Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Inside the market, countless cultivators looked up at the sky, their faces deathly pale.

The protective shield they saw, which usually flowed quietly, was now like a pot of boiling water, churning, surging, and on the verge of breaking!

"A...True Core Formation cultivator!"

"It's the Zheng family patriarch! He's here!"

"It's over, it's all over..."

Some people's legs went weak and they collapsed to the ground. Some sobbed softly, while others murmured to themselves.

Some even turned to run out of the market—but stopped at the entrance.

The area outside is the domain of a Core Formation cultivator; going out there would be suicide.

---

But the protective shield was not broken.

Under the relentless bombardment of purple light, the seemingly precarious light barrier always teetered on the brink of collapse.

Because Lin Zhao made a move.

Lin Zhao stood suspended in mid-air above the garrison headquarters.

Five-colored spiritual light exploded around him! The phantom images of the Five Sacred Mountains appeared out of thin air—each one was nearly a hundred feet in size, floating above the market and covering half the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the four colors of light—earth, water, fire, and wind—emerged from between the illusory mountain shadows, weaving together into a huge net of light that linked the five mountains together.

The Dharma Domain of the Four Elements and Five Sacred Mountains.

Then, Lin Zhao made a hand seal and pressed down.

boom!!!

The magic domain and the formation instantly connected!

The protective array covering an area of ​​more than twenty miles suddenly trembled, and then burst forth with light several times brighter than before!

Four enormous spiritual figures soared into the sky from the four corners of the market town—

The Azure Dragon meanders and coils, stretching for tens of feet, its scales a vibrant, glistening green that reflects countless glimmers of light in the sunlight;

The white tiger was pouncing, its murderous aura soaring to the sky, and a layer of white frost even formed on the ground beneath its feet;

The Vermilion Bird spread its wings and cried out, its feathers igniting with crimson flames, the heat wave forcing nearby cultivators to retreat one after another.

The Black Tortoise is coiled like a small mountain, with runes flowing on its shell, each rune resembling a star.

Four spiritual figures hovered at the four corners of the market, their roars like dragons and tigers, their cries like phoenixes and their howls like turtles, their voices shaking the surrounding area!

Those cultivators who were originally in despair were all speechless when they saw this scene.

"The market...a formation?"

"No, the formation isn't that strong!"

"It's the guardian! He's using his magic domain to reinforce the formation!"

The purple rain was still falling from the sky, but this time, the pale golden light curtain remained completely still.

---

The Zheng family patriarch stopped his attack, looked down at the market below, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"That's interesting."

He said softly.

Then, he raised his hand and gestured.

A massive, dark purple cauldron slowly flew out.

The moment that cauldron appeared, the entire atmosphere of heaven and earth changed.

The cauldron was a hundred feet long, dark purple in color, with gilded demonic patterns on its surface swirling with an eerie red light.

The handles of the cauldron are two ferocious demon heads, with blue faces and fangs, seemingly alive, looking down at the market below.

Orange-red flames burned inside the cauldron, and amidst the surging flames, countless runes could be vaguely seen dancing.

Purple Xuanding.

Third-tier magic weapon.

This item is the product of the Zheng family patriarch's fame over hundreds of years.

He gave it a gentle push.

The Purple Mystic Cauldron slowly descended, pressing down on the market.

The cauldron fell as if it were a mountain.

Every time the ground dropped by one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters), the entire market would tremble.

The ground was cracking, the houses were shaking, and even the light screen of the mountain-protecting array was groaning under the strain.

The cauldron has not yet arrived, but the momentum has already begun.

boom!!!

The Purple Mystic Cauldron crashed into the mountain-protecting array!

The pale golden light curtain suddenly caved inward, forming a huge arc!

The four spiritual entities simultaneously let out mournful cries. The Azure Dragon's body trembled, the White Tiger's baleful aura dissipated, the Vermilion Bird's flames went out, and the Black Tortoise's tortoise shell runes began to crack!

