Three more months passed in the blink of an eye.
After the Phoenix Ridge Market was reclaimed and reconstruction officially began, the entire Dragon Yuan Province gradually entered a period of relative calm.
Of course, calm was only a term used in comparison.
Occasionally, news would still arrive regarding demonic cultivators appearing within remote areas of the province. Some attempted to refine mortals into blood sacrifices while others attacked caravans transporting cultivation resources.
However, such incidents rarely lasted long.
The moment their traces were discovered, the local cultivation powers would immediately mobilize experts to hunt them down.
Whether it was the Lin Family, sect cultivators, Alliance Halls, or wandering experts seeking rewards, demonic cultivators were enemies of nearly everyone.
As a result, most of them either died quickly or fled before causing significant trouble.
Within Cloud Mist Market, life gradually returned to normal.
Cultivators entered and exited the forest daily.
Merchants resumed trading.
Auction houses reopened their regular schedules.
The atmosphere created by the beast tide slowly faded from memory.
Meanwhile, Lin Sheng remained within the market.
The majority of his time was spent cultivating, studying the Yang Jade Script, and further refining his understanding of martial concepts.
His cultivation had become increasingly stable.
The Gang Qi within his body circulated naturally.
The Mental Field expanded slightly with each passing month.
Most importantly—
His plans for the future had become clearer.
Only four months remained before the one-year protection period granted to newly advanced Xuan Gang experts ended.
After that, the family would assign him an official duty.
The assignment could vary greatly.
Some experts were stationed within markets.
Some guarded important family businesses.
Others were assigned to supervise cultivation resources.
And some—
Were sent directly to the provincial battlefield.
Naturally, most people preferred the former.
Very few willingly chose the latter.
One afternoon, while Lin Sheng was cultivating within his residence, a familiar aura entered his Mental Field.
A smile appeared on his face.
A moment later, the courtyard gate opened.
Lin Yan entered.
The siblings had not seen each other for quite some time.
Compared to before, Lin Yan's aura had become even more profound.
Every movement carried an invisible sharpness.
Clearly, following her master had benefited her greatly.
After exchanging greetings, the two sat within the courtyard.
Tea was prepared.
The atmosphere was peaceful.
For a while, neither spoke about cultivation.
Instead, they discussed ordinary matters.
The reconstruction of Phoenix Ridge Market.
The recent movements of various cultivation forces.
Interesting rumors spreading throughout the province.
Eventually, however, the conversation shifted toward the future.
Lin Yan placed her teacup down.
"I've already spoken with some people."
Lin Sheng immediately understood what she meant.
His assignment.
As a Xuan Gang expert, he would soon receive one.
"The family controls many resource points throughout Dragon Yuan Province."
Lin Yan continued.
"Spirit stone mines."
"Spirit iron mines."
"Black copper ore veins."
"Various resource-producing locations."
"Many of them require at least a Rank-2 powerhouse to oversee."
Lin Sheng nodded.
He understood.
Such locations were important assets.
The resources extracted there generated enormous wealth every year.
Naturally, they attracted unwanted attention.
Rogue cultivators.
Small cultivation families.
Demonic cultivators.
Even wandering Foundation Establishment experts occasionally attempted theft.
Because of this, powerful guards were necessary.
Lin Yan looked directly at him.
"I've arranged for you to be assigned to one of those locations."
"A spirit iron mine in the southern region."
"The area is relatively stable."
"The rewards are good."
"There are rarely large-scale conflicts."
"For someone who has only recently entered the Xuan Gang Realm, it's one of the better assignments."
Lin Sheng listened quietly.
He could easily see the effort hidden behind those words.
Assignments of this nature weren't simply handed out.
Someone had clearly pulled favors.
Someone had spoken to the right people.
Someone had made arrangements in advance.
And that someone was obviously Lin Yan.
For a moment, he considered remaining silent.
After all, he already knew what he intended to do.
But eventually he shook his head.
"I appreciate it."
Lin Yan frowned slightly.
The response immediately told her something was wrong.
"However..."
Lin Sheng continued.
"I plan to volunteer for the battlefield."
Silence.
The courtyard instantly became quiet.
Even the wind seemed to slow.
Lin Yan stared at him.
For several breaths, she said absolutely nothing.
This reaction surprised Lin Sheng.
He had already prepared himself for an argument.
Prepared himself for criticism.
Prepared himself for a lecture.
Instead—
Nothing.
Only silence.
Yet somehow, that silence felt heavier than any reprimand.
After a long time, Lin Yan finally spoke.
"Why?"
The question was simple.
Lin Sheng already had an answer.
"The battlefield has opportunities."
"It also has resources."
"The speed at which one can accumulate contributions there is far greater than ordinary assignments."
"More importantly, it gives me freedom."
Lin Yan lowered her gaze.
She understood exactly what he meant.
A resource point was stable.
Safe.
Predictable.
The battlefield was the opposite.
Dangerous.
Chaotic.
Uncertain.
But it also provided opportunities unavailable elsewhere.
For a long time, neither spoke.
Eventually, Lin Yan sighed.
"Have you already decided?"
"Yes."
Another silence followed.
Then she nodded.
"I understand."
That was all she said.
