Amid the grand spectacle happening elsewhere, no one noticed the subtle stirrings at Changming Mountain. Slowly, the stone monument at the mountain began to emit dense yin energy, which thickened, gradually engulfing the entire stone.
—
Lin Xiao did not halt the construction of the town at Shuiliu Village.
After all, the planned city construction would only involve building the city walls and installing drainage systems, which wouldn't interfere with the internal structure of the village. The current village walls would later serve as the inner city walls, marking a boundary between different districts.
Now that the turtle shell for the trading center had been secured and the royal family was designing the city's blueprints, only two things remained unresolved: management personnel for the trading center and sources for the goods.
After two years of stable trade with the three major sects, Lingxian Sect had gained an understanding of the basic demands from these sects. Moving forward, they simply needed to expand their inventory and increase the variety and volume of goods.
At the beginning, the trading center wouldn't need to open its doors too wide—it was better to keep things low-key and selectively invite reliable and reputable cultivators to participate in the first round of trade.
As word of the trading center spread and demand grew, Lingxian Sect would have time to strengthen its own capabilities, refining its procurement and distribution channels in the cultivation world. Though the current dealings with the Yuan family were sufficient, once more sects from the mortal realm became involved, the resources and influence of the Yuan family alone would no longer suffice.
After all, the Yuan family, while powerful, was just a relatively small family from a remote region.
So, it would be necessary for the sect to find additional channels for trade within the cultivation world.
As for the management of the trading center, Lin Xiao already had someone in mind.
Naturally, he wasn't considering either Qin Jianghe or Liu Yunan. The two were already swamped with work, and adding the responsibilities of managing the trading center would stretch them too thin.
The person Lin Xiao had in mind was his brother, Lin Yun.
Although Lin Yun hadn't mentioned it directly, Lin Xiao had been observing him closely over the past two years. Lin Yun had been diligently studying the four cultivation arts and frequently assisted in both the Administrative and Finance Halls whenever they were short-staffed.
Both Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe had privately told Lin Xiao that Lin Yun was quick to learn, meticulous in his work, and extremely reliable. No matter the task, once explained to him, Lin Yun would execute it perfectly.
It was clear that Lin Yun had a keen understanding of what he was doing, coupled with the ability to adapt and solve problems on his own. It was more than just following instructions.
Lin Xiao had always known his brother was exceptional.
However, in the early days of the sect's establishment, even though everyone was family, Lin Xiao had been cautious about not turning the sect into a family-run operation. That's why he hadn't assigned key roles to his relatives at the time.
He had explained this to his family privately, and they had understood. While they didn't hold major positions in the sect, they focused on their cultivation, honing their skills, and learning wherever they could.
After all, Lin Xiao had promised that this arrangement was only temporary. As the sect expanded, there would always be more responsibilities and opportunities that would require trusted individuals to manage.
Now, that time had come.
After checking the sect's personnel list, Lin Xiao saw that Lin Yun's cultivation had already reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, just a step away from breaking through to the Golden Core stage. His qualifications were more than sufficient to manage the trading center.
Lin Xiao went to find Lin Yun, who was currently in his room meditating. After witnessing Sun Yigao successfully break through to the Nascent Soul stage the previous day, the younger generation had been filled with motivation. After enjoying Jiang Youfu's celebratory feast, they had all retreated to their rooms to focus on their cultivation.
Seeing Lin Yun deep in meditation, surrounded by rich spiritual energy, and seemingly on the verge of breaking through, Lin Xiao decided not to disturb him. Instead, he discreetly placed a pre-prepared gathering formation in the room, along with 1,000 spirit stones from his personal stash to enhance the formation's effectiveness.
He also left a message via a transmission talisman, then quietly left.
Just as he was about to return to his own quarters for a meditation session, his spirit ring suddenly lit up. Someone was contacting him.
Looking at the source, Lin Xiao saw that it was Sun Yigao's sub-array marking.
"Yigao, what's the matter?" Lin Xiao asked, puzzled.
"Brother Xiao, there's something strange happening at Changming Mountain," Sun Yigao's voice came through, sounding slightly anxious. "I went there earlier to report my breakthrough to Master, but the monument is now shrouded in dense yin energy, and I can't make contact with him."
"What? I'll head there right away!" Lin Xiao quickly cut the communication and made his way toward Changming Mountain.
Upon arriving, there was no need for Sun Yigao to point anything out—Lin Xiao immediately saw the stone monument, completely engulfed in an ominous black aura.
Frowning, Lin Xiao called out, "Changming!"
In response, wisps of white mist emerged from the stone monument, and soon, Changming, the little white fox spirit, materialized.
"Greetings, Sect Master," Changming bowed.
"Do you know what's going on here?" Lin Xiao pointed to the monument, his voice stern.
Changming glanced briefly at the monument, seemingly unconcerned.
"Sect Master need not worry. Changming Mountain is fine, and the souls within are safe," the fox spirit replied calmly.
"One of the souls inside has begun practicing a secret technique, which triggered the eruption of yin energy. Once the technique is complete, the yin energy will subside, and the mountain will return to normal."
"Rest assured, the release of yin energy is contained within Changming Mountain. It won't affect the outside world, nor will it cause any unusual phenomena."
Upon hearing this, Sun Yigao breathed a sigh of relief, though a trace of worry remained. It was unsettling to think his master was performing such a powerful technique.
Lin Xiao, however, wasn't entirely surprised.
After all, Senior Liao had once created the Soul Refining Technique, a mid-tier Earth-grade technique—an impressive feat that few could accomplish.
Moreover, Liao's deep understanding of the four cultivation arts and his Dao title further solidified his reputation as a formidable figure in Lin Xiao's eyes.
That he would now develop a new secret technique seemed only natural.
"In that case, we won't disturb Senior Liao. Let me know once he's finished," Lin Xiao instructed.
"Understood, Sect Master," the little white fox, Changming, nodded and disappeared back into the monument.
Watching the monument still shrouded in yin energy, Sun Yigao muttered, "I wonder what kind of secret technique Master is developing that would cause such a powerful reaction."
Sensing his lingering concern, Lin Xiao placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. Senior Liao knows what he's doing. Let's just wait for his good news. Come on, let's head back."