Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

This battle became the final straw that broke the camel's back for the demon beast camp.

With one of the greatest threats eliminated, the morale of the human cultivators soared.

On the other hand, the demon beasts lost their commander, the Earth-Splitting Wild Bear, and their morale suffered a blow.

Although the even more terrifying "Golden-Winged Thunder Roc" was still fierce and incomparably powerful, and had injured several Foundation Establishment cultivators in succession, it was still unable to hold on alone.

Three days after Master Mingxuan slew the Earth-Splitting Wild Bear, perhaps realizing that the situation was hopeless,

After the Golden-Winged Thunder Roc let out a long cry that pierced the sky,

They gathered the remaining second-tier and commander-level demonic beasts and led them to retreat deeper into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

The collapse of the second-tier monsters directly led to the disintegration of the entire beast tide command system.

Without the command and deterrence of the high-level demonic beasts, the massive number of low-level demonic beasts besieging Guiyun Market and its various outposts immediately fell into chaos.

They were no longer an organized army, but had turned into scattered soldiers acting on instinct.

They began to scatter and flee, some fighting each other, others escaping back to the mountains and forests.

The massive beast tide, which had lasted for nearly a year and swept across thousands of miles, finally collapsed completely!

"We won! We won!"

"The beast tide has dispersed! The monsters have fled!"

"Guiyun Market has been defended!"

Countless surviving cultivators, whether in the market or in the various dilapidated outposts, erupted in deafening cheers.

What followed was a full-scale counterattack and suppression.

The supporting cultivators from all sides joined forces with the fresh troops who rushed out of Guiyunfang City.

They began to clear and sweep away the scattered herds of beasts.

Roads that had been occupied and blocked by monsters were opened up, and besieged outposts were connected.

After Lin Zhao's injuries had healed by half, Zhao Lie and the others were gathering and preparing to set off.

They were heading to the main battlefield of Guiyunfang City to reunite with all the survivors.

Several days later, as Lin Zhao followed the remaining personnel of the Pan Shi base through the battlefield, which still reeked of blood and the smell of burnt meat,

Finally, we arrived at Guiyun Market, a place that had been ravaged by war yet still stood tall.

Outside the market town were supporting cultivators from Qingfeng Market Town, Huxiao Market Town, Jinsha Market Town, and other markets of varying sizes.

They joined up with the cultivators from Guiyun Market.

They were dressed in different clothes, most of them were injured, and their faces were full of fatigue, but every pair of eyes shone with excitement and the light of surviving a disaster.

At the very front of the crowd, nearly twenty figures were suspended in mid-air!

They exuded spiritual pressure far exceeding that of the Qi Refining stage; some possessed an aura as deep as the sea, some as sharp as a sword, and some as heavy as a mountain.

These are the Foundation Establishment cultivators who participated in this decisive battle!

Most of them were also injured, their robes and magical artifacts were damaged, and some even had unstable breathing, clearly having gone through fierce battles.

But at this moment, they hovered there, receiving the reverent and grateful gazes of countless cultivators below.

Lin Zhao's gaze was instantly drawn to one of the figures.

That was Master Mingxuan.

He was still dressed in white, but the cloud patterns on it seemed a little dimmer than before, and his face was pale, as if from the intense battle.

But his posture remained upright like a pine tree, and his eyes were calm and deep, as if he had not just experienced a life-or-death battle.

He stood behind the Foundation Establishment cultivators, but almost all of their gazes were, intentionally or unintentionally, focused on him.

Despite being at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he slew powerful enemies one after another, especially killing the Earth-Splitting Wild Bear, which completely turned the tide of the battle and made him the most dazzling legend in this war.

Someone shouted first, and the next moment, a thunderous cheer erupted, like a volcano that had been accumulating for thousands of years, shooting straight into the sky!

"Victory!"

"Victory for Humanity!"

"May Guiyun Market be a resounding success!"

The deafening roar seemed to completely dispel all the fear and sorrow endured during the beast tide.

The cultivators brandished their magical artifacts, releasing colorful spiritual light spells, like a grand celebratory fireworks display, illuminating the entire market entrance with dazzling brilliance.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators also showed relieved smiles, cupping their hands in greeting or nodding slightly to the crowd below.

Standing in the crowd, Lin Zhao felt the jubilation and was filled with emotion.

He touched the cold, azure dragon pattern on his face, his gaze sweeping over the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the air, especially lingering on Venerable Mingxuan for a moment before lowering his eyes.

However, amidst this jubilant atmosphere, two powerful and unfamiliar Foundation Establishment level auras...

Approaching rapidly from the horizon without warning, like two blocks of ice thrown into boiling water, instantly silencing the commotion outside the city gates!

Two streaks of light descended, revealing the figures of two cultivators.

The leader was an elderly man dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, with a withered face but eyes as sharp as a hawk's. The spiritual pressure emanating from him was as vast as the sea.

It turned out to be a powerful cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage!

He toyed with two jade stones that shimmered with spiritual light in his hands, a smirk playing on his lips as he swept his condescending gaze across the room.

Finally, it landed on the group of wounded Foundation Establishment cultivators in the air, its eyes revealing an undisguised contempt.

Half a step behind him was a middle-aged cultivator with a sharp face and a cold expression.

He also possessed the cultivation level of the early Foundation Establishment stage, with a calm aura and piercing eyes, vigilantly scanning his surroundings.

Many knowledgeable cultivators present immediately recognized the markings on their robes and exclaimed in low voices:

"They're from Wanheng Market!"

"Wanheng Market? They're only arriving now?"

"That old man... seems to be Wan Heling, the deputy head of Wanheng Market, known as 'Master Xuanyu'! He's a late-stage Foundation Establishment expert!"

Master Xuanyu Wan Heling seemed oblivious to the discussions and gazes below, looking directly at the group of local and supporting Foundation Establishment cultivators in the air.

His voice was hoarse but carried an undeniable firmness as he cut to the chase:

"Where is that Golden-Winged Thunder Roc now? Has it been captured?"

His question was so abrupt, so matter-of-fact, as if he were inquiring about his own property.

This caused all the cultivators present, especially the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had just experienced a bloody battle, to have grim expressions.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator from Guiyun Market suppressed his displeasure, stepped forward, and cupped his hands, saying, "So it is Venerable Xuanyu from Wanheng Market who has graced us with his presence."

"Thank you for your concern. That Golden-Winged Thunder Roc is incredibly powerful and has already led the remaining demonic beasts into the depths of the Cloud and Mist Mountains."

"What?! They escaped?!"

Upon hearing this, Wan Heling's brows furrowed instantly, and his face revealed an undisguised expression of extreme disappointment and anger.

He abruptly flicked his sleeve, his voice rising sharply, and he rebuked the speaker with a chilling intensity:

"Useless! They're all useless!"

"Dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't even keep a single hairy beast? Do you know how much effort I put into finding this strange creature with the bloodline of the Thunder Roc?"

I had hoped you would severely damage it so I could take it as a mount, but now it's escaped! You're utterly useless, more likely to ruin everything!