Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Lin Zhao's face darkened when he saw the Zheng family patriarch leave directly.

"Shameless."

He muttered a curse under his breath.

A dignified Core Formation cultivator is actually engaging in a war of attrition with him?

The recovery ability of a Core Formation cultivator is not even in the same league as that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

What enabled him to contend with the Zheng family patriarch?

It is the second-tier spiritual vein of the market, the market's formation, and the third-tier magic treasure, the Nine Luminaries Thunder Pool—but these things are burning spirit stones every moment.

"My...my spirit stone."

Lin Zhao glanced at the Thunder Pool; most of the spiritual liquid in the pool had already been absorbed.

If this drags on, he'll go bankrupt before the formation is even broken.

He sighed.

It seems the process of forming the Golden Core is unavoidable.

Lin Zhao flipped his hand and took out a jade talisman.

The jade talisman was about the size of a palm, entirely blue, and radiated an inner spiritual light. A miniature blade could be faintly seen moving across its surface.

The blade was emerald green, with a long, feather-like blade and a back carved with golden wing patterns, exuding a chillingly sharp aura.

A life-saving item bestowed by the Immortal Qianqiu.

Luo Yu Dao (a type of sword).

It can unleash three attacks from a Core Formation cultivator.

Lin Zhao did not hesitate.

Spiritual energy surged in.

The jade talisman suddenly burst forth with a dazzling blue light, and a hundred-foot-long blade of light shot into the sky!

The blade light was solid and lifelike, truly the phantom of the Luo Yu Blade—a jade-green blade with a menacing feather-like edge and golden wing patterns that shone brightly in the sunlight.

With a thought, Lin Zhao unleashed a deafening slash of her blade!

The target is none other than the Zheng family patriarch!

A distance of more than ten miles, covered in an instant!

The moment the blade slashed into the Purple Extreme Heavenly Fire Domain, the thirty-mile-long domain was cleaved in two as if it were made of paper!

The Zheng family patriarch's expression changed drastically, and he instantly summoned the Xuan Turtle Shield, holding it in front of him—

boom!!!

The blade struck the shield fiercely!

The Xuan Turtle Shield trembled violently, and the dark blue vortex on its surface spun wildly, but it was no match for the power of the Luo Yu Blade.

The shield was cleaved away, and the tortoise shell was covered with fine cracks.

The blade's momentum remained undiminished as it slashed straight down!

The Zheng family patriarch retreated rapidly, hastily holding the Purple Profound Cauldron in front of him.

"clang--!"

The blade flashed and slashed at the cauldron, but even the Purple Profound Cauldron could not withstand it and was slammed into his chest by the immense force.

"puff--"

He coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward like a cannonball, tumbling through the air for over ten miles before finally managing to regain his footing.

Behind him, at the gap in the cleaved domain, sunlight poured down, illuminating the sky above the market.

Golden light shone down, dispelling all the gloom.

The market was bathed in golden sunlight, as if it were coated with a halo.

Lin Zhao put away the jade talisman and gently exhaled.

With a single strike, he cleaved open a thirty-mile-long domain, shattered a third-tier magic weapon, and sent a Core Formation cultivator flying ten miles away.

This power is terrifying and astonishing.

---

The patriarch of the Zheng family steadied himself more than ten miles away, looked down at his chest, where the wound was raw and bloody, and his robes were soaked with blood.

If the Purple Profound Cauldron hadn't blocked it at the last moment, this strike would have been enough to cleave him in two.

He looked up at the market, and fear appeared in his eyes for the first time.

That slash was extremely lethal.

He dared not approach the market again.

Then he saw something even more horrifying.

Three figures slowly rose into the sky above the market.

Yan Chiheng, Xu Chuan, Fang Yue.

The three of them raised their hands at the same time, and three streams of Core Formation aura shot into the sky!

Above Yan Chiheng's head, a phantom image of a thunder axe appeared.

The Thunder Axe was entirely purple-gold, with lightning snakes coiled around its body, radiating an aura of world-destroying power—it was a life-saving item bestowed upon him by his master, the Lone Peak Immortal.

A golden seal slowly rotated in front of Xu Chuan.

The golden seal was only the size of a palm, but the pressure it emitted was as heavy as a mountain—it was left behind by a Core Formation cultivator from the Xu family.

Behind Fang Yue, a phantom image of a silver-white longsword hovered in the air.

The sword shadow was illusory and uncertain, as if it would disappear at any moment, but the spatial fluctuations flowing on the sword made the Zheng family patriarch's scalp tingle - spatial power!

The auras of the three, coupled with the Luo Yu sword and jade talisman that lit up again in Lin Zhao's hand—

The illusory auras of four Core Formation techniques hovered above the market.

Four illusory figures, each radiating a different terrifying pressure, enveloped the entire Cangyun Mountain.

These four young people are truly the pride of their sect.

The Zheng family patriarch opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't say anything.

What's more terrifying than provoking a genius?

It's about provoking a group of geniuses.

What's even more frightening is that behind these geniuses stands a group of even more powerful elders.

He suddenly realized that he hadn't checked the Chinese calendar before going out today.

The Zheng family patriarch was too lazy to say anything more. He turned around and transformed into a streak of light, running away without looking back.

Run as fast as you can.

It disappeared into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

---

The market was deathly silent.

Then--

"We won!!!"

"The Zheng family patriarch has escaped!!!"

"The garrison has won!!!"

The cheers were deafening!

Countless cultivators embraced each other, laughing and crying! Some jumped up and down in excitement, while others knelt down and kowtowed to Lin Zhao!

"A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator scaring away a Core Formation cultivator—that's something out of a legend!"

"I saw it with my own eyes! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Master Lin! Master Lin! Master Lin!"

The cheers grew louder and louder.

Lin Zhao stood in the air and gently exhaled.

He withdrew the illusory image of the jade talisman and nodded to the crowd below.

Then he looked in the direction where the Zheng family patriarch had disappeared, his eyes calm.

Won?

I guess so.

But he knew in his heart that the reason he could win this battle was because of the formation, the third-tier magic weapon, the jade talisman bestowed by his master, and the Core Formation method brought by Xu Chuan and the others.

The real difference between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation is still frighteningly large.

With the help of the formation, he can indeed contend with those who have reached the Core Formation stage.

But resisting and winning are two different things.

Winning and killing are two completely different things.

The four of them working together might be able to defeat the Zheng family patriarch—but they might not be able to kill him.

And even if we could kill them, it wouldn't be worth it.

The Core Formation techniques possessed by the four of them were each worth as much as a third-tier spiritual item.

For Lin Zhao's resources, so many Core Formation techniques were wasted?

Xu Chuan and the others are willing, but he isn't.

The best outcome is that the Zheng family patriarch has retreated.

As for the Blood Phoenix Bow and the Tier 3 Spiritual Items...

Lin Zhao's lips curved slightly.

That old man wants to go back? Dream on.

Besides, although the Zixuan Dynasty lost a magic weapon and a spiritual object, it was far from being completely ruined.

How many resources did the royal family gain from that previous deadly scheme?

The legacy of over three hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, the savings of dozens of Foundation Establishment families—that's enough to nurture the remaining four candidates.

Lin Zhao didn't believe that all the good things were in the hands of Princess Blood Phoenix alone.

He withdrew his gaze and returned it to the garrison headquarters.

Yan Chiheng, Xu Chuan, and Fang Yue also flew up.

The four of them exchanged glances but remained silent.

That's the tacit understanding that comes from fighting side by side.

Lin Zhao simply looked up at the distant sky.

The sunlight shone brightly on him, warm and comforting.