Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

When they finally set off, statistics showed that the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators among the disciples on this expedition reached a staggering two thousand four hundred.

There are nearly 500 more people than a month ago!

Lin Zhao stood side by side with Xu Chuan, Yan Chiheng, and Fang Yue in the massive expeditionary force.

On the day of departure, the sky above the blue stone square of the Cloud Sea Cangming Sect was obscured by countless spiritual light boats.

hum-

More than a hundred massive second-tier spirit ships appeared. Each spirit ship was equivalent to the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and was also a weapon of war.

Following closely behind were over four hundred second-tier airships. They were smaller and more agile.

As a "big spender," Xu Chuan naturally also had his own second-tier spirit boat, the "Azure Spirit."

He had become the captain, and the spirit boat carried dozens of disciples, his expression solemn.

Lin Zhao's "Flying Boat in the Clouds" hung quietly to the side.

There were only three people on the boat—himself, and Yan Chiheng and Fang Yue, who were hitchhiking.

It's not that they're unpopular; on the contrary, it's because the three of them are too strong and have too great a reputation that ordinary Qi Refining disciples feel too much pressure standing next to them.

They were happy to have some peace and quiet.

Xu Chuan...

"Let's go." Lin Zhao steered the flying boat into the massive fleet.

As the group passed through the thousand-foot-long cloud gate opened by the sect's protective array, the familiar sect scenery quickly receded into the distance behind the swirling cloud passage.

As soon as they left the sect, the cultivators on each ship immediately began casting spells.

The spiritual energy shields of hundreds of spirit boats and flying ships glowed slightly, extending countless threads of spiritual energy.

Connecting with nearby ships, it quickly formed a network covering the entire fleet.

This is a concealment formation for the fleet, capable of confusing the view and concealing most spiritual energy fluctuations.

As for the results... only God knows.

The fleet maintained its formation and began its long voyage.

The speed of the second-tier spirit boats and flying boats is far inferior to that of the third-tier war spirit boats used in the last major exam, and the cultivation levels of the cultivators on each boat are uneven, requiring them to stop and adjust their breathing from time to time.

It took a full month for the fleet to completely leave the Ziyang Domain and truly enter that desolate area.

The scenery below suddenly changed. Rolling yellow hills, exposed rock formations, and an endless expanse of Gobi Desert and sand...

Green became the most luxurious embellishment. The spiritual energy became thin and turbulent, sometimes scorching hot, sometimes chillingly cold, with no discernible pattern.

To survive here long-term is a form of tempering and torment.

"Actually, the most distinctive feature of the desolate place is not its barrenness."

Fang Yue stood at the edge of the flying boat, gazing at the monotonous scenery below, and suddenly spoke.

"It's uncertain. Today a spiritual vein might erupt here, and tomorrow a bone-chilling gale might rise up."

However, for cultivators who are overwhelmed by the pressure from their sects or have lost in battles, the uncertainty here presents them with the greatest opportunity to obtain many unique spiritual materials.

Lin Zhao nodded silently.

While the core areas of a sect are certainly desirable, the hierarchy among cultivators has long been solidified, and the best spiritual veins, secret realms, and resource points are firmly controlled by major sects.

The desolate region is also the last opportunity left for cultivators.

The fleet continued its advance in silence.

A month later, based on the map and feedback from the scouting team, the Core Formation sect called "Crimson Fire Valley" was located 1,500 miles ahead.

After three days of rest and recuperation, we will be in peak condition.

Then, without any further hesitation, the massive fleet hurtled straight toward its target!

A sect that has reached the Core Formation stage can have its sphere of influence covering an area of ​​thousands of miles.

This is also why it's impossible to set up a formation in advance—it's easy to alert the enemy.

Redfire Valley clearly did not expect that such a large "regular army" would launch an expedition over such a long distance!

The outline of the mountain gate of Crimson Fire Valley can already be seen in the distance.

They arrived so quickly that the sect seemed to be operating as usual, and no alarm bells had been sounded.

It's now!

Upon receiving the order, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators instantly leaped out of their spirit boats and stood in mid-air outside Crimson Fire Valley, densely packed together, numbering over two thousand four hundred!

A powerful aura surged into the sky, stirring up the spiritual energy within a radius of hundreds of miles.

Pei Yue stepped out from the crowd, his face as cold and stern as iron.

He took a deep breath and summoned a special war artifact.

It was a fist-sized, deep blue orb with what appeared to be swirling nebulae inside. It was something the sect disciples had prepared at great expense!

"Break the formation!" Pei Yue roared, his magical power surging in.

"Buzz—!"

The pearl suddenly lit up, emitting a light blue aura that quickly swept over all the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Each person's magical artifacts and spells were coated with a faint blue glow, which was a "spell-breaking" power specifically designed to counter array restrictions.

"Attack!" Pei Yue's voice boomed like thunder.

The next moment—

Heaven and earth lose color!

More than 2,400 Foundation Establishment cultivators attacked simultaneously without holding back! A torrent of magical artifacts and spells of all kinds and attributes—sword light, blade aura, lightning and fire, ice and frost, boulders, vines—flowed forth.

It coalesced into a massive tsunami of spiritual energy that covered the sky and destroyed everything!

At the heart of this tsunami, the layer of azure light suddenly blazed brightly, giving the entire torrent of attacks an aura of breaking the law!

This terrifying torrent of attacks, without any fancy moves, crashed into the protective array of Crimson Fire Valley!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

An indescribable roar.

It wasn't just one sound, but a continuous, deafening roar that seemed to shake the heavens and earth!

The blinding light instantly engulfed everything, and the spiritual veins where Crimson Fire Valley was located trembled violently.

The protective array's protective barrier couldn't even withstand a single breath.

Under the corrosive influence of the broken spiritual light, and under attacks that exceeded its limits countless times,

The barrier, like glass struck by a heavy hammer, made a teeth-grinding "crack" sound before shattering completely!

The shockwave from the shattered formation swept back into the valley, causing countless buildings to collapse instantly, and smoke and dust billowed into the sky.

Only then did the mournful and desperate alarm bells and cries resound throughout the valley.

Countless disciples panicked, while Foundation Establishment cultivators were thrown into the air in horror, their faces still showing disbelief and shock.

But the attacks from the Yunhai Cangming Sect did not stop for a moment.

Breaking the formation is only the beginning.

Disciples of the sect flooded into Crimson Fire Valley like a flood.

The battle quickly escalated to a fever pitch, and soon turned into a one-sided affair.

Faced with an overwhelming numerical disadvantage, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of Crimson Fire Valley suffered a series of defeats.

Several Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators, along with the remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators of Crimson Fire Valley, relied on several relatively sturdy array nodes in the core area of ​​the sect to barely form the last line of defense.

The distress signal talisman transformed into streaks of light, shooting deep into the earth.

Underground, the Crimson Fire Palace.

The Crimson Fire Master, the ruler of Crimson Fire Valley, stared with a livid face at a light screen formed by fire magic.

What appeared on the light screen were the sect disciples wreaking havoc throughout the valley, and his sect, which was rapidly collapsing.

"Over two thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators... and all of them are in the early stages?!"

His thin, bony fingers clenched until they turned white, and his voice was hoarse.