Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

"Broken Army Crossbow, prepare!"

Above the canyon, Shen Qianshan calmly gave the order.

Ten menacing-looking crossbows were set up above the sides of the canyon, each requiring two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators to operate together.

The crossbow bolts were as thick as an adult's arm, with their arrowheads engraved with armor-piercing runes, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight.

"put!"

Ten crossbow bolts, whistling through the air, shot towards the Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King like venomous snakes. These specially crafted armor-piercing bolts struck the silver armor with pinpoint accuracy, producing a deafening impact.

"roar!"

The Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King roared in pain. Although the crossbow bolts failed to completely penetrate its silver armor, the enormous impact caused its massive body to stagger backward.

Even more frightening is that the armor-piercing runes on the arrow are constantly eroding its defenses.

Just then, ten other members of the Po Jun army quietly made their move.

They held jet-black Black Fiend Swords in their hands. These magical artifacts could convert magical power into Black Fiend Power, and the swords emitted a chilling black mist.

The black energy, as if alive, seeped into the Silver Armor Rhinoceros King's body through the cracks in the silver armor.

"This is the Black Fiend Artifact of the Black Fiend Pavilion?" Lin Zhao's pupils shrank slightly. But it wasn't surprising. The Black Fiend Pavilion was famous for crafting artifacts. The one who needed the Black Fiend Artifact the most was not the marketplace, but the military camp with an entire defensive line.

The Great Yun Dynasty was originally governed by three major sects, so Po Jun naturally had a channel to contact the Black Fiend Pavilion.

The black evil power released by those magical artifacts was even more terrifying than the power gathered by the Lin family using array formations before.

He could clearly sense that the black evil power was raging wildly within the Silver Armored Rhinoceros King's body, destroying its meridians and eroding its demonic power.

This power is bizarre and domineering, capable of ignoring the silver armor's defenses and directly attacking the user's body.

In the canyon, the moment the Black Fiend Artifact appeared, the battle was already decided.

The Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King roared angrily; its once indestructible silver armor was now covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

Under the control of the Lin family, the Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Array has transformed into the ever-renewing Five Elements Green Wood Array. The entire canyon seems to have turned into a primeval forest, with countless thick vines emerging from the rock crevices and wrapping around the limbs of the second-tier demon beast like living creatures.

The Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King clearly sensed the threat; it struggled frantically, attempting to unleash its innate magic.

However, whenever it gathers demonic power, the Five Elements Green Wood Array will burst out with dazzling green light, forcibly suppressing its demonic power.

Lin Zhao had recently experienced the Earth-Shattering Torrent from the Ironclad Rhinoceros, which had completely destroyed Wu Laodao's formation. However, the Earth-Shattering Torrent, which was originally powerful enough to overturn the entire canyon, was now suppressed by the formation and its power was reduced to less than one-tenth.

"Snap!"

With a crisp sound, more than ten first-grade high-quality spirit trees in the formation could not withstand the pressure of the Silver Armored Rhinoceros King's earth-shattering torrent and snapped in response.

However, the Lin family was prepared, and immediately a member of the clan took out a spare piece of spirit wood to replace it.

Clearly, the Lin family's real purpose in hunting the Azure-Eyed Ape was to obtain these spirit trees. With the support of these spirit trees, the ape could not shake the formation.

For the next three days, the Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King used every trick in the book.

Sometimes it tries to burrow into the ground, but is firmly entangled by the roots formed by the array; sometimes it tries to rush into the sky, but is forced back to the ground by the Breaking Army Crossbow.

Even its most prized silver armor defense gradually lost its effectiveness under the erosion of the black evil power.

This battle turned into a test of patience.

More than seventy late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, including more than ten experts at the ninth level of Qi Refining and two cultivators at the tenth level of Qi Refining, formed a barrier that the Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King could not overcome.

Although some foolish cultivators came to spy on them, they all wisely chose to retreat after sensing this terrifying power.

