Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

In the post-war Cangyun Mountain market, countless cultivators busied themselves among the ruins.

The sounds of jingling and clanging rose and fell, mixed with various shouts and discussions.

A small portion of the buildings in the market area collapsed.

In the previous battle, Lin Zhao used the market's formation to directly confront a Core Formation cultivator. Although he blocked the attacks, the aftershocks of the shockwaves still collapsed many houses.

Fortunately, the battle did not last long, and since everyone in the market was a cultivator, there were few wounded and even fewer dead.

The building was also repaired quickly.

Cultivators work more than ten times faster than mortals.

The real problem lies with the formation.

The market formation was severely damaged in the battle against the Core Formation cultivator, with only 70% of it still functioning.

Several key parts of those formations have developed cracks, requiring the runes to be re-engraved.

Old He was squatting on the ground with a group of array masters, working up a sweat.

"Here, hand over the materials!"

"That runic slab is cracked, replace it with a new one!"

"Be careful, don't touch the spirit runes next to you!"

Tens of thousands of cultivators worked while discussing amongst themselves.

"Did you hear? Master Lin chased away the Zheng family patriarch!"

"What do you mean 'fought away'? That was 'scared away'! Didn't you see those four afterimages at the end? The Zheng family patriarch's face turned green, and he turned and ran!"

"Tsk tsk, a Foundation Establishment cultivator scaring away a Core Formation cultivator—that's something only seen in legends!"

"Our Cangyun Mountain is truly famous now."

"What's the use of being famous? The house is already half-collapsed."

"What do you know? A house can be rebuilt if it collapses. What does it mean to have a guardian who can face off against a Core Formation cultivator head-on? Who will dare to mess with us in the future?"

Upon hearing this, everyone around fell silent.

Yes.

How many Foundation Establishment cultivators who can directly confront a Core Formation cultivator can be found, let alone the Zi Xuan Dynasty?

The future of Fangshi is different.

---

In the crowd, a boy was carrying a stone that was bigger than his body and striding forward.

Luo Yu.

He placed the stone in the designated spot, straightened up, wiped his sweat, and looked up in the direction of the garrison headquarters.

He recalled the battle a few days ago, when Lin Zhao stood in the sky and single-handedly confronted the Core Formation Ancestor who had ruled the dynasty for hundreds of years.

The Dharma Domain was fully unleashed, the Seven Spirits resounded in unison, the Five Emperors' Seals shattered the Molten Star Hand, and the Nine Luminaries Thunder Claws tore through the heavens—

What a magnificent sight that was!

Luo Yu clenched his fist.

He wanted to become a disciple of Lin Zhao.

for sure.

He'll go back and double the amount of Fire Sun Bird's essence blood. Although the essence blood of a first-tier demon beast is violent, he can withstand it.

He needs to cultivate to the point of perfect Qi Refining as soon as possible, and then—only then will he be qualified to stand in front of that person after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

The boy turned around, picked up another stone, and strode forward.

---

These matters are naturally the responsibility of Elder He.

The market has accumulated a substantial fortune over the years, with plenty of spirit stones and materials.

Repairing houses and fixing formations are not problems.

Old He and his group were so busy they barely had time to breathe, but they had smiles on their faces. This old man had been in Cangyun Mountain for over a hundred years, and this was the first time he had ever felt so triumphant.

Lin Zhao doesn't need to worry about these things for now.

He was in the training room of the garrison headquarters, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.

He truly gave it his all in this battle.

We've used every means possible.

In his dantian, his spiritual energy was completely empty, and his meridians ached slightly, a result of the damage caused by the overload of spiritual energy.

His consciousness was also somewhat fatigued; maintaining the domain and formation for so long had taken a heavy toll on his divine sense.

The Nine Luminaries Thunder Pool hung in front of him, with only a thin layer of spiritual liquid remaining in the pool.

Lin Zhao circulated his cultivation technique, slowly absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy.

But he wasn't in a hurry.

