Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Gao Yuan obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill very smoothly. A Foundation Establishment cultivator handed him the pill box but turned and left without saying a word.

Chu Xin accompanied him all the way to the cultivation room deep in the market, which was specially prepared for Foundation Establishment.

"Don't worry." Gao Yuan stopped in front of the stone gate, turned back and smiled at Chu Xin. "The sect leader may have his own ideas, but what's done is done. As long as I successfully establish my foundation, everything will be fine."

Chu Xin nodded, but the worry in her eyes remained: "Don't think about those things for now, just focus on breaking through. Foundation Establishment... is ultimately a gateway to death."

"The Gates of Hell?" Gao Yuan grasped her hand, a calm confidence settling in his eyes. "The opportunity we received, while not enough to help us achieve a high-grade Dao Foundation, should give us a 20% chance of getting a mid-grade one. At the very least, a low-grade Dao Foundation is practically guaranteed. That's more than enough."

During Gao Yuan's Qi Refining stage, he obtained a damaged secret realm. The Breakthrough Pill he needed to advance to the later stages of his cultivation was obtained from this secret realm.

He also obtained a portion of the Heavenly Capital Spirit Sect's inheritance from the secret realm.

It was the secret techniques and resources within that inheritance that allowed Gao Yuan and Chu Xin to successfully break through to the tenth level of Qi Refining.

The secret realm itself was mostly depleted of resources, but that inheritance changed the fate of the two of them.

Gao Yuan continued, "We are both over fifty years old, and time is running out. The opportunity to establish our foundation will be fleeting. After I successfully establish my foundation, I will need to find a foundation-establishing pill for you. Time waits for no one."

Without saying another word, Gao Yuan turned and entered the stone chamber.

Chu Xin sat down not far from the door and quietly waited, and this wait lasted for two months.

Two months later, in the dead of night, a pillar of Foundation Establishment spiritual energy shot into the sky!

The strange phenomenon lasted for several hours before gradually subsiding.

Gao Yuan stepped out, still with that imposing figure, but his entire demeanor was different.

The foundation of the middle-grade Dao is established.

Almost at the same moment the strange phenomenon appeared, Zhu Yi of the Golden Sand Palace stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the pillar of light.

His face remained expressionless as he watched for a long time until the pillar of light completely dissipated before he gently exhaled.

The unpleasantness and resentment in his heart vanished instantly in the face of this Foundation Establishment spiritual light.

Jinsha has gained another capable Foundation Builder.

Lin Zhao, who was not far away, withdrew his gaze and smiled slightly.

"Mid-grade Dao Foundation... Brother Gao, you really didn't disappoint me."

He didn't linger and turned back into the house.

On the table, a new mission jade slip was faintly glowing.

The next morning, Lin Zhao transformed into a streak of azure light and quietly left Jinsha Market, heading upstream against the surging Jinsha River towards the more dangerous area.

The flying boat pierced through the air, moving steadily at a low altitude of about 100 feet above the water.

Lin Zhao stood on the flying boat. The Jinsha River beneath his feet was nearly ten miles wide, its turbid waters carrying mud, sand, and broken logs.

The riverbanks are steep cliffs carved out over the years, with exposed rock layers, and huge black reefs can be seen from time to time in the river.

Such terrain is a natural danger zone and a breeding ground for monsters.

In just three days of patrolling, Lin Zhao's divine sense had swept over no fewer than a million demonic beasts.

Most of them are first-tier demonic beasts that live in groups on the riverbanks or in caves. These demonic beasts are like weeds along the banks of this giant river that stretches for thousands of miles, being cut down again and again, and never ceasing to grow.

The real threat comes from large, organized herds of animals that come from upstream.

They are often led by Foundation Establishment level demonic beasts, carrying tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of first-tier demonic beasts, flowing downstream like a moving calamity.

The information from Jinshafang City indicated the movements of more than twenty such beast groups within Lin Zhao's area of ​​responsibility, and he needed to determine which ones would pose a threat to the downstream defense line.

