Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

The battle between the Church of All Spirits and the ancient city escalated rapidly. Hundreds of thousands of people were drawn in within a short period, gathering forces to attack major cities. The demonic calamity spread outwards like a plague.

The Hundred Arts Immortal Alliance then started doing business, because business is easiest in chaotic times.

They even developed a tacit understanding with the Wanling Cult, cooperating with each other and becoming a bridge between the ancient city and the Wanling Cult. They sold talismans to the ancient city on one hand and information to the Wanling Cult on the other, profiting from both sides.

As for the others, they each have their own methods.

The Luo Tian Secret Realm seems to have ushered in an unprecedented golden age, with a surge of talented individuals. It could also be a catastrophe leading to its destruction.

It depends on which perspective you're looking at it from.

These things have nothing to do with Lin Zhao for the time being.

He's almost at Xuanze City.

Legend has it that there is a sacred lake outside Xuanze City. The lake is ten miles wide, and in the center of the lake is a small island several miles in circumference, with various stone statues on the island.

Destroying the stone statues grants the power of a cultivator, or secret treasures, cultivation techniques, or valuable items. Over tens of thousands of years, all the stone statues on the island have been destroyed, and their contents have been taken away.

Most importantly, in the center of the island stands a towering stone pillar. It is hundreds of feet thick and thousands of feet tall, entirely grayish-white, and its interior is covered with densely packed runes.

An ordinary martial artist can only break one foot of the stone pillar with a full-force attack, while a grandmaster can break ten feet. The stone pillar will recover the moment it is broken. Legend has it that whoever can completely break this stone pillar will obtain an unparalleled treasure.

For tens of thousands of years, no one has ever done it.

A few days later, Lin Zhao arrived in Xuanze City.

Xuanze City is more than ten times larger than the previous Black Rock City.

The city wall was ten zhang high, built of dark blue-black stone blocks and filled with a dark silver material, the same as the pattern material on the talisman. People and carriages flowed constantly at the city gate.

The city was even more bustling. The main street was wide enough for ten carriages to walk side by side, and it was lined with shops on both sides with gilded signs. There were especially many martial arts schools, with one on almost every street.

Martial arts flourish in Xuanze City, with a population of over one million. Competition among martial arts schools is fierce, and there are public martial arts competitions every month.

Lin Zhao spent two days wandering around the city and figured out the rules of the sacred lake.

The sacred lake is not a place one can enter at will. The lake appears calm, but as soon as someone steps into the area, countless powerful whirlpools of condensed elemental energy will surge from the bottom, dragging the person down.

Countless martial arts masters and grandmasters have drowned in the lake over the past tens of thousands of years.

To get to the island, you need a special token.

The tokens are held by hundreds of martial arts schools in the city, ranging from one to a dozen or so. Including some major powers, the total number exceeds five hundred. The method of obtaining them is not complicated—fight, go to the arena, and win until no one dares to challenge you anymore.

Lin Zhao spent another three days investigating the martial arts schools. In the end, he chose Tianfeng Martial Arts School.

This team is relatively weak, but they have three tokens. They mainly compete in weapons, and swords are considered weapons as well.

The arena of Tianfeng Martial Arts School is located in the west of the city. It is a 30-zhang square bluestone field with a smooth, mirror-like surface. Four bronze pillars stand around the field, engraved with various runes to prevent the aftershocks of the competition from spreading outside the field.

The tournament lasted for three days.

Lin Zhao did not use the Talismanic Dragon Sword. He used sword intent, which was only average in front of Qin Tianjun, but sufficient for these martial artists.

Lin Zhao fought more than ten matches. In the last match, Tianfeng Martial Arts School sent the school master's personal disciple, the so-called senior sister, a woman in her thirties with short hair, sharp eyes, and a narrow knife hanging at her waist.

But Lin Zhao still easily defeated her opponent.

After this match, the headmaster of Tianfeng Martial Arts School came out.

She made a condition: the token could be given to Lin Zhao, but he had to be nominally affiliated with Tianfeng Martial Arts School, without having to teach disciples or manage affairs; he would just be a figurehead.

Lin Zhao understood instantly.

The rule of competing in the arena to obtain tokens has been in operation for thousands of years and has long formed a special system.

The number of tokens is related to the distribution of industrial resources and status of the martial arts school in the city. If Lin Zhao, an outsider, wins and takes away the token, it means that Tianfeng Martial Arts School will lose a lot of resources.

However, if he is a member of Tianfeng Martial Arts School, the token will still be under the name of Tianfeng Martial Arts School, which is just a formality.

Lin Zhao thought about it and agreed.

Anyway, he'll be leaving in a year. Their schemes have little to do with Lin Zhao. Since she's new here, it's best to keep a low profile and resolve things peacefully.

The token is in hand.

It's gray, about the size of a palm, and its material looks like jade but isn't. A complex rune is engraved on its surface.

Lin Zhao held the token and walked out of Tianfeng Martial Arts School.

The senior sister from the martial arts school also came up and said she would arrange a boat to take him to the island, and asked Lin Zhao to wait by the lake first.

Lin Zhao was a little surprised—joining the martial arts school had this benefit.

It seems his previous choice was correct, or rather, the system is more mature than he thought. There are precedents for this.

With the help of the token, Lin Zhao passed through several checkpoints and successfully arrived at the lake. The lake water was crystal clear, and the stones, aquatic plants, and swimming fish at the bottom were clearly visible.

The lake is ten miles wide, and the island in the center of the lake has a clear outline.

A row of people sat on the shore; they weren't martial arts students—they were fishermen.

There was one every so often. Some sat on small stools, some squatted on stones, and some lay on the grass with their legs crossed.

It seems even the sacred lake can't stop the fishermen.

Lin Zhao found an old man fishing and asked him how to get to the island.

The old man had gray hair, his trousers rolled up to his knees, and he stood barefoot on the stones by the water.

The fishing rod was made of bamboo. He stared at the water and began to talk.

"You're from out of town, aren't you? Fishing wasn't allowed in this sacred lake at first. Later, the number of stone statues on the island decreased, and the people in charge became more lenient."

Plus, some of the anglers were powerful figures who couldn't be controlled, so they eventually gave up. Now, it's become a well-known fishing paradise.

Lin Zhao fell silent for a moment.

So that's what the "sacred" in Sacred Lake means.

"There's something strange about this lake," the old man continued, a hint of smugness in his voice. "Outsiders can't interfere with the fish in the water using any special means. Talismans, elemental power, martial arts essence—none of them work."

"It's all about a fishing rod, fair and just, which is why even cultivators love to come here. Here, they're no different from ordinary people."

Lin Zhao didn't say much.

Then Lin Zhao asked how to get to the island, and he somehow veered off to fishing again, talking about the types of fish, the best fishing spots, bait recipes, and how someone caught a four-foot-long silver carp one year.

After listening for a while, Lin Zhao finally steered the conversation back to the main point—a special boat was needed to get to the island. Even if outsiders had a token, they still had to meet various conditions.

The old man was somewhat disappointed that Lin Zhao hadn't heard the whole story of the four-foot-long silver carp.

However, I still recommend the island tour packages, such as "Standard Boat", "Deluxe Boat", and "Exclusive Direct Tour", with varying prices.

Lin Zhao waved his hand. He wasn't from the secret realm, so he didn't have any money. He was penniless.

Just then, the senior sister arrived. The martial arts school had already arranged a boat. Lin Zhao's eyes lit up. He said goodbye to the old man and turned to leave.

The old man watched him walk away and muttered, "Another outsider. These are turbulent times."