Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

After Yan Chiheng left, Xuan Guangzi returned to the side hall and sat down opposite Chongguang Zhenren.

"Why was Father so decisive?" he said. "I'm not against reconciliation, but at least we could have some leverage over the other side."

Master Chongguang picked up the herbal tea and took a sip without even frowning.

"First," he put down his teacup, "there's no need. Lin Zhao isn't stupid, and neither am I. We've been secretly competing for so long, and neither of us can do anything to the other. Rather than dragging it out, we might as well take this opportunity to turn the page."

Xuan Guangzi nodded.

"Secondly," Master Chongguang stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the reddening sky in the west, "Although the Heavenly Fire Dynasty was destroyed, most of its cultivation resources are still there."

Moreover, fire-attribute spiritual objects accumulated over thousands of years were brought to the surface along with the volcanic eruption; I estimate there are at least a dozen third-tier spiritual objects among them.

Xuan Guangzi's breath hitched. He possessed more than ten third-tier spiritual items. He was also at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage and had recently been preparing to form his core.

After establishing Chongguang Pavilion, he had a lot of Core Formation resources at his disposal. If he could acquire a few more Tier 3 spiritual items, they would be extremely useful, whether for Core Formation or for trading other Tier 3 resources in the future.

"I understand." He stood up, his tone somewhat urgent. "We'll go in under the guise of rescue, saving people while scavenging resources. Those spiritual items are scattered around the crater; whoever gets there first gets them—"

"sit down."

Master Chongguang's voice wasn't loud, but Xuanguangzi immediately shut his mouth and obediently sat back down.

"For now, we can only rescue people and gather intelligence; we are not allowed to take action."

Master Chongguang turned around and looked at his son. "We are one of the few Core Formation forces closest to the Heavenly Fire Dynasty. We are too sensitive."

The simultaneous death of tens of millions of ordinary people is an enormous event. Think about it: why would a volcano that has been dormant for five thousand years erupt at the same time?

Xuan Guangzi was stunned for a moment.

"You mean...man-made disaster?"

"Hundreds of volcanoes erupting simultaneously, covering an area of ​​thousands of miles, do you think an ordinary cultivator could do that?" Master Chongguang's voice was very low. "Behind this, there must be at least a Nascent Soul level arrangement."

He walked up to the map and tapped on it with his finger.

"The only ones capable of doing this in the Tongming Domain are either the Tongming True Monarch lineage or the Taixu lineage. Whoever it is, the first one to rush in and grab the stuff will become the scapegoat. If you get caught up in the battle between Nascent Soul True Monarchs, even if you've formed your core, you're doomed."

Xuan Guangzi felt a chill run down his spine.

"Then we..."

"Wait," said Master Chongguang. "Wait until the mortals are settled, until all the forces have entered, until the situation is completely chaotic, then we can take action. No one will be able to find fault with us."

He glanced at the reddening sky outside the window: "This matter cannot be rushed."

Xuan Guangzi took a deep breath and nodded: "I understand. I will go and arrange manpower to do everything we can to rescue people and gather intelligence. We will not take action for the time being."

Master Chongguang hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

It's almost dawn.

The next morning, before dawn, Lin Zhao was already standing at the gate of the garrison.

Yan Chiheng didn't return until almost dawn. He brought with him the reply from Master Chongguang—that both sides had reached a reconciliation and would do everything in their power to save lives.

Lin Zhao nodded without asking any further questions.

He simply turned around and looked in the direction of the market.

One flying boat after another took off, forming a long dragon in the air. The cultivators' spiritual light flashed, carrying countless supplies like a river flowing from the ground into the sky.

The Azure Scale led the way, followed by Yan Chiheng's spirit boat, Yan Lie's, He An's, and the second-tier flying boats of the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Behind them were the first-tier airships that had been conscripted—more than a hundred airships, each capable of carrying tens of thousands of people at a time.

The first batch of cultivators consisted of three thousand people, all of whom were at least at the late stage of Qi Refining and had the ability to fly or control flying magical artifacts.

Including the three thousand people with low cultivation levels who lacked the ability to fly and were transporting supplies on the ground, the number of cultivators mobilized by the market this time exceeded six thousand, including dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators, as well as the previously recruited Tribulation cultivators. This was all the strength that Cangyun Mountain could muster.

Lin You and Ye Xiaoxiao changed into defensive robes and waited inside the town's mansion.

"Uncle," Lin You said, "we want to go too."

Lin Zhao glanced at them but did not refuse.

"Stay close," he said.

Su Qianxue stood to the side without saying anything, but when Lin Zhao looked over, she nodded.

He turned and boarded the spirit boat.

"Set off."

The fleet took off, its rays piercing the dawn, flying towards the red sky to the west.

As they crossed Dingfeng Plain, their speed slowed down. The environment there made flying difficult and consumed a great deal of spiritual energy.

But the flying boat fleet managed to get through by relying on spirit stones.

Lin Zhao didn't care about the spirit stones; now was not the time to worry about such things. He stood at the bow of the ship, looking down at Dingfeng Plain.

This place is unusually quiet now. The previously active Tribulation Cultivators have disappeared. Those "Tribulation Cultivators" aren't stupid.

Anyone who dares to intercept and kill the cultivators who are coming to their rescue at a time like this is an enemy of the people. They have long since dispersed; some have returned to the dynasty, while others have disappeared without a trace.

After flying over Dingfeng Plain, the border of the Tianhuo Dynasty came into view, and cultivators from other forces began to appear along the way.

Cultivators from the Zixuan Dynasty, the Nanli Dynasty, and even more distant places flew along the road in twos and threes.

Some people's spirit boats were even larger than Lin Zhao's, loaded with supplies, and traveled through the clouds.

Last night, a few cultivators entered the Heavenly Fire Dynasty and reportedly rescued a group of mortals.

Lin Zhao and his group were among the first large-scale teams. The closer they got to the Heavenly Fire Dynasty, the more restless their spiritual energy became.

Lin Zhao had the spirit boat land in the border area between Dingfeng Plain and the Tianhuo Dynasty.

Half of the monks and most of the supplies were left behind.

Old He led them to set up a temporary camp here, and at the same time set up a purification array. The rescued mortals needed a place to settle down, food and water, and someone to treat the injuries caused by the fire attribute spiritual power.

The remaining thousand or so cultivators, piloting hundreds of first-tier flying boats, continued deeper into the Heavenly Fire Dynasty. The further they went, the more restless the spiritual energy became.

Ordinary people began to appear on the ground, in twos and threes, with their families, walking eastward along the dry riverbed. Their clothes were covered with ash, and their faces were so smeared with soot that they could not be recognized.

Some were carrying children, some were carrying elderly people on their backs; they walked very slowly, but no one stopped.

Lin Zhao ordered the fleet to land and sent some of the flying boats to pick them up.

"Send the elderly and children back to camp first," he told the monk in charge. "Pack as much as you can, and leave the water and supplies if you can't fit them all. Tell them that someone else will come to pick them up later."

The cultivator nodded and flew away with several flying boats.

Lin Zhao stood on the Qinglin, watching the mortals being picked up and boarded the flying boat.

As an old woman was being helped up, she suddenly knelt down and kowtowed in the direction of the hearse.

The monk next to her quickly pulled her up and said a few words to her.

The old woman was helped into the cabin, but she kept looking back.

Lin Zhao withdrew her gaze.

"Keep going."