The power gathered here is in no way inferior to that of the plains battlefield in the past. Faced with so many late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would have to think twice before sensing this power. They can hunt down second-tier demonic beasts so easily. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to enter the formation, he will be killed without hesitation.

It must be said that the Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King is far more powerful than the two second-tier demonic beasts from before.

It wasn't until dusk on the third day that the Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King finally succumbed to its weakness, its massive body crashing to the ground. Its large, bell-like eyes were filled with resentment, but its life force was rapidly fading away.

Shen Qianshan personally stepped forward to confirm that the Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King was dead before turning to Lin Shanhe and saying, "As agreed, the demon core belongs to the Lin family, and the remaining materials belong to my Po Jun."

Lin Shanhe nodded slightly and took out the demon core of the Silver Armored Rhinoceros King.

This demon core is entirely earthen yellow, with armor-like patterns on its surface, containing a vast amount of earth-elemental spiritual power.

The post-war affairs were handled remarkably smoothly.

The members of the Broken Army skillfully dissected the corpse of the Silver-Armored Rhinoceros King. Its silver armor was an excellent material for making armor, and each piece of material was carefully collected.

After obtaining the demon core, the Lin family immediately prepared to return home.

The group returned to the flying boat, and to everyone's surprise, the clan leader Lin Shanhe was nowhere to be found. The previous clan leader announced that "the clan affairs will be temporarily managed by the Grand Elder."

Everyone tacitly understood that the clan leader intended to use three second-tier demon cores to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill in an attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm. As for where he went, no one knew.

On the return journey on the hearse, the grandfather came to Lin Zhao's side, looked at his injured and pale face, and softly asked, "What have you been thinking these past few days?"

Lin Zhao remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the injured clansmen on the spirit boat who were recuperating, and slowly said, "As long as one is willing to pay the price, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator is not invincible."

Upon hearing this, a strange look flashed in the grandfather's eyes. He had originally intended to inquire about his injuries, but he hadn't expected that this was what he was thinking about. He did not refute it.

This experience of hunting three second-tier demonic beasts in succession has indeed given everyone a new understanding of the strength of Foundation Establishment cultivators. With sufficient preparation and coordination, Qi Refining cultivators are not without the power to fight back.

What Lin Zhao didn't say was that while Foundation Establishment level demonic beasts were powerful, they required a great deal of spiritual energy to unleash powerful spells. The most important thing when facing them was to limit and suppress their ability to control spiritual energy.

Lin Zhao's domain seems to possess such an ability. If he could fully master the unity of heaven and man, expanding the domain's range from a hundred meters to several kilometers, he could also achieve the same level of control over spiritual power as an array, thanks to the power of "unity of heaven and man."

If one can seize the spiritual power of a Foundation Establishment demon beast, then Lin Zhao's previous delusion of fighting against a Foundation Establishment cultivator alone becomes possible. If one adds the powerful killing ability of the sword path, it seems that killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator is not impossible.

When the spirit boat finally entered Qingxi Mountain, the ancestral home of the Lin family, a solemn atmosphere enveloped the entire mountain range.

The mountain-protecting formation was fully activated, a hazy blue light enveloping the entire mountain range. At the mountain gate, not only the clansmen who remained behind were present, but also Lin Xuan, Zhao Ziming, and their father, who had been outside earlier.

All the members of the Lin clan have returned, and they are lined up to await their return, each with a solemn and expectant expression on their face.

"Mountain closure!"

The Grand Elder's voice echoed throughout the entire Qingxi Mountain.

With his command, the protective mountain formation was completely closed, isolating the entire Lin family from the outside world.

From now on, until the patriarch successfully completes his foundation-building and returns, or until news of his failure arrives, the Lin family will remain completely secluded.

Lin Zhao stood in the mountains, gazing at the sky gradually darkening in the distance.

He knew that the real test was yet to come. Whether the patriarch could successfully complete his Foundation Establishment and return would directly determine the future fate of the Lin family.

The Lin family's long-cherished wish of seventy years is finally about to be fulfilled.