Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

At Jinsha Market, the "Zhenyue Bell" had not yet sounded, but a somber atmosphere enveloped the entire market.

In the central square of the war zone, fifty second-tier airships of varying sizes floated silently, their spiritual light subdued, yet exuding a cold, metallic feel.

At the forefront were eight massive, second-tier spirit ships, resembling small multi-story buildings, with menacing bows covered in attack formations.

On the flying boat, nearly eight thousand Qi Refining cultivators stood silently.

They had sharp eyes and a powerful presence; they were the most elite fighting force that Jinshafang could muster.

More importantly, there were the fifty figures standing in the main positions of each spirit ship—Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Besides the sect leader Zhu Yi, who is at the peak of Foundation Establishment, there are also Zhou Xun, who is at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, Xue Ya, who is at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, as well as sixteen cultivators at the mid stage of Foundation Establishment, and Gao Yuan and thirty-one other cultivators at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

Xue Ya's expression was not good. He didn't really want to come, but Zhu Yi insisted that he come, so he had no choice.

The Black Fiend Pavilion can stand by and watch the market fights, but it absolutely cannot tolerate the success of the "Dragon Walk" and the deaths of millions of mortal soldiers, as this would shake the very foundation of the human race in the Cloud Mist Mountains.

This is the sect's bottom line.

The market town isn't deserted.

The Hundred Herbs Sect's Fairy Bai Zhi, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, and Elder Mu, at the late Foundation Establishment stage, led the sect, along with forty early Foundation Establishment cultivators who remained behind.

Their task was even more arduous: not only to defend against a possible resurgence of the beast tide, but also to deter the various demon-hunting teams and informants within the market who held ambiguous stances or might even take advantage of the chaos.

Fortunately, all the mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators were taken away.

Before leaving, Zhu Yi solemnly handed a magic artifact resembling a compass, with a miniature model of Jinsha Market embedded in its core, to Bai Zhi. "This is the central control array plate of the Market Array. If I... if we fail to return, Jinsha Market will be entrusted to the Hundred Herbs Sect."

This is unconditional trust, and also a heavy responsibility.

Bai Zhi took the talisman plate, her fingertips slightly cool. She looked at Zhu Yi, and all her unspoken words were condensed into a soft, gentle sentence: "Take care, and come back safely."

Zhu Yi nodded emphatically, turned around, leaped onto the lead spirit boat, and said in a voice as firm as iron: "Let's go! Destination: 'Xuan Shui Lake,' three thousand li upstream on the Jinsha River!"

The fifty flying boats simultaneously surged with spiritual light, their spiritual power roaring as they tore through the sky, transforming into a massive streak of light that sped northward with tremendous force, causing countless cultivators and mortals below to look up in awe, their hearts filled with unease.

Bai Zhi stood at the highest point of the market, her black hair blowing in the strong wind. She watched the fleet disappear rapidly into the horizon and silently gripped the array plate in her hand.

---

At almost the same time, Wanheng Market.

A second-tier high-grade spirit boat, entirely black with a ferocious beast head carved on its prow, soared into the sky at great speed, heading towards the upper reaches of the Jinsha River.

There were only three people on the boat, but their auras were like those of prehistoric beasts. The owner of Wanheng Market was a cultivator who looked like a young man and had the cultivation of the peak of Foundation Establishment. The other two were elders with cold and stern faces who were in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. They were heading in the same direction, towards the second-generation dragon that was breaking through.

---

Above a secluded valley in the Yunxia Mountains.

An ancient-looking black palace is slowly rising from the valley mist.

The palace was enormous, measuring over two hundred zhang in length and width, resembling a massive, mobile fortress.

This is the infamous "Ghost Cry Market"—a white glove kept by the three major sects, a paradise for traitors, and a shared nightmare for all other markets.

It has no fixed location; its main body is a mobile, third-tier palace-like magical artifact!

