Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

These pills, combined with the cultivation-enhancing abilities of the Returning Ruins Furnace and the support of the third-tier superior spiritual vein on Heavenly Star Peak,

In about fifteen years, his cultivation level will reach the peak of the early stage of Core Formation.

As for advancing to the mid-stage of Core Formation, his previous accumulation and the resources provided by the sect have been temporarily exhausted, and he will have to rely on himself for every step from now on.

Set a small goal: reach the peak of the early stage of Core Formation at ninety years old, and break through to the middle stage of Core Formation before one hundred years old.

Inside his cultivation cave, Lin Zhao sat cross-legged on a jade platform. The Heavenly Heart Dharma Wheel slowly turned, and the Returning Void Furnace resonated within his dantian.

The spiritual energy of the third-order spiritual vein surged into the body from the jade platform beneath him, eventually converging into the golden core, where five-colored light slowly circulated.

Outside the cave, a sea of ​​clouds surged.

The Five Sacred Mountains Dharma Body held the sect's token and was checking the list of tasks for Core Formation level cultivators.

High-reward missions within the Yunzhou region flashed through his mind one by one.

The Azure Lotus Dharma Body stood beside him, dressed in a simple azure robe, with several inconspicuous storage bags hanging at her waist, and her teleportation boots already on her feet.

He looked exactly like a rogue cultivator.

He looked towards the direction outside the sect, his gaze seemingly transcending the sect, beyond the Purple Sun Domain, and reaching out to the outer continent.

The Azure Lotus Dharma Body transformed into a pale blue streak of light and flew towards the outside of the sect.

Deep within the cave, Lin Zhao closed his eyes and immersed himself in cultivation.

-----

But after a short while, the azure light returned.

Accompanying them was a figure who moved at a leisurely pace; it was none other than True Lord Qingyuan.

Deep within the cave, Lin Zhao suddenly opened his eyes, his breath caught in his throat, and the spiritual energy in his golden core was momentarily disordered.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the surging magical power, and stood up abruptly.

Just as Lin Zhao finished planning everything, True Lord Qingyuan arrived.

He didn't believe it was a coincidence; he was certain that True Monarch Qingyuan had done it on purpose. He could only shake his head helplessly.

Lin Zhao walked out of the cultivation cave, his main body carrying the Five Sacred Mountains Dharma Body and the Azure Lotus Dharma Body, and received True Lord Qingyuan at the Azure Jade Pavilion outside the cave.

Qingyuan Zhenjun stood with his hands behind his back in the pavilion, looking at the three almost identical faces.

Then he looked at Lin Zhao's face, which had an expression that said, "I knew you were doing this on purpose."

A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes as he sat down on the stone bench, crossing his legs.

Without further ado, he said directly, "The sect has a mission coming up that I think would be perfect for you. Take a look."

He tossed a jade slip over.

Lin Zhao raised his hand to catch it and probed it with his divine sense.

After a long while, Lin Zhao finally removed the jade slip from between his eyebrows.

"The Yan family is about to collapse."

Qingyuan Zhenjun nodded.

The sect is a lineage of four surnames and seven families.

The Yan family is one of the seven families.

The Yan family patriarch has been stuck at the peak of the Core Formation stage for decades. Opportunities to form the Nascent Soul stage are already rare in the Cangyuan Realm. Outside the sect, the birth of every fourth-order spiritual artifact is accompanied by bloodshed and chaos.

More than 20 years ago, a new opportunity for a fourth-order Nascent Soul was born in the desolate area.

Without hesitation, the Yan family patriarch led the Yan family on an expedition.

They gathered dozens of Core Formation and three thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators, along with external affiliated forces cultivated over nearly a thousand years, forming an army of two hundred thousand cultivators.

This expedition has been going on for over twenty years.

The expedition was extremely unsuccessful.

Nearly a third of the dozens of Core Formation cultivators died, including seven Core Formation True Persons from their respective sects.

More than half of the three thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators were also lost.

The patriarch of the Yan family himself was seriously injured in a battle and it is said that it took him three years to recover.

