The familiar sight of the Cloud Mist Market Training Center soon appeared before them.
Compared to Jade Haven City, the atmosphere here felt rougher.
More practical.
More dangerous.
This was not a place where young masters leisurely exchanged poetry.
This was a place where martial artists were forged.
Where countless youths entered with dreams.
And where many never left.
As Lin Sheng, Lin Xiaolu, and Lou Han stepped through the gates, they immediately noticed changes.
Not major ones.
Yet enough to stand out.
The training grounds were more crowded than before.
Groups of unfamiliar faces could be seen throughout the outer courtyards.
Young boys and girls trained under instructors while sweat poured down their bodies.
Shouts continuously echoed through the grounds.
Many looked no older than eleven or twelve.
A new batch.
Lin Sheng immediately understood.
The Training Center had accepted another recruitment wave.
Lou Han looked around.
"Quite a few."
Lin Xiaolu nodded.
"More than usual."
Indeed.
The numbers were noticeably higher than previous years.
After asking around briefly, they soon learned the reason.
The Yao Beast population within the surrounding mountain ranges had increased dramatically over the past few months.
Several smaller beast tides had already occurred.
Not enough to threaten major settlements.
Yet enough to create problems.
Villages had requested assistance.
Merchant routes required protection.
Hunting teams were becoming increasingly overstretched.
The Training Center simply lacked enough martial artists.
Especially those willing to spend long periods dealing with Yao Beasts.
Thus—
Another batch had been recruited earlier than expected.
More manpower.
More future martial artists.
More expendable resources if necessary.
Such was the reality of cultivation.
No one said it aloud.
Yet everyone understood.
...
As they continued walking deeper into the Training Center, another change became apparent.
Many familiar faces were missing.
Several former trainees had already advanced.
Inner Courtyard disciples.
Core disciples.
Even a few had left entirely to begin carrying out missions.
Of course—
Not everyone had advanced.
Some had died.
The cultivation world had never been gentle.
Every year talented people disappeared.
Some died during missions.
Some died hunting beasts.
Others simply vanished without explanation.
Nobody spoke much about them.
The dead rarely received attention.
The living were too busy trying not to join them.
...
Their arrival quickly attracted attention.
Whispers began spreading among the newer trainees.
"Who are they?"
"No idea."
"They came from outside?"
"They don't look ordinary."
Several outer courtyard trainees stared openly.
Even many inner courtyard trainees paused their training.
The older instructors naturally recognized them.
The younger disciples did not.
To the new generation, Lin Sheng's group had become little more than rumors.
Stories.
Legends.
Names occasionally mentioned by instructors.
Yet seeing them in person felt different.
Especially Lin Sheng.
His calm demeanor and steady aura naturally attracted attention.
The newer trainees quietly observed.
Trying to gauge his strength.
Trying to understand why even some instructors showed respect toward him.
Lin Sheng paid them little attention.
Instead, he quietly observed the current generation.
Most were still within the Acquired Realm.
Not surprising.
Nearly five months had passed since their induction.
Yet few had truly distinguished themselves.
Lin Sheng understood the reason almost immediately.
The previous generation had possessed a unique circumstance.
Pressure.
Competition.
Motivation.
When someone continuously surged ahead, everyone else naturally worked harder.
No one wished to be left behind.
No one wished to appear mediocre.
Lin Sheng's existence had unintentionally created that environment.
The current generation lacked such a figure.
Instead—
Most appeared satisfied with their progress.
Satisfied with mediocrity.
Satisfied with moving at an ordinary pace.
Lin Sheng didn't particularly blame them.
Such thinking wasn't necessarily wrong.
For many people, survival alone was already difficult.
Yet—
The cultivation world never cared whether one felt comfortable.
Danger rarely announced itself beforehand.
One didn't need to know about a threat for it to exist.
Many people only discovered that truth when it was already too late.
...
The group eventually entered the Jia District.
Compared to the outer regions, security here had increased noticeably.
Several powerful auras could be sensed nearby.
Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
Normally these individuals were scattered throughout the market.
Protecting important locations.
