Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Frontline camp

The main camp was located fifty miles outside the seven demon lairs. The Lin family built twelve watchtowers, and the monitoring arrays on the top of the towers operated day and night, transmitting the spiritual energy fluctuations and the movements of the demon beasts from the direction of the demon lairs back to the camp.

When Lin Zhao's flying boat landed, the camp was noticeably quiet for a moment.

Countless gazes were cast from the gaps in the tent and even from the distant hillside.

Curious and awe-inspiring—the cultivators of Tianyun Market have always been very mysterious in the eyes of most people, and the sect's resident cultivators are replaced every ten years.

Although news of the battle in the market had spread, very few people had actually witnessed him in action. As for information about Lin Zhao's childhood, it shouldn't be taken seriously.

With the land reclamation now at a standstill and the seven demon lairs a thorn in his side, his sudden arrival speaks volumes.

Inside the main tent, more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered.

Lin Shanhe sat in the center, with his grandfather, Lin Zhengfeng and other members of the Lin family on his left, and Qingsong Daoren, Madam Liu, Sun Hanshan and other outside supporters on his right.

Upon seeing Lin Zhao enter, everyone reacted with varying expressions.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lin Shanhe got straight to the point.

On the sand table, the seven demon lairs form an irregular arc.

"We've tried to probe three times during this period, but the demonic beasts have remained holed up and haven't come out. However, according to our observations, the number of demonic beasts in each den is constantly increasing, and now it has exceeded tens of thousands."

Lin Shanhe pointed to two places, "Black Wind Valley and Crimson Flame Pool, these two demon lairs are the foremost."

If we can swiftly destroy these two demon lairs and kill the second-tier demon beasts within, the balance of power will be completely reversed.

The tent was quiet for a moment.

The Green Pine Daoist stroked his beard and pondered, "The idea is good, but Foundation Establishment demon beasts are not made of wood. If they can't defeat them, they will call for reinforcements. If we delay, the demon beasts in the other demon nests will come out in full force, and we will be surrounded."

"So, both groups will act simultaneously," Lin Zhao said, his voice low but drawing everyone's attention. "One group will be responsible for the three demonic beasts in Black Wind Valley."

Another group, consisting of the clan leader, Lin Feng, and Lin Yuanfeng, was tasked with killing the two demonic beasts in the Crimson Flame Pool as quickly as possible.

Sun Hanshan raised an eyebrow: "Fellow Daoist Lin is confident that he can quickly kill a Foundation Establishment demon beast? Second-tier demon beasts have strong vitality, and there are countless Qi Refining demon beasts interfering with them."

"Therefore, you all need to set up defensive lines on the perimeter."

Lin Zhao looked at the demon nest on the sand table, "Using five fire-based formations as the main element, supplemented by defensive formations, and with the cooperation of tens of thousands of cultivators, we will build a defensive line to block reinforcements from other demon nests."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over all the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the tent: "As long as the defenses can hold for a few hours, we can kill the second-tier demonic beasts in those two demonic nests... This battle will surely be won."

You could hear a pin drop inside the tent.

"Foundation Establishment cultivators, deploy above the defensive line," Lin Shanhe said slowly. "Disperse them on those three second-tier flying boats, ready to support and intercept second-tier demonic beasts at any time."

He stood up, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across the faces of every Foundation Establishment cultivator present: "If we win this battle, the Lin family will only take 30% of the resources from the seven demon lairs, and the remaining 70% will be distributed according to our merits. We will not go back on our word, but there is one thing I must say beforehand—"

The atmosphere inside the tent froze.

"This is the final battle. The monsters will show no mercy, and we cannot hold back either."

Lin Shanhe said slowly and deliberately, "Since you have all accepted the call to arms and have been supported by the Lin family for half a year, now that we've reached this final moment... when it's time to fight to the death, don't be afraid to risk your lives."

"Of course, if you want to leave now, the Lin family won't stop you, and you'll still get your previous pay. But as for the post-war distribution... forget about it."

A long silence.

Sun Hanshan was the first to grin: "I hate dawdling more than anything in this world. Let's fight, the sooner we're done, the sooner we're done!"

Master Qingsong sighed softly and nodded. Madam Liu tapped her fingertips lightly on the scabbard as a sign of her agreement.

The remaining foundation builders subsequently agreed.

