Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Lin Zhao's backup plan

Two magic-breaking needles shot out silently, aiming straight for Wan Heling's dantian and brow, which were suspended in mid-air!

This attack was timed perfectly, precisely when Wan Heling seemed to have victory in his grasp and his mind had relaxed slightly.

However, instead of panicking, Wan Heling's sinister face revealed a cold smile that said, "Just as I thought."

"That's exactly what I've been waiting for!"

He gave a low shout, and from his spirit beast pouch, white light surged forth. A late-stage Foundation Establishment spirit crane with pure white wings appeared in front of him. With a clear cry, its wings suddenly closed forward, instantly forming a feather shield.

puff!puff!

Two magic-breaking needles were precisely embedded in the feather shield. The "Return to Nothingness Power" at the tips of the needles, which could corrode all laws, suddenly erupted, turning the crane feathers into gray-black powder the moment they came into contact with them.

But that's where it ends.

Although the Demon-Slaying Needle was powerful, Lin Zhao was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Faced with the defense of a late-stage Foundation Establishment spirit crane, he was ultimately powerless. He only managed to corrode two large holes before the demonic power shook him away and he recovered.

Almost at the same time that the Breaking Law Needle was blocked, the seventy-two green lotus leaves on Lin Zhao's side flowed into the green lotus sword in his hand, like rivers flowing into the sea!

"Zheng—!!!"

A sword cry that seemed to cleave the heavens and earth exploded! The Azure Lotus Sword's radiance surged, its sword energy soaring into the sky, transforming into a giant sword over twenty feet long, incredibly solid, its entire body flowing with azure spiritual light, radiating a sword intent that could cut through everything.

"Slash!" Lin Zhao pointed his fingers and the giant cyan sword, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, slashed down at Wan Heling! Before the sword even arrived, the fierce sword wind had already caused the water surface below to cave in several feet!

The cyan greatsword forcefully shattered the white bone shield.

but?

"Sword intent? Well done! Myriad Souls Protect the Master!" Although Wan Heling was surprised, he remained calm, as if he had long anticipated that Lin Zhao had even stronger methods and was prepared in advance.

He suddenly slapped another storage bag at his waist, and a large black banner, exuding a chilling aura and seemingly stitched together from countless twisted and tormented human faces, flew out—the [Ten Thousand Souls Banner]! A second-tier superior demonic artifact!

As the banner unfurled, countless mournful howls of souls instantly filled the heavens and earth. Rolling black energy transformed into a gigantic ghost hand, fiercely meeting the descending azure giant sword!

Boom!!!

The pale blue sword energy and the pitch-black ghost energy collided violently, unleashing a deafening roar! The shockwave exploded in a ring, forcibly pressing a huge crater into the surface of the swamp below, and silt and debris were swept high into the air.

The azure giant sword cut through the ghost hand with unstoppable force, penetrating nearly halfway. The sword intent swept through the air, turning countless vengeful spirits into wisps of smoke in the sword light. The spiritual light of the Myriad Souls Banner dimmed rapidly, and even a few fine cracks appeared on its surface.

But in the end, this strike, which gathered Lin Zhao's strongest sword intent, was still blocked by this evil banner!

"Hahahaha!" Although Wan Heling's face paled slightly due to the damage to his magic weapon, he let out a triumphant laugh. "Boy, your trump card is nothing special!"

Having cultivated the "Spiritual Senses Technique" for over a hundred years, I am most sensitive to any murderous threat!

How could I possibly miss the dangerous aura emanating from you? My feigned weakness was precisely to draw out your sword intent and Yin needles—I was right!

Lin Zhao pretended to be a righteous person, and he also pretended to be a greedy person.

A sinister smile of triumph appeared on his face, but his expression suddenly changed drastically!

"Pfft—!" He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his breath instantly weakening, his eyes filled with horror and rage. "My Earthshaking Rhinoceros!!!"

It turned out that while he was completely focused on dealing with the Magic-Breaking Needles and the Azure Lotus Giant Sword, and thought he had seen through all of Lin Zhao's calculations, Lin Zhao's real killing move was not aimed at him.

