Ever since the last direct confrontation with Mo Tiancheng, although Lin Tian temporarily received the protection of the Elder in the Golden Robe, he still couldn't truly relax inwardly. The cave dwelling remained as peaceful as ever, and the spiritual energy around flowed smoothly without any anomaly. However, Lin Tian knew deep in his heart that this was only superficial calm. Lin Tian still sat in meditation and cultivated as usual every day, sensing the operation of the spiritual energy within his body. But he didn't devote all his energy to improving his realm. Instead, he focused more on cultivating the foundation and adjusting his state of mind. Just as emphasized in the cultivation of immortals for mortals, cultivation is not only the enhancement of spiritual energy but also the cultivation of the state of mind. A slightest carelessness could lead to failure in the future. During each meditation, Lin Tian carefully adjusted the flow of the spiritual energy within his body to ensure that every wisp of spiritual energy could be fully absorbed and circulated. At the same time, he remained vigilant at all times to prevent any sneak attacks or changes from the outside. He knew that while the improvement of cultivation was important, the more crucial thing was to keep a clear head and respond calmly to any emergencies in such an environment full of external and internal troubles. A few days later, the operation of the spiritual energy within Lin Tian became increasingly smooth and stable. However, he wasn't in a hurry to break through. In his opinion, stabilizing the foundation and avoiding any potential problems were the true essence of cultivation. He rose from the long meditation, walked outside the cave, and carefully inspected the operation of the surrounding arrays. Lin Tian carefully observed every array node and every subtle change in the flow of spiritual energy. He knew that as long as the cave dwelling array was intact, it could withstand all external prying and attacks. This was not only a need for defense but also a sense of security in his heart. However, while Lin Tian was cultivating peacefully in the cave dwelling, the situation within the sect was quietly changing. As a major immortal cultivation sect, Qing Yun Sect had complex internal forces, and the covert struggles never stopped. Although Lin Tian temporarily avoided the direct conflict with Mo Tiancheng, he knew clearly that this peace would not last. Behind Mo Tiancheng, not only did he have the support of elders but also many ill-intentioned disciples were secretly instigating and lending support. Lin Tian had to be doubly cautious of these hidden threats. One day, Lin Tian learned through an outer sect disciple he befriended by chance that some forces within the sect had recently started to be active frequently. Especially those few elders who were on good terms with Mo Tiancheng seemed to be secretly planning something. Although there was no exact news, this trend made Lin Tian feel uneasy. This made Lin Tian even more cautious. He didn't act rashly nor did he investigate the source of these undercurrents. Lin Tian understood that in the world of immortal cultivation, many times, danger came from behind the seemingly calm surface. Once exposed, it would bring even greater troubles. Therefore, he could only wait patiently, continue to cultivate with devotion, and remain vigilant while observing the changes. Lin Tian would go out every day. On the surface, he was handling some regular sect affairs. In fact, he was secretly observing the movements inside and outside the sect. He found that recently, many disciples in the sect seemed to have an extra sense of vigilance in their expressions. And those disciples who were closer to Mo Tiancheng gathered frequently, seemingly planning some actions. One day, when Lin Tian was walking in the mountains and forests outside the cave dwelling and was about to go to the sect's mission hall to receive a regular task, he suddenly felt that the spiritual energy around was somewhat abnormal. He stopped, and his divine sense instantly expanded, covering the surroundings. "An ambush?" Alarm bells rang loudly in Lin Tian's heart. He immediately cast a concealment technique to completely hide his aura. His figure slightly flashed and quickly jumped onto a towering ancient tree, hiding in the thick canopy, and quietly observing the movements around. After a moment, sure enough, several figures quietly appeared on the path where Lin Tian was walking earlier. These few people moved extremely cautiously and deliberately suppressed their spiritual energy fluctuations to the limit, obviously not wanting to be discovered by others. Their gazes scanned around as if they were looking for some target. "Could it be aimed at me?" Lin Tian thought to himself. He didn't act rashly but waited patiently and observed the other party's actions. The cultivation of these several cultivators was roughly between the late Foundation Establishment stage and the early Golden Core stage. Although they weren't weak among