more controlled.
"This would let me fight above my realm without self-damage," he judged.
By afternoon, Lin Yuan left the inn again.
This time, he headed deeper—toward the inner market boundary.
Here, Late Qi Condensation cultivators were common. Guards at intersections were often Mid or Late Qi Condensation, their Qi pressure openly displayed as a warning.
Lin Yuan passed without issue.
No one stopped him.
They could sense his realm.
They could not sense his quality.
He entered a larger auction hall.
Items sold here were still limited to Qi Condensation and early Foundation Establishment use, but they were genuine.
A small crowd gathered as items were displayed.
A Mid-Grade Spirit Herb appeared first.
This herb was suitable for Late Qi Condensation cultivators, capable of boosting Qi density over time. Its price quickly climbed beyond what Early-stage cultivators could afford.
Lin Yuan observed quietly.
He did not bid.
Then came a Low-Grade Formation Disk.
Formation disks were valuable tools. This one could form a basic defensive barrier capable of blocking attacks from Early Qi Condensation cultivators.
Its flaw was obvious to Lin Yuan.
The formation lines were crude.
"It wastes energy," he thought. "But the concept is correct."
He memorized the structure.
He did not need to buy it.
When the auction ended, Lin Yuan left without drawing attention.
He had gained something far more important than items.
Information.
That night, he returned to his room and placed the refined formation fragment and the mid-grade ore on the table.
He studied them side by side.
"Formation structures, weapon structures, body structures, Qi structures," he thought calmly.
"They all follow rules."
"And rules can be refined."
That realization was dangerous.
Not because it was new.
But because it was repeatable.
He sat down and cultivated.
This time, he did not hold back.
Qi poured in from the surroundings. His refined circulation compressed it efficiently, increasing density rather than volume.
He pushed forward deliberately.
Not recklessly.
Deliberately.
The pressure in his dantian increased.
His Qi thickened.
Then—
A barrier cracked.
[Qi Cultivation: Late Qi Condensation]
The breakthrough was smooth.
No backlash.
No instability.
His Qi density surged, surpassing most Late Qi Condensation cultivators immediately.
Lin Yuan opened his eyes.
"So this is the upper limit of this realm," he thought.
In the outer districts, he was now among the strongest.
He did not smile.
Power was expected.
Next came responsibility.
"Late Qi Condensation attracts attention," he acknowledged.
Which meant he could no longer remain completely unnoticed.
That was fine.
He had reached the point where pressure could be used deliberately.
Outside, Qingyun City continued its endless noise.
Inside a small room, Lin Yuan stood at the threshold of a new level of influence.
Tomorrow, people would notice him.
The day after, they would test him.
And soon after—
They would either submit…
Or be removed.
Lin Yuan looked toward the inner city, his gaze calm and sharp.
"Now," he thought, "the real cultivation begins."