Now that the Zheng family patriarch has retired, he will not easily return.

According to Lin Zhao's observation, the patriarch of the Zheng family...

He is the kind of person who plans things out before acting, not an impulsive brute.

Don't be fooled by his ruthless and decisive actions when he killed three hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators in the capital; that was on his own territory, and he was absolutely certain of victory.

The attack on Cangyun Mountain this time was purely because Lin Zhao intercepted and killed Princess Xuehuang, which hurt him badly.

A third-tier magic weapon, core-forming resources, and the Blood Phoenix Princess, one of his successors whom he had been cultivating for over a hundred years.

Anyone would get angry in that situation.

But now that Lin Zhao has driven him back, he will calm down instead.

This is, after all, the official headquarters of the Yunhai Cangming Sect. It has formations comparable to the third rank, geniuses like Lin Zhao who possess magical treasures, and three fellow disciples who have the means to form their core.

If they continue fighting, can he win? Even if he does, is it worth it?

The Zheng family patriarch was no fool.

Next, he will probably choose to let the matter rest.

Lin Zhao, however, did not intend to make a big fuss.

It's very simple—

In the years he's been at Cangyun Mountain, the things he's done haven't actually been very honorable.

He secured this position because of his connections within the sect.

Later, they seized Dingfeng Plain, claiming to have wiped out the Tribulation Cultivators, while secretly controlling more than thirty Foundation Establishment Tribulation Cultivators.

Although he had his reasons, regardless of the circumstances, those cultivators were under his control.

He benefited from these calamities, so naturally he must also bear some of their past sins.

And the resources accumulated over the years in the market area.

He used 70% of the rare stock and profits from the market as cultivation resources for himself and Yan Chiheng.

Although theoretically, the remaining profits from the market were several times greater than before, the portion he took was actually what he earned back.

The sect's accounts were completed, and the rare resources that had been used were later replenished. However, some things could not withstand close scrutiny.

For example, he once used his special authority as a garrison commander to issue several missions to wipe out nearby bandits, with a reward of tens of thousands of sect contribution points.

As for who the two sect disciples who accepted the mission in the market were...

The weather is so nice today.

So don't treat sects like fools.

The sect was fully aware of his petty tricks.

There are some things that the sect tacitly approves of—as long as you can protect your territory and hand over the sect's profits normally, the sect will turn a blind eye.

But as the garrison commander of the sect's headquarters, you must also shoulder the responsibilities that come with it.

Lin Zhao took the initiative to seize Princess Blood Phoenix's third-tier magic weapon and third-tier spiritual resources, which provoked a Core Formation True Person to attack the sect's headquarters.

Now Lin Zhao has repelled the Core Formation Realm cultivator, preserved the Cangyun Mountain Market, and protected the Spirit Stone Mine.

That responsibility is now in the past.

If he fails to defend it, the market will fall, the mines will be destroyed, and the remaining sect disciples will be killed.

While the Zheng family patriarch could not escape the sect's punishment, Lin Zhao himself would not escape accountability either.

But he doesn't regret it.

This is a tally.

Lin Zhao had calculated it very clearly.

The Zi Xuan Dynasty has so many resources, if he doesn't compete for them, how can he cultivate so quickly?

In the world of cultivation, the capable rise and the weak fall.

It's Lin Zhao's skill that he was able to snatch it.

Moreover, Princess Blood Phoenix isn't exactly a good person either.

How did she get that third-tier magic weapon, the Blood Phoenix Bow? She stole it. In order to use it successfully, she has sacrificed countless people over the years.

The wronged souls of those people are still wailing inside the bow.

Lin Zhao took her things without a second thought.

As for the dynasty's thoughts—

Lin Zhao's lips curved into a smile.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he doesn't seem to have any conflict with the Zixuan Dynasty right now; that's because he hasn't been in Cangyun Mountain for very long.

As time went on, business in the market improved, and the dynasty's suppression was inevitable sooner or later.