You were put to guard a shabby mountain gate, yet all your disciples became Immortal Emperors.

Before the sinister smile on Li Yuan's face had faded, he felt an indescribable, terrifying pressure descend from the sky.

That wasn't spiritual energy, nor was it oppressive force; it was more like an absolute crushing force from the level of life itself!

He felt like an ant looking up at a towering mountain that could collapse at any moment!

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

Li Yuan and his two lackeys' legs went weak and they were completely out of control, kneeling on the ground in unison.

The three men were trembling like leaves, their teeth chattering, unable to utter a single complete sentence.

fear!

A fear that comes from the depths of one's soul!

They didn't even have the courage to look up at Linzhou!

Xiao Fan was also stunned.

He was the closest, and although the pressure wasn't directed at him, he could still feel that his master's entire aura had changed.

If my master was a highly skilled person who kept his abilities hidden before...

Now, he is a god who looks down on all living beings!

"My apprentice from Linzhou, do you think you can just steal his things?"

Lin Zhou's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

But to Li Yuan and the other two, it was like a thunderclap from the heavens.

"Master Lin... we... we were wrong..."

Li Yuan kowtowed repeatedly, his crotch already damp and hot.

He was filled with deep regret!

This guy is no useless mountain lord at all!

This is clearly a prehistoric crocodile in sheep's clothing!

Lin Zhou didn't say anything more, but simply raised a finger and gently pointed it in Li Yuan's direction.

A barely perceptible wisp of spiritual energy instantly entered Li Yuan's dantian.

"ah--!"

Li Yuan let out a piercing scream, curled up on the ground, and rolled around in pain.

He could clearly feel that the Qi Sea he had painstakingly cultivated was rapidly drying up, and his Dantian was completely empty.

He's ruined!

"Go back and tell Li Mu that if this happens again, it won't be as simple as just destroying his dantian."

Lin Zhou recalled Li Mu's trip to Xiaoqiong Mountain and didn't even let Li Yuan serve as a testing ground, directly crippling him.

Lin Zhou waved his hand, and the terrifying pressure vanished instantly.

The remaining two lackeys were terrified. They grabbed Li Yuan, who had fainted from the pain, and scrambled down the mountain.

Lin Zhou watched their disheveled figures, his heart bleeding.

Damn it, this show-off used up another [Cloud-Sweeping Palm] time-limited card!

This is a Golden Core Realm time-limited card!

What a waste of money! So incredibly wasteful!

It's all the fault of those few blind cannon fodder who insisted on coming to our doorstep!

"Master..."

Xiao Fan looked at Lin Zhou, his lips moved, and his face was full of admiration.

Lin Zhou waved his hand, just about to say a few witty remarks to solidify his glorious image, when suddenly he paused.

Not far away, a cold and aloof figure appeared once again.

She's still that icy beauty in her moon-white law enforcement uniform.

Shen Han.

Why is she here again?

Lin Zhou's heart skipped a beat. He must have leaked too much of his Golden Core aura while trying to show off, which attracted the "Steam Girl" again.

Shen Han's heart was also in turmoil at this moment.

That fleeting aura just now was definitely something only a Golden Core Realm expert could possess!

Although it was only for a brief moment, she would never mistake the vastness and grandeur of that feeling!

Who exactly is the owner of this Xiaoqiong Mountain?

She walked quickly over, holding a small white jade bottle in her hand.

"I'm here on patrol, and by the way... here's some healing medicine."

She handed over the jade bottle, her cheeks slightly flushed, not daring to look at Lin Zhou's face.

"Oh, the head of the Enforcement Hall is even personally bringing you this kindness? Thank you."

Lin Zhou took the pill and casually tossed it to Xiao Fan.

He didn't stand on ceremony and immediately began to look Shen Han up and down.

This woman has a truly amazing figure.

The tight-fitting outfit accentuated her stunning curves, especially her long legs encased in trousers, which were straight, shapely, and exuded an explosive sense of power.

Shen Han felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, and his heart began to race uncontrollably again.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

She felt her face getting hotter and hotter, and the familiar white steam above her head started to puff out again.

Lin Zhou almost burst out laughing.

Amazing! This physique is practically a human kettle.

"Master Shen, you need to get this problem fixed."

Lin Zhou said seriously, "Boiling water like this all the time is such a waste of manpower."

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!"

