Iron Bone Sect's arrival in Azure Cloud City disturbed Lin Xuan's careful balance. In his previous timeline, they had recruited Lin Feng, used him to access the Azure Cloud Codex, then absorbed the Lin Clan as a subsidiary power base.
Now they came earlier, investigating Chen Wei's pill formulas with uncomfortable intensity.
Elder Iron, Foundation Establishment peak cultivator, led the investigation. Lin Xuan observed him through multiple layers—Ashen Ghost's arena contacts, Crippled Crow's tournament networks, Elder Qing's commercial relationships. The picture assembled: Iron Bone Sect suspected ancient inheritance behind the new pills, sought to claim it.
Chen Wei, adequately prepared for this possibility, produced convincing false evidence: a "discovered" cave containing degraded pill manuals, conveniently destroyed after copying. Elder Iron accepted the narrative—partially. He demanded Chen Wei's service to Iron Bone Sect, exclusive production rights, relocation to sect headquarters.Refusal meant destruction.Lin Xuan, through Elder Qing, advised acceptance with conditions: Azure Cloud City production continued, profit sharing maintained, Chen Wei's family remained hostage-guarantee of good behavior.
Elder Iron agreed, amused by "Elder Qing's" apparent cowardice. He didn't realize the arrangement served Lin Xuan's interests perfectly—Iron Bone Sect's resources now accelerated production, their protection reduced security costs, and Chen Wei's relocation removed the proxy from potential interrogation.Most importantly, the sect's attention focused on pill formulas rather than the true prize: the fractured ley line they hadn't yet discovered.Lin Xuan intensified his own cultivation. With Iron Bone Sect present, Azure Cloud City's power dynamics shifted unpredictably. The Lin Clan's internal poisoning, the Black Market's hidden masters, the tournament's remaining talents—all became pieces in a more complex game.
He needed Foundation Establishment before the sect consolidated control. The breakthrough required three components: sufficient spiritual energy (achieved through ley line exploitation), perfect technique circulation (mastered through Heavenly Spirit Breathing Method), and physical body preparation (completed through arena combat and Bone Forging Tablets).The final barrier: mental fortitude. Foundation Establishment required facing one's deepest fears, manifested as heart demons during breakthrough.Lin Xuan knew his demons intimately. Grand Elder Mo's betrayal. His own gullibility. The woman he had loved watching him die without intervention. Centuries of achievement reduced to nothing by misplaced trust.
He prepared meditation chambers, protective formations, emergency escape routes. When ready, he would challenge his past in single combat.
But not yet. Iron Bone Sect's presence demanded observation, adaptation, patience.
The game continued. Lin Xuan had waited sixteen years for revenge in his previous life; he could wait months more in this one.