Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

The clan leader showed no mercy and issued the order to attack without hesitation, with the second elder taking the lead.

He brandished his sword, and crimson sword energy intertwined in the air, each strike carrying a chilling killing intent.

Lin Zhao keenly noticed that the light barrier of the Five Elements Wood Array had shrunk from its initial kilometer radius to a range of three hundred meters.

This is the clan leader precisely controlling the formation, compressing the Blue-eyed Ape's activity space to the extreme.

At this moment, this former forest overlord is firmly confined to a perilous area only a hundred meters square.

Faced with the trapped blue-eyed ape, the group began to unleash various talismans to attack.

In an instant, all sorts of talismans rained down on the green-eyed ape. Fireball talismans, ice spear talismans, golden blade talismans... multicolored spiritual light exploded in the forest.

The shrunken formation severely restricted the agile movements of the green-eyed ape.

Faced with the attack, the blue-eyed ape could only withstand it, but it soon discovered that there was something even more dangerous involved.

Twenty-five [Gengjin Sword Qi Talismans] were quietly mixed into the torrent of attacks.

These talismans transformed into pale golden streams of light, moving faster than the limits of visual perception.

"Puff puff puff—"

The sounds of sword energy piercing flesh rang out one after another. The green-eyed ape let out a painful howl, its metal-wood-like characteristics displayed to the fullest at this moment.

It not only prevents the wound from healing, but also continuously damages its meridians.

"Keep going! Don't give it a chance to breathe!" Lin Shanhe's voice rang in everyone's ears.

The morale of the crowd soared, and more Gengjin sword qi talismans were activated.

However, the blue-eyed ape also noticed this threat. It began to focus on avoiding the golden sword energy while attacking the formation even more frantically.

Each impact caused the array's light barrier to fluctuate violently, and the cultivators who were in charge of the array grew paler and paler.

"Rotate!" Lin Shanhe ordered.

Immediately, the more seriously injured clansmen began to withdraw from the formation, and the clan elders who had been waiting for a long time quickly took their place.

This rotation tactic was something the Lin family had planned long ago, precisely to prepare for a protracted war.

The battle reached a stalemate. Whenever a clansman's spiritual power waned, an elder would step in to fill the gap.

Although the Azure Ape was incredibly powerful, its self-healing ability was suppressed by the constant attacks of the Gengjin Sword Qi, making it unable to recover from its injuries.

The Second Elder and the two sword-wielding clansmen beside him did not use any talismans. Their bodies rippled with sword energy, and their robes fluttered even without wind.

The three blood-red sword energies, almost tangible, intertwined to form a web of death, continuously tearing new wounds into the massive body of the green-eyed ape.

The Second Elder's sword aura was particularly fierce. Every flash of bloody light brought with it a spray of demonic blood, causing the green-eyed ape to let out a roar that was a mixture of pain and rage.

Seeing this, Lin Zhao also began to attack. He took a deep breath, and his spiritual power surged within him. He summoned the Four Elements Pearl, which hung in front of him, spinning rapidly and emitting spiritual light of four colors: green, red, blue, and yellow.

"Condense!" he shouted, and the four-colored spiritual light suddenly extended, transforming into four dazzling magic swords with different attributes.

Amidst the clanging of swords, four-colored sword lights intertwined to form a dazzling net of light, enveloping the green-eyed ape.

The four-colored sword light constantly changed its attributes, sometimes as a blazing fire sword, sometimes as an icy water sword, making it impossible for the green-eyed ape to defend against.

It brandished its sharp claws, its demonic power surging, attempting to shatter the troublesome net of swords.

"clang!"

A solid claw shadow slammed into the sword net. The three magical swords let out a mournful cry, their light trembling wildly, and they flew back, almost disintegrating into precious pearls again. However,

In that brief moment, a dark blue, water-based sword light, like a venomous snake, slipped in and precisely pierced an old wound in the chest of the green-eyed ape.

*Sizzle—!*

The sword energy penetrated the flesh, reaching deep enough to expose the bone.