Patrolling various districts.
Handling emergencies.
Now—
Many of them had gathered in one place.
That alone revealed the seriousness of the situation.
Lou Han also noticed.
"Something big happened."
Lin Xiaolu nodded.
"Definitely."
The group continued forward.
Soon they entered a large meeting hall.
Already waiting inside were numerous martial artists.
Most had reached the Xuan Gang Realm.
Some were familiar faces.
Others had advanced during their absence.
Conversations filled the room.
The moment Lin Sheng's group entered, many gazes shifted toward them.
Whispers immediately followed.
The rumors surrounding Jade Haven City had already spread.
Especially after the competition.
Many people knew their names now.
Some respected them.
Others envied them.
A few looked openly jealous.
Lin Sheng ignored all of it.
He simply found an empty position and sat down.
Several moments later—
The room became silent.
A powerful figure entered.
Guardian Zhao.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Many martial artists unconsciously straightened their backs.
Guardian Zhao walked toward the front of the hall.
His expression appeared calm.
Yet everyone present sensed something beneath the surface.
Anger.
Not ordinary anger.
Real anger.
The kind carried by someone who had already killed many people.
Lin Sheng observed him carefully.
Compared to before, Guardian Zhao's aura seemed even more refined.
More dangerous.
This was someone who had survived an encounter against a Rank-3 Pseudo Yao Beast.
And had not suffered serious injuries.
That achievement alone commanded respect.
The room became completely silent.
Guardian Zhao swept his gaze across everyone.
Then he spoke.
"The situation has changed."
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
No one interrupted.
"The southern region of Dragon Yuan Province has recently experienced an enormous influx of cultivators."
Many people immediately exchanged looks.
As expected.
The mysterious celestial phenomenon.
Guardian Zhao continued.
"That influx has created problems."
"Major problems."
His tone became colder.
"The number of robber cultivators has increased dramatically."
"The number of murders has increased."
"The number of ambushes has increased."
"The number of disappearances has increased."
Every sentence carried killing intent.
The atmosphere grew heavier.
Many martial artists frowned.
Some looked surprised.
Others appeared unsurprised.
After all—
Whenever opportunities appeared, chaos followed.
It was practically a law of the cultivation world.
Guardian Zhao continued.
"Several merchant caravans have been attacked."
"Resource shipments have disappeared."
"Even areas within Cloud Mist Market have experienced incidents."
The room immediately became noisier.
Inside the market?
That crossed a line.
Outside the city was one thing.
Within market territory was another entirely.
Guardian Zhao slammed a hand onto the table.
Boom.
Silence returned instantly.
The killing intent leaking from his body intensified.
Many people unconsciously held their breath.
At that moment everyone understood something.
Guardian Zhao was furious.
Truly furious.
Someone had pushed too far.
"The Training Center's objective is simple."
His gaze swept across the room.
"We will restore order."
"Through force."
"Or otherwise."
The meaning was obvious.
Anyone causing trouble would die.
No negotiations.
No compromises.
Several Xuan Gang martial artists visibly straightened.
This was the type of mission they understood.
Direct.
Simple.
Violent.
Guardian Zhao nodded slightly.
"Mission details will be distributed shortly."
"The assignments vary."
"Some will patrol."
"Some will escort caravans."
"Some will hunt specific targets."
"The situation demands immediate action."
The hall remained silent.
Everyone listened carefully.
Meanwhile—
Outside the hall.
Rumors continued spreading.
Many people had already noticed the gathering.
Xuan Gang martial artists.
Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Guardian Zhao himself.
Such a combination naturally attracted attention.
Speculation quickly erupted.
Some believed the gathering related to the robber cultivators.
Others believed it related to the mysterious treasure.
Some believed both issues were connected.
One rumor claimed a secret inheritance had appeared.
Another claimed a Purple Palace cultivator had died.
A third claimed an ancient ruin had surfaced.
None possessed evidence.
Yet that didn't stop anyone from discussing them.
Within a single afternoon, dozens of new stories appeared.
Most were nonsense.
A few contained fragments of truth.
No one could tell the difference.