And the "Eight Desolate Ancient Seals" underwater

The Eight Desolate Ancient Seal, which had been lurking deep within the Four Elements Array Diagram and continuously infused with spiritual power by Lin Zhao using the array's power for a whole day, concealing all fluctuations of energy aura, was...

Just as Wan Heling's mind was drawn to Lin Zhao, he suddenly burst forth from the murky water like a primordial beast that had been lurking for a long time!

The ancient seal grew as soon as it saw the wind, transforming into a phantom of a mountain the size of a house. With a terrifying power to suppress everything, it slammed solidly and heavily onto the head of the Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros, which was entangled with the Sword Dragon and Yinglong in the shallows!

The Earthshaker Rhinoceros was controlled, lost part of its consciousness, and experienced a decline in its ability to perceive and act.

It failed to notice and dodge.

Snap!

A sickeningly loud cracking sound erupted! The Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros's thick rock armor, strong enough to withstand the bombardment of magical artifacts, shattered like an eggshell under the full force of the Eight Desolate Ancient Seal, which had been gathering its power for a long time! Its massive head instantly deformed and caved in, with red and white fragments of bone scattering everywhere!

That's not all! Almost at the same moment the ancient seal crashed down, the third magic-breaking needle pierced deep into the brain of the Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros through the crack in the skull opened by the ancient seal!

The power of the Void erupted violently in his fragile mind!

"Awooo—!!!"

The Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros let out an extremely mournful howl, its massive body struggling wildly, its violent demonic power raging uncontrollably, turning the surrounding waters hundreds of feet upside down, and even tearing apart and dissipating the Four Elements Formation in its death throes.

However, its brain had been completely eroded by the power of the Void. Its struggle lasted only a dozen breaths before it collapsed to the ground with a thud, splashing mud everywhere, and its life force quickly dissipated.

"You...you dare!!!" Wan Heling's eyes were bloodshot. His mind was connected with the spirit beast. The backlash from the spirit beast's sudden death caused him excruciating pain in his soul, and his breath became unstable again.

He never expected that Lin Zhao's target was not him from the beginning, but the Earthshaking Rhinoceros, and that she had planned it so precisely and ruthlessly!

"What's there to be afraid of?" Lin Zhao replied coldly. He had not forgotten that the cultivators of the Myriad Beasts Spirit Venerable Palace were all capable of fusing with demonic beasts.

The demonic beasts are both their strongest and weakest point; losing them would greatly reduce their strength.

Take advantage of his illness and kill him!

With a thought, the Four Elements Array Diagram's spiritual light faded, and the array shrank, flying back into his sleeve.

At the same time, the giant blue sword above his head suddenly disintegrated, transforming back into seventy-two blue lotus leaves.

However, these leaves did not return to the sword sheath. Instead, as if summoned, they attached themselves to Lin Zhao's back, forming a pair of magnificent sword wings made entirely of sword energy and lotus leaves, three zhang wide, with sharp edges—the Azure Lotus Sword Wings!

With a gentle flap of his sword wings, Lin Zhao's figure vanished from his spot in an instant. Holding the Azure Lotus Sword, whose light had been rekindled, he transformed into a streak of azure sword light that tore through the air, heading straight for Wan Heling, whose divine consciousness had been injured!

"Damn it!" Wan Heling was both shocked and furious. He endured the stinging pain in his soul and urged the Iron-Scaled Eagle under his feet to dodge rapidly. At the same time, he commanded the White Crane Spirit Beast to intercept it.

However, after losing the Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros, his consciousness was injured and unstable.

The Azure Lotus Sword Wings granted Lin Zhao unparalleled speed and agility. With a strange turn, he bypassed the white crane, and with a flash of sword light, he severed one of the Iron Scaled Eagle's wings at the root as it frantically dodged!

The Ironscaled Eagle screamed and tumbled to its death.

"This is outrageous!!!" Wan Heling was so angry that he trembled all over and completely lost his temper.