-----

At noon on the seventh day, Lin Zhao encountered the first herd of beasts that needed to be dealt with in the delta area where a tributary flowed into the main river.

Those are more than 10,000 "Ironhorn Rock Bulls".

This kind of monster is as big as an elephant, with spiral black horns on its head. When it charges in groups, even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator forming an array will find it difficult to resist.

At this moment, the cattle were grazing on the water and grass beach, among them was an exceptionally powerful second-tier demon beast, the Ironhorn Rock Bull King.

Lin Zhao did not approach rashly. He maneuvered the flying boat to a higher position and took out the scroll of the [Four Elements Array Diagram].

As magic power was infused, the array unfurled in mid-air, its four-colored spiritual light spreading like a scroll, instantly covering an area of ​​several miles! The forces of earth, fire, wind, and water flowed, forming a small world of its own. In the center of the array, the phantoms of a silver-white sword dragon and a wind-fire dragon rapidly coalesced into form.

"Clear the area."

Lin Zhao pointed her sword at the target.

The sword dragon roared and transformed into a dazzling silver-white streak of light, swooping down from the sky and plunging straight into the densest part of the cattle herd!

Wherever the dragon's body passed, countless sword energies burst forth. The thick hide of the Ironhorn Rock Ox was as fragile as paper under the sword dragon's incomparably sharp sword energy, with blood and flesh flying everywhere and limbs scattered all around.

Yinglong flapped its wings at the same time, and its wide wings of light unleashed countless spells, covering a wider area and harvesting the cattle that were trying to scatter and flee.

The two array spirits, like killing machines, plowed and swept back and forth through the herd of cattle.

In just 15 minutes, the once dense herd of cattle thinned out by more than half, carcasses piled up like mountains, and blood stained the entire grassy area red.

The Iron Horned Bull King, which was in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, was also pierced through the head and body by Lin Zhao's Azure Lotus Sword with a powerful azure sword light, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Lin Zhao's expression did not relax; instead, her brows were furrowed.

too slow.

Killing tens of thousands of demonic beasts sounds terrifying, but for this vast river region, it's just a drop in the ocean.

What's more troublesome is that the strong smell of blood is spreading rapidly in all directions along with the river!

His divine sense had already detected countless restless auras surging out from the mountains, forests, underwater, and caves, converging on this area.

In just half an hour, the number of demonic beasts gathered on the outskirts exceeded 50,000! Among them, at least four or five cold auras belonging to second-tier demonic beasts were hidden deep in the chaotic beast horde, coldly watching.

Lin Zhao could even sense that more demonic beasts were approaching from a greater distance.

These countless monsters were naturally born from this world through these perilous places.

"I'm not fighting against the beasts, I'm fighting against this world." A strong sense of powerlessness rose in his heart.

Unless a Core Formation cultivator intervenes with immense power to stir up the earth's veins in this area, or a Nascent Soul cultivator unleashes a world-changing divine power to completely alter the treacherous terrain and environment here.

Otherwise, the monsters would be impossible to kill completely. As long as these dangerous places exist, monsters will continue to be born.

"Walk."

Without further hesitation, he put away the array diagram, steered the Flowing Cloud Flying Boat into a streak of white light, and sped downstream.

Behind them, several second-tier Foundation Establishment demonic beasts took to the air and chased after them. One of them, a flying owl, was so fast that its claws almost touched the stern of the flying boat.

A cold glint flashed in Lin Zhao's eyes. He turned around abruptly, and the Eight Desolations Ancient Seal flew out of his hand, transforming into a phantom image the size of a small mountain, and smashed down on the flying demon beast!

"town!"

The flying owl shrieked and spewed out gray-black spiritual energy to resist, but it was instantly destroyed by the ancient seal! It dodged in panic, but was still grazed on half of its wing by the seal's horn. Feathers flew everywhere, and the sound of bones cracking could be clearly heard. It screamed and fell into the forest below.