The two figures walked slowly along the mountain path, neither of them in any particular hurry.
The Grand Elder remained somewhat cautious, although the atmosphere between them was considerably less tense than before. He had already confirmed that this mysterious cultivator had no immediate hostility toward the Lin Family, and more importantly, the other party seemed genuinely interested in formations rather than the affairs of the Lin Family itself.
After walking for some distance, Lou suddenly spoke.
"Fellow Daoist, you mentioned that you have been in seclusion for quite some time."
The Grand Elder glanced toward him.
"Indeed."
Lou's expression remained calm.
"Then perhaps you can answer something for me."
"Please ask."
"I wish to find out where cultivators of Rank 4 can trade with one another."
The Grand Elder's footsteps paused slightly.
He turned his head and looked at Lou with some surprise.
"A Rank 4 marketplace?"
"Yes."
Lou nodded.
"I spent quite a long time in seclusion studying formations, and because of that, much of what has happened outside has escaped me. The Eastern Region has apparently changed considerably during the years I was secluded, so I need somewhere I can obtain information, exchange resources, and perhaps acquire some things that are difficult to find through ordinary channels."
The Grand Elder's expression became thoughtful.
He had initially wondered why a cultivator of Lou's level would deliberately come to the Lin Family, especially after touching the mountain's protective formation.
Now he understood.
This mysterious cultivator had been secluded for years, and after finally leaving seclusion, he had discovered that the world around him had changed.
It was not particularly strange.
Many cultivators who entered prolonged seclusion would find themselves unfamiliar with the outside world after emerging.
What surprised the Grand Elder was that such a powerful cultivator had actually come directly to ask the Lin Family for information.
At least, it was nothing more troublesome than he had initially imagined.
More importantly, there was another opportunity hidden within this matter.
If his guess was correct, this person was not merely a Rank 4 cultivator.
He was probably a Formation Grandmaster.
The Grand Elder's attitude immediately became somewhat warmer.
"Fellow Daoist Lou, may I ask whether you are a Formation Grandmaster?"
Lou looked at him for a moment before nodding.
"I am."
The answer was simple.
The Grand Elder's eyes flashed.
His previous suspicion had now been confirmed.
A Rank 4 cultivator was already extremely difficult to encounter, but a Formation Grandmaster was even rarer.
The value of a Formation Grandmaster wasn't simply measured by their cultivation.
A cultivator could become powerful through resources, inheritances, fortuitous encounters, or an extraordinary physique, but becoming a Formation Grandmaster required an enormous amount of knowledge and comprehension.
Furthermore, a Formation Grandmaster could influence the strength of an entire faction.
A powerful protective formation could allow a family to survive an enemy attack that would otherwise destroy them, while an offensive formation could turn a weaker force into a terrifying opponent when fighting on familiar terrain.
The Grand Elder's smile became noticeably more genuine.
"If that is the case, then I may indeed know somewhere that would suit you."
Lou raised an eyebrow.
"Where?"
"There is a city in the Eastern Region where cultivators of our level frequently gather."
The Grand Elder continued walking as he spoke.
"However, before I explain further, there is something I would like to ask of you."
Lou looked at him.
"What is it?"
The Grand Elder glanced toward the mountains surrounding them.
"As you can see, the protective formation of Dragon Yuan Mountain has existed for many years."
Lou followed his gaze.
He had already examined the formation when he first arrived.
"It is somewhat outdated."
The Grand Elder smiled bitterly.
"That is putting it mildly."
The Lin Family had continuously repaired and strengthened the formation over the years, but its original foundation had been established long ago.
Although it could still protect Dragon Yuan Mountain against ordinary threats, the Eastern Region was becoming increasingly unstable.
The appearance of the Seven Star Palace's hidden forces, the movement of the major Nascent Soul powers, the mysterious demonic cultivators appearing throughout the region, and the growing conflicts between major factions all meant that the Lin Family could no longer afford to be complacent.
The Grand Elder looked toward Lou.
"I hope the Lin Family can enlist your services."
Lou remained silent.
