The journey to Cloud Mist Market lasted an hour and a half.
To mortals, such a short amount of time would normally only cover a nearby city or county. Yet during that brief flight atop the Wind Feather Eagle, Lin Sheng witnessed landscapes that ordinary people would never see in their entire lifetime.
Countless mountain ranges stretched endlessly beneath the clouds.
Massive waterfalls descended from towering cliffs like silver dragons crashing into deep valleys below. Ancient forests filled with towering trees covered vast areas of land, their depths so dark that sunlight barely reached the ground.
Occasionally, Lin Sheng could sense terrifying auras hidden within certain mountain regions.
Some belonged to cultivators.
Others clearly belonged to powerful beasts.
The further they traveled, the denser the spiritual qi in the air became.
Even the youths who could not sense spiritual qi directly still felt their bodies becoming lighter and more comfortable.
The Wind Feather Eagle moved incredibly fast.
Entire cities flashed past beneath them like scattered chess pieces on a massive board.
Lin Sheng silently observed everything below while comparing it with the map stored inside the chip.
The Eastern Region truly deserved its reputation.
Compared to his previous world where humanity had relied on steel and technology to dominate the land, this world felt ancient and savage.
Yet at the same time, it possessed a strange magnificence.
Here, mountains thousands of meters tall were common.
Massive rivers stretched farther than entire countries from his previous life.
And hidden within those endless lands were cultivators, sects, rogue experts, demonic beasts, and countless dangers.
Eventually, the Wind Feather Eagle gradually began descending.
A vast market city slowly appeared beneath the clouds.
Cloud Mist Market.
The market was built near the northern edge of the Yunwu Mountains. From above, Lin Sheng could see thick white mist constantly drifting around the surrounding forests, giving the entire region a mysterious atmosphere.
Massive walls surrounded the market.
Formation patterns faintly flickered across the walls under the sunlight, making it obvious that protective arrays had been established around the city.
At the center of the market stood several tall pagoda-like buildings.
Spiritual qi flowed heavily throughout the area.
Even without actively sensing it, Lin Sheng could feel the difference immediately after arriving.
"This spiritual qi density..."
"It's at least several times greater than the mortal city."
The chip immediately began calculating.
•[Environmental spiritual energy concentration detected.]•
•[Energy density significantly higher than previous location.]•
•[Possible Grade Two Spiritual Vein detected beneath market.]•
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
A Grade Two Spiritual Vein.
No wonder Cloud Mist Market could attract so many cultivators and martial artists.
But according to what Old Liang had previously told him, the spiritual qi here was not freely available.
Cloud Mist Market belonged to the Lin Family.
And the Lin Family naturally would not allow outsiders to benefit from such resources for free.
There were only two ways to remain inside the market overnight.
The first was to possess an Immortal Dwelling permit.
The second was to purchase a temporary identity token using spirit stones.
Without either, patrolling guards would immediately expel violators once discovered.
Outside the market walls at night, things became far more dangerous.
Especially during winter.
This region bordered the Yunwu Mountains, an area filled with demonic beasts and spirit creatures.
Rumors claimed that a powerful Rank 2 demonic beast ruled the surrounding region and occasionally led beast tides toward Cloud Mist Market.
Because of that, even rogue cultivators rarely dared to remain outside the city walls after sunset.
The Wind Feather Eagle finally descended toward a large open area near the center of the market.
The moment its claws landed, strong winds swept outward across the plaza.
Many nearby pedestrians instinctively stepped aside.
Only after landing did Lin Sheng finally get a closer look at Cloud Mist Market itself.
The streets were far wider than those in ordinary mortal cities.
Cultivators wearing robes of various colors walked calmly through the streets while carrying swords, sabers, or strange artifacts.
Some radiated cold and dangerous auras.
Others appeared completely ordinary.
Yet Lin Sheng understood clearly that appearances meant little in this world.
A smiling old man selling herbs by the roadside might secretly be capable of killing dozens of people effortlessly.
Nearby, several armored guards patrolled the streets.
Unlike ordinary soldiers, these guards carried dense qi and blood fluctuations around their bodies.
Martial artists.
And not weak ones either.
The Martial Guardian who had escorted them down from the eagle casually waved toward another man standing nearby.
"Take them to the training center."
The man immediately bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Guardian Zhao."
Lin Sheng quietly memorized the title.
Guardian Zhao.
The group of youths was then led through the market streets.
As they walked, many could not hide their curiosity.
Some stared openly at the surrounding buildings while others looked overwhelmed by the sheer prosperity of the market.
Lin Sheng also silently observed his surroundings.
Most of the immortal dwellings here were high quality.
Some even rivaled the residence his parents had left behind before their deaths.
Several courtyards contained visible gathering arrays that concentrated spiritual qi inward.
Clearly, only wealthy cultivators could afford to live there long term.
The streets themselves were lively.
Shops selling pills, talismans, medicinal herbs, weapons, and beast materials lined both sides of the road.