Inside the core control room of the palace, a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator wearing a bronze crying face mask was looking at a Thousand Radiance Sect secret command jade talisman in his hand that had just extinguished its spiritual light.

"The beast tide restrained the formation, and the magic weapon broke through the city with one strike, leaving no one alive... Heh, Jinshafang, blame your fang master for being so ignorant."

The voice beneath the mask was hoarse and unpleasant, "Issue the order: activate the 'Ghost Cry Palace,' target—Golden Sands Market! All internal personnel will accompany you. As for the external personnel… release them and tell them that the Cloud Mist Mountains are about to get lively."

The black palace trembled slightly, and countless bas-reliefs of vengeful spirits appeared on its surface, emitting silent howls as it began to move towards the Golden Sands Market.

Inside the hall, the auras of more than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators wearing masks rose, while three thousand of the most ferocious Qi Refining Tribulation cultivators sharpened their swords.

As the palace departed, the remaining tens of thousands of cultivators in the valley were freed from restraint and surged wildly in all directions like a floodgate opened.

Their targets are the outskirts of the other seventeen large and small towns in the Cloud Mist Mountains, trade routes, and lone cultivators... In the near future, bloodshed and chaos will sweep across the land.

Some of the cultivators looked at the receding palace with regret in their eyes—why couldn't they have been a part of this immensely rewarding "feast"?

-----

Tianyun Market, a forbidden area of ​​the Zhong family.

Zhong Zhenyue, the head of the Zhong family, looked at a simple communication jade talisman in his hand, which contained a message sent by Chu Fengge.

He sighed and said to the fourteen Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Zhong family standing solemnly behind him, "The sect's guardian has given orders: target Ghost Cry Market. Let's go, let's get to work."

Before leaving, he personally took out a second-tier war artifact from the secret room.

That was a gigantic crossbow with a ferocious appearance, dark gold in color, and engraved with countless runes of armor-piercing, penetrating, and shock-inducing power—the [Blood Killing Crossbow]!

This is the Zhong family's most treasured war artifact, a top-tier second-class item, specifically designed for attacking and breaking through defenses, especially against large fortresses and... palaces!

The Zhong family, who had dealt with the moving palace in Ghost Cry Market for over a century, knew all too well its secrets.

It appears to be a third-tier magic weapon, but its energy core is severely damaged, and most of it is an empty shell made of materials that were later repaired and barely reached the third-tier level.

It can only be considered a "quasi-magic weapon," with power between top-tier magic weapons and true magic weapons, and it is most vulnerable to high-intensity, targeted attacks!

The group boarded the Zhong family's renowned Tier 2 top-grade spirit ship, "Blood Kill".

"Install it," the Zhong family head calmly ordered.

The fourteen Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Zhong family, working in perfect harmony, immediately sprang into action, skillfully integrating the Blood Slaughter Crossbows into the spirit boat's formation.

And they began loading special crossbow bolts, as thick as an arm.

The crossbow bolts were not made of metal, but of a deep red, blood-red crystal that shimmered with unstable, destructive energy fluctuations.

"Let's go." The Blood Slaughter Spirit Boat silently rose into the air, concealing most of its spiritual light, and glided into the clouds like a ghost, heading towards the route that Ghost Cry Market had planned to take.

-----

Zhu Yi, aboard the spirit boat, received an urgent message from an undercover agent in Ghost Cry Market.

"Ghost Cry Market has mobilized, targeting Golden Sand Market, and the robbers have scattered."

His face darkened, and he immediately sent a message to Bai Zhi, who was left behind: "Bai Zhi, the Ghost Cry is attacking! Abandon all outer fortifications, consolidate the defensive line, and hold the core formation of the market! Hold on at all costs! I will return to reinforce you immediately after I have slain the dragon!"

Turning back now? Impossible.

War is not child's play; it is like an arrow released from a bow. Only by hitting the vital points can the overall situation be turned around.

He had no choice but to trust Bai Zhi and devote all his strength to the dragon that was about to ascend to immortality.