Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Both of them possessed immense power and had already firmly established themselves at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Moreover, because they were integrated with the array diagram, their energy flowed continuously, and their endurance far surpassed that of other beings of the same level!

Once Lin Zhao's divine sense breaks through to the peak of Foundation Establishment, and he is further empowered by the power of the Law Domain, the two array spirits will be comparable to peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The most mysterious thing is that Lin Zhao's Five Sacred Mountains Spirit Body at the core has been completely integrated with the array diagram.

The suppressive force not only failed to hinder the operation of the array, but instead became the cornerstone for stabilizing the entire "domain."

It makes the violently absorbed spiritual energy docile and controllable; while the massive spiritual energy controlled by the array diagram continuously nourishes the spirit body, making the suppressive power more enduring and profound.

Suppressing, controlling, and empowering the array spirits—the three major characteristics of the Core Formation Domain—have been initially possessed in this field!

Centered on Lin Zhao, within a radius of ten miles, the clouds churned yet contained hidden patterns, and the spiritual light flowed with its own rules.

He stood there, as if he were the ruler of this realm.

The Five Sacred Mountains Domain provides absolute defense and suppression, allowing the two late-stage Foundation Establishment spirits to attack at will.

At this moment, his overall combat strength is no longer a simple addition of one; it has undergone a qualitative change, enough to make even a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator feel troubled, or even... suppress him!

Lin Zhao slowly opened his eyes, looking at the floating sea of ​​clouds beneath his feet and the dragon shadow swirling in the sky, feeling an unprecedented sense of power and control within his body.

After three years of seclusion in the sect, exhausting all mental and physical resources, this result was finally achieved.

With a thought, the array diagram retracted, the dragon shadow dissipated, and the strange phenomenon subsided.

On the platform, only the cultivator in green robes stood alone, the sea of ​​clouds remained unchanged, as if nothing had ever happened.

-----

At the summit of Qianqiu Peak, near the cliff and the sea of ​​clouds, two figures stood silently.

One of them was dressed in a simple black feather robe, with a face as if carved by a knife and axe; he was none other than the Immortal Qianqiu.

The other person looked to be in his thirties, with a kind face and wearing a gray-blue robe. He was Lin Zhao's fifth senior brother.

Both of their gazes fell on the broad platform that jutted out from the mountain below.

There, the clouds were being stirred by a strange force, five-colored mountain shadows rose and fell, four-colored spiritual light flowed, and two majestic dragon shadows stretched across the area, covering ten miles, creating an astonishing spectacle.

The fifth senior brother stared at it for a long time, his eyes filled with doubt and surprise: "Master, junior brother, this... could this be the domain that only a Core Formation cultivator possesses? But it feels somewhat ambiguous."

Master Qianqiu's gaze was profound, as if he could see through the essence beneath the radiant surface. He slowly spoke: "It is a Dharma Domain, but it was not formed by Core Formation. He skillfully fused his own spiritual body with the methods of weapon crafting and array formation to create this Dharma Domain."

Aside from its limited area compared to a true Dharma Domain, it has already grasped seven-tenths of the essence of a Dharma Domain. An ordinary Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator, if trapped inside, would likely find it difficult to escape.

"Borrowing external power?" the fifth senior brother pressed.

"External objects are merely carriers." Master Qianqiu shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a rare and special meaning. "The operating principles, power connections, and circulation hubs of this Dharma Domain were all deduced and designed by him. He has thoroughly grasped the core mysteries of the Dharma Domain."

He is now using magical artifacts to perform this function only because his cultivation period is short and his spiritual energy accumulation is not yet sufficient to sustain such consumption for a long time.

Once his cultivation reaches the late Foundation Establishment stage, even without external aids, he will be able to briefly manifest similar power solely through his own cultivation and understanding of the world.

He paused, then turned his gaze from below to his fifth disciple, "Among my disciples, in terms of comprehension and pioneering ability alone, Lin Zhao... can be ranked first. Reaching the Core Formation stage is probably no challenge for him."