ordinary disciples, for Lin Tian, they weren't enough to pose a threat. However, Lin Tian didn't plan to act rashly. He knew that these people might only be scouts, and the real threat might still be behind. Soon after, these few people seemed to fail to find the target. They whispered to each other for a few words and then quickly left. Lin Tian watched them leave but didn't relax at all in his heart. Although there was no direct confrontation this time, he had already sensed that Mo Tiancheng's men were closely watching his movements, seemingly preparing for a larger action. After returning to the cave dwelling, Lin Tian thought for a moment and decided not to act rashly for the time being. He was well aware that exposing his whereabouts at this time would only give the enemy more opportunities. Instead, keeping a low profile and observing secretly could he seize the initiative. In the following days, the rhythm of Lin Tian's cultivation didn't change. He still cultivated steadily and wasn't in a hurry to break through the realm. He knew that cultivation was like sharpening a sword. Rushing for success would instead cause the blade to break. Only by taking steady steps could he truly protect himself when facing stronger enemies in the future. Although Lin Tian felt that his accumulation of spiritual energy had reached the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage and could break through to the early Golden Core stage at any time, he still chose to temporarily suppress the realm and continue to consolidate the spiritual energy and divine sense within his body. He believed that only by breaking through under the most stable circumstances could he avoid potential problems in future cultivation. To ensure everything was foolproof when breaking through, Lin Tian also started to intensively study some ancient arrays, especially those that could enhance the defense within a short period. After all, within this sect full of undercurrents, the grievances between cultivators were often not just a competition of spiritual energy. Arrays, magic treasures, and even sinister plots and sneak attacks were all means of their mutual struggles. Whenever night fell, Lin Tian would light a dim spiritual lamp in the cave dwelling and quietly flip through those ancient scrolls. These scrolls recorded the cultivation experiences summarized by many predecessors. Although many of the contents were obscure and difficult to understand, Lin Tian could still find useful knowledge for himself. He believed that the path of immortal cultivation couldn't reach the peak overnight. Only by persevering and constantly accumulating could he go further. Time passed slowly in peace. Lin Tian's cultivation remained at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, and the spiritual energy he accumulated became more and more pure, like a fully drawn bow, ready to burst out with astonishing power at any time. However, during this period when Lin Tian was concentrating on his cultivation, the atmosphere within the sect became increasingly tense. Mo Tiancheng's figure seemed to have never appeared in Lin Tian's vision again, but Lin Tian knew that this didn't mean the other party had given up. Instead, it might imply that a bigger conspiracy was brewing. One day, when Lin Tian went out to carry out a sect task, he suddenly felt an abnormal spiritual energy fluctuation coming from not far away. This fluctuation was extremely weak. If it weren't for Lin Tian's sharp divine sense, it would be almost impossible to detect. He immediately stopped and quickly hid his figure, quietly observing the surroundings. After a moment, a strange cultivator passed by the path in front of Lin Tian. This person seemed normal at first glance, but Lin Tian sensed something unusual from the other party's movement and aura. Although the spiritual energy fluctuation of the cultivator was extremely concealed, it was still exposed in Lin Tian's eyes - this was a Golden Core cultivator! "Mo Tiancheng has actually started to use Golden Core cultivators?" Lin Tian thought to himself. He didn't know this cultivator but guessed faintly that the other party was very likely a helper secretly recruited by Mo Tiancheng. Being able to invite a Golden Core cultivator for assistance showed that Mo Tiancheng was sparing no expense to deal with him. Lin Tian didn't act rashly but quietly retreated along the original path. He knew that since the other party had already used a Golden Core cultivator, he must be even more cautious in the future. A head-on confrontation was undoubtedly extremely dangerous, especially when he hadn't broken through to the Golden Core stage yet. After returning to the cave dwelling, Lin Tian immediately started to set up more complex defense arrays and further suppress his own spiritual energy fluctuations to avoid being detected by Mo Tiancheng's people for his breakthrough opportunity. He knew that Mo Tiancheng must be waiting for an excellent opportunity to launch a fatal strike, and he himself must be fully prepared before that.