No argument.
No attempt to change his mind.
No anger.
Yet for some reason, that made Lin Sheng feel slightly uncomfortable.
The conversation continued afterward, but neither mentioned the battlefield again.
The following day, Lin Yan left Cloud Mist Market.
Before leaving, she simply reminded him to be careful.
Nothing more.
Watching the spirit boat disappear into the distance, Lin Sheng couldn't help feeling slightly surprised.
He truly thought she would oppose the idea fiercely.
Apparently not.
Still—
Through his Mental Field, he had clearly noticed something.
Worry.
She had hidden it well.
But he still noticed.
Unfortunately, some decisions could not be avoided.
The battlefield remained the best option available to him.
Several days later, Lin Sheng was cultivating when someone delivered a parcel.
The moment he sensed the familiar aura attached to it, he immediately knew who had sent it.
Returning to his room, he opened the package.
Inside was a storage bag.
At first glance, it appeared ordinary.
The moment he inspected it properly, however, his eyes widened slightly.
"A high-quality storage bag?"
Its internal space was several times larger than the ones commonly sold within Cloud Mist Market.
Such items weren't cheap.
Curious, Lin Sheng sent his consciousness inside.
The next moment—
He nearly stood up.
Mountains of spirit stones.
Large piles filled one section of the storage bag.
Even a rough estimate immediately exceeded one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones.
His expression changed.
That alone was already a significant fortune.
Yet that wasn't all.
Nearby sat a smaller pile.
The stones were purer.
Brighter.
Denser.
Mid-grade spirit stones.
Lin Sheng's breathing paused briefly.
Even experienced Foundation Establishment cultivators treated such stones as precious resources.
The spiritual qi contained within them was far purer than ordinary spirit stones.
Absorption was faster.
Refinement was smoother.
There were significantly fewer impurities.
Normally, the official conversion rate was one mid-grade spirit stone to one thousand low-grade spirit stones.
In reality, almost nobody exchanged them at that rate.
Most cultivators demanded at least one thousand two hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Sometimes more.
His gaze shifted elsewhere.
Several weapons were arranged neatly.
A set of armor occupied another section.
The armor immediately attracted his attention.
A Rank-2 Mid Grade defensive treasure.
The value was astonishing.
Defensive treasures were always more expensive than offensive ones.
Especially high-quality defensive treasures.
Yet among all the items, one object stood out the most.
A simple jade pendant.
At first glance, it appeared completely ordinary.
However, the moment he picked it up, a powerful aura surged through it.
Lin Sheng's expression instantly changed.
His Mental Field carefully probed the pendant.
Moments later, he inhaled sharply.
"A Purple Palace attack?"
More specifically—
A defensive treasure capable of unleashing power comparable to the Purple Palace Realm.
Even if it could only be used once, its value was absurd.
Such treasures rarely appeared within Dragon Yuan Province.
For a long time, Lin Sheng remained silent.
His gaze lingered on the pendant.
Then on the spirit stones.
Then on the armor.
He knew exactly what this represented.
Lin Yan had prepared everything she could.
Resources.
Protection.
Emergency measures.
A path forward.
For the first time in a while, Lin Sheng felt slightly complicated.
Obtaining these items was not easy.
Especially the jade pendant.
The amount of effort required was probably far greater than he wanted to imagine.
Eventually, he sighed.
Thankfully—
He had also prepared something.
Several days earlier, he had already arranged a gift of his own.
Far away, aboard a spirit boat traveling through the skies, Lin Yan sat quietly within her room.
After finishing cultivation, she finally inspected the storage bag Lin Sheng had given her.
Her divine sense entered.
Immediately, she discovered large quantities of spirit stones.
Naturally, that wasn't what caught her attention.
Instead, it was the pills.
Numerous medicinal pills sat inside jade bottles.
Most of them were unfamiliar.
However—
One bottle immediately caused her expression to change.
"The Dragon Lock Pill?"
She recognized it instantly.
The famous pill that had caused such a disturbance within Cloud Mist Market some time ago.
Even Foundation Establishment cultivators had competed fiercely for it.
Yet Lin Sheng had casually placed several inside.
Before she could think further, another item attracted her attention.
A formation disk.
Curious, she activated it.
The next moment, her eyes widened.
Spiritual qi from the surroundings immediately gathered toward her location.
The efficiency exceeded ordinary gathering formations by a considerable margin.
Lin Yan carefully inspected it.
The more she examined it, the more surprised she became.
"This..."
It was clearly a specially modified gathering formation.
Not only was it more efficient, but it also operated more smoothly than standard models.
Such a thing required considerable attainment in formations.
At minimum—
A Rank-2 Formation Master.
Realizing this, Lin Yan suddenly felt annoyed.
She had spent considerable effort preparing gifts for him.
Yet somehow—
He had prepared even more.
A rare occurrence.
A small pout appeared on her face.
Fortunately, nobody else was present.
Otherwise, the sight would have shocked everyone who knew her.
The cold and professional Lin Yan rarely displayed such expressions.
After a while, she shook her head and smiled faintly.
At least now—
She felt slightly reassured.
No matter where Lin Sheng eventually went...
He clearly possessed more preparations than most people realized.