After speaking, his black feather robe fluttered slightly, and his figure faded away like a phantom, returning to the depths of his cave to continue his seemingly endless arduous cultivation, leaving only the fifth senior brother standing alone on the cliff edge.

The fifth senior brother gazed at the gradually receding yet still powerful spiritual light below, then looked up at the direction where his master had disappeared, and remained silent for a long time.

After a century of arduous cultivation, he was still lingering in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Compared to the junior brother below him... In the end, he could only sigh softly, shake his head, and turn to leave.

Some gaps weren't due to effort, but rather an insurmountable chasm; he was never qualified to be accepted as a disciple by his master.

It was only through an opportunity provided by his elders that he was able to become a disciple. However, he was only at the lower-grade Dao Foundation stage. Although his master did not look down on him, he ultimately had no hope of forming his core.

---

On the platform, Lin Zhao was unaware of the gaze from the summit.

He was immersed in the realization of the initial formation of the Dharma Domain and the subsequent changes in his cultivation.

After breaking through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he has steadily entered the second level of the "Five Spirits Returning to the Void True Technique".

At this moment, he attempted to unfold the [Four Elements and Five Mountains Dharma Domain] he had constructed during his cultivation.

Immediate results!

The existence of the Dharma Domain seemed to create a highly efficient "spiritual energy field" around him.

Not only does it increase the speed of absorbing spiritual energy, but it also greatly improves the efficiency of refining.

He had originally estimated that it would take nearly forty years to advance to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, but now he recalculated in his mind that it might only take about twenty years!

This speed is comparable to, or even surpasses, those cultivators with exceptionally gifted spiritual roots, because the Law Domain brings not only quantity, but also a deeper level of control over the essence of spiritual energy.

The power of the various spells attached to the cultivation technique also increases accordingly.

Within his dantian, the illusory image of the "Return to the Void Furnace" became even more solid, now capable of simultaneously nurturing nine [Spell-Breaking Nether Needles]! Each Nether Needle became more refined, containing even stronger "Return to the Void" spell-breaking power.

Lin Zhao was confident that even without unleashing his Dharma Domain, the nine Nether Needles poised to strike would be enough to pose a fatal threat to a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

As for the Five Emperors Seal, one of the strongest forbidden techniques recorded in the "True Technique of the Five Spirits Returning to the Void," it now has the potential to be fully activated under the blessing and sharing of the power of the Dharma Domain!

He had a gut feeling that if any Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator dared to confront this seal within his domain, the only outcome would be the annihilation of both body and soul.

While overjoyed, a real problem quickly emerged – the rate at which resources were being consumed was too fast!

-----

He cultivates a fourth-order technique, and his magical power is far superior to that of other cultivators of the same order. His solid foundation brings him the ability to fight beyond his level, and the resources required for each breakthrough in a minor realm are several times that of cultivators of the same order.

With the blessing of the Dharma Domain, cultivation efficiency has soared, which is a good thing. However, the remaining cultivation resources in the storage bag are decreasing at a visible rate.

Roughly calculated, at this rate, it will be completely depleted in five years at most.

"My cultivation level is at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and my magical power is comparable to the late stage, but this 'appetite'..." Lin Zhao muttered to himself with a wry smile, "Looks like I need to make plans soon."

Let alone the distant Core Formation stage, the resource gap required to cultivate to the late Foundation Establishment stage is already considerable.

While secluded cultivation to elevate one's spiritual level is one aspect, venturing out to gain experience and compete for resources are equally indispensable parts of spiritual practice.

He thought of Xu Chuan, the well-informed "big shot" who worked in the Qiankun Palace, who might be able to provide some ways to acquire resources.

Unfortunately, Xu Chuan sent a message half a year ago, saying that he was preparing to go into seclusion to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, which would take at least one or two years, or at most three or four years, so it seems that he can't count on it for the time being.

The sect mission list is full of missions, but it's hard to find one that suits his current needs—high rewards without getting involved in the mess of certain forces.