The Yan family was also dragged into a quagmire by this expedition—the family's businesses in the Ziyang Domain outside the sect were mostly devoured by other families because there were not enough cultivators to maintain them.

The Yan family was unwilling to withdraw, as withdrawing would mean losing everything.

Otherwise, the Yan family wouldn't have repeatedly sought help from Qianqiu Peak.

The last remaining relative of Master Qianqiu was her daughter, who married into the Yan family and had several descendants.

The Yan family even extended their reach to the cultivation of Foundation Establishment disciples in the Dao Inquiry Hall of the sect, forcibly interfering in the cultivation process of a generation of Dao Inquiry Hall disciples.

In the end, thousands of Foundation Establishment disciples had no choice but to join the expedition launched by the Yan family.

The sect naturally investigated the matter afterward, but the die was cast.

There are also rumors circulating privately that a Nascent Soul True Monarch is supporting the Yan family patriarch in achieving Nascent Soul status.

He had investigated these matters after he reached the Core Formation stage, using his True Inheritance authority, but the details were not as complete as those on this jade slip.

Lin Zhao placed the jade slip on the table. "According to the information conveyed by this jade slip, the Yan family's expedition is on the verge of collapse."

The Yan family proactively requested the sect's support, agreeing that once the sect intervened, all opportunities for fourth-tier Nascent Soul formation would be allocated to the sect.

Qingyuan Zhenjun did not answer the last question, but said: "The matter of the Yan family back then..."

Firstly, the sect should indeed give the Yan family patriarch a chance to form a Nascent Soul.

Secondly, the Hall of Inquiry has indeed become too complacent in recent years; it's time to learn a lesson.

He paused for a moment and looked at Lin Zhao.

"Now that the Yan family's affairs have come to an end, the task just happened to fall into my hands, so I accepted it without hesitation."

He said the word "casually" in a flat tone.

"It's definitely not about retaliating against the Yan family for interfering in the affairs of my Dao Asking Hall, Lin Zhao, what do you think?"

What could Lin Zhao say?

He could only nod in agreement.

Qingyuan Zhenjun was satisfied with his reaction and continued, "Since the task has fallen into the hands of the Dao Asking Hall, you should make the trip. Aren't you preparing to take on a sect task? It's just a small matter."

The reward for the mission is thirty Cloud Sea Jade Tokens, but I've given you fifty. As for what to do with the Yan family, that's up to you.

Fifty Cloud Sea Jade Talismans are quite valuable.

But Lin Zhao didn't rush to agree.

He was unclear about the sect's attitude towards the Yan family, and how far they would deal with them.

To rescue? To evacuate? Or to clean up the mess?

Moreover, his true form cannot leave the sect, and although his Five Sacred Mountains Dharma Body and Azure Lotus Dharma Body are not weak in combat...

However, the Yan family patriarch is, after all, at the peak of the Core Formation stage of the sect, and his combat strength is not low among those at the peak of the Core Formation stage. With his two Dharma bodies and the magic weapon he currently possesses, he probably cannot suppress the Yan family patriarch.

He briefly explained his concern.

Qingyuan Zhenjun glanced at him but did not answer.

He raised his hand and reached deep into the cave.

The layers of restrictions on the Treasure Pavilion were as thin as paper, without even a soft sound. A silver-white stream of light flew out from the depths of the cave and landed in his hand.

A fourth-tier magic weapon, the Starry Sky Rift Sword.

Lin Zhao looked at the sword lying quietly in Qingyuan Zhenjun's palm, the star runes on the sword still glowing slightly.

Qingyuan Zhenjun flicked his finger on the sword.

The sword vibrated and trembled, transforming into a silver streak that flew to the Azure Lotus Dharma Body.

"With your Five Sacred Mountains Dharma Body, Azure Lotus Dharma Body, and this sword, you have few rivals among Core Formation cultivators. Suppressing an ordinary peak Core Formation cultivator is not difficult."

Qingyuan Zhenjun paused, his tone as calm as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.

"Young people should strive. What's there to be afraid of losing a mere fourth-tier magic weapon?"

Swordsmanship is inherently a human art of killing; what use is a sword that cannot kill? It's just a piece of scrap metal.