Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

The forest grew denser. The decaying leaves, accumulated over countless years, were soft and silent underfoot.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from the bushes on the left!

Five gray shadows shot out like lightning, rushing straight towards the left flank of the group! They were "Shadow Claw Sables," late-stage first-tier demonic beasts, extremely fast, with claws carrying deadly poison.

"Defend!" Yang Zhen shouted, and the Yang family disciples simultaneously summoned three rattan shields, their blue light merging into one.

The Shadowclaw Sable crashed into the light screen, making a screeching sound.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of air being torn apart came from the right and rear! More than ten more Shadowclaw Sables darted out of the shadows, clearly regarding them as prey.

Yang Zhen's expression changed: "Form an array! How many of them are there—"

Before she could finish speaking, Lin You moved.

She took a step forward and pointed her Crimson Fire Sword forward.

It's not about chopping, it's about guiding.

Behind her, Ye Xiaoxiao's Fire Cauldron suddenly shone brightly, and the flame patterns carved on the cauldron seemed to come alive. Crimson spiritual light surged towards her along the invisible connection!

"Crimson Flame Technique"

Lin You gave a soft shout, and more than a dozen sparks burst forth from the tip of the Crimson Fire Sword. Each spark grew as it faced the wind, transforming into a crimson firebird the size of a human head, shrieking as it pounced on the Shadow Claw Sables attacking from all sides!

The firebird collided with the demonic beast, causing a violent explosion. The flames from the explosion clung to it like a leech, frantically scorching its fur and devouring its spiritual energy.

The Shadowclaw Sables screamed and rolled around in agony. Within a few breaths, the five that had pounced first were reduced to charred remains.

Seeing this, the remaining Shadowclaw Sables squeaked and retreated into the shadows, never to show their faces again.

The line was completely silent.

Several young disciples watched Lin You sheath his sword, then looked at the charred beast carcass on the ground, and their expressions changed.

They knew Lin You was Lin Zhao's niece and that she possessed a powerful magical artifact, but witnessing firsthand her effortless and swift repulsion of the beast horde was still incredibly impactful.

Lin You sheathed the Crimson Fire Sword, her face slightly pale.

That attack just now took a lot of energy, but the effect was significant.

She looked at Ye Xiaoxiao, and Ye Xiaoxiao happened to look over as well. They both saw the slight relaxation in each other's eyes.

"Clean up the battlefield, collect monster materials, and check the status."

Yang Zhen steadied himself and his voice returned to normal, "Hurry up, finish this before dark."

The team started moving again, but the atmosphere was noticeably different.

The initial vague scrutiny and doubt have transformed into genuine awe.

Even the late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Yang family looked at him with a newfound seriousness.

Lin You walked over to Ye Xiaoxiao and whispered, "Sister Xiaoxiao, thank you for earlier."

"You did a good job." Ye Xiaoxiao shook her head, gazing at the deep forest ahead. "This is only the first resource point..."

"Hmm." Lin You gripped the sword hilt tightly, feeling the warmth rising again in her palm.

Seek no merit, only to avoid mistakes. But even avoiding mistakes requires real ability.

-------

By the third month of the land reclamation, the temporary camp had advanced two hundred li.

The new camp was set up on a broad mountain ridge, backed by steep cliffs, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Looking east and south from here, large areas of forest had been cleared, revealing the spiritual veins that had been covered by vines.

The campsite is now nearly twice the size it was initially.

Besides the initial few markets that responded, some scattered groups arrived later—some were independent cultivators looking for a share of the pie, some were disciples sent by surrounding families for training, and there were even a few large demon-hunting teams comparable to the Po Jun, who brought their entire groups of people to settle in.

When there are many people, their thoughts become cluttered.

In the northwest corner of the camp, in the cluster of tents in Jinshafang City, several cultivators who appeared to be leaders were sitting around a campfire.

A freshly hunted "Ironback Mountain Boar" sat on the fire, its fat dripping and sizzling.

"The Lin family's 'pioneer team' is quite well-organized, no less so than ours in Jinsha."

A burly man with a full beard tore off a piece of meat, chewing as he spoke, "Three months, two hundred li advanced, nearly forty resource points cleared. Casualties... I heard less than ten percent?"

"Ninety-seven people perished, more than two hundred were seriously injured, and the number of those with minor injuries is countless."

A scholar-like cultivator standing nearby chimed in, a simple map laid out in front of him marking the cleared areas. "Compared to the chaotic, all-out attacking style of the past when several groups joined forces to clear land, this is indeed much more organized."

"It's organized, that's true," another person snorted, "but have you noticed? The good places that were cleared out were all occupied and taken over by the Lin family's own cultivators, or by loyal vassals like the Qin family of the Po Jun Demon Hunting Team. We outsiders mostly got the scraps."

The scholar shook his head: "That's not how it works. According to the agreement, all resource points are to be allocated based on battle merits; we are only temporarily taking over them now."

Besides, members of the Lin family were also at the forefront. Haven't you heard? In the probing battle at the seven demon lairs, Lin Feng, the newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Lin family, single-handedly withstood the attacks of two early Foundation Establishment demon beasts without taking a single step back.

There was a moment of quiet around the campfire.

Battles at the Foundation Establishment level are too far removed from the cultivation level for these Qi Refining cultivators, but everyone knows the significance of the words "Foundation Establishment Demon Beast".

"The Lin family has invited seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators this time, right?"

The bearded man lowered his voice, "The day before yesterday, I saw 'Qingsong Daoren' from Changchun Market inspecting the front lines with the Lin family patriarch. The two were chatting and laughing... their relationship is unusual."

"It's not just Qingsong Daoren." The scholar poked the fire with a branch. "Madam Liu from Suiyu Market, and Sun Hanshan, the notoriously difficult-to-invite 'Mountain Mover' among the rogue cultivators, are all here."

"To get these arrogant Foundation Establishment elders to cooperate willingly... Lin Zhao from the Lin family, who has remained silent until now, must have played a significant role."

When Lin Zhao was mentioned, the expressions on their faces became somewhat complicated.

The story of Tianyun Market's Foundation Establishment cultivators and Luoyingjian's feat of single-handedly stopping four Foundation Establishment cultivators has already spread far and wide.

The Lin family has such a ruthless character; even if he doesn't personally go to the front lines, he still has an invisible deterrent effect.

"That's enough," the bearded man waved his hand one last time.

"Who cares how the Lin family runs their business? We'll contribute according to the agreement, and we'll take our share after the war. In the past few months, the brothers have earned more than they usually do in a whole year. What more could we ask for?"

The campfire crackled, illuminating the faces of the group, each lost in their own thoughts.

In the distance, at the center of the camp, those buildings belonging to the Foundation Establishment cultivators stood quietly.

Occasionally, a powerful divine sense would sweep across the camp from inside the building, like invisible ripples on water, instantly silencing all whispers wherever it passed.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators were also observing, weighing their options, and waiting for the Foundation Establishment demon beasts.

---

The sixth month of the land reclamation war.

The last Tier 1 resource point—number 97, "Sinking Iron Valley"—was conquered by the 17th pioneering team three days ago.

At this point, all 149 planned Tier 1 spiritual lands and resource points have been cleared.

The battlefront advanced for a full 700 li, and the cleared area covered nearly 1,000 li.

Tens of thousands of cultivators meticulously scoured this desolate mountain forest that had been silent for nearly a hundred years, slaying demons and paving roads.

The newly established resource points are connected by a series of channels, which transport spirit stones and spirit herbs to the rear like blood vessels.