Outside the auction house,
'First step completed. I have found a way to gather money, verified the economic landscape. Now, the application of the actual plan: establishing a new power in this city,' Lin Yi thought, returning back to the inn.
His next step was not to attack the existing powers, but to create an atmosphere where his new force could flourish.
Yan City was too densely populated for outright conquest, but its structure was fragile, relying on the thin balance between the Blood Cloth Sect's dominance, the Yan City Mayor control, the symbol masters status, other clans' wealth and the constant influx of independent gangs… many of which were run by low-level Heavenly Yuan or ambitious Earthly Yuan experts.
Lin Yi spent the next two weeks moving like a shadow through the whole Yan City influence. He didn't use violence initially; he used information and targeted economic warfare.
He purchased cheap, low-tier spiritual herbs, then used the Primordial Chaos Stone Talisman innate functions to erase the impurity in the herbs, transforming their essence into perfect, yet small, bursts of spiritual energy. He also found another use of Chaos Talisman, which can upgrade the low rank herb to higher level based on their potential, but he didn't do that.
He just quietly sold these purified low level herbs on the market at a slightly lower price than the Blood Cloth Sect's monopoly. The quality was so high it instantly captured the attention of lower-level cultivators. Meanwhile, he started eroding the herbs supply network of the Sect.
This small act created two things: a loyal customer base and a perfect, untraceable cover for his power. No one saw a person purifying the herbs; they saw a mysterious, lucky merchant who somehow stumbled upon a network of perfect grade herbs.
Simultaneously, using his Fourth Seal Symbol Master mental energy, which far surpasses any Symbol Master in Yan City, he began to systematically dismantle the protection rackets and illegal operations of the minor gangs.
He didn't use his own strength, just simply enslaved four strongest gangs in four directions of the city and ordered them to ransack those low level gangs in their surroundings and cut off their resource supply network. At the same time, he ruthlessly dealt with all the Heavenly Yuan experts who stepped in his way.
The result was swift and total. Small gangs collapsed into chaos, leading to turf wars and the exposure of the Blood Cloth Sect's lax control. The city's criminal element began to cannibalize itself.
Amidst the chaos, Lin Yi used the accumulated resources, network and power to establish his personal hub.
…
As time passed in just a few months, a new power was established inside the chaotic Yan City. It was the Yi Pavilion, a large, imposing four-story building rumored to purchase and sell anything of value.
The Yi Pavilion quickly became the center of the city's economy. Lin Yi used the auction profits to purchase a continuous supply of mid-grade resources from traveling merchants and network, instantly upgrading them using the Talisman, and feeding the supply back into the city at exceptional quality.
The key to the Pavilion's success was the fourth-floor auction house, a place shrouded in intense secrecy. Rumors stated that a Rank Six item and a Rank Four martial arts techniques were guaranteed to be auctioned each month.
This was not just business; it was a carefully constructed symbol of power, demonstrating access to resources that far exceeded the city's geographical rank.
…
Finally it was the end month, the atmosphere around the whole pavilion is lively.
The whole Pavilion building is brightly decorated, and the top powers gathered from the whole Yan City and the surrounding region. They were visiting the Yi Pavilion for the final top Rank Four martial arts technique scheduled for auction today.
Representatives from the major factions arrived: the Liu Family and Song Family… two old, powerful clans of the region and even high-ranking members of the oppressive Blood Wolf Sect. The city's Symbol Master Association had also sent delegates, eager to buy more unique symbols in the final auction like before.
The main hall buzzed with hushed whispers. All eyes were on the fourth floor, yet the attention was not on the items themselves, but on the rumored owner of the auction house.
"Did you hear? The Great Earth Gang was wiped out overnight, every member, every leader. Not a single corpse, even the headquarters disappeared, only a strange gray marking remained on their barren land." whispered a representative from the Liu Family to his counterpart from the Song Family.
"It's him, the owner," the Song representative breathed back, his eyes wide with fear and respect. "They say he is ruthless, an executioner who killed countless gangs in the surrounding regions, even killing high-level Heavenly Yuan experts in order to establish his influence and network for the Yi Auction House. The Blood Wolf Sect has not dared to interfere."
All the representatives from major factions were whispering and secretly competing for the friendship of this mysterious Pavilion owner. They needed him as an ally, or at the very least, avoid getting into his destruction list.
In a secluded, silent room on the top of the fourth floor, overlooking the nervous crowd, using his mental energy.
"The resources are enough, it's time to break through the Late stage of the Form Creation Realm." Lin Yi thought, sitting cross-legged on a luxurious cushion, his body perfectly straight. He observed the two fist-size giant Yuan Dans in his Dantian orbiting around each other, while radiating the concealed power of the Form Creation Mid Stage.
After advancing to Form Creation Realm, his Yuan Dan split into a Yin Yuan Dan and a Yang Yuan Dan. The Yin Dan was a pure black Dan exuding extremely cold and horrifying chilly Yuan Power like a dark abyss unrolling in his dantian, while the Yang Dan was pure white, releasing intense hot Yuan Power like a young sun illuminating the abyss.
…