Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

On the small hill platform, Qin Tianjun's eyes flashed with a sharp light!

"go!"

He pointed his fingers into a sword shape and slashed fiercely at the giant black shadow that was heavily bound by starlight chains ten miles away!

The hundred-foot-long golden sword hovering above everyone's heads emitted a terrifying sword cry, transforming into a blazing golden meteor that seemed to tear through space itself.

They charged headlong toward their target! Their speed was so great that it seemed to ignore the ten-mile distance, and they arrived in front of the monster in the blink of an eye!

The alligator roared with the most terror it had heard since the start of the war! It felt the true approach of death! The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything!

It recklessly burned its source, cracks spreading across its demon core, and simultaneously activated three defensive divine abilities!

The first barrier forcibly gathers the nearby river water, forming an incredibly thick, dark water curtain shimmering with runes.

The second thing is that the patterns on its tortoise shell, which is comparable to a third-tier defensive magic weapon, all lit up, transforming into a solid, giant yellow shield phantom.

The third stage involved its entire body burning with essence and blood, creating a layer of dense, irresistible crimson spiritual light.

At the same time, the violent demonic power burst forth, breaking most of the chains on his body into pieces!

However, this energy, which had gathered from the sword energy of five hundred sword cultivators for over ten days and had been repeatedly compressed by Qin Tianjun with his sword intent, was still present.

The power of this sword strike, unleashed at full force, far exceeded the capabilities of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator!

*Swoosh—Pfft!* *Boom!*

The dark water curtain was evaporated and pierced the moment it came into contact with the object!

The phantom of the giant tortoise-shell shield lasted only a moment before shattering with a mournful cry!

The crimson light, like butter under a hot knife, was split in two!

The blazing golden sword light, with unstoppable force, pierced straight through the mountain-like body of the alligator dragon!

It pinned its enormous demonic body, which was over 150 feet long, firmly to the shattered riverbed and the earth!

"roar--!!!"

The excruciating pain and sword energy raged wildly within its body, causing the alligator dragon to let out a desperate and powerless wail.

The remaining starlight chains surged forward again, securing it firmly.

The hundred-foot-long golden sword in the air began to slowly dissipate, its dissipating power transforming into countless sword energies that surged into the demonic beast's body.

The outcome is already decided.

The giant sword dissipated, finally revealing the dark golden third-tier magic weapon, the "Golden Rainbow Sword." Its light had dimmed considerably, and it was quickly retrieved by the disciples who were prepared on the spirit boat.

Only then did Qin Tianjun sway slightly, his face as pale as paper, and he was supported by his fellow disciples.

No one stepped forward to check the results; they remained in their formation, vigilant against any unexpected events.

When facing a Core Formation level being, one can never be too careful.

The dragon's aura was extremely weak, but it was not completely dead yet; the beast's tenacious vitality was chilling.

In the end, it was the third-tier spirit boat that delivered the final blow, completely extinguishing its life force.

The sect's grand examination has been completed.

They defeated a level three monster without losing any lives.

When Lin Zhao and the others stepped out of the formation and truly faced the corpse of the giant beast up close, he directly felt the oppressive aura of a "Core Formation level" cultivator. Even in death, the lingering pressure and the mountain-like body still sent shivers down one's spine.

Looking around, the terrain within a hundred miles has been almost completely altered. Rivers have twisted and changed course, and the earth is riddled with deep pits and cracks.

The group silently began cleaning up the battlefield.

The enormous monster corpse was pulled into a specially designed storage space inside the spirit boat.

The disciples worked in groups to retrieve the array flags and array plates, clean up the traces of battle, and restore their magical power.

Lin Zhao stood on a high point on the devastated riverbank, gazing at the newly diverted, turbid riverbed filled with chaotic spiritual energy, and remained silent for a long time.

Although the ordinary people within a thousand miles of the river did not know who rescued them, no one was injured or killed.

But their houses, land, and traces of their ancestors' lives have all vanished in this battle of cultivators.

For a long time to come, this land will retain violent spiritual energy, making it unsuitable for mortals to live on.

"Truly... when the dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when the dynasty falls, the people suffer." He muttered to himself.

The world of cultivation grants cultivators immense power and long lifespans.

But for mortals without spiritual roots, the aftershocks of this powerful force often mean the destruction of their homes and displacement.

The gains and losses involved are difficult to quantify.

Pei Yue had led troops and handled battlefield affairs during the mortal dynasty, and he habitually came down to inspect the actual situation.

Although there were no casualties this time, he still carefully inspected the area.

Just then, he heard Lin Zhao's sigh.

Pei Yue paused, his gaze lingering on Lin Zhao's back for a few seconds.

Lin Zhao noticed this, nodded slightly to him, and prepared to get to work.

He and his hundreds of other disciples seemed to have the same instinctive idea, and were spontaneously using magic to fill in some deep pits and reinforce the collapsed riverbanks, trying to make this messy land a little more "tidy".

This scene made Pei Yue thoughtful. After returning, he immediately called together Qin Tianjun, Fairy Linglong, and more than a dozen other key figures involved in this operation for a small meeting.

"I suggest," Pei Yue said bluntly, "that we take some time to thoroughly clean up this battlefield. Fill in the pits that can be filled, reinforce the riverbeds that need to be reinforced, and most importantly, try to dispel and purify the remaining spiritual energy, especially the demonic energy of those third-tier demonic beasts."

Upon hearing this, many people frowned. How complex and varied must the remaining spiritual energy be in a battlefield spanning hundreds of miles?

The spiritual power of Qi Refining disciples is fine, but the residual spiritual power of Foundation Establishment cultivators is like invisible swords buried in the ground, which must be handled carefully.

The most troublesome thing is the demonic power of that third-tier demon beast. It is extremely corrosive. With their limited cultivation, how much effort would it take to clean it up completely?

The sect only gave us a month, and the round trip would take up a lot of time. Where would we find that much time?

"Senior Brother Pei, it's not that we're unwilling, but we're not up to the task, and we're also afraid of delaying our return," someone subtly raised an objection.

Pei Yue was prepared. He scanned the crowd and lowered his voice: "Think about it, everyone. Is this big test really going to end with just 'killing monsters'?"

Could the aftermath also be part of the assessment? The sect sent out tens of thousands of elites and caused such a commotion, just to take back a third-tier demon core and a bunch of materials?

Will the subsequent handling of the impact and the "care" given to the mortal realm also be considered in the evaluations of those sects?

These words struck a chord with many people.

Especially for those who aspire to be accepted as disciples by high-level cultivators, such details may be more important than mere combat strength.

The opinions were quickly reached.

Tens of thousands of cultivators mobilized again, this time not for battle, but still expending considerable effort.

Filling in the pits and leveling the ground is relatively simple.

Reinforcing the river channel is more complicated, requiring precise control of the force. It is necessary to restrain the water without altering the natural flow too much, otherwise it will affect the downstream areas.

The most troublesome thing is the residual spiritual energy on the battlefield.