Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

He raised his third finger, his gaze becoming profoundly deep: "The third path is trade, barter. Foundation Establishment Pills are indeed precious among Qi Refining cultivators."

However, it's not a rare item among Foundation Establishment cultivators, but they tacitly agree not to easily leave it to Qi Refining cultivators. It needs to be exchanged for something of value; a second-tier demon core is a good example of such a trade.

The grandfather looked intently at Lin Zhao: "The Lin family has found a way to exchange Foundation Establishment Pills. Now we need second-tier demon cores as a bargaining chip."

After saying that, he took out a warm and smooth jade slip and solemnly placed it in Lin Zhao's hand: "Take the time to study it."

Lin Zhao probed the jade slip with his divine sense. This was actually part of the control information for the Lin family's second-tier formation, the "Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Formation"! That was the Lin family's clan-protecting formation.

The Lin family possesses three second-tier formations. These are the "Azure Wood Profound Light Formation," primarily for defense; the "Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Formation," primarily for transformative attacks; and the "Gathering Yuan Returning Formation," primarily for energy convergence.

The three magic arrays working together can even rival a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Now, they've actually brought out a second-tier formation, making a desperate gamble to prepare for Foundation Establishment.

After waiting for three days, the Lin family began their operation. They passed through an underground tunnel, which was deep and damp. Water droplets condensed on the rock walls dripped down from time to time, making a clear echo in the silence.

The Lin family members walked forward in silence, each with a solemn expression, their footsteps echoing in the narrow space.

Fifteen minutes later, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

What comes into view is a huge underground cave, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling emitting a cold, faint light.

In the center of the cave, a colossal creature lay coiled and asleep—the second-tier demonic beast, the Black Rock Python. This type of demonic beast spends ten years active and ten years dormant; it was currently in its dormant period.

It was nearly fifty meters long, and its dark scales gleamed with a metallic sheen in the dim light. Each breath it took created a faint airflow, and the unintentional pressure it exuded made all the late-stage Qi Refining cultivators feel their hearts tremble.

A massive array covering the entire cavern was slowly operating, with array patterns lighting up with five-colored light on the ground. It was the Lin family's clan-protecting array, the "Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Array".

Before the formation, Clan Chief Lin Shanhe stood with his hands behind his back. This burly middle-aged cultivator had eyes as sharp as lightning and a face as resolute as a rock. He was also the strongest cultivator in the Lin family, possessing the tenth level of Qi Refining.

"Everyone to your positions." Lin Shanhe's voice echoed through the cave.

The twenty-five relatively young cultivators stepped into the formation one by one. Several centenarian elders remained outside as reserve members, ready to fill in should any unexpected situations arise.

When Lin Zhao entered the formation, he was surprised to find that the area within the formation was already filled with dense black demonic spiritual energy. Black demonic energy is a unique power of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, and is essentially a type of spiritual energy.

Only the Black Fiend Pavilion in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range can use these powers. The Lin family was able to gather so many; could there be a Black Fiend Spirit Vein nearby? I wonder how much effort they must have put in to achieve that.

These chilling and powerful black evil energies flowed slowly between the array patterns. They would serve as the array's power source and attack source.

The formation is arranged in five directions, each commanded by a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining:

The east is led by the current Grand Elder, the south by the Second Elder, the west by the Third Elder, the north by the former clan leader, and the upper part is personally controlled by Clan Leader Lin Shanhe. Behind each Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator are four clan members at the Qi Refining Level 7.

"Activate the formation!"

Twenty-five array flags were raised simultaneously, with spiritual energy continuously flowing into them. The originally flowing five-colored spiritual light began to transform, gradually turning into a deep, dark, malevolent power.

The array patterns looked as if they had been soaked in ink, exuding a sharp killing intent—this was the mystery of the Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Array, which could transform the array's attributes according to the characteristics of the injected spiritual power.

Black demonic energy surged within the formation, transforming into streams of black demonic power that silently encircled the still-slumbering Black Rock Python. Each stream of black demonic energy gleamed with a dangerous, eerie light, turning the entire cavern into a massive and terrifying killing array.

Lin Shanhe's gaze sharpened as he slowly raised the main battle flag in his hand. Everyone understood that when this flag fell, it would mark the beginning of a life-or-death struggle.

Inside the underground cavern, powerful spiritual energy surged like tangible waves, crashing against the rock walls. This finally awakened the Black Rock Python.

The Black Rock Python's vertical pupils suddenly snapped open, the golden pupils reflecting the operating array, before turning a furious crimson.

It let out a deafening roar, the sound waves echoing repeatedly in the cave, causing the stalactites on the ceiling to fall in a rustling sound.

At the same time, the enormous head slammed into the array's light barrier with tremendous force!

"Hold on!" Clan Chief Lin Shanhe's voice boomed in everyone's mind.

Lin Zhao felt a terrifying force surge through the array flags, instantly numbing his entire arm. The twenty-five late-stage Qi Refining cultivators groaned in unison, and the array's light barrier fluctuated violently.

This is the power of a second-tier demon beast comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet the formation ultimately did not break, clearly indicating that the Lin family's preparations were superior.

"attack!"

With a wave of the main formation flag in his hand, the dense black evil energy within the formation instantly condensed into hundreds of black spears, each over ten feet long, their tips gleaming with a chilling, eerie light.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"

The sound of air being torn apart was incessant as black spears rained down on the Black Rock Python. Most of them were deflected by its hard scales, producing a crisp sound like metal clashing against stone.

But dozens of spears found gaps in the scales and plunged deep into the flesh.

"roar!"

The Black Rock Python let out a painful hiss, black energy emanating from its wounds as dark, malevolent power frantically eroded its flesh. Its massive body writhed violently, causing the ground to bulge and transform into a thick layer of rock armor covering its entire body.

Even more terrifying, it suddenly opened its enormous maw, and a pitch-black vortex formed within it. The black demonic weapons emitted by the array were all sucked in, disintegrating and transforming within the vortex.

"Oh no!" several elders outside exclaimed.

The next moment, a thick black beam of light shot out from the python's mouth, and the air around it sizzled as it was corroded.

"change!"

Five cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining simultaneously formed hand seals, and the array's light barrier instantly transformed into a thick black wall.

"boom--!"

The black beam of light slammed into the black wall, causing the entire cavern to shake violently. Lin Zhao felt his internal organs tremble, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. He gripped the array flag tightly, pouring all his spiritual power into it.

The stalemate lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until the beam of light from the Black Rock Python's mouth finally began to weaken. Clearly, this level of attack had taken a heavy toll on it.

"Now!" Lin Shanhe handed over control of the formation to the Second Elder.

The Second Elder took control of the formation, his beard and hair standing on end. Under his control, all the black evil power converged wildly, eventually transforming into a giant black sword ten zhang long.

"cut!"

The giant sword crashed down with a devastating force that seemed to tear everything apart.

"Click—"

The rock armor on the Black Rock Python shattered with a crash, but the greatsword continued its momentum, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound on its back, from which dark red blood gushed out like a waterfall.

The right to use the formation is in the hands of the Second Elder.

This powerful swordsman, who has been practicing for over 30 years, displayed formidable strength.