Lin Sheng even noticed a few rogue cultivators openly bargaining over demon beast corpses.
"This place truly is different from the mortal cities," he thought inwardly.
Compared to ordinary towns, Cloud Mist Market felt much more ruthless.
Strength mattered here.
Money mattered.
Weakness invited exploitation.
After walking for nearly half an hour, the group finally arrived at the training center.
The building itself was enormous.
Tall gray walls surrounded a massive courtyard capable of housing hundreds of people.
Several elders already stood waiting near the entrance.
The moment the youths arrived, the atmosphere became noticeably quieter.
One elder stepped forward calmly.
Before registration begins, a verification test will be conducted.
"We will examine your age, root bone, and bone structure."
His sharp gaze swept across everyone.
"Anyone discovered lying about their age will be punished severely."
Hearing this, several nervous expressions immediately appeared among the crowd.
The elder then gestured toward the first youth.
"Step forward."
The boy hurried over nervously.
"What is your name, age, and identity?"
The boy immediately answered.
"Fu Gou, thirteen years old, resident of Lin Mortal City."
The elder nodded calmly while writing the information onto a jade-colored sheet.
Then he grabbed the boy's wrist lightly.
A faint trace of internal energy circulated through the elder's fingers.
After several breaths, the elder released him and wrote additional information down before handing him a sheet.
"Next."
The process continued steadily.
One by one, the youths stepped forward.
Some left with relieved expressions.
Others appeared pale and disappointed.
Eventually, it became Lin Sheng's turn.
He stepped forward calmly.
"Name?"
"Lin Sheng."
"Age?"
"Twelve."
"Identity?"
"Lin Family member."
The elder looked up slightly upon hearing that.
Though he showed no visible reaction, his tone became marginally less cold.
He grabbed Lin Sheng's wrist.
The instant their contact was made, Lin Sheng sensed a subtle stream of energy entering his body and circulating briefly through his bones and muscles.
The elder's eyes flickered slightly.
Then he released him.
Without saying much, the elder wrote several things onto the sheet before handing it over.
"Next."
Lin Sheng accepted the paper calmly before moving toward another section of the courtyard.
Only after arriving there did he realize how many people had actually been recruited.
There were far more youths gathered than he originally expected.
Some looked malnourished and poorly dressed.
Others clearly came from wealthy backgrounds judging by their clothes and posture.
A few even carried traces of previous martial training.
Several faces looked vaguely familiar.
Lin Sheng guessed they likely came from nearby mortal cities under the Lin Family's jurisdiction.
Everyone held similar sheets in their hands.
Most stared at them solemnly.
Others looked delighted.
A few appeared completely devastated.
Lin Sheng quietly found a seat near the side before finally lowering his gaze toward his own sheet.
Name: Lin Sheng
Age: 12
Identity: Lin Family Member
Root Bone: Excellent
Bone Structure: Excellent
Talent Level: Grade A
His expression remained calm.
Still, internally, he felt slightly surprised.
"This evaluation is quite high."
Around him, many of the other youths clearly did not receive such results.
Several nearby sheets visible from his position displayed evaluations like "Ordinary" or "Average."
No wonder their expressions looked so bitter.
The chip immediately began analyzing the meaning behind the rankings.
•[Root Bone likely corresponds to energy generation efficiency.]•
•[Higher Root Bone increases internal energy growth speed.]•
•[Bone Structure likely determines physical load capacity and medicinal absorption efficiency.]•
Lin Sheng silently nodded.
The analysis made sense.
Martial artists relied heavily on constant training, medicine, and physical tempering.
Without sufficient bone structure, the body simply could not withstand intense cultivation.
Likewise, poor root bone would slow internal energy accumulation drastically.
Most martial artists came from ordinary mortal backgrounds.
Many probably lacked proper nutrition growing up.
Without enough food or medicinal support during childhood, their foundations naturally became weaker.
Meanwhile, the Lin Family itself recruited not only talented family descendants but also outsiders from mortal cities.
As long as one possessed suitable root bone and enough potential, they could still enter martial training.
This explained why the training center contained such a diverse group.
Some youths looked poor enough to have struggled for basic meals.
Others clearly had better foundations from birth.
Still, everyone here shared one thing in common.
They had chosen the martial path.
A difficult path.
A dangerous path.
Yet also one capable of changing fate.
While Lin Sheng quietly observed the surrounding crowd, a loud voice suddenly echoed across the courtyard.
"All Grade A talents, step forward."
Instantly, dozens of eyes turned toward the front.
Several youths immediately stood proudly.
Others hesitated before slowly rising.
Lin Sheng glanced at his own sheet once more before standing calmly.
As he walked forward, he could already feel numerous gazes landing on him.
Some carried envy.
Some curiosity.
Others hostility.
But Lin Sheng ignored them all.
His attention instead focused on the training grounds deeper within the courtyard.