Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

After several days of rapid travel, the scenery beneath our feet gradually changed.

The mountains became increasingly steep, but the vegetation became sparse, and the exposed rocks were mostly dark red.

A faint smell, a mixture of moisture and blood, began to fill the air.

Ahead, a wide, golden river, as broad as a giant dragon, cuts through the mountains and rushes eastward.

The river water is turbid, carrying up large amounts of sand and gravel, reflecting a dazzling light under the sun—this is the famous "Jinsha River" of the Yunxia Mountains.

Jinshafang City is strategically located at the most dangerous gorge entrance in the middle of the river.

Jinsha Market is no weaker than Shangqi Market, but its own Foundation Establishment power is not as strong. In addition, it has been at the forefront of the beast tide for many years. Although many Foundation Establishment cultivators have been born there, many Foundation Establishment cultivators leave and prefer to live in Shangqi Market.

There are over forty Foundation Establishment cultivators belonging to the market itself, but because the beast tides are supported by the three major sects and people from other markets year-round, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators exceeds one hundred.

Ten miles from the market town, two Foundation Establishment auras rose from below, blocking their way.

They were two cultivators, a man and a woman, dressed in dark gold standard armor and wielding halberds. They were wary, their spiritual energy contained but not yet released.

Lin Zhao stopped the flying boat and showed his identity jade token from Tianyun Market. After the two carefully checked it, their expressions relaxed slightly, but they did not completely let their guard down.

There was no difficulty, but of course, we dared not be negligent.

It is true that Jinsha Market is ranked first among the ten lower markets.

However, Tianyun Market is the top of the seventeen markets, a force that can rival the three major sects.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, please forgive me; such are the rules at the front."

The male cultivator clasped his hands and said, "In the past, there have been demonic beasts skilled in illusion that have entered the market. We must be on guard. We are here to escort you into the market."

Lin Zhao nodded: "That's how it should be."

With the two escorting it from the front and back, the airship slowly approached the market.

Only when he got closer could Lin Zhao see the entire Jinshafang Market.

This is no ordinary market town; it's a menacing war fortress!

The entire market town was built against the steep riverbank cliffs, with the main structure made of gray-black iron stone, and the high walls were more than ten feet thick.

The walls were covered with arrow towers and intricate array patterns.

Along the riverbank, hundreds of bunkers and watchtowers of all sizes are scattered throughout, connected by suspension bridges, forming a defensive network that stretches for more than a hundred miles.

At the top of each bunker, a cultivator at the tenth level of Qi Refining sits, integrated with the fortress's defensive formation.

With this configuration, ordinary first-tier monsters simply can't even scratch it.

When the flying boat arrived a hundred feet outside the main city wall, a giant magic mirror with a diameter of about ten feet and a dark gold mirror on the top of the wall suddenly turned and cast a beam of blazing white light, enveloping Lin Zhao and the flying boat.

The light swept over him, carrying a strange sense of penetration.

After three breaths, the light dissipated.

The two escorting cultivators finally breathed a sigh of relief and clasped their hands in greeting again: "Fellow Daoist Lin, please."

Upon arriving at the market, the interior scene immediately comes into view.

The first thing that catches the eye is the three majestic stone palaces in the central area.

The tallest of the central halls is the Jinsha Hall, above which hangs a huge relief of crossed swords and halberds, presumably the place where important military orders were discussed and issued.

The left hall is where identity verification and registration of war merits are handled; the right hall is responsible for exchanging merits and allocating supplies.

A waiting steward stepped forward, guided Lin Zhao to obtain his identity jade token, and then handed him a map jade slip.

"Senior Lin's residence is No. 9 Courtyard, Bingzi District".

The steward was respectful. "The spiritual energy is about the lower second rank. I'm sorry to have troubled you, senior. Everything will be kept simple during the war. Please forgive me."

Lin Zhao scanned the jade slip with his divine sense. The interior of Jinsha Market was planned like a precision machine, divided into five districts.

The core "cultivation area" is located at the highest point of the market, where the spiritual energy is also the most concentrated. It is dedicated to Foundation Establishment cultivators for cultivation and recovery, and their villas are also concentrated here.

Most of the spiritual energy in the market was mobilized by the formation to fight against the demonic beasts.

The courtyard No. 9 of the Bingzi compound assigned to Lin Zhao was only a hundred feet in diameter and was indeed simple, but it was considered a superior treatment in this area.

Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators only have a stone house about thirty feet square, devoid of spiritual energy, used merely for rest.

To cultivate, one must go to the public cultivation room and exchange battle merits for time.

The largest "war preparedness zone" occupies nearly half of the market area.

There are dozens of gathering plazas of varying sizes here, with mission markers standing everywhere. Cultivator teams are constantly assembling, setting off, or returning here.

Various large demon-hunting groups also set up their bases here, and it is common to see teams covered in blood and exuding a menacing aura coming and going.

The "commercial district" was bustling, but the things sold were also very unique—most of the stalls sold monster materials, pills, talismans, and repair magic artifacts, with few items for leisure and enjoyment.

The "residential area" is densely packed with low stone houses, arranged neatly yet crowded.

Most of the cultivators traveling on the road were walking hurriedly, their faces showing signs of exhaustion.

What caught Lin Zhao's attention the most was the "Ordinary People's Zone".

Although separated from the residential area by high walls, during the day, one can still see many ordinary soldiers dressed in standard leather armor and carrying rune-inscribed spears marching by in formation.

These soldiers exuded a powerful aura, clearly having undergone rigorous training and seemingly practicing some kind of body-refining technique. Although they lacked spiritual roots, their individual combat strength was not to be underestimated, thanks to their specially crafted rune artifacts.

The deacon explained in a low voice, "There are over 30,000 resident monks in the market, and over 100,000 ordinary soldiers assisting with defense, transportation, and fortifications. They don't live together, but they must fight together in wartime."

Lin Zhao nodded, understanding.

These ordinary soldiers came from downstream, and were the elite selected from millions of ordinary soldiers.

No wonder people say that Jinsha Market is known for its fierce and valiant style. This atmosphere of constant preparation for battle is indeed different from the relatively peaceful markets in the rear.

He took off on his boat and flew towards District C—in Jinsha City, only Foundation Establishment cultivators were allowed to fly at low altitudes.

On the street below, countless eyes looked up at them, filled with envy, awe, and curiosity—all sorts of emotions were clearly palpable.

Upon arriving at the villa, I pushed open the stone door. The furnishings inside were so simple they were almost rudimentary: a bed, a table, a futon, and a small spirit-gathering array in the corner that was slowly operating, releasing spiritual energy that barely reached the lower level of the second rank.

Lin Zhao didn't care and closed the stone door behind him, shutting out the noise from the outside world.

That night, there was a knock on Lin Zhao's door.

There were four people standing outside the door.

The leader was a middle-aged man, about two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back. His simple gray cloth outfit was stretched taut by his muscles, making him look like half an iron tower. His late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation was not concealed at all.

"Junior Brother Lin?" The man's voice was loud and clear, with a smile. "I am Zhou Xun. Senior Brother Chu sent a message saying you were coming, so I brought a few friends over to get acquainted with you."

This is Zhou Xun, who spent fifty years in Tianyun Market and most of his time in Jinsha Market.

Lin Zhao quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Senior Brother Zhou, I've long admired you. Fellow Daoists, please come in."

The room was really simple, and Zhou Xun waved his hand as soon as he saw it: "Forget it, this place is too cramped. Come on, your senior brother will take you to a nice place, as a welcome feast."