Power never remained hidden forever.
Lin Yuan understood this better than most.
The moment he stepped into Late Qi Condensation, the subtle balance that had allowed him to move quietly through Qingyun City shifted. Even without deliberately releasing Qi, his presence had changed. It was not pressure in the usual sense, but a faint heaviness in the air around him, the kind that experienced cultivators instinctively noticed.
That alone was enough.
The next morning, as Lin Yuan left the inn, the reactions were immediate.
A group of Early Qi Condensation mercenaries near the entrance paused mid-conversation. Their voices lowered unconsciously as he passed. One of them frowned, instinctively stepping half a pace aside.
"He's strong," one muttered under his breath.
They could not tell his exact realm.
But they could tell they were not his equals.
Lin Yuan walked on without slowing.
This was not fear.
This was recognition.
As he moved through the outer districts, he felt it more clearly. Eyes lingered longer. Conversations stopped when he approached. Stall owners straightened their backs, speaking more carefully.
Late Qi Condensation cultivators noticed him too.
One stood near a weapons stall, arms crossed, Qi flowing openly through his body. When Lin Yuan passed, the man's gaze sharpened, scanning him openly.
Their eyes met for a brief moment.
Neither spoke.
The Late-stage cultivator felt it—the density, the stability, the lack of weakness.
He looked away first.
Lin Yuan did not react.
"This is how the city measures people," he thought calmly. "No words. Just pressure."
Attention brought opportunity.
And danger.
Lin Yuan headed toward the mercenary guild again, not because he needed work, but because that was where information gathered fastest.
Inside, the atmosphere felt different from the previous day.
A few familiar faces glanced at him with caution. Some with curiosity. Others with something closer to calculation.
The attendant at the counter straightened when Lin Yuan approached.
"Cultivator Lin," he said, tone noticeably more respectful. "Looking for work?"
"Yes."
The attendant hesitated briefly, then leaned closer.
"There's a job," he said quietly. "Not on the public board."
That alone explained everything.
Hidden jobs were for those strong enough to handle complications—and silent enough not to cause trouble afterward.
"Speak," Lin Yuan replied.
The attendant lowered his voice further.
"A resource dispute. Two groups entered a minor spirit ravine at the same time. One of them didn't leave."
Lin Yuan did not ask which group.
"Location?"
"Two days north. The Qi density there is higher than average—enough to support Late Qi Condensation cultivation."
That meant conflict was inevitable.
"What's the payment?"
The attendant named a number.
It was high.
Not absurd, but enough to attract attention.
Lin Yuan nodded. "I'll take it."
The attendant exhaled quietly, relieved.
Before leaving the city, Lin Yuan made one more stop.
He returned to the inner market boundary, this time deliberately.
The guards glanced at him, sensing his realm, but did not stop him.
Inside, the atmosphere was different.
The number of cultivators was lower.
The quality was higher.
Late Qi Condensation cultivators were common here, and even the occasional Foundation Establishment expert could be felt faintly, like a mountain hidden in mist.
Lin Yuan kept his expression calm.
This was not his stage yet.
But it soon would be.
He entered a shop that sold cultivation supplies.
Not a stall.
A proper store.
The shopkeeper was a thin man with sharp eyes and a restrained aura—Late Qi Condensation, on the verge of breakthrough.
"What do you need?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Qi restoration pills," Lin Yuan said. "Low-grade."
The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. "For someone at your level?"
Lin Yuan met his gaze calmly.
"Low-grade is enough."
The shopkeeper studied him for a moment, then nodded.
"You understand efficiency."
He brought out several small jade bottles.
"These restore Qi quickly, but they contain impurities. Most Late-stage cultivators avoid them."
Lin Yuan accepted them without hesitation.
Impurities were meaningless to him.
They were removable.
Back at the inn, Lin Yuan laid the bottles on the table.
He did not consume them immediately.
Instead, he activated the system.
[Target identified: Qi restoration pill]
"Improve quality," he ordered. "Remove impurities. Preserve effect."
The pills warmed slightly.
Inside the bottles, the medicinal Qi condensed, impurities dissolving and dispersing harmlessly.
Lin Yuan opened one bottle and poured a pill into his palm.
The color was clearer.
The Qi inside felt pure.
"A low-grade pill refined into something close to mid-grade," he assessed.
He swallowed it.
Warmth spread instantly, replenishing Qi without resistance or residue.
"This turns cheap resources into high efficiency fuel."
That mattered.
At dawn the next day, Lin Yuan left Qingyun City alone.
The road north was quiet, winding through hills and scattered forests. As he traveled, he allowed Qi to circulate naturally, maintaining peak condition without deliberate cultivation.
He did not rush.
The mission would not disappear.
By the second night, he reached the outskirts of the spirit ravine.
The air here was different.
Qi density was noticeably higher—about twice that of Qingyun City's outer districts. For Early Qi Condensation cultivators, prolonged exposure would cause discomfort. For Late-stage cultivators, it was ideal.
Lin Yuan crouched atop a rocky outcrop and observed.
Below, faint lights flickered.
Camps.
Multiple.
He counted carefully.
"One group of four," he assessed. "Another group of three."
Seven cultivators total.
At least three were Late Qi Condensation.
The rest were Mid-stage.
"This explains why one group didn't leave."
He smiled faintly.
Not amusement.
Recognition.
Lin Yuan did not charge in.
He waited.
Conflict always revealed weaknesses.
As night deepened, raised voices echoed faintly from below.
Accusations.
Threats.
Then—
Qi flared.
Attacks were exchanged.
Lin Yuan watched calmly as techniques clashed below.
The fighting style was crude.
Too much power.
Too little control.
"They're wasting Qi," he noted. "Whoever runs out first loses."
He waited until one cultivator fell, struck down by a coordinated attack.
Then another.
The fight ended quickly after that.
Two remained standing.
Both injured.
Both breathing heavily.
That was when Lin Yuan moved.
He descended the slope silently, his presence contained.
The first surviving cultivator sensed him too late.
Lin Yuan stepped forward and struck.
One punch.
Reinforced body.
Refined Qi.
The man's chest collapsed inward.
He died without understanding what happened.
The last cultivator turned, panic flashing across his face.
"Wait—!"
Lin Yuan did not wait.
A single step.
A clean strike.
Silence returned to the ravine.
Lin Yuan stood among the bodies, breathing steady.
No exhilaration.
No hesitation.
This was simply the correct outcome.
He searched the camps efficiently, collecting storage rings, spirit stones, and a small quantity of cultivation resources.
Among them, he found something interesting.
A jade slip.
He scanned it briefly.
A partial Foundation Establishment method.
Crude.
Incomplete.
Dangerous if used directly.
But—
"Structure exists," Lin Yuan thought.
That was enough.
He left the ravine before dawn, carrying the spoils.
The mission was complete.
But more importantly, something else had changed.
He had crossed an invisible line.
People would start asking questions.
People would start investigating.
Lin Yuan returned to Qingyun City calmly.
As he passed through the gates, he felt it.
Eyes watching.
Pressure measuring him.
The city had noticed.
Back in his room, Lin Yuan placed the jade slip on the table.
He stared at it for a long moment.
"Foundation Establishment," he thought.
Not ambition.
Not impatience.
Preparation.
He activated the system.
[Target identified: Cultivation method fragment]
"Analyze structure," he commanded calmly.
The system responded instantly.
And as the first lines of refined information settled into his mind, Lin Yuan understood one thing clearly:
Late Qi Condensation was no longer his destination.
It was merely a stepping stone.
And soon—
Qingyun City would learn that the pressure it felt was only the beginning.