One after another, the illusory images of the Five Sacred Mountains collapsed—first the white Western Sacred Mountain shattered, then the blue Eastern Sacred Mountain, and finally the crimson Southern Sacred Mountain…

Lin Zhao groaned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"The workshop owner can't hold on any longer!"

"That cauldron is too powerful; it's a third-tier magic weapon!"

"It's all over, it's all over..."

Chaos erupted once more in the market town. Some began to weep, some knelt and begged for mercy, and others, their eyes red with rage, rushed toward the garrison headquarters—

"It's all his fault! He's the one who provoked a Core Formation cultivator!"

"Hand him over! Hand him over and we'll be fine!"

Dozens of cultivators, their eyes red, rushed toward the gate of the garrison.

But as soon as he rushed to the door, he was stopped by a group of people.

Leading the group was He An. Behind him stood dozens of law enforcement cultivators, each holding a magical artifact and expressionless.

"Anyone who trespasses on the garrison's premises will be killed without mercy."

He An's voice was calm, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

The cultivators were stunned for a moment, then one of them roared, "Do you want to die with him?!"

He An did not answer.

He simply gripped the magical artifact in his hand tightly.

A boy stepped forward from behind him.

Luo Yu was looking up at the figure standing in mid-air, his eyes bright.

"The garrison will not lose," Luo Yu said.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was very clear.

The troublemaking monks looked at him as if he were a fool.

"What do you know? That's a Core Formation cultivator!"

Luo Yu ignored them.

He just looked at Lin Zhao and murmured, "He won't lose."

---

In the sky, Lin Zhao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He looked at the Purple Profound Cauldron slowly pressing down above his head, at the collapsing phantoms of the Five Sacred Mountains, and at the four wailing spirit bodies.

Then, he took a deep breath.

Raise your hand.

Deep within his dantian, the Nine Luminaries Thunder Pool trembled violently!

A beam of purple-white light shot out from his body and soared into the sky!

That was a forbidden zone.

The pool was not large, only about ten feet in diameter, but the surging lightning liquid inside exuded a terrifying pressure.

Third-tier magic weapon.

Nine Luminaries Thunder Pool.

Lin Zhao pushed with both hands, and the Thunder Pool transformed into a stream of light, merging into the market's array!

boom!!!

The formation suddenly trembled!

Immediately afterwards, incredibly violent lightning surged out from all parts of the formation!

The lightning surged into the bodies of the four spirits—lightning patterns appeared on the Azure Dragon's body, electric arcs wrapped around the White Tiger's claws, lightning and fire ignited on the Vermilion Bird's wings, and electric snakes roamed on the Black Tortoise's shell!

The four spirits roared in unison!

not only that.

The Nine Luminaries Thunder Pool also benefits from the power of the formation.

The lightning continued to surge, and three enormous figures materialized outside the Four Spirits—

A silver sword dragon forty feet long, every scale of which was formed from sword energy!

The Yinglong, with its four-colored wings, was surrounded by surging earth, water, fire, and wind!

A giant dragon made entirely of lightning, it is none other than the Nine Luminaries Heavenly Dragon!

Seven spiritual bodies!

Seven enormous creatures!

The seven spirits cried out in unison, their voices shaking the heavens!

Then, the seven spirits exerted their power simultaneously—

Rumble!!!

The Purple Mystic Cauldron Residence was forcibly pushed back!

The Zheng family patriarch caught the Purple Profound Cauldron that was pushed out and looked down at Lin Zhao below.

His eyes changed.

For the first time, he carefully examined this young man in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

"The Cloud Sea Azure Sea Sect..." he murmured, "To use Foundation Establishment cultivation to fight against a Core Formation True Person, a truly peerless genius."

---

The market was deathly silent.

Then--

"It's blocked?!"

"It's blocked!!!"

"Master Lin pushed the magic weapon of a Core Formation cultivator back!!!"

Countless cultivators erupted in thunderous cheers!

Some wept with joy, some clapped their hands and cried bitterly, and some knelt down and kowtowed in the direction of Lin Zhao.