Shen Han was both ashamed and angry, and turned to leave.

However, sensing the special spiritual energy emanating from Lin Zhou, he naturally restrained his "Ice Heart Severing Dust Technique".

Perhaps, the shortcomings of this technique will need to be addressed by Linzhou in the future.

Just then, the heavily injured armored porcupine let out a mournful cry and died.

"roar!"

Suddenly, a childish cry came from the cave next to them.

Lin Zhou's ears twitched, and he walked over and pulled out a young armored porcupine that hadn't been weaned from the cave.

The little guy was only the size of a palm, all black, and was looking at Lin Zhou innocently with his big, watery eyes, making "humming" sounds.

Lin Zhou had a sudden inspiration. He grabbed the piglet by the scruff of its neck and handed it directly to Shen Han.

"The head of the Enforcement Hall must be very busy, his life must be boring. He should get a pet to relieve his boredom."

"you……"

Shen Han was about to scold him for "fooling around," but when she saw the little piglet dangling in front of her, grunting and squealing, she froze.

So...so cute!

Her girlish heart, which had been sealed away for many years by the "Ice Heart Severing Dust Technique," was instantly shattered.

"I...I don't want to!"

She was tough on the outside, but her body language betrayed her actions as she reached out and carefully took the piglet.

She held the piglet, her movements clumsy yet gentle, a rare tenderness appearing on her usually aloof face.

Lin Zhou was overjoyed to see this.

I've got it figured out!

Holding the piglet, Shen Han felt that if he stayed any longer, his icy persona would completely crumble.

She left behind the words, "This is a forbidden area in the back mountain. You are not allowed to come here again," and then, clutching the little one in her arms, she flew away as if fleeing.

……

Back to Xiaoqiong Mountain.

Lin Zhou tossed the Red Sun Grass to Xiao Fan and pointed to the large iron pot.

"Eat it, then soak in it. Today, I'll show you what it means to experience both ice and fire!"

Without saying a word, Xiao Fan swallowed the Crimson Sun Grass in one gulp.

Then, he jumped into the pot of medicinal soup made from various herbs with cold and yin properties.

"ah--!"

One cold and one hot, two extreme energies exploded within his body!

Xiao Fan felt like he was being torn apart!

The violent fire-attribute spiritual energy and the cold medicinal power surged wildly through his meridians, as if they were about to burst him apart!

Just as his consciousness was about to fade, the long-dormant vortex deep within his dantian suddenly trembled!

boom!

An unprecedentedly terrifying suction force erupted from the vortex!

The Chaotic Fire Spiritual Root has officially awakened!

All the violent energy was instantly swallowed up by the vortex!

The next second, an even purer and more domineering crimson-gold spiritual energy surged out from the vortex, instantly breaking through the cultivation bottleneck within his body!

Body tempering perfected... Break!

Early stage of Qi Refining!

Xiao Fan's aura surged forward, eventually settling steadily at the early stage of Qi Refining!

He suddenly opened his eyes, and a crimson-gold flame flashed and disappeared in his pupils!

He could feel an unprecedented surge of power within him!

Become!

He has finally officially embarked on the path of cultivation once again!

[Ding! Disciple Xiao Fan has broken through a major realm, returning a massive amount of cultivation power to the host!]

[Ding! Host's cultivation level has reached the peak of Foundation Establishment!]

[Ding! The enhanced version of the cultivation technique "Burning Heaven Creation Technique" has been returned!]

Lin Zhou felt a huge warm current surge into his body, and his cultivation bottleneck was instantly broken, directly soaring to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm!

Cool!

So cool!

As expected of the chosen one, this power bank's power output is truly impressive!

With a thought, he disguised his cultivation level as the perfect Qi Refining stage, disguised as the early Foundation Establishment stage at the second level.

Yes, three layers of disguise, that's the safest approach.

Just as the master and apprentice were immersed in the joy of their sudden surge in power, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded in Lin Zhou's mind!

[Warning! Warning! Golden luck detected is rapidly waning!]

Lin Zhou's expression changed, and he quickly opened the Qi Luck Heavenly Eye Map.

On the map, a once dazzling golden beam of light was rapidly dimming at a visible speed, and it was about to turn completely into the gray that symbolized death!

And the location of that point of light was—

Forbidden Land of the Eastern Xuan Domain: Abyss of Ten Thousand Beasts!