"Prepare a new mountain-protecting formation?"
"Yes."
The Grand Elder nodded.
"We do not expect you to do it for free. The Lin Family will naturally provide the materials, and if there are any requirements regarding the formation's construction, we will do our best to meet them."
Lou stopped walking.
He stood quietly beside the mountain path, his expression thoughtful.
A mountain-protecting formation.
For Lin Sheng, this wasn't a difficult request.
In fact, the formation knowledge he possessed was considerably deeper than what the Lin Family could imagine.
The only thing he needed to consider was how much he should reveal.
He was currently pretending to be a reclusive Formation Grandmaster.
If he casually produced something far beyond what a typical Formation Grandmaster could construct, his identity would become suspicious.
After thinking for several minutes, Lou finally nodded.
"That shouldn't be a problem."
The Grand Elder's eyes brightened.
"As long as the formation you want me to set up remains within my capabilities, and the Lin Family provides the necessary materials, there should be no problem."
The Grand Elder smiled.
"Then, fellow Daoist Lou, would you mind giving us some assurance?"
Lou immediately understood what he meant.
At their level, verbal promises carried weight, but when two unfamiliar cultivators were dealing with one another, a Dao Oath was far more reliable.
He nodded.
"Naturally."
Lou didn't hesitate.
He raised one hand, and his expression became solemn.
"I, Lou, swear upon my Dao Heart that I have no intention of harming the Lin Family, nor will I deliberately use the opportunity of constructing the mountain-protecting formation to cause harm to the Lin Family. If the Lin Family provides the agreed materials and fulfils its obligations, I will complete the formation to the best of my ability."
The instant his words fell, an invisible fluctuation spread through his Sea of Consciousness.
The Grand Elder sensed it clearly.
His expression relaxed.
Dao Oaths were among the most important forms of assurance between high-level cultivators.
Breaking an ordinary promise might result in nothing more than losing one's reputation, but breaking a genuine Dao Oath was another matter entirely.
The Dao Heart was connected to the cultivator's Sea of Consciousness.
Once a cultivator violated an oath made upon it, the resulting backlash could cause a Heart Demon to invade the Sea of Consciousness, disrupting the cultivator's mental state and obstructing their cultivation.
In severe cases, the cultivator's cultivation could stall completely, and if the Heart Demon continued to grow, their cultivation could even regress.
For that reason, cultivators at their level rarely made Dao Oaths casually.
Once an oath was made, it had to be treated with extreme caution.
The Grand Elder naturally understood this.
Seeing Lou willingly make the oath, his final trace of suspicion disappeared.
"Good."
His smile became wider.
"Then I believe we can cooperate."
Lou nodded.
"Now, about the marketplace."
The Grand Elder chuckled.
"Of course."
He continued along the path while explaining.
"The Eastern Region is much larger and more complicated than what you may have seen before. The Seven Star Palace, Dao Reaching Sect, and Purple Extremity Dan Sect are among the most influential Nascent Soul-level powers, but they are not the only ones."
Lou listened quietly.
"There are other forces that are even more deeply rooted throughout the Eastern Region. Their influence doesn't necessarily come from occupying territory or possessing enormous armies. Instead, their roots extend into almost every major cultivation city."
The Grand Elder's expression became somewhat serious.
"One of these forces is called the Myriad Dao Pavilion."
"Myriad Dao Pavilion?"
"Yes."
The Grand Elder nodded.
"They are primarily involved in trade, patronage, auctions, and the circulation of cultivation resources. Almost anything a cultivator may need can potentially be found through them, provided that one has enough wealth."
Lou's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Grand Elder continued.
"They deal in spiritual herbs, pills, materials for refining treasures, formations, talismans, inheritances, cultivation techniques, rare treasures, information, and countless other things. Their influence has become so widespread that many major powers prefer to maintain a good relationship with them."
Lou's expression remained calm, but he was already paying closer attention.
"Their branches are spread throughout the Eastern Region," the Grand Elder said. "Many of the places you have probably heard of as the Hundred Flowers Pavilion or Treasure Pavilion are actually branches belonging to the Myriad Dao Pavilion."
