Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Some of these people were indeed from the Heavenly Fire Dynasty and still cared about these mortals, but that wasn't the real reason they fought so desperately.

Those cultivators weren't stupid. When Lin Zhao recruited them, he didn't intend to keep them for long. He had sent ten Foundation Establishment cultivators to the Zi Xuan Dynasty to gather intelligence, and when they died, Lin Zhao didn't say a word.

Yan Chiheng still has twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators and over a thousand Qi Refining cultivators under his command. These people are well aware that their lives are worthless in Lin Zhao's hands.

But this time is different. This time it's a natural disaster, but also a matter of great righteousness—if we can make a contribution in this disaster, we might be able to save our lives.

This was their only chance, which is why those cultivators fought desperately forward, not out of loyalty or faith, but simply because they saw a possibility of survival.

Even Yan Chiheng, who was known for being the most ruthless and merciless towards those who had robbed cultivators, privately approached Lin Zhao and asked, "...Could we leave some behind?"

Lin Zhao remained silent for a long time.

"That's enough." He finally spoke. "Their lives are spared, but they can be spared the death penalty, though they cannot escape punishment. From now on, they will spend their lives atoning for their sins, making amends for their transgressions."

Old He didn't say much, but bowed deeply and withdrew.

After Mr. He left, Lin Zhao sat in the study for a long time.

He's no longer a child. The soft-heartedness and naivety he had as a teenager have long been worn away by the decades of cruel cultivation life.

Over the years, his methods have become increasingly ruthless, making him more and more like a true cultivator in this world. This is what the cultivation world has taught him—the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest.

But his heart was not cold after all. The things from his past life, the books he had read, the principles he had heard, were like branded marks on his bones, and could not be erased no matter what.

So in Dingfeng Plain, he chose to save people, and this time when he went to Tianhuo Dynasty, he didn't think about whether it was worth it.

Some things have no logic to them; they are simply what we feel in our hearts.

-----

After resting in the market for a while, Lin Zhao began to ponder his cultivation level. His realm hadn't changed much; he was still in the late Foundation Establishment stage. However, he discovered that the growth rate of his divine sense had increased significantly.

He pondered for a long time and felt that it was probably because of saving people. Cultivation and mind cultivation are not empty words. The things he did in the Heavenly Fire Dynasty were in accordance with his true heart. Divine consciousness comes from the heart. When the heart is strong, divine consciousness will naturally grow.

Lin Zhao sat in the quiet room, eyes closed, sensing the changes in his divine sense.

It just so happens that he spent two hundred high-grade spirit stones at the auction to buy a second-tier top-grade soul-refining pill, which he hasn't used yet. He previously estimated that it would take at least three or four years for his divine sense to break through.

But now—

Two years.

He opened his eyes, his gaze calm.

Within two years, one's divine sense can be pushed to the Core Formation level, and after the breakthrough, the range of one's Dharma Domain can be expanded from ten miles to fifteen miles, or even twenty miles.

When combined with offensive magic weapons such as the Golden Phoenix Bow and the Mysterious Yin Ghost Hand, even in the wild, one can fight head-on against a Core Formation True Person and even defeat them.

As for the matter in the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm—

Lin Zhao shook her head.

He doesn't plan to get involved for the time being.

He has already collected all the spiritual items needed to reach the Core Formation stage, so going to plunder those other spiritual items would be more of an added bonus for him now.

Moreover, the eruption of the volcanoes in the Heavenly Fire Dynasty was too strange. Thousands of years-old dormant volcanoes suddenly erupted, and hundreds of them moved at the same time. It didn't look like a natural disaster at all.

In the past six months, there have been quite a few Core Formation cultivators who have entered the core of the volcano.

At least a dozen Core Formation cultivators came; some made a brief appearance and then left, while others quietly ventured deep into the volcano's underground core.

Then it stopped appearing.

Including the guardian cultivator from the Heavenly Fire Dynasty, and the Core Formation cultivators who mysteriously perished inside, there are now five.

Core Formation Realm cultivators are not commonplace; each one is an ancient monster who has lived for hundreds of years.

If you can't win a fight, you can run away. If you can't escape, even if you're on your deathbed, you'll still make a big fuss. But those people just disappear without a trace.

Lin Zhao had previously suspected the strongest force in the vicinity, Xuan Chen Valley, which had six Core Formation Real Persons and was very powerful.

However, they probably don't have the ability to silently devour five Core Formation cultivators.

The story behind this incident is shrouded in mystery.

Lin Zhao decided to go into seclusion first, and wait until his divine sense broke through and his strength reached the next level before making any further moves.

Old He is good at handling market affairs, so he will naturally be called when needed.

After Lin Zhao went into seclusion, several of the younger generation of Cangyun Mountain became more active.

Ye Xiaoxiao, Lin You, Luo Yu, and He An, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, got together and started making arrangements for an adventure to the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm.

"Our cultivation is all stuck at the tenth level of Qi Refining, and we can't break through the Divine Barrier anytime soon," Lin You said logically. "Instead of waiting idly in the market, why don't we try our luck in the secret realm? Maybe we'll find some fortuitous opportunity that can help us break through."

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded in agreement.

Luo Yu stood to the side, not saying much.

He felt sympathy for the people of the Heavenly Fire Dynasty; their plight reminded him of his own past. Dingfeng Plain also held special significance for him, as his parents were buried there.

He An was the oldest among them, and Old Master He had him follow along as a caregiver.

He looked at the three eager young men and sighed, "You can go, but you have to listen to me. If I say we're leaving, we have to leave."

The three of them nodded in unison.

They packed their things, replenished their elixirs and talismans at the market, and asked Elder He for the latest map of the secret realm.

On the day of their departure, the four of them looked at the garrison headquarters. Lin Zhao made no move, which meant he had tacitly agreed.

"Let's go," Lin You said, and the four of them flew westward toward the Heavenly Fire Dynasty.

As for Yan Chiheng, he has never returned. He started as a rogue cultivator in his early years and is now a prodigy of the sect. His strength is comparable to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and he also possesses the Core Formation technique. Few Foundation Establishment cultivators in the vicinity can defeat him, and almost none can kill him.

Even a Core Formation cultivator would have to think twice before taking action against him, as he has been wandering deep within the secret realm for several months and is said to have gained quite a bit.

Needless to say, Su Qianxue, and Lin Zhao, her adopted senior sister, are also thriving thanks to her innate magical talent.

She set up an intelligence exchange center in a border camp, and all the information about dozens of camps and more than 100,000 cultivators was in her hands, specializing in selling information about secret realms.

The person she chose was of good character and capable, and handled intelligence very well. In treasure hunting and adventure, the most dangerous thing is not monsters, but people.

Who is active in which area, which place has produced valuable items, and which forces are secretly spying on them—this kind of intelligence is more valuable than anything else now.

Su Qianxue made a fortune.

When Lin Zhao occasionally came out of seclusion, he heard Old He talk about these things and couldn't help but shake his head.

This senior sister can find ways to make money wherever she goes. I heard that she recently inquired about the price of second-grade high-quality pills with Yan Lie. It seems she has made a fortune.