"roar--!"

This attack also ignited the ferocity of the Azure Ape. Its giant claws, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, slammed down towards Lin Zhao's head! Even before the claws arrived, the terrifying pressure made Lin Zhao gasp for breath.

Lin Zhao's pupils contracted sharply, his mind raced, and he summoned the remaining three magic swords to cross and defend himself.

"boom!"

A tremendous force struck, and Lin Zhao felt a sweet taste in her throat. Her body flew backward uncontrollably.

He struggled to his feet, wiping away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, a chill running through him: "The difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining is indeed like a chasm..."

But the next moment, an even stronger fighting spirit ignited in his eyes: "Where can you find such a rare opportunity for life-or-death training! You are the perfect tool to hone my swordsmanship!"

He swallowed a healing pill to suppress his surging blood and qi, and once again wielded his magic sword to attack.

The magic sword roared out again and again, only to be knocked away or shattered, but he was not discouraged. Each time it re-condensed, the sword energy seemed to become more refined.

An hour passed in the fierce battle. Lin Zhao had several claw marks on his body, his internal organs were shaken, and he vomited blood no less than ten times. He was only able to hold on by taking pills.

But his results were equally remarkable; the Four Elements Sword had left seven undeniable wounds on the Azure-Eyed Ape.

He felt the connection between himself and the magic sword growing stronger, and his control over it becoming more and more fluid and effortless.

He took a deep breath, abruptly retreated several steps, and rapidly formed hand seals, channeling his spiritual energy into the Four Elements Pearl at an unprecedented speed. "Four Elements Return to One," he roared inwardly.

Four streams of light—cyan, red, blue, and yellow—surged out from the magic sword, like four restless serpents attempting to coil and merge.

This process is far more difficult than the previous orb form; the orb's unification is essentially a power inherent in the magical artifact itself.

Now that the magic sword has been unified, it requires Lin Zhao's strong control ability, especially since he lacks wind and earth spiritual roots and has limited control over the corresponding attributes.

The four colors of energy began to clash violently. The white magic sword that had barely fused together was extremely unstable. The air around the sword was slightly distorted, emitting a destructive aura that made everyone present tremble!

Even the Second Elder, who had been focused on attacking, couldn't help but glance sideways, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "This attack has already threatened him; it has surpassed the ninth level of Qi Refining and possesses power comparable to the tenth level."

"Azure Profound Sword Technique, Piercing the Sun!" This is his most powerful move, and also the only move that allows him to wield this unstable white magic sword.

Lin Zhao's face was ashen, as he forcibly controlled the unstable destructive power with his willpower.

The white magic sword suddenly transformed into a condensed, ten-foot-long white streak of light, only as thick as a human head, like a divine spear shot down from the heavens, ignoring the distance in space.

In an instant, the attack struck the green-eyed ape's left arm with pinpoint accuracy.

There was no deafening explosion, only a dull, teeth-grinding tearing sound.

The incredibly tough arm bones of the blue-eyed ape cracked under the strain, like withered branches being snapped in two, and blood gushed out like a waterfall, staining the surrounding vegetation crimson.

Half of his thick left arm, with torn muscles, slammed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Awooo—!!!"

The blue-eyed ape let out a heart-wrenching howl, a roar filled with pain, anger, and disbelief.

The blue-eyed ape let out a heart-wrenching scream, its massive body staggering backward from the intense pain.

The wound at the severed arm was horrifying; the stark white bone fragments pierced the skin, and the pulsating veins within were faintly visible. Blue demonic blood dripped continuously.

The once majestic second-tier demon beast now appeared extremely disheveled and miserable.

Lin Zhao's attack was successful, but his spiritual power was almost completely drained. His body went limp, and he nearly collapsed.

He mustered his strength and quickly withdrew from the formation's area, where his uncle, who had been waiting for a long time, took his place.

He was already quite satisfied with the result, considering that a Qi Refining cultivator could achieve this in a battle against a Foundation Establishment demon beast.