Lou's eyes flickered.
So that was the relationship.
The Hundred Flowers Pavilion and Treasure Pavilion were already famous throughout the Eastern Region, yet apparently they were merely the visible branches of something much larger.
The Grand Elder continued.
"The Myriad Dao Pavilion doesn't rely solely on selling resources. Their greatest strength is the network they have built over countless years. Cultivators from different factions, rogue cultivators, alchemists, formation masters, artifact refiners, talisman masters, and even high-level cultivators who normally remain hidden all have dealings with them."
He paused before adding, "Because of that, openly offending them is rarely a wise decision."
Lou nodded.
That was easy to understand.
A trading organisation that had existed long enough to connect countless cultivators would naturally accumulate an enormous network.
Even if one destroyed a single branch, it wouldn't solve anything.
There would simply be another branch somewhere else.
"Their main branch in this region is located in Zhenyuan City."
"Zhenyuan City."
Lou quietly repeated the name.
"Yes."
The Grand Elder smiled.
"That is the place you are looking for."
"How powerful is the city?"
The Grand Elder laughed.
"Powerful isn't quite the right word."
He looked toward the distant horizon.
"Zhenyuan City is one of the largest cultivation cities in the Eastern Region. Countless Foundation Establishment cultivators reside there, and Purple Palace cultivators can be encountered occasionally. As for Golden Core cultivators, they are naturally much rarer, but there are still enough of them that nobody finds their presence particularly strange."
Lou listened carefully.
"The city's rules are also strict," the Grand Elder continued. "Only Golden Core cultivators are permitted to fly within the city. Foundation Establishment and Purple Palace cultivators must travel on the ground."
Lou nodded.
That restriction was reasonable.
A cultivation city containing countless cultivators would become chaotic if everyone were allowed to fly wherever they wished.
"Zhenyuan City is also filled with Immortal Caves and cultivation mansions."
The Grand Elder's tone became slightly amused.
"Foundation Establishment cultivators can rent Immortal Caves of different grades, Purple Palace cultivators have their own mansions, and higher-level cultivators naturally have places suited to them. Because cultivators from all over the Eastern Region constantly enter the city, there is always an enormous demand for these places."
Lou's eyes flashed.
"Which means the Myriad Dao Pavilion earns an enormous amount from the city itself."
"Exactly."
The Grand Elder smiled.
"The Myriad Dao Pavilion has been rooted in Zhenyuan City for countless years. Their influence there is so deep that even many of the city's properties and commercial districts have some connection to them."
He looked at Lou.
"If you want to find Rank 4 resources, divine abilities, high-grade formations, rare materials, or information that isn't available through ordinary channels, Zhenyuan City is one of the places you should visit."
Lou's expression became thoughtful.
Divine abilities.
That was precisely what he needed.
He had already reached the Golden Body Realm.
Although his cultivation had advanced rapidly, his external cultivation had now encountered another bottleneck.
If he wanted to continue strengthening his Golden Body, he needed more divine ability seeds.
A cultivator at Rank 4 couldn't simply rely on ordinary martial techniques anymore.
The transformation of the body had reached an entirely different level.
He needed resources capable of supporting that transformation.
The Myriad Dao Pavilion might be exactly what he had been looking for.
The Grand Elder continued, "The main branch of the Myriad Dao Pavilion in Zhenyuan City primarily deals with matters involving higher-level cultivators. You shouldn't have trouble finding what you need there, provided that you have enough wealth."
Lou smiled.
"That shouldn't be a problem."
The Grand Elder glanced at him.
Although he didn't know exactly how wealthy Lou was, someone capable of becoming a Formation Grandmaster and possessing Rank 4 cultivation naturally wouldn't be poor.
Still, the Grand Elder couldn't help but wonder what kind of treasures this mysterious cultivator intended to purchase.
After all, high-level resources weren't cheap.
Especially divine abilities.
Those were treasures that even Golden Core cultivators would desperately seek.