Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

182: The frenzied crowdLiu Tushan’s well-maintained Face, which usually carried an air of shrewd calculation, now looked like an eggplant hit by frost—withered and radiating profound displeasure.

This failure was nothing to the Daling Pavilion, but for the Miaoling Pavilion, it was equivalent to injecting a stream of spiritual energy.

It gave them a chance to turn the tables and return from the brink of death.

He looked at Liu Lili, who was utterly dejected with vacant eyes, and Li Duoduo, who was still grinding her teeth, her Face filled with unwillingness and malice.

His heart was already overflowing with resentment toward the two of them.

The Daling Pavilion had spent massive amounts of manpower, material resources, and Spirit Stones to severely suppress the Miaoling Pavilion to the point where it couldn’t move.

Now, the Miaoling Pavilion was given a chance to catch its breath again.

They truly were two pieces of trash.

He looked at Qin Yue, his Face twitching slightly, and said:

“Congratulations to the Miaoling Pavilion for acquiring such a Qilin talent.

However...”

He then looked at Lin Jingyu and continued:

“...A young friend with such talent cannot be buried. The Miaoling Pavilion, a Pill Pavilion about to close down, cannot offer you anything.

Come to my Daling Pavilion. We offer custom Pill Furnaces, guidance from high-level Alchemists, and various resource supplies... enough to forge you into the strongest Alchemist of the younger generation in the Southeast Market Town...”

“I apologize, Shopkeeper Liu, but I have no intention of changing my allegiance. To me, the Miaoling Pavilion is my home!”

Lin Jingyu interrupted him directly and said resolutely.

Such integrity caused everyone present to turn their heads and look.

Everyone was very clear about the current state of the Miaoling Pavilion.

Lin Jingyu’s persistence naturally generated goodwill among the onlookers.

This kind of loyalty and friendship was rare in the Cultivation World.

Liu Tushan pushed through the surging crowd without looking back and disappeared around the corner of the market street.

Almost everyone turned their gaze toward Lin Jingyu, their eyes filled with fanaticism.

A Cultivator capable of refining supreme-grade Medicinal Pills was, in itself, a rare treasure.

“Fellow Daoist Lin! Great Master Lin! You are truly amazing!”

“Brother Jingyu! My dear brother! You’ve brought glory to us Loose Cultivators! He’s my good brother; we’ve drunk wine together and visited brothels together.”

One small old man, who looked like a piece of charcoal, was excitedly bragging to the person next to him.

He slapped his chest, making loud thumping sounds.

Nobody knew how he managed to sneak in.

He was now grinning widely.

The people next to him scoffed, disbelieving his tall tale.

“Heavens! I’ve lived long enough to see everything! Truly! I’m over sixty years old, and this is the first time I’ve personally seen a supreme-grade Spirit Pill with Pill Veins appear!”

“Great Master Lin! Great Master Lin, look at me! This heart-clearing pill... would you be willing to part with this treasure? Name your price! Spirit Stones, Magical Artifacts, beautiful women... as long as I have it, just say the word!”

The crowd surged forward like a frantic tide, wave after wave.

Some were red-faced with excitement, some had twisted, fawning smiles, and others had eyes burning as if staring at a peerless treasure... arms waved like a forest, and the noise almost overturned the solid walls of the Alchemist Association.

What had just been universal contempt and mockery instantly turned into nearly insane adoration and flattery. The speed of this change made Lin Jingyu deeply realized the reality and nakedness of the Cultivation World.

If you have strength, even farting sounds like a Profound Dao Voice; if you have no ability, even breathing pollutes the spiritual fields. He scoffed silently in his heart, gaining a deeper understanding of this bizarre world.

But this spectacle truly made him feel overwhelmed.

Countless voices buzzed in his ears, like thousands of bees swarming simultaneously, with Spirit Stone counts, Magical Artifact names, and Materials quotes flying around chaotically.

Although he had anticipated attracting attention after winning, he never expected the crowd’s enthusiasm to reach such a fervent level.

It was like a pack of starving wolves seeing a Fat Sheep, eager to pounce immediately and tear it apart.

Fortunately, his Mental Energy was extremely strong, otherwise he might not have been able to withstand this atmosphere at all.

“Everyone! Fellow Daoists! Quiet down! Please listen to me!”

Just as Lin Jingyu felt about to be drowned by the enthusiasm, a clear, resonant female voice, carrying undeniable authority, rang out, instantly overriding the noise like an icy spring in the height of summer.

It was Qin Yue.

As a Cultivator at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, she was stronger than most of the Cultivators present.

Her voice, imbued with ample spiritual energy, temporarily suppressed all the surrounding clamor.

She stepped forward, skillfully shielding Lin Jingyu. Her robes moved without wind, and although the aura of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining was not fully released, she naturally possessed the dignity of a long-time Shopkeeper.

She wore the Miaoling Pavilion Third Manager’s signature smile—seemingly polite but actually distant—and said clearly:

“Thank you, Fellow Daoists, for your kindness and high regard for Jingyu! However, this Supreme-grade Pure Heart Pill is extraordinary and of great importance. It is not an item for ordinary trade and requires careful, long-term deliberation.”

She paused slightly, swept her gaze across the entire scene, and only after successfully capturing everyone’s attention did she continue:

“If you are truly sincere, you might want to pay close attention to the Miaoling Pavilion when it rebuilds soon. At that time, perhaps unexpected surprises will be waiting for everyone.

Given Jingyu’s Alchemy prowess, it is highly likely that there will be more supreme-grade Spirit Pills.

When that time comes, as long as you can afford the price, you can naturally take them away smoothly.

Furthermore, the quality of this Supreme-grade Pure Heart Pill is high enough to be sent to an Auction House for appraisal. Please don’t worry for now.”

These words were absolutely watertight, giving everyone a vague hope while cleverly kicking the ball to a future “Auction House.”

She also managed to give a resounding advertisement to her precarious Miaoling Pavilion, boosting its reputation.

Upon hearing this, although everyone felt an unbearable itch in their hearts and were extremely disappointed, they couldn’t afford to pester her any further.

After all, they still had to give Face to Qin Yue and the Third Manager, especially since she had made her points clear.

So, they all left comments like, “Shopkeeper Qin, don’t worry, we’ll definitely support you then!” and “When the Miaoling Pavilion opens for business, we will surely visit,” before slowly dispersing, taking three steps back for every one forward, clearly reluctant to leave.

The crowded venue finally cleared out a bit, and the air seemed to flow more smoothly.

A trace of excitement and anticipation shone in Qin Yue’s eyes.

This was the reputation brought by a top-tier Alchemist, enough to reignite a sliver of hope for the Miaoling Pavilion, which had been trapped at rock bottom.

Lin Jingyu let out a long breath, feeling the clothes on his back slightly damp with cold sweat.

This kind of social interaction, where he had to smile and greet everyone even though they were only giving him Face, exhausted him more than confronting the desperados from the Black Wind Stockade.

“Sister Yue, thank you.” He whispered to Qin Yue in front of him, his tone filled with sincere gratitude.

Qin Yue turned around and shot him an annoyed look. Her expression was highly complex, containing reproach, surprise, lingering fear, and a hint of undeniable shared pride.