After the meeting adjourned, Lin Zhao walked out of the main tent.

The clan chief followed him out and stood beside him.

"Are you confident?" the clan chief asked directly.

"How many Magic-Breaking Needles do you have?" Lin Zhao asked instead of answering.

"The family has temporarily borrowed the three that your parents had, so I have a total of four in my possession," the clan chief replied.

"That's enough." Lin Zhao looked at the distant mountains. "Although Foundation Establishment demon beasts have strong vitality, the power of the Magic-Breaking Needles is enormous. If used well, four needles can kill those two second-tier demon beasts, and at the very least, they can kill one. As for the remaining one, the three of you Foundation Establishment cultivators working together shouldn't be a problem."

After a moment of silence, the clan leader suddenly said, "On the other side of the defense line, your niece Lin You and Ye Xiaoxiao are in charge of the fifth Fire Separation Formation. They are the weakest in cultivation."

"I know," Lin Zhao said calmly. "That's why my parents are in the formation. They also have a second-tier puppet, and the Yang family has over a hundred cultivators assisting them."

-----

Over the next three days, the frontline camp operated at full speed, like a powerful war machine.

Tens of thousands of cultivators were reorganized and, with the five Fire Separation Formations at their core, constructed a defensive line that stretched more than ten miles in depth.

At the forefront were trenches, pitfalls, and spike formations; behind them were seven alternating layers of second-tier defensive formations, with layers upon layers of spiritual light.

Further back are the five key points of the Fire Separation Formation.

Each key point of the formation was a temporary, three-zhang-high stone platform.

The Lin family flag was displayed on the stage, and hundreds of people sat cross-legged below, slowly channeling their spiritual energy into the formation.

The first formation was led by the First Elder of the Lin Family, who possessed the cultivation level of the tenth level of Qi Refining.

He sat cross-legged on the stone platform, with the Li Huo Cauldron in front of him. Behind him, 108 Lin family cultivators continuously poured their spiritual energy into the cauldron. This formation was responsible for the frontal defense zone and was under the greatest pressure.

The second formation belongs to the Second Elder's sword cultivator lineage, which has a relatively weak foundation. Therefore, the person in charge of the formation is not a member of the Lin family, but Luo Lie, the leader of the "Iron-Blooded Demon Hunting Team". He is at the tenth level of Qi Refining, and his murderous aura is comparable to that of many Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Behind him stood the Lin family's sword cultivator lineage and over two hundred experienced demon-hunting cultivators, all exuding a terrifying aura of malevolence.

The third formation was from the lineage of the Third Elder, the grandfather. The leader of the formation was Lin Zhao's eldest uncle, Lin Tianze, whose cultivation had just broken through to the tenth level of Qi Refining and whose aura was still somewhat unstable. However, standing beside him were two Qi Refining level nine cultivators sent by the Qin family to assist him. The three of them worked together.

At this moment, the Qin family is using a secret technique to connect the array's core to the earth's veins below, increasing the array's power.

The fourth formation belongs to the fourth branch of Lin Yuanfeng, who comes from the Dark Vein Sect. The person in charge of the formation is extremely low-key, a middle-aged cultivator named Lin Chen, who has reached the tenth level of Qi Refining. However, the hundreds of cultivators behind him are all disciplined and move in unison. Nearly a hundred of them are sect cultivators from their families, and the spiritual energy flow in this formation is the most stable.

The fifth line is also the weakest link in the defense.

On the stone platform, Ye Xiaoxiao and Lin You sat side by side. Floating in front of Ye Xiaoxiao was the Li Huo Cauldron—the one with the lowest cultivation level among the five formations' main formation masters.

Lin You had the Crimson Fire Sword across her lap, her hands forming a hand seal, her face tense.

Below the stage, the Yang family cultivators set up a peculiar auxiliary magic array.

As the auxiliary array operated, spiritual light rose from the array flags, enveloping the stone platform like a light veil and slowly seeping into Ye Xiaoxiao and Lin You's bodies—this was the Yang family's trump card array, which could temporarily enhance the main array user's cultivation by two levels and greatly accelerate the recovery of spiritual power.

Ye Xiaoxiao's cultivation level was temporarily raised to the ninth level of Qi Refining, and Lin You's cultivation level was also temporarily raised to the seventh level of Qi Refining.